Husband~

The old Daoist's smile was bone-chilling. Seeing Luo Bin's attention caught by the sobbing from upstairs, he judged that the young man truly cared about that girl.

Then, like a specter, he drifted upward.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Luo Bin's mouth. As the old Daoist moved swiftly, he reached the group of people at the early and mid Golden Skin stages, his White Ape Through-Arm Fist shadows crisscrossing.

The explosive fist wind was restrained within, following each punch Luo Bin delivered, precisely invading their bodies. The fist wind, mixed with a faint golden blood-energy force, turned into a small, tricky, and tenacious blade rampaging through their meridians.

"Pfft—"

Someone, struck by the fist, sprayed blood and collapsed limply to the ground, losing all ability to move.

By then, the old Daoist had flown upstairs, ready to seize the Sun Family's eldest daughter to threaten Luo Bin, only to find an absurd turn of events.

Luo Bin simply didn't care whether the Sun Family's young lady lived or died. The old Daoist's subordinates had no resistance against Luo Bin, and eventually, one man and one woman were lifted like lifeless objects.

Then came a "bang" as Luo Bin hurled the two in his hands out of the building. From the convoy of Chen Tianren and Sun Jingyao, hundreds of meters away, Martial Masters hurried over to catch them...

A thunderous roar rolled through the building like muffled thunder:

"These two are important—keep a close watch on them..."

Upstairs, the old Daoist finally understood Luo Bin's intent. The latter's return, the clearest reason, was for these hostages...

To bring them back to the Chen Family, pry open their mouths, and extract useful information about himself.

"What a venomous brat. Such a pretty girl, and you don't care at all. If she really meets her end here, how will you face the Sun Family?" the old Daoist said, looking at Luo Bin.

Luo Bin took a few slow steps forward, gazing at the old Daoist standing on the stairs, and sneered, "The Sun Family and I have never been on good terms. Why should I care if one of them lives or dies?

Besides, your strength isn't as terrifying as I imagined. It's just that this 'sorcery' of yours is indeed a bit tricky.

But do you know that outside right now, there are over a dozen heavy machine guns, countless light rifles, and even the Chen Family has brought mortars?"

"I can retreat into the Chen Family's formation anytime, while you can only scurry into the mountain woods behind like a stray dog."

Originally, Chen Tianren and the others wouldn't barge in without knowing the situation inside the building, and their guns and cannons would only show their true power in favorable terrain...

Now Luo Bin had even...

The old Daoist fell silent for a moment, then let out a hearty laugh. "You're so young and talented, originally from the Pei Family. Why stoop to serving Chen Tianren?"

"How about I, Jia Yao, vouch for you to return to the Pei Family? The Pei Family is thriving in Tianhai now, even connected to a major figure... What do you say?"

Luo Bin cupped his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I'll think about it..."

The air began to freeze. Upstairs, the Sun Family's eldest daughter, Sun Shuhua, was bound with two thumb-thick hemp ropes, the tightness digging painfully into her, leaving marks on her delicate body.

A white cloth was stuffed in her mouth, muffling her whimpers and rapid breaths.

In Sun Shuhua's eyes, Luo Bin's first appearance had been like a heroic savior riding on colorful clouds. But his cold departure after rescuing Chen Jing made him seem like a bloodless monster who treated lives like weeds.

In an instant, countless thoughts sprouted in Sun Shuhua's mind.

"Why didn't he take me out too?"

"I... I'm so scared. What if these madmen kill me to silence me? I don't want to die yet."

"Why did he come back? Is he here to save me? In the storytellers' tales and the opera plays, a hero saving a beauty... usually means she has to give herself to him..."

Sun Shuhua's emotions were torn back and forth by Luo Bin's coming and going, his leaving and returning.

She truly had no idea what the real intention was of this "Ping City Martial Arts Rising Star," who the newspapers had reported as the fist that shook the Moon Veil Pavilion...

But thankfully, after hearing "Why should I care if one of them lives or dies" and "I'll think about it," Sun Shuhua gave up all hope.

Yes, a spoiled young lady like her—only her father and brother would worry about her life or death.

Why would a martial arts prodigy she'd never met, only glimpsed in a newspaper, risk ruining his future to offend a powerful enemy with deep connections and unknown strength...

"If they reach a deal, they won't leave me alive..."

"If I die, I die. Sixteen years from now, I, Sun Shuhua, will still be a hero!"

Just as Sun Shuhua was consumed by despair, Luo Bin finally responded to the old Daoist Jia Yao's recruitment.

"What you say isn't without reason. Staying with the Chen Family does feel like living under someone else's roof. I've thought about leaving to carve out my own path...

But I don't really want to go to the Pei Family. They're too cold-blooded, with no trace of human warmth."

Jia Yao was slightly surprised. Luo Bin's openness and sudden shift caught him off guard, but the outcome was extremely favorable to him... What temptation could a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old lad resist?

As long as Luo Bin didn't tie him down, behind the ruined building stretched vast mountain wilderness. If he found a chance to slip in, who could find him?

Jia Yao suppressed his inner excitement. "Where do you want to go, or what do you want? As long as it's within my power, I'll grant it!"

Luo Bin's eyes lit up, a delighted expression spreading across his face as he looked at Jia Yao's old visage, his tone carrying a hint of flattery: "Daoist, are you serious?"

"Dead serious!"

"Then fine. I want that woman upstairs to be my wife and warm my bed!"

Jia Yao: "..."

Luo Bin pressed his advantage. "You don't know, Reverend, how faithless the Chen Family truly is. They promised me a marriage contract, but to this day there's no sign of it. That eldest miss, Chen Manqing, is my fiancée in name only—she absolutely loathes me..."

"She even moved out just to avoid seeing me, and keeps a kept man on the side... I started from nothing, with no grand ambitions. I just wanted a pretty wife, and now there's one right here. I beg the Reverend to make it happen!"

Luo Bin's sharp plea was heartfelt and stirring. When the old Daoist heard about Chen Manqing's kept man, Wu Gou's face surfaced in his mind.

"So that's how it is... Young man, all the hardship and bitterness you've endured on this road—I'm afraid only this old Daoist can truly understand. Very well, the girl upstairs—I'll give her to you as a meeting gift. May you two be blessed with a hundred years of harmony!"

With that, Jia Yao headed upstairs. Luo Bin stood still, waiting quietly. Before long, Jia Yao descended with a swaying Sun Shuhua in tow.

Luo Bin was so impressed by his own "startling brilliance" that he didn't even bother to examine the Sun Family miss's face closely at first. Instead, he was immediately drawn to her figure, perfectly wrapped in a form-fitting dress.

A dark cyan silk cheongsam with an intertwined lotus pattern, cut in the fashionable cinched-waist style. The collar was slightly open, revealing a patch of fair, delicate skin. Her chest swelled soft and full, her waist slender enough to encircle with one hand, and her hips were plump and pert—she looked ripe and succulent. The side slit ran three spans above the knee, making Luo Bin click his tongue in admiration.

Sun Shuhua's eyes shimmered with moisture. She smiled warmly at Luo Bin, curtsied, and said:

"Husband~"

Luo Bin: "?"