Thinking that Tianjiu could hold back three thousand of the Great Xia Country’s most elite Dragon Guards—the nation’s highest combat force—all by himself? It was nothing short of delusional.
"My people at the Pantheon are just arrogant. You got a problem with that?"
*BOOM!*
Just as Zhang Zhenhu was about to step forward to continue provoking Tianjiu, Chu Tianhe’s voice rang out. It sounded like a roar from the heavens, a clap of rolling thunder that pierced the ears of everyone present.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep... Warning, warning... Danger warning!"
"Beep, beep..."
In an instant, the ancient martial qi electronic monitors worn on the chests of all three thousand elite Dragon Guards flashed red. These devices were used to gauge the strength of their enemies; every man was equipped with one to help them judge their opponents accurately.
However, the moment Chu Tianhe’s voice echoed, the readings on every single monitor spiked off the charts!
"We welcome the Temple Master!"
Sensing Chu Tianhe’s presence, Tianjiu turned around and dropped to one knee, his demeanor one of absolute reverence.
Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, Chu Tianhe came into view.
*BOOM!!*
Chu Tianhe took a light step forward with his right foot, and a biting surge of ancient martial qi instantly slammed into Zhang Zhenhu’s face.
*Pfft...*
The immense force of the shockwave sent blood spraying from Zhang Zhenhu’s mouth and nose. He stumbled back seven or eight paces before he could steady himself.
"Commander!"
"Commander!"
Seeing their leader spit blood, the three thousand elite Dragon Guards rushed forward, desperate to catch him.
*Thump... Thump... Thump...*
But just then, Chu Tianhe swept his hand through the air. A powerful wave of ancient martial qi surged out, carrying a pressure as heavy as Mount Tai. In an instant, a chorus of knees hitting the ground echoed across the field.
"Hiss!!"
Feeling such terrifying pressure, every elite Dragon Guard present couldn't help but gasp in unison.
To them, Chu Tianhe had always been a legendary figure, someone they had only heard of but never seen. Now that they were finally in his presence, his god-like aura deeply shook every man to his core.
To force back a powerhouse like Zhang Zhenhu with nothing but an aura—how many people in the world could claim such a feat?
"In all my years of military service, I have fought foreign enemies and slaughtered rebels. I never imagined that one day, my own people would point their blades at me!"
Looking at the three thousand elites pinned down by his pressure, Chu Tianhe frowned, his face tinged with sorrow.
"Zhang Zhenhu, you’ve grown truly bold!"
"Do you think that with these three thousand elites and the one hundred thousand troops backing you, you can stand as my equal?"
Chu Tianhe’s gaze fell sharply upon Zhang Zhenhu. His eyes were piercing as he suddenly barked, "Zhang Zhenhu, there is a limit to how delusional you can be!"
"Don't forget, three years ago, when a million enemy troops pressed against our borders and the Northern Border Dragon Guards were retreating, who was it that turned the tide and saved this land?"
"If the Pantheon hadn't intervened in the Battle of Tianhai, you would be nothing but a corpse by now!"
"At the Red Water border, when hundreds of thousands of Dragon Guards were besieged, who did you turn to for emergency aid?"
"Or do you actually think that the peace, prosperity, and wealth of the Great Xia Country today are all thanks to you, Zhang Zhenhu?"
Chu Tianhe’s words were powerful and resonant, leaving Zhang Zhenhu speechless and unable to utter a single rebuttal.
Though the Pantheon stood apart from the Great Xia Country and operated on a global stage, its roots were ultimately in Great Xia. The world was well aware of the help the Pantheon had provided the nation over the years.
"Now that my wife and daughter have met with disaster, you in the War Department do nothing. You don't punish the treacherous, but instead, you come here to bark at me?!"
"Zhang Zhenhu, do you really think that just because you've reached the position of Commander, I wouldn't dare kill you?"
*BOOM!!*
As those words fell, a tangible murderous intent washed over the area. Zhang Zhenhu’s body trembled violently, and cold sweat instantly drenched his spine.
Outside the gates of the cemetery, there was a deathly silence.
Over three thousand people knelt on the ground, and not a soul dared to speak.
"Could it be that the Li Family..."
After witnessing Chu Tianhe’s terrifying strength, Zhang Zhenhu’s cold sweat had soaked through his clothes. He had thought that leading the nation’s finest would be enough to restrain Chu Tianhe, allowing them to stand as equals and talk on level ground.
Only now, facing Chu Tianhe in a blind rage, did Zhang Zhenhu realize how wrong he had been.
The Chu Tianhe he had seen in the past was a man wearing shackles on his ancient martial power. Even then, his strength was enough to chill the blood.
