Xiao Lin was still waiting happily for his top-tier martial artist, while the carriage carrying Yun He was already approaching the main headquarters' estate—barely an arrow's flight away, the flying eaves of the mansion were already faintly visible.
Yun He had Zuo Tian dial the phone and said calmly, "Guess whether your master has sent someone to rescue you now."
Zuo Tian took a deep breath. He understood that to the boss, although wealth was important, he himself had also made great contributions and was fiercely loyal; the boss would not abandon him to his fate.
The call connected. Before Zuo Tian could even speak, Xiao Lin took the phone directly from Yun He.
"Young Master Yun, I have given this much thought. Zuo Tian acted without authorization; I told him to treat you with courtesy, yet he led men to break into your home and take your family hostage. This is his personal fault and has nothing to do with Black Tiger Hall—he brought this upon himself. I am handing him over to you to deal with as you see fit; his actions have nothing to do with me. I offer you this favor as a gesture of goodwill."
Yun He asked deliberately, "Are you saying you don't plan to pay a ransom, and are leaving all four of them to my disposal?"
"Since they have nothing to do with Black Tiger Hall, there is naturally no need for a ransom. How you deal with them is your affair. Kill them, sell them, or even cut out their kidneys—do as you please."
"Very well, I understand. But this matter isn't going to be settled just because you say so."
With that, Yun He hung up the phone.
A sense of doubt arose in Xiao Lin's heart. Could Yun He be coming to settle accounts with him? He only feared that this brat wouldn't come.
He knew that expert was already on the way and would arrive in a quarter of an hour at most. Even if Yun He didn't come, he intended to spend money to hire an expert to eliminate Yun He anyway. As for Zuo Tian and the others, they were merely his guard dogs. From the sound of his voice, Zuo Tian seemed to have already been crippled; keeping such people around was useless, and he wouldn't be foolish enough to spend forty million as a ransom.
Yun He looked at Zuo Tian. "Do you have anything else to say now? I, Yun He, have no grudge against you, yet you kidnapped my family and laid hands on my younger sister."
Zuo Tian stubbornly stiffened his neck. "I did not. I, Zuo Tian, have my own code of conduct and never target women and children. Your sister was merely immobilized with an acupoint seal and would have woken up after a few hours; I didn't touch a single hair on her head."
Yun He could sense that Zuo Tian's words lacked conviction; he would not give the other man any further chance to make excuses.
"What involvement does Black Panther Sect have with that Young Master Fang?"
Zuo Tian was startled. "Young Master Fang invested in our Black Panther Sect; he can be considered a partner."
"Tell me about the inner workings of Black Panther Sect. Though if you don't, it matters little—I can simply probe your soul myself, though that would completely ruin your dignity."
Zuo Tian understood that the man before him was ruthless and decisive, and the boss had already discarded him like a worn-out shoe; his loyalty to Black Panther Sect was utterly gone, and he immediately confessed everything he knew, detail by detail.
It turned out that Black Panther Sect was divided into two branches. The first branch, led by Wei Zheng, specialized in fraud and extortion, while the second branch's hall master, Young Master Fang—Fang Yu—was the lecherous bastard who had set his sights on Yun He's younger sister. He was responsible for legitimate businesses, venturing into apparel, herbal medicine trade, real estate, and various other fields.
Upon hearing about the herbal medicine trade, a thought stirred in Yun He's mind.
Destroying Black Panther Sect would be as easy as turning over a hand, but Xiao Lin was in league with Young Master Fang, and this man must not be left alive. However, Black Panther Sect's business web in Ningcheng was deeply entrenched, and completely wiping out the sect seemed unnecessary.
"Zuo Tian, if you submit to me and honor me as your master, I can make you the leader of Black Panther Sect, taking Xiao Lin's place."
Hearing this, a light of hope flashed in Zuo Tian's eyes. Over the years, he had risked his life for Xiao Lin; though he had some savings, they were merely the leftover scraps from Xiao Lin's grand feasts. The disparity between his efforts and his rewards left him deeply resentful.
What man lacks ambition? He had long felt superior to Xiao Lin, but Xiao Lin had someone powerful backing him, with close ties to factions in the capital. However, his gaze quickly dimmed. "If not for my leg injury, I could certainly have replaced him, but now... I'm afraid I'll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life and unable to serve you."
"That is my concern. Since I could break your bones, naturally I can also heal your injuries—provided you prove yourself worthy of it, acknowledge me as your master, and recognize that I am the true master of Black Panther Sect, though I prefer to remain behind the scenes while you serve as the public face of the sect. Naturally, with you serving me, I will be your backing."
Yun He did not completely trust Zuo Tian, but he urgently needed manpower right now and had no choice but to take a calculated risk. If this man proved unusable, eliminating him later would be effortless.
Zuo Tian believed firmly in Yun He's strength. Enduring the intense pain, he prepared to kneel. "Master Yun, from now on I am your servant, and you are my master. I am willing to labor in your service."
Yun He asked about the few loyal thugs accompanying them and decided to heal their injuries as well. He told them to close their eyes and placed his hands directly over their wounds.
At first, Zuo Tian felt only excruciating pain, so severe that tears streamed down his face. Then, he felt a surge of spiritual energy continuously pouring into his wounds. Finally, the spiritual energy circulated throughout his entire body.
He opened his eyes and saw that his leg injury had healed to the naked eye, leaving only a scar.
"I can help you remove this scar, but keeping it might be better—it will serve as a constant reminder to you all that I am an existence you cannot afford to provoke."
"Yes, Master Yun."
"Very well, the time has come. I expect the so-called expert invited by that brat Xiao Lin should have arrived by now. Let's go meet him, and by the way, get you a more comfortable position."
"Master, the factions from the capital have actually made a move. Those people are cultivators, and some are even Yellow Heaven Realm powerhouses; you must be extremely careful."
A cold smirk crossed Yun He's lips, but he said nothing, closing his eyes slightly as he let the carriage continue forward, driving straight toward the headquarters' estate.
Before long, they arrived outside the grand estate. The gatekeeper saw Zuo Tian in the carriage and recognized it as belonging to Black Tiger Hall, so he harbored no suspicion and allowed them to pass inside.
Hearing that Zuo Tian had returned, Xiao Lin felt a chill in his heart, sensing instinctively that something was amiss. He hurriedly ordered his men to seal the main gates.
However, the very next instant, the heavy doors were kicked open with brute force.
A young man stood there, hands clasped behind his back, looking arrogant and poised.
Behind him followed several subordinates familiar to Xiao Lin, including Zuo Tian.
The expert had not yet appeared.
Xiao Lin knew he had to buy time.
Putting on a relaxed facade, he smiled and said, "Zuo Tian, you're back. And this must be Mr. Yun, Yun He—a pleasure to meet you, a pleasure."
Yun He smiled indifferently. "I've brought the person back for you. The forty million—it's time to hand it over, isn't it?"
Xiao Lin immediately feigned ignorance. "Forty million? What forty million? Didn't we make everything clear over the phone?"