Yi Bing walked over with a dark expression upon seeing that the two were still whispering to each other. “Alright, get a move on, or else Boss is going to be mad!”

Yi Bing was their leader with the strength to back it up, and the duo immediately stood up straight and nodded seriously.

After the three of them fell in, Yi Bing suddenly turned his head around and looked at Jiu Tong with an incredibly serious stare. “Did you see Miss Gu?”

“Yes, I did.” Jiu Tong replied with an expression of awe. “She was even scarier than you described her to be!”

Jiu Bing breathed deeply, suppressing his curiosity and making a mental note to ask Jiu Tong about it later.

Yi Bing was part of the ‘Yi Generation’ under Jiang Shuxuan, and every one of them was taught by Jiang Shuxuan himself. This was the first time he saw such an expression on Yi Bing’s face, so he was even more curious about the mysterious Miss Gu.

They quickly got to the site where the incident occurred—A deep cave by the borders of the ancient martial arts world and the secular world.

A few days ago, there were reports that living beings in a hundred-mile radius died off for no reason, and as the Special Defense Force, they quickly decided to evacuate everyone who lived in the area. Under closer inspection, they came across the mysterious black cube.

“It’s only been a few years, but your gadgets have improved!” Murong Feiye commented as he looked at Yi Bing’s detection device that had a vague, gray glow.

Yi Bing knew who Murong Feiye was, and he replied, “Technology is improving with the times after all, but this device was actually left behind from the old days. Young Master Murong has always been abroad, so you wouldn’t know.”

This item was actually modified from an old magic compass, and it acted like a radar of sorts that detected changes in magnetic fields in an area.

Right now at the spot they were at, not only were the magnetic fields a mess, but also the natural chi and evil aura too. Of course, the primitive item couldn’t detect all of it, so Yi Bing mused internally about how useful an item that could detect all that would be.

Yi Bing sighed, knowing that it was wishful thinking on his part. Such changes in the evil aura of an area were rare even in the ancient martial arts world, so it would be difficult and unpractical to create such an apparatus.

Murong Feiye, after hearing his words:…As expected of Jiang Shuxuan’s underling, not being curt with him in the least.

Hmph, he’d do better to go see Jiang Shuxuan instead!

Jiang Shuxuan was standing at the entrance of the cave, his dark orbs staring straight into the endless darkness as his trench coat fluttered in the ominous breeze that blew out of it.

“So this is the number-one mission that no one dares to claim on the forums?” Murong Feiye stood beside him and stared into the mysterious cave too, and only after a second, he could feel his mind going numb as goosebumps popped out on his arms.

???

Murong Feiye turned around and stared at Jiang Shuxuan aghast. He couldn’t even stare at it for a few seconds, but the other had been staring at it for a long time even before he got here!

Jiang Shuxuan turned around and touched the jade pendant hanging from his neck, feeling a gentle warmth originating from the accessory and blocking most of the mental pressure that came from the cave. He was quite shocked too, but it wasn’t time to think about that.

“Have you notified the Baili family?” Jiang Shuxuan asked.

Murong Feiye rubbed his nose sheepishly. “No, but I told Yi Bing to do that just now…”

He had actually just finished watching a movie, so he could only be considered half-awake, and he only snapped back into reality after being attacked by the mental pressure that the cave gave him.

“Well remember to do it yourself later.” Jiang Shuxuan said and turned around to walk toward the cave. “I’ll go check inside.”

“Hey!” Murong Feiye immediately reacted and reached out to grab him. “We haven’t even learned what’s inside there, do you have a death wish?”

But he didn’t even get to touch Jiang Shuxuan’s clothes as the lean figure dissolved into the darkness of the cave, along with a cold voice. “If I don’t go in, who will?”

Murong Feiye didn’t know how to reply and looking around, he suddenly realized that this was the ancient martial arts world, and Jiang Shuxuan had his own shoes to fill.

***

Imperial Capital Prison.

“Head elder, you’re finally here!” Hua Jingya had almost gone insane after being locked up with all of these women that took advantage of her endlessly, throwing their workloads onto her and bullying her whenever they had the chance.

She couldn’t take it any further, and she had thought that the Hua family already gave up on her when an elder from the Hua family came on that day. She cried in regret, wanting to go back to the past and choke that ignorant self of hers to death. “Elder, please help me ask Miss Gu for forgiveness, please? I still have the needle techniques that were passed down from our ancestors…”

“Miss Gu?” The elder from the Hua family finally got a piece of useful information, and he looked at Hua Jingya with a solemn expression. “Who’s that?”

