Qin Shaojun panicked. He was utterly panicked.

It was one thing that his plan had gone awry, but the crucial part was the terrifyingly strong force pulling on his ankle. It felt as if an elephant were dragging an ant.

That's right. He was the ant.

The terrifying force gripped his ankle like the twin Reapers of the underworld, dragging him relentlessly toward hell. Qin Shaojun was now completely submerged in the lake water. Darkness enveloped everything.

Fear. A fear like never before engulfed Qin Shaojun. He had no idea how much of the stinking water he had swallowed, and the foul taste made him want to vomit.

It wasn't until this moment that he realized what a foolish thing he had done. If there was one thing he should never have done, it was underestimate this filthy beggar's strength. If he could turn back time, he would never provoke the man again. But it was too late for regrets.

Soon, Qin Shaojun was dragged to the bottom of the lake, his struggles growing more frantic. Perhaps because he had drunk so much water, he felt his chest was about to explode from the suffocating pressure. Along with it came an even more terrifying sense of suffocation.

Just then, he felt a sharp, sudden pain in his chest, as if something had bitten him.

Before he could even react, the feeling of suffocation intensified. His consciousness was rapidly fading. In less than three seconds, Qin Shaojun stopped struggling.

His body began to float lightly in the water. Resentful, he took one last look at the world, but all he saw was darkness.

Finally, he closed his eyes. His breath was gone, his life force extinguished. Everything returned to darkness.

Lin Xiao surfaced from the water and exhaled a ragged breath. He then called Xiao Shixiong and briefly explained the situation. After hanging up, Lin Xiao quickly left the scene.

On his way back, he received a call from Chu Xiangxue.

"What are you busy with?" she asked with a cheerful laugh.

An image of her enchanting face flashed through Lin Xiao's mind.

"Nothing much. What's up? Do you need something?"

"I just heard that Qingning's bar got trashed. Do you need my help?"

"No need," Lin Xiao said with a chuckle. He knew her presence would annoy Su Qingning even more than Shao Mei'er's did, so it was better if she stayed away.

"Lin Xiao, I mean no harm. I just want to help," Chu Xiangxue said coquettishly.

Lin Xiao laughed. "I know, but there's really no need. Shao Mei'er is already helping."

"What? Shao Mei'er is helping? Then I have to help too."

"Why?"

"Of course I can't let Shao Mei'er be the only one leaving a good impression on the lady! The lady is already wary of me, so I have to seize this chance to get on her good side. If my efforts move her, maybe she won't be so guarded against me," Chu Xiangxue said, her smile like a blossoming flower.

Lin Xiao was speechless. Completely speechless.

"Alright then. If you want to help, head to the bar."

"At your command!"

Just as Lin Xiao was about to hang up, Chu Xiangxue laughed and said, "Oh, Lin Xiao, one more thing!"

"What is it?"

"Does Shao Mei'er secretly call you 'Stinky Dad'?"

Lin Xiao was taken aback. "How do you know?"

"Shao Mei'er told me, of course. So, to be like her, I'll call you 'Stinky Dad' from now on, too!"

What? The country's most sought-after superstar wanted to call him 'Stinky Dad'?

Lin Xiao was at a loss for words. Even if she wanted to get on his good side, there was no need to go this far.

"Chu Xiangxue, you don't have to do this, really," Lin Xiao tried to persuade her.

"Nope! Stinky Dad, I want to keep up with Shao Mei'er," Chu Xiangxue said in a sweet, cloying voice that carried a hint of seductive charm.

Being called 'Stinky Dad' like that nearly sent Lin Xiao's soul fleeing his body. He quickly hung up the phone. That was too damn stimulating.

Just after returning to the city, Lin Xiao received another call, this time from his second master, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Machine Pavilion.

"You little scamp, Su Qingning's bar got trashed?"

Lin Xiao wasn't the least bit surprised his master knew. After all, the old man was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Machine Pavilion. The entire organization was said to have tens of thousands of disciples, all of them collecting intelligence every second of every day.

"Yes, it got trashed."

"So, what's her next move?"

"She's going to keep running her bar," Lin Xiao replied.

"Kid, are you daft? Why are you letting her keep running that little bar? Didn't you have Xiao Shixiong set up Myth Corporation? Just give it to her! It was meant for her anyway. Su Qingning is at a low point in her life. Wouldn't she be so moved that she'd offer herself to you? That way, you could get your cultivation back in no time!"

Lin Xiao had to laugh at his master's words. "Old man, do you think I haven't tried? She doesn't believe a word I say. In fact, to this day, she still thinks I'm just a beggar."

"Then prove it to her!"

"You think I don't want to? She won't even give me the chance. Besides, that bar is crucial to her reclaiming the Su Corporation. She values it more than her own life. I've tried to persuade her more than once, but she insists on sticking with it."

Hearing this, even the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Machine Pavilion was at a loss for words.

"So what's your plan? You're just going to keep playing these games with her?"

"I'll take it one step at a time," Lin Xiao said gloomily.

His second master heard the helplessness and frustration in his voice and couldn't help but chuckle. "You little scamp, I understand how you feel. You're basically a max-level character trapped in the starting zone. It must be infuriating!"

Lin Xiao felt like crying. He was touched by his master's words. "Second Master, you read my mind."

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Machine Pavilion chuckled. "Alright, kid. Focus on getting your cultivation back. Bei Kuang's cultivation is formidable, so be careful he doesn't decide to make a real move on you. If he does, with your current power, you won't even have a chance to fight back. Your Dragon Bodyguard can block his attacks, but if he stabs you through the heart with a sword, you'll die instantly. Understand?"

His second master's tone grew grave.

Lin Xiao nodded grimly. He didn't need the reminder; he was well aware of the danger. "I'll speed things up, Second Master."

The Pavilion Master acknowledged him. "By the way, Second Master, have you found anything on Shen Jingzhe's background?"

"I'm looking into it. It's like that girl just sprang out of the ground. She won't even tell you her sect, probably because she's afraid you'll learn her secrets. Be careful when you're around her."

Lin Xiao chuckled. "That won't be necessary."

"Oh? You have a way to deal with her?"

"I have my third master's poisoning skills to thank for that," Lin Xiao said with a sly smile.

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Machine Pavilion was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Good kid, you're a cruel one. Alright, no more chitchat. I'm hanging up. Oh, right, don't forget to search for the River-Mountain Chart. Let me tell you, it holds a great destiny. If you can find it, you might just become truly invincible."

"Second Master, what exactly does the River-Mountain Chart look like?"

"I don't know the specifics, but I've heard it's written on a sheepskin scroll," his master said nonchalantly.

BOOM!

A shock jolted through Lin Xiao's heart.

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