"What do we do now, boss? Are we just going to watch them take the young master away?" one of Zhou Zhenglong's subordinates asked indignantly.

Zhou Zhenglong ignored him, his eyes filled with terror. His life was hanging by a thread, and when Tian Qi placed the dagger against his neck just moments ago, he truly felt the presence of death. He was certain that if it weren’t for Xiao Tiance speaking up, Tian Qi would have killed him without hesitation.

A master! Definitely a master! And undoubtedly someone from the War Department. Zhou Zhenglong swallowed hard, his legs still trembling with fear.

Moreover, he had just heard Xiao Tiance say that he was looking for Zhou Zhenghao! At that moment, a terrifying thought crossed Zhou Zhenglong's mind. If his elder brother Zhou Zhenghao had been there just now, then tonight the entire Zhou family might have met their end.

This is a big deal! Xiao Jie, what a fool you are. With your status, what kind of woman can't you get? Not just in Qianjiang City, but even if you went to Tianhai City, you could have any top-notch woman you wanted! Why did you have to mess with someone from the War Department? Are you looking to die? Zhou Zhenglong was filled with fear, realizing that the situation was now beyond his control. He needed to find his brother immediately and discuss how to deal with this.

"Let’s go! Back to the Zhou family, quick!" Zhou Zhenglong made his decision and quickly led his men back to the Zhou family estate. After all, he was just a thug, while Zhou Zhenghao was the richest man in Qianjiang City. Zhou Zhenghao had more connections and resources, and Zhou Zhenglong couldn't believe that his elder brother couldn’t deal with this Xiao Tiance. So what if he's from the War Department? It’s not like his brother hasn’t killed people before!

Just as Zhou Zhenglong and his men were about to leave, Shen Yuxuan, who had just seen Gao Weiwei off, rushed back. She was also worried about Xiao Tiance, but when she arrived, she found Zhou Zhenglong retreating with his men. Xiao Tiance was nowhere to be seen, and even Zhou Jie had disappeared. Shen Yuxuan was momentarily stunned.

"Zhou Zhenglong, where is Xiao Tiance? What have you done with him?" Shen Yuxuan quickly asked when she saw Zhou Zhenglong about to get into a car.

Zhou Zhenglong paused, glanced at Shen Yuxuan, and said, "Hah, how powerful can someone from the War Department be? How could I be a match for them? They’ve already left, and they took Zhou Jie with them. They even left a message for me to tell my elder brother to go to the Jiangpan Villa in three days to pick up Zhou Jie. Hah, people from the War Department, they’re really something. Our little Zhou family can't afford to mess with them. You still want your father to get involved, right? Hah, then our little Zhou family really won't be able to handle it."

Zhou Zhenglong's tone was sarcastic, and although he kept saying they couldn’t afford to provoke them, his words carried a different implication. He had absolute confidence in his elder brother. Once his elder brother got involved, neither Xiao Tiance nor Shen Qingtian would come out unscathed.

After speaking, Zhou Zhenglong got into his car and left without giving Shen Yuxuan a chance to respond. Shen Yuxuan, left behind, collapsed to the ground, her face turning deathly pale.

She never expected Xiao Tiance to actually escape, let alone take Zhou Jie with him! From what Zhou Zhenglong said, Xiao Tiance had someone with him, someone from the War Department. In this world, where wars and conflicts are ever-present, strong warriors have always emerged from the War Department—this much Shen Yuxuan knew. And if it weren’t for this incident, she would have been happy for her best friend Gao Weiwei if the man she had waited five years for had indeed returned from the War Department.

But now, in her mind, Xiao Tiance had crossed a line by crippling Zhou Jie and then taking him away. This was a major issue. In Qianjiang City, no one understood better than the Shen family just how terrifying Zhou Zhenghao could be.

For example, her father, Shen Qingtian, was once a commercial prodigy in Qianjiang City. The Shen family had been rooted in Qianjiang for generations and held immense power. But even so, more than twenty years ago, Zhou Zhenghao had arrived in Qianjiang City alone and, within a few short years, had completely disrupted the city’s dynamics and taken the top spot, making the Zhou family the most powerful in the city.

Zhou Zhenghao was ruthless and cunning, and though he had aged and no longer took the lead in matters, certain things were exceptions. Zhou Jie was his only son, the sole heir to the Zhou family's commercial empire. Xiao Tiance had crippled Zhou Jie and taken him away, which surely touched upon Zhou Zhenghao’s deepest rage. If Zhou Zhenghao became furious, even her father, Shen Qingtian, wouldn’t dare to confront him directly.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Suddenly, a thought struck Shen Yuxuan as she sat on the ground: Xiao Tiance intended to hold Zhou Jie for three days. What if during these three days, he tortured Zhou Jie? Her face paled even further at the thought. If Zhou Jie returned to the Zhou family unharmed after three days, there might still be room to negotiate. If not, she would have to persuade her father to swallow his pride and plead for a resolution. But if Xiao Tiance left Zhou Jie half-dead, then...? Shen Yuxuan shuddered at the thought, not daring to imagine further. She quickly got up, returned to the villa, grabbed her car keys, and sped off toward Xiao Tiance’s location.

Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance had already brought Zhou Jie back to the villa where he had previously stayed. As he passed the foot of the mountain, he saw Xing Feng standing guard with a few others. Xiao Tiance glanced at Xing Feng, causing Xing Feng to tremble and quickly retreat into his car, not daring to meet Xiao Tiance’s gaze.

Xiao Tiance chuckled to himself, not taking Xing Feng seriously. Xing Feng wasn’t worth his concern; his focus was on the attitude of the Longguo War Department. If they intervened this time, they shouldn’t expect him to back down!

As soon as Xiao Tiance returned to the villa, Tian Qi had someone wake up the unconscious Zhou Jie. When Zhou Jie opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, his face turned pale. Xiao Tiance was sitting right in front of him, which meant that Zhou Zhenglong hadn’t rescued him.

"Awake?" Xiao Tiance asked, squinting at the terrified Zhou Jie.

"You… you… you…" Zhou Jie stammered, staring at Xiao Tiance as if he had seen a ghost, unable to believe that his uncle Zhou Zhenglong, with hundreds of men, hadn’t been able to save him.

"You're the one who made my daughter stay in a pigsty for three days, right?" Xiao Tiance asked Zhou Jie coldly.

"N-no, it wasn't me, it was my subordinates who acted on their own, not me. Please spare me, I'm begging you, let me go. I'll give you however much money you want, I'll give it all to you!" Zhou Jie was terrified and kept pleading with Xiao Tiance.

Xiao Tiance's gaze grew even colder, and he said to Tian Qi, "His injuries are severe. Don't let him die just like that. Disinfect him with alcohol."

Tian Qi laughed coldly and said, "Alright, but I doubt this piece of trash can survive."

Xiao Tiance waved his hand dismissively, "It doesn't matter. Use our best healing secret medicine on him. He won't die so easily if he wants to."

"Heh, understood. Leave it to me." Tian Qi laughed coldly, and in the next moment, he gestured with his hand. Immediately, two warriors from the Heavenly Palace brought out a large barrel of high-purity industrial alcohol from the villa. While alcohol does have disinfectant properties, the excruciating pain that comes with it is something not everyone can endure.

At that moment, Tian Qi threw Zhou Jie into a temporarily constructed, foul-smelling pigsty next to the villa, which was filled with mud and excrement—something Tian Yi had prepared earlier.

"No, no, no, don't!" Zhou Jie screamed in terror, not wanting to be thrown in, but he was powerless to resist. Tian Qi kicked him straight into the pigsty. When he saw Tian Qi preparing to bathe him in industrial alcohol, Zhou Jie was so terrified that his heart nearly exploded, desperately begging for mercy.

"Xiao Tiance, stop! Don't torture Zhou Jie any further, stop!" Just as Tian Qi was about to pour the industrial alcohol on Zhou Jie, Shen Yuxuan, who had rushed to the scene, shouted urgently at Xiao Tiance, who was sitting in the courtyard.

When Zhou Jie saw Shen Yuxuan, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in his eyes. He quickly pleaded with Shen Yuxuan, "Shen Yuxuan, save me, save me! I promise I won't let my dad retaliate, and I won't cause any more trouble for the Shen family. I swear, I swear! Please save me, save me!"

Xiao Tiance glanced coldly at Shen Yuxuan and said, "You're pleading for someone like this?"

Without waiting for Shen Yuxuan to respond, he waved his hand at Tian Qi. Instantly, dozens of pounds of industrial alcohol were poured all over Zhou Jie, and the alcohol immediately seeped into the wounds on his body.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Zhou Jie, lying in the pigsty, screamed in agony, a scream no longer human, passing out from the pain, only to be jolted awake by it again. No matter how much Zhou Jie screamed and begged for help, there wasn't a trace of emotion in Xiao Tiance's eyes.

"Xiao Tiance, his father is Zhou Zhenghao, the richest man in Qianjiang City, with immense power. You've done this to Zhou Jie; his father won't let this go." Shen Yuxuan, in despair, looked at Zhou Jie, who was screaming in agony in the pigsty, and said to Xiao Tiance almost instinctively.

But Xiao Tiance remained indifferent, only coldly watching Zhou Jie's suffering. A flash of cold light flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "Zhou Zhenghao, huh? Let him come."

"Besides, even if he doesn't come, I'll go find him!"