Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 221: Inseparable Ties

When Ouyang Ziyi spoke these words, everyone found them strange—why did they sound so martial arts-like? Ouyang Ziyi also realized this and glanced at Chu Tianyu, as if to say, “Having been with me for so long, even your way of speaking has taken on a martial arts flavor!”
However, everyone’s attention didn’t linger on this. It immediately shifted to the door, as those two dark figures had already landed in the courtyard with irregular movements, accompanied by two thuds.
Chu Tianyu didn’t move at all; he simply turned to face the door, knowing that the four Ouyang Ziyis who had broken into the house were about to enter. It was enough to wait here—there was no need to go out and investigate further!
But when everyone saw the two dark figures who had landed, Jin Yujie immediately exclaimed in shock, “Zhong Pu, Ming Pu, you…”
Before she could finish, Chu Tianyu pointed at her pressure points, knocking her out. She collapsed into Xue Feifei’s arms. Chu Tianyu had already recognized that the two dark figures who had flown in were those two brothers. He had observed them more closely, and the reason he knocked Jin Yujie out was because they were already dead—what fell to the ground were just two lifeless corpses!
Almost at the same time, Chu Tianyu sent a message to Xue Feifei. After whispering a few words in her ear, Xue Feifei handed Jin Yujie to Ouyang Ziyi, stepped back, and disappeared from the courtyard.
Then Chu Tianyu, with a dark expression, spoke into the air, “You four, with your skills, stop acting like sneaky scoundrels. Since you’re here, just fight fairly and quickly!”
As soon as he finished speaking, four dark figures rushed forward. The lead was a thin old man who walked slowly forward and asked Chu Tianyu in halting Chinese, “Who are you?”
Chu Tianyu laughed in anger at this and said, “Did I hear wrong? You’re asking me who I am? That’s strange. Either I’m in the wrong place, or you four, who broke into a house, have lost your minds to ask such nonsense—utterly ridiculous!”

Faced with Chu Tianyu’s sarcasm, the thin old man showed no change in expression and continued in the same tone, “Young man, sometimes humor isn’t funny at all. I advise you to cooperate. As the old Chinese saying goes, ‘He who knows when to hold his tongue is a wise man.’ We’ve come here without any intention of causing trouble. As long as you hand over that Korean girl behind you, we won’t harm you in any way.”
“Oh, is this a request or a threat?” Chu Tianyu asked calmly.
“Call it whatever you want. Our purpose is that girl behind you. I know you’re quite capable—probably from a noble family with martial skills. That’s why I’m speaking to you politely. If you hand over the girl, we won’t interfere with each other. Young man, let me give you one piece of advice: don’t try to be a hero. Sometimes impulsiveness costs a heavy price…”
“Oh, what price?” Chu Tianyu raised an eyebrow.
“Perhaps your life…” the old man said slowly.
Facing the old man’s blatant threat, Chu Tianyu sneered disdainfully before his expression darkened as he asked, “Did you kill those two on the ground?”
The old man was stunned, not understanding why Chu Tianyu suddenly asked this question. He nodded involuntarily and added, “The price I mentioned earlier is a lesson from past events!”
As soon as the old man finished speaking, a melodious flute sound suddenly rang out, like heavenly music, resonating throughout the dark night sky. Chu Tianyu seemed to have received some signal as he said coldly to the old man, “Then you can die!”
Without waiting for the old man to recover from the strange flute sound and Chu Tianyu’s abrupt words, Chu Tianyu’s figure seemed to blur, and he vanished as if out of thin air. The moment Chu Tianyu reappeared before the old man, not only did the old man fail to react at all, but his three subordinates, who were fully alert, also were stunned and unable to respond.
To be honest, these men were not weak in skill or lack of vigilance. Especially when it came to assessing situations, they already considered Chu Tianyu a serious threat and were wary of him. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have wasted so much time talking. After all, they weren’t fools. Not only did Chu Tianyu reveal their whereabouts outright, but his calm demeanor also indicated considerable strength!

So, including the old man and the three people behind him, from the moment they appeared, they remained highly vigilant, fully mobilizing their skills, ready to strike at any moment. Unfortunately, despite their vigilance, they failed to assess Chu Tianyu’s true strength. Otherwise, they would surely regret trespassing in this private residence—it would have been better for them to go straight to the underworld, avoiding all this trouble!

Of course, they simply couldn’t fathom such strength; even Chu Tianyu himself might not be fully aware of the level he had reached in his cultivation.

Chu Tianyu watched as the old man’s pupils shrank rapidly. Without giving him a chance to react, he stretched out his arm like lightning, his fingers tightly gripping the old man’s neck. With a swift movement, he dragged the old man along, his steps so fast they resembled a gust of wind. By the time Chu Tianyu reappeared in his original position, still holding the thin old man’s neck, the three men beside him were already collapsed on the ground, not making a sound, as if they had always been lying there.

