Chu Tianhe’s gaze fell upon Qin Xiaomeng, and he gently comforted her, "I'm sorry, I came back too late. Yaoyao has already been rescued by me, and she is fine now."
Hearing that Yaoyao was safe, the heavy rock that had been weighing on Qin Xiaomeng's heart finally lifted, but her tears only fell harder. Like a broken dam, they streamed endlessly down her cheeks.
"Brother-in-law, am I utterly useless? I couldn't even take care of Yaoyao..."
Guilt overwhelmed Qin Xiaomeng's heart, leaving her sobbing uncontrollably!
"Xiaorou's debt, I will settle every single piece of it!" Chu Tianhe shifted his gaze to Han Chuanwu, his eyes filled with a bone-chilling intent to kill!
"Tianjiu, take Xiaomeng away first. Today, I am going to settle accounts with my good brother!" Chu Tianhe said in a cold voice. He did not want Qin Xiaomeng to witness what was about to follow!
"Brother-in-law, he..." Qin Xiaomeng wanted to warn Chu Tianhe that the Han Chuanwu of today was no longer the penniless nobody of years past. He held immense power and was not someone to be trifled with!
However, before Qin Xiaomeng could finish, Tianjiu walked up to her respectfully and made a polite gesture. "Miss Qin, please this way."
"But..." Qin Xiaomeng knitted her brows slightly; she did not want any harm to come to her brother-in-law.
"Miss Qin, rest assured. My Hall Master knows what he is doing. Please come with me." Tianjiu's attitude was respectful. Under Qin Xiaomeng's lingering, reluctant gaze, he successfully led her out of Han Chuanwu's office!
"Chu Tianhe, I really didn't expect you to have the guts to come back!"
Seeing Tianjiu take Qin Xiaomeng away, Han Chuanwu made no move to stop them. Instead, his brow furrowed deeply as he stared fixedly at Chu Tianhe, his voice dropping to the lowest possible register!
Over the years, the only reason Han Chuanwu had been able to rise to prominence in Jiangzhou was because of the money Chu Tianhe kept wiring him. Yet, Han Chuanwu had never known Chu Tianhe's true identity, always assuming that Chu Tianhe was doing some shady business overseas, which was how he made so much money!
The fact that Chu Tianhe never dared to show his face and only wired money privately for Han Chuanwu to take care of Qin Xiaorou had only made Han Chuanwu more certain of his own suspicions!
He was convinced that sooner or later Chu Tianhe would commit a crime abroad—perhaps he was already on an international wanted list—and that he would never be able to return to Jiangzhou City in this lifetime. For all he knew, Chu Tianhe might be caught and executed by a firing squad abroad any day now, which was why Han Chuanwu had acted with such unbridled arrogance!
To this very day, Han Chuanwu remained convinced that Chu Tianhe had snuck back in like a rat, nothing more than a fugitive living in the shadows!
"Why wouldn't Chu here dare to come back?"
Chu Tianhe's expression remained gloomy, his tone icy as he demanded an answer.
"Some things you know very well in your own heart!" Han Chuanwu's words were sharp and absolute. "Over there abroad, you're either an arms dealer or knee-deep in the white powder trade, otherwise there is no way you could wire me that much money every month!"
"Then do you still remember what Chu asked you to do with the money I sent?" A flash of cold light suddenly crossed Chu Tianhe's eyes, and his sharp, murderous gaze swept instantly over Han Chuanwu!
"You sent me that money of your own free will; I never forced you. As for what I wanted to use that money for, that is naturally my complete freedom!"
Greed had long blinded Han Chuanwu's eyes. Not a shred of guilt remained in his heart, and he had cast the brotherhood of the past completely behind him!
How could he possibly remember the days when the two of them were flat broke and shared a single steamed bun?
How could he remember that when he was on the verge of starving to death, it was his sister-in-law Qin Xiaorou who helped him boil a bowl of hot porridge?
Han Chuanwu had long since forgotten every single one of these things!
