A jeep was driving slowly along the Airport Road.
Wang Hu was driving, Hua Yumo was in the passenger seat, and Gu Chen was in the back seat, with Xiao Zhuxin next to him.
Xiao Zhuxin was wearing a long dress, the once gorgeous skirt now covered in dirt and dust. Her head rested gently on Gu Chen's thigh, her beautiful eyes closed, unconscious.
When Gu Chen found Xiao Zhuxin, he had already checked her injuries and helped her suppress her internal True Qi.
Fortunately, the "Grizzly Bear" gang wasn't so cruel as to be completely insane; they only took Xiao Zhuxin hostage and didn't harm her, only causing her some minor injuries.
Staring at Xiao Zhuxin's delicate profile, Gu Chen's face remained expressionless, but his heart was already churning with turbulent emotions.
Although it's only been a little over half a year since they last met in this life, if you really count the previous life, it's been thousands of years since he last saw Xiao Zhuxin.
Unexpectedly, in the past six months, she has actually been keeping their promise. She not only learned to sing, but also released her own album and entered the entertainment industry.
The Xiao Family is a prominent family in the Shangjing, even more prestigious than the Gu Family. Xiao Zhuxin is the eldest daughter of the main wife, and the fact that she was able to persuade her family to let her appear in public shows how much determination she had to make.
All of this was in her mind, as she intended to give Gu Chen a surprise when they met again someday.
"Thanks a lot."
Gu Chen's expression became slightly complicated.
In his previous life on Earth, among the people who were kind to him, besides his father, it was Xiao Zhuxin.
When her father lost power, the Xiao Family forbade Xiao Zhuxin from associating with Gu Chen, but she ignored it all. Now, all that she has done for him has moved Gu Chen, but also filled him with guilt.
In my previous life, I was utterly despondent and chose to jump off a cliff.
"Yet she didn't even get to see Zhuxin one last time. How painful and agonizing it must have been for her when she learned of this..."
"Thankfully, I'm back. In this life, I won't let regrets happen again."
Gu Chen held Xiao Zhuxin's cold hand and made a silent vow in his heart.
"Gu Chen, what happened inside? Are you alright?"
Just then, Hua Yumo's voice came from the front. It was unclear whether she had seen Gu Chen's actions in the rearview mirror, but her face showed a slightly unnatural expression.
Why did I get hurt?
Gu Chen snapped out of his daze, staring straight ahead, and said calmly, "Just a bunch of rabble."
"They weren't just a rabble; they were ruthless mercenaries who had killed countless people. Especially their leader, Grizzly Bear —not only were his men and weapons highly skilled, but his cultivation was said to have reached the Bone-Forge Realm. The number of people who died at his hands in Southeast Asia is unimaginable." Wang Hu interjected, "Given their firearms and the strength of their mercenaries, even I wouldn't dare go this far. Brother Gu, your ability to wipe them all out is truly beyond my expectations."
"Brother Hu is amazing." Gu Chen took a deep breath and said, "If Brother Hu went, he could probably take care of them much faster than I could."
Stop flattering each other!
Hua Yumo turned her head, her big eyes fixed on Gu Chen, and said, "You still haven't told me why you went to save Zhuxin. What is your relationship with her? Are you really a member of the Gu Family?"
Her tone carried a hint of accusation and hostility, and Gu Chen frowned but did not reply.
"Cold Scorpion and his men have taken the rest of the people away. We've also notified the police, and the checkpoints set up in Shangjing should have been removed. In any case, the most important thing is that Miss Xiao is rescued."
Seeing the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Wang Hu coughed and said...
"That's not all." Gu Chen's gaze sharpened. "I overheard Grizzly Bear and his men talking in their warehouse just now. Kidnapping Zhuxin wasn't their idea; they were hired by someone else."
"It's targeting the Xiao Family, isn't it?" Wang Hu said. "But the Xiao Family has always kept a low profile in the Shangjing. I wonder who they've offended that would lead to the kidnapping of Miss Xiao. Brother Gu, what else did you hear?"
"I didn't hear them say who the person who commissioned them was. I only know they gave Grizzly Bear 50 million, and the other party is referred to as ' Boss Li '," Gu Chen said. "Brother Hu, do you know anyone with the surname Li in Shangjing?"
As he said this, a murderous glint flashed in Gu Chen's eyes.
Regardless of whether this incident was targeted at the Xiao Family, Xiao Zhuxin has certainly been hurt!
As one of his biggest regrets in this life, since Xiao Zhuxin has been hurt, Gu Chen will not stand idly by!
"Your surname is Li?"
Hua Yumo then said strangely, "Could it be the Li Family? But that doesn't seem like it should be."
Gu Chen then looked at her properly and said, "Tell me."
"You don't even know the Li Family?" Hua Yumo looked at Gu Chen strangely and said, "Then why did you say you were from the Shangjing Gu Family?"
"I forgot," Gu Chen said calmly. "I've been away from the Shangjing for half a year."
To be precise, Gu Chen has been gone for thousands of years. Unless it's some important person or event, how could he possibly remember so much after thousands of years of cultivation on Heavenly Nether Star?
Even the Hua Family —if he hadn't met Hua Yumo and Elder Hua, he wouldn't have remembered this family at all.
"Your memory is really bad." Hua Yumo pouted and said, "The Li Family and the Xiao Family have been on good terms for generations, even closer than your Gu Family. Zhuxin told me before that the Li Family seems to have come to the Xiao Family to propose marriage."
"Propose marriage?" Gu Chen's face darkened. "What kind of marriage proposal?"
"Zhuxin is almost eighteen. Although she's not yet of marriageable age, she can get engaged," Hua Yumo said. "And Li Ke, the eldest son of the Li Family, is also in his early twenties. The two are of similar age, so the Li Family has this idea."
Tell me about the Li Family.
Unconsciously, Gu Chen's voice had turned several degrees colder.
"You're also a martial artist, you should have heard of the Firmament Sect, right? The Firmament Sect is a one-star sect in Huaxia, and the Li Family is one of the constituent families of the Firmament Sect. Of course, besides the martial arts world, the Li Family's influence in the secular world is also extraordinary, with a wide industrial chain and assets far exceeding those of your Gu Family."
In the end, for reasons unknown, Hua Yumo couldn't resist taking a dig at Gu Chen.
One-star sect?
Gu Chen frowned. Apart from the sects and families he encountered in the Land of Heaven and Earth on Starfall Cliff, this Firmament Sect was probably the only one-star sect he had ever met.
Since this sect possesses such strength, it should surely have a place in the Land of Heaven and Earth.
But no matter what, if the Li Family really dares to do what Xiao Zhuxin wants, Gu Chen will definitely not let it go.
"If the Li Family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Xiao Family, why did they still target Zhuxin?" Gu Chen asked.
"How would I know? It's not even certain whether the Li Family orchestrated it." Hua Yumo pouted and said, "Although Xiao Zhuxin and I are good friends, she rarely shares her things with me. On the contrary, I foolishly shared a lot about you with her, and she didn't even tell me that I knew you."
"Share my stories?" Gu Chen was taken aback.
But just as he was about to ask something else, Wang Hu suddenly slowed down the car. He saw several cars blocking their path as the headlights swept across the road ahead.