Watching Zhong Ling'er's blushing and shy appearance in front of Chu He, Han Tong felt a nameless anger rising in her heart.
Just as her voice trailed off, two more men walked straight toward Chu He.
"Director Zhou!"
Seeing the slightly plump man in a police uniform leading the group, Han Tong greeted him.
Zhou Qiang nodded. With a gloomy face, he walked up to Chu He and said in a deep voice, "You are Chu He?"
"Mm."
"You can leave, but you won't be this lucky next time!"
Anyone with half a brain could tell that Zhou Qiang was resentful about having to release Chu He. After speaking, he glanced with lingering reluctance at the middle-aged man in a white martial arts uniform standing nearby.
"Your subordinate Yan Tianlei pays respects to the Lor—Mr. Chu!" The man in the martial arts uniform cupped his fists and bowed deeply to Chu He.
The man was around forty, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, a resolute face, high-bulging temples on both sides, and exceptionally thick hand bones and joints. He looked at a glance to be a martial artist.
"Hiss!"
Zhong Ling'er and the others all gasped. Yan Tianlei was the top expert in Jiangzhou, and his cultivation was rumored to have reached Yellow Grade High-Tier, just a single step away from the Grandmaster Realm. How many dignitaries in Jiangzhou treated him with utmost respect? Yet such a big figure actually referred to himself as a subordinate?
Han Tong's delicate brows furrowed even more. She had still underestimated Chu He; this fellow definitely had many unknown secrets!
No, she had to investigate him thoroughly, or else how could she swallow this insult?
Hearing the man state his surname was also Yan, Chu He knew he must belong to the Dark Palace. He nodded and asked, "What relation are you to the kid whose hand I broke?"
"That unworthy son, Yan Zhe!"
Hearing this, Yan Tianlei instantly felt a chill run down his back. He hurriedly said, "Mr. Chu, it was due to my poor discipline as a subordinate. Please punish me!"
"Consider it dropped this time. If there is a next time, I will certainly not spare him!" Chu He said coldly.
"Understood, your subordinate will keep this in mind!"
Only then did Yan Tianlei breathe a sigh of relief. He raised a hand to wipe his forehead, which was covered in beads of sweat the size of soybeans.
Not intending to make things difficult for Yan Tianlei, Chu He turned his head and smiled at Han Tong, "Beauty, thanks for seeing me out. Bye-bye!"
"Jerk!"
Seeing Chu He's smug expression, Han Tong was furious. She cursed him inwardly: *Damn Chu He, stinky Chu He, sooner or later you'll fall into this lady's hands, and then we'll see how I teach you a lesson...*
Leaving the police station, Yan Tianlei had already sent someone to have a car waiting outside.
"Mr. Chu, shall I drive you home?"
Yan Tianlei cupped his fists, his attitude extremely flattering. Seeing this, Zhong Ling'er became even more puzzled. What kind of background did Chu He actually have? How was it so different from what she had heard in Jiangzhou?
"Miss Zhong, thank you for standing up for me today."
Chu He gave a faint smile, pulled a medical prescription from his chest pocket, handed it to her, and said, "Get the herbs filled according to this prescription and take them for a week. The blood stasis in your body will naturally dissolve."
Zhong Ling'er took the prescription. Looking at the flying, dragon-and-phoenix-like handwriting on it, she felt even more curious and couldn't help asking, "Chu He, just what kind of person are you?"
"Miss Zhong, when a woman starts feeling curious about a man, it's very dangerous!" The corners of Chu He's mouth ticked upward. With that, he climbed into the car Yan Tianlei had prepared and sped away...
Watching the retreating taillights, Zhong Ling'er's pretty face blushed. What did Chu He mean by that last sentence?
At the same time, upon learning that Chu He had left, Zhou Qiang hurried back to his office, took out his phone, and dialed a number.
"Outrageous!"
As soon as the call connected, after Zhou Qiang gave his account, an angry roar immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Chu He is an extremely dangerous person. How could you let him go?"