"Money is a demon-revealing mirror, and it's also a measure of the human heart. That saying is truly correct!" Chu Tianhe shook his head, let out a sigh, and said, "Han Chuanwu, if Chu's memory serves, you and I have known each other for thirteen years, haven't we?"
Han Chuanwu did not answer. He had long since stopped keeping track of such things. He merely cast a cold glance at Chu Tianhe and said, "Chu Tianhe, for the sake of the brotherhood we once shared, I'll pretend I never saw you today. You still have time to leave now; otherwise, with a single phone call from me reporting you, you'll be spending the rest of your life behind bars!"
Han Chuanwu was an ungrateful, faithless villain, but Chu Tianhe was no such person. Memories of the hardships they had weathered together back in their days of destitution were still replaying in his mind, filling him with profound emotion.
Yet all that sentiment was shattered in an instant by Han Chuanwu's words, reduced to nothingness!
"Thirteen years! Chu always considered you a brother, but your ambitions are those of a wolf, your loyalty is broken, and you are worse than a beast! Today, the debt between us must be settled in full!"
As his voice fell, a dense, suffocating murderous aura burst forth, causing the temperature in Han Chuanwu's office to plummet instantly!
Though it was already the scorching heat of June, the room felt as cold as the depths of winter, causing Han Chuanwu to shiver involuntarily!
"Boom!"
Before Han Chuanwu could react in the slightest, with a muffled thud, Chu Tianhe lashed out with a kick straight to Han Chuanwu's knee!
"Crack!"
Han Chuanwu's kneecap shattered completely. With a dull thud, he collapsed directly onto the floor. A piercing, agonizing pain brought cold sweat pouring down his face as he let out a shriek of raw agony, his eyes glaring viciously at Chu Tianhe as he roared, "Chu Tianhe, you motherfucker... you're asking to die!"
Chapter 13
"Mr. Han, what happened?"
Han Chuanwu's screams naturally alerted the bodyguards inside the company. In a flash, more than a dozen men charged directly into Han Chuanwu's office. Taking in the scene before them, they immediately surrounded Chu Tianhe!
"Take him down! Tear him to pieces for me!!"
Han Chuanwu shrieked hysterically, his eyes bloodshot, looking every bit like a man determined to rip Chu Tianhe to shreds!
"Attack!"
At the command of the bodyguard captain, the dozen-plus bodyguards wasted no time and swarmed forward. These men were ancient martial arts experts hired by Han Chuanwu at a heavy price, and their strikes were vicious—their fists tearing through the air and kicking up fierce gales!
Yet, just as these dozen men closed in on Chu Tianhe, he shot them a piercing glare. In an instant, a powerful wave of ancient martial qi swept outward. That overwhelming aura alone was enough to suppress all dozen bodyguards completely!
"Boom!!"
In the blink of an eye, the dozen men felt the crushing weight of Mount Tai bearing down upon them. Before they even reached Chu Tianhe's side, unable to endure the immense pressure, their knees buckled beneath the load. With a loud clatter, every single one of them crashed straight to the floor in unison!
"Today, Chu only settles accounts with Han Chuanwu alone!"
"If you don't want to die, leave now while you still can!"
Chu Tianhe's gaze swept over the dozen bodyguards kneeling on the ground, and then he pulled back his ancient martial qi, offering them a way out!
They were merely hired help and not the masterminds; Chu Tianhe had no desire to slaughter innocents!
"Gulp..."
The bodyguards swallowed hard in unison. In that single moment, they realized that the man before them was completely beyond their ability to contend with. To fight him meant certain death!
"Go... go find my godfather! Quick... go find my godfather to save me!"
Han Chuanwu was no fool. Seeing the bodyguards he had spent a fortune hiring reduced to such helpless states made him keenly aware of Chu Tianhe's terrifying strength. He instantly changed tactics, remembering his ultimate lifeline—Mr. Lü Liang of Jiangzhou City!
