"You must demand that he release my father!"
"What? You want me to hand over the Lin family's assets?" Lin Hao's eyes widened.
He knew that the transaction Chu Chen mentioned must be related to the extermination of the Chu family.
"Useless! I'll repeat myself, the lives of you father and son are in my hands.
Do as I say, or else..." Chu Chen said coldly and ruthlessly.
"Alright, I promise you. I hope you keep your word and don't harm my father!" Lin Hao took a deep breath and finally chose to compromise.
Hearing this, Chu Chen's face lit up with joy, and he laughed heartily, "How can I, Chu Chen, be a man of my word? Since I said I wouldn't kill Lin Zhentian, I naturally won't."
"However..." Chu Chen changed the subject and sneered, "Your father's life is less than half an incense stick away. Are you sure you want to save him?"
"I want to save him!!" Lin Hao's eyes were firm.
Chu Chen mocked, "Lin Hao, you're so stupid. Your father is dying. What's the point of saving him?"
"What do you know!" Lin Hao said angrily.
Chu Chen curled his lips, "Although I don't know your father, judging by your conversation, your father must be a gentleman.
He would rather sacrifice himself to protect the Lin family. You must admire him, right?"
Hearing this, Lin Hao was silent for a moment, then nodded, "He once taught me that a man should stand tall and upright.
One must not break faith, and must protect the family even at the cost of one's own life, and not put the family in danger due to one's own selfish desires."
"Since you admire him, you should do as he wished. The only thing he couldn't let go of before he died was you.
If you can help him achieve his wish, he will be very pleased if he knows in the afterlife," Chu Chen said faintly.
"I..." Lin Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know how to start.
"Heh heh, don't forget, your Lin family is still a subordinate family of the Prince of Qin's mansion. If you don't do as I say.
The Lin family will surely perish. I believe your father would never want to see the Lin family destroyed by your hands, so you'd better cooperate with me obediently, otherwise..." Chu Chen said with a playful smile.
"Fine, I promise you!" Lin Hao gritted his teeth, thinking to himself, "Father, your son is sorry to you. I can only repay your nurturing grace in the next life."
Lin Hao's heart was filled with sorrow, but he did not refuse, because he knew very well that even if he refused, Chu Chen would still kill his father.
Rather than let his father die aggrieved, it was better to obey Chu Chen's wishes.
After all, being alive was the most important thing.
"That's more like it," Chu Chen said with a faint smile, then patted Lin Hao's shoulder and said, "In three days, come to the Chu family to find me."
"Mmm," Lin Hao nodded, then left the city wall.
Watching Lin Hao's receding back, a sinister smile appeared on Chu Chen's face, and he muttered.
"Lin Hao, the Lin family is your weakness. Only by controlling you can I rest easy!"
"Young master, what do we do next?" the black-armored soldier asked as he approached.
"Send someone to inform the Crown Prince of Qin and tell him that Lin Hao is preparing to go to Qin Yang City to offer gifts. Let him be extra careful," Chu Chen said coldly.
Lin Hao had just escaped from Qin Yang City, and the news would surely not be kept secret.
Qin Yang City was not far from the capital of the Azure Dragon Prefecture. News of what happened in Qin Yang City would soon reach the capital.
Chu Chen was worried that Qin Heng would try to kill him if he found out, so he decided to offer the Lin family to the Crown Prince of Qin Yang City.
Lin Hao was going to Qin Yang City, and even if Qin Heng was furious, he probably wouldn't dare to make a move openly.
The Lin family's resources were too abundant. As long as Qin Heng wasn't foolish, he would never give them up easily.
Once he went to Qin Yang City, it would be equivalent to handing over the entire Lin family. Unless Qin Heng no longer wanted to enjoy wealth and status, he would never attack the Lin family.
"Heh heh, when Lin Hao and Qin Heng fall out, I'll reap the benefits," Chu Chen's face showed intense greed, as if he had already foreseen a beautiful future.
Qin Yang City, a prosperous metropolis on the border of the Azure Dragon Prefecture, was called Azure Dragon City. It was one of the most prosperous cities in the Azure Dragon Prefecture.
With a population of tens of millions, it was a hub of commerce and trade, truly a treasure trove.
At this moment, in the Chu family mansion.
Chu Chen stood in the courtyard, looking up at the blue sky, his face calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Rumble!" Just then, a deafening thunderclap suddenly echoed through the sky.
Immediately after, a torrential rain poured down like a deluge, instantly flooding the entire mansion.
"Damn it, it's raining again!" the captain of the Chu family guard cursed and quickly ran under the eaves to take shelter.
The other guards also gathered in the courtyard, holding straw capes and hats to shield themselves from the wind and rain.
"Young master, this heavy rain is strange. We should leave the Chu family quickly," a guard urged anxiously.
Chu Chen ignored him and continued to look up at the sky.
Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning struck down, tearing the night sky in half, its brilliance dazzling.
"Ahhh!" A sharp scream came from the depths of the Chu family, breaking the silence of the night.
Chu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly turned his head to look towards the depths of the Chu family, his gaze locking onto the window of a certain room.
"Who!"
"Who is hiding in the shadows?" The surrounding guards all rushed forward, aiming their weapons at the window, guarding it strictly.
"Whoosh!" At this moment, a stone suddenly shot out from the windowsill, as fast as lightning;
It flew straight towards the face of the guard leader, piercing his forehead in the blink of an eye, blood splattering.
"Thump!" The guard captain knelt on the ground, his head drooping forward, a large amount of blood gushing from his neck. His body twitched a few times, and then he was still.
"Bastards!" The other guards' faces changed drastically. They all drew their swords and ferociously charged towards the window. However, before they could get close, a cold iron battle spear pinned them to the wall.
Chu Chen stood in place, his expression calm, "You ignorant slaves, it's as easy as pie for me to kill you."
"Who are you, and why are you attacking our Chu family!" a guard asked sternly, staring at Chu Chen with vigilance.
"Hmph! You bunch of losers, do I need to sneak attack you to kill you?"
With a cold and authoritative roar, Chu Chen strode slowly towards the guards.
With every step he took, the pressure emanating from him intensified. This aura alone made the seven or eight guards tremble uncontrollably.
"Clack." Chu Chen stepped on the chest of a corpse, looking down at everyone, his voice icy.
"I'm in a good mood today. As long as you obediently act like dogs, I'll spare your lives. Otherwise..."
The words stopped abruptly.
Chu Chen waved his hand, and a fierce sword energy swept out, instantly killing four or five guards, severing their heads, and spurting blood.