Chapter 8

It was not that she refused to believe it.

It was simply that everything Ye Lingtian said was completely detached from reality! Making the Four Great War Gods kneel; Claiming to be the master of the Black Gold Consortium; And an army of eighteen thousand Grandmasters... None of this was remotely practical; it sounded like an absolute fairy tale!

Let alone her—even those Dragon Pavilion elders who could alter the nation's destiny with a single word didn't believe it! Besides, Lei Liehu had clearly been eliminated by the Four Great War Gods. It was just that Chen Xiaoran had never expected everything Ye Lingtian said to be true!

From now on, no one in the Dragon Kingdom would dare to stand in their way, and the Black Emperor could investigate with a completely free hand. In fact, he was going to investigate personally. Before leaving, however, the Black Emperor had specifically arranged an assistant for Ye Lingtian to take his place. The Black Emperor's exact words were: "Master, I have arranged a maid for you. She can handle anything I used to do, and even things I couldn't."

Chapter Nineteen: The Queen of Finance! Chapter Nineteen: The Queen of Finance!

The next day. Chen Xiaoran was set to officially start her job at the Black Gold Consortium. She woke up early, applied meticulous makeup, and put on a tailored professional suit, radiating the refined aura of a business queen. Her entire presence was noble and elegant, making people reluctant to meet her gaze directly!

Then she looked at Ye Lingtian's casual, slovenly outfit—he and she were worlds apart, as different as clouds and mud, a gap she had left far behind. Just like that, he could forget about ever breaking into her world!

After breakfast, Ye Lingtian also left to head to the Black Gold Consortium and check out the maid the Black Emperor had arranged.

Inside the financial center, Chen Xiaoran and her best friend successfully checked in for their new jobs.

"Huh? How come I don't see Han Xuewen?" Chen Xiaoran asked, looking puzzled.

Zhou Xinyi nodded. "Yeah! Ever since that night, Han Xuewen hasn't been seen at all!" "Could it be that Han Xuewen actually got fired?" Chen Xiaoran suddenly thought of what Ye Lingtian had said.

"How is that possible!"

Before they could recover their shock, the entire Black Gold Consortium erupted into chaos. The sharp, rhythmic clicking of high heels echoed across the floor as everyone hurried back and forth, figures darting frantically through the corridors. Chen Xiaoran and Zhou Xinyi were dumbfounded, encountering such pandemonium on their very first day.

"What on earth happened?" "Chen Xiaoran, Zhou Xinyi, report to the second-floor grand conference room immediately!" a senior executive barked at the two of them.

When they reached the conference room, it was already packed. After much effort, the two managed to find their seats. After asking around, they finally learned that the supreme head of the Black Gold Consortium in the Dragon Kingdom had arrived.

Both of them were filled with anticipation, eager to see what the general manager looked like. "Have you heard? The general manager is none other than Xu Yourong, the former top Queen of Finance from Shanghai!" "She's also the highest-ranking Dragon Kingdom citizen within the Black Gold Consortium!" Someone nearby whispered in discussion.

"What? Xu Yourong?" Chen Xiaoran and Zhou Xinyi were stunned. They had long since heard of Xu Yourong's legendary reputation; back in university, their professors had used her as an example more than once! She was someone to be looked up to with reverence! She was the idol every girl majoring in finance dreamed of becoming!

The two of them found their breathing turning shallow.

Before long, Xu Yourong arrived at the conference room, flanked by a group of high-level executives. Every single gaze in the room snapped instantly to her. She possessed a myriad of graceful postures, radiating a dazzling brilliance! Her aura enveloped the entire space, stunning everyone present with a presence that was truly without equal!

Her appearance exerted a pressure so intense it felt almost suffocating to everyone in the room! A face of an angel paired with the body of a devil, combined with the absolute, domineering aura of a true queen. She was the exact embodiment of every single fantasy Chen Xiaoran had ever harbored about a business queen!

Chen Xiaoran watched, completely spellbound! This was the kind of person she wanted to become! This was her ultimate dream! This was her guiding beacon of endeavor!

Chen Xiaoran clenched her delicate fists, silently vowing that she would undoubtedly become a business queen just like Xu Yourong! She would make the name "Chen Xiaoran" resound throughout the financial circles of the Dragon Kingdom, and eventually, the entire world!