In Jiangzhou City, if the Li Family was a power standing out in the open, then Han Chuanwu's godfather, Lü Liang, was the invisible hand concealed in the darkness, choking the throat of every major faction in Jiangzhou!
Compared to the Li Family, Lü Liang's ruthlessness was far greater, to the point that even the Li Family paid him monthly tributes just to ensure their own safety!
Yet now that Han Chuanwu had publicly dropped Lü Liang's name, the gazes of the bodyguards snapped instantly toward Chu Tianhe, and inwardly they groaned in despair!
They knew they were no match for Chu Tianhe and had lost all will to fight. Besides, Chu Tianhe had already given them permission to leave. Had Han Chuanwu not bellowed out those words, they could have made a clean escape, but now...
Leaving probably wouldn't be quite so simple anymore!
However, Chu Tianhe made no move to stop the bodyguards from departing.
In his heart, he knew these men were just working for pay to support their families; that much was understandable.
The only one in the wrong was Han Chuanwu alone!
At this, the men finally let out breaths of relief and hurriedly turned to walk out of the room.
"Pfft!"
The moment the dozen bodyguards cleared the room, a flash of cold steel cut through the air. Chu Tianhe's short blade slashed mercilessly straight into Han Chuanwu's chest without a moment's hesitation!
With a single strike, the wound went deep to the bone, and blood instantly spurted out!
"Ah..."
Han Chuanwu let out a shrill shriek!
"This blade is for your betrayal of grace and ingratitude!"
With an icy expression and the words uttered, Chu Tianhe's short blade didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second as it slashed across Han Chuanwu's back!
"Pfft!"
"This blade is for being worse than an animal!"
Another bone-deep slash sent blood spraying from the wound on his back, instantly staining the carpet crimson.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Next, the short blade in Chu Tianhe's hand danced in a frenzy, weaving countless afterimages into a continuous sheet of cold, flashing light. Following close behind came the sound of shredded flesh flying continuously from Han Chuanwu's body!
The punishment of Lingchi—death by a thousand cuts!
Operating the blade himself amidst Han Chuanwu's endless screams, Chu Tianhe gradually carved the kneeling man down to a skeleton!
......
Meanwhile, nestled among the picturesque mountains and waters sat a small villa. Though not large, it possessed a unique, exquisite charm, backed by mountains and facing a clear stream.
Rumor had it that this villa was the most expensive in all of Jiangzhou City, as well as the most extraordinary—its tier far surpassing that of the Li Family. And the master of this villa was none other than Han Chuanwu's godfather, Lü Liang!
After fleeing Han Chuanwu's office, the captain of the bodyguards had rushed here in a frantic panic.
Entrusted by others, he was loyal to his charge. Though no match for Chu Tianhe, his professional integrity remained intact. Failing to protect Han Chuanwu was already a dereliction of duty, so seeking reinforcement for him was the least he could do and the only option left to him!
"Master Lü, Mr. Han has been targeted by an enemy seeking vengeance! Please step in and help!"
Inside the villa, the bodyguard captain stood at attention, his expression grim as he recounted the entire sequence of events from start to finish.
Lü Liang sat upon a sofa, a plate of raw, blood-red meat placed before him. A neat set of knife and fork lay beside it, as if he were just about to enjoy a meal.
"You're Han Chuanwu's bodyguard, aren't you?"
Lü Liang raised his head to look at him. His eyes were sinister and baleful, his deep pupils seeming to emit a thread of ruthless malice. A single sweeping glance made the captain's scalp tingle and rendered him unable to meet that gaze.
"Yes," the bodyguard hastily nodded.
"Since you're Han Chuanwu's bodyguard, shouldn't you be standing guard by my godson's side at a time like this?" Lü Liang's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally icy, his slightly raspy tone profoundly grating on the nerves!
"I... that person's strength was too terrifying, we... we were no match for him! We had no choice... no choice but to come seek Master Lü's help."
Lowering his head, the bodyguard captain could only speak the truth.
