Xu Ke was completely stunned to see that the shadowy figure who had rescued Xu Yi was the same black-clothed elder who had saved him that day. He had heard from Duan Chongfeng that after rescuing him, the elder had said he couldn't stay in Tianhai and had already left. Who would have thought he was still here?

Now that he knew who it was, Xu Ke finally understood. No wonder those thugs couldn't stop the shadowy figure; they never even had a chance to attack Xu Yi. After all, who could possibly withstand a surprise attack from an Innate of Great Perfection?

But who is this person? Why is he helping me so much? Could he really have been sent by my master?

Regardless of the questions swirling in his mind, Xu Ke first offered his thanks. "Many thanks, Senior."

"No need for formalities," the black-clothed elder said dismissively. His gaze shifted to Li Lang and Kang Dehui, who were in a pathetic state after being kicked, and he began to curse loudly. "Damn it, I was watching from the sidelines for ages!

"I already laid out the terms for you, but you just kept grumbling and dithering. If it weren't so inconvenient, I'd have killed you already!"

Li Lang and Kang Dehui were both humiliated and furious, but they didn't dare make a sound. What was so wrong with wanting to save their own lives? But the black-clothed elder's overwhelming presence subdued the dozens of people present. None of them dared to act rashly, let alone retort.

As for Sun Luo, who had been kicked away by Xu Ke, he looked like he was at death's door. Having been injured repeatedly, his face was as pale as ash, though much of that color was due to sheer terror. He curled up cautiously, not even daring to let out a pained cry for fear of attracting the elder's attention.

Meanwhile, Chang Yi's eyes darted around as his mind raced. He previously couldn't fathom where the black-clothed elder came from, but now, considering what Tang Yingchang had said, he suddenly understood. With Xu Ke's powerful backer, it was perfectly reasonable that an Innate of Great Perfection would want to help him! As for why Xu Ke let him go to avoid Wong Ting's attention... Chang Yi understood that too. That backer's forces were fractured, after all; they couldn't possibly confront the flourishing Wong Ting head-on. But if Xu Ke was given a little more time... At this thought, Chang Yi was shaken. Could it be that the flattery he spouted in the car—that 'given time, he could contend with Wong Ting'—was actually going to come true?

After the black-clothed elder's blistering tirade, a tense silence fell over the group. Just then, Tang Yingchang returned. His gaze flickered with wariness when he saw the elder. It was Chang Yi who broke the silence. "Xu Ke, now that Xu Yi is safe, you can leave, right?" he asked, worried that Xu Ke, holding all the power, might decide to start killing people. This wasn't just his fear; Li Lang and the others felt it too.

But Xu Ke let them off easily. "Of course."

Seeing this, the black-clothed elder looked like he wanted to say something but ultimately kept his mouth shut. With his explosive temper, he would have preferred to eradicate the problem, root and stem, but he had no right to interfere with Xu Ke's decision.

RUMBLE.

The quality of the bulletproof car was guaranteed. Tang Yingchang put it in reverse and backed out of the driveway. Meanwhile, Xu Ke and Xu Yi were escorted away from the villa by the black-clothed elder.

Only after the four of them were gone did Li Lang, Chang Yi, and the others finally breathe a sigh of relief. Kang Dehui, the most cowardly of them all, looked particularly relieved, though lingering fear still haunted his expression. The entire day had been far too perilous. As for Sun Luo, having narrowly escaped death, he had gone completely limp.

"Take good care of her!" the black-clothed elder said once they were a safe distance from the villa.

"I will. Thank you, Senior. You've worked hard all night. Why don't I arrange a place for you to rest?" Xu Ke asked, bowing deeply. It didn't matter what the black-clothed elder's background was or whether he was sent by his master. The most important thing was that the elder had saved him twice. This man was his benefactor.

"No need to be polite. I was just doing what I had to do," the elder said, waving his hand and showing no intention of demanding repayment for the favor. "Alright, I have to go now. No need for arrangements. We'll meet again if fate allows."

"Alright then, Senior. If there's anything you need my help with in the future…" Xu Ke began, not insisting on making him stay.

But the black-clothed elder cut him off. "Stop dawdling."

Xu Ke was left speechless.

Just then, Xu Yi, who had been standing beside Xu Ke, mimicked his form of address. "Senior, thank you for saving me," she said earnestly. "I know I'm not very strong, but if there's anything I can do to help you, I absolutely will! Just say the word!" She knew that Xu Ke and the elder possessed some kind of incredible martial arts, and she also knew she probably couldn't be of much help. She didn't expect the elder to take her offer seriously, but she felt she had to say it anyway.

However, the moment Xu Yi finished speaking, the elder's demeanor completely changed. "Really?" he asked, his tone suddenly filled with delight.

Xu Yi was stunned.

Xu Ke was even more bewildered. Why did the elder's attitude change so drastically when it was Xu Yi?

"Of course… it's true!" Xu Yi hesitated before nodding with a mixture of certainty and doubt.

"Haha! Excellent! You can't go back on your word when I ask for your help in the future, then!" the black-clothed elder boomed, laughing so hard he nearly lost his composure.

Suddenly, a wild thought struck Xu Ke. Was this man not here to protect me, but to find Xu Yi?!

"Alright, I'm leaving. I have other matters to attend to and can't delay," the elder said, pulling out his phone to check the time. "Until we meet again!"

"Goodbye, Senior," Xu Yi said.

"Senior, may I give you a ride?" Xu Ke offered.

But the elder waved his hand, cutting him off. "I'm taking the late high-speed train."

With that, he dashed off. Xu Ke and Xu Yi could only watch as the elder ran to a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk, started it, and rode away.

"Aren't motorcycles banned in Tianhai?" Xu Yi murmured.

Xu Ke was speechless. I was just about to say we have a car and could've driven you to the station...

Just as the black-clothed elder left and Xu Ke and Xu Yi were about to get into their car, Wang Wu arrived with his men. A convoy of four vans and a sedan pulled up in front of Xu Ke's vehicle. As the car belonged to the Wang Family, Wang Wu recognized it instantly.

"Mister Xu, is everything alright? The young miss was very worried," Wang Wu said, hurrying over after he got out of his car.

Xu Ke opened the car door. "Uncle Wu, everything's fine now. You can have your men leave. Get in and we'll talk."

Xu Yi eyed Wang Wu with curiosity.

Wang Wu bowed his head. "Alright!" he said, then signaled for the other men to leave. He got into the car and sat in the passenger seat.

"Uncle Wu, this is my sister, Xu Yi," Xu Ke introduced. "Xiao Yi, call him Uncle Wu. He's an elder in Qi Fu's family."

From the driver's seat, Tang Yingchang's eyes warmed at hearing Xu Ke's introduction.

"Hello, Uncle Wu!" Xu Yi greeted obediently.

Wang Wu smiled kindly. "Hello, Miss Yi. You must have been very frightened tonight."

"It was nothing, really," Xu Yi said, quickly waving her hands.

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