Throughout the entire process, although the old man was subdued by Chu Tianyu through a contemptuous and humiliating neck-grabbing move, he remained fully conscious. A mix of shock, astonishment, disbelief, and humiliation surged within him, creating an extremely complex state of mind—so much so that he felt as if everything were a dream.

He had seen powerful people before, but never anyone like this. No, “powerful” wasn’t enough to describe this strength—there were only two words: terrifying!

Suddenly, a sound of breaking air came from outside the door. Chu Tianyu paid it no mind, knowing it must be Xue Feifei returning.

Sure enough, in an instant, Xue Feifei caught Bai Lei and the tall man, one in each hand, and brought them to Chu Tianyu’s side. Only then did Chu Tianyu gradually regain his solemn expression. Looking at Xue Feifei, he cast an anxious glance at her—clearly, his greatest concern was the safety of his two brothers.

“They’re fine! They’re fine! Hopefully, heaven won’t give Tianyu a chance to lose control…” Ouyang Ziyi supported Jin Yujie while watching the two men in Xue Feifei’s hands, silently praying that Bai Lei and the others were unharmed.

Perhaps Ouyang Ziyi’s prayers worked, or maybe heaven truly didn’t want Chu Tianyu to lose control. Xue Feifei calmly shook her head, indicating that Bai Lei and the tall man had only been knocked out and were not in danger.

Seeing Xue Feifei’s gesture, Chu Tianyu also felt slightly relieved. If Bai Lei and the tall man encountered any further problems, he really couldn’t imagine what would happen! His anger subsided a bit, and on impulse, he decided to spare the old man’s life for now—at least to have someone alive to ask about what had happened and to give an explanation to Jin Yujie, since the Jin brothers had died at their hands. However, though a death sentence might be avoided, a living punishment was inevitable. Chu Tianyu immediately threw the old man forward toward the three people lying on the ground. With a flick of his arm, several streams of energy shot out, hitting several vital points on the old man’s body the moment he landed. The old man trembled violently, his eyes bulged, his face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed to the ground. His body twitched a few times before remaining motionless. In fact, Chu Tianyu had already disabled all of the old man’s martial skills, leaving him, like the three others, lying motionless on the ground like dead dogs. Actually, given his anger at that moment, Chu Tianyu had already resolved to kill them immediately. But considering there were so many people around—especially Ouyang Ziyi, Li Rou, and Angel—still behind him, he didn’t want them to witness such bloody scenes. Even if they could handle it, Chu Tianyu didn’t want to impose any burden or negative impact on them. As expected, not long after, Ouyang Ziyi, who had recovered from her shock, looked at him with a questioning expression, clearly asking if he had killed those people. Li Rou, even more worried, asked hesitantly, “Tianyu, have they already…” Before Li Rou could finish, Xue Feifei answered for Chu Tianyu, “Rourou, don’t worry. Tianyu only disabled their martial skills. The best way to deal with such cruel people is to use violence against violence. There’s no need for any mercy.” Faced with Xue Feifei’s obvious defense of Chu Tianyu, he took over the conversation and simply said, “Feifei, they already know!” Indeed, after experiencing the events at Yishé Castle, Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou were already mentally prepared for such bloody scenes. Their concern for the safety of those people below was mainly because this was still within their country. If they were killed here, it might cause unnecessary trouble, which was why they asked—not because they couldn’t handle such violence, as Xue Feifei thought.

“Wait a moment, I’ll go check the surroundings again. You guys, help Jade Ji inside first. Feifei, release her pressure points and try to explain things gently, making sure to control her emotions. As for Bai Lei and the tall guy, just let them sleep; I don’t want them involved in this.” Chu Tianyu arranged.

“Okay, I’m here, don’t worry!” Xue Feifei replied. She knew Chu Tianyu was worried there might be any loose ends or remaining accomplices. As for his plan to check the surroundings, it probably meant an area of a hundred miles around. But with his speed, it probably wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

By the time Chu Tianyu returned after his round, Jade Ji’s pressure points had already been released by Xue Feifei. However, to Chu Tianyu’s surprise, the girl didn’t cry bitterly. Instead, she bit her rosy lips tightly with her snow-white teeth, staying silent and staring straight ahead, as if frozen in shock.

After releasing her pressure points, Xue Feifei, as instructed by Chu Tianyu, gently explained the truth—telling her that the Jin brothers had unfortunately died, and that the murderer had been subdued by Chu Tianyu. Judging from their appearance and their awkward Chinese, they were likely Koreans, probably enemies from the Jin family’s home country.

