The Dragon King's Doubt, Xu Mu Encounters Chen Xuan Again

"That's all I know."

Shen Hong clenched his fists, his face tense to the extreme.

The Shen Family wasn’t a reclusive clan, yet they firmly held the third position in Jiangbei, all thanks to his father-in-law.

Though his father-in-law didn’t belong to a reclusive clan, he held a high-ranking position working for the state.

Thus, the Shen Family had a certain "red background," and even reclusive clans wouldn’t dare act too recklessly against them.

"Are you sure about the timing?"

Ye Chen frowned slightly.

"Absolutely. Others might forget, but I never would. To be honest, Ye Tong’s birthday is the same day as my father-in-law’s."

Shen Hong looked calmly at Ye Chen. "I was close with your father. I knew about Ye Tong’s birth the very next day."

A glint flickered in Ye Chen’s eyes. He would never forget Ye Tong’s birthday.

Ye Tong was older than him by a little over a year—sixteen months, to be exact.

But if Shen Hong was right, Ye Tong’s birthday had been falsified. She was actually younger.

Only eight months older than Ye Chen.

How was that possible?

They shared the same mother. Even if their mother had gotten pregnant immediately after Ye Tong’s birth,

she couldn’t have given birth to Ye Chen in just eight months.

He had never heard that he was a premature baby.

Besides, how could a woman who had just given birth conceive again so quickly?

Ye Chen stood up from the sofa and walked toward the villa’s exit. "Shen Hong, your information has been useful."

With that, he and his two companions left.

As he walked, Ye Chen pondered. He hadn’t expected this twist while investigating his parents.

Could it be that he and Ye Tong didn’t share the same mother?

His father had been a well-known businessman. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had secretly fathered a child with another woman.

Ye Chen shook his head slightly. Since he was investigating the Ye Family, he couldn’t overlook even the smallest clue.

He would have to look into this matter carefully as well.

Just as he reached the estate’s main gate, he spotted a beautiful woman with long black hair, wearing a skirt that reached past her knees.

It was Shen Wanning.

Their eyes met briefly, but neither spoke as they passed each other.

Back in the villa, Shen Hong let out a sigh of relief.

What was going on with that Ye Family kid?

How had he suddenly gained such formidable subordinates?

He was well aware of the realms of ancient martial arts. The woman earlier could strike objects from a distance,

proving she could release Gang Qi.

As far as he knew, reaching the Gang Qi realm was enough to establish a reclusive clan.

Yet such an expert treated Ye Chen with such deference.

The implications of the young man’s identity were staggering.

"Dad! Who were those people just now?" Shen Wanning asked as she entered the villa.

"The son of an old friend," Shen Hong replied solemnly.

...

Xu Mu had no interest in business matters, leaving them all to Xu Shou and Xu Ningbing.

His main goal was still to earn justice points and enhance his strength.

However, if anyone dared to threaten his family, Xu Mu wouldn’t hesitate to act.

With the Zhang Shuaikai affair resolved, he sent a message to Dai Xingluo.

Learning that she was at the antique market, Xu Mu drove over to deliver the Qi Sea Pills he had refined.

Arriving at the market, he headed toward Dai Xingluo’s antique shop.

As usual, Dai Xingluo lounged in a rocking chair,

while Li Zizai sat at the front counter, polishing a porcelain piece with a cloth.

"You’re here," Li Zizai greeted with a smile.

Xu Mu nodded.

Dai Xingluo, dressed in traditional Hanfu, immediately sat up. "Brother."

"The herbs you gave me weren't high-grade, so I added a few more to refine something better for you."

Xu Mu handed the Qi Sea Pill from his pocket to Dai Xingluo.

"A seventh-grade Qi Sea Pill?"

Li Zizai, who had been polishing porcelain, widened his eyes in shock.

"What? This is a Qi Sea Pill?"

Dai Xingluo also gasped in disbelief.

Back in her sect, she had heard that only the most talented disciples were privileged enough to consume such a pill.

Never did she imagine that an outer disciple like herself would have this honor.

[Affection Points +20]

Dai Xingluo couldn’t help but feel grateful—her judgment had been right after all.

"The Qi Sea Pill is a top-tier elixir."

Li Zizai set down the porcelain in his hands. He had heard Xu Mu mention his interest in pill refinement before, but he assumed it was just a casual hobby—at best, he might produce a first-grade pill.

Yet here he was, successfully refining a seventh-grade one.

"Brother, I’ll take it then."

Dai Xingluo beamed at Xu Mu.

Xu Mu waved dismissively. "No one’s stopping you."

She swallowed the pill, and a surge of pure energy instantly coursed through her body.

Grinning, she stepped forward and looped her arm around Xu Mu’s. "Brother, how should I ever repay you?"

"Did you cause trouble for Feng Yue?" Xu Mu asked flatly.

"Feng Yue? Who’s that? The name sounds familiar."

Dai Xingluo kept her smile plastered on, but inwardly, she cursed.

If Feng Yue had snitched, then everything she’d said before must have been a lie.

"Cut the act. You left early yesterday—I had a hunch. When I called her, she told me everything."

Xu Mu pointed at Dai Xingluo. "If you pull this again, I won’t forgive you."

Dai Xingluo was surprised. If Feng Yue hadn’t complained first, then maybe she could let it slide.

"We just had a little misunderstanding, but it’s all settled now. We’re good sisters."

She pressed her cheek against Xu Mu’s arm.

"Alright, I’ll take off if there’s nothing else."

Xu Mu pulled his arm free. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Meng Wanyue in a few days.

He wondered how her cultivation was progressing.

Speaking of techniques, he still had the Fire Phoenix Sword manual in his possession.

During yesterday’s fight with Yun Wu, he had tested it out and found it quite effective.

He considered whether to let Dai Xingluo practice it—after all, her sect specialized in swordsmanship.

But this was an Earth-grade technique, and he preferred keeping it for his own people.

In the original storyline, Dai Xingluo was the scheming female antagonist.

She wasn’t as obedient as women like Ye Tong or Meng Wanyue.

Still, she had risked her life to help him in the ruins.

Xu Mu hesitated, deciding not to bring it up for now.

Leaving the shop, he headed to his car but noticed a commotion at a nearby stall.

As he approached, he couldn’t help but smirk—he really was the destined villain of this story.

One of the people involved was none other than Chen Xuan, the master who had descended from the mountains.

He was still dressed in his usual attire—worn-out tracksuit and canvas shoes—though today, he wasn’t carrying his fertilizer sack.

Xu Mu walked over to see what was happening.

"You’re the one who dropped it!"

Chen Xuan’s expression darkened.

"My treasure? I’d sooner weld it to my hand than let it slip! And you’re blaming me?"

A middle-aged stall owner pointed at the shattered blue-and-white porcelain bowl on the ground. "You broke it! Pay up—10,000, or you’re not leaving!"

"That bowl is a fake!"

Chen Xuan’s gaze turned icy.

"Whether it's real or fake, I paid ten thousand for it, so it's worth ten thousand! I'm not overcharging you—consider this a favor!" The middle-aged man had an air of certainty, as if he had Chen Xuan cornered.

"You motherf—"

"I'll take the bowl!"

Xu Mu stepped forward, patting Chen Xuan on the shoulder. "Hey man, we meet again."

Chen Xuan turned to Xu Mu, frowning slightly. "You?"

Of course he remembered this man—the one who had humiliated him last time at the Qin Family estate in Jiangnan.

"Boss, I'll transfer the money. This bowl is mine now."

Xu Mu pulled out his phone as he spoke.