"Right, third-rate martial artist level. He had just trained his internal energy; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to take on a hundred single-handedly," Ye Ning nodded.
"Nicely done. Thank you for taking out that little Japanese devil." Chen Shu smiled.
Since this was a matter between Ancient Martial Artists, it was not something she could interfere with. The fighting between Ancient Martial Artists had its own rules; as long as ordinary people were not involved, the police would not intervene. In most cases, the special organizations of Jiuzhou would not interfere either. Only when the impact was too severe or ordinary people were harmed would the elites of these special organizations take action. This was considered a normal conflict between Ancient Martial Artists, and they were responsible for their own casualties. No one dared to truly suppress these Ancient Martial Artists with force, not even the imperial court. Ancient Martial Artists were rampant and unruly; getting them to fully submit was no easy task.
"No need for thanks, it was the right thing to do. I don't have a shred of affection for the Japanese devils. Not only did he bully ordinary people, but he also dared to insult Jiuzhou. If I hadn't killed him, I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight," Ye Ning said with a slight smile.
Chen Shu gave him a thumbs-up.
"Alright, that’s all. Goodbye." After saying this, Chen Shu turned and left without a moment's hesitation.
Lin Xue and Lin Muhua were both surprised. That was it? They had originally thought that Chen Shu was just using that as an excuse to enter the Lin Family home so she could arrest Ye Ning later. They hadn't expected her to actually just come in to compliment Ye Ning and then leave.
Not until Chen Shu's figure disappeared did the two of them look at Ye Ning in confusion. Clearly, they did not understand why this happened. Neither of them was an Ancient Martial Artist, nor did they have any contact with that circle, so they naturally didn't understand.
"There is an unwritten rule between Ancient Martial Artists and the imperial court: as long as conflicts between Ancient Martial Artists do not involve ordinary people, the court cannot interfere. Furthermore, the person I killed was a foreign elite," Ye Ning explained with a small smile.
So that was it. A look of sudden realization dawned on the father and daughter.
"No wonder you weren't worried at all after killing Kenichi Yamaguchi; that Kenichi Yamaguchi was also an Ancient Martial Artist," Lin Xue finally understood.
Ye Ning nodded and said, "Yes, actually, 'Ancient Martial Artist' isn't quite accurate. More precisely, they are supernatural elites. There are countless elites in the world, and they don't all practice martial arts. For example, the West has battle energy and magic, the Island Country has onmyoji arts, swordsmanship, and ninjutsu. As for our Jiuzhou, there are even more."
The father and daughter both felt a sense of enlightenment.
"However, after I killed that Kenichi Yamaguchi, the other side likely won't let it go, and it's possible that you two might be implicated," Ye Ning said apologetically. He felt he had been too impulsive and hadn't considered Lin Xue and her father. They were just ordinary people; if people from Kenichi Yamaguchi's side targeted them, they would be in danger.
"It's fine. This is Jiuzhou; it's not a place where they can run wild as they please," Lin Muhua said with a smile.
Ye Ning nodded and laughed, "If they dare to strike at us, I'll take the opportunity to wipe them out completely. They're just Japanese devils; they won't be able to threaten us."
Lin Muhua was a bit startled—Ye Ning’s killing intent was heavy. His eyes flickered slightly; he was curious about what kind of existence Ye Ning’s sect was. What kind of master could teach such a disciple?
At this time, on Guhong Mountain, Su Qingcheng, dressed in a white gown, sat on a large blue rock by the stream. Her tender, white feet were crystal clear, resting in the flowing water, letting the cold stream gently brush against her delicate skin, a look of enjoyment on her face. Not far from her were Luo Wu and Qin Luyao.
"So comfortable. I really don't want to leave this place," Su Qingcheng said, full of reluctance.
On Luo Wu's cold face, however, there was a sense of restlessness. "I'm worried about Little Ning. What if someone bullies him?" She also had her tender, white feet in the water, but the icy stream could not wash away the worry in her heart.
Qin Luyao remained distracted, as if she were thinking about something else.
"Third sister, say something," Luo Wu glanced at her.
Qin Luyao rolled her eyes at her and said, "I'm not worried about that brat. Instead, I'm worried about the young ladies down the mountain. Who knows how many girls are going to be ruined by him?"
Luo Wu was speechless. Her third sister always said the most unexpected things.
