At the center of the overwhelming pressure, Su Chen remained unflinching, seemingly unaffected.

Just then, the figure in the purple robe flashed, darting towards Su Chen like a shadow. A whip had appeared in his hand, about two meters long, wrapped in cowhide and encircled by small steel rings. Just looking at it sent a shiver down one's spine; a strike would guarantee torn skin and bursting flesh. Even more terrifying were the three sharp hooks dangling from the tail end.

Suddenly, the man in purple lashed out, the whip's trajectory incredibly strange. It tore through the air, bringing a burst of wind and crackling sounds as True Yuan radiated from it, casting a faint milky glow. Su Chen watched the ferocious whip hurtle towards him, yet casually extended a hand as if reaching out to catch a falling leaf.

Seeing this, a cold sneer curled the corners of the man's mouth. This young man is far too arrogant, he thought. Does he think he understands the power of my whip?

But in the next instant, the man in purple stood dumbstruck, his face a mask of idiocy and shock, as if he had seen a ghost. The young man had indeed caught his whip so nonchalantly. What shocked him even more was that after catching it, Su Chen controlled the whip, rendering him unable to wield it.

The purple-robed man was most proud of his skill with the whip. He never imagined that not only could this young man effortlessly catch his full-force strike but also completely dominate the weapon.

At that moment, Su Chen gently pulled, drawing the whip towards himself, and the man in purple, following the force, was pulled closer. In an instant, he was only three to four meters away from Su Chen and immediately sensed the danger. He hastily let go of the whip, attempting to retreat and put some distance between himself and Su Chen.

But it was already too late. Su Chen struck out with a palm from afar, and a surge of robust True Yuan burst forth.

"Ahh~~~"

The man in purple was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the stairs and landing heavily on the ground. The staircase's iron posts were deformed from the impact, indicating the immense force.

As he fell, he looked down and saw a bowl-sized hole in his abdomen, his intestines spilling out. He knew he was about to die.

"You... actually have... Qi Refinement... Eighth Layer..."

He looked up at Su Chen, his eyes full of terror. He clearly sensed that the thickness of the True Yuan could only be achieved by someone above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer. This overturned his understanding; a man in his twenties with such cultivation was inconceivable. He also realized that the Wu Family had provoked someone they shouldn't have and would likely pay a steep price.

However, these concerns were no longer his to bear, for before he could finish his sentence, he had already taken his last breath. If he had known that Su Chen had held back and not used his full strength, one wonders if he would have been scared back to life.

After dealing with these men, Su Chen quickly checked on Mother Wang's condition and was relieved to find her only unconscious. He didn't wake her immediately but carried her to the sofa. Then, Su Chen drove the car to the door and loaded the bodies into it. He returned to clean the bloodstains to prevent Mother Wang or Lin Ruoxue from being frightened upon their awakening or return. Having finished these chores, he drove to a secluded spot to dispose of the corpses.

When Su Chen returned home, Lin Ruoxue had not yet come back, and Mother Wang was still unconscious. Su Chen took out a silver needle and pricked Mother Wang's Heavenly Court acupoint; a few seconds later, she slowly woke up.

"Thieves, there are thieves!" Mother Wang exclaimed excitedly as she awoke.

"Mother Wang, I scared the thief away," Su Chen said, holding her hand and smiling.

"Ah, son-in-law, you're back!" It took Mother Wang a moment to notice Su Chen. "Son-in-law, did you see those thieves too?"

"Yes, they were about to steal when I came back. I scared them away, and they all jumped out the window and ran."

"That's good, that's good," Mother Wang said, looking at Su Chen. "Son-in-law, you wouldn't believe it, I was sitting down for dinner when suddenly someone knocked me out from behind. Thieves these days are so bold, still daring to steal with people at home!"

"It really was daring, but it's good that you're okay, Wang Ma," Su Chen responded with a chuckle.

"Son-in-law, did we lose anything at home?" Wang Ma was still a bit worried.

"No, no, you can rest easy!" Su Chen said with a smile.

"That's good then." Wang Ma was reassured, but then she suddenly slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, I haven't finished cooking dinner yet!" Immediately, Wang Ma hurried back into the kitchen to resume her work.

......

It was the same nightclub, the same private room where Liu Qing, Lin Chao, and Ma Yuemin once again gathered. However, today they weren't as high-spirited as before, their faces expressing a mix of heaviness and dejection.

"Lin Chao, your family's patriarch is way too biased," Ma Yuemin commented with a hint of sarcasm. "You're the eldest legitimate grandson, yet he transferred all his shares to Lin Ruoxue alone!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Chao's expression grew even darker. Indeed, the fact that the old man gave all his shares to his granddaughter Lin Ruoxue was a clear slap in the face to him.

"Yeah, Lin Chao, how did your family's patriarch suddenly make such a decision?" Liu Qing also asked with some confusion.

"I suspect the old man guessed it was our doing with the poison, but due to family ties, he refrained from taking any drastic actions," Lin Chao said, frowning deeply. "By doing this, he hopes to crush our ambitions. After all, this puts Lin Ruoxue in absolute control of the shares."

"But you really went too far, not even sparing your own grandfather!" Ma Yuemin said lightly, glancing at Lin Chao with an ironic twist of his mouth. After that horrific incident, Ma Yuemin had become much more radical and cared less about others' feelings when he spoke. Before, he would never have made such a remark to someone's face, but now, he was indifferent.

As expected, Lin Chao exploded as soon as he heard Ma Yuemin's words. "What are you implying, Mr. Ma?!"

"Isn't it obvious? You're shooting yourself in the foot," Ma Yuemin retorted disdainfully with a sneer.

Lin Chao's face immediately clouded over with anger, and his fists clenched tightly.

Seeing the two on the verge of conflict, Liu Qing quickly tried to mediate. "Gentlemen, please, let's be reasonable. We're all on the same side. What's this all about!" Being the Liu Family's heir, Liu Qing's words carried significant weight. "Brother Ma, what you said just now was indeed inappropriate. After all, Lin Chao is one of us," Liu Qing said calmly to Ma Yuemin.

As Ma Yuemin was about to respond, Liu Qing gestured, and Ma Yuemin swallowed his words. Liu Qing then turned to Lin Chao and said, "I have to say, Lin Chao, your strategy of using poison wasn't very wise. I told you to handle your family's patriarch, not to kill him!"

"And what do you mean by that?" Lin Chao responded irritably, feeling as if Liu Qing was just harping on after the event. "You don't know how much the old man valued that girl, Lin Ruoxue. It was almost impossible to get his support for me. Otherwise, why would I have done something with such high risks?"

"Lin Chao, why do you always focus on the patriarch? Why can't you think about the problem from a different angle?" Liu Qing said slowly, his eyes narrowing, a fleeting glint of cold shrewdness passing through them.