At this moment, Qin Qing came over and said, "I think Qin Jiuyou’s master, the Valley Master of Seven Killings Valley, is the Er Gouzi you two are talking about."

"What’s your basis for that judgment?" Ye Xiu asked.

Qin Qing didn’t respond to him; she remembered she was currently giving him the cold shoulder and couldn’t break character.

So, she said to Chloe, "We only arrived in Guoyang last night, and Qin Jiuyou showed up this morning. Obviously, his master, the Valley Master of Seven Killings Valley, has been closely monitoring my movements."

"The reason he didn’t make a move against me in Jin Ye City is because his intelligence network is likely limited to Hexia Road, or perhaps just Guoyang, which is why he knew as soon as we arrived."

"His haste to target me shows that he not only knows Ye Xiu but also holds a grudge against him."

"Furthermore, if Er Gouzi had passed the Seven Killings Blade Intent to the Valley Master before he died, or if the Valley Master had simply obtained the Seven Kills Blade Intent Manual, he would have no reason to be hostile toward Ye Xiu."

"Therefore, I conclude that Qin Jiuyou’s master, the Valley Master of Seven Killings Valley, is the same Er Gouzi that you and Ye Xiu mentioned."

Ye Xiu mulled over Qin Qing’s analysis without responding.

"Madam, your analysis makes a lot of sense, but there are a few inconsistencies," Chloe said, voicing her doubts.

"First, if the Valley Master of Seven Killings Valley is indeed Er Gouzi, and he commands a vast intelligence network, why didn’t he act when the Young Master was in Han Jin City? The Young Master has been in Guoyang for several days, so why did he only make a move today?"

"Second, Er Gouzi is one of the few people who understands the Young Master best. He’s well aware of the Young Master’s power. Why would he send a mere Third-Realm War God like Qin Jiuyou to capture you?"

After a moment of thought, Qin Qing said, "Those two questions aren’t hard to answer. Er Gouzi was an undercover agent in the Long Family. Previously, all members of the Long Family were in Hundred Flowers Valley. Even after Ye Xiu forced them all out, Er Gouzi still wasn’t in Guoyang. He only came here with Long Tianhao after Ye Xiu’s men looted the Long Family’s funds, which is why he’s officially making his move now."

"As for why he sent Qin Jiuyou to capture me, he might have been unaware of your strength and didn’t know Ye Xiu was here."

Chloe was left speechless, her mind completely thrown into disarray by Qin Qing’s analysis.

"I’m sure of it. Qin Jiuyou’s master, the Valley Master of Seven Killings Valley, is Er Gouzi," Ye Xiu finally spoke up, his voice grave.

"I’m not sure of the reason why he didn’t make a move in Han Jin City or when I first arrived in Guoyang."

"But sending Qin Jiuyou to capture Qin Qing was, in effect, sending him to his death. He wanted to use Qin Jiuyou to tell me that he’s still alive. He’s provoking me."

Chloe was greatly startled. "Could it be," she said, shocked, "that Er Gouzi now has the strength to challenge the Young Master?"

Qin Qing also realized this possibility. She was about to question Ye Xiu but turned to Chloe instead. "Is Er Gouzi very strong?"

Chloe nodded. "Five years ago, his strength was already formidable. The Young Master once said that he has the greatest talent for Martial Arts he has ever seen, bar none. Five years have passed; no one knows how powerful he has become."

Qin Qing’s heart sank. No longer in the mood to keep up the pretense of quarreling with Ye Xiu, she asked, "Who exactly is Er Gouzi?"

Ye Xiu did not respond.

Qin Qing was taken aback. What’s with him? I’m talking to you now, and you’re giving me the silent treatment?

Chloe quickly explained, "Er Gouzi is a scar on the Young Master’s heart. He doesn’t want to talk about it, so please don’t ask, Madam."

"Is Er Gouzi a woman?" Qin Qing asked.

Ye Xiu and Chloe stared at her, stunned. Qin Qing’s imagination was running wild. How could she even think of that?

"You’d better tell her," Ye Xiu said, his expression dark.

"Oh!" Chloe nodded and began to explain. "Ten years ago, the Young Master was sold to a training camp in Xipoloya. There, he met a fifteen-year-old Xuanse boy. That was Er Gouzi."

"After spending some time with him, the Young Master discovered his incredible talent for Martial Arts. Out of admiration for his talent, and because they were both from Xuanse, the Young Master treated Er Gouzi like a real younger brother and personally taught him Martial Arts."

"After the Young Master massacred the Xipoloya training camp, he officially debuted under the name Huang Quan and formed the Thirteen Protectors. Er Gouzi was the thirteenth member under his command."

"Five years ago, Er Gouzi betrayed him without any warning. He secretly conspired with the number one power in Sodinans at the time and lured the Young Master into a steel room filled with bombs, nearly blowing him to pieces."

"Later, the Young Master struck him down with a palm strike that shattered his heart meridian."

After hearing the story, Qin Qing finally understood why Ye Xiu was so reluctant to mention Er Gouzi. Anyone would be scarred for life by the betrayal of someone they treated like a little brother. She had never imagined that during his ten years abroad, Ye Xiu had not only experienced such a betrayal but had also survived such a close brush with death.

"This is trouble!" Qin Qing frowned and said to Ye Xiu, "Since Er Gouzi dares to provoke you openly, it must mean he’s confident he can defeat, or even kill, you."

Chloe added, "Er Gouzi knows you very well, Young Master. If he reveals your identity to the Long Family, everything you’ve done until now will have been for nothing."

Seeing how anxious they both were, Ye Xiu couldn’t help but laugh. "I’ve told you many times, there’s no one on Earth stronger than me. No matter how talented Er Gouzi is, how can he compare to my hacks?"

Qin Qing and Chloe exchanged a glance. They suddenly realized that Ye Xiu’s earlier dark expression wasn’t because he was wary or fearful of Er Gouzi, but because the very mention of the name reminded him of the betrayal.

"Wash your hands. Time to eat!" Qin Qing snapped back into character, entering the villa with a stern face.

Ye Xiu was speechless.

Darling, I should invest in a movie for you. Just go be an actress!

"Young Master, should I take the Madam back to Jin Ye City?" Chloe asked.

"No need. You’re both safer in Guoyang," Ye Xiu said.

"But, um, what if Er Gouzi comes after us personally? I... I can’t beat him," Chloe said hesitantly.

Ye Xiu chuckled. "If you want my help awakening your Purple Pupil to the Third Stage, just say so. Alright, I’ll help you after we eat."

"Young Master, you’re the best!" Chloe jumped up with excitement and bounced into the villa to wash up for dinner.

Ye Xiu smiled. Just as he was about to follow, his phone rang.

The caller ID showed an unknown number.

Ye Xiu answered, and a hoarse voice came through the receiver. "If I’m not mistaken, Qin Jiuyou is already dead, isn’t he?"

"Er Gouzi, why bother?" Ye Xiu said calmly. "You sent Qin Jiuyou to his death just to let me know you’re still alive. There’s no need to disguise your voice."

"As expected of the big brother I admire most. You really did guess I was still alive through Qin Jiuyou," the voice on the other end replied.

"Can you tell your brother how you survived?" Ye Xiu asked curiously. "You know my Medical Skills aren’t bad. People I personally kill are supposed to stay dead."

"I’ll send you a location. Come over, and we can talk face-to-face."

"Alright!" Ye Xiu agreed readily. So Er Gouzi wants to fight. Where on earth did he get this confidence?