"That boy is cursed with peach blossom luck, and there are still people rushing to throw themselves at him to be ruined. Eldest sister, are you really that anxious? You've been an old maid for so many years; you can't hold back anymore?" Qin Luyao continued.
Luo Wu's face turned red. She snorted, grabbed at the air, and the stream water transformed into a forty-meter giant water blade, slicing directly down toward Qin Luyao.
Qin Luyao pointed nonchalantly, and countless water vapors surged, forming mysterious runes that composed a water screen, blocking the water blade.
"Fighting? I'm in too." Su Qingcheng’s eyes lit up. She flicked her hand, and two silver needles emerged, flickering with silver light as they transformed into two silver dragons, charging toward the other two.
A great battle erupted there. The tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves in the mountain sensed the commotion and were terrified, fleeing for their lives. They knew that the three terrifying two-legged creatures had started fighting again; they absolutely must not get caught in the crossfire.
***
At the Xiaocheng Police Station, Chen Shu was summoned by the Chief. The Chief was a man in his thirties with a dignified appearance. Seeing Chen Shu enter, his expression became serious.
Glancing at him, Chen Shu said nonchalantly, "Who are you trying to scare? You think I'm afraid of you just because you're pulling a long face?"
Chen Liang was left between laughter and tears. He truly had no way to deal with his younger sister.
"How did you know that Japanese devil? If you don't give me a proper explanation today, I’ll break your legs. That Japanese devil even used your name to pressure me—blinded by his own ignorance," Chen Shu said with dissatisfaction.
The Chief of the Central Police Station, Chen Liang, was her older brother. The fact that Yamaguchi Kazuo had used her brother to threaten her was simply laughable.
Chen Liang massaged his temples and said with a wry smile, "I met him a few times by chance. The guy took the initiative to approach me, and I couldn't be too rude, so he felt we were familiar."
So that was the reason. Chen Shu suddenly understood.
Chen Liang's expression grew heavy as he said, "However, you did handle this improperly. A Dongying person is dead, and yet we aren't arresting the murderer. That is likely to cause a dispute."
"You don't know a damn thing," Chen Shu said dismissively.
Chen Liang: "..." Throughout the entire station, only Chen Shu dared to speak to him like that. Others wouldn't even dare to let out a peep in front of him.
"The Japanese devil who died was a supernatural elite, and the person who killed him is also an Ancient Martial Artist. This matter is not something we can handle. We cannot interfere in fights between supernatural elites," Chen Shu said calmly.
So that was it. Chen Liang nodded and said lightly, "I know. I already had my eye on that Ye Ning."
"Did he commit other crimes?" Chen Shu frowned.
"Lord Fourth Chen is dead. It was that Ye Ning who did it, and several of his men were also taken out by Ye Ning," Chen Liang said.
This made Chen Shu's face cold. Lord Fourth Chen wasn't a good person, but killing his men at will didn't necessarily make someone a good person either.
"What right does he have to kill at will? Report it up and have him arrested," Chen Shu said coldly.
Chen Liang shook his head and gave a wry smile, "I can't. I tried, but a powerful force from above stopped me. At the same time, the department I reported to warned me not to mess with Ye Ning's affairs."
Chen Shu's expression shifted slightly, and she said with some surprise, "Is he one of the Butcher's Blade?"
Jiuzhou had the Butcher's Blade, responsible for resisting foreign supernatural elites while also constraining supernatural elites within Jiuzhou so that they would not dare to easily harm ordinary people. Now that they had reported it, but the Butcher's Blade was not intervening—and even warned Chen Liang—that was highly unusual.
"Perhaps. This is not something we can handle. Don't meddle in Ye Ning's affairs, and don't offend him. Let him do whatever he wants," Chen Liang said.
Chen Shu curled her lip; she hadn't taken Chen Liang's words to heart at all.
"Are you done? If so, I'm leaving." She turned and left. Chen Liang was left feeling helpless; he was quite at a loss when it came to his younger sister.
In the afternoon, Zheng Le arrived. He personally thanked Ye Ning and asked for his account number, transferring the 50 million to him. This surprised Lin Muhua; it hadn't even been two days, and Ye Ning had already made 150 million. This speed of earning money made him ashamed. If Ye Ning were willing, he could quickly accumulate a massive fortune. After all, there were simply too many sick people in the world, and even more who wanted Master Yinlong’s paintings.
"Brother Lin, you really found a good son-in-law. The Lin Family is going to rise to the top," Zheng Le remarked with a sigh.
