When Luo Xiu walked out of the gate of Antique City, he immediately saw Brother Dong and Yao Xinna kneeling at the entrance. Upon seeing him, the two hurriedly kowtowed and apologized.

Luo Xiu had no desire to dwell on the matter, so he told them to let it go.

Brother Dong and Yao Xinna were moved to tears of gratitude.

Then, looking at Yue Tianyang with tears in his eyes, Brother Dong said, "Boss, I've been with you for many years. Even if I haven't made major contributions, I've certainly put in the effort. I've never asked you for anything...

"This time, I'm begging you, please spare Xin Na. Don't force her to leave Henghai Province."

Yue Tianyang's face was expressionless. "Take it up with Mister Luo."

Brother Dong quickly turned to Luo Xiu and slammed his forehead to the ground in a heavy kowtow.

"Mister Luo, please, I beg you to spare Xin Na! She's carrying my child... I truly want to be with her!"

Looking at the kneeling Yao Xinna, Lin Xiyue suddenly felt a pang of pity for her. She spoke softly to Luo Xiu, "Setting aside her character, she is a genuine business prodigy. We could have her work for Shen Luo Company."

Luo Xiu smiled, then turned his gaze to Yao Xinna. "Would President Yao be interested in working for a small company?"

Yao Xinna was taken aback. "Mister Luo, what do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

"My company is in Sea City," Luo Xiu explained. "It's also a pharmaceutical company, which is right in your field of expertise."

Lin Xiyue took out a signed business card and walked over to hand it to her. "When you get to Sea City, use this card to find my secretary. She'll arrange everything for you."

"If you work in Sea City, you won't have to leave Henghai Province. Besides, Sea City isn't far from the provincial capital, so you can come back to visit anytime."

"Thank you!"

"Thank you, Mister Luo! Thank you, President Lin!"

Wiping away his tears, Brother Dong added, "As it happens, I'm also going to Sea City to take over Xiang Laoer's and Tao Laosi's positions."

Lin Xiyue smiled. "In that case, the two of you won't have to be separated."

After leaving Antique Street, Luo Xiu and Lin Xiyue headed straight back to their hotel. Luo Xiu had already arranged with Ye Ningxue to go to the Ye Family estate that afternoon to draw the sword.

As they were driving, Luo Xiu, who was riding in the passenger seat, asked, "Why did you decide to let Yao Xinna off the hook just now?"

Lin Xiyue chuckled. "Yao Xinna is truly talented. Taking this opportunity to poach her for Shen Luo Company can only benefit us.

"Of course, that isn't the main reason. It was mainly because I heard she was pregnant, and I could see that Brother Dong genuinely loves her. I suppose my heart went soft."

Luo Xiu smiled. "You're just too kind."

"It wasn't some deep-seated grudge," Lin Xiyue retorted, a little defensively. "There's no need to push people into a corner. Besides, I'm just repaying malice with kindness. The world of business is a battlefield, constantly changing. Having one more friend and one less enemy is a way of leaving a path open for yourself."

Luo Xiu muttered softly, "You have so many grand principles for every occasion."

"Oh, right," Lin Xiyue said, suddenly remembering something. "Since we're recruiting Yao Xinna for Shen Luo Company, we have to give Chairman He a heads-up."

"Why do we need to give Elder He a heads-up?" Luo Xiu asked, confused.

"It's a matter of social grace and a form of respect for Chairman He," Lin Xiyue explained. "Chairman He fired her because of you. Now that you're recruiting her for your company, you should at least inform him. Even if your medical techniques are unparalleled and Chairman He can't wait to curry favor with you, an act like this would still bother him, at least a little. Since Chairman He respects you so much, you should certainly show him respect in return, right?"

Luo Xiu glanced at Lin Xiyue, a sudden sense of admiration welling up inside him. He felt like he had learned a great deal from her.

But he couldn't admit defeat verbally. "You were the one who recruited her."

"Aren't we in this together?"

"Who's in this with you?"

Lin Xiyue shot him a sideways glance. "As if anyone would be eager to be with you. The moment we divorce, I'll turn around and find a man to marry. I'll even send you an invitation. You'll have to give me a big red envelope."

Luo Xiu chuckled. "Who'd be the sucker that takes you on?"

"There's a whole line of them. I am stunningly beautiful and successful. Handsome men are lining up for me."

