Before Su Yaoyu arrived, Yaoguang cycled around the city every day, searching for martial artists while using his Perception technique.
The qi and blood of demons were always thick and dense. Even when a demon hid inside a human body, its host's physique would appear more muscular, while a fierce and terrifying aura would radiate from its face.
Demons generally disliked using their brains. As a result, they often hid among martial artists, gang members, and other groups accustomed to violence. Hunting members of such groups was far more efficient than wandering around aimlessly. However, Su Yaoyu's sudden arrival had disrupted Yaoguang's plans. To avoid harming innocent people, he had to postpone the operation for the time being.
Su Yaoyu had clearly come to Yunmeng City to resolve some matter. After leaving Caiyun, she went straight to the local police inspector and asked them to tighten security around Yaoguang, which naturally left the young man speechless.
After the woman left, Yaoguang returned home.
The Su Family found me too easily. Although I wasn't hiding that well, this still proves that my anti-tracking skills aren't good enough yet, he thought as he entered the study.
Various techniques for changing his posture and disguising his appearance surfaced in his mind. At the same time, he turned on his computer, accessed a website, and entered the encrypted key he had taken from the Black Triangle.
The website loaded quickly. Several categories of "services" appeared on the screen, including protection, contract killing, transportation, cleanup, and many others. He opened the cleanup services page and browsed the options. There were plenty to choose from: taking the blame, having charges erased, cleaning up crime scenes, arranging identities, and more.
Yaoguang selected corpse cleanup, entered his address, and indicated that he needed the service as soon as possible.
After paying the service fee of 100,000, he posted a new bounty requesting basic information on every Martial Master in Tiannan Province. Since he only needed basic data, the bounty was not especially expensive—just 300,000.
After submitting the bounty, he browsed the job listings under the "Personal Account" section.
Every job accepted by the Black Triangle cost at least a million. Even their most recent job had been worth fifteen million.
Yaoguang took out the black bank card. This type of card could not be used online and required an actual card reader to process transactions. In other words, the fifteen million was probably still on the card.
With this much money, I can buy medicine to stimulate my potential, then train my body to its absolute limit. Once that's done, I'll be able to complete the blood refinement and marrow cleansing, then set foot on the path beyond the limits of humanity.
He put the card away and looked at the balance shown under "Personal Account." The balance was... zero. Had the money been taken by the surviving member of the Black Triangle, the one moving silently in the shadows?
Regardless, if Su Xiangyang could casually spend fifteen million to hire assassins to kill him, then the man's wealth far exceeded that amount. When the Su Family eventually punished Su Xiangyang, it would not be excessive for him to demand 150 million in compensation for emotional damages.
A moment later, Yaoguang shook his head. Forget it. There was no need. The amount was too large. Those who killed others would be killed in return. A life had to be paid for with a life.
Setting the matter aside for later, he opened the country's largest medicinal-plant website, the Heart-Nurturing Palace, and bought every medicinal plant capable of stimulating the body and strengthening the physique. The total order came to more than ten million.
Before long, the Heart-Nurturing Palace called to confirm the order and agree on the store where the goods would be picked up.
Just then, someone knocked repeatedly on his front door.
After glancing at his phone, Yaoguang walked to the door and opened it. Three men dressed as janitors stood outside, wearing raincoats and masks that covered their faces.
Yaoguang stepped aside, allowing the three men to enter without a word. They immediately got to work. Two packed up the bodies, while the other cleaned away every trace of blood. The entire process was carried out in silence.
In less than ten minutes, their work was finished. They sprayed cleaning solution to freshen the air, loaded the bodies into a janitorial cart bearing the logo of a real company, and pushed it toward the freight elevator.
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing an interior that was surprisingly crowded. Five people were inside; on that day, cargo and passengers were sharing the same elevator. Besides Su Yaoyu, there were Lin Xiaowei, two police officers, and an expert from the martial world.
As the doors opened, Lin Xiaowei's voice rang out. "The Su Family and the Lin Family have been close for decades. I've known you for six years, Yaoyu. Since you asked, I'll do everything I can. I'll track down the Black Triangle and make sure Su Yaoguang stays safe."
"Inspector Lin is the ace of Yunmeng City's task force. And with the help of Advisor Ye Yuhe from the Zhenwu Sect, President Su should be able to rest easy. Yunmeng City will never let any criminal escape," Inspector Zhao added with a grimace.
"Of course. I trust Inspector Lin and Martial Master Ye," Su Yaoyu replied before turning to the woman in the combat suit. "I'll have to trouble you as well."
The woman nodded. She was the junior fellow disciple who had recently been standing beside Xia Wuyuan.
The group stepped out of the elevator just as the three janitors pushed their cart inside. The janitors' uniforms immediately caught Lin Xiaowei's attention.
"Wait," he called.
Almost at the same moment, a voice came from the end of the hallway. "So you all came too?"
"Yaoguang?" Su Yaoyu called out.
He immediately stepped forward and introduced the group. "I brought some real experts to help you. This is Inspector Lin Xiaowei. He graduated at the top of his class from the Royal Police Academy in the Central Capital and has served for six years. He's caught so many criminals that I've lost count."
Then she introduced the woman in the tight-fitting clothes. "This is Ye Yuhe, one of the Zhenwu Sect's finest disciples of the current generation. She holds a nationally certified Level 4 rank from the National Martial Arts Association. You started training about a year ago, right? If you can learn even one move from Martial Master Ye, your strength will improve by leaps and bounds."
Because of the introduction, Lin Xiaowei finally shifted his attention to Su Yaoguang.