"I had no choice!"
"Yan Tianlei stated flatly that if I dared to make a move on Chu He, I would bear all the consequences. I don't want to provoke these ancient martial families!" Zhou Qiang complained.
If he enraged Yan Tianlei, he wouldn't even know how he died; he still wanted to live a few more years!
"Yan Tianlei?"
"Didn't Chu He injure Yan Zhe? Why would Yan Tianlei speak up for his enemy?" The person on the other end questioned immediately upon hearing this.
"Leader, I was curious about this at first too, but just now Yan Tianlei actually called himself a subordinate in front of Chu He. I suspect whether they belong to some kind of organization."
"What organization?"
"That's hard to say!" Zhou Qiang shook his head.
"Investigate! Once you find out about their organization, report to me immediately!"
"Yes!"
Zhou Qiang let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, his superiors didn't make things too difficult for him either. Actually, he still had an even greater doubt: he had heard that Chu He had offended Han Tong, yet given Han Tong's temper and background, how could she let that kid off so easily?
Emerald Garden.
When Chu He returned to the villa, the moment he stepped through the door, he caught a faint aroma of cooking.
Walking into the living room, he saw the television was on. Leng Muxue was leaning sideways against the sofa, seemingly fast asleep. Her slender, delicate body looked like a jade carving, elegant and luxurious. Paired with her exquisite and flawless face, it was truly eye-catching!
"Tsk tsk, Owen's taste is not bad!" Chu He lingered a few more looks at Leng Muxue, having to admit that this woman was very pretty.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Leng Muxue opened her eyes. Catching Chu He sizing her up, she couldn't help puffing out her towering chest, smiling softly and seductively:
"Master, am I pretty?"
"Uh... I saw you were asleep, so I didn't want to wake you!" Chu He's old face flushed. Did she have to wake up this fast just because he took a couple extra looks?
"Hungry?"
With eyes like shimmering silk, Leng Muxue stood up from the sofa and walked right up to Chu He, pressing almost against his body, and said with a chuckle:
"Master, do you want to eat me first, or eat dinner first?"
*Gulp!*
Leng Muxue's breath smelled like orchids, sending waves of heat through Chu He's body and making him involuntarily swallow his saliva. This woman was an absolute enchantress; ordinary men really couldn't withstand this kind of temptation!
"Ahem, I'd better have dinner first!" Chu He quickly turned and walked away. Otherwise, if he delayed any longer and lost control, it would spell trouble.
"Pfft!"
Seeing Chu He's 'embarrassed' appearance, Leng Muxue couldn't help letting out a chuckle. Her master was far too shy, acting just like a little quail that knew nothing of the world...
Dinner was very lavish, and Leng Muxue's culinary skills were also excellent. Chu He particularly liked one of the dishes—braised beef tendons, which were spicy and chewy, absolute perfection for drinking!
"Miss Leng's cooking is wonderful, especially these braised beef tendons!"
"Master, you can just call me Muxue!" Leng Muxue said with a smile, pursing her lips. "Those aren't beef tendons, they're the Three Treasures!"
"Three Treasures?"
Chu He was stunned. Having followed the old man, he had eaten plenty of mountain delicacies and sea monsters, but this was the first time he had ever heard of what the 'Three Treasures' were.
Seeing that Chu He didn't know, Leng Muxue explained in detail. It turned out that the so-called Three Treasures were a mixed stir-fry of bullwhip, deer whip, and donkey whip.
"Master, eating more of the Three Treasures is good for men. It's for nourishing health!" Leng Muxue smiled brightly, her captivating eyes fixed tightly on Chu He.
"What the hell!"
Hearing this, Chu He was left between laughter and tears. He said, "This isn't nourishing health at all; it's clearly for male vitality!"
"For men, isn't boosting vitality the same as nourishing health?" Leng Muxue retorted.
Her words left Chu He entirely speechless. Was boosting vitality the same as nourishing health? It actually sounded somewhat reasonable.
