Not far from the tree, two people were watching him! Zhao Dong broke out in a cold sweat. I can't believe they found me in such a hidden place. If they had attacked me when my guard was down, my chances of survival would have been slim! His eyes turned cold. He leaped down and landed firmly on his feet, sizing up the two people opposite him.
They appeared to be a master and his servant. The master was an old man with white hair and eyebrows, wearing a Sun Yat-sen suit, and his weathered face carried a faint smile. Standing by his side was a man in his thirties with sharp eyes, staring intently at Zhao Dong.
Zhao Dong looked at the two and finally spoke, "I don't know either of you. May I ask what business you have with me?"
The old man smiled gently. "Young friend, we just met yesterday, so we are not strangers."
"Yesterday?"
The old man chuckled. "Yes, at last night's banquet. I was in the crowd, so you may not have noticed me."
Zhao Dong frowned, unsure if the two before him were friends or foes.
"Young friend, there's no need to be tense," the old man said soothingly. "Your impressive skills at last night's banquet left a deep impression. I, Han Qingtian, came here specifically to meet you."
"Han Qingtian?"
Zhao Dong was startled before exclaiming in surprise, "You're the patriarch of the Han Family?"
The old man nodded with a smile. "Indeed. You must know that our Han Family is one of the four major clans of the East Sea. I bear you no ill will. I was simply so astounded by your skills last night that I came to befriend you."
Zhao Dong said indifferently, "Most people wouldn't dare befriend me. I've offended Xiao Hongtian, so being my friend means being his enemy."
"Young friend, the fact that you could defeat Xiao Hongtian already proves you are extraordinary. My Han Family is willing to take this risk to befriend you. A Kuan! Give this to our young friend," Han Qingtian commanded the man by his side.
"Yes!"
The man respectfully took an item from Han Qingtian's hand and stepped forward to hand it to Zhao Dong.
Zhao Dong looked at the gold card and asked curiously, "What's this?"
Han Qingtian smiled. "Young friend, this is a special card from my Han Family, containing ten million. This card also represents my Han Family in the East Sea. If you don't mind, please accept it."
Zhao Dong chuckled. "Offering ten million just like that… Truly befitting one of the four major clans of our East Sea."
"You're too modest, young friend. What good is being one of the four major clans? It's nothing compared to the value of an Inner Strength master like yourself. If you wish, you could start a clan of your own one day," Han Qingtian said cheerfully.
Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow. I can't believe Inner Strength masters, who seem so ordinary to me, hold such a high status in the eyes of normal people. If Han Qingtian knew I was a Cultivator, he'd be even more astounded, wouldn't he?
"Young friend, please accept it. It's a token of sincerity from my Han Family," Han Qingtian said with a laugh.
Zhao Dong took the card. He was in desperate need of money, so there was no reason to refuse such a generous offer.
"In that case, I'll accept the card. Thank you, Elder Han."
Han Qingtian smiled cheerfully. "There's no need for politeness, young friend. I have no other business here, so we will take our leave. However, I must give you a word of caution."
"What is it?"
Han Qingtian's expression turned grave. "Although you defeated Xiao Hongtian yesterday, you cannot afford to be careless. Rumor has it that he is much more formidable than he appears. Though he has returned to the Provincial City, he will surely return for revenge. Be careful, young friend!"
Zhao Dong gave Han Qingtian another look. Seeing the man's sincerity, he replied politely, "Thank you, Elder Han. I will be vigilant."
Han Qingtian nodded with a smile. "There's nothing else then, young friend. Here is my contact information. Feel free to get in touch with me if you need anything."
He tossed a business card to Zhao Dong, and then the two men left.
Zhao Dong looked at the business card in his hand, reflecting on the fact that the patriarch of the Han Family had actually managed to find him. He had been away for a long time, but he had known for years that the Han Family was one of the four major clans of the East Sea. In the past, it would have been impossible to even speak with Han Qingtian, let alone meet him. To ordinary people, the four major clans were like gods.
Yet today, Han Qingtian had actually taken the initiative to seek him out and had even given him ten million. Zhao Dong could hardly believe it.