But now, what Zhang Zhenhu saw was Chu Tianhe with those shackles cast aside, his fury unleashed!
"Damn it, the War Department didn't report this to me!" Zhang Zhenhu said, trying to save face while simultaneously signaling weakness to Chu Tianhe. After all, as the Commander of the War Department, he still had his reputation to protect.
"What? Are you waiting for me to do it myself?"
Chu Tianhe didn't give him a shred of face. His voice was cold and filled with killing intent.
*Whoosh!*
Zhang Zhenhu’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. Even Tianjiu, standing behind Chu Tianhe, felt a shiver run through his entire body.
Tianjiu knew clearly that if Chu Tianhe were to strike, his gaze would mark a ruthless purgatory, his techniques would turn the field into a slaughterhouse, and none of those present would survive.
He would either refuse to fight or, once engaged, annihilate everything in his path.
That was Chu Tianhe’s way, and the way of the Pantheon. That was why the very name "Pantheon" was like a forbidden zone that no one dared to cross.
"Still not kneeling? Kowtow to the Temple Master and apologize!"
Seeing the situation, Tianjiu let out a thunderous shout. Zhang Zhenhu’s expression changed drastically. He had three thousand elite Dragon Guards behind him; if he knelt and apologized to Chu Tianhe in front of them all, his dignity as the Commander of the War Department would be utterly destroyed.
"Tianjiu, don't push your luck!" Zhang Zhenhu glared at him with fury.
"You think Tianjiu is pushing it?" A sharp glint, like a blade splitting the sky, flashed in Chu Tianhe’s eyes as he locked onto Zhang Zhenhu.
The counter-question caused Zhang Zhenhu’s whole body to shake. It was clear that Chu Tianhe fully backed Tianjiu’s demand—he was going to force Zhang Zhenhu to kneel and apologize.
"Live on your knees, or die on your feet—take your pick!"
Chu Tianhe used the same words on Zhang Zhenhu that he had used before.
Silence, shock, rage, and humiliation—a torrent of emotions flooded Zhang Zhenhu’s heart. Meanwhile, the eyes of the three thousand elite Dragon Guards were all fixed on him. In that moment, Zhang Zhenhu was the center of everyone's attention.
"Temple Master Chu, it was my negligence that caused your wife and daughter to suffer. Please, calm your anger."
Ultimately, faced with Chu Tianhe’s overwhelming aura, Zhang Zhenhu chose to compromise. He dropped to one knee, offering his submission to Chu Tianhe in his capacity as the supreme commander of the Great Xia War Department.
"My late wife’s grave is inside. I decree that you shall kneel in vigil before it for seven days to show your penance. Do you have any objections?"
Zhang Zhenhu’s apology had already shocked the elite troops, but Chu Tianhe’s demand that he kneel for seven days was far beyond what anyone expected. How could a man of his stature kneel in a graveyard for a full week?
"No... no objections!"
But Zhang Zhenhu, completely suppressed by the power Chu Tianhe projected, actually agreed to kneel in vigil for his late wife.
"Commander!"
"This... this is absolutely out of the question!"
"Your status..."
Several high-ranking commanders behind him turned pale, rushing to dissuade him.
"Shut your mouths, all of you!" Zhang Zhenhu roared, cutting them off.
"Since that is settled, you may go and begin your vigil now."
Chu Tianhe glanced at Zhang Zhenhu indifferently before stepping forward. He walked through the crowd of three thousand elite soldiers as if he were strolling in a garden, never sparing a second glance for any of them.
"Tianjiu, how is the investigation into Han Chuanwu going?"
After leaving the cemetery, Chu Tianhe sat in a black business car. The murderous intent in his eyes had not faded as he asked in a low voice.
"Tian-san has reported back. Han Chuanwu is living quite well. He has founded two companies and is considered one of the most prominent figures in Jiangzhou City."
"Is that so?!"
Chu Tianhe instinctively clenched his fists, veins bulging on his arms as a surge of intense rage boiled within him.
Han Chuanwu had once been his best brother, a comrade through thick and thin—the man he had sworn brotherhood with during his most desperate times.
But now, everything had changed.
Because he didn't want the dangerous international powers to know of his connection to Qin Xiaorou—fearing they would use her against him—Chu Tianhe had spent years secretly asking Han Chuanwu to watch over her. He had sent money to Han Chuanwu regularly and had instructed Qin Xiaorou that if she ever ran into trouble, she could go to Han Chuanwu for help!Yet now that Qin Xiaorou had been driven to her death, Han Chuanwu had not made a single move, instead living a life of utter extravagance!
