Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 244: A Pleasing Situation

The guard at the door was almost stunned by the scene—his mouth hung open, his face filled with confusion!
The Dragon Soul headquarters, long regarded as China’s most secretive organization, had been broken into twice in just one year—what a disgrace! Especially this time; the guard surely never imagined anyone would try to enter in such a manner.
What shocked him wasn’t just the arrogant words and the damaged door, but also the fact that someone had managed to get past the second gate inside the compound! He had just checked the surveillance outside, and ever since that guy surnamed Chu accidentally brought in a killer a few months ago, causing heavy losses to Dragon Soul, the entire outer compound and its surroundings were equipped with the most advanced surveillance systems. Even those with extraordinary agility couldn’t escape the “extreme” monitoring of the computers.
Was it a human or a ghost?
At this thought, the guard shuddered violently, his hair standing on end. His eyes filled with fear as he stared at the broken opening, sensing only darkness and danger outside, as if some monster were about to appear.
Fortunately, the arrogant voice rang out again, reminding him that it must be a “human”!
“Today, these gentlemen are here to collect interest. It’s only natural to repay debts—try to dodge, and you’ll face a kitchen knife! Damn it! Whoever owes me money, step forward!” As he spoke, a tall man in black, covered in muscles, appeared at the door, holding a gleaming kitchen knife. Behind him were three henchmen. Calling them “henchmen” was indeed apt—compared to the tall man’s build, they were vastly inferior in both size and height.
Seeing this, the guard, who had just shaken off his fears of monsters, was stunned once again. He didn’t even have time to press the alarm, let alone say anything polite.

One reason was the formidable presence emanating from the man holding a kitchen knife, combined with his tall and muscular build, which created a powerful sense of pressure. The guard on duty was immediately intimidated. Another reason was the man in black’s demands for repayment, which left the guard confused—he couldn’t imagine anyone in a well-funded and highly privileged organization like Dragon Soul owing debts and still having reckless loan sharks showing up masked and armed with knives to collect—it was utterly chaotic!

Ignoring the guard’s shock, even if he hadn’t pressed the alarm, such a scene would have already alerted those inside. In just a short while, several people rushed out of the hall to investigate, as they had experienced a similar situation just a few months ago.

At that moment, a person stepped forward from the crowd and asked in a deep voice, “Who are you?”

Who could they be? It was naturally Chu Tianyu, Qin Nianran, and the other two. But Chu Tianyu had deliberately changed his appearance, as there were too many “acquaintances” here. The man asking the question was none other than a well-known acquaintance—Tian Zhan, a lay disciple of Shaolin!

Chu Tianyu’s target wasn’t him, so he ignored him and instead whispered to Nianran and the others, “You guys should practice too later, but be gentle. There are many of our Shaolin disciples here—just stop when it’s enough!”

“Don’t worry, we know what to do!” Ouyang Zi Yi said excitedly, eager to fight.

Chu Tianyu rolled his eyes, thinking, This reminder is meant for you—afraid you might lose control due to your newfound power and go too far!

At this point, Tian Zhan was truly angry. Those bold intruders were extremely arrogant, daring to storm Dragon Soul’s headquarters to collect debts without considering the consequences. They clearly had ulterior motives. What angered Tian Zhan the most was that the muscular man with the knife ignored him after his question and even turned his back on him. Enough was enough—against such arrogance, the best solution was fists!

With a glance from Tian Zhan, the other Dragon Soul members, unable to hold back any longer, rushed forward at his command, coordinating to form a pincer attack.

Faced with these fierce assaults, Chu Tianyu simply spread his arms slightly and leaned forward, instantly creating a whirlwind centered around him that blasted outward.

Several figures came swiftly and left even faster. Under Chu Tianyu’s overwhelming force, they seemed to be on springs, snapping back to their original positions. Everyone only saw a blur—those who had rushed forward were now standing where they started, as if they hadn’t moved at all, not even stumbling. If not for what they had witnessed with their own eyes, it would have seemed like an illusion!

As for those involved, they stared in disbelief at the man in black, who also seemed to have not moved at all, all utterly shocked.

Chu Tianyu’s target was clearly not them, nor was it Tian Zhan, the enraged young disciple of Shaolin standing before him!

In fact, by now, Tian Zhan no longer felt anger; instead, he was filled with confusion and vigilance against danger. From the strength displayed by that man just now, anyone could tell it was extraordinary. Not to mention his ability to repel several attackers simultaneously, even just the precise force he used to send people back to their original positions—without any error—showed that even his own master, Zhan Yu Peng, was far inferior!

