"Nothing?" Ye Xiao immediately smiled smugly.

Seeing Ye Xiao smiling so triumphantly, Ling Shuya was infuriated, huffing with anger as she glared at him.

"It's already past two in the afternoon, if we don't eat now, it'll have to be dinner," Ling Hengyu said, his smile growing wider as he listened to Ye Xiao bicker with his precious daughter. If it weren't for Xiong Daoliang's existence, perhaps, this would have been the most beautiful moment.

"Hmph, Dad, you see, Ye Xiao, he's not a man at all, and I'm at least a delicate young lady," Ling Shuya, unable to outtalk Ye Xiao, started to act pitiful.

Ye Xiao, on the other hand, didn't have the slightest intention of pitying the fairer sex and instead said with a smile, "Shuya, to use the term 'delicate' for yourself... don't you think 'fierce' would be a more fitting description?"

Hearing Ye Xiao calling her fierce in front of so many people, a term clearly not meant as a compliment, made Ling Shuya even angrier.

"You..." Ling Shuya grew increasingly irate.

Although Ye Xiao was a bodyguard of the Ling family, he was now the pillar of the family, so Ling Hengyu didn't dare to be too harsh with him and could only smile as he watched.

But Shen Qiuyu knew that even though Ling Hengyu felt sorry for his daughter, he wouldn't dare to say anything. So she immediately turned to Ye Xiao and asked, "Ye Xiao, has your injury completely healed now?"

Hearing Shen Qiuyu suddenly bring up his injury, Ye Xiao boasted with pride, "Of course, I've now completely recovered to my peak condition."

"That's great, it's just a pity that we couldn't help you when it really mattered," Shen Qiuyu said with a hint of remorse.

Shen Qiuyu successfully changed the subject, as her last statement made everyone present feel useless, given that they were indeed unable to offer much help in yesterday's situation.

Ye Xiao immediately replied with a laugh, "How can that be? You all are safe and sound now, and that's the greatest help to me. I don't wish that my friends face mortal danger while I'm fighting. In that case, even if I have the strength, I won't be able to exert it fully."

Although Ye Xiao said this, Shen Qiuyu felt somewhat uncomfortable after the change of topic because she felt utterly useless. She came to Minghai City to find Ye Xiao not to become a burden, but to help him, as per her master's command, and her own wish.

Now, Ye Xiao's enemies were too powerful, and instead of helping Ye Xiao, Shen Qiuyu felt like a dead weight. Although Shen Qiuyu and Zhou Yuyan faced the danger of being kidnapped, didn't she herself face danger too?

Right now, Shen Qiuyu was truly conflicted.

Seeing the expressions of everyone present, Ye Xiao chuckled and said to Shen Qiuyu and the others, "Why think so much? As long as I'm still lucky enough to be alive, I can't let anything happen to you."

Ling Shuya had just been fiercely bickering with Ye Xiao, but now she fell silent.

Ye Xiao was less the bodyguard of Ling Shuya and more the guardian deity of everyone present.

"This afternoon, let's all work hard on our cultivation. As long as Xiong Daoliang is in Minghai City, we can't afford to slack off," Zhou Yuyan said earnestly.

"You, go back!" Ye Xiao told Zhou Yuyan as soon as he heard her words.

"What?" Zhou Yuyan, upon hearing Ye Xiao's words, showed a puzzled face, clearly not understanding what he meant.

Ye Xiao continued, "You should leave early and return to Yan Capital City."

"What?" Zhou Yuyan was very shocked upon hearing this. Ye Xiao was asking her to leave at such a time? In fact, not only was Zhou Yuyan surprised, but everyone else was as well.

"No way!" Zhou Yuyan, being smart, knew Ye Xiao wouldn't ask her to leave without reason. It was clearly because the incoming enemy was too powerful, and Ye Xiao wanted her to leave swiftly to avoid any harm. She glared at Ye Xiao and retorted angrily, "Ye Xiao, what do you take me for? At such a critical moment for everyone, how could I leave? I definitely won't go."

"Ha-ha, a critical moment?" Ye Xiao said with a laugh while picking up some greens, "Who told you it's the most critical moment? And who can prove it? When Xiong Daoliang will come, we don't know; it might be now, or in three months, five months. Maybe, fearing others would learn of his schemes, he won't come at all. So, you shouldn't think so much. Besides, that's not for you to worry about. What you should do now is leave here and go back to Yan Capital City."

Ye Xiao spoke the truth; no one knew when Xiong Daoliang would arrive. After all, Xiong Daoliang had fled with injuries, which needed healing, and he didn't possess healing inner strength skills like the Nine Yang Divine Skill. So, he surely wouldn't arrive too soon. Of course, the most important thing was that Ye Xiao wanted Zhou Yuyan to leave.

The more people stayed, the greater the danger; a danger Ye Xiao intended to block himself, unwilling to let another person be threatened because of him.

