The roar of the McLaren slowly faded into the night. Once the noise completely vanished, five minutes passed in eerie silenceâthen, a faint rustling broke the stillness.
The garbage bin by the roadside trembled slightly, like something inside was testing the waters.
Moments later, the shaking intensified. A figure, crumpled and filthy, crawled out headfirst.
Jiang Gaoxuan.
His clothes were in disarray, smeared with filth and reeking of rot. Clumps of unmentionable muck clung to his head and shoulders. Gone was the arrogant flair he carried earlierânow, he looked like a drowned rat fished out of a sewer.
He shook off some of the grime from his hair and stared down the dark stretch of road where the McLaren had disappeared. His eyes, once brimming with pride, now trembled with a deep, bone-chilling fear.
Since beginning his path as a martial cultivator, Jiang Gaoxuan had never once met a peer who surpassed him.
At only twenty-four years old, he possessed 65 years of True Qi, an absolute genius in the martial worldâhis position atop the Hidden Dragon and Rising Phoenix Ranking had remained unchallenged⊠until tonight.
Just now, a young man not even twenty had slapped him through the air like swatting a fly.
He wouldnât have believed it himself, if not for the stinging pain on his swollen cheek and the stench still clinging to him like shame.
âSo this is what Father meant,â he muttered, voice trembling. âThereâs always a higher mountain, always someone stronger⊠And he told me not to be too arrogant when walking the world.â
Jiang Gaoxuan was a young lord of a hidden martial clan, born with overwhelming talent and nurtured by countless resources. He had every reason to be arrogant.
But his father had warned himâthere were powers greater than their sect, and talents far more terrifying than his own.
Back then, Jiang Gaoxuan brushed it off. Now, he had no choice but to believe it.
That teenager just now⊠wasnât ordinary. Not by any measure.
In fact, when he first approached Wang Haoran, he felt something strangeâa pressure, an instinctive urge to lower his head in submission. He thought it was just his imagination and forcefully suppressed it.
But now he realizedâthat feeling wasnât just a trick of the mind.
It was instinct. A warning.
Suppressing the fear clawing at his heart, Jiang Gaoxuan slinked away quietly, vanishing into the night.
He didnât dare stay another second.
Vengeance?
That thought didnât even cross his mind.
Martial talent was importantâbut cultivation resources mattered too.
Jiang Gaoxuan had grown up soaking in medicinal baths that hardened his flesh and bones, his elders nourishing his body daily with True Qi. Even with all that, he only reached 65 yearsâ worth of True Qi.
That young manâs energy? At least 100 years.
That wasnât something talent alone could explain. Behind that youth, there had to be an unimaginably powerful forceâone that dwarfed even his own sect.
â
The next morning.
After returning late the previous night, Luo Qingqian rested briefly. By 9 a.m., she gathered her sisters and Lin Chen together for a chat.
It had been too long since their last real reunion.
But something felt off. Theyâd been talking for a while now, and stillâno sign of Qiu Qianwei.
âWhereâs Seventh Sister?â Luo Qingqian glanced around the room and asked.
Liu Yue, Ji Shuiyao, and Bian Suwen turned simultaneously toward Bu Feiyan.
After all, Qiu Qianwei shared a room with her. If anyone knew, itâd be her.
âI have no idea. I didnât see her after I got back last night,â Bu Feiyan replied.
Liu Yue blinked in surprise. âThatâs strange. Seventh Sister left the villa before you got home and hasnât returned since. It looks like she never came back at all last night.â
Luo Qingqianâs expression darkened slightly. âOut all night? What was she doing?â
Hearing that, Bian Suwen, Ji Shuiyao, and Bu Feiyan all stiffened.
They already knew about Qiu Qianweiâs connection to Wang Haoran.
The moment they realized she hadnât returned all night⊠the answer was obvious.
Still, none of them said a word.
They pretended to know nothing.
âSecond Sister, I bet she went out on a date!â Lin Chen piped up, voice laced with heartache.
âWhat did you say?â Luo Qingqianâs brows furrowed.
Liu Yue sighed. âSeventh Sisterâs got a boyfriend. She probably went to see him.â
Luo Qingqian frowned instinctively. It was that same protective instinct every elder sister hadâworry that their little sister would be taken advantage of.
Her voice lowered. âAnd who exactly is this boyfriend of hers?â
Liu Yue shrugged. âNo idea. Iâve asked her countless times. She refuses to say anything.â
âAnd you just let that slide? What kind of sister are you?â Luo Qingqianâs tone sharpened. âWhat if sheâs being deceived?â
âI did try asking. She just wonât talk. What do you want me to do?â Liu Yue muttered.
âYou couldâve investigated! Donât just sit there playing big sister. If anything happens to her, Iâm holding you personally responsible.â Luo Qingqianâs voice was stern.
Liu Yue went quiet immediately.
Lin Chen watched with glee, lips curled in a smug grin.
Liu Yue usually had such a commanding presenceâbut in front of Second Sister, she crumbled. Sisters really were sisters. No one could outmatch Luo Qingqianâs authority.
Seeing Liu Yue at a loss, Luo Qingqianâs gaze swept toward the othersâBian Suwen, Bu Feiyan, and Ji Shuiyao.
âWhat about you three? Do you know who her boyfriend is?â
All three replied in unison.
âNope.â
They didnât even need to look at each otherâalmost like it was rehearsed.
But the synchronized response only made it more suspicious.
The moment the words left their mouths, they exchanged startled glances, clearly unnerved by the coincidence.
Luo Qingqian narrowed her eyes. âYouâre all acting weird. What arenât you telling me?â
Silence.
None of them replied.
The longer they stayed quiet, the more certain she became.
âYouâre hiding something. Spit it out. Why are you suddenly mute?â
Finally, Bian Suwen stepped forward. âSecond Sister, Qianwei is already twenty. Sheâs capable of making her own decisions. I think we should give her some space. Sheâs not a little girl anymore.â
With someone taking the lead, Bu Feiyan quickly added, âExactly. Seventh Sisterâs smart. Her taste in men wonât be bad. Whoever she picked must be outstanding. Letâs not meddle too much.â
Liu Yue followed up with, âItâs just a relationship. No need to make a fuss. When the time comes, sheâll bring him over to meet the family.â
Even Ji Shuiyao chimed in, âI agree. As sisters, we should be more open-minded. Let her live her life.â
Hearing them all speak up one after another, Luo Qingqianâs brows knit even tighter.
She distinctly remembered how dismissive they all used to be when it came to menâfull of disdain, even.
Now they were suddenly so accepting?
Something wasnât right.
Her eyes narrowed as she posed the next question carefully:
âBe honest. Did you all get boyfriends too?â
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