Zhou Xinyi was equally inspired, finding it hard to imagine that Xu Yourong could have attained such a lofty position within the Black Gold Consortium! Chen Xiaoran excitedly grabbed Zhou Xinyi's hand. "Xinyi, my path in life has suddenly become so clear! Her today will be my tomorrow!" "As for Ye Lingtian, I will make him realize just how astronomical the gap between us will be in a few years..."

After briefing the room on a few matters, Xu Yourong left. The entire Black Gold Consortium was buzzing with discussions about her. She was the ultimate boss of the consortium in the Dragon Kingdom.

Little did they know, the true master was currently sitting in the private office.

Xu Yourong hurried nervously into the room. "M-Master... May... May I come in?" The woman who had just been a commanding queen moments ago was now as nervous as a little girl, the palms of her hands slick with sweat.

"Come in."

Hearing his voice, Xu Yourong pushed the door open with trembling hands. "Huh? You're the maid Little Hei mentioned?" Chapter Twenty: The Maid Arranged by the Black Emperor Chapter Twenty: The Maid Arranged by the Black Emperor

Hearing his words, Xu Yourong hurriedly nodded in trembling obedience. The supreme, almighty Black Emperor was called "Little Hei"...?

Her gaze fell upon Ye Lingtian, and her body began to tremble even more violently. Her face was a mask of utter disbelief! She had assumed the master of the Black Emperor would be some venerable old man... Instead, he was this young? And his attire was so casual?

Had she not seen him sitting right here, she never would have believed it!

"Master, I am your dedicated maid, Xu Yourong. I am twenty-six years old this year! Height 172 centimeters, weight 50 kilograms... My measurements are..." "Stop, stop, stop!" Xu Yourong was cut off mid-introduction.

"Talk business."

Xu Yourong gave a light, nervous chuckle and said obediently, "Master, from now on I will serve you in every possible way! Whatever you want me to do, I will do it!"

Chen Xiaoran and the others would likely never be able to imagine this. Was this really the same irresistibly domineering queen from just moments ago? Here, she was acting as docile and obedient as a little kitten right in front of Ye Lingtian!

This was the towering, untouchable status of Ye Lingtian! The business queen whom Chen Xiaoran looked up to with such reverence could only serve as his maid!

Ye Lingtian smiled slightly. This was certainly much more pleasing to the eye than Chen Xiaoran. Women were always better off being obedient!

"What you need to do is whatever Little Hei has arranged for you," Ye Lingtian said.

"Understood, Master!"

Xu Yourong's expression turned serious. Once she retrieved the classified files, she began her report to Ye Lingtian. "Master, during the investigation, Lord Black Emperor discovered something!" "Speak." "The assassination of your mother back then might have hidden motives behind it!"

At these words, Ye Lingtian's expression shifted. "What do you mean?"

Xu Yourong laid out the contents of the classified document. "Aside from the Ye Clan of Longdu wanting to eliminate you and your mother, there were other factions involved at the time! It seems they were after a ring belonging to your mother! Once that ring went missing, their pursuit suddenly stopped. The disappearance of the ring appears to be linked to the Chen Family. The specifics are still under investigation, but we believe we'll have news soon!"

This was something Ye Lingtian had never anticipated. There were other forces behind the assassination of his mother and himself? And it might not just be a single faction, but multiple. All for his mother's ring?

Yet if his mother possessed a ring of such importance, she surely would have left it to him. Only she hadn't. And Master certainly wouldn't have kept it for himself. Could it be in the hands of his adoptive mother? He would have to go back and ask!

That evening, at the dinner table, Chen Xiaoran chattered on endlessly. "Dad, Mom, you know what? I met the person I want to be most in this world—the business queen, Xu Yourong... I am definitely going to become someone just like her!"

Chen Guiyuan and He Wenqian immediately began to shower her with encouragement. Their daughter was their greatest pride.

Ye Lingtian remained silent throughout. To Chen Xiaoran, however, his silence looked like mere disdain. She couldn't help but snap, "You look unconvinced? Do you have any idea how formidable Xu Yourong is? The only high-ranking Dragon Kingdom executive in the Black Gold Consortium! She once—"

Ye Lingtian gave a cold scoff. "So what? Isn't she still my maid?"

