On a secluded road, a Mercedes RV slowly drove away from Yunwu Mountain.

“Stop!” Cao Yuan suddenly said.

The driver hurriedly stepped on the brakes.

Cao Yuan looked at the young man beside him and said, “Don’t hold it in, it’s bad for your health.”

The young man quickly pressed down the window and stuck his head out.

“Ugh!”

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He had exchanged three punches with Ye Qiu. During the third punch, not only was he forced back several steps by Ye Qiu, but he also suffered internal injuries.

But he had been holding it in, not showing it, and didn’t expect Cao Yuan to notice.

“Sorry, Sect Leader, I’ve embarrassed you,” the young man said guiltily.

“No matter, even Xiao Qingdi lost to him. What about you?” Cao Yuan then asked the young man, “What do you think of Ye Qiu?”

“Strong!” The young man felt his words were not accurate enough and added, “Very strong! Ye Qiu’s skills are comparable to a Dragon List master. If he competes for the Dragon List next year, he might make it into the top ten.”

“Where’s the information I asked you to gather?”

“It’s all in here.”

The young man handed a tablet to Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan opened the tablet and carefully browsed through the information.

Three minutes later.

Cao Yuan closed the tablet and said, “Ye Qiu’s mother is actually the eldest daughter of the Qian family, a prestigious family in Suzhou and Hangzhou. That’s quite unexpected. Why is there no information about his father?”

“I checked, but couldn’t find anything.”

“Couldn’t find anything?” Cao Yuan raised an eyebrow.

The young man said, “It’s very strange, almost as if he doesn’t have a father.”

“Have Rosefinch investigate this. Tell her she must find out who Ye Qiu’s father is!” Cao Yuan ordered.

“Yes!”

Cao Yuan then asked, “Where are the bodies of those brothers?”

“I’ve stored them in a freezer. I planned to take them back to the Capital for cremation after the Jiangzhou matter is resolved,” the young man said.

“Send them back to the Capital for cremation immediately. Also, give each of their families two million in compensation.”

“Sect Leader, according to the rules, each family can only receive a maximum of one million in compensation.”

“The extra million will come from my personal funds,” Cao Yuan said. “They died protecting me; I can’t shortchange their families. Do as I say.”

“Yes!”

Cao Yuan closed his eyes.

The young man hesitated.

“Ask whatever you want to ask!” Cao Yuan said calmly.

“Sect Leader, there’s something I don’t understand. You already know the assassins were from the Shaman God Sect. Why do you still want Ye Qiu to investigate the culprits?” the young man asked, puzzled.

Cao Yuan opened his eyes and smiled, “Don’t you think Ye Qiu is a talent?”

The young man suddenly realized, “I understand, Sect Leader, you want to test Ye Qiu?”

“Indeed! Wipe out any traces of the culprits. Don’t provide Ye Qiu with any help or information.”

“If we do that, it will be very difficult for Ye Qiu to find the culprits,” the young man continued. “Sect Leader, you only gave Ye Qiu three days. If he can’t find the culprits by then, will you really kill the Dragon King?”

“Yes, if Ye Qiu can’t find the culprits, the Dragon King must die,” Cao Yuan said. “I am the Sect Leader of Dragon Gate. If I don’t keep my promises, how can I command the ten thousand brothers of Dragon Gate? Besides, a dying man has no value.”

“A dying man?” The young man was confused.

Cao Yuan said, “The Dragon King has been poisoned by a Gu for years; he’s dying.”

So that’s how it is.

The young man continued, “Sect Leader, last night’s assassins, five were killed on the spot, two were killed by Han Long, and one escaped after injuring Han Long.”

“Find that guy!”

“Yes.” The young man continued, “Sect Leader, the Shaman God Sect has attempted to assassinate you several times. Should we take action against them?”

Cao Yuan’s eyes flashed coldly, and he said in a chilling voice, “Now is not the time to act against them. When I have conquered the world, I will deal with them. By then, whether it’s the Shaman God or the Plague God, they will all be eradicated.”

…

In the courtyard.

After Cao Yuan left, the Dragon King and Zhao Yun finally got up from the ground, their faces pale, still filled with fear.

Ye Qiu wasn’t much better; his back was drenched in cold sweat.

The Dragon King sighed, “Little Ye, you shouldn’t have come today. I’m already a dying man; it doesn’t matter if I die sooner or later. Although you saved my life, you also implicated yourself. It’s not worth it.”

Ye Qiu said to the Dragon King, “Please don’t say that. Last night at the Crystal Palace, you and Brother Zhao stood up for me against Xiao Qingdi and got injured because of it. Compared to the help you’ve given me, what I’ve done is nothing.”

“Regardless, I owe you a favor. Thank you,” the Dragon King said gratefully.

Zhao Yun also said, “Ye Qiu, you’ve earned a brother in me. If you ever need anything, just ask. No matter the danger, I will not hesitate.”

Ye Qiu’s smile faded, and he said, “To completely resolve this matter, we need to find the culprits.”

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll arrange for people to find the culprits immediately,” Zhao Yun said. “Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I’ll find them.”

“You’re oversimplifying it. The culprits won’t be easy to find,” the Dragon King said.

Immediately, Ye Qiu and Zhao Yun turned their gaze to the Dragon King.

The Dragon King continued, “Think about it, Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old is the Sect Leader of Dragon Gate. He is surrounded by experts. Ordinary people can’t even get close to him, let alone assassinate him. But last night, the culprits killed several of his guards and almost killed his adopted son. What does that tell you? It tells you that the culprits are not only highly skilled but also have a significant background. Finding them in three days is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.”

Zhao Yun said, “But we can’t just not look for them. If we don’t find the culprits in three days, you’ll die, and Ye Qiu will lose an arm.”

“I only said it wouldn’t be easy to find the culprits, not that we shouldn’t look,” the Dragon King said, looking at Ye Qiu with a complicated expression. “Little Ye, you shouldn’t have agreed to Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old’s terms earlier.”

“Why?”

“You could have continued being a doctor, saving lives. With your medical talent, you would have become a legendary healer. But by agreeing to find the culprits, it means you’re stepping into the martial world. The martial world is full of danger; it’s not a good place!”

“Dragon King, what do you mean?” Ye Qiu didn’t understand.

The Dragon King said, “Do you remember what Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old said? He said that in this world, if he wants to investigate something, there’s nothing he can’t find out.”

Ye Qiu’s face showed shock, and he asked, “You mean Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old already knows who the culprits are?”

“That’s inevitable.”

“Then why does he want me to find the culprits?” Ye Qiu asked, suddenly realizing, “He’s testing me?”

“Yes.” The Dragon King nodded slightly.

Ye Qiu finally understood why Cao Yuan said he hoped not to be disappointed when he left. It turned out he was testing him.

If I find the culprits, does that mean I’ve passed the test?

And after passing the test, what will Cao Yuan do with me?

Will he let me join Dragon Gate?

Forget it, whether it’s a test or not, I need to find the culprits first.

Thinking of this, Ye Qiu asked the Dragon King, “Where was Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old attacked last night?”

“At the Guangming Hotel.”

“I only have three days. There’s no time to lose. Let’s go to the scene now.”