Chapter 28: Kill!

Song Tao knew that Liu Qingxue had no powerful background; otherwise, he would never have dared to set his sights on her.

But was Liu Qingxue truly as simple as she appeared? A sense of foreboding welled up within Song Tao, as if something unseen had fixed its gaze upon him.

"Who did you just say you wouldn't let go?"

At that moment, a cold, indifferent voice suddenly echoed through the previously empty room.

Startled, Song Tao quickly looked toward the source of the voice.

Standing in the corner, as if appearing out of thin air, was none other than Chu Tian, the very man he had nursed a bitter hatred for.

"You... what are you doing here?" Song Tao's face was filled with terror. When he had been performing his little show with the beauty just moments ago, there had certainly been no one else in the room. How could someone have materialized in the blink of an eye?

"I hadn't planned on killing you," Chu Tian said, "but you sent assassins after my senior sister. I can't possibly let you live."

In a flash, Chu Tian became a blur, appearing beside the bed in the next instant. His hand closed around Song Tao's neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

"No... what assassins... I don't know what you're talking about!" Song Tao struggled to breathe, his body writhing midair, his words growing slurred and indistinct.

"Still won't admit it?" Chu Tian's brow furrowed in disgust. "You sent Cheng Xiangdong to force my sister to take indecent photos, and then tonight sent assassins to attack her. Do you still want to quibble?"

With that, Chu Tian threw Song Tao aside.

Bang!

Song Tao's back crashed into the wall with a dull thud.

"Chu Tian, it's true I sent Cheng Xiangdong, but I know nothing about these assassins you speak of." Song Tao, his face contorted in pain, half-knelt on the ground. He understood Chu Tian's temperament—this madman cared nothing for Song Tao's status as the young master of the Song family. If provoked, Chu Tian really would kill him without hesitation.

At that moment, Chu Tian's phone suddenly rang. He took it out and put it on speaker.

"Palace Lord, I've found a lead on the assassins," Han Bao's voice sounded from the phone, making Song Tao's soul nearly depart his body.

The Han and Song families were both among the four great clans of Tianmen City. Although not particularly close, their paths often crossed. Song Tao instantly recognized Han Bao's voice, and the tone was filled with deference—clearly stemming from deep respect, even fear, for Chu Tian.

Although Song Tao didn't know what 'Palace Lord' meant, it was clear that Chu Tian's true identity far exceeded anything he could have imagined.

"Speak," Chu Tian replied flatly.

Han Bao immediately continued, "Before acting, the assassins did receive an advance payment. But the funds did not originate from the Song family—I can confirm these assassins were not sent by the Songs."

"Anything else?"

"The financial trail is very well concealed. For now, there are no further leads."

"Keep investigating."

Chu Tian hung up, a shadow crossing his face.

"You heard it, Chu Tian. This has nothing to do with me," Song Tao hurried to explain. With Han Bao's testimony supporting him, surely Chu Tian would realize he had blamed the wrong man.

Yet Chu Tian’s expression did not soften in the slightest; if anything, it grew darker.

"For forcing my sister to take those indecent photos alone, you already deserve death."

Without warning, Chu Tian grabbed Song Tao's head and squeezed with barely any effort.

In an instant, Song Tao's eyes bulged in horror. His skull caved as if struck by an iron hammer, bursting into a mist of blood.

With a single hand, Chu Tian had crushed Song Tao’s head, yet not a drop of blood stained his skin.

Having learned from past mistakes, Chu Tian was determined to leave no evidence behind. He extended his forefinger, tracing a sigil in the air. The rune shimmered with flecks of golden light, vivid and lifelike.

The next moment, the rune descended onto Song Tao’s corpse, transforming into a blazing fire.

The searing heat reduced Song Tao's body to ashes, not even leaving a scrap of bone behind.

Chu Tian fell into deep thought. If the assassins hadn’t been sent by Song Tao, then who was the mastermind behind the attack?

Even as the flames died away, he still had no answer.

Then, his figure became a blur and vanished from the room in an instant.

An hour later, at Yunhe Villa.

When he returned, Liu Qingxue had not yet gone to bed. She sat on the sofa, as if waiting for Chu Tian’s return.

“Big sister, were you waiting for me?” Chu Tian’s heart warmed; he had already guessed her feelings.

“Why are you back so late?” Liu Qingxue stifled a yawn. Although she had spent the day managing the launch event and was clearly exhausted, she refused to rest until Chu Tian returned.

“I had a bit of a problem to take care of,” Chu Tian replied with a soft chuckle, not going into detail.

After all, the matter of killing Song Tao was far too bloody for Liu Qingxue's liking—she had never been fond of violence. If he told her the truth, it would only upset her.

Liu Qingxue didn’t press further, instead changing the subject.

“How did you meet the eldest Miss of the Wei family?” she asked.

“I cured Wei Yuansheng’s illness, so naturally I got to know Wei Qingqiu,” Chu Tian answered, not understanding her point.

“So you two must be fairly close, then.” Liu Qingxue seemed lost in thought.

“We’re familiar, I suppose. Why do you ask?” At her words, Chu Tian couldn’t help envisioning Wei Qingqiu’s striking figure; his mind began to wander.

“Qingxue Group and the Wei family have just started working together, and we need to build a better relationship. I’ve arranged to go out with the eldest Miss Wei tomorrow—why don’t you join us?” Liu Qingxue didn’t probe into his relationship with Wei Qingqiu; instead, she invited him to join their outing.

“All right,” Chu Tian agreed readily, without hesitation.

Then, he took out a protective talisman and handed it to Liu Qingxue.

“What’s this?” she asked, curious.

“It’s a protective charm I made. As long as you wear it, it will keep you safe if you’re ever in danger,” Chu Tian explained.

“Is this the only one?” Liu Qingxue took the charm and asked.

“No, I’ve prepared seven talismans—one for each of my senior sisters.”

Since the assassination attempt, Chu Tian had become even more concerned for their safety. Even though the masters of the Dark Temple watched over them in secret, he still felt uneasy.

“I understand,” Liu Qingxue said, not doubting him. After all, as Wu Xingyan’s disciple, it was not strange for Chu Tian to know such mystical arts.

“Where are Second and Third Sister? Already asleep?” Chu Tian looked around, not finding Ye Binglan or Lin Qinghan.

“They wanted to wait up for you as well, but it got too late. I told them to rest. You can give them their charms tomorrow,” Liu Qingxue replied, then rose to her feet and, with a mischievous smile, drew close to Chu Tian.