"No match for him?" Lü Liang's voice rose by several decibels. A flash of cold light crossed his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "If that's the case, what use are a bunch of trash like you?"
As his words fell, Lü Liang picked up the table fork. Winding a sharp gust of wind around his palm, the fork spun rapidly against his skin and drove straight for the bodyguard captain's throat.
So fast was the motion, so exquisite the trajectory, and so vicious the strike that it chilled the soul!
"Pfft..."
The fork instantly shattered the bodyguard captain's throat bones, burying itself entirely inside.
"Gulp..."
Clutching his throat in a futile struggle, the bodyguard captain convulsed across the floor as blood continuously gushed from his mouth, going still in a matter of moments.
"Someone come and drag this trash away!" Lü Liang narrowed his eyes slightly, a flash of cold light passing through them, before he ordered, "Xiaowu, Xiaofeng, come with me. I want to see just what kind of character this Chu Tianhe really is!"
Chapter 14
"C-Could... could this be Han Chuanwu?"
Accompanied by his subordinates Wei Chaowu and Wei Chaofeng, Lü Liang arrived at Han Chuanwu's company. Chu Tianhe had long since departed, but the moment Lü Liang pushed open the door to the office, a wave of thick, bloody stench hit him full in the face!
Taking in the scene inside the room, Wei Chaowu and Wei Chaofeng turned deathly pale. Even as top-tier figures in the assassin underworld, the sight of flesh scattered all over the floor and the skeleton kneeling upright made their stomachs churn violently!
Worse still, stripped of its flesh, the internal organs within the skeleton were clearly exposed to the eye, making one's scalp crawl with horror!
"This is the punishment of Lingchi!"
Faced with a scene resembling the depths of hell, Lü Liang remained remarkably composed. Narrowing his eyes, he strolled slowly toward Han Chuanwu's remains. After giving them a thorough examination up and down, he spoke: "Sharp blade technique, every cut landing precisely where it should. Even the shredded flesh cut away is uniform in size, and not a single knife mark was left upon the bones. It shows the man wields his blade with absolute precision!"
"With knife-work like this, Chuanwu likely didn't draw his last breath until the very end. Short of a deep, irreconcilable hatred, no one would resort to this!"
As Lü Liang finished speaking, a sinister, baleful gleam surfaced once more in his pupils, and his raspy, deep voice sounded again: "It has been many years since I last saw an expert of this caliber!"
"To touch my Lü Liang's godson and even use Lingchi on him—this fellow is vicious, and right down my alley. It's been a long time since I've crossed paths with anyone daring enough to challenge me. This is getting interesting!"
"Master, does that mean..."
Lü Liang was sinister and venomous by nature. His identity, background, and origins were all shrouded in mystery, and no one knew his true thoughts—not even Wei Chaowu and Wei Chaofeng, who had followed him for a long time, dared to guess blindly!
"Go ask the company personnel where this Chu Tianhe went after leaving!"
Lü Liang turned to sweep his gaze across the two of them, a venomous edge lacing his tone.
"Yes!"
The two men quickly gathered all the bodyguards remaining in the company together, learning the ins and outs of the situation from their mouths.
"Master, after leaving, Chu Tianhe's whereabouts became unknown. His footwork was too fast; the bodyguards here couldn't keep up."
"Couldn't keep up, or didn't dare to follow?"
"This..."
Faced with Lü Liang's icy counter-question, Wei Chaowu and Wei Chaofeng could only remain silent, not daring to utter another word.
"Any other intelligence?" Lü Liang pressed on.
"Yes. This matter seems to be related to the Qin family's second young miss. Someone saw Qin Xiaomeng leaving Han Chuanwu's room!"
"Qin Xiaomeng?!"
Hearing that name, Lü Liang's expression shifted slightly before he said in a deep voice, "Where is Qin Xiaomeng right now?"
"At the Qin family estate!"
"The Qin family?" Lü Liang narrowed his eyes. "For the sake of Qin Xiaomeng, he actually resorted to Lingchi?"
