Over a dozen seconds had passed, and the entire room had fallen silent, save for Ye Luoâs faint breathing. The figure in black, however, had yet to appear. Ye Luo stood still, like a statue.
It felt like a long century had passed when suddenly, a strong gust of wind rose behind Ye Luo. The figure in black once again appeared like a ghost, this time only a meter away from Ye Luo. The curved blade in his hand rapidly closed in on Ye Luoâs back, ready to plunge in the next instant.
At such a distance, even the most powerful of individuals would struggle to react, and Ye Luo was no exception. He remained unmoved as the assailantâs eyes, cold and dark, prepared to deliver a fatal blow. Yet, a crisp metallic clash abruptly broke the silence, startling the person behind the mask.
His curved blade pierced the fabric of Ye Luoâs clothing but struck what might as well have been steel, unable to penetrate any further.
Thatâs when Ye Luo suddenly spun around, his right leg whipping out behind him like a long lash.
Aided by the black-clad manâs momentary lapse, Ye Luoâs unexpected move caught him off guard. He could only flail with his curved blade, trying to block in front of him.
Bang!
With a sweeping blow as fierce as a whirlwind, the man in black was sent flying by Ye Luoâs leg sweep, crashing hard against the couch before tumbling to the ground.
Immediately afterward, Ye Luo stepped forward, his leg chopping down through the air. Although the man had been severely injured by Ye Luoâs previous attack, he rapidly recovered, performed a carp flip, and narrowly dodged Ye Luoâs foot.
But this time, Ye Luo didnât give his opponent any further chance to hide. With an onslaught like a tempest, releasing eighty percent of his strength, the sheer ferocity of his Nine Yang True Qi left his adversary badly wounded. After a string of attacks, the curved blade shattered, and the man was sent flying again, blood spraying from his wound.
Just as Ye Luo was about to finish him off, several hidden weapons came flying at him. Ye Luo dodged gracefully, but the attacker vanished with a swoosh through the window.
When Ye Luo reached the window, the assailantâs figure was nowhere to be seen.
"Tough guy, to escape like that, good for you," Ye Luo snorted coldly.
A dozen minutes later, the lights were back on in Ye Luoâs room, but the whole place was a mess, with hidden weapons strewn all over the floor, walls, and cabinets.
Ye Luo picked up one of the hidden weaponsâa cross-shaped dart with a lethal poison that could seal the throat upon drawing blood.
The following day, early in the morning, Ye Luo awoke and left the hotel for a leisurely breakfast at a nearby eatery.
While Ye Luo was eating fried dough sticks and drinking soy milk, his phone suddenly rangâit was Ling Qingya calling.
"Hello, whatâs up, Miss President?"
Ye Luo spoke while munching on the fried dough sticks.
"Ye Luo, have you forgotten what day it is today?" Ling Qingyaâs voice carried a hint of anger from the other end of the line.
"The day? What day is it? Itâs not our wedding anniversaryâis it? No, wait, weâre not even married yet," Ye Luo said, clearly confused.
"You idiot! Today weâre supposed to head to the Capital City. Where are you now? Get to the airport immediately," commanded Ling Qingya icily.
Ye Luo was momentarily stunned, then remembered Ling Qingya telling him that today he was supposed to accompany her to the Capital City for an important project. He had completely forgotten because of the situation with Yan Ling.
"This... uh... Iâm sorry, President, Iâm not in Zhonghai right now, Iâm in another place, and I probably wonât make it to the airport. But you go first, President, Iâll head to Capital City right after,"
"Ye Luo, you bastard!" Ling Qingya yelled furiously and hung up the phone straight away.
Ye Luo nearly spilled the soymilk he was holding from the fright of Ling Qingyaâs outburst, his face a bitter smile, realizing he had now offended his icy fiancĂ©e.
Meanwhile, at Zhonghai International Airport, in the terminal, Ling Qingyaâs face was a mask of icy coldness, her hand gripping the phone tightly, clearly furious.
"Qing Ya, I donât think we need him in Capital City at all this time, his presence might just cause problems. Since he didnât come, itâs obviously meant to be, youâre never meant to be with him. Letâs go, itâs almost time to board the plane,"
Ling Huatao, standing by Ling Qingya, slowly got up, a cold smile tugging at his lips.
"Dad, whether he comes or not, I wonât meet the person youâre setting up for me," Ling Qingya said indifferently.
Ling Huatao chuckled, "I believe once you meet him, Qing Ya, you wonât say that anymore. Plus, from what I know about the big project the Ling family is negotiating this time, you wonât be able to complete it without his help."
Ling Qingyaâs expression remained frosty and silent as she made her way to the security checkpoint.
Jinling, Wu Family.
Today the Wu Family was bustling with activity; many government officials and nobility of Jinling came to the Wu residence, but today was not for celebration, it was for a funeral.
Today was the burial and memorial service for Wu Yingxiong, the eldest son of the Wu Family head. Since the news of Wu Yingxiongâs death a few days ago, the entire Jinling was thoroughly shaken.
As the most prominent family in Jinling, involved in business, politics, and the underworld, the Wu Family had immense power and influence, acting as the local overlords. Wu Yingxiong, as the public face of the Wu Family, was a well-known figure in Jinling, untouchable by many, and now his sudden death naturally caused much speculation.
Gradually, rumors spread that Wu Yingxiong was killed in another city, leading many to speculate about the identity of the killer.
Today, on the day of Wu Yingxiongâs funeral, officials, businessmen, and dignitaries of all ranks came to the Wu Family to mourn.
White banners hung outside the Wu residence, and two guards dressed in white stood there, while a steward welcomed the mourners.
The mourners dressed in black entered the Wu family courtyard in uniform attire.
Family Head Wu Yingxiong stood in front of the casket, his face grave and silent. The mourners first bowed slightly to Wu Yingxiongâs portrait, then one by one expressed their condolences to Wu Jianxiong.
Then, a group dressed in black slowly walked in, led by a man in his fifties with a cane, accompanied by a son and daughter-in-law. These three were the head of Jinlingâs second most powerful family, the Lu Family, Lu Zhengqing, his son Lu Tianguang, and his wife Yang Meili.
"Brother Wu, my condolences to your loss,"
Lu Zhengqing walked into the memorial hall and came beside Wu Jianxiong, sighing softly.
"Mr. Wu, Iâm sorry, itâs our fault, our negligence that led to Brother Yingxiongâs tragedy,"