Hearing the conversation from the neighboring booth, Ye Xiao and Shen Qiuyu exchanged glances.

Is there really a Heavenly Book in Minghai City?

The Heavenly Book is the most mysterious treasure in the Martial Arts World. It's also known as the Supreme Dragon Phoenix Skill, and anyone who possesses it and masters the ultimate divine abilities within is revered as the supreme authority in the world of Martial Arts.

But wasn't it said that the Heavenly Book was destroyed after the fall of the last dynasty over a century ago? Over the years, countless tales about the Heavenly Book have circulated, most false, yet they continue to draw hordes of Martial Artists like moths to a flame!

And the Ling family these people are talking about must be Ling Hengyu's family, right?

"He who possesses the Heavenly Book rules the world. If we brothers get our hands on it, in just a few years we could become the supreme power in the Martial Arts World. Imagine it, the world at our fingertips, where both Eastern beauties and Western ladies will gladly kneel before us, hahaha!"

"Don't celebrate too soon, we first need to know the whereabouts of the Heavenly Book. Since it is rumored to be connected with the Ling family, why don't we go and question them?"

"The Ling family? Are you talking about that Ling Hengyu? Although I'm not sure about his prowess, if he truly has the Heavenly Book, his strength must be extraordinary!"

"No matter, from what I know, Ling Hengyu has a daughter who is not a Martial Artist. So, we can start with her. Ling Hengyu treasures that girl like nothing else. If we control her, hehe, he'll have no choice but to obey!"

"Brilliant plan, truly a masterstroke! After we finish eating, let's go and have a look. Hmph, I refuse to dine in places like this anymore. Once we've made it big, we'll revel daily in five-star restaurants!"

"No need to say more, let's make a move!"

...

By the time the conversation ended, Ye Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly. What the Heavenly Book represented was as enigmatic as the legends akin to slaughtering dragons; countless heroes have perished in its pursuit. The allure of the Heavenly Book seemed even greater, suggesting that the Ling family was indeed in danger.

A couple of Martial Artists might not be terrifying, but when their numbers grow, trouble follows. Besides, these two fanciful Martial Artists had already thought about taking Ling Hengyu's daughter, Ling Shuya, hostage. Would other Martial Artists not come to the same conclusion? They likely would.

"Ye Xiao, we must rush back after finishing our meal!" said Shen Qiuyu, his expression stern.

Ye Xiao, of course, understood what Shen Qiuyu meant. With a slight smile, he replied, "No worries. We can continue to eat. I'll give Zhou Hao a call to have him check it out."

Lin Dieying, oblivious to what was happening, looked perplexedly at Ye Xiao and Shen Qiuyu, "What's going on? Has something happened?"

Lin Dieying was just an ordinary person, unfamiliar with the Heavenly Book or the Ling family. Even when the other patrons spoke about the Ling Family and Ling Hengyu loudly, she never connected it to Ling Shuya.

Ye Xiao smiled and dialed Zhou Hao's number.

At that moment, Zhou Hao was also dining, drinking with Zhao Dapeng and the others. When he saw it was a call from Ye Xiao, he answered immediately, laughing, "Boss, where are you? We're drinking at the Blue-tailed Fox. Coming over?"

"I've got something going on outside. Minghai Academy needs you," Ye Xiao said with a chuckle.

Ye Xiao's message was cryptic, but Zhou Hao grasped its urgency. He responded seriously, "Boss, what happened?"

"I can't talk about it now. If you guys want to continue drinking, find a place inside Minghai Academy. That way, you can also ensure their safety."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao didn't ask further. Knowing Ye Xiao wouldn't bring it up unless it were serious, he immediately replied, "Understood, boss. We're on our way now!"

After hanging up the phone, the next dish was served. Ye Xiao grabbed a chicken foot, sniffed it, and chuckled, "Looks like it's pretty spicy!"

Lin Dieying, still unsure about what was happening, looked at Ye Xiao in confusion, "Ye Xiao, tell me what's going on. Is Shuya alright?"

"Some people want to cause trouble for Shuya, so I've got someone going to check on her," Ye Xiao explained.

"Ah?" Dieying exclaimed in surprise upon hearing Ye Xiao's words and quickly suggested, "Shouldn't we go back? We can't let anything happen to Shuya!"

Ye Xiao smiled and reassured her, "It's nothing serious. Besides, we should enjoy our meal before we go. Otherwise, how would I take advantage of you?"

Hearing Ye Xiao's teasing remark, Lin Dieying's face turned red as she protested, "What are you talking about?"

Ye Xiao honestly had no ulterior motives and seeing Lin Dieying's reaction, he simply smiled and said, "I meant nothing by it. Did you misunderstand?"

