After hearing Qiu Yingrong’s words, the old man’s smile grew even more pronounced, but his tone was full of mockery: "Miss Qiu, do you think that’s possible? You and your daughter are the perfect pawns in this plan. Without you, without your daughter, this play can’t go on."

At this point, the old man’s once-placid expression suddenly filled with murderous intent, and his tone became cold: "Miss Qiu, I’ll give you three seconds to decide: either do as I say, or I’ll do it myself. But then, I can’t guarantee your daughter will remain unharmed."

Upon hearing the old man’s words, Qiu Yingrong instinctively stepped back several paces, like a lioness protecting her cub, spreading her arms to shield Lingling behind her.

Seeing Qiu Yingrong’s actions, the old man snorted heavily, striding towards Qiu Yingrong, reaching out to grab her throat.

"Whish!"

At that moment, an unexpected change arose. A dazzling cold light shot up like it emerged from Hell, carrying a chilling aura, slashing directly at the old man’s arm.

This cold light was unbelievably fast, reaching just an inch away in a blink, and was so sharp that even before it neared the old man’s arm, its razor-sharp edge had already left a visible bloodstain on it.

Feeling the pain on his arm, the old man’s expression changed abruptly. He quickly gave up reaching for Qiu Yingrong, stepping back out of instinct.

Whoosh!

At the instant the old man retreated, the cold light brushed past his fingers. Had he moved a second later, his entire hand might have been severed.

"Do you think you can take them away without asking my sword first?"

At the same time, a cold, unfriendly voice echoed in the room.

Qiu Yingrong was slightly startled upon hearing the sudden voice, mysteriously feeling it was familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before, but she couldn’t recall where.

The old man, however, felt as if facing a formidable enemy when he heard the voice, and his entire body tensed up. The fact that the voice’s owner could hide right under his nose without him noticing spoke volumes of the person’s strength.

Damn it!

Who is this person? Before coming here, he had only heard that the Qiu family had one middle-stage mythical expert, now detained downstairs. Who was this suddenly appearing individual?

Feeling beset by a formidable foe, the old man glanced warily around: "Who are you, and what is your relationship with the Qiu family? If you’re courageous, come out and show yourself. Sneaking around and attacking from the shadows doesn’t make you a hero."

"Well, I guess I should come out, and while I’m at it, open your eyes wide and see who I am."

Along with the voice, a figure appeared out of thin air in the bedroom.

It was a young man, dignified and dressed in a black traditional Chinese outfit, standing tall like a sheathed sword. Though his aura wasn’t strong, even comparable to an ordinary person’s.

But when the old man saw the youth’s face clearly, his body uncontrollably trembled, and he instinctively took several steps back, squeezing out words from between his teeth: "Sima Lingyun."

The man who suddenly appeared in the room was none other than Sima Lingyun.

After leaving the Yanhuang Group’s base, Sima Lingyun had been secretly protecting Qiu Yingrong and Lingling.

After all, too much had happened on Qin Island that day. For the opponent to play this game flawlessly, they would inevitably go after Qiu Yingrong and Lingling, capturing them to blackmail Qiu Zhengfeng. Only by doing so could they corner Qiu Zhengfeng, making him a pawn at their mercy.

This was something Sima Lingyun couldn’t allow. If Qiu Zhengfeng became a pawn and fell out with Lu Tian, it might cause a storm across China. So after leaving, he stayed hidden around Qiu Yingrong, protecting her as she returned from the hospital to the Qiu family.

When Qiu Yingrong saw Sima Lingyun appearing in front of her, she was visibly surprised. She hadn’t expected someone to be hiding around her, no wonder the voice seemed so familiar; it was Sima Lingyun who had saved them on the Tianbao.

Although she wasn’t familiar with Sima Lingyun’s identity, she could tell he held a high status. When she asked Qiu Tianrui about him, he only said solemnly that it was someone the Qiu family could never afford to offend.

"Miss Qiu, are you alright?"

Sima Lingyun glanced at the old man, then focused on Qiu Yingrong.

Hearing Sima Lingyun’s words, Qiu Yingrong slightly shook her head and said, "Mr. Sima, I’m fine, thank you for earlier."

"Miss Qiu, you’re too kind, it was nothing."

Sima Lingyun said calmly: "Besides, I’m here today by someone’s request to fulfill a duty, you don’t need to thank me."

By someone’s request!

Upon hearing Sima Lingyun’s words, Qiu Yingrong’s eyes flickered briefly, a shadow passing quickly through her mind, wondering if Sima Lingyun had been commissioned by someone to protect her?

As she thought about it, a warmth surged in her heart, a slight sweetness rising as she looked at Sima Lingyun, wanting to ask if this person was the one she had in mind.

But before Qiu Yingrong could speak, Sima Lingyun had already turned back to the old man, saying calmly but indifferently: "I’ll give you one last chance to surrender peacefully, I might give you a chance to live. Otherwise, I don’t mind taking action myself. Do you think you can withstand me?"

Upon hearing Sima Lingyun’s words, the old man’s face turned extremely sullen, but he was helpless. As Sima Lingyun said, if they truly fought, he might not stand a chance and could very likely die at Sima Lingyun’s hands. Yet submitting himself was out of the question. Falling into the hands of the Yanhuang Group could result in a fate worse than death.

Clenching his teeth, the old man calmed his inner fear and said in a low voice: "Group Leader Sima, if I’m not mistaken, your Yanhuang Group has a rule against interfering in family disputes. Are you intending to break the rules and commit a legal violation this time?"

PS: A friend recommends a new book "Reborn Urban Expert." It’s a strong reborn flow novel, written by an experienced author, worth checking out!!!