Chen Xiaoran grew frantic. "Dad, Mom, look at him! Talking absolute nonsense! If anyone else heard him say that, my job would be gone!"

Chen Guiyuan's face turned dark with anger. "What kind of reckless talk is this, young man? A maid? You need to watch what you say from now on! Especially when you're outside!"

Fuming with anger, Chen Xiaoran shot Ye Lingtian several sharp glares.

Choosing not to dwell on the matter, Ye Lingtian turned his attention to He Wenqian. "Adoptive mother, do you remember if my mother had a ring?"

"Let me think..." He Wenqian paused for a moment before replying, "She did have a ring! It seemed to be very important to her!"

Ye Lingtian explained the reason. "Well, that ring is missing now and isn't in my possession. Adoptive mother, could it be that my mother left it here back then?"

Before He Wenqian could answer, Chen Xiaoran flew into a rage. "Ye Lingtian, what do you mean by that? Are you implying that we swallowed your mother's ring?"

Chen Guiyuan's face darkened completely. "Exactly! Does a man of my standing—worth billions—care about a mere ring of yours?"

Chapter Twenty-One: Chen Xiaoran's Idol Arrives! Chapter Twenty-One: Chen Xiaoran's Idol Arrives!

"Tian'er couldn't possibly have meant that. I'll take a look around later; maybe it really did get left behind in our house!"

However, after searching for a long time, He Wenqian could not find a single trace of it.

Ye Lingtian asked instinctively, "Is it possible that someone else from the Chen Family picked it up?"

As soon as those words left his mouth—

Chen Guiyuan and his daughter flew into a frenzy. "What do you mean by that, Ye Lingtian? Are you trying to pin the blame on the rest of the Chen Family? Are you dead-set on accusing us of taking your mother's ring?"

"Alright, alright! Tian'er was just asking casually!" He Wenqian hurried to smooth things over.

Over the next few days, everything proceeded as usual.

After dinner, the three members of the Chen family went out for a stroll.

Having just received the latest information, Xu Yourong rushed over to the Royal Court Villa area. She crossed paths with Chen Xiaoran's family head-on.

"Oh? Isn't this President Xu?" Chen Xiaoran's face lit up with excitement, utterly surprised to see the idol she so desperately wanted to emulate appear right before her.

"Chen Xiaoran? Good evening, Uncle and Auntie." As Ye Lingtian's maid, how could she possibly not know who Chen Xiaoran's family was?

Hearing Xu Yourong call her by name, Chen Xiaoran was both startled and thrilled. It seemed her own excellence was the reason she had been remembered by the big boss! She hurriedly introduced Xu Yourong to her parents.

The introduction left Chen Guiyuan and his wife feeling deeply uneasy. vaikka Chen Guiyuan was worth billions, he was completely out of his depth in front of the Dragon Kingdom general manager of the Black Gold Consortium.

"I'm here to see someone. See you next time!" Xu Yourong hurried past them without stopping.

"As expected of a business queen from the Black Gold Consortium, her aura is simply too powerful! I pale in comparison," Chen Guiyuan sighed in admiration.

Then he looked at his daughter with a delighted expression. "Daughter, the top executive of the Black Gold Consortium in the Dragon Kingdom actually knows who you are? You really are your mother and father's pride!"

"That's right, Mom is so proud of you too. You must definitely grow up to become someone just like her!"

Chen Xiaoran jumped up and down with joy. Yet a moment later, she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why did President Xu come here? She looked in such a rush!"

"This district gathers most of Jiangcheng's high society; she must be here to see someone important! But what kind of person could possibly exist in Jiangcheng to warrant a personal visit from her? I can't imagine!" Chen Guiyuan mused, looking puzzled.

Neither of them would ever dream that the destination Xu Yourong was heading to was none of other than their own home.

Inside the villa.

Ye Lingtian was currently utilizing the veins of the earth to suppress his Congenital Fire Poison. This was one of his most persistent headaches.