"Master, eat more. Shall I have someone track down a tiger whip another day?"
"Absolutely not!"
Hearing this, Chu He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "My body isn't weak to that extent. Plain food is fine from now on; don't bother concocting these treasures!"
"Alright, Master!"
"..."
That said, Leng Muxue's cooking skills were indeed top-notch. Even though he knew what was on the plate, Chu He still couldn't help eating a few more chunks...
Right after finishing dinner, Chu He's phone rang. Seeing it was a text message from Yegui, it contained detailed information about Chang Hu, and one line instantly caught Chu He's attention.
The gunman in the shooting five years ago was one of Chang Hu's underlings!
After the incident, those underlings had vanished from Jiangzhou, neither their corpses nor any trace of them ever found.
Could Chang Hu have been involved in the murder of his parents back then?
At this thought, Chu He's face instantly darkened, and a towering murderous intent radiated from his body. Having finished washing the dishes, Leng Muxue came out of the kitchen and was startled to see Chu He's murderous expression. She walked over cautiously and asked, "Master, is something on your mind?"
"Do you know Chang Hu?" Chu He asked.
"Chang Hu?"
Leng Muxue shook her head, explaining, "I've only just arrived in Jiangzhou myself, and I'm planning to meet with Jiangzhou's business community in the next couple of days! Oh right, Master, will you be coming?"
"We'll see!"
Chu He frowned deeply. How could he possibly be in the mood to agree to such a thing right now? With that, he stood up and walked straight into his room.
Seeing that Chu He was burdened with worries, Leng Muxue thought for a moment, took out her phone, and dialed Owen's number to inform him of the situation.
"Hmph! Whoever dares to offend Chu He is asking for a dead end!"
After listening, Owen let out a cold snort, then shifted the topic and asked, "Xiao Leng, have you captured Young Master Chu yet?"
"Mr. Owen, I'm sorry, I..."
"Xiao Leng, if you can win him over, I'll make you a shareholder of the Knight Group. So for your own sake, you'd better sleep with Young Master Chu as soon as possible!" Owen said bluntly.
"I want to too!"
Leng Muxue said with a wronged expression, "But Young Master Chu doesn't give me the chance at all. I can hardly force him, can I?"
"Forcing him is out of the question; Young Master Chu could wipe you out with a single finger... Anyway, think of a way as soon as possible. This is a great opportunity for you to change your destiny!"
"Yes, Mr. Owen!"
After hanging up the phone, Leng Muxue bit her lower lip with a resentful expression. She pushed out her towering chest. Why wasn't Young Master Chu interested? Didn't men all like women with big chests?
No, she had to get her hands on that tiger whip quickly, or else when on earth would she ever sleep with Young Master Chu?
"Achoo!"
Back in his room, Chu He suddenly felt an itch in his nose and sneezed.
"Who's cursing me?"
Rubbing his nose, Chu He reached into his travel bag and pulled out a pale blue crystal stone. At first glance, this stone looked completely ordinary, but anyone holding it in their hands would know it was bone-chillingly cold, even colder than regular ice!
This crystal, also known as the Cold Ice Stone, had been found by the old man deep inside a mountain stream's pool of water. It was used to suppress Chu He's blazing Yang constitution!
Without an extreme Yin object to suppress it for long periods, Chu He's internal organs would be burned to ashes...
At this moment, Chu He sat cross-legged, placed the crystal in the palm of his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and began to refine the stone.
Soon, a bizarre sight occurred!
The moment the crystal made contact with Chu He's body, it began to emit a sizzling sound, like a piece of frozen pork dropped into a red-hot wok. Wisps of cold Qi rose from the stone as it gradually melted, and the liquefied blue fluid seeped directly into Chu He's body.
After an unknown amount of time, the crystal completely dissolved. Chu He slowly opened his eyes, looked at his empty palm, and sighed:
"It looks like I need to find an Ice Toad as soon as possible!"
