Sea City Riviera, Number One Villa.

As soon as Luo Xiu entered the lobby, he saw Sun Li, Su Shanyue, and Xu Qianqing already waiting for him.

With hands on their hips, the three women glowered at him, each brandishing a "weapon." Sun Li held a mop, Su Shanyue was armed with a spatula, and Xu Qianqing brandished a hot water kettle. Their stance made it clear they were determined to have it out with him, once and for all.

Sun Li took the lead, charging toward Luo Xiu and brandishing the mop menacingly.

"Xiu, you're back just in time! We need to settle some accounts!"

Ordinarily, Luo Xiu would have begged for mercy or fled with his head in his hands, but he was in no mood to play along right now.

"Come on… is there any part of you three I haven't seen?" he said dismissively. "I accidentally saw you bathing. Is it really worth making such a big deal out of it? As if the three of you could beat me, anyway."

"Alright, we'll deal with this later. Qianqing, go boil some water. Quickly."

"Xiao Li, Yueyue, grab some quilts and bring them to the yard. Hurry!"

Luo Xiu spoke rapidly, then turned and strode out of the lobby.

Not long after, the three women brought the requested items out to the yard. A sudden wave of cold washed over them, causing all three to shiver violently.

This is supposed to be a summer night, so why is it as cold as the dead of winter?

But soon, they understood why.

"Xiu, what's wrong with Lin Xiyue?!" Sun Li asked anxiously, her eyes fixed on Lin Xiyue, who was lying on the lawn.

Luo Xiu knelt beside Lin Xiyue, placing his right hand on her abdomen. Gritting his teeth against the bone-chilling cold, he quietly infused a trace of Spiritual Energy into her. "I don't know either," he said. "Put those things down and step back, or you'll get frostbite."

"Qianqing, go fill the bathtub with hot water. The hotter, the better."

A long while passed. Once Lin Xiyue's condition had stabilized and her body temperature had risen slightly, Luo Xiu wrapped her in a thick quilt and carried her into Xu Qianqing's room.

The bathtub was already filled with steaming hot water, and Luo Xiu dropped her straight in. In just a moment, however, the entire tub of hot water froze solid. The steaming tub was now emitting billows of frigid air.

"Oh my god… this is too terrifying."

Wrapped in a thick down jacket, an astonished Sun Li peeked her head through the bathroom doorway. Su Shanyue and Xu Qianqing, similarly bundled up, peered in from the doorway behind her. The three women stood there, looking like a trio of cute, bundled-up figures.

Luo Xiu stared at Lin Xiyue in the tub, his expression grave. He had never encountered a situation like this before, neither in medical texts nor in his own experience. But he was certain of one thing: this wasn't an illness. At least, as far as he knew, no illness could make a person this cold.

Right now, Lin Xiyue's body was like a block of thousand-year-old Mysterious Ice. What was even stranger was that despite being this cold, she was still alive. It was a good thing Luo Xiu could withstand such a chill; an ordinary person wouldn't even be able to get close to her.

"All of you, get out for now. Don't disturb me."

After the three women had left, Luo Xiu took a deep breath, reached into the frozen tub, and tore off what little clothing she had left. With no other option, Luo Xiu could only channel his Spiritual Energy into Lin Xiyue's body to help her resist the encroaching cold.

…

The night was exceptionally long for Luo Xiu.

By the next morning, Lin Xiyue's body had returned to normal. She woke up as if nothing had happened. She climbed out of the bathtub and found herself completely naked. Her torn clothes and stockings lay in a soaking wet pile to one side. She hastily grabbed a bath towel to wrap around herself before stepping out of the bathroom.

Just as she left the bathroom, she saw Luo Xiu napping on the small sofa beside the bed.

"Luo Xiu," she called out softly, her beautiful eyes trembling.

Luo Xiu slowly opened his eyes. "You're awake? How do you feel?"

