"I don't want to repeat myself. Besides, you were there when I made a special trip to the Capital City to speak with the Old Master, were you not?" Elder Ming Daochuan slowly set down his teacup, his murky eyes sweeping over his junior martial brother before speaking indifferently.

"Uh, this..."

The hawk-eyed elder surnamed Ruan gave an awkward laugh, his expression turning helpless. "But Senior Brother, the Old Master has changed his tune now. He wants us to bring Sister Lin back..."

"Bring Little Ling back? Heh, I think you're doing this for that boy, Chen Fei, aren't you?" Elder Ming Daochuan cut him off coldly.

"Senior Brother!"

At this, the hawk-eyed elder slammed his teacup down on the table. The helpless, bitter smile vanished from his face, replaced by a stern expression. He spoke slowly, "No matter what, he's still a member of the Old Chen Family of the Capital City, isn't he? Blood is thicker than water. Don't you think what you're doing now is going too far?"

"Too far? I don't think so at all!"

Elder Ming Daochuan appeared very calm as he responded, but this calmness was somehow even more unnerving. The elder surnamed Ruan couldn't help but pale slightly.

He stared into the other elder's eyes, no longer calling him junior brother but addressing him directly by his name with cold indifference. "Ruan Jing, our positions are not the same, so don't try to impose your twisted logic on me. You should be well aware that Little Ling is like a daughter to me. I will not allow her to be wronged!"

"How is that being wronged? The Old Master himself is willing to renounce his past decision and welcome Sister Lin back. Not to mention Zhenguo is an innocent party caught in the middle with no easy way out..." Ruan Jing argued, unconvinced.

"An innocent party? Is he even worthy of the title!?"

At this, Elder Ming Daochuan suddenly erupted in fury. "He's a coward! Is that how a man, a husband, is supposed to act? If Little Ling hadn't protected him, forbidding me from acting, I would have ended his miserable life twenty years ago! The worthless trash, pah!"

"And another thing. Ruan Jing, you tell me, if this isn't being wronged, then what is? Twenty years ago, because of a single word from the Old Master, Little Ling had to leave the Capital City in disgrace—a widowed mother, all alone with a child only a few years old. Now, two decades have passed, and he thinks he can summon her back with another single word? What is this? Pity? Or does he think that now that she's given birth to a useful son, she has value again?"

BANG!

As he spoke, Elder Ming Daochuan slammed his palm on the wooden table, which instantly cracked and disintegrated into dust. He shot to his feet, his expression glacial. "Ruan Jing, this is my final warning. I don't want to repeat myself again! Otherwise, I'll turn on you without a second thought. And that goes for you, too."

In that instant, even a man like the hawk-eyed Ruan Jing felt as if he had been plunged into a terrifying hell. An immense pressure, as heavy as a mountain, bore down on him. His face drained of color, his pupils shrank, and his breathing grew erratic.

However, the immense pressure receded as quickly as it had come. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He remained silent for a long moment before finally shaking his head with a wry smile. "You old codger, you really... Fine. I won't mention this matter again, and I'll stall for as long as I can. However..."

"However, Zhenjun's son is in dire straits. He's at a most critical and dangerous moment. The old-timers at the Medical Sage Hall, even Xunn Lun himself, are at a loss. But Xunn Lun did recommend a Divine Doctor to the Old Master—a man surnamed Chen from North Mountain City in Jiangnan Province..." Ruan Jing observed his senior brother's expression, his voice growing quieter as he spoke.

If any old-timers from the Capital City's inner circles had been present, they would have been staggered to hear the name "Zhenjun." In the Capital City, there could only be one person with the surname Chen and the name Zhenjun worthy of such a mention, right?

Chen Zhenjun, the Executive Deputy Minister of a certain department in the Capital City and one of the most likely candidates for the post of Minister in the upcoming reshuffle. As an outstanding member of the Chen Family's third generation, he and another third-generation male, Chen Zhenguo, were known as the Twin Tigers of the Chen Family. They both enjoyed a great reputation in the Capital City and the political arena.

"That's the real reason the Old Master sent you, isn't it?" Elder Ming Daochuan glanced at his junior brother, then slowly sat back down, his face an emotionless mask as he spoke coldly.

Hearing this, Ruan Jing shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "Blood is still thicker than water. Besides, Zhenjun's son is innocent, isn't he?"

This time, Elder Ming Daochuan didn't argue. Indeed, a child is always innocent.

"And my true purpose for coming here isn't that. It's about something our Earth Team has uncovered."