The Congenital Fire Poison had been planted within his body since childhood, pervading his five internal organs and fusing directly with his bloodline—it had essentially become a part of his body. The stronger Ye Lingtian's cultivation grew, the stronger the Congenital Fire Poison became with it. Up to now, there was simply no way to eradicate it completely. It was a source of great vexation for him.

At that moment, Xu Yourong rushed in hurriedly.

"Master, I have news! Lord Black Emperor has tracked down the whereabouts of your mother's ring!" "It is currently in the hands of Qi Shanhai, known as the King of Buildings! It was lost by your mother back when she returned to Jiangcheng!"

A sharp, glacial glint flashed through Ye Lingtian's eyes.

"Let's go. We're going to find Qi Shanhai!"

This concerned not only the secrets hidden within the ring, but more importantly, the whereabouts of his mother.

Qi Shanhai, the King of Buildings, was himself a legendary figure! For every ten patches of land in Jiangcheng, Qi Shanhai owned a million square feet of property! He controlled more than half of all real estate developments in the city!

The Cuntin Villa where the Chen Family lived had also been developed by the Qi Family. The Qi Family was likewise one of the untouchable taboos of Jiangcheng.

There was a popular saying on the streets: *Across the three thousand tracts of Jiangcheng, there is nowhere left for you to find refuge.* It meant that if you offended the Qi Family, even in a city as vast as Jiangcheng, you wouldn't even have a place to sleep.

That was Qi Shanhai, the King of Buildings! He was a full tier above Chen Guiyuan, standing firmly among the apex of Jiangcheng's elite!

Xu Yourong wanted to hand Ye Lingtian some additional documents, but by the time she looked up, he had already vanished.

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Son of Heaven-Grade Bodyguard! Chapter Twenty-Two: A Son of Heaven-Grade Bodyguard!

Gunan No. 1 Manor. This was the estate of the Qi Family.

Even their bodyguards were meticulously selected from the top ten international security firms. On the security system alone, the Qi Family spent upwards of a hundred million every single year. To make matters even more formidable, the previous year Qi Shanhai had paid an exorbitant salary to hire a Son of Heaven-grade bodyguard!

It was none of other than Li Dazhong, the premier bodyguard of Korea's Blue House! Hailed as a human weapon, he had been specifically tasked with protecting the lives of the top brass at the Blue House, possessing terrifying and peerless strength. The martial arts techniques he practiced were a synthesis of Taekwondo, Bajiquan, Tongbeiquan, and Krav Maga. His cultivation had reached an absolute pinnacle, and he was a man whose hands were stained with countless lives! He was a proper Martial Grandmaster! Even stronger than Zhao Feiying by a margin!

At the height of his career, he had been poached by Qi Shanhai with an astronomical salary of eighty million. Over the course of a single year, he had successfully intercepted and blocked thirty-seven waves of assassination attempts for Qi Shanhai; no matter how elite the assassins were, every single one of them had been killed by Li Dazhong.

After a few such incidents, no one ever dared to harbor ill intentions toward Qi Shanhai again. Even less did anyone dare to harbor any designs on Gunan No. 1.

It could be said that the defense system of Gunan No. 1 was so impenetrable not even a fly could buzz its way inside. Li Dazhong had even openly boasted that with him around, he would safeguard the Qi Family for a hundred years!

Today, however, the guards of Gunan No. 1 never could have imagined that an uninvited guest would arrive.

Just as they stepped forward to question him, Ye Lingtian's voice rang out: "Tell Qi Shanhai to get the hell out here and see me!"

His words were astonishingly arrogant. As soon as they dropped, the guards of Gunan No. 1 froze in place. They stared at one another in blank astonishment!

It was their first time ever encountering someone so brazen and reckless! Daring to stand at the gates of Gunan No. 1 and order the King of Buildings to crawl out and see him? Who in Jiangcheng had the guts for that?

Even professional assassins no longer dared to accept contracts to assassinate the Qi Family, entirely terrified by their security forces and Li Dazhong. Yet here came someone shouting challenges right at their doorstep? It was practically unheard of! And to top it off, he was just a punk kid!

"Y-You... Do you know whose place this is?" one of the guards asked uncertainly.

"Cut the crap, get Qi Shanhai out here right now!" Ye Lingtian repeated, his voice rumbling like thunder.