“Miss Gu is….” Hua Jingya started to speak, but when she wanted to say more, it was as if she were grabbed by the throat, not able to say anything at all.

“Who is she?” The elder asked Hua Jingya.

Hua Jingya immediately remembered what Gu Xiqiao was capable of, and she didn’t dare to say anything, only fixing the man in front of her with a pleading gaze.

Seeing that she didn’t say anything, the elder sat down and handed a bunch of papers to her dismissively, as if she were a worm. “Hua Jingya, we know all about what you’ve done. As expected of you, I should say. Hua Zihou has already told the entire clan of your wrongdoings, so you’ve already become a sinner and a traitor! Stay here in jail for all we care!”

“You!” Hua Jingya glared at him poisonously, before she leaned in and whispered, “Do you think that you can take over the Hua family without me in your way? Let me tell you a secret—Hua Youlin isn’t dead! Isn’t that a surprise? Not only is he not dead, and he’s studying right here in the Imperial Capital…”

The elder suddenly stood up, his expression a mixture of disbelief and happiness. “Thank you for telling me about this!”

He wasn’t dead now, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t die in the future!

The elder quickly left to take action before Hua Zihou could learn about this information.

As she looked at his silhouette disappear out of the door, she remembered Gu Xiqiao’s ruthlessness and looked at the door with a pitying sneer. “Since you won’t take pity on me, I’ll wait happily until you get your just desserts!”

“No.15487, get going, you have work to do!” The boss of the cell shouted as she pushed her without holding back. “Did you not eat? Faster!”

***

Hua Youlin was walking on the path, and upon thinking that Gu Xiqiao wouldn’t be so early, he slowed down his steps and took out his phone, scrolling through it leisurely. Suddenly, someone appeared in front of him, and after looking up, he immediately stepped back.

“So you didn’t die after all…” The head elder looked down at Hua Youlin with a cold glint in his eye.

“H-Head elder?” Hua Youlin didn’t expect to see this person in the Imperial Capital. After going through so many trials and tribulations, he wasn’t the innocent child that he was before, so he continued to step back as he held his phone, preparing to call Gu Xiqiao.

The head elder already knew what he was going to do, so he waved his hand toward the young boy. Upon getting the signal, a bunch of burly men walked toward Hua Youlin, their bulging muscles and large figures contrasting greatly with Hua Youlin’s stature.

Then, Hua Youlin was plucked up from the ground like a helpless chick, and his phone was snatched away immediately.

“Hua Youlin…” The head elder’s eyes were filled with a cold and dark frost as he reached toward Hua Youlin’s neck. “It’s about time for the Hua family to change hands, see what it turned into in the hands of you people!”

Before he could touch the boy, a transparent barrier appeared in front of Hua Youlin, and the head elder felt an impact on his right hand that numbed him and sent it flying a few meters away.

The burly man that was holding Hua Youlin captive was sent flying away too, while everyone looked at the boy in shock.

Hua Youlin was surprised by this sudden turn of events too, and his first reaction was to touch the golden turtle pendant on his neck, feeling a warm stream of energy flow up his fingers and calming him down.

“You brat, what sorcery did you use!” The old man staggered up and glared at the boy, but he didn’t didn’t dare to move anymore, only waving for the others behind him to attack. “I don’t care how you do it, I don’t want to see him in China ever again!”

These people were the remnants of the Qingyun Gang, and because the Bai Gang didn’t accept them, they were shunned by every other gang so as to not get on the Bai Gang’s bad side, and they could only be regular gangsters. The head elder was quite generous when he hired them, and after they finished this job, they wouldn’t have to worry about money for years.

They have done this sort of thing in the past anyway, so it was even easier for them to do it toward a young boy, and the police wouldn’t even be able to get evidence that it was them.

“Take him away!” The burly man crawled up from the ground and ordered his lackey to grab Hua Youlin.

This time around, the golden turtle didn’t act out any miracles, and Hua Youlin was carried up helplessly again by the lackey. That being said, he didn’t cry or struggle, as if he wasn’t worried in the least.

“Wait, give me that golden turtle that’s on his neck.” The head elder ordered.

Hua Youlin’s expression finally changed upon hearing these words, and he immediately grabbed the golden turtle tightly. Even though he wasn’t used to this trashy golden turtle yet, this was the first gift that he had been given by Gu Xiqiao.

