The Old Man... Is Hungry (To all my esteemed readers, please vote)

"Benefactor, I do not wish to have any more ties with my father. I shall consider him dead."

Li Muyun spoke softly, "Benefactor, could you grant this humble woman one more small request?"

"Since it is a small request, I naturally will not refuse. Speak."

Chen Han had a very good impression of Li Muyun; she had helped him significantly in the past. Now that she had fallen into misfortune, he would naturally help her as much as he could.

"Thank you, Benefactor. I only wish to stay here, and then trouble you to help me find some work."

Chen Han lowered his head in thought, feeling it was inappropriate, and said, "You may stay here, Miss, but as for finding work... that is not possible."

"Ah, why?"

Li Muyun asked, blinking her large eyes.

"Since things have come to this, I will not hide it from you. I have formed a deep grudge with the Black Mountain Gang. That night, I let two people who knew the truth escape. Although they do not know my true identity, they recognize you."

Chen Han continued, "Therefore, you cannot show your face now. If you do, I fear both our lives will be in danger."

Hearing this, Li Muyun's delicate body trembled slightly, and a look of lingering fear crept onto her cheeks. "Benefactor, I will listen to whatever you say."

Anything, you say...

Chen Han shook his head, casting aside the improper thoughts in his mind.

"You need not do anything. Just stay here and ensure no one else discovers you."

After settling Li Muyun in temporarily, Chen Han left. As he was departing, Li Muyun grabbed his hand, begging him to stay the night.

But Chen Han was a man of firm resolve; he walked away without looking back.

Mainly, he was wary of the Gu worm inside his body; who knew if it could be transmitted through sexual contact?

At this very moment, in a remote area of Black Monkey City, a hunched old man walked slowly.

He looked frail enough to be blown over by the wind, yet the look between his brows was chilling—the gaze of someone who had slaughtered countless people.

The old man slowly arrived before a small courtyard. The courtyard was brightly lit, and the servants who looked like ordinary laborers were, in fact, Dark Force martial artists.

Looking closer, one could even spot Transformation Force experts among them!

Ordinary people would not know that this inconspicuous residence was the headquarters of the Black Mountain Gang.

"Master, you have returned after finishing your business."

At this moment, several Transformation Force martial artists sensed the old man. They all walked out of the rooms, bowing and scraping, stepping forward to offer their respects with deep reverence.

One of them, covered in pockmarks and looking disheveled, was the very same little old man Chen Han had accidentally encountered earlier that day.

"Mm..."

The old man responded casually, appearing indifferent.

"Master, recently someone has killed many of our brothers. In less than a year, four of our Seven Sha have died. Master, you must seek justice for us!"

At this, one man broke down in tears and knelt on the spot.

The old man's hair was extremely long, obscuring his features, yet one could feel his gaze turning gloomy. In an instant, everyone felt an inexplicable, chilling aura rush straight to their heads.

"Little Six, have you found the origin of this person?"

His voice was hoarse and deep, like a man-eating ghost from the path to the underworld.

"No... nothing. This person covered their tracks exceptionally well. The bodies of our fallen brothers were smashed to pieces; we couldn't find a single clue. We don't even know if it was the same person who killed them all."

"Good, good, good. Very good... well done..."

The old man suddenly laughed, his laughter cold, heartless, and bone-chilling.

The latter was confused. "M-Master, what are you laughing at?"

"I am laughing at why I have kept useless dogs like you..."

As he finished speaking, his aged hand, covered in liver spots, clamped onto the man's face like an iron vice.

"M-Master, spare this lowly one..."

The old man paid no heed to the pleas of his Dark Force peak-level subordinate. With a mere thought, the man's scarlet blood essence was extracted from his body and absorbed entirely by the old man.

The little leader of the Black Mountain Gang was in agony, his pupils shrinking to the size of needlepoints. He tried to let out a heart-wrenching scream, but not a sound could escape. He struggled violently, like a loach caught in a grip.

But gradually, his body went limp, his flesh sunken and his eye sockets protruding; he looked exactly like a dried corpse.

Hiss...

The old man released the corpse of his subordinate, who had died with his eyes wide open, and took a long breath, emitting a sound of satisfaction as if savoring the aftertaste.

The high-level experts of the Black Mountain Gang dared not even lift their heads. Even the pockmarked little old man, who could easily suppress Transformation Force martial artists, looked timid and cowering.

In their eyes, there was only disdain for the dead man; trash deserved to die.

The old man's gaze did not linger on the miserably dead subordinate for even a second as he walked straight back to his room.

Everyone heard a ghostly, hollow voice drift out: "Half a month. Find this person for me; I want to see him myself... Also, have the remaining seven pieces of trash come here... I am hungry..."

"Understood."

The group acknowledged the order in unison.

The next day, Chen Mansion.

"Elder Shanhe, I am truly sorry. An unexpected situation has arisen, and I can no longer take up the post in your lineage."

Chen Han cupped his hands, offering a respectful and apologetic bow.

"What!"

Chen Shanhe, who had previously held a favorable impression of Chen Han, shot to his feet. His gaze was filled with shock and confusion, and after a few breaths, anger began to surface.

"Nephew Han, you gave me your word personally just yesterday. How can you go back on your promise?"

Chen Han felt helpless; he had certainly anticipated this scene.

There was no helping it—the person who had come to seek him out was a close friend he had grown up with.

Since transmigrating and inheriting the original owner's memories, Chen Han had come to view Chen Lei, who had provided him with significant help, as a true brother. He simply couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"Elder Shanhe, I am truly sorry..."

Chen Han did not offer excuses; instead, he bowed again, expressing his apologies once more.

Chen Shanhe's face cycled between shades of green and black, and several times he held back the urge to lash out with a verbal tirade.

In the end, these words dissolved into a long sigh. "Fine. If you are determined to leave, I cannot stop you. I only hope you will not regret this in the future..."

With that, Chen Shanhe departed.

Chen Han's gaze narrowed slightly, though he did not dwell too much on the matter.

As an elder, Chen Shanhe held considerable prestige within the clan. Now that Chen Han had thoroughly offended him, he would surely target Chen Han during the handling of daily affairs and attempt to trip him up from the shadows.

However, Chen Han was not afraid. With his current strength, he could easily handle whatever came his way; Chen Shanhe's underhanded tactics would not cause him any significant trouble.

Still, I must remain cautious. One who walks by the river often gets their shoes wet. If I offend too many people, I might stumble if I become careless one day.

Chen Han warned himself in his heart.

After finishing his daily fist practice as dusk settled, Chen Han returned home to find many new items added to the house. They were high-end and elegant, clearly carrying a hefty price tag.

Shen Yue, dressed in new silk robes with her hands behind her back, walked up to him with a beaming smile. "Big Brother, do you think my new clothes look good?"

Chen Han looked her up and down. It was a simple outer garment in a blue and white color scheme, which suited a young girl in the prime of her youth like Shen Yue perfectly.

"Mm, they look good."