Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 144: An Air of Nobility

“Tianyu, Tianyu, something bad has happened! Xin, Sister Xin—she’s in trouble…” Ouyang Ziyi rushed over, out of breath, speaking anxiously and intermittently. Behind her was Li Rou, also looking worried and flustered.
“Don’t panic. Take your time and explain what happened to Sister Xin,” Chu Tianyu said gently, supporting Ouyang Ziyi.
Ouyang Ziyi used this moment to calm herself down and continued, “I just received a call from Duo An…”
“Duo An?” Chu Tianyu interjected.
“Oh, Duo An is an old butler at my grandmother’s Yishé Castle. Whenever I visited the castle before, he was always the one who welcomed us. This morning, he called and said that when he went to wake Sister Xin and Uncle Ret for breakfast, their bedrooms were empty—both of them were missing, and nothing was taken from the rooms, not even their phones. By the way, Uncle Ret is my grandmother’s cousin; he’s the witness in this matter!” Ouyang Ziyi explained calmly as she clarified the situation.
Chu Tianyu pondered for a while before saying, “It seems this incident isn’t simple. Moreover, we’re unfamiliar with this place, so we can’t get many details! By the way, Ziyi, did that butler, Duo An, say anything else?”
“He said we should stay here for now. He’ll send someone to pick us up, saying there’s a special security convoy as well, in case anything happens if we act alone!” Ouyang Ziyi recalled.
Hearing this, Chu Tianyu frowned and asked, “They can even arrange a special security convoy? Ziyi, it seems your grandmother once had quite significant influence!”
“Yes, she did. But I’m not very familiar with the specifics. Dad rarely talked to me about these things before, and since Mom passed away, I’ve never been here again!” Ouyang Ziyi said softly.
“What should we do now?” Li Rou asked.
“Let’s wait for news for now!” Chu Tianyu replied temporarily.
Just then, Ouyang Ziyi’s phone rang again. A strange French man’s voice came through, “Are you Miss Ouyang? I’m Major Lai En. I’ve been assigned to escort you to Yishé Castle. We’ll arrive in about twenty minutes…”
“Okay, we’ll be waiting at the entrance then!” Ouyang Ziyi replied directly.
“Ziyi, is this really okay? Could it be a scam?” Li Rou asked worriedly.

“It shouldn’t be. First, there was a prior notice, and second, if they have Ouyang Ziyi’s phone number, it’s almost certain it’s not fake!” Chu Tianyu explained for Ouyang Ziyi.
“We’d better go back and pack first. Just bring some simple things; leave the rest here for now to avoid carrying them around.” Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s worried expression, Chu Tianyu made decisions on her behalf.
Twenty minutes later, the three of them indeed saw two black extended Lincolns at the hotel entrance, with two modified black Peugeots in front and behind them. At the very front and back were two French gendarmes in uniform, their motorcycle alarm lights flashing brightly.
It was Major Leien, who had called earlier, who greeted them. With a typical military appearance—wearing a red beret and a green camouflage uniform—he was extremely strong and muscular.
“Hello, you must be Miss Ouyang. I’m the one who called earlier…” He took out a faxed photo and compared it carefully, allowing Ouyang Ziyi and the others to see another aspect of the French—their meticulous precision, aside from their romance.
…
As the convoy left the city, the motorcycles leading and following turned back, leaving only a convoy of six vehicles, which also sped up.
“My grandmother’s castle is in the Loire River region south of Paris. The Loire is the longest river in France. This area is also famous for its wines. But what really makes the Loire famous are the over a hundred magnificent castles scattered throughout its basin, some of which date back to the 9th century. My grandmother’s castle is one of them; it was built back then…” Along the way, Ouyang Ziyi kept explaining about the castle and its geographical location. But Chu Tianyu could tell she was trying to distract herself with these topics, clearly very worried about Sister Xin’s disappearance.
Suddenly, the speeding vehicles gradually slowed down. The cars in front were stuck at an intersection, and some drivers got out, thinking another accident had occurred, asking each other about what was happening.
Chu Tianyu and the others were about to get out to see what was going on when Major Leien and four bodyguards blocked the four doors of their car, armed and ready for battle, preventing them from getting out.

