"No need, that person doesn't have time to bother with me for now. He has plenty of his own troubles, so I'm safe for the moment," Lin Zhendong refused flatly.
Before Chen Rong could plead further, he continued, "Besides, my daughter and my disciple are both here."
"What would it look like if they ran over to your place?"
As he spoke, his gaze flickered towards Li Chonglou.
Chen Rong immediately reacted and cupped his fists towards Li Chonglou, greeting him, "Junior Brother, it was my oversight earlier. I almost killed our own ally."
"Even if Master doesn't blame me, I can't pretend nothing happened."
"I'll settle this score with you and Senior Sister!"
*Poof!*
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Rong formed his fingers into a blade and thrust them like sharp cones into the muscle of his own left forearm.
Blood splattered.
Chen Rong's expression was blank, not even a twitch of his brow, as if his fingers weren't embedded in his own flesh.
His ruthlessness was evident.
Li Chonglou's eyelids twitched, and an indescribable sense of shock welled up within him.
He thought he was calm, but seeing Chen Rong, this fearless, rogue element, sent shivers down his spine.
No wonder he had dominated the underground forces in Zhonghai for over a decade.
He was truly ruthless!
Recalling how Chen Rong had been prepared to cruelly harm Lin Ying, it further indicated that this man feared no god nor devil, utterly lawless.
He finally understood why his Master had given him such an assessment when mentioning Chen Rong.
If his state of mind and cultivation were even slightly weaker, he would have been so overwhelmed by Chen Rong today that he would have prostrated himself in submission.
But Li Chonglou still retained a shred of rationality.
He strode quickly to Chen Rong, grasped his right hand, pulled out his finger-blade, and, tearing his cotton shirt to bandage the wound, said, "Senior... Senior Brother, that's enough. Master said ignorance is no offense!"
"Furthermore, neither Senior Sister nor I are dead, which can be considered heaven's mercy."
"You don't need to blame yourself too much."
Hearing this, a hint of surprise appeared in Chen Rong's eyes.
He had stabbed his own arm for two reasons: first, to show his Master that his mistake was unintentional; and second, to awe Li Chonglou, his nominal junior brother, and let him know who he was dealing with.
He didn't want Li Chonglou to think that after seeing him kneel to Lin Zhendong, he could use their Master's name to boss him around.
He could not stand someone inferior to him in every way riding roughshod over him.
But he hadn't expected Li Chonglou to be so unfazed and composed, easily defusing the situation.
Not only was he not intimidated, but he also used the moment to his advantage, seizing control.
He suddenly realized he had underestimated Li Chonglou.
After all, he was someone his Master had formally accepted as a disciple, living and training by his Master's side day and night. How could he be ordinary?
"Chen Rong, have you forgotten what I told you when I saved you?" Lin Zhendong's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Chen Rong couldn't help but knit his brows and replied, looking down, "I dare not forget."
"At the time, I wished to become Master's disciple, but Master said my nature was violent and I disregarded the law, and that I would surely commit heinous acts in the future, so he did not accept me."
"But he still guided me in martial arts, so I revere Master as my father and have never forgotten it for a moment!"
Lin Zhendong nodded, a hint of relief in his eyes. "If that is the case, then you should not address Chonglou and Xiao Ying as fellow disciples."
"A student is a student, and a disciple is a disciple. You must differentiate."
Chen Rong's body trembled, his teeth clenched, and then he replied in a low voice, "Yes!"
These words felt like needles piercing his heart.
Even after his sincere declaration, he still wasn't valued enough by his Master to be accepted as a formal disciple.
But he was fortunate that if he couldn't be a disciple, he could still be a student.
At least it was much better than being a stranger.
At that moment, Li Chonglou was filled with immense admiration for his Master.
This kind of devil-may-care character, knowing that he had lost all his martial arts, was still afraid to utter a single word in his presence.
He was respectful, never daring to deviate from what Lin Zhendong said.
This was true authority. Authority wasn't about making others fear you, but about earning their genuine reverence.
He didn't let Chen Rong call him Junior Brother not because he truly wanted to intimidate Chen Rong, but because he knew Chen Rong had a mission and couldn't afford to be scrutinized too closely.
Any slight disturbance could arouse suspicion and attention from Kong Mo, or those behind him.
After all, Chen Rong's past was no secret.
"The three of us, master and disciples, have come to Zhonghai, a place unfamiliar to us. I, this old man, am confined to my home, but Xiao Ying and Chonglou have to run errands daily." Lin Zhendong lowered his gaze, not looking at Chen Rong at all, and said indifferently, "Trouble is inevitable."
"I am now incapacitated and cannot manage too much."
"Please take some effort and help manage things."
His tone was incredibly casual, his voice not loud, as if he were merely chatting with Li Chonglou.
But in Chen Rong's ears, it was like a thunderclap.
In all these years, his Master had never spoken to him in such a tone.
This was clearly a request for him to help look after his junior brother and sister!
How much face was this?
"Master, this is on me. From now on, no one in Zhonghai will dare to lay a finger on them!" Chen Rong patted his chest, swearing earnestly.
Earlier, a conflict had almost led to a grave mistake.
