Chapter Forty-Two: Fourth Uncle, You Are Truly Kind

Guanhai Town lies near the coast of Huhai City. Calling it a “town” is no longer quite accurate; it has long since merged seamlessly into the city proper, with no real boundary to mark any administrative division. Scattered villas dot the beaches of Guanhai, but among them, one white, Middle Eastern-style mansion stands out most conspicuously.

This is no ordinary villa. It is a private estate, complete with garden, swimming pool, and fountain—clear evidence that its owner is someone who knows how to enjoy life.

Today, Guowei Xiao had gone nowhere. After rising early and practicing a set of forms, he ate breakfast, then lay back in a reclining chair, perusing the newspaper—a habit he had cultivated over many years.

Suddenly, the phone on the coffee table began to vibrate. He picked it up, glanced at the familiar number, frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then answered the call.

“Hello. No need to buy groceries today. There are still cucumbers and eggplants at home.”

Without waiting for the caller to speak, Guowei Xiao uttered this enigmatic phrase—a set of words that would have puzzled anyone who overheard, as though it were simply a mundane conversation about shopping.

“I’m tired of cucumbers and eggplants. I bought some bean sprouts today.”

Only when he heard the matching passphrase did Guowei Xiao relax; these were their agreed-upon codes.

“Why are you calling at this hour? Isn’t this Xinghan’s phone?” Guowei Xiao asked in a low voice.

He was puzzled. The number belonged to Xinghan Yuan, yet the caller was one of his subordinates.

“Uncle Xiao, Mr. Yuan has been killed!” The voice on the other end trembled with urgency.

At this news, Guowei Xiao leapt to his feet, the old man’s languor swept away, his eyes flashing with sharp light. Xinghan Yuan was his trusted strategist, handling matters that he himself could not be seen to touch. Now, with Yuan suddenly murdered, a sense of foreboding crept over him.

“Do you know who did it?” Xiao’s voice remained calm and measured, though inwardly he was deeply shaken.

“We still don’t know. When we entered the room, Mr. Yuan was lying on the floor, his carotid artery severed. Judging by the wound, the assailant struck with incredible speed. Qiu’er Yu is also dead—her forehead pierced by some sharp object. There were no signs of struggle in the room at all.”

The man on the other end was clearly nervous, his words tumbling out in confusion, but he managed to describe the events and the scene.

“Is that so?” Guowei Xiao muttered, brows knit. The report suggested the killer was no ordinary foe—someone with formidable skill, able to dispatch both victims in a single move, leaving no chance to resist.

When had Xinghan Yuan provoked such an enemy? As far as Xiao knew, aside from his lascivious tendencies, Yuan had no particular vices; it was unlikely he would have incurred the wrath of someone so dangerous. Could the attack have been aimed at Xiao himself?

He shook his head, rejecting the idea. Hardly anyone knew of their connection, and those who did were firmly under his control; there was no chance of a leak. Then who could it be?

Judging by the details of the crime scene, the killer’s abilities might even surpass his own—a conclusion that made Guowei Xiao uneasy.

“Were you able to tell how long the killer stayed in the room?”

Yuan’s death itself did not trouble him as much as the secrets Yuan might have known—secrets that could send him to prison for life if revealed.

“We believe the killer stayed no more than five minutes. When we arrived, the bodies were still warm.”

At this, Xiao’s expression eased slightly, and he continued, “Then investigate at once. Find out who did this, no matter what. I want to see who would dare such a thing.”

He hung up, his face clouded with uncertainty.

Just then, he felt a sudden gust behind him. Instincts honed by years of martial training kicked in—he ducked swiftly, and in the corner of his eye saw a gleaming blade whizz overhead, striking the glass doors with a metallic clang. The reinforced glass was pierced by the small blade, leaving a neat hole.

“Uncle, you know I’ve always been bold.”

Xiao Cheng, having missed his mark, showed no sign of disappointment. After all, Guowei Xiao was a master of internal martial arts, his senses preternaturally sharp—a flying knife would never go unnoticed by him.

“It’s you?”

Guowei Xiao stared in shock at Xiao Cheng, who stood just ten meters away. This wastrel nephew—when had he acquired such power, managing to get so close without Xiao even sensing it?

In his memory, Xiao Cheng had always been an idle scoundrel, his cultivation stalled at the first stage of Foundation Establishment. How could he possess such skill now? And that knife—if not for Xiao’s quick reflexes, it might have ended his life.

The more he thought, the more unsettled he became. Was this even the same nephew he knew? In just half a month, how had Xiao Cheng changed so drastically? And those words—boasting of his boldness—could it be Xiao Cheng who killed Yuan Xinghan?

Xiao could scarcely believe it, but the strength displayed in that single throw was undeniable. That blade had all the lethal force of a bullet.

Yet he was not afraid. He knew his own abilities well. Without the innate cultivation of a true cultivator, no one could hope to defeat him. Only those who had achieved true advancement could command a flying sword; otherwise, a cultivator’s body was fragile, no match for a martial artist in close combat.

He admitted that Xiao Cheng’s newfound strength surprised him, but he refused to believe that a youth so young could already have attained innate cultivation.

“Yes, it’s me. Surprised, aren’t you?” Xiao Cheng smiled, clearly pleased with the rapid shifts of emotion on Xiao’s face—a face that, in all these years, had never changed so quickly.

“Hmph. I am surprised. But what surprises me more is your audacity in coming here. Do you really think, as the only heir of the Xiao family, I wouldn’t dare touch you? If I killed you here, no one would know, nor would anyone suspect me.”

If Xiao Cheng had killed Yuan, he must have uncovered something. Otherwise, why come to his home? Since he knew too much, there was no reason to let him leave alive, nor to hide his intentions any longer.

So what if Xiao Cheng was the family’s only heir? Guowei Xiao would be glad to see him dead—it would mean acquiring that much more of the family wealth.

“Oh? Kill me?” Xiao Cheng laughed nonchalantly. Without the power of the Golden Core, killing him was but an idle dream.

“You truly don’t know your place. Today I’ll teach you a hard lesson and show you how little cultivators really amount to,” Guowei Xiao said, his eyes narrowing, gaze sharp as he locked onto Xiao Cheng with his energy.

“If you’re so confident, perhaps you could answer a few questions first?”

Xiao Cheng showed no sign of haste. Since his surprise attack had failed, he would have to fight head-on; but before that, he wanted answers—he might not get another chance.

“Hmph!” Guowei Xiao snorted coldly, already regarding his nephew as a dead man. “You’re as good as dead already, so there’s no harm in answering. Ask.”

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[This is the third update for November 8th. The previous owed chapter was posted this morning. Thank you all for your support—rolling on the floor, begging for votes and favorites, thank you so much!]

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