"What is going on here?" Before Zhong Yun could retort, he suddenly frowned. "There are some uninvited guests arriving. I'll go out and send them packing. You stay here and don't go out."

"Be careful," Odin said, flashing into the room. Since he dared to help Zhong Yun, he naturally had his own means of self-preservation.

Zhong Yun stood up and walked out of the room. Seeing no one paying attention, he shot into the air and flew toward the distance.

He didn't want a fight to break out at the school, so he planned to lure the enemies elsewhere. As he flew, he mused—it seemed he had been exposed. Which faction were these people from? Could it be the Ketong family?

Just as he flew away, a dozen or so people not far away also took flight and pursued him.

Xiao Ling on the Mercury had warned him earlier that a group of people was stealthily approaching the apartment, clearly with malicious intent.

Even without looking back, Zhong Yun knew that seventeen people were relentlessly chasing him. Two years ago, this would have caused him significant trouble, but now, dealing with them was hardly an issue.

Shaking them off would be easy, but Zhong Yun didn't do that. He wanted to know who sent them.

After flying for about ten minutes, Zhong Yun stopped atop a treetop. The seventeen pursuers landed around him with swoosh sounds, subtly encircling him.

"Mr. Zhong, we have orders to bring you back," said a middle-aged man in black standing directly opposite Zhong Yun.

Seeing this formation, Zhong Yun knew they weren't from the Ketong family. If they were, they would have attacked him immediately without all the empty talk. "Who ordered you? You can't expect me to follow you just like that, without knowing anything."

"You will know when you come," the middle-aged man replied politely, appearing very well-bred.

"Is it Weiwei? Tell her to stop playing games. If she wants to see me, she can come herself. I'm busy," Zhong Yun said with a slight laugh.

The middle-aged man neither confirmed nor denied it. "Once you arrive, you will naturally know."

"It's Weiwei's father?" Zhong Yun understood. Weiwei alone wouldn't be able to mobilize so many masters. Only her resourceful father would possess that kind of influence.

"Originally, as a junior, I should proactively visit the elder. However, I have something extremely important right now and genuinely cannot leave. How about this: once I finish my current business—hmm... within a month at the latest—I will personally pay a visit." Zhong Yun spoke in a negotiating tone.

The middle-aged man fell silent. After a moment, he finally said, "Mr. Zhong, please don't make things difficult for me."

Zhong Yun chuckled, "If you don't make things difficult, then I will be the one in a difficult position. Tell me, should I make things difficult for you, or for myself?"

"Then please forgive our rudeness," the middle-aged man finished. The people surrounding Zhong Yun moved simultaneously.

Various colored glows erupted from their bodies as they lunged toward Zhong Yun.

A cold smirk touched the corner of Zhong Yun's mouth, and he instantly shot upward.

The dozen-plus men missed their mark and were instantly shocked. They hadn't expected Zhong Yun's speed to suddenly become this fast—it was like a shooting star. He seemed like an entirely different person compared to moments before.

Just as they tried to evade, they realized their bodies were restrained by an invisible force. Every movement required immense effort, and alarm bells rang in their minds.

Zhong Yun looked down at the people below, a flash of purple light crossing his eyes. After his Body Arts advanced to Level Twenty, his strength had made a qualitative leap. This was the first time he utilized the 'Entangle' technique in actual combat, and the results seemed excellent.

While the seventeen men’s movements slowed, Zhong Yun shot out his hands rapidly, launching seventeen small spheres, one for each person.

As soon as the small spheres touched their bodies, countless tendrils sprouted out, tightly binding them. The seventeen men fell downward like dumplings, plop, plop, plop.

One 'Entangle' technique, seventeen 'Binding Orbs,' and seventeen Body Arts experts above Level Fifteen were captured in one sweep. This was the terrifying power of combining Body Arts with technology.

With Zhong Yun's current strength, defeating these seventeen people wouldn't be difficult, but achieving such a clean sweep would have been impossible before.

Zhong Yun landed on the ground and looked at them coldly. "For Weiwei's sake, I won't kill you."

Just then, an aircraft flew in from the horizon and soon landed before them. Zhong Yun grabbed them one by one and tossed them onto the aircraft. "You stay put here. I'll release you when I leave."

After tossing all seventeen men onto the craft, Zhong Yun clapped his hands. The aircraft door closed, and it took off, quickly vanishing into the sky.

Having dispatched this group, Zhong Yun fell into deep thought. If Weiwei's father could locate him, others could too. The capabilities of these local powers should not be underestimated.

He had offended many people on Planet Ketong, and just as many wanted him dead.

Although Weiwei's father didn't seem fond of him, he evidently had no intention of killing him—using courtesy before force, and not striking a fatal blow.

However, the Ketong family members wouldn't be so polite; they would definitely fight to the death. Perhaps Zeng Chenyu would join them too.

While he wasn't afraid of them, they were still a nuisance. His priority now was finding Yun Qi; it was best to avoid unnecessary complications. It seemed he needed to go into hiding and let the storm pass for a while.

