When the loud knocking at the Li Family's front door startled Zhang Yushan, she turned her gaze towards Li Ming, who was at gunpoint. She thought it might be Li Jiachang who had called the police.

Seeing the murderous intent in Zhang Yushan's eyes, Li Ming hastily pleaded with a gloomy face, "Big sister, please spare my life!"

At that moment, Li Jiachang burst into the living room, gasping for air and explained with a pained expression, "Miss Zhang, I can guarantee with the reputation of the Li Family that the person knocking isn't someone I, Li Jiachang, called!"

Zhang Yushan glanced at Li Jiachang, her eyebrows tightly furrowed.

"Bang, bang, bang!" The knocking intensified, making Zhang Yushan's heart tremble violently. After a moment of thought, she said to Li Jiachang, "Go and see who is knocking at the door! If it's the police, tell them there are several hostages inside. If they dare to come in, I'll order my men to shoot and kill the hostages!"

Hearing Zhang Yushan say this, Li Ming stood to the side, his face turning pale and his eyes wide with shock.

"Me go?" Li Jiachang was hesitant. Then, seeing the man holding a gun to Li Ming's head beginning to move his finger slightly, as if he were loading the gun, Li Jiachang immediately shouted, "I'll go, I'll go open the door!"

Having said that, Li Jiachang quickly left the living room. However, as soon as his feet crossed the threshold, his pace became unusually slow, as if his feet were laden with lead.

Listening to the sound of Li Jiachang walking away, Chen Hao's gaze shifted, carefully observing the situation in the living room. He noticed that there was a small room on the southeast side of the living room. Moreover, from the couch where he and Ye Yuqiao were sitting to that small room, there were no obstacles in the way—only a tall, posture-perfect bodyguard in black.

Chen Hao thought to himself quietly, "Yuqiao, can you hear me?"

"Mhm!" Ye Yuqiao's voice quickly resonated in Chen Hao's mind.

"If there's a chance later, we'll dash into that small room. Don't be afraid, I will shield you from the bullets with my body!"

"Mm, okay!" Ye Yuqiao's voice was brisk and clear, also pleasant to the ear. After a pause, she added, "I've never felt afraid from the beginning up to now, because... because you are by my side."

As he spoke, Chen Hao could clearly sense Ye Yuqiao's voice growing softer and trembling, as if she were shy!

Chen Hao looked at Ye Yuqiao, and indeed, at that moment, her face was flushed with blush. Suddenly, amidst the tense atmosphere around them, Chen Hao caught a hint of sweetness.

This feeling made him think it was so wonderful!

"Haha!" Chen Hao couldn't help but laugh with pride in his heart, then communicated through thought, "My queen, I love seeing you shy the most, how adorable!"

"Hmph, you're naughty!" Ye Yuqiao chided sweetly.

To Chen Hao's eyes, Ye Yuqiao was no longer the haughty and cold Nether King who had lived for over twenty millennia that he had first met. She was like any ordinary sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl—sometimes cute, sometimes temperamental, sometimes vulnerable, sensitive. She was slowly opening up to him, letting him see the most genuine side of her.

Critically, they were passionately in love!

At this moment, Li Jiachang had already reached the back of the mansion's main door. The knocking had gone from being intermittent at first to a continuous barrage.

After hesitating for two seconds, Li Jiachang still opened the door.

The people standing before him were not police officers, but dozens of locals from Dao County.

Leading these dozens of people was the elderly man who had watched over the inn where Chen Hao and his companions had stayed during the tumultuous night at the ghost market. Earlier, when Chen Hao got out of his car in front of Li's residence, two locals spotted him. Later when they passed by the inn, they told the old man about it.

The old man, worried that Chen Hao might be subject to retaliation from the Li Family for causing a scene at the ghost market, had sent a few kids to squat at the entrance of the Li residence to watch what was happening.

Indeed, the old man's concerns proved correct. From eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon, not only had Chen Hao not emerged from the Li residence, but a few black sedans had also parked in front of it. The kids sent to keep watch had told the old man that around noon, many men in black suits had stormed into the Li Family's home.

So, the elder immediately gathered dozens of people in the town, armed themselves, and came to the Li Family's doorstep demanding people.

"Li Jiachang, where's Chairman Chen? Release him at once!" The elder stepped forward, grabbing Li Jiachang's collar and demanding, his voice full of authority despite his age.

"Old Liu! Listen to me, this—"

"Listen to your bullshit!" The elder harshly cut him off, "Everyone, let's go in and find Chairman Chen!"

With that, the elder pushed Li Jiachang to the side, then fully opened the gates of the Li Family, leading dozens of Dao County locals as they charged inside.

Seeing dozens of farmers, brandishing shovels and hoes, storming into the Li Family with fierce momentum, Zhang Yushan who was standing at the entrance of the great hall, panicked. If it were the police, she could have used the hostage to threaten and stall, but she was at a loss facing so many farmers.

"It's that old guy!" Chen Hao quickly identified the elder in the crowd. "Is he leading people to rescue me?"

Ye Yuqiao's lips curved slightly upward.

"Chairman Chen, Chairman Chen, where are you?" The elder looked around as he loudly called out, still not having seen Chen Hao.

After the elder called out, the dozens of people behind him also started shouting.

Zhang Yushan, who was standing at the entrance, turned her head and looked toward Ye Yuqiao.

A glint of light flashed in Chen Hao's eyes, thinking that the time had come. Immediately, he turned and scooped up Ye Yuqiao, who was sitting beside him, into his arms and sprang up, rushing toward the small room on the southeast side of the living room.

Seeing this, Zhang Yushan's eyes widened with alarm, and she shouted, "Stop him!"

After taking two steps forward, Chen Hao raised his left foot, which was already infused with the power of the Nether, and kicked the black-clad bodyguard who was preparing to shoot at them. With one kick, he sent the bodyguard flying into the wall.

Zhang Yushan was stunned. She had not expected Chen Hao to have such strength! She was shocked for only a second before Chen Hao, still holding Ye Yuqiao, strode to the door of the small room on the southeast side.

With a thunderous "bang," a gunshot echoed! Zhang Yushan commanded a black-clad bodyguard to fire, hitting Chen Hao in the back.

"Ah!" Chen Hao immediately slowed his steps and let out a miserable cry.

Seeing the pained expression on Chen Hao's face, Ye Yuqiao felt her heart being torn apart, as if the bullet had also pierced through her body.

Hearing the gunshot, the dozens of people outside who had been shouting Chen Hao's name suddenly fell silent, motionless.

"Ah!" Chen Hao, who had been shot, gritted his teeth and roared, then continued to run towards the room.

"Bang!" A second gunshot sounded, striking Chen Hao's left leg.

Zhang Yushan squinted her eyes and said coldly, "Chairman Chen, I never wanted to hurt you. You've brought this on yourself!"

Chen Hao's teeth grated together, making a gnashing sound that was heartbreaking to hear, causing Ye Yuqiao to cry uncontrollably.

Seeing the tears in Ye Yuqiao's eyes, Chen Hao immediately felt a surge of energy, thinking that as long as Ye Yuqiao was alright, that was all that mattered! Pushing through the agony of tearing muscles, he continued to move forward.

A third gunshot rang out...

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