MY WIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL CEO

Chapter 991 - Chapter 1000

Chapter 991 - Sleeping With Him

Lin Ruoxi had been through a lot the last couple of days, which was probably why she slept through the day till the evening.

Zhao Hongyan came looking for her but when Yang Chen told her that Lin Ruoxi was asleep, she didn't think twice and left the files on her desk.

Yang Chen had already gotten her dressed in her sleep. When she woke up, she looked around with a dazed expression. The moment she saw Yang Chen sitting on her chair using her computer, she snapped up immediately!

Blood rushed to her face when she was reminded of their reckless incident. She cursed herself for letting herself be thrown into such an embarrassing moment.

But it didn't really matter if she did it willingly or not. It wasn't a bad thing that it happened.

After all, she did plan on consummating with him but Yang Chen postponed it saying they had to do it after the wedding.

His actions did drive her mad but in hindsight, it was insensible of her to eat with Li Jianhe alone.

Oh well, what could she do when her husband was a violent jerk?

Lin Ruoxi sat on the couch and stared at Yang Chen blankly. Curiosity filled her mind when she realized that his attention was on the computer and not her despite knowing that she was awake.

She wore her heels and walked next to Yang Chen. Anger crept up her mind when she saw what was on the computer screen!

"Who said you could use my computer to play video games?!" Lin Ruoxi was exasperated.

Yang Chen was using her work computer to play a combat game.

His character was moving around skillfully since Yang Chen had a heightened sense of hand-eye coordination.

Yang Chen went on to get a five-man kill. The five players on the opposing team were cursing him, thinking he was cheating. Yang Chen ignored them completely and continued his rampage.

He threw a glance at Lin Ruoxi when he heard her voice but he immediately diverted his attention back to his game.

"Why do you look so surprised? You only use your computer for work but you bought such a high-end computer. I'm playing games on it so it doesn't go to waste." Yang Chen chuckled lightly. "Yuan Ye gave me a new game..."

Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth and yanked the cable right out of the socket!

"Hey!"

Yang Chen yelled but it was too late, his computer was already turned off!

Yang Chen spun around in frustration. "Dear, what are you doing?! They will think I quit halfway, I'll be penalized and it will go on the records!"

"You're so worked up over a game but I don't see you feel anything when you're killing others or when you're breaking the law." Lin Ruoxi grunted.

"It's not the same! My pride is on the line here! They will think I ran away because I was scared!" Yang Chen said in a more serious manner.

"Why don't I start a game company for you? You can just create your own games and play them all day long!"

"Hmm..." Yang Chen immediately fell into deep thought. "You know what? That doesn't sound half bad."

Lin Ruoxi's face was still flushed. She couldn't stop herself from blurting out when she saw that Yang Chen wasn't planning to talk about their incident. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Yang Chen was at a loss. "What?"

"You..."

"Oh!" Yang Chen slapped his forehead. He looked at the vibrant night sky through the window and said, "Yeah, it's late. You should be hungry. Let's go get dinner. I've already told Wang Ma that we'll be having dinner outside."

Lin Ruoxi felt slightly disappointed and impatient at the same time. She tried to stay calm as she continued talking. "Are you mocking me?"

"No. Why?" Yang Chen was taken aback.

Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips. "Do you think that...that I..."

"That you're..." Yang Chen pressed on.

"Uh..." Lin Ruoxi sucked in a breath and blurted out, "Do you think that I'm shameless?! I refused and refused but still accepted it in the end..."

Her voice became softer and her face turned into a deeper shade of red. She lowered her head, causing her hair to cover her face.

Yang Chen was stunned at first but he smiled bashfully later on. "Kind of..."

Lin Ruoxi looked up abruptly. She had forgotten all about being shy, "You can't say that! It's all your fault, do you know how scary you looked! How could I say no?!"

Yang Chen stopped her mini-rant. He smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not done talking. It was kind of bold of you but I liked it a lot! Besides, we didn't do anything bad, we both enjoyed it anyways. We're married so why care?"

Lin Ruoxi heard him and thought it made sense. It was her first time having sexual intercourse with her husband, it wasn't something to be embarrassed about.

The vixens were probably even more shameless than her! Lin Ruoxi thought with a tinge of jealousy, but she no longer felt embarrassed.

Yang Chen tried hard to stifle his laughter. He knew she would be embarrassed since she had always been bashful.

He pretended to talk in a nonchalant manner so she wouldn't feel too awkward and it would be easy for her to forget about it.

"Let's go out for dinner then." Yang Chen looked at the dark computer screen with a regretful gaze. He started to ponder the possibility of buying a computer for himself back home.

Lin Ruoxi smiled gently now that she had gotten over it. She touched her hair before saying, "My hair's messy, wait."

Lin Ruoxi doesn't really wear makeup so she didn't need a long time to get ready. She combed through her hair and tied it up into a ponytail. It wasn't anything she hadn't done in his presence, but it was still mesmerizing all the same.

Lin Ruoxi realized he was staring at her intensely after she was done getting ready.

Her heart softened at his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like it's your first time seeing me?"

"It's weird to me that some women look better after marriage. I can't stop looking at you." Yang Chen sighed. "Mrs Lin Ruoxi, you can't do this. People wouldn't buy our makeup products if they saw you. Their confidence level will drop down to zero and they wouldn't be in the mood to wear makeup."

"Sweet talker." Lin Ruoxi gave him a side look. She grabbed her purse and walked out of the office before him.

Since it was already well past office hours, they didn't bump into anyone when they walked out of the building.

They got into Yang Chen's car and left the office. It was rare for them to feel so relaxed, spending their time together like any ordinary couple.

Yang Chen parked his car when they reached the restaurant street. They got out of the car while holding hands, walking around to look for a suitable restaurant.

Lin Ruoxi wasn't a fan of crowded places but she got used to it since she had walked on the streets with Yang Chen before. Besides, she was in a good mood so the crowd didn't really bother her.

She looked even more breathtaking now that she had let loose the burden on her shoulders.

People kept glancing at them and if it wasn't because she was used to being in the center of attention, it would've been difficult for her to even move.

Right when they were about to walk past a dumpling restaurant, Yang Chen stopped in his tracks and asked a question "Ruoxi, do you still have the dumpling doll that I gave you?"

Lin Ruoxi nodded awkwardly. "Yeah..."

"Oh, I thought you would throw it away when you were still upset at me. I must be too narrow-minded." Yang Chen sounded embarrassed.

Lin Ruoxi thought to herself, Well, I didn't throw it away but I kick it every day.

Obviously she wouldn't say it out loud but she started to make plans in her mind, she should start cleaning her room but she had too many things. How was she going to throw away all her stuffed plushies?

She thought about cleaning out her room now that she might have to share it with someone else...

Blood started to rush up to her cheeks when she thought about it. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep thinking about sleeping with him?

She didn't watch where she was going since she was still deep in thought. But from the distance, she heard a child-like voice ring out over her thoughts.

"Mom!"

Chapter 992 - Sin

Lin Ruoxi turned around and saw a little girl in a blue dress running towards her.

"Lanlan?!"

Yang Chen felt her hand leave his grasp and when he turned around to check on her, she was already bending down with her arms wide open.

A familiar-looking little girl was running straight into Lin Ruoxi's open arms!

"Mom!"

Lanlan called out to her again in a cute baby voice.

She was still wearing a blue dress but because of the cold weather, she wore a pair of white cotton socks with red loafers. Her hair was untied which framed her fair skin. She was obviously thrilled to see Lin Ruoxi after having been separated for so long.

Lin Ruoxi carried Lanlan in her arms and placed a kiss on her plump cheeks.

"Lanlan, why are you here? Mommy missed you a lot." Lin Ruoxi hasn't seen her ever since Lanlan's grandfather had taken her away. She didn't expect her to show up out of nowhere!

Lanlan hugged her neck and pouted. "Grandfather asked Lanlan and nanny to come here so that I can find you."

"Your grandfather did?" Lin Ruoxi was dumbfounded. Didn't he refuse to let her adopt Lanlan?

Lanlan's nanny Minjuan chased after her while panting. People threw glances at her when they saw that she was holding a giant-sized panda plushie.

Minjuan smiled sheepishly when she saw Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen. "Miss Lin, we met again. Sir said that he had some business to attend to and dropped us off here. He said that you guys were here and would like Lanlan to stay with you while he was gone."

Lin Ruoxi was getting more and more curious, what was going on?

Yang Chen blurted out after watching their interaction. "Ruoxi darling, you're not even pregnant. Why is she calling you mom!"

Lin Ruoxi blushed and she looked around to make sure no one heard him before saying, "What are you talking about? I like her so what's wrong with her calling me mom. She's grown up in such a pitiful environment. Have some compassion!"

"I do but if she calls you mom, wouldn't that make me her dad?" Yang Chen was conflicted with the request. "I'm just afraid she'll bring us trouble."

Yang Chen saw her astonishing explosiveness since he had faced her once. It was true that she was obedient to Lin Ruoxi but he couldn't stop himself from worrying about her background.

However, Lin Ruoxi couldn't care less about it since she was too delighted to learn that she would be taking care of Lanlan. She grunted, "We have you for trouble. It will be embarrassing if you fail to protect your own wife and daughter."

