Jiang Shan and the others had all run off to the restroom, which amounted to an outright declaration of defeat. Only Tang Fei remained, his eyes wide with terror as he watched Yang Qi’s devilish grin. It was only then that Chen Baixiang realized Yang Qi was far more formidable than he had imagined. Not only was he a good strategist, but he could also drink; he could truly drink a thousand cups and not get drunk.

"We can’t stop now. Our contest isn’t over yet," Yang Qi said with a smile.

"Please, no more! I lose! I concede! Take this, it’s yours!" Scared out of his wits, Tang Fei hastily removed the thumb ring from his finger and handed it to Yang Qi. Although the ring had cost him over 500,000 when he bought it, he couldn’t care less at that moment. His life was at stake. If he kept drinking, he’d definitely end up with a bleeding stomach, and maybe even die of alcohol poisoning.

"Well, if that’s the case, let’s call it off. You all can keep chatting here. Baixiang and I will head back to the hotel!" Yang Qi laughed, slipped the thumb ring onto his finger, and then left with Chen Baixiang.

"Mr. Yang, you’re amazing! But are you really all right?" Chen Baixiang was still a bit worried. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"I’m fine. You drive," Yang Qi said, sitting in the backseat and fiddling with the Jade Ring. Chen Baixiang then drove him back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, Yang Qi took a shower before lying down on his bed to rest. Suddenly, a light, drizzling rain began to fall outside. Yang Qi sat on the bed, took out his phone, and looked at a photo of Lin Qingxuan. I wonder how she’s doing.

「In a certain part of Dragon Country.」

In a small town restaurant, Lin Qingxuan sat holding a box. The man sitting across from her was none other than Uncle Jian.

"That kid insisted I give this to you. I’ve become an errand boy for you two," Uncle Jian said with exasperation.

Lin Qingxuan was out on a mission today, so she didn’t need to return to the Sect and could spend the night outside, which gave her the chance to meet Uncle Jian. Looking at the beautiful jewelry in the box, she couldn’t help but smile sweetly.

Eternal Youth!

The treasure, worth one billion, that Yang Qi had obtained from Mitsuhide Kamishiro, was now a gift for the woman he loved most.

"Did he go to Three Prefectures Town?" Lin Qingxuan asked.

"Yes," Uncle Jian nodded. "As a Martial Artist, a trip to Three Prefectures Town is essential. You can find many useful things there, but it can also be dangerous. However, I’m confident he can overcome any danger."

"Never mind that, Uncle Jian. Hurry to Three Prefectures Town and protect him. Just stay hidden. I understand he wants to gain experience on his own, so unless his life is in mortal danger, you don’t need to intervene," Lin Qingxuan said, concerned.

"Can’t you let me get some rest? It’s raining, after all," Uncle Jian said with a wry smile. But seeing Lin Qingxuan’s pitiable expression, his heart softened. "All right, all right. I guess it’s my lot in life to be overworked.

"However, before I go, there’s something else I need to tell you.

"It seems Yang Qingshan, Yang Qi’s father, has appeared. He even killed Mitsuhide Kamishiro. But his appearance... he looked exactly like the Immortal Master who helped you when you were a child!"

"How many moves did it take?" Lin Qingxuan inquired.

"About sixty, I reckon," Uncle Jian answered after a moment of thought.

"Then it wasn’t him!" Lin Qingxuan declared. "If the Immortal Master made a move, Mitsuhide Kamishiro wouldn’t have survived a single blow!"

"You’re clever, Miss. I’ve investigated, and the Demon Fox Mask from Cao Shaqing’s collection has been sold. The buyer is Lady Lei Yingying of the Lei Mansion. I suspect someone used the Demon Fox Mask to disguise themselves as Yang Qingshan," Uncle Jian said.

"Don’t worry about that for now. Just make sure you protect Yang Qi. Since this person helped Yang Qi by getting rid of Mitsuhide Kamishiro, we can consider them an ally," Lin Qingxuan said after some thought.

"Yes, Miss! It looks like it’s time for me to go!" Uncle Jian pushed the door open, walked out of the restaurant, wrapped his raincoat around himself, and disappeared into the rainy night.

In his room, Yang Qi put down his phone. He had suddenly heard some strange sounds. Although the rain was getting heavier, the noises couldn’t escape his sharp senses.

A Cultivator’s training has always been a trinity: Primordial Spirit, Spiritual Power, and Body! All three are strengthened simultaneously. The stronger the Primordial Spirit, the more powerful the Divine Thought, allowing one to "see" everything in their surroundings.

The hotel they were staying in had unique, individual rooms, so each person had their own space without disturbing others.

At this moment, dark silhouettes slipped into the hotel like ghosts in the rainy night, completely imperceptible to ordinary people. The hotel’s security was practically useless. Each of these people was equipped with a hand crossbow that could fire dozens of bolts in rapid succession. Within ten meters, the bolts were faster than bullets, making them terrifyingly deadly. Especially when infused with Inner Strength, their power became immense, comparable to a firearm.

"Room 302! Make sure you get it right! Move in quietly, then make your move!" The leader made a throat-slitting gesture and then waved his hand. Their movements were completely unimpeded by the rainy night.

Soon, more than a dozen figures appeared outside Room 302, surrounding it completely. Even in the downpour, their footsteps were extremely light, inaudible to an ordinary person. The leader waved his hand, and over a dozen men fired their crossbows at once.

Countless bolts pierced through the glass and flew into the room.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The crossbow bolts rained down inside. If anyone had actually been in the room, they would have been turned into a human pincushion by now.

"Go!" the leader gestured. More than a dozen men stormed in through the door and windows almost simultaneously.

However, when they flicked on the lights, they saw no one. The bed was empty, riddled with so many holes it looked like a boat from the famous "borrowing arrows" stratagem. But the body that should have been there was gone.

"Not good!" The men who rushed into the room instantly sensed danger, but it was too late. A golden blade shattered the silence, piercing through one man’s throat before he could even scream.

Yang Qi had, of course, detected them long ago. With his current Divine Thought, it was impossible for anyone to approach within a hundred meters without him knowing, even if he were asleep. The second man fell quickly, his lung pierced, also without making a sound. Yang Qi’s movements were too fast, too swift, leaving his enemies no time to react.

The moment they had attacked with their hand crossbows, he had pressed himself into a corner and activated the Jade Ring’s Defense Shield. This provided him with all-around protection. The power of the hand crossbows was truly immense. At such a close distance, not even the Stone Armor Technique could have completely blocked the volley.

But who is trying to kill me? Jin Zizhen? Or someone else? I certainly have my share of enemies. Kappa Country, Jin Zizhen, the Kong Family... they’re all possibilities. Of course, it could also be Tang Fei.