She had expected Jade Ji to either burst into tears or rush outside to see the scene right away. But unexpectedly, the girl was very strong. Although her face showed traces of grief and anger, her expression was unusually resolute. Her look suggested more calm reflection…

However, the moment Chu Tianyu entered, Jade Ji’s extraordinary composure collapsed instantly. She threw herself into Chu Tianyu’s arms and cried bitterly, sobbing, “Uuu… Tianyu brother, Jade Ji knows now. Jade Ji finally understands. Why did Grandma, Dad, and Mom suddenly ask me to attend some international college fighting competition, saying there were many young experts there where I could show off my skills? It turns out, aside from you and Sister Feifei, everyone else is just an ordinary person! This was all a lie—they were in danger and arranged this to keep me away for my safety, uuu…”

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianyu also roughly understood what had happened. He gently patted Jin Yujie on the shoulder and said in a low voice, “Yujie, stop crying. There’s no need to guess randomly here. Didn’t I leave four survivors for you? Calm down first, sort out your thoughts, and then go question them properly—won’t everything become clear then?” At that moment, Ouyang Ziyi also came over, stroking Jin Yujie’s beautiful hair and suggesting, “Sister Yujie, I think before doing anything, you should contact your family first. I believe they might not be aware of what’s going on here…” Before Ouyang Ziyi could finish speaking, Jin Yujie seemed to suddenly understand and quickly nodded in agreement. She took out her phone and dialed a number. To her disappointment, though the call connected, no one answered. Confused, she muttered to herself, “Why isn’t anyone at home?” Then she tried several satellite phones and mobile numbers, only to find that in every case, either no one answered or the phones were turned off. By now, Jin Yujie realized the severity of the situation; her hand, which was dialing numbers, began to tremble slightly. After dialing the last number, she was utterly disappointed, her face turning pale as she bit her lips until they bled… This scene undoubtedly showed everyone that what Jin Yujie had been worried about had finally happened. It seemed the Jin family had indeed encountered a major crisis; otherwise, she wouldn’t have failed to get through to anyone despite trying so many numbers, nor would those four pursuers have appeared that night. This made it easy for everyone to speculate. It was likely that a serious incident had struck the Jin family, and Yujie’s elders must have had a premonition, so they sent her away in advance. It was also easy to infer that this arrangement was highly secretive. The appearance of these four assassins further proved that something serious had happened in the Jin family. At the same time, people couldn’t help but boldly assume that there must be a traitor within the family, otherwise the assassins wouldn’t have known Jin Yujie’s whereabouts so accurately… Since the assassins could track Ouyang Ziyi to Bieye, it could be deduced that they had been following them from South Korea. After all, Jin Yujie’s encounter with Chu Tianyu was accidental, as was their arrival here. Only by following the three of them from the start could they have appeared here to strike. To confirm everyone’s suspicions, once Jin Yujie calmed down, Ouyang Ziyi and the others eagerly left the house and went to the lawn, ready to question those assassins.

Chu Tianyu first woke those people up one by one, then said to Jin Yujie, “Yujie, do you know them?” Jin Yujie examined the old man carefully and then glanced at the remaining three before shaking her head at Chu Tianyu and saying, “Brother Tianyu, Yujie is sure she’s never seen any of them before!” By then, the old man had also regained consciousness, but pain appeared on his face as he clearly remembered the tragic fate of having his skills destroyed. His subordinates had similar expressions, though for them, it was the pain of losing their powers that was most unbearable. Chu Tianyu showed no pity or other emotions, merely giving them a fierce glance with his sharp eyes. The four of them looked at Chu Tianyu, their expressions shifting from sorrow and confusion to rage, but Chu Tianyu still saw a hint of panic and fear in the eyes of the three subordinates. He then made a decision in his mind. “You speak Chinese. I ask you: who are you? What grudge do you have against the Jin family? And who is the traitor who gave you clues to track us?” After posing these questions in quick succession, Chu Tianyu stared intently at the old man to observe his reaction. As expected, the old man ignored the first few questions, but at the last one, especially with Chu Tianyu using the word “traitor,” it was clear he was letting the old man know they weren’t clueless. Sure enough, upon hearing this question, the old man’s expression changed, his eyes filled with shock and horror. The unspoken thought in his mind was, “How do you know that?” Faced with the old man’s stubbornness, Chu Tianyu warned him darkly, “Will you talk or not? My time is limited, and so is my patience!” Three seconds later, the old man’s head tilted, and a blood hole appeared right in the center of his forehead… Thirty minutes later, after the remaining three confessed everything they knew, one after another, Chu Tianyu was stunned. The others present, including Ouyang Ziyi, were also stunned, as the results of the interrogation were far beyond their expectations!

Chu Tianyu had no interest in the internal conflicts within the Jin family. All that echoed in his mind now was the final confession of those three people: “It was someone surnamed Chu who arranged for us to come to China. And according to our master, if we encountered any problems after completing the task, we could contact him secretly. He seems to be from the Chu Group, but our master didn’t mention his exact name, so we don’t know either…”