Looking at the other vehicles, the bodyguards aboard them were also prepared to fire in defense, organized by rank.
“Major Leiyen, what’s going on?” Ouyang Ziyi asked anxiously, sticking her head out.
“Miss Ouyang, we don’t know yet. I’ve sent two team members to investigate. In this situation, please stay in the car for now. It’s best not to open the windows—they’re bulletproof and can provide some protection. There’s a walkie-talkie in the car; you can use it to contact me. I’m sure we’ll get news soon!” Major Leiyen ordered in a consultative tone.
Just as Ouyang Ziyi reluctantly closed the window, a deafening explosion was heard ahead, accompanied by a massive wave of energy that spread at incredible speed. Not far ahead of their convoy, the vehicles parked on the road were instantly flung into the air, and their drivers, who had gotten out to investigate, were all killed on the spot. The energy wave showed no sign of weakening, carrying fragments of human bodies and crushed, twisted cars that rushed toward their convoy.
Chu Tianyu had already sensed the energy wave earlier. If his senses were correct, two forces seemed to be confronting each other ahead. So he knew this wasn’t aimed at them and decided not to interfere. He didn’t expect them to attack so suddenly with full force. The energy waves generated by their collision were the invisible force causing such destruction, gradually approaching them…
Seeing this, Major Leiyen and his bodyguards outside the car were stunned, holding their guns in confusion.
Inside the car, Ouyang Ziyi was surprised too, but unlike Li Rou, she wasn’t overly panicked. After all, she had the omnipotent Chu Tianyu by her side, so she wasn’t worried at all.
But Li Rou was different. Her face was pale, and she tightly clung to Chu Tianyu, as if seeking comfort or support.
Chu Tianyu sighed bitterly. Why did he have to encounter such things? Hadn’t they agreed that this trip to Europe would be a time to relax and have some fun? How frustrating!

Yet, despite his thoughts, Chu Tianyu knew the crisis at hand needed to be resolved. Instantly, his clothes moved as if stirred by wind, and a surge of true energy emanated from him. Everyone felt the car they were in shake slightly as that energy spread out, transforming into an invisible force field. It just in time covered the vehicle closest to it before the opposing force arrived. Upon contact, there was no significant collision or disturbance— the destructive power of that energy and the debris in the air acted like a stream hitting a large rock in the middle; aside from flowing around it naturally, it couldn’t cause any harm or shake the rock at all.

This miraculous sight could only be described as “a miracle” by Major Lai Yen and his team. But for those with cultivation skills, such power was utterly terrifying! Not only could he utilize true energy throughout his body to pass through objects without damaging them and even control them from a distance to form a force field, but the protective effect of this energy was even more astonishing—without any intense collisions or confrontations, it embodied the Tai Chi principle of guiding energy smoothly rather than blocking it. This showed that Chu Tianyu’s current level of skill had reached an astonishing height!

After that massive energy surge, the road ahead was cleared. Aside from Ouyang Ziyi’s convoy, there were no other vehicles ahead, though the road was filled with pits of various sizes, making it difficult for cars to travel.

Ignoring the stunned bodyguards, Chu Tianyu got out of the car first. Looking into the distance, he could still hear various collision sounds and faint movements—likely the two groups had finally started fighting fully.

“Tianyu, what’s going on?” Ouyang Ziyi asked softly as she got out of the car.

“It seems we’ve unfortunately become the fish in that pond!” Chu Tianyu said, frowning as he sensed the forces ahead.

“Tianyu, who are these people? How dare they fight openly in broad daylight? What just happened was simply… terrifying! Ah, the world is in chaos!” Li Rou, also out of the car, asked anxiously, still shaken.

“I don’t know who they are. But… it’s fine. Ziyi, take Li Rou back to the car first. I’ll go take a look.” Chu Tianyu said thoughtfully.