Thus, the scene fell into an inexplicable silence. At that moment, steady footsteps came from upstairs. As soon as the sound appeared, Tian Zhan, who was at a loss, let out a long sigh in his heart, his tense nerves relaxing.

“Tian Zhan, what’s going on?” Zhan Yu Peng’s voice also rang out instantly.

Seeing the real culprit arrive, Chu Tianyu didn’t hesitate and immediately took over the conversation, answering for Tian Zhan: “Nothing’s wrong. We’re here to collect what’s owed! Look at this knife…”

With that, Chu Tianyu took a step forward, swung his arm forward, and his “Zhang Xiaoquan” brand kitchen knife flashed with a cold light as it traced a graceful arc, flying straight at Zhan Yu Peng, who was still puzzled.

In reality, the knife wasn’t flying very fast. But this move was completely unexpected by everyone. Zhan Yu Peng was even more frustrated—he had only come downstairs to check out the noise. After asking a simple question, he was attacked. He didn’t have time to think further. Fortunately, the knife wasn’t fast enough. He quickly shifted his body to the left, and the knife just missed him, striking the wall opposite with a “whoosh” sound.

Faced with this, Zhan Yu Peng felt a mix of anger and embarrassment. Knowing that someone had broken into Longhun at night and dared to act so arrogantly with a kitchen knife was simply an act of overreach—utterly presumptuous.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Zhan Yupeng felt a chill in his right arm. He turned his head to check, and his expression immediately changed—there was a cut about an inch long on his right arm, from which blood was slowly seeping out. This made Zhan Yupeng look up at Chu Tianyu with a cold glint in his eyes, his shock evident!

He never expected that the ordinary-looking kitchen knife, which had flown past just moments ago, actually carried a sharp “knife energy.” While dodging the knife, Zhan Yupeng was injured by this seemingly tangible energy. But what was truly terrifying was that it could injure people invisibly, even someone with his level of skill failing to detect it—how could this not be shocking?

Moreover, the most noticeable difference was in the opponent’s control over force and precision. Clearly, this was just a warning. If the opponent had wanted to kill him, it would have been effortless. This alone filled Zhan Yupeng with confusion—what was the opponent’s background, and what was their purpose in breaking in? Could it be related to that night…

At this thought, Zhan Yupeng immediately became more vigilant. His vital energy surged, and a red aura enveloped him, causing the entire room to be filled with energy fluctuations, as if controlled by an invisible hand. Even the members of Dragon Soul felt pressure under this energy!

“Is this the true strength of the leader? It’s truly amazing!” Almost all the members of Dragon Soul thought in shock.

“The energy of heaven and earth—so that’s how it is. Dragon Soul’s Zhan Yupeng, no wonder you’ve been able to fight against the monster Xue Mingsheng from the Six Regions for so many years. It seems you’re still hiding much of your strength. Although Jiang Mingsheng is a powerful expert combining cultivation and special abilities, compared to you, who possesses the energy of heaven and earth, there’s a huge difference in levels!” Tian Zhan also thought in astonishment, never expecting his long-time superior to have the very energy that cultivators dream of…

Before everyone could recover from their shock, Zhan Yupeng’s calm and deep voice rang out: “Members of Dragon Soul, follow Plan A—form a coordinated attack in a triangular formation. Kill any enemy who dares to invade!”

Along with his words, Zhan Yupeng soared like a bird, creating a gust of intense wind as he rushed headlong at Chu Tianyu.

Zhan Yupeng acted in this way because he deeply understood the principle of striking first. He would not give the man before him any further chance. The earlier attack had already made him too afraid to be careless in the slightest. Therefore, facing a strong opponent, he decisively unleashed the power of heaven and earth, ignoring the need to conceal his strength. What he needed to do now was to eliminate the enemy quickly. For some reason, that man in black, who had only thrown a kitchen knife and made no further moves, filled him with deep fear…

Zhan Yupeng’s attack could be said to involve all his strength; the red glow on his arm was as intense as burning flames. Not to mention engaging in a fight, even this scorching energy was likely impossible to withstand.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Chu Tianyu, someone who couldn’t even be defeated by Illusory Flame, let alone the slight heat emitted by Zhan Yupeng.

Zhan Yupeng didn’t expect to win just by relying on his energy. Instead, he used his ultimate technique, “One-Handed Dragon Binding,” moving toward Chu Tianyu from a strange angle while creating multiple shadow palms, ready to respond to any move from the opponent. This technique combined offense and defense with great intensity.

