Zhang Que naturally noticed someone following him. He glanced back and saw Xu Shou and Xu Mu, then smiled and stopped.
“Hahaha! Senior Brother, this is my old man,” Xu Mu said with a smile, introducing them.
“Thanks for your help this time,” Xu Shou said calmly, then patted Xu Mu on the shoulder. “I’ll have a word with him.”
Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, but seeing Zhang Que nod, he left.
“Xiao Que! Who gave you permission to get close to my son?”
Xu Shou frowned and coldly snapped after Xu Mu had left.
“Brother Shou, you’re wrong about me. I really haven’t had any contact with him. It’s just that these days, I’ve been working as a security guard at Mu Yue Group, and I happened to run into him,” Zhang Que said with a smile, waving his hand.
“Mu Yue Group?” Xu Shou frowned.
“The neighbor of that group is the Jiangbei Sanitation Department headquarters. I’m keeping an eye on what’s going on over there,” Zhang Que explained evenly. “This kid has a good relationship with the boss of Mu Yue Group.”
Hearing this, Xu Shou nodded silently.
He had already suspected it before. It seemed that Feng Yue’s beauty elixir development was indeed connected to Xu Mu.
“No matter what, I still owe you thanks today,” Xu Shou said, looking at Zhang Que. “You disappeared for a while just now. Where did you go?”
“To kill someone.”
Zhang Que shrugged.
“Xiao Que, you carry too much killing intent. You’re not young anymore; tone it down a bit,” Xu Shou shook his head gently.
“Compared to you, Brother Shou, I still have a long way to go,” Zhang Que said, grabbing Xu Shou’s arm with his left hand. “Brother Shou! Let’s rebuild the organization!”
“I told you before, I’m just an old wreck now. You can go find someone else,” Xu Shou replied.
“But only you, Brother Shou, can gather the brothers back together,” Zhang Que’s eyes reddened slightly, the sleeve over his amputated arm fluttering in the wind. He stared hard at Xu Shou. “Don’t lie to me! You want revenge too, don’t you?”
“Xiao Que... I’m going back,” Xu Shou sighed, pulling his hand away and turning to walk up the mountain.
“An old wreck who can grab the blade of a sword at the Gangqi realm barehanded without even breaking the skin—next time, try to act a little more convincing,” Zhang Que said to Xu Shou’s retreating back, then turned and left.
Xu Shou heard this, glanced at his hand, and shook his head slightly.
…
At the mountain top.
Xu Mu relaxed when he saw Xu Shou return safely.
Chen Xuan was shamelessly stuffing food into his mouth. “Brother Mu, this stuff is amazing. It’s way better than my master’s noodles.”
“That just means you haven’t tasted even better things yet,” Xu Mu smiled, crossing his legs and scanning the surroundings.
He noticed Dai Dongyang and Zhao He had all left.
But what concerned him more was the place Liang Yi had asked about.
There had to be something valuable there.
Suddenly, he thought of Zhang Que. This guy’s purpose in coming to the Nangong family definitely wasn’t just to help him out.
Connecting the dots, he formed a guess.
It was very likely that the ancient ruins were hidden at that location.
“By the way, what did you just call me?” Xu Shou suddenly looked at Dai Xingluo on the side. “If I heard correctly, it was ‘Dad,’ right?”
“Uncle, I’m sorry. I said it without thinking in the heat of the moment,” Dai Xingluo apologized.
Dai Xingluo’s face flushed with shyness as she lifted her arm, using the sleeve of her hanfu to hide her delicate cheeks.
She carried the charm of a pipa player half-concealed behind her instrument.
Meng Wanyue, overhearing this, cursed silently in her heart.
Not by accident—this was clearly intentional!
Shen Wanning curled her lips in disdain. This scheming bitch, pretending to be shy?
Shameless!
Xu Ningbing frowned slightly. Although she was grateful to Dai Xingluo for saving her father,
and had accompanied Xu Mu on their last expedition to the ruins, providing full protection,
she just couldn’t bring herself to like Dai Xingluo.
Something about her felt fake.