"No way! How can I...wait! This isn't right! You're my wife but I said she was my daughter!" Yang Chen pulled his hair. "I'm innocent! You can't defame me!"

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes. She did not want to explain herself.

"You're shameless, bad uncle!"

Lanlan pouted while wrapping her arms around Lin Ruoxi's neck.

She knew she couldn't defeat Yang Chen physically based on their past interaction so she could only voice her disapproval.

The moment Yang Chen raised his first, Lin Ruoxi threw an icy glare at him, protecting Lanlan like her own child.

He was ferocious in the afternoon because he had a lot of anger cooped up in him. But now that he had calmed down, Yang Chen backed off, knowing it was for the best.

"Fine, I shall consider myself unlucky to have met you," Yang Chen made a face and beckoned Minjuan over who was smiling at the side. "Join for us dinner since you guys are already here."

Minjuan thought to herself, This capable man is actually afraid of his wife?

She wanted to laugh so badly at the thought of it but she managed to hold it in.

Soon, they made their way into a restaurant that sold northern dishes under Lanlan's request.

The waiter passed the menu to Lin Ruoxi when they got seated. It was customary for the breadwinner of a family to order the food.

Lin Ruoxi took it and scanned through it. Lanlan and Yang Chen were both big eaters so she told the waiter, "Give us your bestseller. Twenty different kinds of dishes."

The waiter was about to jot down her orders and his jaw almost dropped when he realized what she had said.

He threw a cautious glance at Lin Ruoxi.

"Miss, are you really ordering this much?" He couldn't stop himself from asking when he saw how serious she looked.

Lin Ruoxi furrowed her brows. "Of course."

"It's expensive and it's a waste of food if you order so much." The waiter tried to persuade her out of it.

Lin Ruoxi hated wasting time so she went straight to the point. "How about I make the payment first?"

The waiter was speechless. He shook his head and ran away, probably to ask for approval on the orders.

Some time went by and the dishes were served, filling up the whole table. Yang Chen and Lanlan started digging in as the customers around them stared in disbelief.

Yang Chen was chomping down like a beast and was nothing like a gentleman. He finished a whole bun in one bite and three to four dumplings in another bite.

On the other hand, Lanlan ate as though she was afraid someone would snatch all her food. Every time she finished a bowl of dumplings, she would drink all the soup that came with it. She licked her lips in contentment and shocked everyone. She ate so much but did not look like she was going to slow down any time soon!

Lin Ruoxi and Minjuan weren't surprised at all since they were aware of their 'capabilities'.

Lin Ruoxi thought they were quite alike, especially the blissful look they had on their face after eating. The only major difference between them was their body size.

Lin Ruoxi didn't have a big appetite and she was already full after eating more than half of her lamb dish.

Yang Chen said to her, "Dear you're wasting food and that's a sin."

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him. "Eat your food. Why do you care so much?"

"Mommy, you can't waste food. Grandfather said that every piece of food is made with the farmers' hard work." Lanlan persuaded her.

Lin Ruoxi blushed slightly. She was being lectured by a little girl. She threw a troubled glance at her lamb and said, "But Mommy really can't finish it."

"You should've said so! I'll eat it!"

Yang Chen chuckled and took her bowl. With a few spoonfuls, Lin Ruoxi's leftovers were completely gone.

Lanlan giggled while facing Yang Chen. "You're a good kid, bad uncle!"

Yang Chen blinked at her. He suddenly felt a small connection to the girl before him.

Well, it was probably because they were both big eaters.

As other customers watched on, all the food on the table was completely cleared in no time. The waiters couldn't bear to watch and looked at them with an impressed gaze.

Lin Ruoxi ordered a glass of orange juice after they were done and gave it to Lanlan. She was content to see how satisfied she looked.

"Lanlan, did your grandfather say anything else before he left?" Lin Ruoxi was afraid that the man would return suddenly and take Lanlan away from her so she had to get things straight.

Lanlan tilted her head and thought about it before shaking her head. "Grandfather only asked me to stay with Mommy."

Yang Chen's eyes glinted and he asked, "Ruoxi, have you met Lanlan's grandfather before?"

Lin Ruoxi nodded and told her how Lanlan's grandfather showed up abruptly and took Lanlan away from her.

"He told me that if I wanted to adopt Lanlan, I'd have to divorce you. But I don't get why he sent Lanlan over to me since that was clearly not the case." Lin Ruoxi frowned.

Minjuan chuckled softly when she noticed the look of confusion on their faces. "Mr Yang, Miss Lin, Sir left me with a message to pass on to you guys."

Chapter 993 - A Month

With a gentle voice, Lin Ruoxi replied to her, "Minjuan, whatever it is, you can tell us."

Minjuan gave her a grateful smile. She thought to herself, Sir has chosen the right candidate to take care of Lanlan.

"Sir left in a hurry but he told me that if he wasn't back within a month, Lanlan will be under your care officially as your daughter."

"Really?" Lin Ruoxi's face lit up. But the whole situation still seemed highly irregular to her. "Is he doing something dangerous?"

Minjuan shook her head helplessly. "I don't know about that, I'm not allowed to ask about his matters."

Yang Chen's heart sank slightly when he saw her delighted expression. It certainly seemed like she was hoping for Lanlan's grandfather to never return.

Nonetheless, Yang Chen couldn't understand why she valued the girl so much to the extent where she would treat her like she was her own daughter.

On the other hand, Lanlan sipped on her orange juice quietly as the adults talked. She didn't interject and had already finished the whole cup by the time they were done talking.

Lin Ruoxi stroked her hair and thought that she was getting cuter and cuter. She couldn't stop herself from pinching her cheeks and Lanlan returned the gesture with a sweet grin.

Just when she was about to ask if Lanlan needed more food, her cellphone rang.

Lin Ruoxi picked it up and looked at the number before telling Yang Chen, "It's home."

Yang Chen nodded and replied, "Why are you telling me this?"

Lin Ruoxi blushed. She wondered why she even told him that, it was as if she was worried he would misunderstand her.

"Hello, Mom? What's wrong?" Lin Ruoxi answered the call.

"Ruoxi, you're with Yang Chen right?"

"Yeah, we just finished dinner. Mom, I have to tell you something..."

"Now's not the time for that. Hui Lin's back and the famous director, Yu Shuo is here too. He wants to discuss something with you guys." Guo Xuehua sounded cheerful.

It didn't sound like a bad thing so Lin Ruoxi relayed the message to Yang Chen.

"Hui Lin's back? Her tour's over?" Yang Chen asked.

Lin Ruoxi counted the dates and replied to him, "I think so. I remember that her concert's in Japan and the USA were canceled due to some conflict of interest."

Yang Chen nodded his head, he saw the news occasionally and they did mention the conflict between Japan, USA, and China over the territorial waters. It wasn't suitable for Hui Lin to have concert tours there since she was one of the most popular artists in China.

This was trivial news to him. As long as war did not break out, there was nothing for him to worry about.

He would be happier if a war were to break out. After all, he had stocked up lots of weaponry that would come in handy. Yang Chen could earn a lot of money with it and as long as he wasn't involved in the war, he wouldn't mind the idea of it.

Minjuan sounded excited. "Really? Miss Hui Lin? The singer?"

Lin Ruoxi nodded. "You know her too?"

"Of course I do! I thought she looked very familiar the last time I saw her but I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought about it when I got home and I realized Miss Lin's the president of Yu Lei International and Miss Hui Lin's from the Yu Lei Entertainment! I regret not asking for her signature!" Minjuan became teary-eyed at the thought of it. "When she sings sad songs, it reminds me of the time when I was back at home and it made me cry a lot."

Lin Ruoxi exchanged glances with Yang Chen. They didn't know Hui Lin was so popular that even a nanny knew her songs.

"I'll ask her to sign for you when we get back. But promise to not make it awkward for her. She's part of our family." Yang Chen chuckled.

Minjuan nodded hurriedly. She already felt blessed enough to be able to meet her idol.

It took them nearly forty minutes to reach home because of the traffic jam.

When they entered the villa, Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma were already chatting away with Director Yu Shuo in the living room. On the other hand, Hui Lin was chatting and giggling with Zhenxiu.

Even though the semester had already commenced, they were still undergoing military training. Since Zhenxiu stayed in Zhonghai, she only needed to attend the training during the day and then return home at night.

Yang Chen was reminded that he didn't even visit her university when the semester had already commenced. She took care of everything herself and as her 'guardian', he should really check on her soon. She might get bullied by others like last time since she was so gullible.

Guo Xuehua and others were surprised to see them, they didn't expect to see Lanlan and her nanny, Minjuan again so soon.

Guo Xuehua was especially surprised, throwing a confused glance at Yang Chen. She hasn't met Lanlan yet as she was in Beijing the last time Lanlan was here.

Yang Chen shook hands with the director and Lin Ruoxi gave him a simple nod as a greeting before sitting down together.

Yu Shuo thought their reaction towards the little girl's appearance was a bit weird but he didn't say anything about it. He grinned and said, "Please forgive me for visiting at night. I didn't want to miss out on a good opportunity like this so I came here to talk about a movie collaboration."

Yang Chen remembered this. He wanted to film a movie about deities and warriors. Yu Shuo was awarded the best director award in the Cannes and Tokyo Film Festival, so naturally his movies would receive a ton of recognition.

