Duan Chongfeng had originally thought that Xu Ke, with his humble origins and having suddenly caught Wong Qifu's eye, would have become arrogant and domineering after the events of the past few days. But now, it seemed that was not the case.

"Care to sit for a bit?"

Xu Ke was taken aback for a moment before laughing. "Certainly. If Boss Duan welcomes me, I'm more than willing."

At his words, a faint smile tugged at Duan Chongfeng's lips. "Please."

"Of course," Xu Ke nodded.

Seeing Duan Chongfeng and Xu Ke turn their swords into plowshares so instantly, the surrounding crowd was stunned. The reversal had been far too quick. However, they also understood the reasoning behind it. Xu Ke's strength was not to be underestimated. If they had tried to detain him by force, Duan Chongfeng himself might have been injured. It was far better for everyone to get along peacefully like this.

In truth, Duan Chongfeng never wanted to make an enemy of Xu Ke. He knew everything Xu Ke had done. Even if he had the power to suppress Xu Ke, it wasn't worth the risk of being harmed should Xu Ke find an opportunity to strike. Even Ouyang Shuang had been careless and lost her life. Duan Chongfeng wasn't confident he could face Xu Ke without getting hurt. Being injured over two brainless fools like Yang Dong and Yi Ju was, in his opinion, utterly unnecessary.

However, seeing his subordinate killed before his eyes, he had to say something. How else could he answer to his men? But now, Xu Ke had offered him a way out. This was exactly the outcome Duan Chongfeng had hoped for, allowing everyone to de-escalate the situation gracefully.

Xu Ke walked toward Duan Chongfeng and whispered to Qiu Mingli, "Teacher Qiu, let's go inside together."

"Alright." Qiu Mingli's legs trembled slightly, but he did his best to hide his fear. He knew he had to face this situation with Xu Ke.

"Aren't you going to send your Teacher Qiu home?" Duan Chongfeng asked, walking up to Xu Ke and glancing at Qiu Mingli. He had noticed at a glance the man's terrified but forcibly restrained expression.

Hearing this, Xu Ke smiled. "I imagine that as a guest on Boss Duan's territory, I won't have to worry about Teacher Qiu's safety."

He knew Duan Chongfeng was testing him. If Xu Ke were still deeply wary of Duan Chongfeng, the logical move would be to send Qiu Mingli away first. After all, if Duan Chongfeng planned to spring a trap, Xu Ke might be able to handle it alone, but having to protect Qiu Mingli would make things much more difficult.

But Xu Ke also understood another truth. If he let Qiu Mingli leave, the man wouldn't get far on his own. It would be even more trouble if one of the security guards chased him down and dragged him back.

"HAHA!" Hearing Xu Ke's response, Duan Chongfeng laughed heartily. "Good! A fine guest, indeed. Come, today I, Duan Chongfeng, shall receive you as my guest."

He paid no mind to Qiu Mingli; his interest was focused entirely on Xu Ke. After all, there were too many intriguing things about the young man.

The three of them entered the villa and proceeded to the living room. The non-essential security guards were dismissed, leaving only two of Duan Chongfeng's trusted confidants with Xu Ke and Qiu Mingli.

"Go and fetch the Tian City Dahongpao I bought last time," Duan Chongfeng instructed one of his men.

The confidant's eyes widened in shock. The boss is actually bringing out such a valuable item to serve a guest? That Tian City Dahongpao costs over a hundred thousand a pound!

Qiu Mingli's eyes also showed his astonishment. Just how highly does Duan Chongfeng regard Xu Ke to serve something so precious?

"Mister Xu, do you know? I only bring this out for my most distinguished guests," Duan Chongfeng said with a smile, plunking himself down on the sofa.

Xu Ke smiled and motioned for Qiu Mingli to sit beside him before sitting down himself. "You flatter me, Boss Duan. I don't count myself among Tianhai's elite."

Duan Chongfeng let out a great laugh, a strange light flickering in his eyes. "Mister Xu, you're far too modest. You killed Ouyang Shuang and the young master Huang Qi right in front of the Huang Family. You crippled Yuk Ming of the Ye Family, made Song Zhong disappear, and sent the fourth young master, Ye Chen, to hell. After doing all that, you're still walking around unharmed, forcing them to resort to media campaigns and public opinion to deal with you. If someone like that isn't a top-tier figure, then our Dapeng Commerce Corporation might as well shutter its doors."

As he finished speaking, the expressions of the two confidants at his side changed drastically. This kept man of the Wang Family is that ferocious? The Ye Family lost two Innate Great Perfection masters and their fourth young master, while the Huang Family lost their eldest young master and an Innate patron... HISS. The two men drew a sharp breath. The Ye and Huang families have been completely gutted! It's a good thing the boss returned when he did. With a temper like that, if he'd come back any later, wouldn't Xu Ke have torn down the Dapeng Commerce Corporation's entire villa compound?

Qiu Mingli, meanwhile, was utterly stunned. He had thought Xu Ke killing Yang Dong at the gate was savage enough. It turned out he had already committed far more explosive acts.

Xu Ke's eyes narrowed. Duan Chongfeng knows everything in such detail. He even knows the result of the life-and-death duel that the Tianhai Martial Alliance kept secret. The Huang Family went to great lengths to hide that information, specifically so the other six great families wouldn't find out they'd lost an Innate Expert. Yet, Duan Chongfeng knows it all. He's no simple man. The power behind the Dapeng Commerce Corporation is definitely not simple!

Aloud, Xu Ke simply said, "Boss Duan, you praise me too much."

Duan Chongfeng shook his head and smiled. "If I didn't know what you were capable of, to be honest..." He paused, his smile vanishing completely. "I would have wanted to kill you just now."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. A chill went down Qiu Mingli's spine. Do all these powerful figures know how to change faces in an instant?

Xu Ke, however, remained unaffected. He replied slowly, "The feeling is mutual. If you weren't so formidable, Boss Duan, I would have wanted to kill you, too."

"HAHAHA!" Duan Chongfeng suddenly roared with laughter. "Good! Very good! That's the Xu Ke I've heard about!"

He knew Xu Ke had understood his unspoken meaning. It was simple. Duan Chongfeng acknowledged Xu Ke's power and his own wariness. At the same time, Xu Ke was responding in kind, conveying that he, too, acknowledged Duan Chongfeng's strength.

"Have some tea," Duan Chongfeng said as his man brought over the cups. He pushed two of them toward his guests. This was Duan Chongfeng's way of showing respect to Xu Ke. Normally, your teacher wouldn't be qualified to drink this tea here. But because it's you, Xu Ke, I'll serve him a cup as well.

"Thank you, Boss Duan," Xu Ke said with a smile, passing a cup to Qiu Mingli.

Overwhelmed, Qiu Mingli quickly added, "Thank you, Boss Duan."

"Don't mention it," Duan Chongfeng replied.

Xu Ke blew gently on the tea, took a sip, and proclaimed, "Excellent tea."

"Oh? Tell me what's so excellent about it," Duan Chongfeng said, setting down his own cup.

"What's excellent about it?" Xu Ke looked at his cup and chuckled. "I couldn't tell you the specifics. I just know that if it tastes delicious, it's good tea."

Duan Chongfeng was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a laugh. "Good. That's a good answer."

"And what makes a good answer?" Xu Ke shot back.

Duan Chongfeng replied, "An answer that's pleasing to my ears."

A slight curve appeared on Xu Ke's lips. "Good."

I'm starting to quite like this Boss Duan! Since that's the case, I wouldn't mind helping him out just this once. If I can forge ties with the Dapeng Commerce Corporation in the process, so much the better!

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