Before Ouyang Ziyi and the others could speak, the roar of Major Leiyen could be heard. Chu Tianyu understood what he meant without Ouyang Ziyi translating—it was clear that their actions had violated his instructions or orders. Ouyang Ziyi didn’t give any explanation; instead, she immediately launched a close-quarters elbow strike at one of the bodyguards standing beside her. She stepped forward with one foot, adopting a lunge stance, and followed up with another shoulder-thrusting attack. The guard was clearly unprepared for such a sudden and fierce attack from the person he was supposed to protect. Her speed, strength, and technique were clearly those of a professional, leaving him no time to react before she knocked him to the ground. As he fell, the semi-automatic sniper rifle in his hands also ended up in Ouyang Ziyi’s possession.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Major Leiyen reacted quickly, ready to turn his gun on Ouyang Ziyi. But halfway through, he saw a dark muzzle pointed at his head, along with Ouyang Ziyi’s cold voice: “Major Leiyen, I think we can protect ourselves!” Chu Tianyu watched in astonishment. Ouyang Ziyi’s actions were clearly not just a display of strength to intimidate Major Leiyen—they carried an implicit message: she wouldn’t go back to the car obediently. She clearly wanted to go with Chu Tianyu to investigate further, probably hoping to resolve the issue quickly so they could head to Isher Castle…

Chu Tianyu suddenly moved. When he returned, he had two more guns in his hands. The two others, unaware of what was happening, tried to ambush Ouyang Ziyi’s bodyguards but already lay on the ground. Major Leiyen was horrified. What kind of people were he supposed to protect this time? Needless to say, there was the Miss Guizhou before him, and her mysterious Eastern bodyguard’s strength was astonishing. He had only seen a flash, and his two men had already been knocked out. They were all members of Project Eagle, whose skills were beyond doubt. If it weren’t for orders from higher-ups to protect someone extremely important, they wouldn’t have been sent—after all, even heads of state and presidents rarely received such protection.

However, it was clear they had no malicious intent. The three attacked guards slowly got up, though looking grim. Although the blows they had taken weren’t severe, they were enough to leave them temporarily unable to fight.

“Major Leiyen, you’d better contact the police or some relevant authority right away to deal with this terrible situation. I see more vehicles not knowing what’s going on keep coming in. We’ll take care of what’s ahead; you don’t need to worry…” Saying this, Ouyang Ziyi held up the sniper rifle with one hand, putting on a seasoned look!
“Ugh, if they don’t need to worry, then it’s my turn to worry!” Chu Tianyu thought helplessly, as it seemed Miss Ouyang was definitely going to get involved in this mess.
Hearing Ouyang Ziyi’s words, another person who was speechless was Major Leiyen. He muttered to himself, “I’m not some traffic police officer. I’m the top commander of Blood Thorn’s Fifth Team, Major Leiyen!”
Still, he ordered a few members of Blood Thorn to follow Ouyang Ziyi’s advice and act as traffic police while contacting higher-ups. He then gathered four people and surrounded Ouyang Ziyi closely, moving with her as she advanced. Clearly, Major Leiyen had strong observational and analytical skills and didn’t try to interfere too much with her actions.
From the strange phenomenon of the energy wave suddenly being blocked just now, to the calmness of these protected individuals and their exceptional skills, it was obvious they were no ordinary people—especially that mysterious Eastern bodyguard. At first glance, based on his experience, he knew he was no ordinary person, though he couldn’t figure out exactly why. This only strengthened his belief.
He wasn’t stupid either. From what had happened earlier, just the energy wave made it clear it wasn’t human-made, and its horror might be beyond what they could handle. To be honest, a crazy idea began to form in his mind—one he couldn’t explain—namely that following them might be safer than staying here alone…
The energy fluctuations ahead had diminished significantly, and there were no more energy waves of the initial intensity. But as they got closer, sounds of fighting, collisions, and roars grew clearer.
“Huh? Why are they there?” Ouyang Ziyi saw the situation and the combatants through the scope of the semi-automatic sniper rifle.
“Who are they, Ziyi? Who did you see?” Li Rou asked in surprise.