"Director Yu, do you wish to have Hui Er in the movie?"

"How did you know that, Mr Yang? You're right. I've been busy trying to cast the female lead character and Miss Lin Hui is the most suitable one by far. But she's been busy with her world tours so when I heard that her tours in Japan and the USA had been canceled, I came over immediately. Miss Lin Hui said I didn't have to go through the agency, she only needs both of your approval," Yu Shuo said.

Yang Chen looked at Hui Lin and asked with a smile, "Do you like acting in movies? It's all up to you."

Hui Lin blinked and hesitated before saying, "I'm not professionally trained and I don't know how movies work. I'm afraid I'll mess things up."

"I watched your concert and you are already halfway there. You just need to channel it towards your character. Besides, your aura matches the main character, I'm sure it'll go smoothly!" Yu Shuo persuaded her.

Hui Lin struggled to answer and tossed a helpless glance towards Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi voiced up, "If that's the case, it would be best to accept. I'm sure he won't blame you even if it doesn't work out."

"Yeah." Yang Chen nodded. "But let me be frank with you. I expect decent compensation for this."

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him. Things hadn't been settled yet and he was already talking about the pay.

Yu Shuo smiled bitterly. Based on her popularity, he knew he couldn't give her a basic payout. He wouldn't dare to invite her without a minimum pay of at least ten million dollars.

After a simple discussion, it was finally settled and the contract could be signed after the details were discussed with the agency. The filming for the movie was scheduled to start in the mid of September so Hui Lin still had time to prepare and familiarize herself with the script.

Once Yu Shuo had left, Guo Xuehua who had been quiet this whole time couldn't hold it in anymore. "Yang Chen, Ruoxi, whose child is this?"

Back when the adults were talking, Lanlan sat on Minjuan's lap obediently. She stroked her full belly and dozed off, having eaten a full meal.

Wang Ma explained it to her while the others sat quietly. "Xuehua, her name is Lanlan. You didn't know this because you weren't around at that time. Miss is going to adopt her."

"Adopt her?!" Guo Xuehua's jaw fell.

Guo Xuehua sounded troubled after hearing the whole story from Wang Ma. "Ruoxi, this doesn't seem like a good idea. You're still young and you've only been married for less than two years. People will gossip if you adopt a five-year-old kid before giving birth to your own."

Chapter 994 - Fatty

Lin Ruoxi carried Lanlan over from Minjuan's lap to her own. Her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at her. "It's fine, I don't care about that. I've always treated her as my daughter so it feels like fate."

Guo Xuehua was a mother herself. She could tell that Lin Ruoxi really loved the girl from the way her eyes sparkled. It was filled with a sense of maternal love that no one could match.

She glanced over at Yang Chen and asked, "Son, what do you think?"

Yang Chen showed an understanding smile. "Mom, I know you're worried about others talking behind her back. But let me be honest. Based on what I've seen, it might take us at least ten years to have our own child."

"Ten years?!" Guo Xuehua shrieked and froze like a statue.

Yang Chen nodded and explained his body condition to her. Even Wang Ma, Hui Lin, and Zhenxiu widened their eyes out of shock.

"So instead of waiting, I don't think it's a bad idea to have Lanlan as our daughter. Ruoxi likes her a lot and I think she kinda looks like me. Look at how cute she is. I think she can pass off as my daughter," Yang Chen said and stroked Lanlan's cheeks.

Lanlan pouted and opened her mouth to bite him. "Bad uncle! Don't touch me!"

"Fatty, it's not uncle, call me Dad!"

Everyone was speechless. How was she cute and how were they in any way similar?

Lanlan pouted in disapproval. "You're a liar! Lanlan's not a fatty!"

"Not fat? You eat as much as I do. Look at your face and arm, it's filled with meat!" Yang Chen pinched her arms again.

Now that Yang Chen mentioned it, only then did they realize it. Although she wasn't really fat, she did seem very chubby for her proportions.

Lanlan puffed up her cheeks which made her look like a bun. She grunted and turned around to lay her head on Lin Ruoxi's shoulder, ignoring Yang Chen completely.

Lin Ruoxi smiled helplessly. "Those are her baby fats. Why are you arguing with a kid? Don't be embarrassing."

"She started it by calling me 'uncle'. Why are you her mom while I'm stuck with 'uncle'!" Yang Chen sounded annoyed.

Guo Xuehua stopped it from escalating. "If you're fine with it, I'm fine with it. Didn't you say she has a grandfather, what should we do if he returns a month later?"

Lin Ruoxi's face turned sombre and restless.

Minjuan shrank to one side, not daring to interject.

Yang Chen glanced over at his wife's worried expression and sighed. "I'll talk to him if he really returns. I'll make sure Lanlan gets to stay here even if it means he has to stay with us."

Lin Ruoxi looked up with a surprised expression. "Hubby, are you serious?"

"She's already our daughter." Yang Chen was thinking about something else instead. Lanlan's grandfather obviously had a decent cultivation background. It was hard not to be curious.

Everyone else had nothing to say since Yang Chen already made a decision. After all, he always had the final say despite his compliant attitude he put on around the house.

Later on, Guo Xuehua asked Minjuan about Lanlan and also learned about her past. She had gotten familiar with Lanlan and her nanny in a short time since she was experienced with socializing.

As time passed, it was almost late night and they had to make sleeping arrangements for them.

They had a lot of vacant guest rooms available since Lin Ruoxi bought a villa but they hadn't decided on the arrangements.

Lin Ruoxi was immediately reminded about their afternoon session and she sneaked a glance at Yang Chen with pink cheeks. Yang Chen was also looking at her, obviously thinking about the same thing.

"Lanlan wants to sleep with Mommy!"

Lanlan already cried out before Yang Chen could say anything.

Lin Ruoxi was taken aback but was relieved at the same time. She carried Lanlan with a smile and told her, "Then you have to be a good kid and sleep on time."

"Hey! Why are you snatching my wife away from me, you fatty! She's my wife, go sleep with your nanny!" Yang Chen wasn't willing to let go and immediately fought for his spot.

Lanlan hugged Lin Ruoxi tightly. "No, I can't sleep without Mommy!"

"Heh. I guess we will be up for the whole night then!" Yang Chen started to quarrel with her!

Minjuan was watching from the side in exasperation. She whispered to him, "Mr Yang, please let Lanlan sleep with Miss Lan. She's different from other kids, she really will stay up for days. If she doesn't sleep, we don't get to sleep as well..."

"Ah?" Yang Chen was stunned, not understanding what she meant by that.

Lanlan pouted proudly. "That's right!"

Lin Ruoxi enjoyed his expression and told him about Lanlan's extraordinary energy.

Guo Xuehua was also surprised since it was her first time hearing this but at the same time she caught on to something. She asked Yang Chen curiously, "Yang Chen, I thought you guys had been sleeping separately? Why..."

Yang Chen slapped his chest proudly. "Mom, we..."

"Don't say it!"

Lin Ruoxi's face turned into a deep shade of red. Wasn't he embarrassed to say this to his mom?! Especially considering the fact that they did it at her office!

Yang Chen swallowed his words and smiled sheepishly.

But Guo Xuehua already understood the underlying meaning. Even Zhenxiu and Hui Lin smiled while looking at Lin Ruoxi.

Zhenxiu walked forward and patted Lin Ruoxi's shoulder with a straight face. "Congratulations, Sister Ruoxi."

Lin Ruoxi was so embarrassed that she wanted to put Lanlan down and choke Zhenxiu!

Guo Xuehua giggled. Things should be peaceful at home now that they have finally made up.

"We should prioritize the kid first if she has this problem. Yang Chen, live with it."

Yang Chen wanted to cry. He had just tasted his wife's forbidden fruit and now it was being stolen by some fat kid!

"Granny's so nice!"

Suddenly, Lanlan clapped her hands and called her with a babyish voice.

Guo Xuehua was startled at first and she asked in disbelief, "Lanlan, what did you call me?"

"Granny, Mommy's Mom is Granny. Grandfather told me that." Lanlan blinked her doe eyes and said.

Guo Xuehua's heart sweetened at her words. Alright, she felt awkward to be linked with a man she had never met, but her wish of becoming a grandmother had been fulfilled!

Unfortunately, her real husband, Yang Pojun was already ruined. If not they would have enjoyed their retirement life together.

Even though Lanlan was adopted, Guo Xuehua couldn't help but fall in love with this kid when she called her 'granny'. How could she resist her cute looks!

"Lanlan's a good kid!" Guo Xuehua carried Lanlan in her arms and rubbed her forehead with hers.

Yang Chen's heart throbbed. Oh no, this fatty was taking all the attention when she had just entered the family.

At last, it was decided that Minjuan would sleep in a guest room by herself and Lanlan would sleep with Lin Ruoxi. Her bed was big and Lanlan's body was small so it wouldn't be a problem at all.

During the day, Minjuan would take care of Lanlan as usual. Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua could also help to take care of her.

Technically for a kid at her age, she should be in kindergarten. But she didn't even have a birth certificate and no one knew if her grandfather would return, so her enrollment was delayed by a month.

As a female millionaire in Zhonghai, Lin Ruoxi could take care of her daughter's enrollment easily. It was only a call away.