Annoyed, Luo Xiu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "I'll kill those sons of bitches and make you a widow for life."

Lin Xiyue giggled. "Alright, that's enough. hurry up and call Chairman He."

Luo Xiu looked at her profile, his gaze softening with a trace of tenderness.

It would be nice to spend a lifetime like this with her, just bickering back and forth and living a simple, peaceful life.

***

After lunch, Ye Ningxue arrived at the hotel to pick up Luo Xiu. Lin Xiyue did not go with them to the Ye Family estate; instead, she went to the Provincial Capital Martial Association. She was going to see the Martial Association President to discuss the business deal she had mentioned to Luo Xiu that morning—sponsoring the association.

***

The Ye Family estate was far larger than Luo Xiu had imagined. He had thought the Sun Family's grand manor in Sea City was immense, but it simply couldn't compare to this.

In the outskirts of the provincial capital, a range of green mountains undulated across the landscape, their terrain steep and perilous. The majestic Ye Family estate was perched right in their midst. A dedicated highway had even been constructed at the mouth of the vast mountain valley, leading straight into the city.

「Ye Family Forbidden Grounds」

Luo Xiu stood on the stone steps, which were blanketed with fallen leaves and moss, as he sized up Elder Ye. From her aura, he could tell that her strength was comparable to Yue Tianyang's.

"Grandmother, this is my master." Ye Ningxue went to Elder Ye's side, taking her hand as she introduced her precious master.

Elder Ye stared at Luo Xiu without a word, but her expression was very displeased.

She had assumed Ye Ningxue's master would be a very old man. Who would have thought he'd be a young man not much older than Ningxue herself! Not only that, but the young man looked sickly. Judging by his aura, he was in the Body Refinement Phase at best!

Luo Xiu clasped his hands in a salute. "Junior Luo Xiu greets Elder Ye," he said politely.

Elder Ye snorted coldly, ignoring him.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yue Tianyang quickly interjected, "Let's not delay. Mister Luo is here to draw the sword, so we should head over."

With another cold snort, Elder Ye turned and walked toward the deeper parts of the Forbidden Grounds.

If Luo Xiu weren't here specifically to draw the sword, she really would have slapped him dead. A young man in his twenties, with the strength of the Body Refinement Phase at most, dared to be the master of the Third Miss Ye! The very idea was a disgrace to the Ye Family! In her mind, the naive and innocent Ye Ningxue must have been deceived by some handsome boy's sweet talk. Fortunately, Ye Ningxue was still untouched; she hadn't been completely fooled by this little bastard. Otherwise, regardless of whether he was here to draw the sword, Elder Ye would have killed him on the spot to vent her rage!

***

After walking for about ten minutes, the group arrived at the deepest part of the Forbidden Grounds. A waterfall cascaded straight down from a cliff dozens of meters high. On either side of the cliff, banyan trees grew with a wild, untamed freedom, like masterpieces of nature.

Below the waterfall was a large pool. Strangely, despite the waterfall's immense size, it made no thunderous sound as it plunged into the water. In the pool, four round stone platforms protruded from the surface, and on each platform sat an elderly woman, cross-legged.

These were the four Elders of the Ye Family.

Elder Ye stopped at the edge of the pool and turned to face Luo Xiu.

"According to the rules, to draw the sword, you must first challenge the four Elders and then the Family Head," she stated. "Of course, you don't have to defeat them." Her eyes filled with disdain. "With your power, you couldn't defeat them even if you trained for several lifetimes."

"What counts as passing the challenge?" Luo Xiu asked, unbothered by her mockery.

"As long as you can force one of the Elders' feet to leave the stone platform, you will have passed," Elder Ye stated flatly. "You can then go to the cave behind the waterfall to face the Family Head's test. Only after passing that can you attempt to draw the sword."

"If I do pull it out," Luo Xiu asked, "does the sword really become mine?"

Elder Ye let out a soft, mocking laugh. "How utterly ridiculous. You're merely earning the qualification to try. Actually pulling it out is impossible.

"That sword has been stuck there for hundreds of years. Countless people far stronger than you have tried and failed to draw it."

"It's best to clarify things beforehand," Luo Xiu said with a smile, "to avoid any disputes later."

Elder Ye huffed coldly and stepped aside.

"The challenge begins!"

"Do I go directly into the pool to fight them?" Luo Xiu asked.

"You may use any means at your disposal," Elder Ye replied impatiently.

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