"Father, we have news. Second Brother says the old immortal has agreed to take Bai Yun as his apprentice and will return to the Su Mansion soon," Gu Shanhe replied.

"Good. And what about Thunder City? Why hasn’t Lingshan returned? That boy hasn’t run into any trouble, has he?" Gai Yunxiong asked. He was particularly fond of his grandson, Gu Lingshan.

"Father, there’s no need to worry. Lingshan is a clever child, and he has skilled protectors with him. Besides, he just called to say he has partnered with Tang Xuan of the Tang Sect. Tang Xuan is an Elder of the Tang Sect with formidable Combat Power, so there shouldn’t be any issues!" Gu Shanhe said with a smile.

Just then, a man ran in from outside. "Old Master, Family Head, this is terrible! Something awful has happened!" It was the Gu Family’s butler.

"You’re an old man who has followed me for decades. Can’t you maintain some composure even if the sky itself were falling?" Gai Yunxiong frowned at the butler.

"But Old Master, it’s terrible! Young Master Lingshan is dead! He’s been murdered!" the butler cried out.

BOOM!

The news struck like a bolt from the blue. Gai Yunxiong nearly collapsed, his brush clattering to the floor.

His most beloved grandson was dead? Murdered?

Gu Shanhe was equally shocked. He had just insisted that nothing would happen to Gu Lingshan, only to be met with this terrible news. What on earth was going on?

"Have you gotten to the bottom of this?" Gu Shanhe asked.

"A group of bosses came from Thunder City. They were previously assisting Young Master Lingshan, and they told us themselves. The news has already spread throughout Thunder City. I just made some inquiries; there’s no mistake," the butler replied.

"If Lingshan is dead, why are they still alive? Kill them all!" Gai Yunxiong’s eyes flashed with ruthless ferocity, showing no hint of hesitation.

"Yes!" The butler was about to leave.

"Wait. First, find out who did it. Then kill them," Gai Yunxiong ordered.

The bosses could never have dreamed that their visit to the Gu Family for assistance, hoping to aid them, would end with their own deaths.

Once they had finished explaining everything, the butler sneered, "Since Young Master Lingshan is already dead, you can all go down and keep him company."

"What!" The bosses’ faces turned deathly pale. They had thought this was a road to riches, but it turned out to be a dead end.

"No, please! We’re useful to the Gu Family! We can help you deal with the Qifei Group!"

Unfortunately, the butler walked away without a backward glance. The group of men was dragged away. They were filled with a regret so profound it felt like death itself, but it was useless; these people showed no mercy. All of them were killed. Not one was spared.

The butler returned to the study, where Gai Yunxiong seemed to have calmed down and was now sitting in silence.

"Speak!" Gu Shanhe commanded.

"Reporting to the Old Master and Family Head," the butler said through gritted teeth, "those men said it was the work of the Star Shining Society! And the Qifei Group! They claim even Tang Xuan was killed. His body was sent back to Qingcheng Prefecture, but we haven’t even seen our young master’s corpse."

"Father, I’ll immediately send men to wipe out this damn Star Shining Society!" Gu Shanhe bellowed.

"Hold on!" Gai Yunxiong waved his hand. "Wait. We’ll discuss this after the immortal arrives. A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. The Star Shining Society annihilated the Tang Family of Sea City and also finished off Tang Xuan. They are not to be underestimated. We must be absolutely certain of victory before we act."

"Fine. I’ll go and urge Second Brother right away," Gu Shanhe said.

"Don’t rush him. The immortal will arrive when he wishes. We must not offend him. We will endure. We will have our revenge, sooner or later!" Gai Yunxiong had already crushed the armrest of his recliner, and his mouth was filled with blood from his bitten gums.

He was actually the least tolerant of men, yet he forced himself to hold back for the sake of certainty.

「In Thunder City.」

Yang Qi was unaware of the Gu Family’s plans. As for the Tang Sect, there was no movement. The Tianhai Association was also quiet. Rumor had it that its president was so angry and heartbroken that his cultivation had gone awry, forcing him to rest for a few days, so no one had come seeking revenge.

At this moment, he was in Yao Qing’s car, on the way to her house. This class leader from his university days had spoken up for him at the class reunion, leaving Yang Qi with a very favorable impression. That was why he had arranged for her to join the Qifei Group, where she had performed exceptionally well, becoming Li Qingyan’s right-hand woman.

But these past few days, Yao Qing had run into trouble. Her family had arranged a marriage for her.

"Isn’t that a good thing?" Yang Qi teased. "You’re not getting any younger, Class Leader. It would be good to find a suitable husband and settle down."

Yao Qing shook her head. "You don’t understand. If he were truly a suitable man, I wouldn’t be against marrying him. But what’s so infuriating is that they only want me to marry him to ward off bad luck! The man I’m supposed to marry is a sickly invalid, half-dead."

"I might become a widow the moment I marry him."

"And your family actually agreed?" Yang Qi was shocked. That was like pushing their own daughter into a pit of fire.

"Of course my parents didn’t agree, but they were powerless. The other party is a powerful clan from Longjiang Prefecture, said to be one of the top ten families there," Yao Qing sighed. "My parents were beaten and seriously injured just for opposing it. The ones arranging the marriage now are my second uncle’s family. They’re blinded by greed and don’t care about me at all."

"I see. You came to me to solve this matter, right?" Yang Qi smiled.

"No, that’s not it! How could I dare trouble you?" Yao Qing said hurriedly. "I just wanted you to check on my parents and help treat them. They’re one of the top ten families in Longjiang Prefecture. You can’t afford to cross them."

Yang Qi paused, his good impression of his old class leader growing. She had been a thoroughly good person in college, kind to everyone. He never expected that she would remain so selfless.

"Don’t worry, I’ll heal your parents. As for this so-called top ten family from Longjiang Prefecture, I’ll handle them for you too," Yang Qi said with a smile.

"No, no, you mustn’t! I can’t drag you into this!" Yao Qing shook her head vehemently.

"Alright, let’s not talk about it for now. Let’s hurry to your place!" Yang Qi said, accelerating the car.

「At this moment, in the Yao family home.」

Yao Qing’s second uncle and aunt were sitting and chatting with Yao Qing’s parents, who were lying in bed.

"What were you two thinking? What’s so bad about the Sun Family? They’re one of the top ten families in Longjiang Prefecture, and a highly ranked one at that! They offered a bride price of a full one million! With that money, your family would have been rich, yet you still opposed it? Now look at you, beaten like this. Don’t you think you deserved it?" Yao Qing’s second aunt said sarcastically while cracking sunflower seeds. "We’ve already finalized this marriage for you. We’re going to Longjiang Prefecture tomorrow to settle the engagement. If you two disagree, Yao Qing will end up in a hospital bed just like you. Think it over carefully."