When the women returned to their room to get ready for bed, Yang Chen went downstairs and watched the night news alone.

He walked upstairs slowly when it was almost midnight. He had only walked a few steps when he felt a cold and foreign divine sense from outside!

Yang Chen furrowed his brows, someone actually came to his house at midnight to provoke him?

Chapter 995 - Traitor

In a flash, Yang Chen appeared at a manmade park located in the south of Xijiao Villas.

The lake in the park was surrounded by conifers and inside of it was a red pavilion.

A man and woman were standing inside it and based on their outfits, it was obvious they didn't belong to society.

The man was wearing a grey checkered robe with his hair up. He was carrying a sword on his back which was covered by black cloth.

The woman was dressed in a jade-colored Changshan with her hair down. She looked decent enough but her arrogant scowl was marring her features.

The man was in the last phase of the Soul Forming stage whereas the woman was in the middle-late phase. Their cultivation was nearly the same but based on the cold divine sense from earlier, it definitely came from the woman.

Yang Chen was getting a feel for them and they were doing the same to him. A shocked expression showed up on their faces when they realized they couldn't see through his cultivation.

Yang Chen laid his gaze on their waist and saw badges that were inscribed with the word 'Huang' on them. It was an exact replica of the one he had seen on the Taoist.

It looked like they were both from the 'Huang' stage in Hongmeng. It made sense for Hongmeng to send people out to investigate the Hongmeng Messenger's sudden death. But the people that they sent did not come across as friendly.

"You're Yang Chen?" The woman voiced out first with a cold tone.

Yang Chen thought to himself, Their cultivation isn't as good as mine. Honestly, it's not even comparable but they still act so arrogant. They must be looking down on me because they have Hongmeng behind them.

Yang Chen was getting annoyed at the thought of this. It was fine if a stronger cultivator looked down on him but how dare they act so arrogantly with their trivial cultivation. He was not willing to let this go so easily.

"Is your confirmation really necessary?" Yang Chen smiled faintly.

"Just answer our question. We don't have time for games." The woman frowned. "Was Monk Tianyin killed by Yan Buwen?"

"That's a random question. I don't even know you guys. Who's Monk Tianyin?"

"Don't try to act like you don't know him. We're special messengers sent by Hongmeng to investigate Yan Buwen. I'm Lu Huating and this is my senior, Hao Changfeng. We're here to interrogate you on behalf of Hongmeng. Tianyin was our messenger and he was murdered in Beijing within a few months of leaving Hongmeng. His soul badge was broken which alerted the elders. You'd better tell us everything if you don't want to get into trouble." Lu Huating grunted.

Soul badge? Something like that existed? No wonder they knew about the monk's passing.

"You should ask General Cai from the Yellow Flame Iron Brigade." Yang Chen said.

"Cai Yuncheng said you killed Yan Buwen and you had the absolute advantage by killing him with the Power of Thunder. Is it true?!" Lu Huating asked warily.

Yang Chen didn't deny it, nodding his head in agreement. "General Cai wouldn't lie to you guys."

"Power of Thunder. It's one of the strongest and hardest divine powers that can be controlled in Heaven and Earth. If you really can control it, why didn't you kill Yan Buwen with it in the beginning? Why did you wait until our messenger had died?!" Lu Huating's eyes gleamed with malicious intent.

Yang Chen was exasperated at his question. "How's that my fault? Why don't you ask the stupid monk why he did what he did. He foolishly sacrificed himself despite obviously being weaker."

"You! What did you say?! Stupid?!" Lu Huating was furious.

Hao Changfeng beckoned his junior to calm down. "Fine, even if Tianyin monk did miscalculate his abilities and was killed by Yan Buwen, what about his staff and other mystical artifacts? Why are they missing?"

"Didn't Cai Yuncheng tell you guys this? They were all destroyed by Yan Buwen's antimatter energy."

"He did say this but he's a mundane so obviously he couldn't see through a cultivator's tricks. From what I know, you inherited the former Pluto's divinity which means you're also capable of using the space laws. They would've known if you stashed it in one of your parallel spaces."

"You're suspecting me of stealing them?"

Yang Chen cursed internally. Obviously he wanted to keep the mystical artifacts. But they were really destroyed by Yan Buwen that dick!

Not only that, even the Ganyuan Tiangang Bracelet that he used out of emergency was destroyed into pieces!

"I'll be honest with you. Out of the three mystical artifacts, only the kasaya belonged to Tianyin. The remaining two artifacts were lent to him. You would be stealing Honmeng's possessions if you kept them!"

Yang Chen thought to himself, These cultivators really aren't 'rich', they have to borrow mystical artifacts to put on the dog for their own dignity.

Xiao Zhiqing mentioned before that the hidden clans were the actual wealthy ones. It looked like she wasn't lying.

"The artifacts were destroyed. There's nothing I can say to convince you otherwise."

Lu Huating had been suppressing her temper and her face darkened when she heard that. "Don't you think you're so almighty just because your cultivation is greater than ours. Our elders are stronger than you! No one can help you even if you're from the Yang clan!"

"What a joke. He made a mistake and you reprimand me for avenging him. Don't come here and talk about shit like this when you fail to control the foundations of China. You guys are acting like a typical Monday morning quarterback, a shameless one too for framing someone who had helped you guys." Yang Chen sneered.

"How arrogant! Do you think we wouldn't dare to attack you!" Lu Huating threatened him.

"I highly doubt your capabilities."

"You're just a wild cultivator. How dare you go against Hongmeng! I bet you're used to running rampantly in this filthy world!"

Hao Changfeng pressed her shoulders calmly when he sensed that she was getting agitated. "His cultivation is much stronger than ours. He might be suspicious but we'd better return to Master and let him make the decision."

Her gaze was cold as she replied to him, "You're right, we'll let him live for a few more days. The truth will be out soon!"

Having said that, they gave Yang Chen one last look before deciding to leave.

But Yang Chen's gaze was icy and he blocked their path in a flash.

"You guys are leaving so soon? I was thinking of inviting you two for tea." Yang Chen gave a gentle smile.

"No need for that. The clan leader should be serving us tea. You're not up to par." Lu Huating sounded disdainful.

Yang Chen seemed troubled. "But I don't want to let you guys leave just like this, what should I do?"

Hao Changfeng seemed alarmed at his insinuation. "Are you thinking of fighting us? Do you plan to go against Hongmeng publicly?!"

"Eh, what are you saying? I wouldn't dare to do that." Yang Chen chuckled and waved his hands. "I was just worried. What if you guys returned and hired someone powerful who thinks I framed the monk? What should I do then?"

"Hmph, you don't have to worry about that. Our Master is an upright person. He would never falsely accuse an innocent man. If you really are innocent, prove it by staying in Zhonghai until our Master comes," Lu Huating said with an arrogant voice.

Yang Chen nodded. As though reminded of something, he asked them, "Does everyone from Hongmeng have a soul badge?"

"Why are you asking this?" Hao Changfeng frowned.

Yang Chen looked innocent as he replied, "Don't get nervous, I'm just curious. It's because I met a disheveled Taoist before and I asked him if he feared if Hongmeng would catch him. He said you guys couldn't find him. Oh yeah, he also had a Blood Dragon's Golden Dagger..."

"What?!" Lu Huating exclaimed, "Blood Dragon's Golden Dagger?! How did you meet Huangyun, the traitor?!"

"Traitor?" Yang Chen was confused. "You guys know him? Why do you call him a traitor? He seems nice, I even chatted with him."

Yang Chen felt that his acting skills were getting better and better. He could lie through his teeth so naturally that he should be awarded an Oscar!

Lu Huating and Hao Changfeng exchanged glances with each other. They had a look of disbelief on their faces as if hearing of something so shocking.

Chapter 996 - Acting Competition

"Huangyun betrayed Hongmeng in favor of joining one of the great ancient clans, the Luo clan. The Exorcist's Golden Hammer and Blood Dragon's Golden Dagger were given to him by the Luo clan. He wasn't sent out of the Gods' Island by Hongmeng so he did not have a soul badge."

Hao Changfeng was curious as to how Yang Chen knew about him. "But that raises this question- how did you meet him? Are you guys involved with the Luo clan?"

Yang Chen sighed when he heard this. "He had eyes on a high-quality medicinal pill that was given to me by my Master. It was supposed to aid in my cultivation."

"Medicinal pill? You mean the ones for cultivation?!" Lu Huating's eyes sparkled.

Yang Chen mumbled internally, wondering why she was acting like a tigress in heat. But the show had to go on.

"He was trying to befriend me, telling me that he's from Hongmeng. I've been wanting to visit Hongmeng but his promise was on the condition that I could bring him the pills. I was skeptical since Hongmeng was filled with all sorts of talents, why would they need my medicinal pills?"

Yang Chen paused purposely and glanced at them.

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating exchanged glances with each other as though they had come to a mutual understanding.

"That's right, we're designated to protect China's foundation. We're immersed in cultivation and we seek after the devaloka. We wouldn't be so shameless like Huangyun who worked for the Luo clan. But, do you really have high-quality medicinal pills to the point he would go all out to get it from you?" Hao Changfeng asked.

Yang Chen patted his chest. "Look at me, I'm only in my twenties and I don't know much about cultivation. I learned about it all on my own so how can I achieve this level of cultivation without high-quality medicinal pills?"

