Yang Ling took a deep breath and said, "I've heard about what happened. Your reckless actions led to the death of our disciple Luo Ren. I'll deal with you later for that."
One-Eye trembled with fear and replied, "Uncle Master, I know I've made a mistake. I'll accept any punishment you see fit."
Yang Ling instructed, "Don't leave Binhai for now."
One-Eye asked, confused, "But what about the bet...?"
Yang Ling questioned, "The bet was about you leaving Binhai, correct?"
One-Eye nodded, still puzzled, "Yes."
Yang Ling explained his strategy, "If you stay in Binhai and Chen Yang comes after you, hurting you would be challenging the dignity of our Shaolin lay disciples. We'd then have grounds to retaliate. Meanwhile, I'll expel you from our group as punishment for breaking the bet."
"Uncle Master, I..." One-Eye shuddered, realizing the cunning nature of Yang Ling's plan. It was designed to both save face in the martial arts world and deal with Chen Yang, at the cost of sacrificing One-Eye.
Yang Ling added coldly, "Afterward, you can join the Yang Corporation. I'll ensure you have a comfortable life."
One-Eye knew he couldn't refuse without facing his uncle's wrath. Besides, he felt responsible for the situation.
He agreed, "Alright, I'll do as you say, Uncle Master." After a pause, he asked, "But what if Chen Yang doesn't attack me? Or what if he tries to kill me outright?"
Yang Ling replied, "In broad daylight, without a death warrant, he wouldn't dare kill you." He continued, "If he doesn't make a move, that could be problematic. In that case, provoke him yourself. This matter needs to be resolved quickly, understand? Otherwise, it will damage the reputation of our Shaolin lay disciples."
One-Eye nodded, "Yes, Uncle Master."
After hanging up, Qi Jiaojiao, who was nearby, asked One-Eye anxiously, "What's going on?"
One-Eye's eyes flickered with emotion before he responded, "Master Yang is furious with Chen Yang. Don't worry, Chen Yang won't live much longer. However, Jiaojiao, I'll have to leave Binhai after this is over. What will you do then?"
Qi Jiaojiao paled at the news. Over the years, she had climbed the social ladder by being Song Qing'an's mistress at the Qing'an Group. When Song lost interest in her, she latched onto One-Eye.
Song Qing'an was naturally upset about this but couldn't do much due to One-Eye's influence. One-Eye wasn't just the king of security; he had the backing of the Shaolin lay disciples, a group even Binhai's most powerful figures dared not offend.
Qi Jiaojiao had been riding high these past two years thanks to One-Eye's protection. Her overconfidence led her to target Lin Qingxue. But now, things had backfired. If One-Eye left Binhai, she'd lose her shield, and Song Qing'an would surely seek revenge.
"I'll go with you," Qi Jiaojiao said without hesitation.
One-Eye felt a touch of emotion and replied, "Alright."
After work, Chen Yang drove Lin Qingxue home in his Xiali car. Lin Qingxue didn't mind the modest vehicle and got in directly. As they reached the Willow Leaf Villa area, Lin Qingxue said, "I'll add an extra 5,000 yuan per month for gas."
Chen Yang grinned, "That's great!"
Lin Qingxue smiled slightly and added, "But if you're late again in the morning, you'll lose everything."
Chen Yang chuckled, "I promise I won't be late."
After saying goodbye to Lin Qingxue, Chen Yang went to pick up Su Qing from work.
Initially, Chen Yang had considered not picking up Su Qing anymore, wanting to distance himself from her. However, he couldn't bear the thought of her crowding onto public buses. It was a real dilemma for him.
Su Qing had called, saying she'd wait for him at Mu Jing's tea house. She told Chen Yang to drive carefully and not to rush. Su Qing now acted like a caring, virtuous wife, always thinking of Chen Yang's well-being.
Although Chen Yang could be ruthless and cold-blooded when necessary, he was defenseless against Su Qing's gentle affection.
When he arrived at Mu Jing's tea house, he found Mu Jing there as well.
Mu Jing said, "Chen Yang, come have some tea before you go."
Chen Yang grinned and replied, "It's dinner time. Who wants tea? Treat us to dinner instead!"
Mu Jing rolled her eyes and said, "You little rascal, always trying to take advantage of me."
Su Qing, standing nearby, gently chided Chen Yang and offered, "I'll treat everyone to dinner."
Mu Jing smiled and said, "I was just joking with him. Let me treat you both."
"That's right!" Chen Yang quickly agreed. "Sister Jing has more money than she knows what to do with. We're helping her accumulate good karma by spending some of it."
Mu Jing laughed and scolded, "Get out of here, Chen Yang. You make it sound like I'm some kind of sinner."
Chen Yang just grinned happily.
In any case, the group soon went to a nice restaurant across the street for dinner.
Chen Yang enjoyed his meat dishes, ordering lion's head meatballs and braised pork, eating with great satisfaction.
Su Qing occasionally picked up some food for Chen Yang and poured him water, showing meticulous care.