Now that he had a chance to redeem himself, how could he dare to refuse?
In this world, he dared to defy anyone but Lin Zhendong.
Gratitude and loyalty were part of it.
The real reason was the profound shock Lin Zhendong had instilled in him, etched deep into his bones.
His methods and wisdom were akin to a celestial being. Even without any martial arts, those eyes that could see through the world were enough to earn his reverence.
Following Lin Zhendong, he might have a different life.
He had grown tired of his life in the underworld over the years. He wasn't young anymore, and the feeling of being used as a pawn was particularly irksome.
But his life's trajectory had been set, and to change it, he needed the help of a powerful figure.
Lin Zhendong was undoubtedly that figure.
As for Li Chonglou and Lin Ying, he didn't take them seriously, but out of respect for his Master, he had to pretend to.
"You may go. Keep today's events to yourself." Lin Zhendong finally showed a hint of satisfaction and waved him away.
The entire process seemed utterly heartless, or perhaps oblivious to human sentiment.
But Chen Rong showed no displeasure. After asking Li Chonglou to apologize to him and Lin Ying, he took his leave.
Outside, he took out his business card and handed it to Li Chonglou.
He said solemnly, "Junior Brother, when Senior Sister has calmed down, please call me. I will host a banquet to apologize."
"Alright." Li Chonglou accepted the business card and saw him out.
Returning, Lin Zhendong squinted, a smile appearing that was usually unseen, and beckoned to Li Chonglou. "Chonglou, aren't you curious why I didn't show him any pleasantries?"
"Not curious. Human interactions are for the less capable to protect themselves. Master doesn't need to smile or fawn over anyone," Li Chonglou understood these principles perfectly.
These were the principles of conduct Lin Zhendong had taught him in prison in his previous life.
Especially in academic research, if one had to constantly ponder human relationships and guess what others were thinking, where would they find the energy for research and discovery?
Looking around, any top-tier researcher in any country would speak directly and plainly.
They wouldn't waste time bragging or flattering; they lacked the energy and interest.
Li Chonglou excelled in this regard, which was why his personality seemed arrogant.
But in reality, he was too lazy to pretend to be amiable.
"You, indeed, have lived one life more than me. I, your Master, seem like a mere decoration." Lin Zhendong laughed heartily.
In front of Chen Rong, he couldn't laugh, because they were not on the same level.
Even in front of Lin Ying, he had to maintain his fatherly authority and didn't smile often.
Only when facing Li Chonglou did he feel no restraint. In fact, after learning that Li Chonglou had been reborn, he had shifted his position from Master to an equal.
It was more like a friend.
They talked and acted without any generational gap.
Strangely, Li Chonglou had no generational gap with him, nor with Lin Ying. He found this quite remarkable.
Li Chonglou chuckled at his Master's praise and steered the conversation back to cultivation.
The two of them discussed in the room until late into the night.
Meanwhile, Lin Ying had a heart-to-heart talk with Qi Yu.
However, at the same time, the Fan family was in utter chaos.
News of Fan Liang's arrest, which had spread from the restaurant for several hours, finally reached Fan Keli's secretary, who reported it to him overnight.
*Crack!*
The phone was smashed to pieces. Fan Keli's face turned ashen, his features contorting.
"What's wrong, darling?" His young and beautiful wife, married for less than two months, asked him affectionately, hugging him.
"That useless Chen Rong not only failed to kill Li Chonglou but also allowed Fan Liang to be arrested!" Fan Keli's eyes flooded with malice, bloodshot as he cursed, "A bunch of useless fools who only know how to eat, they can't even find out which police station he was taken to!"
"That bastard Li Chonglou has a truly formidable life."
"As long as he's alive, I won't be able to sleep soundly."
"Get me the car. I'm going to see Chen Rong myself!"
His charming wife looked astonished. "Now?"
"Yes, now. Chen Rong is already back, and there's still no news of Fan Liang. He's my only son, I can't wait." Fan Keli pushed his young wife aside and started changing clothes.
The woman watched this scene, took a deep breath, a venomous glint in her eyes, which she quickly concealed.
Only after Fan Keli changed and left the room did she grit her teeth and curse, "You old fool Fan Keli, you only care about your son."
"What about me? I'm your wife. If you make me wait alone, believe it or not, I'll give you a cuckold!"
Unbeknownst to him, his newly married wife was already planning to give him trouble.
He drove to the villa where Chen Rong lived.
With a dark expression, he stepped into the house, but the next second, he replaced it with a fake smile.
"Brother Fan, why are you personally coming all the way here so late? Couldn't we discuss this over the phone?" Chen Rong, holding a Brazilian handmade cigar, greeted him at the door.
He knew very well that Fan Keli was here to demand an explanation, but at their level, losing one's temper was extremely unprofitable and unwise.
Any action that harmed their interests was better resolved with a smile.
"Brother Chen, let's put aside the matter I entrusted to you for now. My son still hasn't returned home. Do you know where he is?" Fan Keli, smiling, got straight to the point.
"Oh, you're looking for Young Master Fan. I'm afraid I can't disclose that," Chen Rong replied with a smile.
With a single sentence, Fan Keli's smile froze, and his face became extremely unpleasant.