In a single day.
First, Han Fei of the Han Family died, and then their Patriarch, Han Buqun.
Not to mention the obscure Ding Yin and the Gu Master Ding Shan Jia.
These events instantly sent shockwaves through the entire city.
"Hey, did you hear? Han Buqun died because he broke the Golden Saber Covenant and refused to return the Golden Saber!"
"I heard the Golden Saber can't just make a family rise to power and become incredibly wealthy; it can even bring the dead back to life, regenerate flesh on bare bones, and grant a long life!"
"It's more than that. He who holds the Golden Saber holds the world! I heard that all the Emperors of old had a Golden Saber; it's just that we common folk never knew about it!"
"The Golden Saber can extend your life, too! There was an Elder from the Lin Family who was on the verge of death. He just touched the Golden Saber and ended up living for another five years!"
In a short time, Jiangcheng was flooded with all sorts of rumors about the Golden Saber.
The Bai Family, one of Jiangcheng's four great families.
The Bai Family Patriarch, Bai Shoucheng, sat on the sofa, his face grim.
He rose and paced anxiously for a few steps before sitting back down. He repeated this so many times that the tea on the table had long gone cold.
The housekeeper tried to come in and replace it but was met with a furious roar. "Get out! Don't come in without my permission!"
He was a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest touch.
Finally, the agitated Bai Shoucheng took out his phone and called Ye Zude.
"Old Ye, you must have heard about what happened to the Han Family."
"Yes, I heard. I hadn't made it to Han Buqun's birthday banquet yet. I heard you were there?"
"That's right. I saw it with my own eyes. That kid raised the Golden Saber and lopped off Han Buqun's head!"
Bai Shoucheng was still shaken by the memory. "That kid is ruthless. I cowered in a corner, afraid to show my face, terrified he'd come after me for the Golden Saber."
"What do we do now? Even a scoundrel like Han Buqun got his head chopped off. I don't want to end up like him, without even a complete corpse to my name!"
Ye Zude hadn't witnessed the scene, so he wasn't nearly as anxious. "Don't panic. For now, we wait and see."
"The Han Family is vengeful; they'll never let that kid off easy. Let them tear each other apart like dogs."
"Once the Han Family deals with him, who's going to come to collect the saber? The Han Family will be severely weakened by then, which will be the perfect opportunity for us to swallow them up."
"And the Lin Family is a spent force; they'll be easy to devour. After this, Jiangcheng will belong to our two families."
"Alright, we'll do it your way."
Bai Shoucheng finally calmed down and hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ye was carrying Lin Chuyue, striding swiftly toward the old Lin Family estate.
Given Lin Chuyue's current state, he didn't even dare to hail a taxi.
Lin Chuyue squirmed in Xiao Ye's arms, her movements driving him wild.
"Stay still!"
Xiao Ye used a bit of force and smacked Lin Chuyue. "If you don't behave, I'll take you right here and now!"
Lin Chuyue froze for a second, then bit Xiao Ye.
'Damn it!'
'I'm not holding back anymore!'
He swept one arm around her, and with her in his embrace, he leaped toward a large, nearby tree.
With just a few bounds, he easily reached the dense, leafy canopy.
The green leaves swayed and rustled, concealing the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Branches trembled, rustling noisily.
Playing a triumphant ode to life.
Every note was incomparably wondrous.
The starry sky shone down, illuminating the ancient tree under the bright moon, a picturesque scene.
After a long while, the rustling finally stopped.
Xiao Ye, looking invigorated, picked up the nearby Daoist Robe and wrapped it around Lin Chuyue.
His voice was low and husky, tinged with affection.
"The Gu poison in your body has been neutralized. There shouldn't be any major problems for now, but you can't touch any alcohol for the next month."
"Otherwise, it will trigger the remaining poison. You know what the consequences will be."
"No need to look at me with such gratitude. As your fiancé, this is all part of my duty."
Seeing Xiao Ye act all smug after taking advantage of her, Lin Chuyue shot him a furious glare.
'You damn bastard!'
'My whole body feels like it's been taken apart!'
'What kind of powerful Gu poison needs to be neutralized in such a strange way! I don't believe it for a second!'
'I'm the president in charge of the Lin Family, for crying out loud, yet here I am, half-naked in the open with this crude, unreliable brute...'
The more Lin Chuyue thought about it, the angrier she became.
Her pretty face cold as ice, she turned to leave.
Suddenly, she missed a step and plunged from the tree!
"AHHH—"
The abrupt sensation of falling made Lin Chuyue cry out in alarm, thinking her life was over.
Fortunately, Xiao Ye reacted instantly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
Lin Chuyue slammed hard into Xiao Ye's searing-hot chest, her heart nearly pounding its way out!
'This is insane!'
'I was actually standing in a treetop a good five or six meters off the ground?!'
"You bastard! Get me down from here right now, or don't blame me for what happens next!"
Lin Chuyue pointed at Xiao Ye, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"Oh? And what, exactly, would happen next?"
Xiao Ye grinned and lightly bit the finger that was nearly poking his nose.
Her slender fingertips were as exquisite and translucent as carved jade.
"Let go! Or I'm getting serious!"
Seeing Lin Chuyue's pretty face darken, Xiao Ye knew when to quit. He grabbed her slender waist and leaped down.
"What are you doing?!"
Amidst Lin Chuyue's startled cry, the dense leaves and branches rapidly receded before her eyes.
The feeling of weightlessness clung to her like a shadow.
The only thing she could rely on was the strong arm holding her captive.
By the time they landed steadily on the ground, Lin Chuyue's legs were so weak she could barely stand.
Remembering the outrageous events that had just transpired, she shoved Xiao Ye away and began walking toward the Lin Family estate, gritting her teeth.
She hadn't taken two steps before Xiao Ye scooped her up into a princess carry. "Don't be stubborn. I'm happy to be of service."
Lin Chuyue hesitated, swallowing the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue.
'I'll let it slide this time, but I can't ever give this animal another chance to touch me!'
'If I do, then my surname isn't Lin!'
「The old Lin Family estate.」
Lin Aoshan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his heart filled with worry.
Although news of the Han Family's troubles had spread throughout Jiangcheng, he couldn't rest easy until he saw the two of them return with his own eyes.
Finally, he saw Xiao Ye in the distance, carrying Lin Chuyue home.
Lin Chuyue had none of her usual cold arrogance. She was nestled obediently in Xiao Ye's arms, her hair slightly disheveled, her small face flushed red.
Xiao Ye, on the other hand, wore a look of utter satisfaction. He gently blew a stray strand of hair from her forehead, immediately earning an annoyed punch from her delicate fist.
As a man, Lin Aoshan didn't need to guess to know that the two had already consummated their relationship.
Not only was he not angry, he actually returned to his bedroom with a sense of relief.
'The Lin Family is finally saved!'
Meanwhile, Lin Chuyue casually pointed Xiao Ye to a guest room and then sank into a state of worry.
She was grateful to Xiao Ye for snatching her from the tiger's maw, but doing so meant they had now thoroughly offended the Han Family.
What would follow was sure to be the Han Family's frenzied revenge!
Sighing helplessly, Lin Chuyue walked right into Xiao Ye's room.
The moment she entered, Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow and whistled. "Come on, we've been apart for less than three minutes. You can't stay away from me, can you?"
"Fine, fine. Whatever you want, I'll do my best to satisfy you!"
"Come on, don't hold back on my account..."