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating started to believe him after hearing this.

Although they couldn't see through his cultivation, it was obvious enough to them that he was much more powerful than they were.

They had been cultivating since young and technically were already in their sixties even though they didn't look old.

Besides that, they had been stuck in the Soul Forming stage for almost thirty years. They were dying to reach a breakthrough.

"But how did he find out about your medicinal pills?"

Yang Chen sounded helpless. "He wanted to compare our possessions. He took out his Blood Dragon's Golden Dagger and something else, I didn't want to lose but I didn't have any mystical artifacts so I took out my pills. He wanted me to give him the pills in exchange for the artifacts. But how could I give it to him when I got it from my Master? It started out peaceful but it ended in a fight. It ended in a tie with him fleeing. I didn't give it a second thought after that."

"You're saying that the Huangyun Taoist was willing to exchange his mystical artifacts for your medicinal pills?!" Hao Changfeng looked at him with a strange gaze.

Yang Chen snickered internally. They really didn't know that the disheveled Taoist died under his hands. Things should go on smoothly now.

"Yeah, I don't really know the effects but I usually eat one when I reach a limit. Then I'll achieve a breakthrough after working hard for a while." Yang Chen lied.

The two of them were getting excited over it that they were no longer thinking about how Huangyun found Yang Chen.

"Your medicinal pills, could it be the 'Xiaoyun Pill'?

"Uh..." Yang Chen sounded troubled by their oddly specific question. "I don't know what it's called. Honestly, I know nothing about the medicinal pills and mystical artifacts. Master left after giving it to me."

Yang Chen had no idea that Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating were talking to each other secretly through their divine sense.

"Senior, if his pills really work that well, even if it isn't a Xiaoyun pill, it'd still be a high-quality one. If not Huangyun wouldn't have been willing to trade it with his artifacts, right?!"

"That's right. It'd make sense if it really was the Xiaoyun pill. That's a medicinal pill that can boost a cultivator from the Soul Forming stage to the Tribulation Passing stage by fifty percent! This dude from the Yang clan eats it every time he faces a limit?! How wasteful!"

"I bet we can enter the Tribulation Passing stage in less than three years if we have the pill!"

"It's not just us, I bet our Master wants it too. After all, high-quality medicinal pills are rare. Other than the elders in the Heaven phase, those from the Earth phase don't have access to those either..."

After chatting among themselves secretly, they decided that they should get their hands on the pill. After all, they had Hongmeng behind their backs. Yang Chen wouldn't dare to do anything if they tried to trick him into giving the pills to them.

Although Yang Chen couldn't hear their secret chat, he could sense their movements through his divine sense. He sneered in his mind, knowing that they were up to no good.

Cultivators took advantage of Heaven and Earth, they didn't really have a pure heart. If they really had no desires, why would they still seek a new realm, cultivation or longevity?

In the end, they were just looking down at the common values in favor of their own.

Yang Chen never looked down on those with this kind of mindset. Essentially, it was every man for himself.

The only thing one had to worry about was how to be crueler than the person next to you!

He had to snatch whatever he could, regardless if his enemies were from Hongmeng or the hidden clans. All their valued possessions that could help him become stronger and ones that could help him and his women achieve longevity should all belong to him!

As for their lives, who cars about them? In the end, weren't they all just a bunch of animals fighting for food?

Hao Changfeng asked with a stern expression. "Yang Chen, do you have your pills with you?"

"Why? What's with that face?" Yang Chen looked sheepish but he was thinking to himself, It's time, he's starting to act!

"You're in great danger if you really consumed the Xiaoyun pill." Hao Changfeng sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Xiaoyun pill is a slow-acting poison. Although it can help cultivators achieve breakthrough up to the Tribulation Passing stage, toxic starts to accumulate in the body without you noticing."

Yang Chen feigned a shocked expression. "How can it be, Master wouldn't do this to me!"

"We wouldn't know about that," Lu Huating said in an arrogant manner. "Why would we lie to you when we're from Hongmeng? What would we gain from it?"

Yang Chen showed a struggling face, "Does it mean I'm poisoned now?"

"You should be but you don't have to worry. We're not sure if you have the Xiaoyun pill since we have not seen it yet. We can take a look at it if you hand it to us."

"But...but I kept in a far-away ravine to prevent meeting people like Huangyun," Yang Chen said with a sigh.

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating tugged their lips.

"Don't worry, we're not in a hurry to return. Now that we're sure you didn't cause Tianyin's death, we have the responsibility to take care of the eldest grandson from the four major clans. Why don't you bring us to see your pills? If it's really the Xiaoyun pill we can ask our Master to make an antidote for you," Hao Changfeng said with a righteous voice.

Yang Chen was startled. "Your Master knows how to make the antidote?!"

"Of course he does, but..." Hao Changfeng seemed conflicted. "I'm just worried you won't believe us."

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen asked.

"It's because the antidote requires the pill as an ingredient. We need to bring your pill back to Gods' Island and return it to you after the antidote is made," Hao Changfeng replied.

Yang Chen snorted in his mind, He's really good at spouting nonsense . But on the surface, Yang Chen looked as though he was placed in an awkward spot. "But...it's the only thing my Master has left for me."

Lu Huating said flatly, "We haven't seen it yet so it might not be the Xiaoyun pill. For all we know, it might not be. Why don't you just bring us there instead of worrying about it."

She said this but they had decided to call it the Xiaoyun pill no matter what it really was! Yang Chen obviously knew nothing about medicinal pills!

Yang Chen seemed to be deep in thought and he sighed, "Alright, I don't want to die. But you can't snatch my pills like Huangyun. I won't let you guys off easily!"

"How could we be called the guardians of China if we did the same thing as the hidden clan's dog?!" Hao Changfeng spat in disdain.

He thought to himself, We won't even need to snatch it. We can get the pills easily by lying to a dumbass who only has high cultivation and nothing else. Even if you realized what we did, you wouldn't have proof. I highly doubt that he would travel all the way just to reclaim his pills.

Yang Chen rubbed his head awkwardly. "If that's the case, follow me then. It's kind of far from here but I guess it wouldn't take long if we few."

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating nodded cooly even though their hearts were doing backflips. They couldn't let him see through them until they got their hands on the pills!

They decided that they would cultivate in secret once they got the pills. They could never let others from the Gods' Island know about this, at least before they reached the Tribulation Passing stage.

Since they were already in the Soul Forming stage, it was easy to fly with their True Yuan. The fastest way was to fly with a sword or a mystical artifact but it would require a special spell and not a lot of people knew about it.

Three silhouettes flashed past the sky and they disappeared from the forest that was north of Zhonghai. No one noticed them since the city was falling asleep...

Chapter 997 - Insatiable

Yang Chen was able to unleash his full potential knowing that it would not summon the heavenly lightning. He felt more at ease to know that he was still a long way from reaching the second tribulation.

Obviously Yang Chen wouldn't act like an actual cultivator who was detached from the modern world. Acting like an all-mighty being wasn't his style.

They flew across the sky and in a blink of an eye, they had already flown past two provinces. It was normal for those in the Soul Forming stage.

Yang Chen beckoned towards the two of them when they were near an unknown mountain range. And in the next second, they had reached a forest.

The two of them were getting impatient, thinking to themselves that Yang Chen was a sly person for hiding it so far away from Zhonghai. They were already hundreds of kilometers away from the mainland.

It was already the beginning of September and cold winds were already blowing in the dark forest.

The crescent moon basked the forest in a silver glow.

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating looked around but they didn't sense anything special.

"You hid your pills here?" Hao Changfeng couldn't find any hiding spots even after using his divine senses.

Yang Chen turned around and a smirk showed up on his face. "Of course it's not here."

"Then why did you stop here?" Lu Huating wasn't pleased with how this was playing out.

Yang Chen shrugged. "That's because I don't have any pills."

"What?!"

"How dare you fool us?!" scolded Lu Huating. Her voice sounded like a young girl even though she was already in her sixties. Cultivating really did wonders.

Yang Chen said nonchalantly, "I just felt like walking the dogs at night, so sue me."

"You...imbecile! How dare you humiliate us?!" Lu Huating's face turned red with rage.

"Why wouldn't I? You're just a bitch who only knows how to bark." Yang Chen sneered.

Hao Changfeng could sense that something wasn't right and his facial muscles tightened as his hand went to the sword on his back.

"What do you mean?"

Yang Chen raised his head and looked at the bright moon. "Do you guys know...where the disheveled Taoist is at?"

"..."

Both of them kept their silence.

Yang Chen pointed at the sky while saying, "I won't spoil the surprise. After all, you will be meeting him soon."

"No! Be careful!"

Hao Changfeng finally realized what he meant. He was going to kill them both!

The medicinal pills, Huangyun, and the act were excuses to lure them here to the wild, far away from Zhonghai!

Because if Yang Chen killed them near Zhonghai, the soul badge would record the exact location. But if he killed them at this place, no one would suspect that it was Yang Chen.

This was also the reason why Yang Chen asked about the soul badge.

After all, they were the ones who became greedy and assumed that Yang Chen wouldn't dare to do anything to them because of Hongmeng. They were blinded by the promises of a pill that did not exist!

