Gu Hongzhuang sat Chu Mengyao down on the bed and said with a playful smile, "I want to know what could possibly rouse you to seek me out with such determination."
Chu Mengyao asked, "Long Tianya had a man named Lin Bao working for him who died. Do you know about this?"
Although Gu Hongzhuang was Long Tianya's lover, Chu Mengyao knew she didn't have a choice, so when the two were alone, they always addressed Long Tianya by his name directly.
Gu Hongzhuang nodded, "Just an insignificant fellow. Why do you care about this?"
Chu Mengyao handed over Lu Chuan's information and explained, "This guy here killed Lin Bao, and now Lin Bao's brother, Lin Hu, wants to kill him to avenge his brother. I hope Sister Hong can save his life."
After glancing at Lu Chuan's information, Gu Hongzhuang's face revealed a mocking smile. "You're now the prospective daughter-in-law of Long Tianya. To protect someone, just say a word to Long Tianya, but instead, you chose to seek me out. This suggests that your relationship with this Lu Chuan is no ordinary one."
She speculated, "Undercover boyfriend?"
Chu Mengyao looked down, embarrassed, and denied, "No, Sister Hong, let's not worry about who he is. You save him, and I'll listen to everything you say from now on, okay?"
Gu Hongzhuang gave her a reproachful look and huffed, "I always thought we were best sisters with no secrets between us. But here you are asking me to save someone, yet you refuse to tell me his identity. It seems I am but a 'plastic sister' in your heart..."
Chu Mengyao couldn't bear Gu Hongzhuang saying such things about her, so she confessed, "He's the fiancé I mentioned to you before..."
Gu Hongzhuang's lips curled up in triumph. She said with a laugh, "So that's it, but your fiancé really isn't much, is he? What was your grandfather thinking when he decided to engage you to this kind of person?"
Chu Mengyao's first impulse was to defend Lu Chuan, that he wasn't as bad as he seemed and was actually quite formidable, but she held back. "I have no idea why, but this guy has helped me a few times, and he is the man grandfather chose for me. I don't want him to just die like this, which is why I came to you."
Gu Hongzhuang nodded thoughtfully, "I see."
Chu Mengyao watched Gu Hongzhuang intently and asked, "Sister Hong, will you help me?"
Gu Hongzhuang lifted Chu Mengyao's chin with a smile and said, "You've begged me like this; it would be unfeeling of me not to help."
Chu Mengyao's face lit up with joy, "Then I'll thank Sister Hong in advance."
But then she heard Gu Hongzhuang say, "However, if I'm to make a move this time, you have to finish the tattoo on my back yourself."
Chu Mengyao looked like she remembered something unpleasant, and the smile on her face disappeared instantly as she looked at Gu Hongzhuang with a complex expression, "Sister Hong, you... "
Gu Hongzhuang placed a finger against Chu Mengyao's lips, "Just tell me if you agree or not."
Chu Mengyao hesitated for a long time but finally nodded her head.
...
The next morning.
Lu Chuan worried that Lin Hu might come knocking on his door and that it would endanger Mu Nanqing.
He decided to leave home early and took a stroll outside.
Believing that it would be easy for Lin Hu, a subordinate of Long Tianya, to track him down, Lu Chuan simply waited for him to show up.
He arrived at a secluded park and sat under a willow tree not far from a man-made lake.
Since he didn't know when Lin Hu would show up, he began cultivating, hoping to break through the barrier and reach Qi Cultivation Level 2 before Lin Hu's arrival.
Time passed without his knowing, and just when he was concentrating on absorbing Spiritual Energy, he felt a sense of crisis crawling up to him.
Instinctively, he stood up and dashed forward.
The next second, the bench where he had been sitting exploded, shattering into debris.
He quickly turned around and saw a rugged-faced man bristling with muscles, tall and burly, glaring at him furiously.
Without a doubt, this man was Lin Bao's brother, Lin Hu.
Teeth gritted in fury, Lin Hu shouted at Lu Chuan, "Kid, you killed my brother, and here you are taking a leisurely break. Who gave you the courage!"
Lu Chuan, with vigilant eyes, stared resolutely at Lin Hu and said, "Brother, can we talk sense here? It was your brother who wanted to kill me, so I had to fight back. Moreover, I just ran him off at that time. Who knows if he got beaten up by someone else on his way? How can you be so sure that it was me who killed your brother?"
Lin Hu was unable to contain his anger, "You dare to quibble here! Today I must kill you to avenge my brother!"
No sooner had his words fallen than he dashed toward Lu Chuan, his speed more than double that of Lin Bao.
With a forceful punch, the surrounding leaves all trembled faintly.
Lu Chuan channeled all his strength to catch Lin Hu's punch, retreating seven or eight meters backward before completely dissipating the force.
Inner Force Stage 5, truly formidable!
He clenched his trembling fists, his expression solemn as he looked at Lin Hu and gritted his teeth, "That's all you've got? Trying to kill me, you're still lacking some edge!"
Lin Hu let out a cold snort and attacked again, "I wonder how tough you can talk!"
The two quickly engaged in combat.
Meanwhile, a car stopped not far from the artificial lake. The rear window rolled down to reveal Gu Hongzhuang, dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses.
The man at the wheel had a gaunt face, silent and taciturn in appearance, but the aura emanating from him was indicative of someone extraordinary.
Gu Hongzhuang, looking at the two fighting in the distance, mumbled to herself, "Struggling so much just to deal with a Lin Hu, how could such a guy be worthy of Mengyao? It seems even the old Master Chu can be wrong sometimes."
She was in no hurry to rescue Lu Chuan; instead, she intended to see how long this guy could last.
With his Inner Force Stage 5 strength being exceptionally formidable, Lu Chuan barely managed to withstand a few moves with the purity of his Spiritual Power before showing flaws and receiving a kick in the stomach from Lin Hu.
With a bang,
Lu Chuan slammed into a willow tree, vomiting a mouthful of fresh blood.
Lin Hu walked up, grabbed his hair, and barked, "Thought you were tough? Now, do you think I can kill you?"
Lu Chuan bit his teeth, "You… can't!"
Lin Hu punched him in the face, knocking him flat on the ground, "Say it again!"
Lu Chuan, enduring the pain, yelled, "You can't!"
Lin Hu lifted his foot and stomped down hard.
Lu Chuan's body jerked, then went still.
Lin Hu shouted, "Keep talking!"
This time, Lu Chuan did not respond.
Lin Hu sneered, "A piece of trash who dares to talk back at me—I'll kill you now so you can apologize to my brother on the way to Huang Quan!"
Gu Hongzhuang, not too far away, shook her head in secret, "Knowing he can't win, yet he remains so defiant. This guy is stubborn and unaware of his limitations. If it weren't for Mengyao's request, I probably would never associate with someone like him for the rest of my life."
She glanced at the man in the driver's seat, "Leng Feng, go help him out. Lin Hu is Long Tianya's man—there's no need to hold back."
Leng Feng nodded and got out of the car.
Lin Hu grabbed Lu Chuan by the hair, lifting him to snap his neck.
Leng Feng was already prepared, a throwing knife appearing in his hand, ready to throw.
At that moment, Lu Chuan, who had passed out, suddenly opened his eyes. The aura about him surged, reaching its peak in an instant, and surpassed what it had been before.
Then, taking advantage of Lin Hu's momentary lapse, he concentrated all his Spiritual Power onto his four fingers and rammed them straight into Lin Hu's neck.