Eastsea City's Biggest Criminal Syndicate (Join the Fan Group)

"Wulin, it's fine if we head back later. It's dangerous outside, and Boss Gu Yue is doing this for our own good."

Xie Xie was the first to agree. His face showed no expression, but his thoughts were racing.

Those skeletal monsters controlled by the Evil Soul Master must have rushed beneath the restaurant and run into the Gu Family's bodyguard.

Who exactly was that bodyguard?

Even Gu Yue relied on him so heavily. Taking care of a four-ring Soul Elder should have been effortless for him, right?

If he happened to kill that Evil Soul Master too, then wouldn't his uncle's revenge be settled without him lifting a finger?

At that thought, the weight pressing on his heart quietly eased a little.

"Alright..."

Since even Xie Xie had said so, Tang Wulin could only give up.

He had not had much of an opinion to begin with. Since Xie Xie had agreed, he naturally stayed as well.

"There's still plenty of food on the table. Eat some more."

Gu Yuena said it casually, her gaze mostly resting on the sleeping Fang Yuan in her arms. Her fingertips gently brushed the child's fringe, her movements exceedingly light.

"Mm."

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged a glance.

Neither said anything else. They picked up their chopsticks again and lowered their heads to eat.

With matters weighing on their minds, they actually ate even faster.

Within minutes, the two of them had cleaned every last dish off the table.

Just then, the Spirit Guidance Terminal on the table gave a soft buzz.

Gu Yuena picked it up and held it to her ear, keeping her voice low.

"My Lord, everything has been taken care of."

Di Tian's steady voice came through the terminal, without the slightest trace of emotion.

"Alright. Withdraw once you're done. Wait for us downstairs with the car."

"As you command."

The call was brief, ending after only two lines.

Gu Yuena put down the terminal and looked at Xie Xie.

"Xie Xie, you got lucky. That Evil Soul Master you mentioned has already been killed by my bodyguard."

Xie Xie's heart suddenly jolted.

He was really dead?

His uncle's revenge had been avenged just like that?

He clenched his fingers, his nails digging into his palm as he suppressed the surging emotions within him. Then he stood and gave a slight bow.

"Boss Gu Yue, thank you."

Though he thanked her aloud, he still felt somewhat uneasy inside.

The revenge had been taken, but not by his own hand.

In the end, he had borrowed someone else's hand.

That regret weighed heavily on his chest, impossible to dispel.

"Alright, let's head back."

Gu Yuena said nothing more and carefully picked up the sleeping Fang Yuan in her arms.

Her movements were so gentle, as if afraid of waking the child. Then she turned and walked out of the private room.

"Mm."

Xie Xie and Tang Wulin froze for a moment before hurriedly following after her.

The moment they stepped out of the private room, both of them were stunned.

The restaurant hall, which had been bustling and packed with diners just moments ago, was now completely empty.

Tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks were scattered all over the floor.

It was as if everyone had vanished into thin air.

"Huh?"

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stood there in a daze, their backs prickling.

There had clearly been a whole roomful of people eating, chatting, and laughing just moments ago. How had everyone disappeared in such a short time?

What exactly had that bodyguard done?

And this private room was way too soundproof, wasn't it? Such a huge commotion had happened outside, yet not a single sound had reached them inside?

The two of them were deeply unsettled. The more they thought about it, the more terrified they became.

Gu Yuena walked ahead, her expression utterly calm as she looked over the empty hall.

How could a private room have such good soundproofing?

It was the soul-guided soundproofing array she carried with her.

When traveling, any kind of accident could happen.

She had always prepared such things for little Fang Yuan in advance, so the noise outside would not disturb the child.

There was no need to explain such a trivial matter to two outsiders.

"Move."

She spoke without looking back, her tone turning colder.

"My bodyguard doesn't know restraint when he acts. When the Law Enforcement Team arrives, if the two of you get arrested as accomplices of Evil Soul Masters, don't expect me to care."

"Huh?"

Tang Wulin was dumbfounded on the spot.

Mistaken for Evil Soul Masters? Arrested?

Wouldn't that mean being wanted?

His heart skipped a beat, and panic instantly seized him.

No wonder Xie Xie had always told him to stay away from this sister and brother.

They had only come out to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform and have a meal, yet they had somehow stirred up something this serious.

Their luck was far too terrible!

Xie Xie's heart was pounding as well.

He had only guessed that the bodyguard was strong, but he had never expected him to be this lawless.

There had been so many guests in the restaurant, and now they were all just... gone?

What kind of aristocratic family bodyguard was this? He was clearly someone even more ruthless than an Evil Soul Master.

Gu Yue's family might very well be Eastsea City's... no, Douluo Continent's greatest criminal syndicate!

A thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The incident where Teacher Wu had been beaten and injured before must have been Gu Yue's doing.

That day, Fang Yuan had merely been called over by Teacher Wu to stand as punishment.

The very next day, Teacher Wu had been severely injured.

People like them were not someone two insignificant Soul Masters could afford to provoke.

