Chapter 378: One Designates Heaven and Earth

Zu'an instinctively lunged backward, but the moment he moved, a strange force gripped his shoulder, numbing most of his body and leaving him utterly powerless.

He was greatly alarmed. The other person had appeared silently behind him and subdued him instantly. Their cultivation must be far beyond his own.

"Ah Zu, you're finally back." Old Man Mi's chilling voice came from behind him.

Zu'an, conversely, let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's you, elder. You gave me quite a fright."

Old Man Mi released his grip on Zu'an's shoulder. After two coughs, he asked, "Why are you alone? Where is Madam Chu? How are her injuries?"

Zu'an couldn't help but lavish praise. "Elder, you truly are prescient to know that Madam Chu was gravely injured."

Old Man Mi snorted coldly. "I was there at the time; otherwise, how could you have escaped from the Chu family estate?"

Zu'an remembered the massive tree that had suddenly fallen behind him at that time and quickly thanked him. "Thank you, elder."

"You still haven't answered my question," Old Man Mi said, his eyes gleaming, clearly deep in thought.

Zu'an hesitated for a moment. But then he thought, since the old man wanted to save both of them, he probably didn't wish for anything to happen to Qin Wanru. So he replied, "It was a close call, but Madam Chu has been rescued. However, her injuries haven't fully recovered, which is why she didn't come back with me."

Old Man Mi nodded. "Very good, very good. That fellow Ji Dengtu certainly has some skill."

Zu'an smiled, offering no explanation, unwilling to reveal too much in front of Old Man Mi.

"What do you plan to do next?" Old Man Mi asked.

"We plan to contact those within the Chu family who are loyal to the main branch, and also reach out to Yue Shan, who is currently out of town..." Zu'an roughly outlined Qin Wanru's plan.

"Too slow," Old Man Mi shook his head. "Yue Shan is out of town; it'll be ages before he returns. Moreover, he's too upright; he'd probably only be able to handle Hong Zhong."

Zu'an was puzzled why the old man was telling him all this. "Elder, do you have any suggestions?"

Old Man Mi hesitated for a long while before finally saying, "Why go through all that trouble? I can help you deal with Hong Zhong and Chu Tiesheng. As the saying goes, 'to catch the bandits, first catch their ringleader.' Handle them directly, and everything else will fall into place."

Zu'an was both surprised and delighted. "It would certainly be best if you, elder, were to take action."

He hadn't dared to suggest it before because Old Man Mi was always low-key and never acted in public. He never expected him to bring it up himself.

So, he voiced this doubt.

Old Man Mi chuckled. "That was in the past. Soon, that won't be necessary."

"Of course, afterward, you still shouldn't reveal my existence. Just let everyone believe you did all of this."

Zu'an was stunned. "Elder, wouldn't that be taking credit for your accomplishments? That's... that's truly..."

Old Man Mi gave him a meaningful look. "There's no need to separate what's mine and what's yours so strictly. They're practically the same."

Zu'an forced a smile, but his mind was clouded with suspicion. This was not the first time the old man had said something similar to him. What exactly did he mean?

Following Old Man Mi's instructions, the two arrived at the study. Normally, only Chu Zhongtian was permitted to use this room.

Now that Chu Tiesheng was in power, he couldn't wait to use the things only Chu Zhongtian had been allowed to use. The years of suppression he felt immediately vanished.

Sitting in the patriarch's chair, a seat only Chu Zhongtian had been entitled to, Chu Tiesheng felt more triumphant than he ever had in his life.

His only regret was not having used Chu Zhongtian's woman.

Hong Zhong glanced at his smug, self-satisfied expression, a hint of disdain appearing between his brows.

As if sensing his contempt, Chu Tiesheng realized it was time for serious business. He straightened up and said, "From what we know, Zu'an and Qin Wanru are probably hiding in the Ji family's courtyard. Unfortunately, with Jiang Luofu protecting them, how can we get in and capture them?"

