This courtyard is small and exquisite, with a serene environment, and one of the rooms still has its light on.

Gu Yuan stepped forward and looked inside through a gap in the window.

At this moment, a jin-clad youth sat in his seat, frowning silently.

In a lower position, a middle-aged man stood, his bones robust and his hands broad—clearly a martial artist.

"Has Steward Wu not returned yet?"

Qian Yunjie was silent for a moment before asking.

The middle-aged martial artist bowed and replied, "Master, Steward Wu went out yesterday and has not returned since. This matter has already alarmed the lord. I think the lord might summon you for questioning tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Qian Yunjie's frown deepened.

"I was the one who sent Steward Wu out. If anything happens to him, I will also be responsible, and Father will surely not spare me."

"The key is, Steward Wu has always been cautious. Even if something unexpected happened on previous excursions and he couldn't return, he would send a message. But this time, he neither returned nor sent any message—something must have happened!"

Under the candlelight, Qian Yunjie's expression was uncertain:

"I merely asked him to handle a small matter—to kill that Gu Yuan kid. To ensure success, I even allowed him to join forces with Zhang Meng, the second leader of the Cyan Bamboo Gang."

"But unexpectedly, both of them disappeared together..."

"It seems this matter is likely related to that Gu Yuan kid!"

At the mention of Gu Yuan, Qian Yunjie's expression turned unpleasant.

He initially didn't pay much attention to this person.

He had been accustomed to raising dogs since childhood, especially ferocious ones!

Every time he saw his beloved dog tear into its prey, with the prey screaming and struggling, he would feel an unspeakable pleasure!

In the past, he had let his dogs attack and bite people, and some individuals had even been killed by his dogs.

But in his view, those peasants were just worthless lives. If they died, they died—it was at most a matter of compensating with some silver, which was nothing major.

As the young master of the Qian Family, while he lacked many things, he had no shortage of silver!

Each time, Steward Wu would handle the aftermath thoroughly and discreetly.

But unexpectedly, this time something went awry.

The kid named Gu who was bitten by the dogs quietly became a Medicine Gatherer at Jade Cauldron Tower and even rose to be a martial artist. Upon learning this, he took it seriously, planning to have Steward Wu eradicate this threat!

But now it seemed... this matter was escalating.

"Master!"

At this point, the middle-aged martial artist clasped his fists, revealing a hint of ferocity on his face:

"Should I take action and capture that kid for you? If it's really related to him, you'll have an explanation when the lord asks!"

Qian Yunjie hesitated for a moment, then agreed, "Alright, I'll leave this to you!"

The middle-aged martial artist bowed: "Yes! I shall obey!"

Qian Yunjie thought for a moment and added a reminder: "Remember, it's best to capture him, but if not, make sure there are no witnesses left!"

After waiting for a moment without a response,

Qian Yunjie looked up and saw his subordinate's face turning dark cyan as if shrouded in death qi, then he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Immediately, an iron-blue centipede crawled out from beneath him.

Its shell was hard, its mandibles sharp as blades, gleaming in a bluish hue. Its two rows of sharp legs were like iron hooks glimmering coldly as it left scratches on the stone floor, quickly crawling toward him.

"Not good!"

Though not the most valued in the Qian Mansion, Qian Yunjie was no fool. Seeing this, his expression drastically changed, and he instantly recognized the danger.

Without hesitation, he got up and retreated, about to shout loudly.

He understood that this venomous creature was enormous, not an ordinary being, clearly bred by someone, and likely aimed at him.

So, his best course of action was to create a commotion.

The larger the commotion, the more people would be alerted, which meant greater safety for him!

But as soon as Qian Yunjie opened his mouth, a fist smashed into his waist and abdomen.

Bam!

The force of this punch was like a heavy hammer.

With just one hit, Qian Yunjie was lifted off the ground, his ribs cracking with multiple fractures, silencing his words.

Qian Yunjie hit the ground, his eyes bulging almost to the point of popping out, feeling darkness before his eyes, as if his intestines were about to break.

He clutched his stomach, opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

After catching his breath for a moment, he saw a handsome young man standing before him, looking down at him with a sword in hand.

"Ugh... it's... you! Gu Yuan!"

Qian Yunjie gritted his teeth and glared at the handsome young man in front of him, recognizing his identity.

"Yes, it's me!"

Gu Yuan nodded: "It seems you know why I'm here, which is good."

Before he could finish, the sheathed long sword fiercely slammed into Qian Yunjie's mouth.

Smack!

Qian Yunjie's head jerked to the side, all his teeth shattered, half of his face becoming a bloody mess.

At the same time, a dagger in Qian Yunjie's hand slipped and fell to the ground.

Gu Yuan stepped forward, crushed Qian Yunjie's hand underfoot, and a crackling sound of breaking bones was heard.

Qian Yunjie opened his mouth to scream miserably, but Gu Yuan kicked him in the face, forcing the scream back: "Now, I ask, you answer!"

"Where is the patriarch of the Qian Family, your father, now?"

Seeing Qian Yunjie's silence, Gu Yuan drew the long sword and with a swift slash, cut the skin on his neck, letting warm blood flow:

"Not going to speak? Then die!"

"No! Don't kill me! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Despite his cunning, Qian Yunjie had yet to mature through experience. After being battered by Gu Yuan, he was already nervous and overcome by fear.

Feeling the coldness on his neck now, even his lower abdomen was tense with fright, and he didn't hesitate to betray his father:

"My father should be in the study now!"

Though his words were somewhat unclear, Gu Yuan was able to recognize them.

Upon hearing them, Gu Yuan frowned.

"The study, are you sure?"

Qian Yunjie explained: "These days, our Qian family has encountered some business problems. My father has been handling affairs in the study."

"Thank you!"

Gu Yuan nodded knowingly, and with a flick of his wrist, the long sword decisively slashed Qian Yunjie's throat.

"You! Ugh..."

Qian Yunjie fell to the ground immediately, terror and despair evident in his eyes, frantically trying to cover his neck wound.

He struggled like a fish flopping helplessly on the shore!

However, warm blood seeped relentlessly through his fingers, dripping to the ground.

"The cause of yesterday, the effect of today. Qian Yunjie, to end up like this is your own doing!"

Gu Yuan watched this scene calmly, unmoved.

After a while, as Qian Yunjie gradually fell silent,

Seeing this, Gu Yuan exhaled a long breath, as if releasing a load off his chest, feeling relaxed and a gratifying sense of avenging a great wrong!

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