Chapter 156: Calm

The information before him struck every nerve in Xiao Kaitian. For one fleeting moment, he felt the urge to destroy the Bian family and Jiang Yun.

Gu Zixi’s relationship with his former self had clearly been far from ordinary. Seeing her reduced to her current state, he could not help suspecting that he was somehow involved—that he had dragged her into this.

He remembered their meeting in Shangjing: Gu Zixi, frail and slender, smiling with radiant warmth. A sudden, sharp pain pricked his heart.

Clenching his fist, he committed every word of the documents to memory, then deleted them completely. He rose and headed for the offices of Zhao Qixi and Bai Kou.

When he pushed open the door, he found Zhao Qixi quietly reading while Bai Kou lounged back, idly scrolling through her phone.

“I need to ask you about something. How much do you know about the Bian family’s influence in Shangjing?” Xiao Kaitian got straight to the point, his expression grim.

“What happened? You look terrible.” Bai Kou tossed her phone aside and drew in her long legs as she stood. “The Bian family is one of the eight great clans of Shangjing. Their foundations run deep; they’re no weaker than the Xiao family.”

“Everyone knows you and the Bian family have a grudge between you. What, are you thinking of making a move against them? As for their martial connections, the Bian family’s descendants have good relations with the Changbai Martial Arts Bureau. In particular, quite a few of their people trained in the Hengshan Sect.”

“I believe I’m part of the martial world now. Can I issue a formal challenge?” Xiao Kaitian frowned. He wanted to kill Jiang Yun immediately.

“You can, but only against someone of the same rank. You’re a Grandmaster, so you may challenge only another Grandmaster.” Bai Kou fixed her gaze on him. “The martial world doesn’t interfere in private vendettas. This is still a society governed by law; you can’t go around killing people.”

“Unless the other party attacks first, or you have a legitimate reason, you can’t simply kill anyone you please.”

It seemed impossible for him to challenge Jiang Yun and kill him that way. What if he involved the police? Xiao Kaitian began analyzing the possibilities at lightning speed. But then he would need conclusive evidence, or Gu Zixi’s situation would only become more complicated.

“What happened?” Bai Kou asked, unusually concerned. Something was clearly wrong with him.

“Do you know Gu Zixi?” Xiao Kaitian asked.

The moment the name was spoken, the room fell noticeably silent. Bai Kou glanced at Zhao Qixi, who, in an unusual display of interest, also raised her head to look at him.

“I heard she’s in serious trouble. What I want to know is what connection she has to me.” Xiao Kaitian rubbed his brow.

“First of all, President Xiao”—Bai Kou crossed one leg over the other—“if the information is correct, Gu Zixi is the fiancée of the Bian family’s second young master. Your wife is Zhao Qixi, so don’t get your relationships mixed up.”

“You haven’t even settled things with your own wife, yet you have time to worry about someone else’s. President Xiao, you certainly have a big heart.”

Talking to this woman was exhausting. Xiao Kaitian sighed, unwilling to continue the conversation.

“Zixi…” Zhao Qixi suddenly spoke from the side. “She’s my… friend. Help her…”

Bai Kou shot Zhao Qixi a hard look. “You really do love meddling in other people’s affairs.” After a moment’s hesitation, she revealed a little more. “Gu Zixi was your childhood sweetheart. Apparently, she’s liked you since you were children.”

Boom!

Heat suddenly surged through Xiao Kaitian’s head. An unexpected emotion welled up inside him, and, astonishingly, he blushed. His former self—the foolish version of him—had actually been capable of love. The realization spread through him with an almost unbelievable force.

“Then something happened. I imagine you already know about that part. From there, your paths completely diverged.” Bai Kou sighed softly. Life truly was impossible to fathom. “After that, you two had no further contact.”

“Gu Zixi and Qixi get along well. Since Qixi has asked, you should think it over.”

“But behind her stand both the Gu family and the Bian family. I advise you to proceed carefully. You only recently joined the Martial Arts Association, and plenty of people want you dead. Killing you would allow them to advance straight into the Grandmaster realm. Think about how much attention you’ve attracted.”

That was true. Xiao Kaitian fell silent. It seemed he could not rush into resolving Gu Zixi’s troubles. Yet whenever he thought of her current circumstances, he found it difficult to feel at ease.

Bai Kou’s words served as a conclusion. Xiao Kaitian gradually calmed down, his eyes gleaming with a deep blue light. She was right: acting recklessly now might not benefit him at all. He could even end up getting Gu Zixi killed.

Seeing his expression slowly ease, Bai Kou finally smiled in satisfaction and changed the subject. “There’s something I think you’ll definitely be interested in.”

“Word has reached the martial world that a spirit crystal is expected to appear soon. A great many people are already watching it. Didn’t you say this thing was the key to dimensional ascension? So, are you interested in taking part?”

“Spirit crystal?” Xiao Kaitian’s spirits lifted. According to his deductions, it should be something from four-dimensional space. He had no idea why it would appear here, but naturally, he was interested. “Can anyone participate?”

“Anyone can. But according to the rules of the martial world, people may die during the struggle for it. That means everyone involved will be an expert. Not only martial artists—the likes of bounty hunters will be taking part as well.”

Xiao Kaitian understood what Bai Kou meant. This thing was of tremendous importance, a priceless treasure everyone wanted. Though it was called a contest for possession, it was in truth no different from a massacre.

“Are you going too? What will happen to Qixi?” From Bai Kou’s tone, it seemed she intended to participate. Xiao Kaitian could not help glancing at Zhao Qixi.

“With Jie Yuan and the others here, this place will remain safe. As for Qixi, without you here to burden her with all those miscellaneous matters, I’ll make the arrangements.” Bai Kou paused, apparently struck by an idea. “As for her daily needs, I can have Gu Zixi come over for a while. That should help ease the situation temporarily.”

The arrangement was perfectly reasonable. Xiao Kaitian nodded in satisfaction. Qixi and Gu Zixi were friends, and both were women. Inviting Gu Zixi over, even if only for a short time, would at least spare her some of Jiang Yun’s abuse.

As for Jiang Yun, he would have to find an opportunity to eliminate him sooner or later. Realizing this, Xiao Kaitian rubbed his chin. It would be ideal if that man joined the struggle for the spirit crystal.

Unfortunately, that was probably impossible. Jiang Yun was only a martial artist of the Earth realm and lacked the strength to participate. It was a pity.

Now that he had a direction, Xiao Kaitian immediately felt lighter. He left the two women’s office.

After work that evening, Xiao Kaitian drove Zhao Qixi and Bai Kou home. When they reached the Fu’an residential complex, he was surprised to find a red Porsche 911 parked outside the entrance. They had a visitor.

With a puzzled look, he pushed open the door and immediately heard a woman laughing.

“Uncle Zhong, you’re still the one who dotes on me most. Unlike Xiao Kaitian—he completely ignores me.”

“Hahaha, Ranran, if we’re being honest, you’re still the one Uncle Zhong likes best.”

The two were busy flattering each other, and Xiao Kaitian instantly knew who had arrived. It was his elder sister, Jiang Churan. She wore a white down jacket and looked sweet and well-behaved.

Beside her sat another woman in a red trench coat. Her long, wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and her entire figure radiated seductive charm. When she saw Xiao Kaitian enter, she raised a hand and waved.

“Little brother, we meet again.”