"It's too late, you are all avaricious and insatiable. Even if I do have medicinal pills, it would be an absolute waste in your hands!"

Yang Chen appeared in front of them before his words reached their ears.

With a raise of his hands, a surge of Heaven and Earth Restoration Energy rippled through the air and manifested on his palm. His hand went straight for Lu Huating's head!

Although Lu Huating was only in the mid-phase of the Soul Forming stage, she was agile enough to avoid his attack and retreated!

Hao Changfeng seized the chance to unsheathe his sword. It was a blue sword with blue jewels embedded in it. Light shone around the sword which looked like water ripples.

"Go, Xuanshui!"

Yang Chen was about to catch Lu Huating when a flash of light flew by him. Suddenly, a thick ice wall showed up in front of him!

The sword was able to erect this wall in the blink of an eye?!

The ice wouldn't stop Yang Chen from breaking through it but it could cause infinite possibilities to occur in a fight, even if all it did was make Yang Chen pause in his tracks.

Lu Huating gained some time and took out a Phoenix Feather Guqin from her mustard Sumeru ring.

The guqin was red in color and carved to resemble a real phoenix. In addition to that, its tail feathers made it look especially graceful and vibrant.

"Hmph! You're despicable! How dare you sneak up on me!" Lu Huating shouted while supporting herself with the guqin!

Three sound waves were shot out of the guqin and formed three wind blades that were directed toward Yang Chen at three different angles!

Another mystical artifact and it used sound waves?!

Yang Chen was secretly pleased with the situation. Yes, show me all your artifacts. They'll soon be mine!

Yang Chen summoned another surge of Heaven and Earth Restoration Energy. He didn't even bother to avoid it. This kind of impact would only be on par with one from the final phase of the Soul Forming stage. Yang Chen didn't even see the need to avoid the attack since his cultivation was much greater. Also, he was skilled in recovery and defense!

The three sound waves blade dispersed immediately when they came into contact with Yang Chen's shield!

"How can this happen...My 'Phoenix Feather'..."

Lu Huating couldn't believe it. Yang Chen's defensive skills were far greater than she had imagined!

Hao Changfeng's face was stoic through it all as he summoned his True Yuan and shot out surges of ice trails towards Yang Chen!

The blue sword traces intertwined each other and moved all over the place, creating a icy formation!

Yang Chen grunted and summoned a surge of Heaven and Earth Restoration Energy. It rippled through the air and exploded from where Yang Chen stood!

BOOM!

All the formations had exploded into pieces before they could cause any damage!

Lu Huating shot out sound waves continuously from the Phoenix Feather Guqin, but it was nothing more than a passing breeze to Yang Chen!

It wasn't because the mystical artifacts were too weak. It was because their cultivation was much lower than Yang Chen, and therefore unable to utilize the artifacts to its fullest potential.

If Yang Chen had overcome the first strike of the ordinary Three Yang Fire instead, they might be able to defeat him with their mystical artifacts. However, Yang Chen's abilities were at a much higher level, for he was already at the unimaginable stage of the Tribulation Passing stage!

"Run!"

Hao Changfeng realized the gravity of the situation. It was going to end in a disaster if they stayed so he yelled for Lu Huating to escape while she had her life intact!

Lu Huating realized it as well. After a moment of quick thinking, she started running towards the populated south side instead of the west side where Hongmeng was located.

As long as she entered a crowded area, Yang Chen had to consider the chances of being caught by others if he wanted to kill her.

But Yang Chen wouldn't let them do as they please. He was already prepared for this to happen!

Hao Changfeng thought he could escape by throwing multiple blue ice sword traces to him but he had only run a few inches away before a golden-red flame came after them!

"Nanming Li Fire?!"

Hao Changfeng exclaimed as though he saw a ghost!

"Move!"

Lu Huating's face was pale as they both ran in different directions.

Dozens of gigantic golden-red flames danced around the sky, blinding them like the sun.

The heat that came with it was unbearable!

"Just admit your defeat. Don't break your mystical artifacts. I wan them."

Yang Chen chuckled, feeling overjoyed. He was unaware of the treasure he had in his hands. It turned out that the Heaven and Earth Restoration Energy could be used to this extent!

The Heaven and Earth Restoration Energy wasn't a strong offensive skill but when it was combined with the Heaven and Earth to make use of its energy, it was a formidable skill!

Although he had only learned a bit from the old man who possessed his body, it was sufficient to make the two dummies suffer!

This Nanming Li Fire was just a heavenly fire from the Three Yang Fire that had to be overcome during the first heavenly tribulation.

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating didn't have the cultivation to withstand this, they would obviously be afraid of it!

"Young Master Yang! We were wrong! Please forgive us!"

Hao Changfeng was ready to submit. He knew that he was only prolonging his death if he kept on fighting!

But Yang Chen wouldn't listen to him. Hongmeng would not take something like this lightly. Not only did he want them dead, but not a single soul would be allowed to leave this place!

The two of them were stuck in a small area above the sky, being surrounded by the dozens of Nanming Li Fire.

It wasn't an ordinary heavenly fire. One touch was enough to cause injuries they weren't sure were repairable. This made it even harder to escape!

The Phoenix Feather Guqin sparkled in red lights as Lu Huating kept releasing waves of sound to combat the fire. But she was already at her limit so her True Yuan was depleted to the point where her attacks couldn't keep up.

Every icy sword traces from the Xuanshui sword was vaporized immediately!

Yang Chen gave a mocking look and with a simple thought, the dozens of Nanming Li Fire had combined together!

A fire dragon started to surround both of them while growing in size. The high temperature was making them lose their breath as the Nanming Li Fire continued to expand.

Lu Huating glared at Yang Chen with a venomous gaze. "You...you will rot in hell! You tricked us!"

Yang Chen didn't bother to reply and had already entered the fire zone. However, as the caster, Yang Chen was unaffected by the flames.

A beam of Nanming Li Fire was shot out of the fire dragon's mouth and formed a long sword with waves of fire surrounding it!

Chapter 998 - I Am A Handsome Guy Too

Yang Chen glided through the air and appeared in front of them. He looked at them emotionlessly as if an executioner before criminals.

Hao Changfeng put down his long sword in despair. He knew that despite his efforts, there was no way of surviving left for him.

"Can you tell me why you did this? Even if we did harbor covetous thoughts, we never thought of harming you."

"You've overestimated my kindness. You wrongly assumed that I only kill when my life is being threatened. I will kill whoever I want so long as they anger me. You can call me a monster, that I'm cruel and ruthless. I'm used to it. This is who I am. Your life means nothing to me as long as my family can live peaceful lives."

"What would you get in return?! Even if you managed to snatch our artifacts and pills, Hongmeng will find you. Do you really think you can survive the attacks from the elders in the Heaven and Earth phase?!" Lu Huating spat resentfully.

Yang Chen sneered. "Even if I wanted to pretend people like you don't exist, someone would still come to me looking for trouble. I'd be stupid not to act first."

"You...you will regret this!"

"Thank you for your concern but I don't need it. Also, don't worry about being lonely there. I will send all those who defy me to the same place."

Having said so, the Nanming Li Fire formed a long sword and he swung it downwards!

Hao Changfeng and Lu Huating didn't have time to avoid his attack because of the coercion from Yang Chen and the circle of Nanming Li Fire around them. They were engulfed by the flames in seconds!

Both of them were only ordinary cultivators in the Soul Forming stage and their bodies weren't as strong as Yang Chen's. As a result, their bodies were completely disintegrated.

Yang Chen took the Xuanshui sword, Phoenix Feather Guqin, and Lu Huating's mustard Sumeru ring after killing them.

He looked into the ring through his divine sense and nodded with satisfaction. There was a small space located inside the parallel spaces which was about a dozen cubic meters in volume.

Yang Chen was delighted to see that there were a bunch of unknown materials and pills for cultivation. He could keep it and ask Xiao Zhiqing about it later on. She should be able to tell him what they were for since she claimed to be an encyclopedia for cultivation.

Yang Chen felt refreshed when the fight finally ended. He returned to Zhonghai after making sure no one within a hundred-meter radius would find out what had happened here.

Hongmeng would know about the death of their people and it would only be a matter of time till they sent new messengers after him.

It would be great if they left him alone while he trained up his family's cultivation. He could just get rid of them if they found out it was his doing.

This was just an appetizer for him as his main course was to enter the island and extort treasures from Hongmeng and the hidden clans.

Yang Chen slept soundly after returning to Zhonghai and no one noticed his brief escapade.

The next morning, things were especially merry in their house.

Not only would Hui Lin be staying here for the next few days, but there were also Lanlan and Minjuan, making it a total number of seven ladies in the house now.

Guo Xuehua was completely immersed in being Lanlan's grandmother ever since Lanlan called her that last night. Her smile turned stiff when she witnessed Lanlan gulping down three trays of buns in one sitting and half a pot of congee.

Guo Xuehua only learned of Lanlan's exceptional talent after Lin Ruoxi explained it to her and she couldn't help but toss her own son a weird look.

"Yang Chen, did you agree to adopt her because she was special like you?" Guo Xuehua asked.

Yang Chen was fighting over the last fried bun with the little girl, their forks hovering above the plate.

"It would've been better if she was a normal kid. I wouldn't have to fight for my food."