What could Lin Dieying say? Could she admit she misunderstood? In fact, she really did misunderstand—after all, who can blame her when Ye Xiao's words never seem to follow any conventional pattern.

"I did not!" Lin Dieying bent her head down and picked up her chopsticks to eat peanuts as if nothing had happened!

This made Shen Qiuyu, sitting beside her, chuckle to herself!

It didn't take long for the three bowls of ramen to arrive. Although it was a clear broth, the rich aroma wasn't concealed at all. Ye Xiao was particularly hungry, considering his last class was a physically demanding basketball game against Wang Chi on the playground. As soon as the ramen was served, Ye Xiao put down the half-eaten chicken feet, picked up some noodles with his chopsticks, blew on them to cool a bit, and took a bite!

The noodles were piping hot in the mouth and chewy, quite resilient. Despite the fragrance, there was no greasy aftertaste, but rather a refreshing one.

"Not bad, it's genuinely authentic!" Ye Xiao complimented after a few bites.

Shen Qiuyu wasn't eating as ferociously as Ye Xiao but she still kept praising the dish.

"Right? I eat here often, the taste is really good. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought you guys here!" Lin Dieying was also savoring her meal.

While dining, they listened to the drunk ramblings from the neighboring compartment—talks about how they were going to live lavishly in the future, surrounded by countless beauties, even establish a kingdom with a grand harem as kings!

Ye Xiao didn't feel the slightest threat from these people, who seemed just like nouveau riche. What kind of threat could such upstarts pose? Plus, Ye Xiao guessed they weren't strong Martial Artists either, as the truly powerful wouldn't dine at such a humble stall since their ambitions lay elsewhere.

Although he wasn't afraid of them, Zhou Hao had mentioned that many Martial Artists were suddenly appearing in Minghai City, so Ye Xiao couldn't let his guard down. These two might be idiots, but that didn't rule out the presence of actual capable Martial Artists. What if, at this very moment, they targeted Minghai Academy and kidnapped Ling Shuya? That would be troublesome!

As Ling Shuya's bodyguard, if she were kidnapped and he didn't know about it straight away, it wouldn't just be negligence—it would be utter incompetence!

Ye Xiao wouldn't allow anyone to dishonor him, no matter who it was!

Therefore, the three quickly finished their ramen. Lin Dieying went to pay, and then they all left the noodle shop directly.

Ye Xiao was quite nonchalant about Lin Dieying paying the bill. After all, it didn't matter who paid. However, Shen Qiuyu gave Ye Xiao a curious look when she saw Lin Dieying going to pay.

The hottest days of summer were quietly passing. Although it was still hot at noon, the scorching heat of the dog days was gone. With the car windows down, a cool breeze blew into the car, making the three who had just eaten feel much more comfortable.

The lunchtime rush was over so Ye Xiao drove relatively quickly, reaching the vicinity of Minghai Academy in no time.

Back at Minghai Academy, Ye Xiao parked the car and immediately walked into the school. However, he turned back as soon as he passed through the gates—he noticed that the security guard had changed.

The previous one was gone, replaced by a man in his thirties who seemed very honest and reliable. Ye Xiao remembered it was still the young security guard when he left in the morning.

"Hey, where's the other guard?" Ye Xiao poked his head into the security room.

The guard turned to Ye Xiao and smiled, saying, "The other guard went home to get married. From now on, I'll be working here. Are you also a student at Minghai Academy, young man?"

Ye Xiao nodded and said, "Yes, we are all students here at Minghai Academy."

While speaking, Ye Xiao offered a cigarette—as he would often be leaving the school, it was important to maintain good relations with the guards.

When the guard saw Ye Xiao handing over a cigarette, he paused briefly, then, remembering that the students at Minghai Academy were no ordinary lot and not ones to provoke, he quickly took the cigarette with a smile, "Thank you!"

"No thank you needed. I'll be relying on you from now on... Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Li Dachui, a distant relative of Principal Li. Thanks to Principal Li, I got this job here!" Li Dachui chuckled heartily.

Li Dachui?

Ye Xiao, Lin Dieying, and Shen Qiuyu gave Li Dachui another look upon hearing his name.

With a smile, Ye Xiao said to Li Dachui, "That's a great name, very commanding. Master Li, I'll be counting on your assistance in the future. By the way, my name is Ye Xiao!"

"Sure, no problem!" Li Dachui chuckled once again.

Ye Xiao then walked into the school with the two ladies.

"Does he really go by Li Dachui?" Lin Dieying couldn't quite believe it and said, "That name is too abstract!"

"Don't disparage a person's name; it's impolite. However, you do have a point this time!" Ye Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

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