How could Chu Tianhe not be furious, seeing how Han Chuanwu had transformed from a starving little beggar into the preeminent tycoon of Jiangzhou City!
Money was a magic mirror and a measure of conscience; poverty revealed one's nature, and wealth exposed one's heart!
If even one percent of the money Chu Tianhe had given Han Chuanwu had been spent on Qin Xiaorou, she would never have been driven to a desperate end!
"Let's go, let's go meet this good brother of mine!"
Star Media Group!
On the twelfth floor, in the chairman's office!
The three-hundred-square-meter office was decorated to the point of extreme luxury, with genuine leather sofas and mink carpets, every corner exuding the scent of money.
A woman sat beside Han Chuanwu with a haggard expression. Han Chuanwu, his face full of lust, let his eyes roam over her uninhibitedly, and as he spoke, he placed his hand on her thigh, stroking it gently through her black silk stockings.
"Xiaomeng, the Qin family has already accepted the betrothal gifts from my godfather, and they have agreed to this marriage. No matter what, you are going to marry my godfather anyway, so why must you remain so stubborn?""If you nod right now, then I, Han Chuanwu, will definitely keep my word and help you find your little niece. Of course, before that, I'll need to enjoy myself first—to see how well you perform and whether you can please my godfather!"Xiaomeng, you should know very well that the Li Family holds immense power in Jiangzhou City.Looking across the entire Jiangzhou City, the only one capable of touching the Li Family is my godfather!"
The woman was none other than Qin Xiaorou's younger sister, Qin Xiaomeng. Having just graduated from college this year, she was the acknowledged campus belle of Beijing University. Dressed in a red dress with a cascading waterfall of black hair, skin as smooth as lard, and delicate eyebrows like wisps of smoke, she exuded a sense of indescribable allure amidst her dignified grace. Combined with her breathtaking and peerless facial features, she was truly beyond compare!
Yet at this moment, Qin Xiaomeng's starry eyes flickered with a cold glint. Radiating a distant and chilly aura that kept people a thousand miles away, she shoved Han Chuanwu's hand—which had been resting on her thigh—straight off!
"Han Chuanwu, you're nothing but an animal!"
"How could my brother-in-law have been so blind as to make a friend like you!"
"You truly make me sick!"Qin Xiaomeng’s beautiful eyes were filled with fury as she stared daggers at Han Chuanwu, her body trembling with rage. During the time Chu Tianhe had been away, he had told her that if she ever needed help, she could turn to Han Chuanwu. But as it turned out, Han Chuanwu was an absolute animal.
Not only had he failed to provide the Qin family sisters with any assistance, but in order to secure his own position, he had become the godson of Lü Liang and set his sights on Qin Xiaomeng, offering her up to his godfather. To make matters worse, he even wanted to have his own way with her first.
"Qin Xiaomeng, don't be ungrateful for a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Han Chuanwu’s brow furrowed the moment she pushed his hand away. He said in a low voice, "Marrying my godfather is a blessing you've spent eight lifetimes cultivating. Your Qin family will become a top-tier family in Jiangzhou City because of it."
"It’s just a pity about your sister. Why did she have to set her sights on Chu Tianhe?"
"Otherwise, my godfather could have had both of you sisters all to himself!"
"Of course, I wouldn't mind having a taste first, heh heh!"
"You know, my godfather is already over seventy; he can't handle much. Once you’re married to him, if you can’t stand the loneliness, you’ll still have to come to me."
As he spoke, Han Chuanwu shamelessly raised his hand again, wrapping his arm around Qin Xiaomeng’s shoulders. He added, "Don't forget, it was your own family who sent you here directly!"
"The Qin family has already made their stance clear. What’s the point of you being so stubborn?"
"Don't forget, your little niece is still in the hands of the Li Family. Without my godfather stepping in, you will never be able to save her!"
As he spoke, Han Chuanwu attempted to pull Qin Xiaomeng into his arms, but she violently wrenched herself free and immediately swung her hand, landing a loud, crisp slap across his face.
"Slap!"
The sharp sound left Han Chuanwu stunned. He had never expected that a woman like Qin Xiaomeng would actually dare to slap him—it was absolute insubordination!
"You animal! My brother-in-law truly misjudged you, thinking of a piece of human trash like you as a brother!"
"Let me tell you, I, Qin Xiaomeng, would rather die than marry that old man, and I will never let a shameless, despicable beast like you touch me!"
Qin Xiaomeng felt nearly consumed by despair.In the Qin family, she had been closest to her sister, Qin Xiaorou. As a child, her sister had always protected her. Now that her sister had been driven to her death by the Li Family and her young niece had fallen into their clutches, she was not only powerless to help but was also being forced to marry a wretched old man in his seventies—a sacrifice for the sake of the Qin family’s development and their desperate bid to become a first-rate clan.