Taking advantage of the distraction, the three janitors quickly pushed their cart into the elevator.
"A Level 4 Martial Master?" Yaoguang nodded at Lin Xiaowei before turning toward Ye Yuhe. Through his secret Perception technique, he instantly recognized that the woman had indeed reached the stage of stretching the sinews and strengthening the bones. Judging by her appearance, she seemed no older than twenty-five or twenty-six. In the martial world, strength like that at her age was quite impressive.
"Hello," he greeted her.
Ye Yuhe looked at Yaoguang, her expression showing a hint of surprise.
For just an instant, she felt as though she were standing alone in a forest, being watched by a terrifying predator. This kid only looked to be in his twenties... No, his file said he was nineteen, didn't it?
A nineteen-year-old college student had given her the same instinctive sense of danger normally inspired by an apex predator!
Ye Yuhe couldn't understand it. How was this possible?! She was an association-certified Level 4 Martial Master. She could easily beat a dozen men by herself. How could a nineteen-year-old boy make her feel this chilled? And he was from the Su Family, no less...
According to the information she had received, Su Huaifeng had spent years drowning himself in alcohol. He suffered from a serious illness and was now on the verge of death. His only publicly known son had committed countless heinous crimes, leaving an uncountable number of victims in his wake.
It turned out that his son had hired the Black Triangle to kill Su Yaoguang because they were the only two remaining male descendants of Su Huaifeng. If Yaoguang died, he would become the sole heir to the family's direct bloodline, and the Su Family would naturally protect that sole heir at all costs. However, the plot had been exposed and failed.
Ye Yuhe had accepted Su Yaoyu's request because she had recognized Yaoguang's potential. To her, this was an early investment, an opportunity to help the Zhenwu Sect build a relationship with a future powerhouse.
Since she wanted something in return, it was only natural for her to show respect. As Yaoguang could be considered a representative of the entire Su Family, she could not afford to be careless in the slightest.
"Hello," Ye Yuhe replied with a warm smile, a sharp contrast to her thoughts. "If Young Master is truly interested in the Martial Path, I believe I can offer you some assistance."
"I'm more interested in the people in the martial world," Yaoguang replied. "In Yunmeng City—or even across Tiannan—who are the Martial Masters and Grandmasters?"
Ye Yuhe fell silent for a moment, looking slightly surprised. "Martial Masters and Grandmasters, huh..."
All he asked about were Martial Masters and Grandmasters... But that was normal for beginners. To them, the only people worth paying attention to were those standing at the very peak, Ye Yuhe thought.
She smiled faintly. "Training in the Martial Path means being prepared to endure the bitter cold of winter as well as the scorching heat of summer. Very few people can persevere to the end. For ordinary people, becoming a true martial artist is already an achievement worthy of praise. They can compete in provincial- or city-level tournaments. A Martial Master, meanwhile, can establish a school of their own. As for a Grandmaster..."
She paused before continuing, "That isn't a level you can reach through perseverance alone. Talent, comprehension, diligence, and resources are all essential. If you're lacking even one of them, reaching it is impossible."
"I'd like to know more," Yaoguang said. "Could you explain in detail which Martial Masters and Grandmasters are active in Tiannan?"
Seeing her younger brother chatting so cheerfully with Ye Yuhe, Su Yaoyu smiled. Her effort to personally invite such a prestigious martial advisor had clearly not been wasted, especially since Ye Yuhe was quite beautiful as well. Even if she was a little older, it didn't matter.
As their conversation grew deeper, she chuckled. "Little Brother, aren't you going to invite Advisor Ye inside?"
"Sorry," Yaoguang replied politely.
Although he spent his days killing people and slaughtering demons, he was still, at heart, a well-mannered young man. He gestured politely, inviting Ye Yuhe and the others into the apartment.
Realizing that Yaoguang did not mind being called "Little Brother," Su Yaoyu felt relieved.
"The secrets of the martial world interest me too. Thanks to you, Third Young Master Su, I finally get to hear about them properly," Lin Xiaowei said with a laugh as he followed them in.
"Hmm?" The moment he stepped inside, he smelled traces of cleaning solution. For some reason, the scent felt familiar to him.
"Sit wherever you like," Yaoguang said, drawing his attention back.
"You live quite simply, Young Master Su," Ye Yuhe commented, slightly surprised.
The apartment was about sixty square meters and furnished fairly well. However, considering Yaoguang's identity, it was indeed quite simple.
"Just call me by my name," Yaoguang said.
Regardless of what Yaoguang said, Ye Yuhe would never behave casually around him. Unlike Su Yaoyu, she regarded Yaoguang as the potential heir to Su Huaifeng's bloodline, someone she could not afford to underestimate. She thought for a moment, then began answering the young man's earlier question.
"Since you're interested in the martial world, I'll explain it to you. Let's see... When it comes to Martial Masters and Grandmasters, there are the Ten Tigers of Tiannan and the Three Greats of the North and South."
To show equal enthusiasm, Su Yaoyu quickly added, "Even I've heard of the Ten Tigers and the Three Greats. Their fame extends far beyond the martial world, especially that of the Ten Tigers' leader, Long Daoqi. He won the previous Landlord Cup martial arts tournament. I heard he earned a hundred million in the final match."
"A hundred million?!" Yaoguang looked up in surprise.
"More precisely, he earned 120 million," Ye Yuhe corrected her, then sighed regretfully. "What a shame he was killed by a vicious criminal. It was a tremendous loss. Otherwise, since he had already begun training his organs, it wouldn't have been long before he became a Grandmaster."