Chapter 120: A Magnificent Movement

"Please do not be troubled, sir... I shall have someone drive you back immediately!"

Xing Mantang hurriedly fished a bank card from his person. "And this... it isn't much, just a few hundred million. Please, sir, take it for your immediate use... and later on..."

Ling Qiu frowned at the sight.

Xing Mantang, terrified, quickly retracted his hand.

"Do not try to be clever."

Ling Qiu could not be bothered to argue. "Forget it. Just have someone drive me back."

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Xing Mantang replied repeatedly, then quickly composed himself, reverting to his usual high-and-mighty demeanor as the head of the Xing family, and followed Ling Qiu out of the study.

"Someone, take Mr. Ling back."

His tone was steady and composed, as if nothing had happened at all.

Ling Qiu offered a faint smile. This old fellow was sharp!

Indeed, the first thing Xing Mantang realized was that he had to go to great lengths to ensure the absolute confidentiality of Ling Qiu's true identity!

...

After Ling Qiu departed, Xing Mantang walked back to his desk and collapsed into his chair like a pile of mud. It felt as if everything that had just transpired had drained every ounce of strength from his body.

It took a long, long time before he finally regained his composure.

He dialed a number and ordered, "Have A-Nan come to the study."

To his surprise, the voice on the other end replied, "Master... the young master already left."

"He left?"

"Yes! The young master said he wanted to personally drive Mr. Ling back."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Xing Mantang nearly tumbled out of his chair!

Disaster!

A single thought flashed through his mind!

He knew his son's temperament all too well!

"Quick! Get the car ready!"

Xing Mantang hung up the phone and scrambled out of the study. Despite his age, he moved with startling agility.

...

On the road, a chauffeur was driving, while Xing Lunnan sat in the passenger seat.

Ling Qiu sat in the back, looking indolent, his legs crossed, resting his head on his arms as he dozed off.

Catching sight of Ling Qiu’s attitude in the rearview mirror, Xing Lunnan’s brow twitched violently.

Fine! Keep acting arrogant! Let’s see if you can still laugh in a moment!

Half an hour later, the car came to a sudden halt.

"We’re here. Get out," Xing Lunnan said abruptly.

Ling Qiu lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced out the window.

The car had arrived at a desolate, overgrown graveyard.

"This doesn't look like Jiangnan University," Ling Qiu remarked casually.

Xing Lunnan said coldly, "Of course it isn't! Ling Qiu, I don't know how you managed to talk to my father, but he has always prioritized the bigger picture and is a man of great tolerance. There are some things he might overlook, but I cannot. Get out!"

Ling Qiu said indifferently, "I am giving your father some face right now. I give you three seconds to get back in the car."

"Huh?"

Xing Lunnan was stunned. He could not fathom why this brat was so arrogant.

What if you have a few tricks up your sleeve?

Our Xing family are Ghost Enforcers of the living realm, with a lineage spanning countless generations. Whether in our public identity or our hidden one, we are a behemoth. Do you really think that because you know a bit of sorcery and a few trade secrets, you’re something special?

"Fine, since you’re courting death, then—"

*Hum!*

Before he could finish, Ling Qiu glared at him. A surge of energy erupted through the car door, striking directly at Xing Lunnan! Under the impact of this aura, Xing Lunnan was sent flying and instantly lost consciousness!

Ling Qiu shook his head faintly.

To be honest, Xing Mantang’s son seemed steady enough, but his performance today was quite disappointing.

"Drive."

Ling Qiu let out a yawn and instructed the chauffeur.

The driver was already terrified out of his wits. He had no idea how Xing Lunnan had been blasted away just now. However, working for the Xing family, he had heard tales of internal martial arts and experts who could injure people with their energy. He quickly associated Ling Qiu with such a master and, not daring to utter a word, slammed his foot on the accelerator and sped away.

...

It was unclear how much time had passed when Xing Lunnan groggily opened his eyes.

He was back home, lying in his bed.

After a moment of confused reflection, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He recalled the scene before he lost consciousness!

"That kid named Ling Qiu... what did he do to me?! A mere burst of aura... and he knocked me out?!"

His face was etched with shock and uncertainty. He instinctively tried to sit up, only to discover that he couldn't move his body at all. It was as if he were paralyzed!

*Click.*

The door opened, and his father, Xing Mantang, walked in.

"Father!" Xing Lunnan managed to speak.

However, Xing Mantang slowly closed the door, his face darkening as he walked straight toward him.

*Slap!*

A crisp, sharp slap landed heavily on Xing Lunnan’s face!

"Fa... Father?"

Feeling the burning pain on his cheek, Xing Lunnan was filled with astonishment.

Xing Mantang wore an expression of deep disappointment, roaring, "You fool!"

"Father... I..."

Xing Mantang said grimly, "Do you have any idea what kind of person this Ling Qiu is?!"

Xing Lunnan was bewildered. "I... I do not..."

"He is a person our Xing family absolutely cannot afford to provoke!"

Xing Mantang said with extreme gravity, emphasizing every word: "Remember, from this day forward, you are to treat this Ling Qiu as if he were an ancestor! Do you hear me?!"

What???

Xing Lunnan was dumbfounded. He even instinctively wondered if his father had lost his mind.

*Slap!*

Another sharp slap landed on his face!

Xing Lunnan was beyond confused.

"Father... who exactly is this Ling Qiu? I have never seen you show such reverence—or such fear—toward anyone!"

Xing Mantang frowned. He would not reveal Ling Qiu’s true identity to anyone, not even his own son.

"You don't need to know. You only need to remember what I just said! Do you understand?!"

"But... Father, you must give me a reason! I know he might be an internal martial arts expert, that he knows some sorcery, or perhaps is even a colleague. But he just injured me and left me bedridden. This debt..."

*Slap!*

Another slap!

This one left Xing Lunnan completely questioning his life.

"The reason?" Xing Mantang hissed. "The reason is that if he is unhappy, our entire Xing family will be annihilated! Do you understand now?!"

*Thump!*

Xing Lunnan’s heart hammered against his ribs.

A chill ran down his spine. He knew his father wasn't senile, nor was he crazy. To make his father feel such terror... this Ling Qiu must be a truly terrifying existence!

"Then... Father... what about the matter of refining the living puppet? How do we explain this to our superiors?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Mantang’s expression froze.

After a long silence, he took a deep breath and said slowly, "Find a new target..."

"But... there is no time left. If the superiors blame us..."

"Then let them blame us!"

Xing Mantang closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Remember this: even if the City God himself were to appear and demand the eradication of the Xing family, we would accept it! Even if we were cast into the eighteenth level of hell after death, we would accept it! In short, even if we must become enemies with every City God in existence, we must never defy Ling Qiu’s wishes in the slightest. Do you understand?!"

Xing Lunnan gasped, his face burning with pain, his heart twitching in agony.

*Good heavens...*

*Father... please stop scaring me...*

*Just who on earth... is this Ling Qiu?!*

...

That night, Ling Qiu finally returned to school.

After a long, exhausting day, he intended to head straight to his dormitory to rest.

However, just as he reached the school gate, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of him.

The door opened.

A man stepped out, opened the door for Ling Qiu, and said respectfully, "Mr. Ling, Miss Deng would like to see you."