Lanlan's hair was tied into two pigtails and she looked exceptionally cute in a blue floral dress that she wore with Lin Ruoxi's help. Her cheeks were puffed as she expressed her displeasure towards Yang Chen. "Bad uncle isn't my daddy! Lanlan's daddy won't fight for food with Lanlan!"

Lin Ruoxi slapped Yang Chen's wrist and scolded him. "Don't fight with Lanlan! She needs to eat to grow! It's not like you will die if you ate lesser!"

Yang Chen felt like weeping. Was she not going to let him live? Why did he need to suppress his appetite?!

Still, Yang Chen retracted his hands.

Zhenxiu and Hui Lin pursed their lips, trying to hold in their laughter.

"Brother Yang it looks like your position in Sister Ruoxi's heart has dropped even further." Zhenxiu winked at him.

Yang Chen's head throbbed and he glared, "Don't mock me...I haven't told you this, I'll be sending you to campus later. I have to check out your surroundings."

Zhenxiu wasn't happy to hear that. "Check my surroundings? It's just military training."

"I still remembered the time when you were bullied in high school. Another important thing, did the instructors take advantage of you?"

Zhenxiu blushed. "Brother Yang, why do you keep thinking about these things?! Everyone would be watching, why would any instructor do those things?"

Lin Ruoxi was wiping Lanlan's mouth when she turned around. She grunted with an expressionless face. "That's all he thinks about."

Yang Chen rubbed his nose to mask his awkwardness. He had another reason to visit Zhonghai University, which was to look for Xiao Zhiqing so that he could have her confirm the things he had gotten last night.

He was thinking about it when Lin Ruoxi added flatly, "I don't care what you want to ask but you better not do anything else."

Yang Chen felt chills went down his spine and he smiled at her sheepishly. "Dear, do you know how to read minds?"

Lin Ruoxi didn't even look at him. "It's not like I can control you anyways."

Yang Chen had nothing to say in reply. Lin Ruoxi said it out of jealously which meant that she was annoyed that he was meeting Xiao Zhiqing but she couldn't stop him since Xiao Zhiqing was able to assist him in ways she could not.

They had shared a passionate afternoon yesterday, having reconnected physically after a year. Their relationship had strengthened but she was already forcing herself to accept his lovers, so if someone else came in between them again, she might just lose it.

After having breakfast, Hui Lin had to meet with Director Yu to discuss the script whereas Lin Ruoxi had to leave for work since she had just returned to Zhonghai.

Therefore, Lanlan was handed over to Minjuan as usual. At least Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma were around to accompany her so she wouldn't get bored too easily. Time passed rather quickly since she could watch cartoons on the television.

Yang Chen drove Zhenxiu to her university and while they were chatting during the drive, Yang Chen was reminded of Tangtang.

He hadn't seen her in a long time but because she is his lover's daughter, he felt the need to ask.

"Zhenxiu, have you met Tangtang on campus?"

Zhenxiu shook her head. "I don't think she participated in the military training. The faculty wouldn't dare to intervene even if she didn't."

Yang Chen shook his head. It was probably Yuan Ye's doing for helping Tangtang skip military again. But then again, she might be busy with something else since the Tang clan was facing some internal issues.

Yang Chen and Zhenxiu attracted the crowd's attention when they got out of the car at the freshmen's training ground.

The reason behind the attention was because of Yang Chen's BMW x6. It cost around two million dollars in China.

Everyone thought that Zhenxiu had become a sugar baby, having seen her getting out of an expensive car like this with a young man!

Zhenxiu's new friends walked to her with odd smiles on their faces since the training hadn't started yet. They surrounded Zhenxiu while checking out Yang Chen and his car with an envious gaze.

"Zhenxiu, you're really pretentious, saying that you worked during summer break. Your boyfriend drives a BMW!"

"Yeah, what does your family do for a living? Do you know any handsome guys that you can introduce to us?"

The girls asked her with soft voices and Yang Chen's chest puffed up with pride when he heard them.

I'm a handsome guy too?

Yang Chen actually misunderstood the girl's words. Anyone would be considered handsome if they drove a two million dollars worth car, even if they were truly ugly!

Zhenxiu's face was flushed which made her looked especially youthful. She glanced at Yang Chen shyly and explained herself. "You're mistaken. He's my sister's husband, we stay together and he's just sending me to training today..."

"Brother-in-law? Who would believe that? He looks like he's in his twenties. He looks closer to us if anything..."

"That's so mean of you. You should just tell us if you're rich. Why try so hard to be poor?"

They wouldn't believe her. Yang Chen looked too young and most of the guys at his age were busy as graduate students. Why would anyone get married so early?

Right at that moment, a group of tall looking guys in military training uniform were making their way towards them.

The girls shrank when they saw them and looked towards Yang Chen with a worried gaze.

The guy in the lead had long hair up to his ears and he was wearing silver piercings. His jaw looked rather defined with a cold and stern expression. He tossed a disdainful look towards Yang Chen before smirking at Zhenxiu. "Zhenxiu, you rejected me because of this man?"

Chapter 999 - Has To Be Replaced

Unlike other girls, Zhenxiu didn't shrink away but instead, sighed helplessly at the situation.

"Yue Zipeng, I've told you time and time again that I don't like you and it's not because of anyone."

He obviously didn't believe her when he retorted with, "No one likes or dislikes someone without reason. You must have a reason for rejecting me. The more you deny it, the more it shows."

Zhenxiu held her forehead and combed through her hair before turning to face Yang Chen. "Brother Yang, weren't you worried that I will be bullied? Does harassment count?"

Yang Chen listened to their conversation with an intrigued expression. He smiled warmly at Yue Zipeng. "Kiddo, are you Zhenxiu's classmate?"

The students' mouth went wide agape when they heard him talking to Yue Zipeng as though he was older than him.

Yue Zipeng frowned in displeasure. "Hmph, you think too highly of yourself. Are you forcing me to leave Zhenxiu by acting like my older brother? What kind of an idiot are you?"

His peers and other students started laughing mockingly.

Yang Chen only wanted to relate to Zhenxiu's classmate, but he didn't expect them to misinterpret his words.

"Yue Zipeng, you can't say that about Brother Yang!" Zhenxiu wasn't pleased to hear his reply.

Yue Zipeng was slightly irritated. "You said you had nothing to do with this man but your actions say otherwise."

"He's one of my family members, of course, I can't have you talking bad about him!"

"Family member? Are you playing pretend?" Yue Zipeng said in disdain. "I thought you were different but it turns out you're the same as my ex-girlfriends."

"Shut your mouth before I come over there and shut it for you!" Zhenxiu was getting furious.

Yang Chen secretly enjoyed it, knowing that Zhenxiu was kind to normal students but she didn't mind fighting dudes that were causing her trouble.

Well, it was also because Yang Chen was right beside her which made her feel especially embarrassed. She was itching to fight someone again.

Yang Chen placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't turn this into a fight. You're Yue Zipeng right? You misunderstood me. I'm really her brother-in-law. I sent her here because I wanted to check out the university."

Yue Zipeng was sceptical. "Are you serious?"

"You're too cautious for your own good." Yang Chen chuckled. "Would you like me to procure my marriage certificate? My wife is a beauty, why would I like Zhenxiu? She's still so young."

"Brother Yang! Don't joke around!"

Zhenxiu bared her teeth with a flushed face.

The girls around them giggled, having believed that they weren't a couple. It would've been an outrageous story.

Yue Zipeng lowered his guard and smirked. "You better be telling the truth. We will let you go today, but you better make her realize that no one can escape my grasp."

Zhenxiu was disgusted by him. "You're disgusting!"

"Come on." Yue Zipeng flicked his bangs in an 'elegant' manner. He cocked his head aside and spread out his arms. "You're feisty, I like that. I bet you are amazing in bed. Oh yeah, Zhenxiu, you're still a virgin right? You're crossing your legs rather tightly haha..."

His peers started cackling whereas the girls blushed furiously.

Zhenxiu tightened her fists which started to tremble out of anger. She turned to face Yang Chen, "Brother Yang, can I hit him?"

Yang Chen scratched his chin and shook his head. "You can't. You can't just go around beating people up. You're a girl. Guys don't like violent girls."

Zhenxiu didn't this to be his reply. Her heart fell and she bit her lips out of resentment.

Yue Zipeng couldn't hear them but he became more mesmerized by her when he saw her frowning out of annoyance.

Most of the guys in the university preferred girls like her since she had structured facial features, fair skin, and a good figure. She would've been a goddess if someone were to upload her photos to the internet.

Besides that, she always dressed rather casually so everyone assumed she was from an ordinary family, thinking it would be easy to date her.

That was why when she first entered university, a lot of the guys had their eyes on her and Yue Zipeng was one of them.

"Zhenxiu, go out with me today. I'll buy you a Chanel bag. You can choose anything you like. Your bag is pretty old right?" Yue Zipeng tried to persuade her with his wealth.

The girls became envious of her when they heard that.

After all, most of the girls here were trying to get a worthwhile boyfriend while they were still young. Yue Zipeng might look like a gangster but he was rich and wasn't half bad looking either.

"Keep your money and fool someone else. I'm here for my military training." Zhenxiu didn't want to reply to him.

