Xu Ke had just sent the message.

Wong Qifu replied quickly.

"Where's the get-together?"

"Jincheng Hotel," Xu Ke replied.

After a moment of silence, Wong Qifu responded, "Alright!"

Xu Ke couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, she added, "Don't go messing around with any young girls."

"I know, I know," Xu Ke replied, breaking out in a nervous sweat.

* * *

After booking the hotel and finishing his texts with Wong Qifu, Xu Ke began to meditate to recuperate and heal his wounds.

Ouyang Shuang's assault had been too fierce, clinging to him like a maggot in the bone, and Xu Ke still hadn't managed to completely dispel its lingering effects.

This sounded a major alarm for him.

Even when he had used his wits, and despite Ouyang Shuang's severe lack of intelligence, a single palm strike from her had still been enough to leave him unable to care for himself for seven or eight days.

This prompted Xu Ke to self-reflect. He needed to be even more cautious in the future!

He had made a grave error. Even though his current cultivation was only at the Acquired Middle Stage, he was still unconsciously influenced by the habits he had developed when he was at the peak of the Innate Great Perfection realm. In other words, Xu Ke still harbored the illusion that he was at the Great Perfection level.

But that was all in the past.

I have to correct this, he resolved inwardly.

However, if anyone else found out that Xu Ke, a mere Acquired Middle Stage cultivator, was still relentlessly self-reflecting after having killed Ouyang Shuang of the Innate Realm… they would probably beat their chests and stomp their feet in frustration.

What is there to reflect on? You killed someone from the Innate Realm and only suffered injuries that would take a few days of sleep to recover from. What more could you be dissatisfied with? Did you really think you could kill someone from the Innate Realm without a single scratch?!

* * *

After his recuperation session, Xu Ke turned off the lights and went to bed, planning to get some sleep.

But to his surprise, his phone suddenly rang.

RING, RING, RING…

The ringing, like a death knell, was particularly jarring in the dark, silent room.

Xu Ke felt he had to complain…

Why have I been on the phone all day?

But when he saw the caller ID, his eyes widened.

It was Xu Zhenguo.

Xu Ke's father!

Why would he call at this hour? Xu Ke's expression changed. His father rarely called; if there was anything to discuss, it was usually his mother who sent a text. Why is this so out of character?

As he thought of this, a sense of foreboding washed over him.

"Dad, what's up?" Xu Ke answered.

"Xu Ke…" Xu Zhenguo's voice sounded weary.

"What's wrong?" Xu Ke's expression shifted again.

"I acted rashly last time I came to Tianhai, which caused a misunderstanding. So, this time I thought I'd give you a heads-up…" Xu Zhenguo sounded unnaturally awkward as he spoke.

In truth, the father and son rarely spoke privately, so Xu Zhenguo always felt a bit reserved around his son.

"Yeah, go ahead," Xu Ke said.

Xu Zhenguo took a deep breath. "Your mother and I, along with your second uncle, third uncle, and your youngest aunt, are planning a trip to Tianhai. When are you free?"

Xu Zhenguo was thinking that he had already mistrusted his son once, even rashly following the Siao Family to confront him. Although this new situation was significant, he figured there might be more to it. Therefore, he planned to schedule a time to sit down and talk properly with his son.

Hearing this, Xu Ke was taken aback. He could understand his parents coming.

But why are my second uncle, third uncle, and youngest aunt coming too?

"How about the day after tomorrow? I'm free then."

After pondering for a moment, Xu Ke couldn't figure out why they were making such a big production of it, but with his parents and other elders coming, he couldn't possibly refuse.

"Alright, then… you should get to bed early." Xu Zhenguo paused before finally speaking.

Seeing his father's hesitation, as if he had more to say, Xu Ke couldn't help but ask, "Dad, is something the matter?"

He had basically already guessed the reason for their visit.

"No, it's nothing." Xu Zhenguo shook his head. "You get some rest. We'll talk when we meet the day after tomorrow."

Seeing that his father was unwilling to discuss it over the phone, Xu Ke didn't press him.

"Then you get some rest too, Dad."

"Okay, you too."

"Alright."

The father and son exchanged a few pleasantries like well-acquainted strangers before hanging up.

Xu Ke gave a wry smile. Their conversation was even more formal than one between strangers. But that was how he had always communicated with his father.

After hanging up, Xu Ke stared at the dark ceiling as it was gradually illuminated by the moonlight from the window. He leaned against the headboard, lost in thought for a while, his mind becoming a tangled mess.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes to sleep.

* * *

He woke at eight the next morning.

When he pulled back the curtains, the sunlight felt very warm.

Xu Ke planned to go out in the afternoon, so after having breakfast in his room, he began brewing medicinal herbs and cultivating. He had to admit, he was very grateful that the apartment he rented was large enough to move around in. Otherwise, he would have found it a bit difficult to fully stretch his limbs right now.

After cultivating, Xu Ke was drenched in sweat and decided to take a shower.

As he went to the balcony to collect his clothes, he peeked downstairs.

Just as he expected.

After yesterday's incident, no reporters dared to loiter outside his building anymore. This was primarily because the people pulling the strings didn't dare to make another move so soon.

After a quick look, Xu Ke turned and went into the bathroom.

Once out of the shower, Xu Ke saw a text message from Wang Wu.

"Mister Xu, the Young Miss is unable to speak with you directly, so she asked me to inform you of the situation."

"The reporters downstairs from your apartment last night have been fired and permanently banned from the journalism industry."

"However, their companies claim that these people were all interns blindly pursuing hot news stories. Since they hadn't signed official contracts yet, the companies declared they had no connection to them."

"Therefore, they refused to take responsibility for the incident. However, the Young Miss has already forced them to suspend operations for a month."

Reading Wang Wu's message, Xu Ke chuckled.

Although Wang Wu hadn't gone into detail, the message alone was enough for Xu Ke to imagine how domineeringly Wong Qifu must have acted to force their suspension. A one-month suspension might seem like a light punishment, but Xu Ke knew it was the most Wong Qifu could do at the moment.

First, there was no evidence proving the companies had ordered the reporters' actions, making it impossible to legally connect them. Furthermore, Qiang Zi had been discharged from the hospital yesterday. There were no medical records to support the claim that he was ever sick, so even a lawsuit wouldn't lead to a strong indictment.

Second, there was another crucial point: these companies were backed by the Ye and Huang families. If Wong Qifu truly forced their hand, the Ye and Huang families could just as easily retaliate against the media companies under the Wang Family's control. If it devolved into a tit-for-tat exchange, there was no telling how long it would drag on.

Thinking this, Xu Ke shook his head. It seemed his actions yesterday had done little more than drive off the reporters and hand his enemies a minor setback they had to suffer in silence.

However…

A slight smile touched Xu Ke's lips.

Dealing with the people behind the scenes can't be rushed. Just as Wong Qifu said, nothing can be achieved overnight. I still have a chance!

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