"Haha, that's because my daughter has a good eye," Lin Muhua laughed, looking smug. He knew very well that his daughter had "picked" Ye Ning up from the train station. She just picked someone at random and brought back such an outstanding man.
Zheng Le sighed and suddenly said, "Actually, my daughter likes painting too. Ye Ning's painting is the best on Blue Star. I wonder if I could invite him to tutor my daughter for a while? I can pay."
Lin Muhua glanced at Zheng Le and chuckled, saying, "No. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Trying to steal my son-in-law? Do you take me for a fool?"
Zheng Le gave a dry laugh, "Brother Lin, you're too smart; you saw right through me. Never mind, a gentleman doesn't covet what belongs to others. Consider it unsaid."
Lin Muhua curled his lip, saying, "It's not as if you could steal him if you wanted to. Is your daughter as pretty as mine?"
Zheng Le's expression stiffened. His daughter was indeed somewhat plain; there was no comparison to Lin Xue.
"Alright, you should go back. Your father has just recovered and still needs you to take care of him," Lin Muhua said.
Zheng Le’s expression turned serious. He stopped joking, turned, and left.
In Lin Xue's small house, Su Qingqing returned, looking somewhat exhausted.
"Sis, what have you been doing? Why are you so tired?"
Su Qingqing looked at Lin Xue and said depressingly, "It's those clients. Dealing with them is too draining. I have a drinking party tonight; just thinking about it gives me a headache."
"A drinking party? Let Ye Ning go with you," Lin Xue said, feeling sorry for her.
Su Qingqing's eyes brightened, and she looked at Ye Ning.
Ye Ning touched his chin and said, "What's in it for me?"
Su Qingqing glanced at him and sneered, "Didn't you say I was your woman? If those men get me drunk, what they might do is not something I can control."
"Let's go." Ye Ning immediately perked up. He sneered, "If those guys dare to have any inappropriate thoughts about you, I'll chop them up."
"Braggart." Su Qingqing didn't quite believe him, thinking Ye Ning was just boasting.
Lin Xue leaned in and whispered something into Su Qingqing's ear. Su Qingqing’s eyes widened, and she said in shock, "You really killed someone?"
"Do Japanese devils count as people? They're animals," Ye Ning said calmly.
Su Qingqing was stunned. Only then did she realize that many of the things Ye Ning said weren't just idle talk—he really dared to do them.
"Never mind, you don't need to accompany me tonight. What if you go crazy and hurt my clients?" Su Qingqing thought for a moment and said.
"Too late, I have to go tonight," Ye Ning said coolly.
Su Qingqing: "..." She sighed, hoping only that those guys wouldn't have any bad thoughts; otherwise, they were in for a world of trouble today. However, she felt happy that Ye Ning cared for her so much, and a spark of warmth flashed in her heart.
At night, Su Qingqing and Ye Ning set off. Along the way, she urged Ye Ning not to be impulsive; as long as the other side wasn't excessive, there was no need for him to blow up. Ye Ning didn't commit to anything; he had his own standards.
Soon, they arrived at the designated location. Pushing the door open and walking in, the clients sitting inside all stood up upon seeing Ye Ning, their expressions nervous, as if they had seen something terrifying.
***
Su Qingqing was a bit stunned. This client was usually quite overbearing; during their cooperation, he had been incredibly pushy and hadn't taken her seriously at all. Today, however, he looked like a completely different person, standing there with a look of awe. The few people around him were the same, their bodies actually trembling slightly.
What was the problem? Did she look too ugly and scare them? Su Qingqing quickly dismissed that thought. She noticed that the gazes of these people weren't on her, but on Ye Ning. These people weren't afraid of her—they were afraid of Ye Ning.
This made Su Qingqing gasp in surprise, turning to look at Ye Ning. She didn't understand what there was to be afraid of about him.
"Mr. Hu, I'm here," Su Qingqing said with a smile.
Only then did Mr. Hu snap out of it. He hurriedly said, "President Su, please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you. President Su, Mr. Ye, please take the seats of honor."
Mr. Hu invited the two to the seats of honor. Ye Ning sat down boldly. Although Su Qingqing was confused, hearing him recognize Ye Ning confirmed her previous thoughts.
"You know my man?" Su Qingqing asked. She had figured it out: if these people were afraid of Ye Ning, she would position Ye Ning as her man.