"But..." Zhou Yuyan, bowing her head and not knowing how to retort, still didn't want to leave. She didn't want to abandon her close friends, nor the Ye Xiao she held dear in her heart.

At that moment, Ling Shuya suddenly spoke.

"Yuyan, although I always dislike Ye Xiao, what he said today does make some sense. My advice would be to do as he says," Ling Shuya looked at Zhou Yuyan earnestly.

"Shuya!" Zhou Yuyan looked at Ling Shuya, her eyes reddening.

Ling Shuya nodded slightly but did not speak.

Silence!

```

Then came silence, all the people stopped talking, and clearly, everyone had fallen into deep thought.

Around three in the afternoon, everyone had already finished their meal.

"Shuya, it's time for you to go to school!" Ye Xiao suddenly turned to Ling Shuya, who was preparing to return to her room.

Ye Xiao's words left everyone surprised, because of the current situation, why would she still need to go to school?

"Are you alright? What if I'm captured by Xiong Daoliang's people?" Ling Shuya glanced at Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao simply chuckled and said, "Don't worry, he definitely won't dare."

"Huh?" Ling Shuya, upon hearing Ye Xiao's assurance, was quite puzzled—not just Ling Shuya, but the others as well.

To the others, the situation seemed clear; everyone should be holed up in the Ling family's villa, and additionally, arrangements should be made to wrap the villa with three layers of defenses inside and out. The defensive equipment had to be set up, and not only that, Zhou Hao had already decided to call in all members of the Blood Blade group to stand guard day and night while fully armed, ensuring each and every one of them was a real, live gunman.

"Ye Xiao!" Ling Hengyu was also looking at Ye Xiao with confusion at this moment, clearly very surprised as to why Ye Xiao could be so certain.

Without explaining further, Ye Xiao simply said, "Trust me, it won't be wrong. Hmm, I need to go upstairs to cultivate. Let everything proceed as normal, as if nothing has happened."

As everyone watched Ye Xiao slowly ascend the stairs, they grew even more curious—what was going on with Ye Xiao? Was it really safe outside now?

After Ye Xiao went upstairs, he didn't start his cultivation right away. Instead, he immediately took out his mobile phone and made a call to Song Jianping.

Typically, Song Jianping wasn't someone who would answer calls readily, as he was the top authority in Minghai City.

However, the call from Ye Xiao was quickly picked up.

"Ye Xiao, what's up?" Song Jianping immediately asked with a smile upon answering.

Ye Xiao replied, "Mr. Song, there's a favor I need to ask of you!"

"Oh?" Song Jianping, surprised that Ye Xiao would ask him for a favor, asked curiously, "What is it?"

"It's about the safety of Minghai City!" Ye Xiao said.

"Go ahead!" Song Jianping, upon hearing it concerned Minghai City, became very serious.

Song Jianping was certainly considered a good official, at least, one who truly cared for the welfare of Minghai City.

Ye Xiao said, "I hope Mr. Song can initiate a comprehensive crackdown throughout Minghai City for a period of one month."

"Weren't you hoping that I'd turn a blind eye before? Why now call for a crackdown in Minghai City?" Song Jianping was puzzled because when Ye Xiao had negotiated with him before, it was for a period of chaos, after which Minghai City would emerge as the city with the best public security.

Thus, Song Jianping had been somewhat hands-off with Minghai City for a while.

But Song Jianping was naturally curious now that Ye Xiao was suggesting a crackdown.

Ye Xiao chuckled and said, "Mr. Song surely wants Minghai City to achieve its ideal public security status faster, right?"

Song Jianping didn't know what Ye Xiao was up to, but a crackdown was no small matter, so he replied, "I need to discuss this with Sun Bin and other city leaders."

"Mr. Song, your decision is enough. At least Sun Bin and Yang Ming will fully support you. I believe with both of them on board, you should be able to handle this, right? Oh right, Yang Ming has a video that I gave him a while ago—evidence of Chen Maozhong's crimes. Mr. Song, please handle it fairly," Ye Xiao said.

Hearing Ye Xiao's words, Song Jianping sighed.

Now in Minghai City, many of the main leaders were listening to Ye Xiao, they were practically Ye Xiao's people. Fortunately, Ye Xiao was also part of the state apparatus. Otherwise, Song Jianping's decisions in Minghai might have faced obstacles.

"Alright, leave it to me. I will soon initiate a large-scale crackdown in Minghai City," Song Jianping said, "By the way, what about Heavenly Gate Security Company?"

"You can be flexible with Heavenly Gate Security Company, but I guarantee they won't do anything out of line during this period," Ye Xiao stated.

Song Jianping responded, "Alright, I understand."

"Then great, Mr. Song, you go ahead with your tasks. I have some things to handle on my end!"

"Hold on, I want to ask you, was Chen Maozhong's son's death your doing?" Song Jianping suddenly inquired.

Ye Xiao chuckled and replied, "It's inevitable, like the rain falling or a woman getting married."

After finishing his statement, Ye Xiao hung up the phone directly.

```

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