"Is this guy here to stir up trouble? An anomaly at the east gate! Assemble!" The guards immediately broadcasted the alert, and within moments, over a hundred security personnel rushed to the scene.

At that exact moment, a fiery red Ferrari pulled up to the gates with the screech of tires. First, a pair of long, slender legs stepped out, followed by a tall, curvaceous, and stunning young woman. She casually removed her sunglasses and asked with a displeased expression, "What's going on?"

" Eldest Miss, someone is here making trouble! Not only did he call the King of Buildings by his full name, but he even demanded that the King of Buildings crawl out to see him!" the guards reported, pointing repeatedly at Ye Lingtian.

Qi Yanran's gaze swept over Ye Lingtian, appraising him. He looked entirely unfamiliar, completely unremarkable, devoid of a single redeeming feature. As for his appearance and physique, she dismissed them instantly. After all, in high society, a man's physical appearance was the most worthless asset.

"Who are you? What a lot of nerve! You dare demand my grandfather come out to see you?" Qi Yanran snapped angrily.

"Your grandfather owes me something, and I've come to collect," Ye Lingtian said, his face masked in frost.

"Hahaha..."

As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.

What a joke! The dignified King of Buildings, who controlled more than half the real estate in Jiangcheng, owed *you* something? Furthermore, looking at his attire and temperament, he was destined never to have any intersection with a big shot like the King of Buildings in this lifetime! How could such a thing be possible?

"Get the hell away from my front door right now! Don't blame me if I stop being polite!" Qi Yanran said coldly.

"Get that old thief Qi Shanhai to crawl out here right this instant!" Ye Lingtian's patience had entirely run out.

"How dare he insult my grandfather like this! I don't want to see him standing anymore!"

Thoroughly enraged, Qi Yanran gave the order before turning back to get into her Ferrari and driving off.

At her command, a horde of international bodyguards swarmed forward toward Ye Lingtian all at once.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Is There Any Place for You to Speak Here? Chapter Twenty-Three: Is There Any Place for You to Speak Here?

"Courting death!"

Facing this mob of flunkies, Ye Lingtian struck out with overwhelming force.

*Bang!*

With a single kick, he sent a bodyguard flying a hundred meters away!

*Bang!*

Another kick sent a second one soaring through the air.

*Bang!* ...

In the blink of an eye, all hundred-plus bodyguards were kicked into the air simultaneously, flying aloft in a chaotic wave.

"Huh?"

Qi Yanran glanced through her rearview mirror from inside the Ferrari, horrified to discover that all hundred-plus bodyguards had vanished from sight. Only Ye Lingtian remained standing alone in the clearing. Where were the people? Where had they all gone?

*Boom!!!* *Beep-beep-beep!*

The next second, her Ferrari was struck by a flying bodyguard, the impact caving in the metal with a deafening crash as alarms wailed incessantly.

*Crash!*

Before she could even react, another body dropped from the sky, slamming heavily onto the hood. The car alarms blared on without pause.

At the same time, she watched in utter horror as figures plummeted from every direction, crashing brutally into the ground all around her! She was completely dumbfounded!

Stepping out of the car, Qi Yanran stared in sheer disbelief as she saw all hundred elite bodyguards rolling on the ground, wailing in agony.

Th-Th-This...

She looked at Ye Lingtian with unconcealed terror. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined he possessed such terrifying strength.

Panic set in. Glaring at Ye Lingtian, she tried to issue a warning: "Listen to me! Whoever you are, don't you dare harbor any schemes against the Qi Family! Our family employs the top bodyguard from Korea's Blue House! He is a Son of Heaven-grade bodyguard! Do you understand?!"

"Tell that old thief Qi Shanhai to crawl out here!"

Ye Lingtian had completely lost his patience. He wouldn't mind leveling Gunan No. 1 Manor to the ground right here and now.

The commotion at the outer gates had already alerted the interior of Gunan No. 1. More guards and personnel came running out in droves.

Even Qi Shanhai himself was startled out of his peace. Hearing that some punk outside was brazenly shouting challenges at him and claiming he owed a debt—Qi Shanhai couldn't just sit still anymore.

How could he, the dignified King of Buildings, possibly owe anyone anything? It was utterly impossible!