Yue Zipeng raised one of his eyebrows. "Military training? I just need to call my father and those goddamn instructors would be licking my shoes to please me."

Yang Chen became curious. "Who's your father?"

Yue Zipeng didn't respond personally and beckoned one of his peers to answer on his behalf.

A guy with a hoarse voice raised his voice. "Brother Zipeng's father is our headmaster!"

The students around them exclaimed, some of them knew about it and was expecting it.

As one of the top universities in China, the headmaster wouldn't be an ordinary person. He was a man in charge of tens of thousands of students and faculty members. Headmasters were usually government officials placed by the government.

Therefore, the headmaster of a university would normally be a high ranking government official.

Yang Chen turned to Zhenxiu to verify it. "Is it true?"

Zhenxiu nodded dryly. "Our headmaster's called Yue Weibing. He told me he's the headmaster's son. I've heard my classmates talking about it. It should be true."

Yang Chen's face darkened. "How can this be? The headmaster has to be replaced!"

It sounded like a hilarious joke to the others.

Yue Zipeng squinted his eyes and let out a sinister smile. "You...what did you just say?" His tone suddenly became serious.

Yang Chen ignored him and continued on in a discontented tone. "How could he be expected to educate his students when his own son behaves like this? No, I have to find a replacement for the headmaster as soon as possible."

Yang Chen didn't give it much thought. He just felt that Zhenxiu deserved a better study environment. She shouldn't be harrassed like this after working so hard to enter this university.

However, his words sounded very crude to the others.

As expected, Yue Zipeng was extremely triggered by this. He yelled at his peers in a loud and commanding voice, "What are you guys waiting for? Let's finish this bastard!"

Chapter 1000

Now that Yue Zipeng's peers had received their leader's command to attack Yang Chen, they weren't going to let him leave unscathed.

Eight of them dashed towards Yang Chen at the same time!

Zhenxiu wasn't worried. Instead, she felt a sense of pity for Yang Chen's attackers.

Yang Chen was fixated on replacing the headmaster and once Yang Chen was dead set on something, nothing was going to change his mind!

They were already closing in and before they could throw a punch at Yang Chen's face, Yang Chen made an unexpected movement and swept them down in one move!

These guys were only able to enter the university through Yue Zipeng. Even though they weren't very good at their studies, they were infamous for fighting on the streets. They did not expect one man to bring them to their knees in one move!

Yang Chen wasn't going to fight them. Although he didn't mind hurting them in front of other students, he had to be careful because of Zhenxiu. He didn't want her to suffer the consequences of his actions.

So in one quick move, the guys dropped to their knees in front of everyone. It was the ultimate form of humiliation for these guys. Pride was everything to them.

Yue Zipeng started at them in shock. He had seen the most elite soldiers because of his father. But none of them could attack eight guys in the blink of an eye.

He only saw a silhouette moving and his peers were down!

Although he was impressed, Yue Zipeng couldn't submit to Yang Chen despite wanting to be his student.

He took a few steps back when he saw Yang Chen coming towards him and stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. How am I supposed to continue studying here if I submit to his power now?

So, he straightened his back and shouted out, "You're good. If you have the guts, why don't we wait for my father to send someone over? You will rot in jail as a disabled person!"

Yang Chen retorted with an indifferent tone. "Where's your dad, bring me to him."

Yue Zipeng was startled. Was he crazy? Was he really going to tell his father that he wanted to have the headmaster replaced?

"You think you can meet my dad so easily?" Yue Zipeng sounded disdainful.

Yang Chen said nothing and slapped him!

It rang out as clear as day and if Yang Chen hadn't held back, he would have fainted or maybe died on the spot!

The students were dumbfounded. Some were impressed but some were pitying him, thinking that his life was over now.

Zhenxiu stood aside helplessly. She wasn't worried about Yang Chen, it's just that Yang Chen's earlier attitude bothered her.

On the other hand, Yue Zipeng stumbled backwards after the slap. He touched his left cheek and it stung. It was clearly swollen!

"You hit me?! You...even my own father wouldn't hit me so how dare you?!"

Yang Chen frowned. "I'm asking you about your dad. Stop spewing nonsense from that trap of yours."

Yue Zipeng was getting anxious. This guy just hit him without a doubt. He took out his phone from his pocket.

He dialled his dad's number and stood further away from Yang Chen while yelling at him. "You...just you wait. I'm calling my dad now! You will leave this place in pieces!"

The students were getting rowdy over the turn of events. The instructors didn't dare start the training since Yue Zipeng was the headmaster's son.

...

Things were completely different on the topmost floor, of a modern looking building located in the middle of the campus.

The headmaster's office was a huge room with gorgeous decorations and it smelled like natural wood with all the wood furniture in it.

Countless trophies and medals filled up the transparent display cabinets which sparkled under light.

A middle-aged man sat on a leather swivel chair with a black suit and red tie. He had a neat look on and was talking to his guest with bright eyes.

The only guest in the office was a middle-aged man dressed in a suit too. He looked rather handsome and more friendly than the other man.

"Old Fang, did you really have to come in person for such a trivial matter? She's just coming in late, you could've just called me."

The guest was Tangtang's biological father, Fang Zhongping.

Fang Zhongping smiled warmly. "Old Yue, you have no idea how naughty she is. We thought she was quite pitiful, having to travel around frequently. We hardly got the chance to eat together as a family. All I could do was fulfil her and her mother's wishes. If she wasn't naturally smart, it would've been a problem for her to even enter university. There are many girls like her in Zhonghai University and they are all princesses in their own houses. What if my daughter caused trouble and was kicked out of school? I have to meet you and talk about this."

Yue Weibing smiled weirdly. "Things still didn't work out between you and Miss Tang?"

Fang Zhongping felt awkward and sighed. "She's not interested in me and I've already given up. I'm blessed enough to have my daughter."

"Tsk, you're useless. Back when we were still in the army, you were always a coward when we went out to look for girls. Your daughter's already grown up and you still haven't taken her down." Yue Weibing shook his head.

Fang Zhongping smiled sheepishly. "You know me too well."

Yue Weibing sighed. "I heard things have changed in the Tang clan. Central blocked off the news and the Yue clan is far from Beijing so we couldn't learn much about it. Your daughter and her mother should be busy with the clan matters."

Fang Zhongping's face twitched slightly. "Old Yue, we shouldn't talk about this. It'll only bring you much harm if you knew more about it."

Yue Weibing grunted. "Why should I be afraid? The four major clans faced a change but it has nothing to do with us. Why can't we talk about it?"

Fang Zhongping smiled and said nothing about it.

"I'm not interested in the Tang clan. But I heard that...Commander Yang Pojun was suspended and the Vice Commander is in charge of the army in the Jiangnan district, is that...true?"

Fang Zhongping thought it was weird of him to mention this but he still nodded. "That's right, why are you talking about this..."

"I heard that the Yang clan found their eldest grandson, a young man called Yang Chen and that he's now in Zhonghai. You should have known about this since you're close to the Yuan clan as the secretary of the municipal party committee, am I right?"

Fang Zhongping furrowed his brows. "Old Yue, are you still thinking about returning to Beijing?"

"I'm just asking. Why are you getting anxious?" Yue Weibing smiled lightly.

"Hear me out," Fang Zhongping continued on, "If you wanted to gain support from the Yang clan through Yang Chen so that you can return to Beijing, you're just asking for trouble. Yang Chen is not like anyone you know."

Yue Weibing chuckled and was about to smoke a cigarette when his cellphone rang.

He picked it up and his face darkened within a few seconds.

"Hmph, useless. Alright, I'll ask your Brother Le to go over!"

Fang Zhongping watched on with a confused look. He waited for Yue Weibing to hang up the phone before asking, "What's wrong? Do you need my help?"

"It's fine, some dude hit my son." Yue Weibing said.

"That's it? You could've just handed it over to the police, why send Ah Le over?" Fang Zhongping found it hilarious.

"He might be a useless son, but he's still my only son. If I don't avenge him, wouldn't that make me and my son an easy target?"

Fang Zhongping let out a bitter smile. "Aren't you spoiling him, he's still a boy after all."

Yue Weibing breathed out. "I know he misbehaves outside, but it's normal for boys at his age. He's a good kid deep down."

Fang Zhongping looked down on him secretly but he still smiled and nodded his head. He couldn't refute him, all was good as long as his son wouldn't bother his baby girl.

Yue Weibing got up and said, "Oh yeah, you haven't met our Zipeng in a while. Why don't we have lunch together? Zipeng will be your daughter's classmate after all?"

Fang Zhongping immediately tensed up. "Old Yue, our Tangtang is already engaged to Yuan Ye."

Yue Weibing wasn't pleased to hear that. "You're overthinking things. I wouldn't want a disobedient daughter-in-law. Only the Yuan clan would want her. Come, let's go, I want to see who dared to hit my son!"

Fang Zhongping mourned for the guy in question. The man before him might look gentle but he had a reputation for having a hot temper.

His wife passed away after giving birth to his only son and he never remarried. It was obvious he loved his son dearly.

He wondered who was the unlucky man, why did he have to hit his old comrade's son of all people. This wasn't going to end well.

Fang Zhongping shuddered when he thought of Ah Le, the bodyguard who worked for Yue Weibing.