“Forget it. This assignment is far too dangerous. Don’t ask me again next time. If I end up getting killed, that’ll be a huge loss!” Chu Nan shook his head, though he was puzzled. This silly girl was surnamed Hong, wasn’t she? Why did she keep talking about “someone else” and “the Hong family”? Had she fallen out with her family and run away from home?
Still, Chu Nan could not be bothered asking. He decided that once everything here was over, he would keep his distance from this silly girl. Otherwise, instead of dying naturally someday, he might end up dying while pretending to be her boyfriend, and that would really be miserable.
He still had to find Huahua and Ren Yufei. That was the real reason he had returned to China.
Damn it.
A mere mid Red Rank martial artist had managed to chase him all over the streets. Chu Nan felt his luck could not possibly get any worse.
Yet the moment he thought of those two girls, he felt another wave of melancholy.
Huahua’s situation was at least somewhat encouraging. There were already a few leads suggesting she was at Ming City University. Zhou Yuanyuan was helping to investigate as well, so there would probably be news before long.
Ren Yufei, however, was a different story.
She had left behind absolutely no clues. On top of that, she was exceptionally skilled and possessed remarkable counter surveillance abilities. If she genuinely did not want Chu Nan to find her, there was simply nothing he could do.
The two of them stopped talking and cautiously slipped out of Jidun City.
After quite some effort, they managed to hail an unlicensed taxi and returned to the New Immortal Resort before going back to their own rooms.
When Chu Nan entered his room, he found Lin Xuerou already fast asleep.
He quietly took off his shoes, sat cross legged on the sofa, and began cultivating, preparing to once again attempt to refine the seven streams of Qi within his dantian.
Chu Nan had already tried countless times before.
Even his master had personally tried to help dissolve them.
Not only had every attempt failed, but his master had almost suffered a backlash from the Qi itself.
Ever since that incident, his master had constantly joked about wanting to die.
During his time in Ming City, Chu Nan had realised that city life was far less peaceful than he had imagined.
Hidden dangers existed beneath the surface.
He simply had not encountered them until arriving in Jidun City.
China might be the birthplace of martial artists, but if even a local tyrant like Elder Shan had a martial artist serving under him, then with Chu Nan’s current strength, one careless mistake could easily prove fatal.
That was why, on the journey back, Chu Nan had already made up his mind.
If he wanted to survive amid the dangerous undercurrents hidden within city life, he had to keep trying to dissolve the seven streams of Qi inside his body.
Only then would he be able to remain calm when facing even greater dangers.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Nan gradually calmed his mind.
Once again, he guided his True Qi towards one of the streams of Qi within his dantian.
Who knew how much time had passed.
Eventually, Chu Nan opened his eyes.
His forehead was soaked with sweat, and his face had turned deathly pale.
He forcibly endured the burning turmoil raging inside his dantian, along with the agonising pain that felt as though every meridian in his body were being torn apart.
With a helpless sigh, he prepared to give up once again.
However, when he happened to look up, he noticed the faint smile resting on Lin Xuerou’s peaceful sleeping face.
He froze.
His heart suddenly stirred.
Chu Nan realised that he was no longer living alone in this world.
Without noticing it, he had formed countless bonds.
The people he needed to protect now included not only Cai Mingyue, but also Lin Xuerou, the gentle yet resilient girl.
Chu Nan understood that the greater the responsibility he carried, the more determined he had to become in surpassing his own limits.
If he gave up so easily now, then the next time he encountered someone even stronger than the white robed elder, he would very likely lose his life on the spot.
Drawing another deep breath, Chu Nan forced himself back into cultivation.
He controlled the True Qi inside his body and charged once more towards that crimson strand of Qi.
After repeatedly attacking it for an entire hour, the crimson strand of Qi finally began to loosen…
Meanwhile, inside the Land Rover parked beside the food street in Jidun City, the white robed elder finished reporting everything before dragging his injured body away to receive treatment from the family’s physician.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xianjian’s plan to frame Chu Nan had failed, leaving him looking thoroughly dejected.
In his opinion, if even his elder cousin could not deal with Chu Nan, then getting rid of him seemed almost impossible.
Huang Jiuyang immediately noticed Zhang Xianjian’s gloomy mood.
Patting him on the shoulder, he smiled.
“Xianjian, don’t be disappointed. This isn’t over yet. Just wait for the news. There’s no need to rush. Grandfather will never allow anyone to challenge his authority in Jidun City. Just sit back and enjoy the show.”
“Alright. Thanks, Cousin. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now.” Zhang Xianjian nodded, his expression easing as a flicker of hope returned.
With those words from his elder cousin, it seemed Chu Nan and that girl would not stay smug for much longer.
“Head back? Why?” Huang Jiuyang waved a hand, a lecherous smile spreading across his face.
“You’ve made the trip all the way to Jidun City, and I wasn’t able to sort things out for you tonight. I feel rather bad about it. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere nice to enjoy yourself. It’ll help you let off some steam.”
After saying that, Huang Jiuyang gave a few instructions to the driver.
The Land Rover immediately turned around, left the food street, and sped off in another direction.
Half an hour later, it stopped outside an upscale private club.
Huang Jiuyang swaggered out of the vehicle and walked inside first.
The moment they entered, a middle aged woman wearing a cheongsam came forward to greet them.
Though no longer young, she still carried herself with considerable elegance. Her figure remained graceful and attractive, and the smile in her eyes carried an unmistakable air of mature charm.
“Oh my, Young Master Huang has arrived! And who’s this handsome gentleman? I don’t recognise him. Is this his first visit?” the middle aged woman asked with a warm smile, even casting Zhang Xianjian a flirtatious glance. It was obvious that she knew Huang Jiuyang very well.
“Don’t worry about all that. Just make the arrangements, and remember, I want the very best,” Huang Jiuyang said impatiently, waving his hand.
The woman immediately nodded knowingly and left.
“Cousin, what sort of place is this? It looks pretty luxurious,” Zhang Xianjian asked as he looked around curiously.
Although there was no signboard outside, he could immediately tell that it was something like a nightclub or an exclusive bathhouse, only on a much higher level.
“Heh, of course it’s a good place. Do you really think I’d treat you badly?” Huang Jiuyang gave him a knowing grin, gestured for Zhang Xianjian to sit on the sofa and wait, then leisurely lit a cigarette.
Before long, the middle aged woman returned, followed by a line of young glamour models dressed in revealing outfits.