Hong Zhong sat down beside him, picked up a teacup, and took a small sip. "Don't worry. Qin Wanru was poisoned by 'Bull's Milk' and hit by my 'Heart Shattering Fist.' With both combined, even immortals couldn't save her. I was initially concerned about Divine Doctor Ji's reputation, fearing he might have some method, but we've just confirmed he left the Ji estate. That little girl Ji Xiaoxi alone couldn't possibly save anyone."

Chu Tiesheng was annoyed. In the past, when Chu Zhongtian was seated, Hong Zhong would always stand respectfully to the side, awaiting orders. Now, his current posture clearly showed he didn't view Chu Tiesheng as the new patriarch.

"What if Zu'an goes around blabbing about what happened today and arouses suspicion?" Chu Tiesheng inwardly lamented Qin Wanru's death, thinking it a tragic waste. He blamed himself for being so infatuated that he let her escape earlier.

Hong Zhong snorted. "Don't worry. We've already smeared his name, so even if he says anything detrimental, people will just think he's trying to get revenge on us. Even if, by some chance, someone suspects, it'll only be suspicion. They'll have no proof, and with you firmly seated as the Chu family patriarch and me backing you, everyone will surely believe you."

Clap, clap, clap!

Before Chu Tiesheng could reply, clapping sounds echoed from outside. Zu'an walked in, applauding.

"What a clever scheme," Zu'an said. "To think that Manager Hong, generally known for being honest and upright, could be even more insidious and vicious than ordinary people when it comes to plotting."

"Zu'an!"

Seeing him walk in, both men gasped in surprise and shot to their feet.

"How did you get in here?!" Chu Tiesheng looked outside. He knew the study was surrounded by their trusted subordinates; how could Zu'an have appeared here so silently?

Hong Zhong cursed Chu Tiesheng inwardly, calling him a fool. If Zu'an was here, then the guards outside must have been dealt with.

Although he had recently witnessed Zu'an's skill, the most impressive thing about him was his speed. It seemed highly unlikely he could have silently dealt with all the guards outside.

"I walked in, of course," Zu'an said calmly. "As the son-in-law of the Chu family, do I need your permission to come home?"

"Son-in-law? Humph, a sparrow that flew onto a branch truly thinks itself a phoenix now. Without Chu Chuyan, you're nothing. Who in the Chu family truly considers you a son-in-law?" Chu Tiesheng sneered.

Hong Zhong, frowning, said, "Enough talk. Just take him down now."

Chu Tiesheng's breath caught. *You're still ordering me around? Who exactly is the patriarch here, you or me?*

Seeing that Hong Zhong had no intention of acting, he gritted his teeth and moved to attack himself. After all, the other person's cultivation was higher than his.

Watching Chu Tiesheng lunge at him, Zu'an neither dodged nor retreated, standing calmly and watching him with a cold smile from a distance.

Seeing Zu'an so composed, especially with that strange smile playing on his lips, made Chu Tiesheng uneasy. However, he was a sixth-grade cultivator, and Hong Zhong was there to back him up. What trouble could this little brat possibly cause?

Just as his palm was about to strike Zu'an, a finger suddenly appeared behind Zu'an.

The finger was dry and ancient, like a decaying tree branch, looking as if it would snap with the slightest touch.

At that moment, Hong Zhong's horrified shout rang in his ears: "Retreat quickly!"

Chu Tiesheng's hair stood on end, but he had no time to react. The finger had already touched his glabella.

His body stiffened, his face still holding all its previous expressions, but his eyes had turned completely dull, and his entire body fell heavily to the ground.

Hong Zhong had been about to rush over to save him, but seeing Chu Tiesheng killed instantly, he abruptly halted his advance.

His cultivation was higher than Chu Tiesheng's, but he certainly couldn't have killed him instantly. This proved that the newcomer's cultivation was significantly higher than his own.

Moreover, he hadn't fully understood that finger strike; he only felt it was profoundly mysterious. He even suspected that if he had been in Chu Tiesheng's position just now, he might not have been able to dodge it.

"Old Man... Old Man Mi?" By this point, Hong Zhong had clearly seen the other person's appearance. As a steward, he naturally recognized everyone in the manor, from the highest to the lowest. Wasn't this the quiet old flower farmer who looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over?