At this moment, Qin Xiaomeng began to envy her sister. She envied her for the courage she had shown back then, defying all the elders of the Qin family and choosing to elope with her brother-in-law, Chu Tianhe.
Looking at it now, perhaps being cast out of the Qin family hadn't been such a bad thing after all. At the very least, her sister had avoided the nightmare she was currently trapped in.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Seeing Qin Xiaomeng dash to the window in two or three strides and throw the glass open, Han Chuanwu panicked.
"Yaoyao, I’m sorry. Your aunt is useless; I couldn’t save you!"
"Please, don't blame me!"
"Brother-in-law, where are you? My sister is dead, and I can't even save Yaoyao. I feel so useless. I can't go on like this anymore. Brother-in-law, where on earth are you?"
Two lines of tears streamed down Qin Xiaomeng's cheeks. Her current predicament had left her in total despair; she was prepared to follow in her sister Qin Xiaorou's footsteps and end it all.
In truth, Qin Xiaomeng had known Chu Tianhe even longer than her sister had.
On a pitch-black night, Qin Xiaomeng had been accosted by thugs. After she handed over all her money, they refused to let her go, lunging at her and tearing at her clothes with evil intent. It was Chu Tianhe, passing by by chance, who had saved her.
From that day on, Chu Tianhe became a hero in Qin Xiaomeng’s heart. Later, it was through her introduction that her sister, Qin Xiaorou, met him, and the two gradually fell in love.
Deep down, Qin Xiaomeng had always harbored a secret love for Chu Tianhe. But because she was too young at the time, and because her sister had already established a relationship with him, she had no choice but to bury those feelings deep inside.
"You want to die?"
Han Chuanwu had not expected Qin Xiaomeng to have such a fierce temperament. Seeing her prefer death to submission and on the verge of jumping, his expression shifted abruptly. He lunged forward in a single stride and grabbed her arm!
"Do you really think you can just die whenever you want? As long as I say you aren't dying, you won't! If you die, how am I supposed to answer to my godfather?""Even if I have to die, I'll make sure I get to enjoy you first before I do!"
With a vicious, feral look in his eyes, Han Chuanwu grabbed Qin Xiaomeng and violently ripped at her dress!
"You beast, let me go!"
No matter how fiercely Qin Xiaomeng struggled and screamed, it was all in vain. Her red dress was torn straight off by Han Chuanwu, leaving her in only her undergarments, while her devilishly seductive and voluptuous figure was laid out entirely bare before his eyes!
"Damn it, she really is a top-shelf beauty. They always say you Qin sisters are the twin gems of Jiangzhou, and seeing this now, it's certainly no lie!"
As he spoke, Han Chuanwu raised his hand, reaching to strip away the very last shred of modesty covering Qin Xiaomeng.
*Boom!*
Just at that exact moment, the door to Han Chuanwu's office was kicked open with a single heavy blow!
The deafening crash instantly startled Han Chuanwu, causing him to instinctively look up toward the doorway. Before he could even see who it was, a black trench coat came flying through the air, spinning like a carpet before landing with pinpoint precision right over Qin Xiaomeng's shoulders!
Furious, Han Chuanwu cursed out loud, glaring wide-eyed toward the entrance with enough hatred to hack the intruder into a thousand pieces. "Who?! Who the hell dares to ruin my fun?!"
"Brother-in-law?"
Qin Xiaorou—no, Qin Xiaomeng—turned her head to look back, and the moment she saw the figure standing there, her heart gave a sudden, involuntary jolt. The person who had arrived was none other than Chu Tianhe!
Chu Tianhe walked slowly into the room, tall, upright, and strikingly heroic. Even his well-fitted suit could not conceal the perfect lines of muscle beneath, and every gesture he made radiated the aura of a supreme ruler commanding the world.
"Brother-in-law, you're finally back!"
Tears instantly burst from Qin Xiaomeng's eyes. In this moment, her mind flashed back seven years to when she was just a thirteen-year-old girl trapped in a dark, terrifying alleyway, standing on the brink of despair, until Chu Tianhe descended like a heavenly deity to drive the bad guys away.
It was an exact replica of today's scene!
At this moment, it felt as though the hero in her heart had returned once more.
Chapter 12
"Brother-in-law, my sister, she..."
With tears blurring her vision, Qin Xiaomeng kept her lovely eyes fixed entirely on Chu Tianhe, unable to tear them away for even a second as her voice choked with sobs.
"I already know everything."