Fang Chu dug a shallow pit and buried Zhao Pinglu.
Then, clutching his bruised backside, he limped up the mountain road.
His mind was full of rage that needed an outlet.
Going after Miao He right now wasn't realistic—he wasn't yet arrogant enough to ignore the "cleaners" and attack her in broad daylight.
So…
A woman's face surfaced in his mind—Li Yun.
It was time to make his move on her.
He'd known Li Yun for three years, ever since marrying into the Guo family. Over the years, he'd done plenty for her family. Now it was time to collect what was owed—with interest.
Li Yun was a strong woman, but she had one fatal weakness: her daughter, Zhao Yingying.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu was driving with Feng Yue, having already explained things to Zhang Que.
The excuse was simple: Feng Yue needed to go on a business trip, and company security would be left in Zhang Que's hands.
Zhang Que agreed readily, even asking to exchange contact information—surprisingly, with Xu Mu rather than Feng Yue.
He said if he ever left, he'd notify them in advance.
"Boss, take a left onto the highway," Feng Yue said from the passenger seat with a smile.
Xu Mu looked over in mild surprise. "You rented a place in Jiang City?"
"That's right," she nodded. "It feels safer there."
"Fair point," Xu Mu replied, merging onto the highway.
When they reached Jiang City, Feng Yue began directing him through familiar streets.
Xu Mu frowned. Why did this road seem so familiar?
Then it hit him. "Wait—this is the way to my house."
"What a coincidence," Feng Yue said with a playful grin. "The villa I rented just happens to be in your neighborhood."
Xu Mu glanced sideways at her as he drove through the gates of the villa community. "Which one?"
"Just park in front of your house," Feng Yue said, winking.
"Don't tell me you're planning to move into my place," Xu Mu said as he parked. "Not that I'd complain—the house is big."
"Of course not," Feng Yue said as she got out and opened the trunk. "A proper mistress keeps a respectful distance from the madam of the house."
Xu Mu watched as she lifted her luggage and turned away. "Why so mysterious? You're not even gonna let me know which one's yours—"
He stopped mid-sentence as she walked to the villa next door, tapped in a code, and the gate opened.
Xu Mu blinked, dumbfounded.
Well, damn. She was literally living next door.
He started wondering if she could hear anything when he and Ye Tong were "remodeling" at night.
Still, one thing was certain—his Divine Eye perception covered her villa. He could keep tabs on her movements easily.
"Relax, Boss," Feng Yue said with a teasing smile, waving goodbye. "I'm a woman with strong boundaries. I'll stay far away from your wife."
Xu Mu shook his head with a helpless grin. Having her next door wasn't such a bad thing—it meant she'd be safe.
And Feng Yue wasn't like Dai Xingluo; she wouldn't do anything to harm Ye Tong or Ye Yu.
Since it was still early, Xu Mu decided to check in on Meng Wanyue.
But before he could go far, his phone rang. He almost forgot about this person—Feng Jian.
"Brother Xu! Where are you? What about my medicine?"
He got straight to the point.
Xu Mu figured since the Feng family incident was over and the guy had helped him a little, he might as well heal him.
After all, Xu Mu was a man of compassion and justice.
"I was just about to call you," Xu Mu said. "I begged the divine physician again, and he gave me an even better formula. Wait for me a bit."
He hung up, went home, and used some mid-grade spiritual herbs to refine a pill.
Once it was done, he texted Feng Jian, who replied that he was at Ningbing Yinxue Hotel in Jiang City.
Xu Mu immediately drove over.
The Xu family owned two five-star hotels in Jiang City—one named Rumu Chunfeng, after Xu Mu, and the other Ningbing Yinxue, after his sister Xu Ningbing.
When Xu Mu's car pulled up, the hotel guards recognized the license plate and hurried over to greet him.
Everyone knew the infamous young master's temper—anger him, and the consequences would be dire.
Xu Mu headed inside. As he entered, he overheard two men nearby speaking in Japanese.
With his language proficiency certificate, Xu Mu understood them perfectly.
"Third floor, the Japanese restaurant."
He murmured to himself, then extended his perception to scan the entire third floor.
After sweeping through the area, he detected a familiar presence—Shingū Fūka.
It was the same woman he'd seen outside Feng Yue's company gate, chatting with Zhang Que.
Even more surprising, Feng Jian was also on the third floor.
Xu Mu frowned. What was a woman like Shingū Fūka doing here in Jiang City?
Someone of her caliber always meant trouble.
He followed the two Japanese men into the elevator. They went silent when they noticed him, speaking no further.
When they reached the third floor, they headed toward a private dining room, while Xu Mu went to Feng Jian's table and sat across from him.
"Brother Xu!" Feng Jian beamed, pointing toward a nearby private room. "There's a beauty in there—her aura's out of this world."
"You're hopeless," Xu Mu said, sitting down. "Your body's barely functioning and you're still chasing women."
He took out a black pill and placed it on the table. "Here. This should cure you completely."
"It can heal me just like that?" Feng Jian looked astonished, then grew emotional. "Brother Xu, you're a true brother-in-arms!"
After the Feng family's downfall, all the rich brats from Yang City had distanced themselves from him—some even mocked his mother, Chen Cai.
When he couldn't take it anymore and fought back, they called the police. He'd just been released a few days ago.
He'd truly seen the coldness of the world.
Never did he expect that his former rival would be the one to show genuine kindness.
"How's your mother?" Xu Mu asked.
"She's here in Jiang City too," Feng Jian said. "But she's too ashamed to show her face again."
He swallowed the pill in one gulp. "Still, Feng Yue's capable. With her managing things, we'll be fine living off dividends."
Xu Mu nodded—but before he could reply, he noticed a man heading toward the next private room.
The man was sharply dressed, walking with a confident, commanding air. Around thirty years old, his gaze carried the arrogance of someone used to power.
Xu Mu used his Divine Eye to check.
Name: Dai Dongyang
Identity: Son of the Dai family patriarch
Favorability: 0
Fate Level: 2 (Max: 10)
Xu Mu's heart tightened—the second son of the Hidden Dai Family.
The eldest, Dai Xiao, was already dead. And this was his younger brother, Dai Dongyang.
This man was far from ordinary.
"Feng Jian?"
Dai Dongyang, about to enter his private room, suddenly noticed Feng Jian and approached with a mocking grin.