"I think so."

Xu Ke nodded slightly. "If I'm not mistaken, they plan to kill me after I leave the auction."

Tang Yingchang added, "And if they find an opportunity inside the Deyun Hotel, they won't hesitate to act."

Staring at the sunset outside the window, Xu Ke said, "I'm not too worried about being in the Deyun Hotel."

"Why is that?"

"This is the Bai and Xie Families' territory. If something were to happen here, it would affect their reputation... They won't let anyone run wild on their grounds."

"Shi Hongda and his men are at the peak of the Innate Great Perfection realm. They probably won't care about the Bai and Xie Families," Tang Yingchang said, judging them by his own standards. He figured that if he were in Shi Hongda's shoes, with his enemy right there, he'd seize the opportunity to kill. As for those two families, what the hell did they have to do with him?

But Xu Ke shook his head with a smile. "Their motivation for targeting me is rooted in their families' interests. If they make a move in the Deyun Hotel, they'll offend both the Bai and Xie Families at the same time, which would have a major impact on their own clans. They aren't that foolish."

He understood Tang Yingchang's perspective. As an Innate Martial Artist with no family ties, Tang Yingchang had been independent for many years and acted with few restraints. Even when he stayed at Wang Yu's home years ago, it was only because he planned to use her, not because he genuinely wanted to depend on the Wang Family.

Tang Yingchang mulled it over before saying gravely, "Mister Xu, we still can't be careless."

"I understand."

Xu Ke chuckled. "I'm just worried we'll both start becoming afraid of our own shadows."

Tang Yingchang nodded.

Just then, Xu Ke's phone began to ring.

RING, RING, RING.

He smiled at Tang Yingchang and walked into the living area to answer it. The suite was spacious; in addition to the bedroom with two beds, it had a separate living room.

"Qifu."

"You've arrived in Sui City?"

"I'm at the Deyun Hotel now."

"Did anything happen on the way?" Wong Qifu was as direct as ever.

"Before I got to the Deyun Hotel, everything went pretty much as expected," Xu Ke replied. Except for the matter with Qiu Mingli.

But Wong Qifu's focus was elsewhere. "And after you arrived at the Deyun Hotel?"

The way he said it implied something had definitely happened there.

"After I got here, I ran into a small group from the Northern Dragon Guard. Their leader was a woman named Bai Qian'er..." Xu Ke then explained the whole incident, how Bai Qian'er had grabbed his hand and refused to let go to test his strength, which led to a conflict with Xie Jinhua.

After he finished his story, Xu Ke was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Would you be jealous?"

Wong Qifu, who had been listening intently, sounded baffled. "Why would I be jealous?"

"She... She wouldn't let go of my hand..." Xu Ke stammered. He'd been worried Wong Qifu would be upset about this...

Wong Qifu laughed in disbelief. "Are you a child? Do you really think I'm that possessive? Why would I be jealous over something like that?"

Xu Ke asked, "You're not?"

Wong Qifu went quiet.

Finally, she said slowly, "...I'll deal with you when you get back."

Xu Ke broke out in a cold sweat. "I was just kidding, just kidding."

"Anyway, about her wanting to duel you, you should accept. It would be good to have a friend from the Bai Family," Wong Qifu said, getting back on topic.

"No," Xu Ke refused. "She'll probably come looking for me for sparring experience in the future anyway. There's no need to give her a beating now."

"You're really that arrogant? You completely dismiss her," Wong Qifu said, exasperated but amused. "She's the number one expert of the Northern Dragon Guard's younger generation, you know."

Xu Ke's tone showed he thought nothing of Bai Qian'er's strength.

"I'm being serious. If it were me back in the day, I wouldn't have cared even if Yu Kangan himself showed up," Xu Ke said, starting to boast.

Wong Qifu completely ignored him and changed the subject. "Besides that, did anything else happen?"

Xu Ke then told her about Shi Hongda's arrival.

After listening, Wong Qifu said, "Be careful of Shi Hongda. Watch yourself whenever you go in or out."

Her concerns were the same as Tang Yingchang's.

Xu Ke chuckled. "It shouldn't come to that. This is the Deyun Hotel, the Bai and Xie Families' turf. They'll be wary of the two clans and won't dare make a move."

"So what if it's the Bai and Xie Families' territory? If they get a chance, they will still kill you. Don't think you have them figured out just because you outsmarted them once. They're much bolder than you think," Wong Qifu said, her tone sterner than Tang Yingchang's had been. "You're usually cautious. Don't let this small victory make you arrogant. Understand?

"You need to understand something. In the world you're facing, the saying isn't 'an arrogant army is doomed to defeat,' it's 'an arrogant army is doomed to die'."

She could ignore his nonchalance about Bai Qian'er's strength, but this was a matter of life and death. She had to snap him out of it.

Xu Ke was stunned into clarity. "Right!"

Wong Qifu's words were a wake-up call. He had grown proud after successfully luring the tiger from the mountain to evade a fatal encounter, then using another's blade to eliminate Lin Zhongtian, accomplishing two things at once. Even his actions today at the Deyun Hotel had been far more conspicuous than usual. That was why he felt he had a grasp of Shi Hongda's group's psychology. But the world was unpredictable; no one could be absolutely certain of anything. He couldn't be so confident! He felt a surge of belated fear. Thankfully, he had people like Wong Qifu and Tang Yingchang by his side. If no one had been there to snap him out of it, he might have been completely destroyed...

Wong Qifu didn't dwell on the subject, knowing Xu Ke had taken her words to heart. She changed topics. "This morning, I made some time to visit my aunt. She was still asking about Pang Xin."

After he had shared his news, it was her turn to tell him about her day. Since they couldn't be together every day, whispering sweet nothings, their romance relied on sharing their daily happenings to feel close to one another.

"So, what did you say?"

"Pang Xin is back in the country, so I had someone record a video to show my aunt. She cried a lot. She said she truly regrets taking things so far, especially after finding out how incredible your medical skills were. She said she regretted opposing you the moment she learned of them."

Xu Ke remained silent. He knew Wang Yu's regret must be genuine by now. After all, she no longer had the power to even see Pang Xin.

Wong Qifu was quiet for a moment before remarking, "A parent's love truly knows no bounds."

"Then why not let her out?" Xu Ke suggested.

But Wong Qifu just laughed. "Impossible. If we did that, how could we enforce the Wang Family's rules? Besides, even if we were to release her, there would have to be preconditions."

"What kind of conditions?" Xu Ke asked, surprised.

"Either Wang Tianlu dies, leaving her powerless to cause any more trouble," Wong Qifu explained, "or you become so powerful that you fear no scheme."

Xu Ke gave a wry smile. "That's a long way off."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll wake up tomorrow morning to find that a trove of ancient artifacts has been inexplicably unearthed from Haojing's imperial tombs, just waiting for you to cultivate with them," Wong Qifu teased.

Xu Ke was speechless. "You might as well wish for lightning to strike Wang Tianlu dead."

"Didn't you just say you wouldn't be afraid even if Yu Kangan showed up? But now you're saying you can't become strong enough to be immune to schemes?"

"I was just boasting..." Xu Ke managed to admit.

"Hahaha..." Hearing him back down, Wong Qifu giggled delightfully, her voice melodic.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Just as they were talking, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Xu Ke spun around, his voice sharp with caution.

"Hello, we're staff from the auction," a soft, unhurried woman's voice replied from outside. "We're here to check Mister Xu's invitation and to conduct an asset verification."

After telling Wong Qifu he had to go, Xu Ke called out, "Elder Tang, could you please get the door?"

"Yes, Mister Xu!"

Tang Yingchang opened the door. "Please, come in."