VIP Volume Chapter 067: Hall of the Nine Paths

With his left arm wrapped around Wen Xiaoyu’s slender waist and a briefcase in his right hand, he swaggered down the stairs. The man in the white lab coat had already changed into a fresh set of clothes. Seeing Ye Xiaoxuan coming down, with a stunning beauty at his side and a stream of guests from the VIP rooms trailing behind with astonished expressions—their eyes nearly popping from their sockets—he could hardly believe the scene.

On the nearby sofa, Ye Dajun, Guan Du, and Guan Ling all stood up to greet him. Ye Xiaoxuan tossed the briefcase into Ye Dajun’s arms and said, “Brother, hold onto this. It’s our pay!”

Ye Dajun hugged the case without even checking inside, his eyes scanning Ye Xiaoxuan. “Are you alright? Did anything happen?”

Ye Xiaoxuan gave a faint smile. “I’m fine! Let’s go. Whatever needs saying, we’ll talk outside.” Guan Ling looked at Wen Xiaoyu with a complicated expression. “I never thought such a beautiful girl would be your girlfriend! What a shame…”

Before Ye Xiaoxuan could respond, Wen Xiaoyu shot Guan Ling a glare. “Is it a shame or just good judgment? Time will tell. As for those who can’t decide if they’re men or women—maybe they think it’s cool now, but in a couple of years, when they turn into brash tomboys, no one will want them!”

“You—!” Guan Ling’s face turned pale with anger. She had a strong personality and was a police officer. Though her colleagues teasingly called her a tomboy, she’d always brushed it off, but deep down, it stung a little.

Now, Wen Xiaoyu’s words had driven the point home, and for a moment, Guan Ling was at a loss for how to respond.

Ye Xiaoxuan was secretly delighted. This little fish was known for her sharp tongue—even he could hardly win against her unless he played dirty, let alone this young police officer.

As a reward, he gave Wen Xiaoyu’s waist a playful twist, making her blush and shoot him a reproachful look. Clinging to his arm, she ignored everyone else and walked out of the hotel lobby.

Ye Dajun, still holding the case, apologized awkwardly to Guan Ling, “Uh…my sister-in-law, she’s just…” Guan Ling snorted and followed them out.

Standing to one side, Hua Lingluo watched Ye Xiaoxuan and Wen Xiaoyu’s affectionate display, her face filled with envy, though a hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes. She turned to the group of bodyguards. “You all go on ahead. I have something to take care of and will catch up later.”

Outside the hotel, Ye Xiaoxuan turned to Guan Du in exasperation. “Some friend you are! You came early and just sat downstairs watching the show. Weren’t you worried something would happen to me upstairs?”

Ye Dajun interjected anxiously, “I wanted to go up, but he wouldn’t let me move! Said something about testing you!”

Ye Xiaoxuan was fuming. He rounded on Guan Du, “I’m not applying to be a cop—why the hell are you testing me?”

Guan Du just chuckled, unruffled. “If you can’t even handle Qiyun Tower, how are you going to take on the Qitian Group? You might as well go home and farm your fields.”

Ye Xiaoxuan spat in annoyance. “Don’t try to use me as your pawn! I don’t care about the Qitian Group or whatever. All I want is to take back what’s mine and leave with the people who belong to me!”

Wen Xiaoyu tugged at his ear in protest. “So what’s more important, your stuff or your people?”

Ye Xiaoxuan raised his hands in surrender. “The people are the stuff, and the stuff is the people!” Only then did Wen Xiaoyu let go, but after a moment she frowned. “Why does that sound so strange? Are you calling me a thing?”

Ye Xiaoxuan hurriedly raised his hands. “No, you’re not a thing! Ouch! Don’t pinch, you are a thing! Damn, can’t win either way…”

Guan Ling couldn’t bear to watch any longer and shouted, “Are you two done? Someone’s still following us—are they your friends?”

At that, Ye Xiaoxuan and Wen Xiaoyu stopped their playful squabble, sighed, paused, and turned to see who was following them. “Sister Hua, why are you still with us?”

Hua Lingluo sighed as well and said to Wen Xiaoyu, “Yu’er, I came to apologize. You know I have no choice in these matters…”

“I don’t know!” Ye Xiaoxuan’s face darkened as he stepped in front of Hua Lingluo. “Sister Hua, I know you’re not like the others. You’re not like Zhao Yanping. I don’t understand why you’re involved with them or why you help them.”

Hua Lingluo’s brow furrowed tightly. “I’m not working for Zhao Yanping; I serve the whole organization! Xiaoxuan, if you really care about Xiaoyu, let her go back. You can offend Zhao Yanping, but you can’t offend the organization behind him. Not just you—even if all of you joined together, you’d be like eggs thrown at a stone!”

Ye Xiaoxuan took a deep breath and eyed her sideways. “The Qitian Group?” Hua Lingluo nodded emphatically.

Ye Xiaoxuan turned to Guan Du. “Brother, thanks for tonight. Let’s part ways here.”

Guan Du laughed heartily, clapped Ye Xiaoxuan’s shoulder, and said, “Kid, you’re wasting your effort trying to send me away! Neither of us can stay out of this. I’m a cop, you’re directly involved—we each have our reasons to stick our noses in. We might as well work together.”

Looking at Guan Du’s outstretched hand, Ye Xiaoxuan sighed helplessly. “Fine. If you’re not worried about losing your station chief position, then what am I afraid of?”

Hua Lingluo stared at them in shock. “Didn’t you hear what I said? You’re up against the most powerful private armed force in Central Nation. Their strength is unimaginable. No one who’s ever stood against them has come to a good end! Aren’t you afraid?”

Ye Xiaoxuan gave a wry smile. “I’m scared. Scared to death! But can I just avoid them? Today you detained Yu’er against your will and I took her away. Tomorrow, what if they come to take her by force? She’s my woman, and she deserves my protection. If I can’t even protect my own woman, I might as well drown myself in Daxian Lake!”

“Exactly!” Ye Dajun stood beside Ye Xiaoxuan. “Whoever bullies my brother is bullying me. I don’t care who they are—we’ll fight! If we can’t win, we’ll fight to the death!”

Hua Lingluo shook her head. “You’re oversimplifying things. The ones you’ve met are just one of the nine halls of the Qitian Group—and the weakest at that. If you really draw the Qitian Group’s attention, this little Scholar’s Town won’t be able to withstand their attack!”

Ye Xiaoxuan smiled faintly at Hua Lingluo. “Then let them come! No matter how powerful they are, I’m not afraid. I’m just a street punk—a life worth nothing! I’m used to being bitten by lice, and if I really can’t win, I’ll just run away!”

Hua Lingluo thought for a moment, then nodded. “You have a point. This little incident may not even draw the attention of the higher-ups in the group. I can still put in a word for you, beg for some leniency. But it’s you, Chief Guan, who might be in real danger.”