It was noon in the Noble Private Room of the Ye Grand Hotel. This was the same room where they had negotiated over Li Lang.

Today, the private room was as luxurious as ever. The dining table, covered with a crimson tablecloth, was laden with delicacies and exquisite dishes. However, those seated had no appetite for the food.

Qin Feng looked at Ye Yunfeng, his expression unreadable. "Lin Zhongtian is going to Sui City first, then taking a plane back to Long Capital from there?" he asked flatly.

"Exactly." Ye Yunfeng smiled at everyone. "That's what our sources say. Do you think there's something fishy about it?"

No one spoke, but their silence betrayed their thoughts.

Only Ye Chong, who had a habit of blurting out whatever was on his mind, spoke up. "It is fishy. Why detour when you can fly directly to Long Capital? Something is definitely going on." He then added, "But what does this have to do with us?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the expressions around the table turned strange. Ye Yunfeng's smile froze on his face. Qin Feng and Huang Zhendong exchanged a glance with Ye Yunfeng and chuckled to themselves. Qin Jinghuan simply sneered.

That idiot. If you don't have a brain, you should keep your mouth shut.

Finally, Huang Sheng spoke up. "Everyone knows Lin Zhongtian is Xu Ke's lackey. Xu Ke is going to Sui City in a few days for an auction, and now Lin Zhongtian is mysteriously taking a detour to the same city. It's highly unlikely these two things are unrelated."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chong's expression turned ugly. Seeing the sneers from Huang Zhendong and the others, his face burned with shame, and a sense of grievance welled up inside him.

Qin Jinghuan chimed in, "If I'm not mistaken, Lin Zhongtian's sudden decision to go to Sui City is probably because Xu Ke wants him for protection on the way there."

Qin Feng deliberately asked, "Protection? Why would Xu Ke need Lin Zhongtian's protection? Lin Zhongtian's strength is probably even lower than Xu Ke's."

He wasn't oblivious to the implication behind Qin Jinghuan's words; he only asked to give his son a chance to shine.

Ye Yunfeng, who had just been embarrassed by his son, his expression darkened.

Qin Jinghuan explained with a smile, "Lin Zhongtian's strength may be no match for Xu Ke, but in terms of status, no one in Tianhai has a more revered identity than a Martial Alliance Elder from Long Capital. If someone really ambushes Xu Ke, and even Innate Great Perfection experts like Tang Yingchang can't protect him, the status of a Martial Alliance Elder might make the attackers think twice, saving his life. So, for the next few days, we need someone to keep an eye on Lin Zhongtian. The moment he leaves Tianhai will likely be when Xu Ke leaves as well."

Unable to stop himself from trying to show off, Ye Chong scoffed, "Just for a trip to Sui City? Does Xu Ke really need to be so cautious? If he's taking Lin Zhongtian, why not take all the other Wang Family bodyguards too? As I see it, these two events are unrelated. We don't need to split our forces to watch Lin Zhongtian."

Ye Yunfeng's face truly darkened, and he shot his son a grim glare.

I should have just let Ye Feng handle this. I wanted to give Ye Chong some experience, but all he does is embarrass me!

Ye Chong was frightened by Ye Yunfeng's glare.

What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?

Qin Jinghuan gave a disdainful laugh.

Compared to Ye Fan, this Ye Chong is a complete buffoon.

Huang Zhendong and Qin Feng exchanged looks and shook their heads in contempt.

Huang Sheng shook his head. "Xu Ke's caution exceeds our imagination. Even with the power to kill Qian Jun in a single strike, he still went to the trouble of faking his own poisoning, going to great lengths to deceive everyone. The journey to Sui City might be short, but it's extremely dangerous. It's perfectly normal for him to want Lin Zhongtian's protection to get out of Tianhai. Moreover, once bitten, twice shy. After we've ambushed him so many times, he'd be courting death if he wasn't more cautious."

Hearing this, Ye Chong felt as if he had eaten shit. He finally understood why his father had glared at him.

Qin Feng feigned an epiphany. "So that's how it is! Why didn't I think of that?" he exclaimed with exaggeration. "I must be getting old. My brain isn't as sharp as you young folks anymore."

Ye Chong felt as though Qin Feng's words had slapped him across the face.

Huang Zhendong sneered coldly. "However, Xu Ke might be feeling pleased with himself, thinking he's found a protective talisman. But Lin Zhongtian is just a paper tiger. That status won't save Xu Ke's life!"

Qin Feng added, "This time, since Xu Ke wants to use Lin Zhongtian's status for protection, we'll just kill Lin Zhongtian along with him. From the moment Lin Zhongtian became Xu Ke's lackey, Wong Ting and Alliance Hierarch Yan have wanted to get rid of the traitor anyway. We'll be saving Alliance Hierarch Yan the trouble."

At this, the men laughed triumphantly. They were determined to kill Xu Ke this time.

Having quickly reached a consensus, they all departed without even touching the food.

As the host, Ye Yunfeng didn't seem to mind. He simply stared coldly at Ye Chong after everyone had gone. Even in a temporary alliance, the dispositions of the three families meant that each one naturally wanted to take the lead. Ye Yunfeng was no exception. He was the first to notice something amiss with Lin Zhongtian and had specifically invited everyone to dine at the Ye Grand Hotel for the purpose of seizing the initiative.

Initially, the situation was unfolding just as he'd planned. He had posed the question to the group, and their silence was calculated. They didn't answer him deferentially, like subordinates to a superior, for fear of being led by the nose. But he never expected that his own foolish son, Ye Chong, would single-handedly destroy the atmosphere he had so carefully crafted.

Ye Chong hurriedly bowed his head. "Dad, I was wrong..."

"If there is a next time, I will never bring you to matters like this again," Ye Yunfeng said with a dark expression as he rose to leave.

"Yes!" Ye Chong was drenched in cold sweat.

"Remember, you are also to send someone to watch Lin Zhongtian."

"Yes!"

「Junyue Residence, 22nd floor.」

Xu Ke stood near the windowsill with his back to Feng Wei and Qin Yu, making a phone call to Ye Feng.

Qin Yu glanced at Feng Wei, feeling anxious. Xu Ke suddenly asking her to contact Ye Feng told her something must have happened. But Xu Ke hadn't explained what was going on, which left her feeling nervous and uncertain.

Amidst her unease, the call connected.

"Xiao Yu..." On the other end, Ye Feng greeted her cheerfully. "What's up? Why are you calling your brother?"

However, Ye Feng immediately fell silent when he heard Xu Ke's smiling voice. "Have you eaten yet, Young Master Ye?"

Ye Feng's tone turned very cold. "Xu Ke, what do you want?"

Xu Ke replied jovially, "Young Master Ye, why do you sound so cold when you hear my voice? Is this how you treat your sister's savior?"

Xu Ke could hear the sound of Ye Feng gritting his teeth on the other end of the line.

Suppressing his anger, Ye Feng said, "Xu Ke, get to the point."

"Don't be in such a rush. I just want to chat. Come on, speak to me with that warm tone you just used," Xu Ke teased.

Qin Yu smiled bitterly.

How could her brother possibly tolerate being toyed with by Xu Ke like this?

Sure enough, Ye Feng was on the verge of exploding. "What the hell do you want?!"

Xu Ke's playful tone vanished, his eyes growing cold. "Nothing much. I just wanted to ask... since the Ye Family is planning to kill me, don't you think you ought to let me know?"

At those words, the color drained from Qin Yu and Feng Wei's faces.