"Hmph, this matter is definitely not that simple!"
Lü Liang let out a cold snort, shook his head, and a sinister, baleful glint flickered across his eyes!
"Master, what should we do now? Do you need me to send the brothers out to hunt down Chu Tianhe?"
Wei Chaowu asked in a deep voice, a cold flash of murderous intent in his eyes!
"There's no need to go to all that trouble!" Lü Liang cast an icy glance at Han Chuanwu's corpse and said coldly, "Find Qin Xiaomeng, and Chu Tianhe will show up on his own!"
"The Qin family has borrowed my authority and power, yet they've dragged things out for this long. Today, it's time they gave me an account!"
"Go prepare a dozen fine coffins, assemble all our men, and head to the Qin family estate!"
"Today, this old man will carry coffins as my wedding gifts. Either Qin Xiaomeng marries me as my wife, or I will bury the entire Qin family alongside her!"
Hearing Lü Liang's words, Wei Chaowu and Wei Chaofeng cupped their fists in salute and split up to carry out their orders. In an instant, winds and clouds surged across Jiangzhou as countless assassins lurking in the shadows swarmed forth, their blades pointing directly at the Qin family estate!
......
Blue Mountain Hotel!
Chu Tianhe purchased the medicine and returned to the hotel. First checking on Yaoyao, who was still unconscious, he turned his gaze to Tianjiu and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Xiaomeng? Why isn't she here?"
"Hall Master, after Miss Qin came to check on the little master, she returned to the Qin family estate, saying she needed to pack her belongings, cut all ties with the Qin family, and properly take care of the little master from now on."
This time, Qin Xiaomeng was truly driven to absolute despair!
She clearly remembered that in order to secure medical treatment for Yaoyao, her elder sister Qin Xiaorou had knelt outside the Qin family gates for two days and two nights, yet those gates had never once opened for her!
No matter how hard she begged, the elders of the Qin family remained completely unmoved. Had they extended even a helping hand to her sister, Qin Xiaorou would never have been driven to jump to her death!
And now, for the sake of the family's interests, the Qin family was actually trying to force her into marriage with a man in his seventies!
Toward a family so devoid of affection, Qin Xiaomeng had nothing left to hold onto!
Just like her sister all those years ago, she was going to sever every single tie with the Qin family completely!
Even if she ended up wandering the streets in the future, she would never step foot inside the Qin family half a step further, nor would she ever become a sacrificial pawn for the Qin family again!
"She went back to the Qin family?"
Hearing this, Chu Tianhe's brow instantly furrowed, and his expression darkened into a scowl!
He held not a shred of affinity for the Qin family. The only reason he had shown mercy and spared them was because of Qin Xiaorou's blood ties; otherwise, the Qin family would have been wiped out root and branch by now!
"Hall Master, you'd better come take a look at this!"
At that moment, a woman's voice sounded behind Chu Tianhe—it was Yue Linglong, whom Chu Tianhe had previously summoned to look after Yaoyao!
In her hand, she held an electronic display screen capable of monitoring ancient martial qi. The electronic map covered the entirety of Jiangzhou City, and countless red dots had suddenly appeared upon it, all converging in a single direction—with their target being none other than the Qin family estate!
"I never expected that Jiangzhou would still be harboring members of the Rakshasa Group!" Yue Linglong's lips curved upward into a seductive, charming smile as she spoke, "It's been verified. The one leading the operation is a leader of a Rakshasa Group branch named Lü Liang—none other than the godfather Han Chuanwu spoke of!"
The Rakshasa Group was Great Xia Country's number one assassination organization—immensely vast, with forces spread across every region, acting with profound mystery and executing methods with brutal ruthlessness!
"Judging by this number, the Rakshasa Group has mobilized several thousand men, every single one of them an expert whose ancient martial qi exceeds 300. They're making quite a grand spectacle of it. Looks like they're heading to the Qin family to force a marriage!"