They had to stay far away—the farther, the better.

The two swiftly exchanged glances, each seeing the fear in the other's eyes.

Whatever gratitude they had felt earlier had long been washed away by lingering terror.

"What are you standing around for? Do you want to stay here and wait for death?"

Gu Yuena turned back to urge them, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Y-Yes, yes! We're leaving right now! Please wait, Boss Gu Yue!"

Tang Wulin shuddered in fright and hurriedly pulled Xie Xie forward.

Before absolute strength and ruthlessness, they were just two students from humble backgrounds, not even qualified to resist.

The two hurried after Gu Yuena toward the restaurant's entrance.

The moment they pushed open the restaurant doors.

Aside from Gu Yuena, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stared at the sight before them.

They were instantly left aghast, their pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

Within a radius of two li, corpses and bones covered the ground, piled into heaps like small mountains.

The entire street had been swept by eerie black flames. The ground had been scorched black, and even the air carried the stench of burning.

"This..."

Tang Wulin's throat tightened, and he could not force out a complete sentence for a long while.

Those corpses probably were not just the skeletal monsters summoned by the Evil Soul Masters, were they?

Could there... have been innocent civilians mixed among them?

That bodyguard had been far too ruthless.

He was even more sinister than an Evil Soul Master.

Xie Xie pressed his lips together, his face pale.

The suspicion in his heart had been confirmed.

They absolutely could not get involved with this family.

Once you got involved, it was only a matter of time before it cost you your life.

"Still looking?"

Gu Yuena swept them with a cold glance, then carried Fang Yuan straight toward the soul-guided car parked by the roadside.

"Keep staring, and the Law Enforcement Team will treat you as accomplices too."

The two shuddered and did not dare look again. They scrambled into the car in a panic.

The moment the door shut, both of them let out a sigh of relief, their backs already drenched in cold sweat.

Gu Yuena calmly took the front passenger seat, still holding the sleeping Fang Yuan securely in her arms.

"Driver, please take us back to Eastsea Academy!"

The moment Tang Wulin settled in, he hurriedly called out, wanting nothing more than to leave this troublesome place as quickly as possible.

Di Tian ignored him. He looked at Gu Yuena through the rearview mirror, awaiting her orders.

"Go to Eastsea Academy first and drop those two off," Gu Yuena said lightly.

"Yes, Miss."

Di Tian nodded slightly and started the soul-guided car.

The car drove smoothly away from the scene and merged into the traffic on the main road, as if nothing had happened.

They had not gone far.

Urgent sirens sounded in the distance behind them, drawing closer and closer.

Gu Yuena frowned slightly.

"Didn't you say everything had been handled? Why is the Law Enforcement Team still chasing us?"

There was a trace of displeasure in her tone.

"This subordinate has failed in his duties. Please punish me, my lord," Di Tian said in a deep voice. "This old servant will get out and eliminate the loose ends at once."

As he spoke, he was about to activate autopilot, pull over, and get out.

"No."

Gu Yuena immediately stopped him.

"If we act now, we'll only give ourselves away. Slow down first and see what's going on."

"Yes, Miss."

Di Tian acknowledged the order and slowly reduced the car's speed.

Xie Xie's face had gone pale in the backseat.

Th-this... they were actually going to stop?

That wasn't right!

Weren't the soul-guided dramas always full of high-speed car chases? How could they just stop like that?

His heart pounded in terror, his palms slick with sweat. He even softened his breathing.

"Boss Gu Yue... after killing so many people, maybe... maybe we should turn ourselves in?"

Tang Wulin's mind went blank, and he blurted out something utterly inappropriate.

"Throw this kid out."

Gu Yuena did not even raise her eyelids, her voice cold as ice.

"Don't, don't, don't! Boss Gu Yue, please don't be angry!"

Xie Xie was so terrified his soul nearly left his body. He clamped a hand over Tang Wulin's mouth, almost suffocating him.

Inwardly, he cursed Tang Wulin eight hundred times over.

Are you insane? Turning ourselves in at a time like this? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!

We're all in the same boat now. One careless word from you could get us all killed!

While covering Tang Wulin's mouth, he forced a smile and tried to smooth things over.

"Wulin was scared out of his wits and just talking nonsense! Please don't take it to heart!"

Tang Wulin kicked his legs wildly beneath Xie Xie's grip, unable to say anything but muffled whimpers.

"Why is it so noisy..."

A soft, sleepy voice rang out.

Fang Yuan stirred in Gu Yuena's arms and slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his drowsy eyes with his little hands.

"Sister Gu Yue, are we home?"

"Almost, almost."

The chill on Gu Yuena's face instantly melted away. Her voice turned incomparably gentle as she lightly patted his back. "Did we wake you? Sleep a little longer. I'll wake you when we get there."

Just then.

The soul-guided car slowly came to a stop.

Ahead of them, several standardized yellow Law Enforcement mechas stood across the road, blocking their path.

A Law Enforcement Team member's stern voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Everyone inside the vehicle, get out! Routine procedure. Submit to inspection!"