"Family Head, the young master might not be able to roll over here right now..." the middle-aged man grunted.

It was his turn to be puzzled. He hadn't wanted the Xie Family to confront Xu Ke on Xie Jinhua's behalf, but in his view, there was no need for Xie Hezheng to be this terrified of Xu Ke. The unshakable pillar of the Xie Family, so frightened by the mere mention of Xu Ke's name that he'd demand his own grandson come rolling over? This went beyond simply 'not confronting Xu Ke.' This was clearly 'fearing Xu Ke'!

"Why?" Xie Hezheng's face darkened.

"He's at the Deyun Hotel, resting and changing. The Eldest Young Master asked him to host tonight's gala," the middle-aged man answered honestly. The 'Eldest Young Master' he referred to was Xie Jinhua's father, Xie Jiancheng.

Xie Hezheng's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Host the gala?"

"Then wouldn't it be easy for that little bastard to make a move on Xu Ke tonight?"

The middle-aged man said nothing, his silence a clear affirmation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Xie Hezheng in the first place. He had been hoping Xie Hezheng would just make a call, tell Xie Jinhua to behave himself, and not cause trouble at the gala.

But Xie Hezheng's next move caught the middle-aged man completely by surprise. He suddenly stood up.

"Family Head, you're..."

"Prepare the car. I'm going to the gala."

"What?!" The color drained from the middle-aged man's face.

This type of small auction was usually held monthly, as long as the items were up to par. Xie Hezheng had stopped attending events of this scale long ago. Tonight's gala was nothing more than a customary dinner gathering, making his decision even more baffling.

He never imagined Xie Hezheng would want to attend! All because of one person, Xu Ke?!

「6:50 PM. Deyun Hotel.」

"Elder Tang, let's go down. The gala is about to start." Xu Ke stood up, putting on the suit that had just been delivered.

He rarely wore suits, but for a formal occasion like an auction gala, he had to show some basic respect. He'd heard that Xie Jinhua was hosting, but his respect wasn't for him. It was for the various major and minor families attending as guests, as well as for the Wang Family and himself. To dress casually for such an event would not only spoil the mood for others but also be an embarrassment to himself.

Tang Yingchang smiled beside him. "Mister Xu, I rarely see you in a suit. Seeing you today, I finally understand why you usually don't wear one."

"Why?" Xu Ke was taken aback.

Could Tang Yingchang have figured out why I don't wear suits?

"I think if you wore one every day," Tang Yingchang said, "you would exude such endless charm that countless young ladies from prominent families would involuntarily throw themselves at you..."

Xu Ke patted Tang Yingchang's shoulder, cutting him off. "Elder Tang, you're a highly respected Great Master. There's no need for this."

He hadn't expected Tang Yingchang to lay on the flattery so thick. Was it really appropriate for a Great Perfection Innate Martial Artist to offer such shameless praise?

"What's wrong with livening up the atmosphere a bit?" Tang Yingchang laughed heartily.

"We shouldn't say such things too often. Even though you're speaking the truth, I'm well aware of the importance of humility..." Xu Ke added, checking himself in the mirror again with a satisfied nod.

Tang Yingchang fell silent.

It was just a joke. He didn't think Xu Ke needed to take it so seriously...

After confirming that each other's attire was appropriate, they left the room and got on the elevator. But just as they stepped through the elevator doors, Xu Ke said indifferently, "Well, it's true what they say about enemies always crossing paths."

Inside the elevator stood three people: Zhuge Changyin, Zhuge Changyang, and Shi Hongda.

Seeing Xu Ke, they began to sneer. "Heh. So it's you, Xu Ke!"

"What's wrong? Scared to come in?"

The hatred spewing from their eyes looked as if it could devour him whole. They would never forget what happened today for the rest of their lives. Seven extraordinarily skilled Innate Martial Artists chasing an empty carriage for hours—the very thought of it was the height of humiliation! They could only thank their lucky stars that no one besides themselves and the dead Lin Zhongtian had witnessed the disgraceful scene. Otherwise, they would have lost their last shred of dignity.

"Elder Tang, let's go." Xu Ke ignored their taunts and gestured for Tang Yingchang to enter.

HUM.

The elevator descended.

Silence filled the car. Everyone appeared relaxed, but beneath their clothes, their muscles were coiled tight.

"We're in Sui City now, not Tianhai. I suggest the three of you conduct yourselves accordingly," Tang Yingchang said calmly.

"Are you getting scared, Tang Yingchang?" Shi Hongda retorted venomously.

Tang Yingchang's gaze darkened, and he was about to speak.

But Xu Ke cut in first, saying with a smile, "Of course, we're afraid."

"But I'm a little less afraid than I was this morning."

"By the way, where's Ye Taiqing from the Ye Family? Why didn't he join you?"

Hearing this, Shi Hongda snorted. "None of your damn business."

Upon arriving in Sui City, the arrogant Ye Taiqing had immediately taken a plane back to Tianhai, unwilling to waste another second with these three.

"That's odd. I saw the four of you drive over together," Xu Ke said, clicking his tongue.

At his words, the entire elevator fell silent.

"What did you say? How could you have seen us?" the Zhuge elders exclaimed in unison, utterly astonished.

Xu Ke saw them?!

"How hard is it to put a camera in a car? I also recorded you killing Lin Zhongtian," Xu Ke stated, brazenly laying his cards on the table.

The faces of all three men turned pale.

Xu Ke saw everything? Did that mean he recorded their most humiliating moment? And if he recorded them committing the murder... then...

"What are you implying? We didn't kill Lin Zhongtian!" Shi Hongda's tone grew sharp. Did Xu Ke mean to say he had evidence against them?

But Xu Ke just waved a hand. "Relax, Elder Shi."

"Did you forget putting on your masks before slapping Lin Zhongtian to death with a single blow?"

The Zhuge elders denied it vehemently. "Hah! Don't slander us!"

They were panicking internally but refused to admit to anything. For all they knew, Xu Ke could be recording them right now. They were wearing masks when they attacked that morning. Even if they were recorded, it would take more evidence to prove the masked figures were them. But if they slipped up now and gave Xu Ke evidence, the accusation would stick, whether it was true or not.

"Alright, if you're not going to admit it, there's nothing I can do," Xu Ke shrugged, appearing to drop the subject.

It seemed like the matter was closed. But the three men didn't believe for a second that Xu Ke was finished. They remained on high alert.

"By the way, I have a question for you. Are you attending the auction?" As the elevator reached the tenth floor, Xu Ke broke the silence with another topic.

"Why do you ask?" Shi Hongda eyed him warily.

By now, Xu Ke had the three old men completely on edge.

They had no choice. They hated being on guard constantly—it was exhausting—but they had no idea when Xu Ke might set another trap.