118: I'm such a spineless boss.

They signed a contract with blood.

The contract, made from unknown materials, immediately burned to ashes.

Yet, both Ivy and Feng Yixue seemed to have a connection.

As long as Feng Yixue died, Ivy would also die.

Similarly, Ivy could not refuse Feng Yixue's commands.

"Alright, let's talk about business. What do you vampires mean?" Ling Xian began to interrogate them about the key issue, "Why did your vampire race suddenly intrude into Dragon Nation?"

Ivy stared at Feng Yixue for a moment, then finally extended her long, white jade finger towards Feng Yixue.

"Pierce and I were ordered by a Vampire Duke to search for a sacred relic unique to our race: the Vampire Progenitor's Divine Blood!"

"And this drop of Divine Blood is related to Miss Feng's father."

Hearing this, Ling Xian frowned, looking at Feng Yixue with a helpless expression.

"She can't possibly have Divine Blood!" Ling Xian stated firmly.

Feng Yixue was touched; Ling Xian hadn't even asked about her rank, yet he trusted her so much.

"Miss Feng naturally doesn't have Divine Blood, but the Divine Blood is related to Feng Yang, it should be related to Feng Yang's close friend."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xian's mind flashed back to Feng Yang's confident demeanor at the hospital.

"Some connections might just give the Ling Corporation a hard time."

"You can try?"

At this moment, Ling Xian knew that Feng Yang hadn't lied; he was indeed not simple.

"Interesting." Ling Xian chuckled softly, curious about who it was that dared to make Feng Yang so confident, and also curious about how this close friend of Feng Yang's managed to obtain the Vampire Progenitor's Divine Blood.

Such a treasure is not something an ordinary person could obtain, and the person who possesses it has managed to survive the vampires' pursuit until now.

How could the vampires easily let go of their sacred relic?

...That night, Ling Xian didn't touch Feng Yixue, but instead held her as they slept.

That night was the best sleep Feng Yixue had had in a long time.

Early the next morning.

Ling Xian set off for Zhongzhou with Xu Xinyou.

Ling San and Third Aunt had left a few days earlier.

As for everyone else, they all remained in Jiangnan.

Especially Ling Wu, who was preparing a backup plan in Jiangnan.

Inside the airport.

Ling Xian took Xu Xinyou through security and boarded the plane.

He didn't take a private jet, but chose to travel by civil airliner.

Firstly, to keep a low profile, and secondly, he discovered that his private jet had been tampered with.

That's why he temporarily changed his mode of travel.

On the plane.

"Who did it?" Ling Xian frowned, puzzled.

He, the esteemed Young Master of the Ling Family, was actually being plotted against.

Su Ran?

No, he couldn't have had that idea.

Qi Xiu?

He wouldn't act so quickly; he's currently stuck in the quagmire of the Blood Hand Alliance and can't get out.

After much thought.

Ling Xian finally pinpointed the target: the Poker Organization.

Their technological capabilities and infiltration abilities could reach this level.

Moreover, after the last incident, the Poker Organization suffered heavy losses, so it's normal for them to forgo direct confrontation and resort to assassination, which is their old trade.

"President Ling, what's wrong?" Xu Xinyou asked, looking at the dazed Ling Xian.

"Nothing." Ling Xian shook his head, "Just do your job as a secretary."

"Is it 'when there's work, the secretary does it; when there's no work, you do the secretary'?" Xu Xinyou asked playfully.

"You just remember that phrase, don't you?" Ling Xian rolled his eyes.

Ling Xian looked at the surrounding clouds, gradually outlining the moves of the Cloud Dragon Transformation in his mind.

Zhongzhou, just after getting off the plane.

Ling San appeared to pick them up.

Besides her, there was another figure, both familiar and strange.

This person wore sunglasses, a smirk occasionally playing on his lips, and when he saw Xu Xinyou, a hint of greed appeared in his eyes.

"Ling Xian, you're doing pretty well, aren't you? Bringing back such a beautiful girl."

