Lu Chuan quickly waved his hands, "Big brother, you've misunderstood, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was that I'm not weaker than Inner Force Stage 5 now, so you may not be my match. Uh, that's not what I meant either..."
Zhou Long clenched his fists angrily and said, "Kid, if it weren't for Sister Hong saying you were injured, my fist would've already been on your face!"
Gu Hongzhuang also looked at Lu Chuan angrily, "Lu Chuan, how can you be like this? Have you forgotten that you almost died at the hands of Lin Hu? Zhou Long's strength is no weaker than Lin Hu's, he is more than capable of protecting you. Apologize to Zhou Long right now, you still need his protection for your future safety."
Lu Chuan looked helpless, "Sister Hong, after I healed last night, my strength has greatly increased. Inner Force Stage 5 is nothing in my eyes now."
Gu Hongzhuang frowned, "I really misjudged you, I didn't expect you to be so prideful yet so willing to suffer."
"Do you think that by accepting the bodyguard I gave you, you won't be able to lift your head in front of me in the future? To go as far as to tell such a lie, I may not practice martial arts, but I also know that each advancement in Inner Strength is incredibly difficult. You surpassed Inner Force Stage 5 in one night, do you really take me for a fool?"
Zhou Long snorted coldly, "Sister Hong, I've seen plenty of arrogant fools like him. Since he says I'm not his match, why don't I straighten him out now and vent some frustration for you, Sister Hong."
Gu Hongzhuang immediately gave Zhou Long a stern look, "Shut up!"
She looked at Lu Chuan, "That's decided then, you…"
Lu Chuan interrupted her directly, saying to Zhou Long, "Come on, let's have a match."
That was the only way he could prove himself now.
Gu Hongzhuang seemed even more frustrated, "Are you trying to kill me with anger!"
Lu Chuan said, "Sister Hong, it's just a sparring match, we'll stop at the slightest touch. If I don't do this, you simply won't believe me."
He looked toward Zhou Long, taking a fighting stance, "Come on."
Zhou Long sneered, "This is what you asked for!"
Right from the start, he hadn't liked Lu Chuan—the fact that Gu Hongzhuang treated him so well made him envious, and now this brat was so presumptuous, he had long wanted to teach him a lesson.
"Sister Hong treats you well and yet you don't know how to appreciate it. I will discipline you properly on behalf of Sister Hong, right now!"
Fearing Gu Hongzhuang would stop him, he didn't hesitate and launched an attack at Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan activated his Spiritual Power, received Zhou Long's moves, stepped back, made a feint to draw Zhou Long's attention, and then with his other hand, he fiercely slapped out, striking Zhou Long on the abdomen.
Thump!
Zhou Long was sent flying, landing on the ground with an agonized expression on his face.
He looked at Lu Chuan with disbelief, completely not expecting that he would be defeated by this young man in just three moves.
Gu Hongzhuang had initially wanted to intervene, but the exchange between Lu Chuan and Zhou Long was lightning-fast. Before she could say anything, Zhou Long was already on the ground.
This caused her face to fill with shock, her eyes wide as saucers.
"What he said was actually true..."
Lu Chuan hurried over to help Zhou Long up, "Are you alright?"
Zhou Long looked at Lu Chuan with an embarrassed expression and quickly shook his head, "I... I'm fine, brother. I misunderstood you, your strength indeed does not require my protection."
Lu Chuan looked at Gu Hongzhuang, "Sister Hong, do you believe me now?"
Gu Hongzhuang, who had snapped back to reality, humphed unconvinced, "Alright, you're impressive."
In fact, she was already inwardly astounded by Lu Chuan's performance. This guy could not only heal but also exorcise evil, and his advancement in strength was so rapid—not just an ordinary talent.
Lu Chuan smiled and bowed to Gu Hongzhuang, "But still, thank you for your kindness, Sister Hong."
"Psh," Gu Hongzhuang pursed her lips.
"Sister Hong, I need to go home now. I've been a disturbance these past few days, please forgive me."
Lu Chuan had just remembered that Mu Nanqing was still unaware of his current situation, so he had to rush back home.
"Sister-in-law must be worried sick by now."
He was concerned that his phone could get damaged during the fight that day, so he left it at home, and Mu Nanqing had no way to contact him.
Gu Hongzhuang didn't try to hold him back too much and arranged for Zhou Long to drive Lu Chuan back to the city.
In the Gold Lake Neighborhood District,
Lu Chuan ran back home as if he was flying.
Mu Nanqing was sitting on the sofa, sobbing, and she looked much more haggard.
The table was littered with used tissues.
Lu Chuan felt a surge of self-reproach and quickly walked to the front of the sofa, saying, "Sister-in-law, I'm back."
Mu Nanqing was visibly stunned. She looked up at Lu Chuan and didn't respond for a long while.
Lu Chuan didn't know what was going on with Mu Nanqing. "Sister-in-law, you..."
Just then, Mu Nanqing suddenly stood up, stepped forward, and hugged Lu Chuan tightly, as if she wanted to merge him into her own body.
"Xiaochuan, is it really you?"
Lu Chuan hugged Mu Nanqing, patting her back and said, "Sister-in-law, it's me, I'm fine, Lin Hu is dead, and this crisis of mine is over now."
Mu Nanqing looked up at Lu Chuan again, tears flowing uncontrollably, and then started to pummel his chest as if venting, "Why didn't you tell me before you left? You've been out of touch for three whole days, and you didn't even bring your phone. I thought something had happened to you, and I tried everything to find out where you were, but you were nowhere to be found. Do you have any idea how worried I've been these past three days? If you hadn't come back today, I would have hanged myself tomorrow to join you!"
Lu Chuan comforted Mu Nanqing, "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? It's my fault indeed. I didn't want you to be involved, so I left without saying anything. I promise it won't happen again."
"I'd rather be involved than live in fear and worry about your safety like this! Stinky Xiaochuan, I don't like you anymore!"
Mu Nanqing was pounding on Lu Chuan's chest, seemingly angry but actually not using much force.
Lu Chuan let her vent her emotions, feeling deeply moved.
In this world, only Mu Nanqing would care so much about his safety.
After a long time, Mu Nanqing's emotions stabilized.
She dried her tears, washed her face, and fixed her makeup.
She didn't want Lu Chuan to see her haggard self.
She walked up to Lu Chuan and asked earnestly, "Xiaochuan, is the matter with Lin Hu really over?"
Lu Chuan nodded, "Really, sister-in-law, would I lie to you?"
Mu Nanqing pinched Lu Chuan's cheek and cooed, "You're not allowed to make me worry like this again."
Lu Chuan solemnly promised, "Definitely!"
A smile spread across Mu Nanqing's face. Although her eyes were swollen from crying, she still looked captivating when she smiled.
Lu Chuan loved to see Mu Nanqing smile.
At that moment, he remembered something and looked at Mu Nanqing, asking, "Sister-in-law, you said before that if I managed to get through this crisis, you would tell me a secret. What is that secret?"