Ren Yuanhao reluctantly accepted this fact. Besides, even if Gouzi hadn't placed the order, he was going to help anyway.
He even felt he should thank Gouzi, or rather, Dongfang Jing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have received a task with such a high commission of 1,500 bonus points for no reason.
These points would not only help him repay his debts, but also allow him to earn a small profit of 1,000 points. The number of spins on the Lucky Wheel would also accumulate to four. This number meant that after stacking the Lucky Wheel, he could reach a higher level beyond orange – blue!
The items in the blue Lucky Wheel were bound to be more advanced than those in the orange one. Last time, Ren Yuanhao had obtained a medicinal pill from the Lucky Wheel. If it weren't for this medicinal pill, he wouldn't have been able to rescue those espers from Lionheart Tower.
The thought of those espers, whose fates were unknown, made Ren Yuanhao’s mood exceptionally low.
“Woof woof!”
Gouzi barked a few times at Ren Yuanhao and held up his phone to him.
‘Do you know the true identity of the masked man?’
Ren Yuanhao nodded and said, “Yes, he’s a disciple of the Chixiao Sect, and his position must be quite high.”
‘I should have guessed it was him earlier.’
Hearing Gouzi say this, Ren Yuanhao immediately perked up. “What do you mean?”
Gouzi lowered his head and rapidly tapped on his flippers, typing, ‘He’s my sister’s fiancé, the next Sect Master of the Chixiao Sect, and also number one on the ‘Hunt List,’ Leng Wuhuan!’
“What? You’re not kidding, are you? What benefit would harming his sister-in-law bring him?”
Ren Yuanhao was utterly baffled.
Gouzi sighed and continued to tap furiously on the screen with his flippers.
‘To consolidate his position and eliminate rivals, he had to do that.’
Ren Yuanhao sat cross-legged and meditated, his brow furrowed. “The more I listen, the more confused I get. They’re family, so who is he eliminating?”
‘It’s like this: my sister and I are from the same mother but different fathers. From a genetic perspective, my father’s genes are superior to her father’s. Therefore, under normal circumstances, I should be the next head of the Dongfang family. However, I’ve been unruly since childhood. Since Mom went off on her capricious travels, my sister has been in charge. Of course, as you said, I’m also happy to take a step back and be the carefree second young lady of the Dongfang family, which is also nice. But~’
Gouzi jumped onto a stool and looked up at the bright sun outside the window, trying to let the sunlight dispel the gloom in his heart. Then, he began to stomp on the phone screen with his flippers.
‘But ever since Leng Wuhuan descended the mountain, everything seems to have changed. My sister changed, and the family changed. Grandmother is missing, and the peaceful and kind aunts and uncles look dejected every day. Even my playmates have become preoccupied.’
Ren Yuanhao vaguely guessed the reason. After all, with that man’s radical approach, he was probably no longer satisfied with Yun Jin City. For him, the meaning of life was to constantly prove himself to the world, to strive to climb to the top of the pyramid, looking down from above like a king.
“That man is ambitious, and his purpose for the alliance with your Dongfang family is also clear. You have an extremely wealthy family background, and his first step is to annex all the so-called prominent families in Yun Jin City, right?”
Gouzi barked rather mournfully, his mood appearing extremely dispirited. Even the speed at which his paws tapped the screen had slowed down considerably.
‘Little brother, actually, I know that the man who sent assassins to attack the Xia family that day was him. However, I don’t have enough evidence, and my sister seems to have been convinced by his theories, so no one listens to me. Three days ago, I stumbled upon their secret meeting, and that man actually knocked me out in front of my sister, and then this incident happened.’
“So, you overheard the content of their secret talk?”
Gouzi nodded and then typed the following line.
‘They are planning to annex the Ji clan.’
Upon seeing this line, Ren Yuanhao’s face instantly turned ashen.
“Are you sure you didn’t hear wrong?”
‘Absolutely certain. According to the agreed time, they should make their move tonight at the banquet between the two families.’
Ren Yuanhao glanced at the time. It was 10:24, meaning he had eight hours to inform Ji Fu.
He thought of that eccentric woman, Ji Fu. Although her actions were indeed a bit strange, everything she had done for him was from the bottom of her heart. He remembered the tear-soaked paper, the charming scenery of the hot springs, and how Ji Fu had stayed by his side, guarding him fiercely, while he was unconscious.
Ren Yuanhao could no longer suppress his impatience. He immediately jumped out of bed, ready to leave.
‘Wait, the Ji clan and the Dongfang clan have always been on good terms, with a deep friendship. Why do you think the Ji clan will believe what you say?’
Gouzi seemed very anxious, pacing back and forth in the room.
“Damn it! You’re right. That eccentric woman is quite offended by me. How could she possibly believe my nonsense?”
Just as Ren Yuanhao was in a daze, Gouzi barked and handed him the phone.
‘Take my photo and try your luck. If necessary, I can also go with you.’
Ren Yuanhao waved his hand. “Forget it. I’ll go myself for this kind of matter. If Leng Wuhuan sees you and captures you, I’m afraid no one will be able to save you.”
…
Ten minutes later, Ren Yuanhao had driven to the Ji clan’s residence.
Speaking of which, after spending so much time with Ji Fu, he had never visited the Ji clan residence before.
The Ji clan residence was located directly opposite Kongzhongbao, but the architectural styles were vastly different. Most buildings in Stone City were built with green giant rocks, while the Ji clan residence featured wooden mortise-and-tenon structures with pavilions and towers, giving it an ancient feel.
Outside the gate was a black plaque inscribed with ‘Ji Clan Mansion.’ On the outer side of the black wooden gate, two stone-carved taotie monsters with bared fangs and claws, lifelike, were clearly used to ward off evil spirits.
At this moment, the main gate was tightly shut. The courtyard wall, about one and a half meters high, was covered with colorful flowers and green vines. From the outside, tall pavilions stood within, with upturned eaves and glazed tiles, painted with cinnabar and ink. A moat about two meters wide encircled this ancient building, with stone pillars at every meter along the riverbank. Chains passed through the holes at the tops of the stone pillars, forming a formidable defensive perimeter.
Just as he was about to step forward and knock, the main gate suddenly swung open. As fate would have it, Mo Yunfei was hurriedly pacing out of the residence.
“You bastard, I was just looking for you, and you’ve arrived at the perfect time!”
Mo Yunfei threw off his jacket and, without a word, lunged at Ren Yuanhao’s face!
“We’ll settle our accounts sooner or later, but not now.”
Ren Yuanhao’s body moved, and he directly dodged the attack, stepping into the Ji clan’s main gate!
Mo Yunfei’s empty strike left him feeling disgraced. He immediately shouted, “Good! Trespassing into the Ji clan residence, what are you all standing around for? Attack!”