Chapter 77

On a quiet road, a Mercedes-Benz sedan slowly drove away from Cloudy Mist Mountain.

"Stop the car!" Cao Yuan suddenly said.

The driver quickly stepped on the brakes.

Cao Yuan looked at the young man beside him and said, "Don't hold it in; it's bad for your health."

The young man quickly pressed the window button and stuck his head out.

"Phew!"

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He had exchanged three punches with Ye Qiu. On the third punch, he was not only pushed back several steps but also suffered internal injuries.

However, he had been holding it in, not showing any signs, but Cao Yuan still noticed.

"Sorry, Master, I've let you down," the young man said guiltily.

"It's fine. Even Xiao Qingdi was defeated by him, let alone you," Cao Yuan continued, then asked the young man, "What do you think of Ye Qiu?"

"Strong!" The young man said, then felt his words were not accurate enough and added, "Very strong! Ye Qiu's skills are comparable to those of a Dragon List expert. If he participates in the Dragon List competition next year, he might even make it into the top ten."

"What about the information I asked you to gather?"

"It's all here."

The young man handed a tablet to Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan opened the tablet and carefully browsed through the information.

Three minutes later.

Cao Yuan closed the tablet and said, "Ye Qiu's mother is actually the daughter of the Qian family, a prominent family in Hangzhou. That's quite unexpected. Why is there no information about his father?"

"I checked, but I couldn't find anything."

"Couldn't find anything?" Cao Yuan raised an eyebrow.

The young man said, "It's very suspicious, as if he doesn't have a father."

"Let Zhuque investigate this. Tell her she must find out who Ye Qiu's father is!" Cao Yuan ordered.

"Yes!"

Cao Yuan asked again, "Where are the bodies of the brothers?"

"I've stored them in the cold storage. I plan to take them back to the capital for cremation after the Jiangzhou matter is resolved," the young man said.

"Send them back to the capital for cremation immediately. Also, give each family two million yuan as compensation."

"Master, according to the rules, each family can only receive one million yuan in compensation."

"The extra one million will come from my personal funds," Cao Yuan said. "They died protecting me; I can't let their families suffer. Do as I said."

"Yes!"

Cao Yuan closed his eyes.

The young man hesitated, wanting to say something.

"Ask what you want to ask!" Cao Yuan said calmly.

"Master, there's something I don't understand. You already know the assassins are from the Wu Shen Sect, so why did you ask Ye Qiu to investigate the assassins?" the young man asked, puzzled.

Cao Yuan opened his eyes and smiled, "Don't you think Ye Qiu is talented?"

The young man suddenly understood, "I see, Master, you want to test Ye Qiu?"

"Very good!" Cao Yuan followed with an order, "Erase all traces of the assassins. Don't provide Ye Qiu with any help or information."

"If we do that, it will be very difficult for Ye Qiu to find the assassins," the young man continued, "Master, you only gave Ye Qiu three days. If he can't find the assassins by then, will you really kill the Dragon King?"

"Yes, if Ye Qiu can't find the assassins, the Dragon King must die," Cao Yuan said. "I am the Master of the Dragon Gate. If I don't keep my promise, how can I command the ten thousand brothers of the Dragon Gate? Besides, a dying man has little value."

"A dying man?" the young man was confused.

Cao Yuan said, "The Dragon King has been poisoned by a worm for many years and is close to death."

That's how it is.

The young man continued, "Master, five of the assassins who attacked you last night were killed on the spot, and two more were killed by Han Long. The last one injured Han Long and escaped."

"Find him! Bring me this person!"

"Yes." The young man continued, "Master, the Wu Shen Sect has already tried to assassinate you several times. Should we take action against them?"

Cao Yuan's eyes flashed with cold light, and he said coldly, "It's not the right time to act against them yet. After I unify the world, I will deal with them. At that time, whether they are the Wu Shen or the Plague God, they will all be destroyed."

...

In the courtyard.

Only after Cao Yuan left did the Dragon King and Zhao Yun get up from the ground. Both of them were pale, their faces still showing fear.

Ye Qiu wasn't much better; his back was drenched in cold sweat.

The Dragon King sighed, "Xiao Ye, you shouldn't have come today. I'm already a dying man; whether I die early or late doesn't matter. Although you saved my life, you've also put yourself in danger. It's not worth it."

Ye Qiu said to the Dragon King, "Please don't say that. Last night, at the Crystal Palace, you and Brother Zhao stood up for me against Xiao Qingdi, and you both got injured. Compared to what you did for me, what I did is insignificant."

"Regardless, I owe you another favor. Thank you," the Dragon King said gratefully.

Zhao Yun also said, "Ye Qiu, I'll be your brother from now on. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means facing a mountain of knives or a sea of fire."

Ye Qiu's smile faded, and he said, "To resolve this matter, we need to find the assassins."

"I'll take care of it. I'll immediately arrange for people to find the assassins," Zhao Yun said. "Even if I have to dig up the earth, I'll find them."

"You're thinking too simply. The assassins won't be easy to find," the Dragon King said.

Immediately, Ye Qiu and Zhao Yun turned their attention to the Dragon King.

The Dragon King continued, "Think about it. The Master of the Dragon Gate, Nine Thousand, is surrounded by experts. It's not easy for ordinary people to even get close to him, let alone assassinate him. Last night, the assassins killed several of his guards and almost killed his adopted son. This means the assassins are not only skilled but also have significant backgrounds. Finding them in three days is like climbing to the heavens."

Zhao Yun said, "But we can't just give up. If we don't find the assassins in three days, you will die, and Ye Qiu will lose an arm."

"I only said it won't be easy to find the assassins, not that we shouldn't try," the Dragon King said, looking at Ye Qiu with a complex expression. "Xiao Ye, you shouldn't have agreed to Nine Thousand's conditions."

"Why?"

"You could have lived a peaceful life as a doctor, saving lives. With your medical talent, you would have become a great physician. But by agreeing to find the assassins for Nine Thousand, you've stepped into the world of the martial arts. It's a dangerous place, not a place for the good."

"What do you mean, Dragon King?" Ye Qiu didn't understand.

The Dragon King said, "Do you remember what Nine Thousand said? He said that if he wants to find something, he can find anything."

Ye Qiu's face showed shock, and he asked, "Do you mean Nine Thousand already knows who the assassins are?"

"Of course."

"Then why did he ask me to find them?" Ye Qiu asked, then suddenly realized, "He's testing me?"

"Yes," the Dragon King nodded slightly.

Ye Qiu finally understood why Cao Yuan had said he hoped he wouldn't be disappointed when he left. He was testing him.

If I find the assassins, will I pass the test?

What will Cao Yuan do to me after I pass the test?

Will he let me join the Dragon Gate?

Forget it, whether it's a test or not, I need to find the assassins first.

Thinking about this, Ye Qiu asked the Dragon King, "Where was Nine Thousand attacked last night?"

"At the Brightness Hotel."

"I only have three days. We shouldn't waste any time. Let's go to the scene now."