This person was Ling Xian's cousin, Ling Wenjie.

He was the son of his eldest uncle, Ling Wenbin, and his relationship with Ling Xian was not good, even to the point of being incompatible.

"Get lost!" Ling Xian coldly shouted.

"Ling Xian, don't be so petty. How about you let me have some fun with this girl? I guarantee I won't mistreat you." Ling Wenjie chuckled, his gaze never leaving Xu Xinyou.

Xu Xinyou shivered, goosebumps appearing all over her body under his scrutiny.

"Then, cousin, I'll put in a good word for your family with Grandpa.

Maybe he won't dwell on the past anymore."

Ling Xian sneered. Everyone thought the Old Master was still holding a grudge over Ling Tianshi's impulsiveness back then.

Only Ling Tianshi and Ling Xian knew that this was actually the Old Master protecting him.

If one were to say who the Old Master favored most in the entire Ling Family, it would undoubtedly be Ling Tianshi.

"Get lost! I don't want to say it a second time." Ling Xian frowned, looking at Third Aunt.

"Third Aunt, is it okay if I make a move?"

"Your family matters, Third Aunt can't interfere." As soon as Ling San finished speaking.

Ling Xian, in a flash of lightning, grabbed Ling Wenjie's palm, and there was a crisp crack.

Ling Wenjie screamed!

"Ah!"

"Ling Xian, are you looking for death?" Ling Wenjie roared, "I was sent by Grandpa to pick you up, and you dare to lay a hand on me?"

"I think you don't want to attend this year's family banquet."

Ling Xian ignored him, turned around, and left with Xu Xinyou and Ling San in the car.

"Ling Xian, he's your cousin. Isn't this... a bit too much?" Xu Xinyou thought Ling Xian did it for her, and while she felt a little touched, her heart was racing.

But Ling Xian knew that he was purely retaliating against Ling Wenjie for tricking him into sprinkling plant ash in Grandpa's teacup when they were children, which ultimately led to Grandpa discovering it and punishing him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall.

"It's nothing serious, he won't die." Ling Xian said indifferently, "And it was just playing around, don't worry, I know my limits."

Ling San heard it, but only smiled bitterly and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Xu Xinyou's face was stiff; was that 'playing around'? It felt like his hand was about to break off.

In the old Ling Family residence, with doors and windows tightly shut, Ling Wenbin heard his son Ling Wenjie's complaints even faster than Ling Xian.

"Alright, let's stop here." Ling Wenbin outwardly told his son to calm down, but the more he thought about it after sitting down, the more aggrieved he felt.

In his youth, being overshadowed by Ling Tianshi was one thing.

Finally, Ling Tianshi made a mistake, so his own son should surely rise, right?

But Ling Xian didn't even put him in his eyes, and laid hands on his son.

What made him even more aggrieved was that his own son couldn't even beat Ling Xian.

"Second Brother, I can't take it anymore, I'm such a useless eldest brother." Ling Wenbin complained.

Years ago, he heard that Ling Xian was a profligate and even a simp for a woman, so he didn't take him seriously.

How could he have changed so much in just a few years? The Old Master openly and secretly praised this grandson, and even had Ling San assist him.

Did he need to spell out what that meant?

The last one was the third son, Ling Tianshi, who almost became the family head.

"Big Brother, calm down. The Old Master has always been partial to Third Brother's family. Even if he truly angered the Old Master, it's not certain that the Old Master won't calm down one day and let Third Brother return to preside over the overall situation."

Ling Wubai, the second son of the Ling Family, consoled his eldest brother, Ling Wenbin, who wore gold-rimmed glasses.

Originally, the Old Master hoped for one literary and one martial, so the eldest brother was given a 'wen' (literary) character, and the second brother a 'wu' (martial) character.

But who knew a third son would come along, not only exceptionally talented but also deeply loved by the Old Master, directly given the 'tian' (heaven) character.

Pressuring the two of them!

One must know that the Old Master also had a 'tian' character in his name.