Crisis!

"Shen Yue is gone!"

Chen Han felt a jolt of panic in his heart. He looked left and right, only to see a head bobbing rhythmically above the surging crowd in the street—the person was clearly running at high speed.

"That's him!"

Without a second thought, Chen Han took off in a wild sprint after the figure.

The street was packed with people, which greatly hindered Chen Han's movement, but thanks to his practice of the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique, his physical coordination was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

He wove through the throng like a swift water snake, surging forward at an incredible pace.

Watching his target draw closer, Chen Han clenched his fists, his eyes wide with rage; he wished he could tear the man who had abducted Shen Yue to pieces right then and there.

Just then, two burly men with shoulders like tigers and waists like bears slammed into his path, seemingly on purpose, nearly causing Chen Han to collide with them.

"Sorry, sorry."

Chen Han apologized repeatedly while trying to skirt around them to continue his pursuit.

"Damn it, you scared the hell out of me and you think you can just walk away?"

The two men exchanged a glance and simultaneously blocked Chen Han's path.

The latter's brows knit tightly together. Seeing the figure in the distance growing smaller, his heart felt as if it were being twisted into a knot. Burning with anxiety, he roared, "Get lost!"

"You dare curse this master? You little brat, are you looking for death?"

The two men blocked Chen Han's path several more times and gave him a fierce shove, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

Chen Han was no fool; he realized at this moment that these two were in league with the man who had abducted Shen Yue.

Seething with uncontrollable rage, he took a step forward and suddenly unleashed a heavy, powerful punch toward the two men.

This sudden, forceful strike startled the latter, who raised his hands in a panic to defend himself.

A few breaths later, when the fist did not land on him, he looked up to see that Chen Han had no intention of entangling himself with them; with a flash of movement, he was already several yards away, chasing after their accomplice.

"Dog thing, you dare play me for a fool!"

The big man cursed angrily and was about to step forward to teach him a lesson.

His companion stopped him, "That's enough, don't ruin the plan. The Marquis ordered us not to expose our identities."

At the mention of the Marquis, the big man suppressed the fury in his heart. "Hmph, fine. Anyway, since the Marquis has his eyes on this brat, there will be plenty of opportunities for revenge."

On the other side, Chen Han finally intercepted the man who had abducted Shen Yue at a street corner.

He saw Shen Yue in the man's arms, her eyes tightly shut, already lost in a deep, unconscious slumber.

Looking at the man, his muscles were well-developed and his body as solid as stone—this was a Mingjin Martial Artist!

"Put my little sister down."

Chen Han's gaze was resolute, his posture ready to risk his life at any moment.

"Dog thing, you're pretty fast, but who do you think you are? I've already set my mind on this little girl today. If you have the guts, come and take her back from me!"

"If you are looking for death, I certainly won't indulge you."

As he spoke, Chen Han drew two small knives from his waist. The cold light was blinding, and his gaze was chilling and somewhat eerie.

"I'll say this one last time: put her down and leave. Otherwise, I will fight you to the bitter end right here."

Looking at this young man who wasn't even a martial artist, the man's eyes flickered with uncharacteristic hesitation. He could see the killing intent in the other party; this was a man truly prepared to die.

He was only acting under orders, and compared to his own life, it really wasn't worth risking his neck against this brat.

As the saying goes, no matter how high your martial arts are, you still fear a kitchen knife. If something went wrong...

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and tossed Shen Yue aside carelessly. "Fine, I concede. But you'd better watch your back from now on, kid..."

The big man left. Chen Han rushed over to Shen Yue, picked her up, and checked her condition. Her breathing was steady, there were no injuries, and her small face was slightly flushed—likely a side effect of the sedative.

Chen Han immediately carried Shen Yue to reunite with Shen Wan'er, and then the group hurried to the nearest medical clinic.

Upon arriving at the clinic, after the doctor confirmed that Shen Yue was not in any serious danger, Shen Wan'er asked Chen Han with red eyes what had happened.

Chen Han saw no need to hide anything and told her the whole story.

After hearing it, Lu and Shen Wan'er were both worried and terrified, crouching on the ground and weeping, "Why? We haven't done anything wrong. Why have things turned out like this? We don't even dare to step out the door, living in constant fear every single day..."

Chen Han said nothing more, nor did he offer any empty promises; he simply held Shen Wan'er gently to comfort her.

Yet, inside his heart, a fountain of rage surged toward his skull, and he ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. "Black Mountain Gang, one day, I will slaughter every last one of you, leaving not even a dog or chicken alive!"

After taking her medicine, Shen Yue woke up half an hour later. Chen Han did not hide the truth, telling her everything that had happened and warning her never to leave the house unless absolutely necessary.

Shen Yue seemed to recall something, her face full of lingering fear. "I understand. Big Brother, you must also be very careful when you are out."

"Naturally."

Early the next morning, Chen Han went to the market and bought plenty of materials to reinforce the doors and windows. Upon returning home, he added another layer of security to them.

His greatest fear was that the people from the Black Mountain Gang would come to cause trouble while he was away.

Once everything was arranged, Chen Han rubbed Shen Yue's head. Ever since the incident last night, Shen Yue had remained in this state of shock and lingering fear.

One could only imagine how terrified she must have been at the time.

Chen Han felt a deep ache in his heart, yet there was nothing he could do; after offering a few words of comfort, he took his leave.

Arriving at Li Mansion, he began his daily instruction of Li Mubai.

In the afternoon, Li Muyun sought him out, "Benefactor, could you accompany me to check the shop ledgers? I don't feel quite at ease doing it alone."

Squire Li was in the restaurant business, and Li Muyun acted as a general manager, auditing the books several times each month.

"Mn, no problem. Li Mubai, keep practicing; don't slack off."

Seeing his teacher and his eldest sister growing closer, Li Mubai felt nothing amiss, "Yes, Teacher."

Chen Han saw through Li Muyun's deliberate advances even more clearly than Li Mubai did, though he remained unsure of her motives; that he was a married man was no secret to anyone in Li Mansion.

Unable to fathom her reasons, he simply stopped thinking about it.

"Manager, I'm here to check the accounts."

Before long, the two arrived at the first restaurant while chatting idly.

Li Muyun carried the air of a modest maiden, her eyes like the flowing waters of a spring river, charming and delicate. Upon entering, she spoke politely to the manager, "Manager, I am here to audit the ledgers. Would you mind bringing them for me to see?"

"Ah, it's the Eldest Miss. One moment, please; I shall fetch them at once."

The manager was incredibly respectful, not daring to cause the slightest offense.

Chen Han watched this, thinking to himself how wonderful it would be if Shen Yue and his own family could live as respected and carefree as this.

"Benefactor, please sit and rest. I will have the manager bring a pot of fine tea."

"Then I thank you, Eldest Miss."

Time slipped away, and in the blink of an eye, Li Muyun had visited all of the Li family's restaurants, and the ledgers were naturally all checked.

"Benefactor, look at this. Is it pretty?"

On the way home, Li Muyun suddenly spotted a stall where malt sugar was crafted into brilliant shapes like butterflies and dress hems; her eyes brightened, and she stepped forward with great interest to admire them.

"Mn, it is beautiful. The stall owner has quite the skill."

"That goes without saying, I've been doing this for so many years..."

Just as they were laughing and talking, a muscular martial artist with a cold glint in his eyes slowly walked toward Chen Han, a large hammer hidden within his sleeve...