Completely different from her own straightforward personality.
“Hahaha! Since you’re a martial artist, you should know the prestige that comes with my son becoming a disciple of our sect, right?”
Xu Shou couldn’t help but laugh.
“Uncle, I know,” Dai Xingluo nodded, her cheeks still tinged with pink.
Shen Wanning clenched her fists, itching to slap her.
‘Know my ass!’
“Ah, what a pity, my son is already married. But, funny enough, I had a dream last night,” Xu Shou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I dreamed my son took another wife. That woman was just like you, wearing hanfu, and they even held an ancient-style wedding.”
Xu Shou started dropping heavy hints—not only at Dai Xingluo but also sending a warning to Xu Ningbing.
Shen Wanning looked on with contempt.
How shameless can Xu Shou be?
Looks like Xu Mu’s shamelessness must be inherited from his father.
Meng Wanyue, on the other hand, thought the opposite. Could Xu Shou be implying that Xu Mu could marry again?
Does that mean she might still have a chance?
“Dad! What nonsense are you talking about? Just eat your meal!” Xu Ningbing frowned.
“Am I talking nonsense? Just look at the Nangong family. Nangong Ping even has two wives,” Xu Shou glanced at Xu Ningbing.
“You’ll have to marry too someday.”
But he couldn’t bring himself to say that part out loud.
Xu Mu wanted to say something but noticed Nangong Yao running over from a distance.
“Same kind!” she called out, grabbing Xu Mu’s sleeve with a smile. “My grandpa wants to see you.”
Xu Mu nodded lightly. Thankfully, Nangong Yao was taken away this time; otherwise, he’d really feel awkward making a move.
Seeing this, Meng Wanyue prepared to get up and follow.
But Xu Mu pressed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring look.
Right now, with the backing of the Nangong family, no one dared to make a move against them.
Xu Mu and Nangong Yao walked deeper into the estate.
In front of a traditional Chinese courtyard-style mansion, Nangong Ping and Nangong Hua stood by a stone table at the gate.
Sometimes, Nangong Ping also marveled at his own luck.
Though the adults in their family were hostile to the Xu family, Nangong Yao had a good relationship with Xu Mu.
He could use his granddaughter to break the ice.
He decided to wait and see how Xu Mu’s cultivation talent developed. If he became a formidable expert in the future, he’d find a way to marry Nangong Yao to him.
“Xu Mu, please sit,” Nangong Ping smiled, extending his hand. “There’s a saying: ‘No quarrel, no acquaintance.’ I apologize to you.”
“I feel the same,” Nangong Hua bowed his head slightly.
“Senior, it’s not that serious,” Xu Mu waved his hand casually. “By the way, how’s your injury? Should be fine now, right?”
"To be honest, I was lucky to retreat quickly just now, or else my stomach might have been slashed open. I've never seen such a powerful cultivation technique before."
Nangong Ping sighed.
He was still a bit worked up. In fact, seeing this technique should have made him guess that Zheng Defa's Evil Sect was incredibly strong.
"That's good to hear. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Xu Mu asked with a smile.
"You mentioned before that your pharmaceutical group plans to set aside ten percent to allow others in Jiangbei to invest," Nangong Ping explained. "We agree—everyone should profit together."
Xu Mu's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he couldn't help but reflect that the saying was true: once you become strong, even the scoundrels around you start to look like good people.
"Alright."
Xu Mu originally didn't hold much hostility toward the Nangong family, especially considering his connection with Nangong Yao. "By the way, those men in black robes just now, did they mention where they were investigating?"
Nangong Ping didn't know either, but he recounted the general situation.
Xu Mu nodded silently. He was now almost certain that the ancient ruins must be somewhere in that area.
At that moment, Xu Mu's phone rang.
He took it out and saw that it was Jiang Huihui calling. "What's wrong?"
"Xu Mu... I... I'm injured..." Jiang Huihui's weak voice came through.
Dai Xingluo: Brother, this is Ankang.
Xu Mu: Then let's wish the big brothers a Happy New Year in advance.

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?

ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...