Mr. Hu gave a wry smile: "Who doesn't know the famous Mr. Ye? Two days ago, Mr. Ye just crushed the underground hegemon of Xiaocheng, Chen Hong. I happened to be there. Now, the entire Xiaocheng underground world follows Mr. Ye's lead."
Chen Hong? Su Qingqing was slightly startled, then couldn't help but exclaim: "Lord Fourth Chen?"
Mr. Hu nodded, and then said with a look of disdain: "Chen Hong is Lord Fourth Chen to us, but in front of Mr. Ye, he's just a stray dog that could be crushed to death at any moment."
Su Qingqing was dumbstruck; only now did she realize how awesome Ye Ning was. No wonder Mr. Hu and the others were so nervous. Ye Ning had actually taken out Chen Hong and unified the Xiaocheng underground world. But, did he not know that there were never good results for those in the underground world?
Ye Ning said calmly, "That Chen Hong offended me and dared to plot against my fiancée, so I took him out. As for the underground world, I have no interest in it; it has nothing to do with me."
Mr. Hu immediately reacted, assuming Ye Ning didn't want to be associated with the underground world, or at least didn't want others to think so. He immediately said, "Right, right, Mr. Ye is a peerless figure; how could he care for the underground world? It was my mistake."
Ye Ning didn't say anything more. He looked at the food on the table, which had already been touched; it was clear Mr. Hu and the others had no intention of waiting for them.
"Wife, if you have something to say, say it quickly. Don't waste time," Ye Ning said.
Su Qingqing looked at Mr. Hu.
"Easily done. We will definitely cooperate with your company on that project. We can sign the contract right now. As for the profits, we can do a 30/70 split," Mr. Hu said.
"Thirty percent profit, that's acceptable. I accept," Su Qingqing thought for a moment. Thirty percent was already satisfying. In this collaboration, the other side had held the initiative; if it had been any other company, they probably wouldn't have even given her thirty percent.
Hearing Su Qingqing's words, Mr. Hu hurriedly said, "President Su, you may have misunderstood. I meant we would take thirty percent, and give your company seventy."
Su Qingqing was shocked; wasn't that basically handing her money for nothing? Before Su Qingqing could speak, Mr. Hu added, "It's settled then. It is my honor to cooperate with President Su."
"Good, I'll have the contract sent to Mr. Hu tomorrow," Su Qingqing mused and accepted.
When they stepped out of the private room, Su Qingqing was still in a daze. The contract she thought would take great effort to obtain had just been handed to her. All of this was because of Ye Ning. Su Qingqing's expression was complex; it was the first time she felt that Ye Ning looked somewhat pleasing.
Just then, Ye Ning pointed to a lingerie shop and said, "Look."
"What?" Su Qingqing was confused—wasn't that just a lingerie shop?
"Could you find your size before? You should thank me—you’re at a 2D now," Ye Ning chuckled.
Su Qingqing's face turned red. She remembered that for the past two days, a certain part of her body had been swelling continuously. It was now at a 2D scale. Fortunately, it stopped expanding after reaching this size, or else Su Qingqing would have gone mad. At this moment, although she felt happy about her 2D figure, she also felt the "burden of happiness."
She rolled her eyes at Ye Ning, too lazy to engage with him.
"Let's go home."
"I haven't eaten yet," Ye Ning said.
"There's plenty of food at home," Su Qingqing snapped, rolling her eyes again.
Just as Su Qingqing was about to start the car, Ye Ning suddenly said, "You go home first; I have something to do."
Su Qingqing was slightly startled. She didn't believe it; Ye Ning didn't know anyone in Xiaocheng—what could he possibly have to do? But seeing Ye Ning's serious expression, Su Qingqing nodded.
As Su Qingqing left, Ye Ning’s lips curled up slightly. His figure flashed, and he sprinted into the distance. Ye Ning’s speed gradually accelerated, and soon he was little more than a passing shadow. Two figures chased after him, their speed surprisingly not slow at all.
Finally, Ye Ning stopped in the suburbs. After running ten kilometers, he didn't even pant. His eyes were sharp as he stood there, staring in the direction behind him.
Two figures covered in black cloth caught up, appearing like ghosts to Ye Ning’s left and right. From them, Ye Ning sensed cold killing intent.
"Ninjas, but just two Chunin. You think you can kill me with just this?" Ye Ning scanned the two, instantly seeing through their identities. Just two Island Country Chunin—and they wanted to kill him?