"What do you need my help with?"

Mu Qingchuan took a sip of tea from in front of him, then said harshly, "If you’re thinking of asking me to secretly protect Lu Tianxing’s women, then forget about it. It would be better if they all died, so no one would compete with my sister for affection."

Sima Lingyun seemed oblivious to the murderous intent in Mu Qingchuan’s voice, and sighed softly, "That’s not what I’m talking about. I need your help with another matter. In fact, this task must be performed by someone who isn’t part of the Yanhuang Group. Although you’ve joined the Yanhuang Group, you’re ultimately from a noble family, so you’re the most suitable person for this job."

"What exactly is the matter?"

Mu Qingchuan looked solemnly at Sima Lingyun. They’ve been friends for many years, and he knew Sima Lingyun well enough to know that if he wasn’t in dire need, he wouldn’t ask for help.

"Do you know who I encountered on Qin Island?"

Sima Lingyun looked at Mu Qingchuan, revealing everything honestly, "I encountered Wan Chang’an, encountered Chen Kunchang on Qin Island. Their names are recorded on the death list of the Yanhuang Group, Young Master Mu, do you understand what I mean?"

Mu Qingchuan didn’t speak, but his expression instantly became extremely grave. The Yanhuang Group’s death list is specifically for recording the names of vicious individuals who were ultimately killed by the Yanhuang Group. If someone appears on this list, it means they are already dead.

But now Sima Lingyun said he encountered someone on Qin Island who was supposed to be dead, then there can only be one explanation: the Yanhuang Group has been infiltrated to a great extent. After all, after killing someone, they undergo a rigorous check. Only once it’s confirmed that they’re truly dead will their name be registered on the death list. With people on the death list coming back to life, it clearly indicates a problem, at least in the verification process, not to mention other areas.

Moreover, Sima Lingyun has only just found out—before this, there’s no telling how many people used this method to evade the pursuit of the Yanhuang Group and roam free.

After a long pause, Mu Qingchuan took a deep breath and slowly said, "Tell me, Sima, what do you need me to do this time?"

"I already have a rough idea. I will have someone use a special contact method to reach out to these people who should be dead but have come back to life, drawing them out. Then I’ll send you their addresses. You will secretly capture them. If you can take them alive, do so. If not, kill them without mercy."

By the end, the murderous intent in Sima Lingyun’s eyes was already apparent.

"No problem."

Mu Qingchuan nodded. During this period, he had been training in seclusion at the Mu Family, his strength advancing by leaps and bounds. Coupled with his extraordinary hidden weapons, it was too easy for him to deal with some unprepared people.

"What about the internal situation of the Yanhuang Group?"

"I’ll handle that by conducting a covert investigation. I want to see just how many people dare to do such a thing."

Sima Lingyun’s eyes flickered coldly. This time, he intended to cleanse the Yanhuang Group thoroughly, inside and out. Once the internal corruption was eradicated, that would be the time to take action against the Yang Family, since it was the Yang Family who extracted Wan Chang’an and Chen Kunchang from the Yanhuang Group.

Although he knew the Yang Family was the real mastermind behind this, Sima Lingyun chose not to immediately act against them. Recently, he had aggressively purged all the members of major noble families in Beijing who were within the Yanhuang Group, already causing dissatisfaction among many families. If he chose to act against the Yang Family at this moment, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t react desperately, something he did not want to see.

Therefore, everything would have to wait until the parasites within the Yanhuang Group were cleared out before Sima Lingyun would choose to act against the Yang Family.

...

Sima Lingyun and Mu Qingchuan’s meeting at the teahouse was not very long. After agreeing on the matter, Mu Qingchuan didn’t say anything else to Sima Lingyun. Instead, he turned around and walked out of the teahouse, got into the car parked nearby, and instructed the driver to leave and return to the Mu Family.

After getting off the car, Mu Qingchuan walked inside. Seeing the familiar surroundings, he sighed deeply but didn’t return to his room, nor did he look for Mr. Mu. Instead, he walked to an elegant little pavilion within the grounds of the Mu Family.

Passing through the corridor, Mu Qingchuan arrived at the pavilion. Without hesitation, he opened the door and walked in, immediately seeing Mu Qingxue sitting alone in the small gazebo, gazing at the koi swimming in the pond, appearing somewhat lost in thought, not knowing what was on her mind.

"Qingxue, what are you thinking about? You didn’t even notice when I came in." Mu Qingchuan approached Mu Qingxue and gently said.

Hearing Mu Qingchuan’s voice, Mu Qingxue suddenly snapped out of her daze, "Brother, why are you back so early? I heard from the servants that Sima Lingyun sought you out. What did he want? Did something happen to Tianxing?"

At this point, an unmistakable hint of urgency flashed across Mu Qingxue’s face. Recently, she had been strictly confined within the Mu Family, with little access to outside news. But she was acutely aware of the dangers surrounding Lu Tianxing. Any problem might spell catastrophic trouble for him.

Moreover, she had heard her brother mention that Sima Lingyun had left Beijing some time ago and gone to Qin Island, where Lu Tianxing happened to be. Now, with Sima Lingyun returning and immediately calling Mu Qingchuan out, how could Mu Qingxue not have some paranoid thoughts?

Seeing Mu Qingxue’s anxious eyes, Mu Qingchuan sighed helplessly. If time could turn back, on the day Mu Qingxue met Lu Tianxing, he’d erase that memory—even if it meant locking her away or binding her. To him, Mu Qingxue turned into this state from that day onwards. If she hadn’t met Lu Tianxing, Mu Qingxue would still be a lively and lovable girl, full of laughter, rather than her current self—always fixated on someone she shouldn’t care for.

"Brother, say something, what’s going on? Did something happen to Tianxing, tell me!"

When Mu Qingxue saw Mu Qingchuan remain silent, her face reflected even greater anxiety, with a look suggesting she might just rush out at any given second.

"Qingxue, calm down. Lu Tianxing is fine. He’s alive and well, accompanied by beauties every day," Mu Qingchuan replied after snapping back to reality, with a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Really?"

Mu Qingxue’s beautiful eyes shone with a strange glint, watching Mu Qingchuan attentively, waiting for him to nod.