“It’s the woman who fought with you guys in the store last time, and the blond guy who came in later!” Chu Tianyu replied as if he had known all along.
“Oh! It’s them!” Li Rou exclaimed in shock.
“It’s that Sofia. Hey, let’s go. We should hurry over and see what’s going on. I actually have a good impression of that girl!” Ouyang Ziyi said with interest.
By the time they arrived at the scene, the battle between the two sides was nearing its end. Sofia’s group was clearly at a disadvantage. Only the blond man who had urged Sofia to leave was still fighting bravely, covered in wounds, with his upper clothes torn open to reveal his strong, muscular frame. A golden glow surrounded him, seemingly giving him endless fighting spirit and vitality, allowing his massive fists to generate strong winds as he fought against three opponents.
Sofia, on the other hand, had a solemn and tragic expression on her face. She murmured words under her breath, her body trembling slightly, with her right hand raised in a fist. The red gemstone ring on her middle finger shone brightly, creating a semi-circular energy shield that barely protected her group…
Next to her, two women who looked like nuns were praying with their hands clasped over their chests, facing a tall, strong figure lying on the ground. A white light enveloped that figure, while others lay scattered around.
On the side opposing Sofia’s group, several people were also lying down, but an old man in his fifties stood there. He was tall and slightly obese, with broad shoulders. Dressed in a black tuxedo and holding a fancy cane, he had a gloomy expression, his blue eyes showing calmness and determination. Four men in black stood beside him.
Obviously, the arrival of Ouyang Ziyi’s group caught the attention of both sides in the fierce battle. When Sofia saw that it was Ouyang Ziyi, her expression changed slightly, the red shield fluctuated, and even the golden glow around the blond man weakened.
In contrast, the old man across from them wasn’t affected at all by Ouyang Ziyi’s arrival. His eyes remained fixed on Sofia, searching for an opening.

Sure enough, Sophia’s mental fluctuations allowed the other party to seize the opportunity immediately. With a loud shout, he rushed forward in an instant, his short staff aimed at Sophia’s red energy shield, firing a powerful blue energy beam. At the same time, his left fist was ready for the next attack…

Ouyang Ziyi had long disliked that gloomy old man. Seeing him take advantage of the situation to launch a fierce attack, she didn’t hesitate. She quickly aimed her sniper rifle, calculated the timing, and fired!

Two explosions rang out simultaneously. First, Sophia’s energy shield was destroyed by the old man’s blue beam. The massive energy shock sent Sophia reeling—she was instantly flung backward, spitting out blood. The ruby embedded in her ring also exploded, turning into scattered red sparks that drifted away with the wind…

The other explosion was caused by the collision between Ouyang Ziyi’s rapidly fired bullet and the blue energy beam emitted by the old man’s left fist.

After the noise, blood still flowed from the old man’s left shoulder, clearly indicating that Ouyang Ziyi’s bullet had penetrated his body. The force sent him flying to the side.

To outsiders, the scene appeared as Ouyang Ziyi standing sideways, holding her sniper rifle motionless, her dark muzzle scanning the area with a cold expression. Combined with her long, flowing manly braid behind her head, she exuded an indescribable sense of intimidation and authority.

Everyone in the area was stunned. The four people who had been fighting earlier also separated. The blond man rushed to Sophia’s side and helped her up, but his blood-red eyes remained fixed on the old man who had been knocked back by the bullet, ready to act at any moment.

The old man fell to the ground, holding his shoulder in disbelief. His subordinates quickly shielded him behind them. The two in the front pushed their hands together, creating a pale blue, transparent circular energy shield. Yet, from their expressions, it was clear they were struggling, as if barely holding it together.

Major Laien, who was beside Ouyang Ziyi, was stunned the moment he saw what was happening. He muttered to himself, “God, where am I? Is this a magical world?”