Chu Tianyu hadn’t intended to linger here, and he wasn’t expecting Zhan Yupeng to be so decisive, even striking first. So he also tightened his stance, shifted his body, stepped on the Seven Stars, and charged forward, simultaneously releasing a surge of energy that enveloped Zhan Yupeng. It was a perfectly crafted move, without any trickery, which rendered all of Zhan Yupeng’s preparations useless. He had no choice but to abandon his tactics and confront him head-on.

To be honest, although Zhan Yupeng saw Chu Tianyu’s current form and assumed he must be skilled in external martial arts, he thought it would be better to outwit rather than brute-force the opponent, using the safest and most effective way to end the fight. But in this situation of direct confrontation, Zhan Yupeng wasn’t too worried. After all, no matter how high the man’s skills or strength might be, compared to his own Qilin bloodline, he was far below the same level. So in the end, Zhan Yupeng didn’t back down or adapt under Chu Tianyu’s pressure but instead pressed forward head-on.

The moment he made contact, Zhan Yupeng immediately began to groan in pain and regret. As the two streams of energy collided, accompanied by a muffled sound, he felt an immense force hitting him. The energy derived from his Qilin bloodline instantly collapsed, as if encountering its natural enemy, and rushed back instantly. Not to mention the attacks from Chu Tianyu’s energy, even this rebounding force made his chest feel constricted and his throat salty, forcing him to nearly spit out blood. Fortunately, he managed to suppress it at the last moment; otherwise, as the leader of the Dragon Souls, he would have spat blood right after a single attack, losing all face as a leader!

At that moment, Qin Nianran, Ouyang Ziyi, and Xue Feifei, who were behind Chu Tianyu, moved like ghostly shadows in all directions, darting into the formation of the Dragon Souls. Ignoring any plans or strategies like phased attacks, they simply used their hands to unleash energy, disrupting the formation with their powerful true energy. They then moved among the already chaotic Dragon Souls, continuing to train.

Watching this, the two main characters had different reactions. Chu Tianyu, of course, was sweating profusely, thinking, “My young ladies, please be gentle. Don’t get carried away just because you’ve found an easy target. Ah, Amitabha, Great Master, Senior Wu Jing—please forgive me…”

Zhan Yupeng, upon seeing this, could no longer hold back the blood he had just suppressed and spat it out immediately, his face turning pale and his expression grim. Fortunately for him, his subordinates were being chased by those three men in black, so no one paid attention to his situation, allowing him to preserve some of his dignity for now.

Gritting his teeth, Zhan Yupeng prepared to go all out, ready to fight to the death even if it meant transforming into a blood-colored Qilin! The earlier encounter had already shown him the gap between them—a gap that even transforming into a blood-colored Qilin might not be able to bridge. But before he could take any action, Chu Tianyu appeared like a shadow, launching a swift attack. His graceful movements and precise angles left Zhan Yupeng in awe. He had initially thought of using clever tactics to overcome strength, but now he was glad he hadn’t tried to show off.

In this battle, Zhan Yupeng was utterly defeated. He was restricted in every way and felt powerless, as if unable to turn the situation around. Perhaps that wasn’t the best description, but that’s exactly how Zhan Yupeng felt at that moment.

As Chu Tianyu launched his attacks, Zhan Yupeng passively defended himself, as if his master were guiding his moves. He felt as though all his vital energy was under the opponent’s control, moving with every change in the attack. What puzzled Zhan Yupeng, however, was that despite the fierce attacks, they lacked the power of the first direct clash. Though he had no chance to catch his breath under the onslaught, there was no sign yet that he would be defeated quickly. Yet a sense of even greater humiliation arose in Zhan Yupeng’s heart: “A cat playing with a mouse!” The chaotic scene didn’t last long. Just as all members of Dragon Soul, including Tian Zhan, were knocked down, Chu Tianyu suddenly stopped attacking, jumped out of the combat zone, and went over to his accomplices. With a fierce gaze, he scanned them. Qin Nianran and the others realized they had gone too far. They shrugged slightly and blinked playfully. Presumably, under their black masks, Xiao Xiang would even stick out her tongue. Faced with such expressions, Chu Tianyu could do nothing but look apologetically at the members of Dragon Soul below, including Tian Zhan, silently begging for forgiveness. Fortunately, it seemed they were only temporarily unable to move and were not seriously hurt. Chu Tianyu knew that although the three of them had gone too far, he still wouldn’t dare cross the line. “What’s the problem? It’s only natural to repay debts. If you can’t pay, don’t try to act innocent or rely on having more people to dodge responsibility! No way! My title as ‘Gold Medal Debt Collector’ isn’t given lightly. Hmph! I advise you to hurry up and pay me, or don’t blame me if I get rude!” After observing the situation, Chu Tianyu shouted loudly at the entire hall. “You… who exactly are you? What debt do you talk about?” Zhan Yupeng finally managed to break free from Chu Tianyu’s attacks. He felt utterly exhausted—unable to muster even a trace of vital energy, let alone the strength of an ordinary person. So when he heard Chu Tianyu’s arrogant question again, he could only speak in short, gasping bursts. “Of course it’s the debt they owe us! Stop pretending to be stupid. Pay quickly, and everything can be settled!” Chu Tianyu continued to shout. “Who exactly owes you money? Can you explain clearly?” Zhan Yupeng said helplessly with a gloomy expression. By now, he had cursed that debt-ridden jerk hundreds of times in his mind. He truly felt wronged!