These small gestures of warmth touched Chen Yang deeply.
Midway through the meal, Su Qing excused herself to use the restroom.
Mu Jing smiled and asked, "I can see you care a lot about Su Qing. She's good to you too. Do you have any plans to marry her?"
Chen Yang's head started to hurt. He countered, "Do you think I'm suitable for marriage?"
Mu Jing smiled and said, "Do you want the truth or a lie?"
Chen Yang replied, "The truth, of course."
Mu Jing said, "The truth is, you're not suitable for marriage. You're naturally combative and hot-tempered. If you get married, you'll only end up hurting Su Qing."
Chen Yang rubbed his nose and said, "You really are brutally honest!" He paused and continued, "You're right, though. I've never really thought about marriage. I prefer being alone, enjoying brief encounters with women without any strings attached."
Mu Jing nodded, "You and I are the same kind of person. We're both pursuing higher levels in martial arts, seeking our own version of nirvana."
Chen Yang sighed, "Let's not talk about this anymore. We'll take things as they come."
Mu Jing changed the subject, "One-Eye hasn't left Binhai yet, and it seems he has no intention of leaving. This matter has clearly caught the attention of the Shaolin lay disciples. It's very likely that One-Eye is staying on orders from higher-ups."
Chen Yang replied, "One-Eye clearly doesn't have the courage to stay on his own. If it's on orders from above, it means the Shaolin lay disciples are already making their move against me."
Mu Jing nodded, "Exactly. That's why I want to warn you to be extra cautious. It's possible that Yang Ling from the Yang Corporation has taken charge of this matter. Yang Ling is the most outstanding disciple of the Yan generation in the Shaolin lay disciples. Many of his junior and senior brothers follow his lead. You absolutely can't underestimate this Yang Ling. His Yang Corporation now has assets worth over 5 billion yuan, and he has extensive connections. More importantly, his martial arts skills are extremely high. It's very possible that he's a Golden Core expert."
Chen Yang paled slightly, "That's terrifying."
Mu Jing continued, "This is just my speculation; I'm not certain. Yang Ling's status means he rarely takes action personally. He's very intelligent and extremely capable."
Chen Yang fell into deep thought.
Mu Jing added, "Yang Ling's current dilemma is twofold. First, he can't openly move against you, as that would violate martial ethics. Second, he can't allow you to live, as that would trample on the reputation of the Shaolin lay disciples."
Chen Yang's mind worked quickly, "So in this situation, it's very likely that One-Eye will be used as a sacrificial pawn to break the deadlock. One-Eye will provoke me, I'll beat him badly, then Yang Ling will expel One-Eye from Shaolin to save face in the martial arts world. Finally, Yang Ling will claim that I've insulted Shaolin and move against me. It's killing two birds with one stone."
Mu Jing's eyes lit up, "Indeed, that's very possible."
Chen Yang continued, "Moreover, if I simply injure One-Eye or drive him away, it won't convince the martial arts world, because One-Eye provoked me first, so he would be in the wrong. But what if One-Eye dies? Then everyone will assume I killed him. At that point, Yang Ling could come after me in a righteous fury, and no one in the martial arts world could object."
Mu Jing inwardly marveled at his insight, "That's a devious plan indeed!" She paused and asked, "Now that you've figured it out, how do you plan to counter it?"
Chen Yang sighed slightly, "We'll take it one step at a time."
Just then, Su Qing returned, and they changed the subject.
After Su Qing sat down, Mu Jing said, "By the way, I'll arrange a driver for Su Qing from now on, so you don't have to keep picking her up and dropping her off. Also, I have an empty apartment. Su Qing, why don't you move in there? You won't have to pay rent."
Su Qing was surprised and stammered, "That's too much, I couldn't possibly..."
Mu Jing smiled gently, "It's no problem at all."
Chen Yang knew Mu Jing was trying to help protect Su Qing and also help resolve his complicated feelings for her. Although he was reluctant to give up the chance to secretly admire Su Qing at night, he knew more important matters were at hand. He said, "Thank you so much, Sister Jing."
Mu Jing smiled faintly, "Don't mention it."
Seeing Chen Yang agree, Su Qing didn't say anything more.
After dinner, Chen Yang drove Su Qing home.
On the way back, Su Qing felt uneasy and said, "Chen Yang, I don't think I have any special talents. Is it right for me to take advantage of Sister Jing like this? I know you're close friends with her, but favors can run out eventually." She paused and continued, "Actually, I think I should just get a normal job, and you can pick me up from work every day. We could live in a cheap rental apartment. I'd feel more at ease that way."
Chen Yang smiled slightly, "Sister Qing, I've told you before, you're a very capable person. Just work hard, and everything will be fine. I've known Sister Jing for less than a week, and while we get along well, she's only helping because she thinks I'm worth investing in. Besides, she's so wealthy that finding someone she can trust and only spending this much is a bargain for her. Let's just go with this plan, okay?"
Su Qing took a deep breath and said, "Alright then."