Having made up his mind, Zhong Yun sent a message to Odin, telling him he would be gone for a period, then slipped into the shadows, waiting at their rendezvous point.

At the Ketong Starport, a disguised Weiwei was quickly walking toward the exit. Finally setting foot on this planet again, she was eager to reach Zhong Yun.

As she neared the gate, her steps suddenly slowed. She eyed the dozen or so people lingering near the entrance suspiciously. Although those men were dressed as travelers, their demeanor was very odd, as if they were searching for someone.

Weiwei’s beautiful eyes narrowed. Her father must have known about her running away from home and surely made arrangements. She turned and vanished into the crowd.

A dozen minutes later, on a street several kilometers from the port, a figure descended from the sky—it was the disguised Weiwei. Everyone nearby stared dumbfounded, stunned by her dramatic entrance.

Weiwei frowned, flashed, and vanished from the spot.

Boom! The crowd instantly erupted. Although the public knew that there were people in this world possessing magical powers, witnessing someone fly directly down was still a massive shock, causing a huge stir.

Sneaking toward Ketong Academy, Weiwei was momentarily at a loss. Where should she look for Zhong Yun?

The moment she heard news of Zhong Yun, she rushed to find him regardless of the circumstances. But she didn't know his exact location. She only knew he was currently at Ketong Academy. But Ketong Academy was enormous; if Zhong Yun intended to hide, finding him would be no easy task.

Wait, Zhong Yun didn't know many people at Ketong Academy. Perhaps he would be with his former roommates. With that thought, Weiwei hurried off to look for them.

Over the past two years, Weiwei had kept tabs on Zhong Yun's three former roommates and everyone connected to him. Her reasoning was simple: if Zhong Yun returned, he might seek them out.

Therefore, she was perfectly aware of their current situations.

She first sought out Liu Ming, believing his relationship with Zhong Yun was likely the strongest.

Liu Ming was already living with his girlfriend. When he heard the knock, he reluctantly went to open the door. "Who is it?" he asked with a distinctly unfriendly tone, especially upon seeing a complete stranger.

"It's me." Weiwei's voice was highly distinctive; anyone who heard it once would find it hard to forget.

Liu Ming instantly recognized it, his mouth forming a perfect 'O'. His look of annoyance completely vanished. "Thi... Third Sister-in-law? Why are you here?"

Hearing the address 'Third Sister-in-law,' Weiwei felt a flush creep up her face. Because she was in disguise, it wasn't visible, but she glanced around. "Let's talk inside."

Just as Liu Ming was about to open the door fully, he suddenly remembered something. "Third Sister-in-law, wait a moment. The place is a complete mess, let me tidy up first."

Weiwei was about to say it wasn't necessary, but Liu Ming promptly slammed the door shut.

One minute later, the door opened again. This time, standing there was not only Liu Ming but also a delicate-looking girl whose face was flushed crimson, her eyes glistening with moisture—both lovely and charming.

Weiwei, being sharp and intelligent, understood immediately upon seeing the girl's appearance. This was exactly how the girl in her dreams looked after waking up from those intimate moments with Zhong Yun.

"I'm sorry to intrude," Weiwei murmured, lowering her head in embarrassment.

The girl secretly pinched Liu Ming, making him wince, but she verbally said, "It's fine, you're not intruding."

The three entered and sat down. Liu Ming asked first, "Third Sister-in-law, what brings you here to see me?" Seeing Weiwei in that disguise, he guessed about seven or eight parts of the truth—most likely she had a falling out with her family and ran away from home.

Liu Ming was unaware of the details of Zhong Yun's disappearance years ago, only catching whispers from Odin that Weiwei's family disapproved of her relationship with Zhong Yun, leading to a major clash and Zhong Yun leaving the Kingdom of Mins.

Liu Ming wasn't surprised at all that Weiwei had broken with her family.

Weiwei pursed her lips. "Has Zhong Yun come looking for you?"

Liu Ming shot up from his seat, his expression intensely excited. "Zhong Yun is back? When?"

Seeing his reaction, Weiwei knew he was uninformed, and felt a pang of disappointment. "A few days ago, I heard news that... that he had returned."

"That's wonderful!" Liu Ming exclaimed happily. "He left without a word back then; I thought he had already..." He stopped himself just in time, having been subtly elbowed by his girlfriend before he could say the word 'died.' "It's good that he's back. It’s just good that he’s back."

"He's using a different name now, Yun Zhongyu. If you hear anything about him, you must let me know," Weiwei said, standing up. "I should go now."

Liu Ming saw Weiwei all the way to the door, his expression euphoric. He had always worried about Zhong Yun's safety, so receiving news of his return naturally made him extremely excited.

"I'm afraid Zhong Yun is in big trouble," his girlfriend remarked, looking somewhat worried.

"Big trouble?" Liu Ming was startled, looking at his girlfriend.

"Think about it—why would Zhong Yun change his name if he returned? And why did Weiwei run away from home?"

Liu Ming's expression darkened. "No, I have to go help him."

First Publication