Volume One, Chapter 61: Forty is the Prime Age to Venture Forth.

The Gu Master calmly emerged after dealing with the old steward who had served the Ye family diligently for thirty years.

“Young master, it’s done,” the Gu Master said with a slight bow.

Ye Qingfeng hurried over and helped him up. “No need for that. You're older than me, and without you, I wouldn’t have gained my family's fortune. You deserve the highest credit. From now on, you are the steward of the Ye family.”

The Gu Master’s face remained expressionless; he merely nodded.

Ye Qingfeng handed him a photograph. “This person—hunt him down. He’s the one who hurt you before. Take care of him. I want to see his corpse.”

The Gu Master accepted the photo and left without another word.

Ye Qingfeng stood behind him, his hand clenched tightly. Only after the Gu Master vanished from sight did he finally release his grip.

...

The Ning family residence, where Ning Rou lived, was in chaos. Ning Que sat on the sofa, facing Ye Qingfeng across from him.

“Chairman Ning, don't be so unhappy. An engagement is a good thing! With our two great families united in marriage, after the wedding, the commercial world of Qing City will be ours to command!” Ye Qingfeng crossed his legs, shamelessly disregarding the fact that he was a guest.

Ning Que, pushed into a corner, could barely contain his anger. “You’re overstepping, aren’t you? The engagement is so rushed, and your father just had an incident. How can you justify what you’re doing?”

At the mention of his father, Ye Qingfeng’s expression changed, and Ning Rou seated nearby felt a wave of unease.

“Heh, Uncle Ning, I see you still have strong opinions about me,” Ye Qingfeng said, his gaze sharp as he stared at Ning Que.

Ning Que, who had managed the corporation for years, would not have had to bow his head to a junior if he had a single reliable cultivator around him.

Ning Rou spoke coldly, “If you want an engagement, do it as scheduled the day after tomorrow. Not tomorrow.”

Ye Qingfeng shook his head. “No, that won’t do. The day after tomorrow is our true engagement—I don’t want anyone causing trouble then. That would be a headache. So I plan to clear them all out tomorrow, and then nobody will disturb my perfect celebration.”

“What... are you planning?” Ning Rou had a vague idea, but dared not confirm it.

Ye Qingfeng yawned. “Obviously, I’ll spread the word and round up all the riffraff. I’ve already found out about Jiang Chen’s friends. Don’t worry—after tomorrow, Jiang Chen and his friends will vanish from Qing City.”

Ning Rou quietly took out her phone from behind her back. This had to be shared with others. When Li Jing Beast contacted her earlier, she’d warned them to act cautiously.

But she hadn’t imagined Ye Qingfeng already knew everything. If Li Jing Beast and the others showed up, they’d walk right into Ye Qingfeng’s trap.

Ye Qingfeng waved his hand, and one of his men, guarding Ning Rou’s parents, snatched her phone away.

“My dear fiancée, are you trying to message your little Jiang Chen, or his friends?” Ye Qingfeng sneered.

Ning Rou gritted her teeth. “You bastard! Monster! Do you even realize how vile your actions are?”

Ye Qingfeng stood, grabbing her chin. “Sorry, I really don’t know what ‘vile’ means. If you say I’m ruthless, perhaps I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Ning Rou tried to break free, but her resistance only enraged him.

Ye Qingfeng raised his hand to strike her. Ning Rou closed her eyes, knowing resistance was futile.

But his hand stopped mid-air.

“I can’t damage that pretty face. When the media comes the day after tomorrow, they’ll criticize me,” Ye Qingfeng said, utterly emotionless, as if this were merely a one-sided transaction.

“Take Miss Ning away and cut off all her communication. I don’t want anyone delaying my engagement tomorrow.”

...

“Kid, your endurance is terrible.”

“Shut up!”

“Hey! What’s that tall thing? Looks like people can live in it!”

“That’s a building.”

“And what about this thing with four wheels?”

“That’s a car.”

“Why isn’t it drawn by horses?”

Inside the jade pendant, Kui Niu gazed at the world through his perspective—towering buildings, bustling streets—and kept asking questions, while Jiang Chen patiently answered each one.

After leaving the secret realm, Jiang Chen didn’t go home. Instead, he headed to Su Yike’s house, carrying his senior sister. She hadn’t entered the city proper; Su Yike’s home was nearby, so Jiang Chen brought her there to recuperate.

The security guard at the gate, seeing Jiang Chen, immediately went inside to fetch Su Chenglong.

Before long, Su Chenglong came rushing out, looking anxious.

“Divine Doctor, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t returned, the sky over Qing City would have fallen!” Su Chenglong’s words left Jiang Chen, fresh from the secret realm, bewildered.

“Slow down—what happened? I don’t understand,” Jiang Chen patted him on the back, signaling him to calm down.

Su Chenglong caught his breath. “Ning Rou... Ning Rou is getting married!”

Jiang Chen glanced at his sleeping senior sister on his back. “Getting married? Impossible, I haven’t been notified. Besides, I’m supposed to be the groom, but there’s no wedding planned.”

Su Chenglong nearly choked. “No, Ye Qingfeng is forcing her. He broke Ning Company’s funding chain and all partnerships. The Ning family is isolated. Ning Rou agreed for the sake of her family’s business.”

Upon hearing the full story, Jiang Chen’s expression fell silent for a moment. He spoke softly, “When did this happen?”

“These past few days. They’re holding it tomorrow, but the official news says the day after tomorrow. I suspect it’s a trap, deliberately luring you in,” Su Chenglong replied, having bought the information from insiders. From the start, he knew something was amiss.

Jiang Chen didn’t rush to act. Instead, he quietly pulled out his phone and made several calls.

“Uncle Su... are you interested in destroying the Ye family and joining forces with the Ning family to become the second largest enterprise?” Jiang Chen asked with interest.

“Our company’s market value is nowhere near enough. Shanshui Group backs them, and they even have connections abroad. I’m just a small company—I can’t provoke them,” Su Chenglong replied seriously.

Jiang Chen only smiled. “Uncle Su, think carefully. If I dare to suggest it, that means I have a way.”

For a moment, Su Chenglong, once entangled in indecision, recalled Jiang Chen’s past feats, and resolved, “Let’s do it! Forty is the perfect age for adventure!”