The quantity of Cold Ice Stones at the bottom of the pool was limited, whereas an Ice Toad was a living creature that could be used repeatedly. However, such things were met with by chance rather than sought deliberately, making it hard to find a trace of one on short notice.
Early the next morning.
When Chu He got up, Leng Muxue had already prepared breakfast.
"Miss Leng..."
"Master, you can call me by my name or Muxue; 'Miss Leng' sounds too distant."
"Alright!"
Chu He nodded and said, "Today is Chuxia's first day at work. Help me take good care of her so she doesn't get bullied, understand?"
"Don't worry, Master, I will take good care of Miss An!"
With that, Leng Muxue handed a thin, pure gold invitation card to Chu He. "Master, the day after tomorrow is our group's reception with the elites of Jiangzhou. Please grace us with your presence and offer some guidance!"
"I don't understand business matters, but I can accept the card!" Chu He took the invitation and tossed it casually to the side.
"You don't have a car yet, do you? Shall I have someone prepare one for you?" Leng Muxue curried favor.
"No need, I'll go pick one out myself!"
Chu He shook his head. In truth, he was just planning to buy a car for getting around.
After finishing breakfast, Chu He tidied up briefly before heading out. He intended to pick out a vehicle that suited him.
Seeing Chu He, the community security guard hurried back into the security booth.
"Old Liu, help me go stand guard outside for a bit!"
"What for?"
"Mr... Mr. Chu from Villa Number One is coming out!"
The guard felt like crying. He would rather encounter a tiger right now than lay eyes on Chu He.
"Oh, I heard you acknowledged him as your godfather and even started calling him dad?" a colleague teased with a mischievous grin.
"Damn it! I made a single mistake that became a lifelong regret!"
The security guard wanted to die. That was the only time in his life he had ever placed a heavy bet, only to lose even his underpants...
Leaving the residential compound, Chu He once again walked down the tree-lined path from last time. A middle-aged man wearing a long gown stepped out from behind a tree, blocking his path.
"You must be Chu He?" The man eyed Chu He up and down and asked coldly.
"Good dogs don't block the path. Get lost!"
Chu He frowned impatiently. Why did someone always pop up the moment he reached this spot? It really was bewitching!
"Arrogant brat, this lord is going to hack you into a thousand pieces today!" A cold flash crossed the long-gowned man's eyes.
" Courting death!"
A chilling voice suddenly echoed across the scene, and the next second, a dark figure appeared by Chu He's side like a ghost.
"Your subordinate pays respects to the Holy Lord!"
"Yegui, leave this fellow to you!" Chu He couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge the long-gowned man, saying indifferently to Yegui.
"Yes!"
Yegui cupped his fists, then turned around, fixing his icy gaze firmly on the long-gowned man. He enunciated every word:
"Those who offend the Holy Lord shall be shown no mercy!"
"What?"
Before the long-gowned man could even react, Yegui's figure flashed right before his eyes, appearing before him in the blink of an eye and lightning-fast grabbing him by the throat.
"You... you are the Dark Palace Guardian... Yegui?" The long-gowned man's eyes widened with terror.
If the person before him was the legendary Dark Palace Guardian Yegui, and he called Chu He the Holy Lord, then what did that make Chu He...
"It's too late to realize it now. Die!"
With that, Yegui exerted force in his hand, and with a crisp *snap*, he directly crushed the long-gowned man's throat bone. The man perished instantly.
*Clatter!*
The long-gowned man's corpse was tossed to the ground, and a bronze medallion slipped out of his pocket, carved with a ferocious tiger head on it.
Yegui picked it up, took a look, and said to Chu He:
"Holy Lord, this fellow is one of Chang Hu's men!"
"Chang Hu again. He's really tired of living!" Chu He let out a cold snort.
"Your subordinate will go wipe out his entire clan right now!"
"No rush. There are some things I still want to ask him in person!"
"Understood!"
Yegui nodded, glanced at the long-gowned man's corpse on the ground, and figured his pet crocodiles would have a hearty meal tonight...