Looking at Luo Xiu's weakened state, Lin Xiyue pressed her lips together. "I'm fine. What about you?"

Last night at Cao Hong's villa, she had fallen ill and lost consciousness shortly after Luo Xiu arrived. She had no idea what happened after that, or how he had managed to rescue her. But seeing him in this weakened state, she was sure he must have sustained serious injuries.

Luo Xiu watched her for a moment. After confirming she was truly okay, he heaved a long sigh of relief. "I'm going to get some sleep. Stay here and don't leave. I have questions for you when I wake up."

With that, he climbed onto the bed—not caring whose it was—and was asleep within seconds. He had spent the entire night consuming his own Spiritual Energy. Even the medicinal power of his Qihuang Technique, which had just recovered to fifty percent, was completely drained.

As a result, Luo Xiu was incredibly weak right now. Even an ordinary person could easily overpower him.

…

…

「Cao Family Courtyard.」

Cao Ende looked at Cao Hong on the stretcher, his old eyes brimming with tears, his heart filled with soaring rage. Despite the efforts of the private doctors, their attempts were ultimately futile. Cao Hong's life wasn't in danger, but he would never be a man again.

He only had this one son, and now his family line was severed. Only he could truly comprehend the depths of his own despair.

"Dad…" Cao Hong began, his voice weak amidst the silence.

Cao Ende hurriedly wiped his tears and leaned closer to the bed. "Hong'er, what is it?"

"My martial uncle is in seclusion… Call… call my master for me. Tell him what happened… His number is in my phone… Have my master… avenge me…"

"Yes, yes, I'll call him right away!"

Shortly after, Cao Ende dialed the number. When the call connected, he asked cautiously, "Hello, may I ask… are you Cao Hong's master, Bai Shengyun?"

"This is he. And you are? What is the matter?"

"Senior Bai, I am Cao Hong's father, Cao Ende. Here's what happened…" He then briefly explained his son's ordeal and condition to Bai Shengyun.

On the other end of the line, Bai Shengyun remained silent for a long moment before suppressing his fury. "I am not in Hua Country right now and have urgent business to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't come myself. However, I will make a call and have someone come to Sea City from the provincial capital in Henghai to help." He added, "As it happens, the Duan Family in the provincial capital owes me a favor."

"Thank you! Thank you, Senior Bai!" Cao Ende hurriedly expressed his gratitude, his heart filled with astonishment.

He had, of course, heard of the Duan Family from the provincial capital. A powerhouse like the Duan Family owed his son's master a favor? A favor that could be called in with a single sentence? It was clear that his son's master was an extraordinary figure!

"Hong'er, you've truly found yourself a great master!" Cao Ende couldn't help but exclaim, his hope for revenge rekindled.

To be honest, he had no way of dealing with someone that both the West and South Districts couldn't handle. The only thing he could do was apply some pressure to the Lin Family in the business world. But what was the point of that?

Ultimately, solving this matter would require brute force! Fortunately, Cao Hong still had a powerful backer.

…

「Meanwhile.」

The Dragon Heads of the South and West Districts had also gathered. Master Zhao and Master Hu, lying on stretchers, were the adopted sons and designated successors of these two old patriarchs. But now, both men were crippled. It was uncertain if they would ever stand again.

The South District Dragon Head, Xiang Laoer, said, "This Luo Xiu is not easy to deal with."

Tao Laosi, the West District Dragon Head, held a tablet, his frown deepening as he watched the video playing on it. His old, withered hands trembled. He said slowly, "When did Sea City produce such a young expert? I thought Boss Huang's 'Wu Xin' was already the prodigy of the younger generation."

The video showed footage of Luo Xiu taking down their experts inside the villa. Surveillance cameras had recorded the entire incident.

Xiang Laoer said, "But this grudge must be avenged."

Tao Laosi set the tablet down. "Recall all of our experts from outside the city. Then, find Luo Xiu. He either joins us, or we send him to meet King Yan."

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