Just then, Ruan Jing's tone suddenly grew grave. He looked at Elder Ming Daochuan with a solemn face. "Senior Brother, do you remember the news from Boundless Cliff Mountain from half a month ago?"

"Are you talking about the extermination of the Boundless Palace?"

Elder Ming Daochuan frowned slightly, murmuring, "I seem to recall that the old ancestor of the Boundless Palace, Li Botong, wasn't dead, was he? That old monster had already reached the Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artist stage twenty years ago. How could they... have been annihilated?"

The Boundless Palace was a famous martial arts sect among the Ancient Martial Artists of Huaxia, boasting at least two Strong Innate Ancient Martial Artists. One of them, the ancestor Li Botong, had already reached the Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artist stage two decades prior. Its foundation was incredibly deep, far beyond what the "eleven second-rate Ancient Martial Artist sects" could ever hope to compare with. The difference was obvious.

In fact, to the true insiders of the Ancient Martial Arts world, the so-called "eleven second-rate Ancient Martial Artist sects" were a complete joke. Only a truly great martial arts sect like the Boundless Palace could command their awe and respect.

Entities like the Boundless Palace were known to insiders as hidden sects.

Yet just half a month ago, this colossal entity, the Boundless Palace, was inexplicably annihilated!

When the news broke, the entire Martial Forest was in an uproar. Panic spread as people couldn't begin to imagine what kind of old monster or terrifying force could accomplish such a thing. After all, this was the Boundless Palace.

Therefore, Elder Ming Daochuan was naturally familiar with the incident and was just as astonished.

Although with his own strength, he could also accomplish such a feat without a trace, the question remained: wasn't the brutal slaughter of an entire sect a bit too excessive?

"He wasn't dead at the time, no. But after the annihilation of the Boundless Palace, our people found his body in a secret chamber. What's more… it had been drained dry." Hearing his senior brother's murmur, the hawk-eyed elder took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"Drained dry?" Elder Ming Daochuan's expression twitched violently.

"Yes. I was shocked when I received the report. It seems someone is once again practicing that demonic technique that devours human blood essence," said Ruan Jing, his expression grave. A demonic technique that devours human blood essence... To think it has reappeared in the martial world. This is no laughing matter.

"A demonic technique that devours human blood essence?" Even Elder Ming Daochuan fell silent at these words, his expression turning grim.

He clearly remembered that in all of history, that demonic technique had surfaced three times. Each time, it had caused a bloody maelstrom that shook the martial world, leading to countless deaths and unimaginable chaos. Those events could even be called the three great calamities of the Martial Forest.

To think that demonic technique has appeared again!

"Although it is just speculation for now, the higher-ups are taking it very seriously. And we already have some leads," said Ruan Jing.

"Oh? What leads?" Elder Ming Daochuan's cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light.

"...Tiger Leopard Hall. Luo Zun."

"Him?"

「Meanwhile」

Chen Fei and Dong Jianhui had arrived at the headquarters of Qianhong Pharmaceuticals.

Compared to the petty operations of third-tier workshops and shell companies, this enterprise truly lived up to its reputation as a leading provincial corporation. It was not only majestic and sprawling, but the entire factory complex was also immaculately clean and tidy, with no hint of filth or disorder. It made for an excellent first impression.

"Brother Fei, my classmate said he's not in Tongzhou City right now, but he's already called his older brother to come over. He asked us to wait a bit; he should be here soon. I need to use the restroom first," Dong Jianhui said as they entered the reception building of Qianhong Pharmaceuticals.

Chen Fei nodded. "Alright, go ahead. I'll wait here for you." He planned to find a place to sit inside the building.

But just then, a surprised voice called out from behind him. "Chen Fei? That is you, right? I'm not seeing things, am I?"

Startled, Chen Fei hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance here. He turned his head and saw a young man in his twenties in a suit and tie standing behind him. A particularly eye-catching Rolex was on his wrist, and he looked every bit the successful professional.

After a moment, Chen Fei finally recognized the man's face. "Quan Bowei? Is that you? We haven't seen each other since high school graduation, have we?"

Thinking this, he extended a hand for a handshake, a natural feeling of kinship for an old classmate welling up inside him.

"It has been a long time. How have you been?" Quan Bowei said with a smile, taking Chen Fei's hand. His tone then shifted, becoming subtly boastful. "I didn't go to university after graduation. Instead, I came to Tongzhou to make my way. I've been lucky, and I'm doing quite well for myself now." As he spoke, he casually flicked his wrist, making the flashy Rolex on it catch the light.

Clearly, after not seeing each other for so long and having found some success in business, he couldn't resist showing off a little in front of an old classmate.

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