Volume One, Chapter 26: Bear with It for Now.

Ma Minglong and Zhou Hua followed closely behind Ye Qingming the moment he left. Ma Minglong bent over, bowing respectfully as he spoke, “Young Master Ye, that Jiang Chen is truly outrageous. He obviously knows you like the phoenix crown, yet he insists on competing with you for it. Isn’t that blatant disrespect?”

Zhou Hua seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, “Jiang Chen is really despicable. I just saw him take advantage of Miss Ning and touch her hand. Someone who dares to lay hands on the young master’s woman clearly doesn’t value his own life.”

Ye Qingming slipped into the back seat of the business car and beckoned them, “Get in, both of you.”

They climbed in, and Ye Qingming, struggling to contain his fury, asked, “What do you think should be done with this man?”

Ma Minglong and Zhou Hua exchanged glances, not daring to answer directly.

Ye Qingming noticed their hesitation, leaned back in his seat, and said, “Speak freely; I won’t be angry. Just give me a solution.”

Ye Qingming hadn’t shown his aggressive side earlier, but now his gaze was anything but youthful—cold and ruthless.

“Young Master Ye, I suggest breaking his leg. We don’t know him, but since he’s offended you, he can’t get away with it. At the very least, he deserves a lesson,” Ma Minglong proposed.

Zhou Hua chimed in, “One leg is too lenient. Let’s break both; then he’ll know what it’s like to be crippled. That way, he’ll learn never to cross Young Master Ye. Turning him into a wreck is the best punishment.”

Ye Qingming stroked his chin and chuckled, “Not bad. Who would’ve thought you two could be so ruthless? I like it. You really understand me.”

The two exchanged glances and laughed along.

Suddenly, Ye Qingming’s voice turned icy, devoid of emotion, “However, I think your ideas are still too harsh. Jiang Chen is foolish, but he doesn’t deserve to be crippled. That would make me seem unapproachable. But let’s do this: let’s simply make him disappear.”

At once, the air inside the car grew cold. Neither of the two had ever considered taking a life; even though they’d committed misdeeds, murder was never part of their plan.

Ye Qingming grew more convinced of his solution and said calmly, “Butler, take care of him for me.”

From the driver’s seat, a man whose face was hidden replied, “Yes, young master.”

Ye Qingming added, “Remember to record a video. I only care to watch his struggle. You know what I mean—make it last at least half an hour. If he dies too quickly, it’s no fun. I’ll be waiting at the villa; don’t forget to bring his head.”

“Yes, young master.”

With that, the man vanished almost instantly.

Ma Minglong and Zhou Hua were trembling all over. Though they resented Jiang Chen for disrespecting and hitting them, murder was never their intention.

Ye Qingming said, “You two know how to drive, right? One of you take the wheel. In half an hour, let’s see if Jiang Chen’s face is still as arrogant as before.”

Ma Minglong, terrified, had no choice but to drive, his face full of despair.

...

Ning Rou grabbed Jiang Chen’s hand and shoved him into the passenger seat. “Come on, I’ll take you out of the city. If we’re any later, it’ll be too late.”

Jiang Chen replied, “It’s fine. You know my abilities. Remember, even when I was bombed, nothing happened to me.”

Ning Rou, who had been holding back her tears, finally couldn’t restrain them. “Jiang Chen! Do you have to joke at a time like this? Don’t you know that provoking Ye Qingming could really get you killed?!”

Jiang Chen thought to himself, This woman would rather believe I’ll die than believe I can survive.

“Last year, a small-time thug accidentally stepped on Ye Qingming’s shoe in the street. The next day, he vanished. Ye Qingming only received a minor punishment. Last month, the food at Crescent Restaurant wasn’t up to par—the owner’s entire family was expelled from Qingcheng. And that’s the lightest consequence.” Ning Rou’s driving grew faster, her mind calculating the time.

She knew Jiang Chen was a cultivator, even a fairly capable one. But Ye’s family was a colossal force, full of cultivators. The only way to survive was to run, racing against time.

Suddenly, the phone rang, breaking the awkward silence.

Jiang Chen answered, and Wu Wei’s voice came through, “Hey, Jiang Chen, you finally picked up. Get to the police station now and stay there till dawn. After sunrise, I’ll arrange for someone to get you out of Qingcheng. Don’t worry, I won’t betray you.”

Ning Rou’s eyes lit up, “Right! Go to the police station. Cultivators have organizations—even if they want revenge, they can’t kill openly in public. The station is safest; no one can reach you there.”

But just as Ning Rou turned the car around, a shadow appeared behind the sports car. The figure used only one hand to stop the powerful vehicle in its tracks.

“Miss Ning, get out. The one I’m after isn’t you,” the shadow said.

Ning Rou gritted her teeth and stomped the accelerator, “To hell with you! No one touches my man!”

Vroom—

The sports car shot forward, the speedometer hitting its limit.

The shadow faded behind them, but Ning Rou dared not relax for a moment. As long as they hadn’t reached the police station, she wouldn’t stop.

Even though the man beside her had taken her most precious thing, she couldn’t explain it. No matter what, he couldn’t die here.

Jiang Chen was deeply moved. She clearly hated him, but in the critical moment, she still defended him.

“Stop the car, Ning Rou. I can handle this myself,” Jiang Chen urged.

Ning Rou kept her gaze fixed ahead, ignoring him completely.

Suddenly, the car’s speed plummeted; a figure appeared mysteriously in front of them—the same shadow Ning Rou had left behind.

“Miss Ning, please get out. I don’t want to hurt you. Don’t make it difficult for me,” the shadow spoke respectfully, though it was clear his deference stemmed from Ning Rou’s engagement to the Ye family.

Ning Rou took a deep breath. “I’ll stall him—run, quickly.”

She reached out to open the door, but Jiang Chen pressed her hand down. “Wait here for me. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Jiang Chen swiftly pulled out the car key, locking Ning Rou inside.

Stepping out, Jiang Chen finally saw the shadow’s face—an enormous man nearly two meters tall.

The man didn’t attack immediately, but slowly took out a phone and a selfie stick, setting them up.

“Sorry, my master ordered me to torment you for thirty minutes. Please bear with it.”