In a car some distance away, Han Qingtian rested with his eyes closed, while the driver, A Kuan, spoke in a low voice.
"Clan Leader, is Zhao Dong really worth investing in?"
Han Qingtian smiled faintly. "He is, and he isn't. If he can survive what's coming, he has value. If not, then he has none."
A Kuan asked in a low voice, "Clan Leader, are you suggesting that Zhao Dong still has a calamity to face?"
Han Qingtian's eyes snapped open, and he cast a meaningful glance at the distant Zhao Dong. "Having offended Xiao Hongtian and the Xiao Family, Zhao Dong isn't likely to live much longer. However, if he does survive, he could very well become a dragon among men!"
The car drove off. Only after seeing it leave did Zhao Dong relax his guard. As a former special forces soldier, he had naturally sensed Han Qingtian observing him from a distance before they drove off.
He quietly checked the state of his body and was immediately overjoyed! I can feel that the leukemia cells in my body have decreased slightly, which proves that cultivation is working! To an ordinary person, this is a terminal illness, but for me, there's hope for a cure! Though, this illness seems a little strange, different from normal leukemia...
Zhao Dong shook his head. Whatever. I have a chance to live, and I have to grab it with both hands!
Clutching the card from Han Qingtian, Zhao Dong decided to buy some medicinal herbs first. The Mystic Sky Technique contained several medicinal formulas, some of which were particularly beneficial for cultivation. He planned to try them out.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang.
Zhao Dong glanced at the screen and answered. The moment the call connected, Wang Hao's sinister laughter came through.
"Zhao Dong, guess where I am now?"
Zhao Dong cursed, "What the hell do I care? Piss off!"
Wang Hao said coldly, "So you don't care where your parents are either?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sobbing of his mother, Zhang Cuimei, came through the phone. At that moment, Zhang Cuimei and Zhao Kangyou were bound tightly, with a cloth stuffed in Zhang Cuimei's mouth.
The cloth was removed, and Zhang Cuimei cried into the phone, "Dongzi, don't fall for this beast's trick! You can't come, Wang Hao has..."
Before she could finish, her mouth was gagged again. Wang Hao took the phone and said with a sinister smile, "Zhao Dong, I'm giving you a chance. The North District construction site. Come alone. You have half an hour. If you don't show up, you can wait to collect the corpses of your worthless parents!"
Zhao Dong clenched his phone tightly, his eyes turning crimson. "Wang Hao, I was going to spare your worthless life, but now I will kill you today. I swear it!"
"I'll be waiting. Let's see who kills whom!"
The call was abruptly cut. Zhao Dong gritted his teeth fiercely and raced toward the North District construction site.
The construction site in the North District had long been abandoned. Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei lay on the ground, whimpering and struggling. Wang Hao, wrapped in bandages and leaning on crutches, stood beside Liu Ya. Behind him stood a middle-aged man in black, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, his eyes glinting with a cold light.
Wang Hao said respectfully to the middle-aged man, "Master Lei Qiang, I'm counting on you today! With your help, I guarantee we can wipe this son of a bitch out in an instant!"
The man named Lei Qiang said arrogantly, "What's this Zhao Dong's background?"
"He's a nobody, just a veteran. Master Lei Qiang, you're a third-level Inner Strength master. He's just an ordinary person; you could kill him with a single slap!"
Lei Qiang sneered disdainfully. "You called me all the way out here for a regular guy? What a disgrace to me."
Wang Hao chuckled awkwardly, then glanced at the two whimpering elderly people behind him and cursed impatiently, "Will you two old geezers shut up!? Be quiet!"
With a chop to the back of their necks, Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei fell unconscious.
Wang Hao kicked Zhao Kangyou and snorted coldly. "Later, we'll throw all three of them into the river. Goddamn it, I've been wanting to silence them for a long time."
Nearby, Liu Ya said darkly, "We should've killed these two old bastards sooner, then Zhao Dong wouldn't have been able to find us!"
Just as Wang Hao was about to speak, a figure appeared at the abandoned construction site: Zhao Dong, walking toward them step by step with a grim expression.