Downtown, the automotive market.
Chu He walked into a BMW 4S dealership and instantly set his sights on a BMW X7.
"Beauty, how much is this car on the road?" Chu He called over a pretty female sales associate to ask.
"On the road?"
The lavishly dressed female sales associate looked Chu He up and down. Seeing his ordinary attire, a look of disdain immediately appeared on her face. "Sir, you can't afford this car!"
"Which eye of yours saw that I couldn't afford it?" Hearing this, Chu He furrowed his brows.
"Hmph!"
The pretty sales associate let out a haughty huff and rolled her eyes. At that moment, a well-dressed man and woman walked in.
The sales associate's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly called out to another young female sales associate:
"Xiaofang, you go handle him!"
With that, she greeted the man and woman with a face full of smiles, leaving Chu He standing right where he was.
"Sir, I'm so sorry, Sister Liang is too busy."
Xiaofang, the sales associate, maintained an enthusiastic attitude. She personally poured a cup of water for Chu He, gave a sweet smile, and said, "Shall I introduce this car to you first?"
"No need, swiping card for the full amount!"
Chu He directly pulled out a black diamond-inlaid Knight Card and handed it to Xiaofang.
Hearing this, Xiaofang was dumbfounded and hurriedly said, "Sir, you should still look over the model before making a decision. Paying in full comes to nearly two million!"
"I know, go swipe the card!"
Hesitating for a moment, Xiaofang turned and walked briskly toward the cashier counter.
"Sister Zhang, that gentleman over there is buying the X7 in full!" Xiaofang pointed at Chu He and handed the Knight Card to her colleague.
"What kind of card is this? Has anyone of you ever seen it?"
Taking the Knight Card, colleague Zhang Sister looked utterly bewildered. She had never seen any bank issue this kind of card—did it even have plastic diamonds stuck on it?
"Never seen it. Could he be here to stir up trouble? That guy doesn't look like someone who can afford an X7!"
"Should I go find the manager instead?"
"Don't, swipe it first and see if there's actually any money!"
"..."
Just then, a woman's voice suddenly rang in Chu He's ear:
"Yo, isn't this Chu He? How come you're back?"
Chu He turned his head and saw a young woman dressed in a hip-hugging skirt and black fishnet stockings, heavily made up and wearing high heels, walking toward him.
"Song Ni?"
Though he had left Jiangzhou for five years, Chu He still recognized at a glance that the woman before him was none other than his brother An Jie's girlfriend, Song Ni!
This woman had been vain back in their school days, a typical gold-digger!
Chu He had once tried to persuade An Jie to break up with her. Later, when Song Ni found out, she had furiously tracked Chu He down to pick a huge fight, holding a grudge against him ever since.
"Tsk tsk, I never expected you'd dare return to Ningzhou!"
Walking up close, Song Ni eyed Chu He sideways, showing not a shred of joy at reuniting with an acquaintance, but instead full contempt.
"Jiangzhou is my home. Why wouldn't I dare return?" Chu He said calmly.
"It wasn't enough that you got An Jie killed? Who else are you trying to harm by coming back?"
Seeing Chu He's calm expression, Song Ni's nameless anger flared up. This fellow was simply too arrogant!
Hearing Song Ni's vicious words, Chu He's face darkened instantly. He cast a cold glance at Song Ni and warned:
"Song Ni, for An Jie's sake, I won't bicker with you over what you just said, but don't push it!"
"Yo, acting all badass now, aren't you?"
Her anger mounting, Song Ni gritted her teeth and threatened, "Believe it or not, I'll make a phone call to the Xu Family, and we'll see if you keep putting on an act then!"
"Ma'am, is there anything I can help you with?" Seeing an argument breaking out, Xiaofang hurried over with small steps to smooth things over.
"What is he doing in your store?" Song Ni pointed at Chu He.
"This gentleman wants to buy the X7 in full, ma'am. Do you like this car too?"