“Hmph, you have a tight grip, I’ll give you that.” One of the men twisted open his fingers forcefully, leaving the young boy to look on helplessly as his eyes turned red. This was the second time that he was so helpless!

The head elder looked at the golden turtle with a greedy gaze, knowing how precious such an item was, but before he could touch it, a relaxed voice rang out behind him, “Touch it once, and you’ll suffer the consequences.”

The voice was barely heard, but it sent shocks through his brain.

Everyone looked toward the source of the voice, and the entire scene was plunged into silence for a moment.

Gu Xiqiao walked over with her head lowered, and no one could see her expression well, but she seemed to glow with an otherworldly light as she walked, and as she walked, the men seemed to be suffocated.

She made her way over and picked up the golden turtle that had fallen onto the ground, and even in such a situation, one couldn’t help but think how pretty the golden turtle looked when coupled with her porcelain fingers.

“Sister Gu.” Upon seeing the familiar face, Hua Youlin immediately calmed down, and even though she was a thin girl standing in the middle of a bunch of muscly men, he was filled with courage as soon as he saw her.

Gu Xiqiao glanced at him, and the boy immediately crawled up from the ground to take the golden turtle from her, before wearing it with a solemn expression, a clear contrast from his disdain when he first got the pendant.

Sister Gu? The head elder immediately remembered what Hua Jingya said and immediately came to the conclusion that it was a trap, his expression paling noticeably.

“You people…” Gu Xiqiao glanced at them, but before she could say anything, they all dropped to their knees with a thunk.

Their faces were filled with fear as they begged, “Have mercy, Miss Gu, we won’t do it ever again…”

Hua Youlin held Gu Xiqiao’s hand as he glared at these people, while Gu Xiqiao led him away, ignoring these people as they left the scene.

After the two of them left, the men all dropped to the ground, panting for breath as they recovered from the near-death scenario.

“My good fellows, who was…” The head elder stood up and wiped his forehead that was beaded with cold sweat, but before he could say anything more, he was kicked down onto the ground again ruthlessly.

“You stupid old f*ck! You might have a death wish, but we still want to live! Do you have any idea who that was?!” As if he hadn’t finished venting his anger, he stomped on the old man again. “Everyone knows that the last person that you could anger is Miss Gu, and you wanted us to kill her family? Are you sick of living?”

Every gang and triad in the area treated her like a goddess, and even Young Master Yao that was on the rise acted like a mere lackey in front of her, while even Big Boss Bai that had become the head of the underworld in Imperial Capital ordered everyone to call her Miss Gu with respect!

They didn’t even dare to meet her, lest get into trouble with her, but now they were in trouble and more! How could they not be angry?!

Upon hearing this, the head elder sweated again in fright. “Please, teach me how to resolve this!”

“Pfft.” The leader looked down at him with a scary expression, before sneering. “You want to resolve this? What a joke! It’s only a matter of time before your family crumbles to dust!”

As if they already knew what the elder was about to face in the future, the men didn’t even bother to deal with him anymore. Now, all they could do was run and leave the country if they had the chance, or even ask the Bai Gang for help.

As for the elder, even if Big Boss Bai didn’t do anything, there would be loads of people willing to deal with him!

***

Meanwhile, in the residential area by A University, Baili Bin received the results of the investigation from Tang Qingqiu along with a video call.

Baili Bin was quite surprised. “That was quick.”

He thought it would have used around half a month at least.

“These aren’t really secrets, after all.” Tang Qingqiu had a complex expression on his face as he looked at Baili Bin across the screen. “Don’t be too shocked when you see it.”

“What do you mean?” Baili Bin had always second-guessed Gu Xiqiao’s identity, and when he saw Tang Qingqiu’s expression, he knew that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

Tang Qingqiu breathed deeply. “I sent all the information to your e-mail, but isn’t it ironic that we don’t know such widely known knowledge in the mortal world?”

As if everything were controlled by an unseen hand, none of them noticed things that were right under the sun.

Baili Bin couldn’t help his curiosity any further, and he immediately logged onto his e-mail, where a document had been sent from Tang Qingqiu.

He looked at the document that was marked as urgent for a moment, taking a breath before he clicked on it with sweaty palms.

The document was quite large, so ten minutes passed before it was fully downloaded.

The wait was torture for Baili Bin, and after it was ready, he immediately clicked it open.

“Young Master!” Before he could take a look at it, Uncle Tai rushed in. “Young Master informed us that something happened in the ancient martial arts world and that you and Master should get there immediately!”