“Of course it’s Han Dali! Aren’t you guys his bodyguards? Damn it, this kid has enough money to hire so many bodyguards but doesn’t even think to give me some back! Ugh!” Chu Tianyu waved his fists, pretending to be angry.
“We… we don’t have anyone named Han Dali here,” Zhan Yupeng racked his brain for a long time before stuttering out.
“No way… isn’t this No. 51 North Chang’an Road?” Chu Tianyu asked in surprise.
Hearing this, Zhan Yupeng felt a sharp pain in his chest, his blood boiling, and he almost spat out more blood. Even Tian Zhan, who was not far away, felt a sense of helplessness and utter frustration…
“This… this is South Chang’an Road…” Zhan Yupeng said with difficulty.
“Damn it! They got it completely wrong—going in the opposite direction, wasting all my time! Guys, let’s go!” Without paying attention to Zhan Yupeng, who was holding his chest in despair, or the members of the Earth Dragon Souls scattered around, he turned and left with the three people behind him. In the blink of an eye, their figures disappeared into the vast night sky outside!
“Pfft…” Zhan Yupeng finally couldn’t hold back and spat out more blood again. His body was almost unsteady, and he cried out in frustration, “What the hell is going on here?”
…
“Tianyu, didn’t you say you came to collect interest from the shop? Why are you being so lenient with that Zhan guy?” Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran, who had changed clothes and regained their normal appearance, were sitting around a small bar. Ouyang Ziyi asked skeptically.
Qin Nianran and Xue Feifei also looked puzzled. Clearly, Ouyang Ziyi’s group was equally confused.
Chu Tianyu listened while drinking up the Jack Daniel’s in his glass, then smiled at the girls. “Don’t you think punishing him like this is the best form of interest?”
“What do you think?” Ouyang Ziyi replied indifferently, clearly not taking him seriously.
“Tianyu, are you worried about something?” Xue Feifei asked sensitively.
Qin Nianran, though silent, appeared deep in thought, as if pondering something.
Chu Tianyu played with his glass, ignoring Ziyi and Feifei’s questions. Suddenly, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and after a long while, opened them under the anxious gazes of the girls. Slowly, he said, “Actually, I can’t explain this either. It’s like there’s a premonition that lingers in my mind, refusing to go away!”

At this point, Chu Tianyu paused for a moment. Before they could ask, he continued, “I broke into Dragon Soul tonight to test this premonition of mine, and taking control of the Chu family is also for this reason!”
“What premonition?” the three women, including Qin Nianran, asked in unison.
“Didn’t the master say there’s some mysterious force? But my desire to ascend from the Dragon Realm, from the Purple Beard True Dragon choosing its master when I was young to the awakening of the Earth Dragon Core now—it seems like everything is preparing for something! This might sound a bit far-fetched, and there’s no evidence yet, but since what happened that night occurred and a large number of experts with the energy of heaven and earth appeared, it at least proves that the force the master mentioned truly exists.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Nianran seemed to have figured it out as well and suddenly interjected, “So, your visit to Dragon Soul this time to confront Zhan Yupeng isn’t just out of personal grudges; it’s mainly to test his true strength and see if he’s the mastermind or a key figure in this force! If not, then let him go for now and leave a clue to catch a bigger fish, right?”
“Oh, I see. In that case, not only will we leave a clue, but with the strength Chu Tianyu has shown, our Mr. Zhan Yupeng will surely become suspicious…” Ouyang Ziyi also realized it suddenly.
“And the more suspicious someone is, the more likely they are to make mistakes!” Xue Feifei added, her eyes shining with wisdom.
Chu Tianyu felt relieved. Talking to smart people, especially smart women, was truly a pleasant experience!