On the other hand, he wasn’t surprised by Ouyang Ziyi’s shot at all. Instead, it made him grip his weapon more firmly, giving him a sense of reassurance. No matter how powerful those people were, they couldn’t stop a bullet!

But Ouyang Ziyi’s shot shocked both sides involved. Even the most powerful firearms couldn’t pose a threat to any of them, let alone that lead old man who possessed terrifying water elements and secret treasures. After initial confusion, the old man quickly realized the situation and firmly ordered, “Let’s go!” Though his voice was low, Chu Tianyu heard and understood him, as he was speaking in English… Earlier, when Ouyang Ziyi suddenly took action, it was clearly to help that Sofia—after all, they had met before. To be honest, the holy aura around her at that time was like a gentle breeze, and Ouyang Ziyi as well as Li Rou could sense it to some extent. So when Ouyang Ziyi fired a shot without hesitation, Chu Tianyu secretly sent out a pulse of purple energy to envelop the bullet, making the old man think it was just an ordinary bullet. As a result, he became careless and suffered greatly. However, obviously, Chu Tianyu didn’t use his full strength since he wasn’t fully aware of the situation; otherwise, the damage inflicted on the old man would have been far worse. At that moment, Ouyang Ziyi, holding her sniper rifle, didn’t have much time to think and simply shouted, “Those in front, don’t make any rash moves—or don’t blame me if my gun fires!” As she spoke, the old man’s men seemed not to understand at all. The two who had created energy shields protected the old man and helped him retreat behind the highway guardrail. Using some unknown secret technique, they managed to move dozens of meters away in the blink of an eye. By then, only their silhouettes could be seen! Ouyang Ziyi, still holding her gun, wasn’t sure whether to shoot or not. At that moment, Chu Tianyu stepped beside her, gently pressing down her sniper rifle and giving her a look, signaling that it was better to let Major Leiyen handle the situation. Only then did Ouyang Ziyi put down her gun, understanding Chu Tianyu’s intention. She turned to Major Leiyen beside her and asked, “Major, does this count as a terrorist act?” Hearing Ouyang Ziyi’s question, Major Leiyen seemed to wake up from a dream. He replied, “Yes, this is indeed a terrorist act!” while scanning the surroundings with a cautious expression.

Ouyang Ziyi ignored him further, slung the sniper rifle over her shoulder, and headed toward Sophia and the others. Seeing this, Chu Tianyu quickly followed with Li Rou, feeling helpless in his heart. “Are you all okay?” Ouyang Ziyi naturally went straight to Sophia first and asked.

Since Ouyang Ziyi fired that shot, Sophia’s affectionate and dreamy eyes had never left her at all. Especially when Ouyang Ziyi raised her gun, projecting an imposing aura that scared away those British men with just a few words, along with her noble and gentlemanly presence, it made Sophia’s heart tremble with fascination…

Before Sophia could speak, an aged and resounding voice came from the ground: “Thank you, sir, for your gentlemanly assistance. But I think we can handle this now. Bogule, contact the support team ahead!”

Hearing this, Ouyang Ziyi turned around and saw that it was the tall old man who had been injured and lying on the ground. She shrugged, about to ask more about the situation, when suddenly her phone rang—it was Duoan calling to ask about her journey. Only then did Ouyang Ziyi seem to remember she still had matters to attend to. She hurriedly bid farewell to the old man and Sophia, saying, “Well then, we won’t disturb you any longer. Take care! Do you still need to handle matters here, Major Leiyen?”

“No, my duty is to protect you, the noble one!” Major Leiyen replied cleverly.

……

At that moment, Ouyang Ziyi’s entire convoy also came through the guardrails from the side—clearly arranged by Major Leiyen. Without further delay, and with Duoan the butler constantly checking in, they finally arrived safely at Esher Castle.

The moment they got out of the car, everyone except Ouyang Ziyi was stunned by the castle. At that moment, there was only one thought in their minds: “Imposing and regal!”