I won't let you get hurt again.

Fang Chu had been keeping a low profile lately, gradually moving behind the scenes.

After being taught a lesson twice, he had come to understand many things.

One must not lose his head over women.

Therefore, he no longer paid any mind to people like Li Yun and Zhao Yingying.

After this period of cultivation, the Heaven-grade cultivation method he had fortuitously obtained had shown some slight progress.

He had also reached the peak of the early stage of the Divine Ability realm. He believed it wouldn't be long before he advanced to the mid-stage.

Now, he looked down on so-called minor hidden families in Yang City like the Dai family and the Nangong family.

If Dai Dongyang from the Dai family dared to act arrogantly in front of him again, he would slap his face without hesitation.

There was no helping it; such was the power of strength.

Currently, he had effectively taken control of the Guo and Chai families.

However, he certainly wouldn't stop there. He wanted to expand his capital.

After all, with the "Cleaners" exerting pressure from above, he often couldn't use the methods of a martial artist to handle matters.

That's where the role of money came in. He needed money now.

Fang Chu learned from Chai Wang that last time, Xu Mu had threatened him, forcing him to hire assassins.

But Chai Wang couldn't come up with that much money all at once, so he took out a loan in the company's name.

Business had been tough recently, and funds were starting to get tight.

It was then that Fang Chu thought of Xu Mu's family's pharmaceutical company. Through a combination of threats and inducements, he got Cui Xia to work for him.

To keep an eye on Cui Xia, he spent money to bribe another person.

Surprisingly, Cui Xia was quite capable. She actually found the production process, though unfortunately, the formula was still missing.

If the Yang Energy Pill could fall into his hands, he could add some other ingredients without affecting its efficacy and repackage it.

Things like taste, color, or form.

Anyway, the Xu Group hadn't applied for a patent. If someone from above investigated, he would just claim his own team had developed it.

Besides the Xu family, he was also developing another line, aiming to get his hands on the Beauty Pill from the Wanyue Company.

If he could get hold of that as well, he would have a steady stream of funds in the future.

Fang Chu looked at the photo Cui Xia had sent him. It was Zhong Qianqian's job application form.

"This woman stole the formula. It seems she needs to be brought in."

Fang Chu's expression was indifferent. As for Cui Xia's fate, he couldn't be bothered. After all, he had gotten the production process and had given her a lot of money.

It was a straightforward transaction; their cooperation had ended.

Suddenly, Fang Chu thought of Zhang Kaijie. This man was quite skilled at apprehending people.

Why not have him help? As long as Xu Mu was alive and needed his help, he could keep using him.

He immediately took out his phone and sent Zhong Qianqian's information over.

On the other side, Zhang Kaijie saw Fang Chu's message and couldn't help but smile.

He had been worrying about how to send Zhong Qianqian over, and now Fang Chu had taken the initiative.

...

Yang City.

Ye Chen sat in a top-floor office, gazing at the distant riverbank.

Xiao Ran suddenly pushed the door open and walked in quickly. "Dragon King."

Ye Chen did not turn around, still looking into the distance through the glass. "Speak."

"Zhong Qianqian seems to have been captured. Our people didn't wait for her, and her phone is switched off," Xiao Ran said solemnly.

"Could she have been taken by the Xu family?" Ye Chen frowned slightly. "If that's really the case, Zhong Qianqian would be guilty of breaking the law. It would be difficult for us to intervene."

"It probably isn't the Xu family. I just asked Wanyue, and she said Xu Mu is also looking for Zhong Qianqian."

Xiao Ran lowered his head slightly.

"Not the Xu family... Could it be someone else who has designs on the Xu family?"

Ye Chen's expression gradually turned cold. "Send people to investigate immediately. How dare they come to my doorstep to snatch someone? They're looking for death."

"Yes!"

Xiao Ran acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

...

Xu Mu had already spoken on the phone with Zhang Kaijie and learned that Fang Chu had proactively asked him to capture the person.

He planned to deliver the person over in a few hours.

Hearing this, Xu Mu revealed a smile. This way, he wouldn't have to take action himself.

All he had to do now was sit back and watch the show.

Returning home, Xu Mu spent another two-plus hours refining thirty pills.

He now had sixty pills in his possession.

After resting for a short while, Xu Mu sensed through his perception that Feng Yue had just gotten up.

So, Xu Mu went to Feng Yue's place.

"Boss!"

Seeing Xu Mu arrive, Feng Yue greeted him with a smile.

"How's your recovery going?"

Xu Mu walked in and asked.

"Pretty much recovered. Right now, I just want to eat something."

Feng Yue grinned at Xu Mu.

"Is that a hint for me?"

Xu Mu looked at Feng Yue impassively. "But you're out of luck today. However, I can let you eat something else."

"Boss, I just woke up, and you already want me to 'wield spears and brandish clubs'? You're so bad!"

Feng Yue shot Xu Mu a sidelong glance, then turned and walked towards the living room.

Even in her pajamas, the mature, three-dimensional heart shape on Feng Yue's back was still very eye-catching.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Xu Mu followed her in, closed the door, and suddenly gave the heart shape a slap.

A soft, springy resilience rebounded against his palm, making Xu Mu feel oddly unsettled.

"Mean!"

Feng Yue put on a charming, coquettish look, pretending to be angry.

[Favorability +10]

"All flab. Exercise more when you have time. I'll prioritize boosting your strength from now on. I don't want to spend a fortune on rare treasures only to end up raising a useless person."

Xu Mu glanced at Feng Yue indifferently.

"You sure about that?"

Feng Yue asked with a smile. "Then I'll have to work out until I have muscles as hard as rock."

"Don't worry, you won't."

Xu Mu walked over to the sofa and took out a full ten Hongyuan Pills from his person, placing them on the table.

This batch yielded over a hundred pills in total. After giving Tantai Quan sixty, he could still keep forty or fifty for himself.

He planned to give Feng Yue ten to help her cultivation.

The rest would be distributed among Ye Tong, Ye Yu, Meng Wanyue, and Dai Xingluo.

Of course, he could also give a few appropriately to Xu Ningbing.

"Ten pills?"

Feng Yue walked over, covering her mouth in disbelief. "Boss, are you crazy? These must be very valuable, right?"

"Just take them if I'm giving them to you. Starting today, take one every three days for a month straight. Let's see what level you can reach."

Xu Mu said to Feng Yue. "Put them away. I mean what I say. You're my person, and I won't let you get hurt again in the future."

[Favorability +15]

Feng Yue's eyes were filled with emotion. It went without saying that the pills Xu Mu gave her were extremely valuable.

Moreover, he had taken out ten for her all at once.

Thinking back to what Xu Mu had done for her before, Feng Yue's eyes even reddened slightly.

"Boss, let me tell you a secret. I like drinking tea, but I like being offered tea even more. It shows respect for me."

Feng Yue looked at Xu Mu and asked softly, "Can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?"

"I want you to agree to serve tea."

"That's not difficult at all, I agree..."

Just as Xu Mu was speaking, he suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Well, well, then let me have you taste whether this is good tea or bad tea."

...