It was the Free Wind's First Mate. He had rushed over, dropping everything the moment he heard the crewman's report that the Young Master had been struck. He had been frantic, yet nothing could have prepared him for the severity of the scene before him.

Three bodyguards lay sprawled on the floor, while the Young Master himself was held dangling in the air, his neck choked in a grip so tight his legs were convulsing, clearly moments from death. A thunderclap sounded in the First Mate's skull; if the Young Master died here, he would certainly be buried with him, and likely many others aboard this vessel would face ruin.

The young man, positioned perfectly toward the entrance, saw the First Mate enter and his eyes flashed with desperate hope. "Save me…" The words dissolved into a meaningless groan as they left his lips.

Seeing that Zhong Yun showed no sign of stopping, the First Mate was gripped by sheer terror, but there was no time for pleas. He bellowed, a sheath of white light erupting around him, and charged toward Zhong Yun with an air of utter resolve.

Within a meter of Zhong Yun, a purple barrier materialized before him. An overwhelming force crushed down, stealing his breath and sending his body involuntarily soaring backward. He slammed against the bulkhead, his vision fading to black as he felt every organ shift violently within him. He could not rise again.

Throughout the entire exchange, Zhong Yun never spared the First Mate a single glance.

Just then, a large contingent of people appeared at the doorway—the crewmen who had followed the First Mate, joined by others drawn by the commotion.

They crowded the entrance, and at the sight before them, a collective gasp of stupefaction silenced them all.

The crew were shaken by the sight of their First Mate, utterly incapacitated on the floor.

The others, however, were stunned by the sight of the young man being choked by Zhong Yun, clearly on the verge of death. As retainers to powerful figures, recognizing those figures was fundamental training. They recognized the captive Young Master. And the sheer audacity of Zhong Yun struck a chord of deep dread within them.

Some felt a measure of relief that they hadn't crossed Zhong Yun themselves, while others were tinged with schadenfreude. Having provoked such a catastrophic offense, even Hong Yuting wouldn't be able to shield him. This person's fate would surely be gruesome.

As they pondered this, the door slammed shut, cutting off their view. The paralyzed crew snapped back to reality. The highest-ranking among them, whose face was ashen, bolted toward the exit. An incident involving such grave injury demanded immediate notification of the Captain.

He hadn't used a communicator because his rank was too low for a direct line to the Captain. Reporting through the official channels would take too long; by then, it would be far too late. Running directly was his fastest option.

Meanwhile, the accompanying personnel scrambled to send word back to their own masters. This was earth-shattering news; they dared not delay.

Hong Yuting received the news instantly. Hearing that Yun Zhongyu had clashed with that person, he could scarcely believe his ears.

How could that profligate young master have ended up on the Fourth Level, provoking that God of Slaughter? For a moment, he was truly frantic.

During his kidnapping by pirates, Hong Yuting had witnessed Yun Zhongyu's deathly slaughter firsthand. Three pirate ships, over one hundred thousand people in total, had been wiped out by this single man. The cruelty of his methods was chilling.

It was impossible to reconcile that calm, outwardly harmless young man with such a merciless killer.

Yet, upon hearing his subordinates report that Yun Zhongyu might have already killed the victim, Hong Yuting surprisingly calmed down.

He shut off his communicator, his face turning grave. The habitually cynical smile was gone. Anyone familiar with him would be utterly astonished by this transformation. His eyes flickered, clearly wrestling with a fierce internal struggle: Should he protect him? Or abandon him and sever ties?

The scales of his heart tilted almost entirely in one direction.

At a time like this, any clear-headed person knew the right choice to make. Moreover, time was running short. A decision had to be made before the power behind that boy could react.

He let out a long, slow breath, murmuring, "It's not that I won't help you. If you had killed anyone else, I would have shouldered the blame, risking my family's censure, for saving my life. But you had to kill him..."

In his deepest heart, he knew that even if he wished it, he could not afford to offend another immensely powerful family for Yun Zhongyu’s sake. If he truly acted, he might well become the sacrificial lamb instantly. No matter that he was the legitimate son of his house—his individual existence was utterly insignificant before the interests of the clan.

He stood up abruptly and walked toward the door. Pausing at the threshold, he opened it and stepped out, murmuring to himself, "Three..." He thought, This is all I can do.

In the shadow of the doorway, Hong San took out his communicator and spoke four words: "Disaster. Go quickly." Then, a pale blue flame enveloped the device in his hand, instantly turning it to nothingness.

When Zhong Yun attacked, he hadn't realized the true, exalted status of the young man. He had assumed him to be some inconsequential relative of a powerful figure, which explained why he was relegated to living on the Fourth Level.

He had acted for two reasons: first, the boy’s words had struck his absolute bottom line. Zhong Yun, someone who tolerated no loss, had been forced to yield when his power was lesser; but now, given his current status and strength, how could he tolerate being publicly insulted?

Second, he wanted to use this young man to test Hong Yuting. Though he never voiced it, Zhong Yun harbored some resentment over Hong Yuting’s subtle machinations. He wanted to create trouble, to give him a gentle warning—to let him know that Zhong Yun was not his subordinate and shouldn't be treated with the same condescension.

But he hadn't expected that mere tap would unearth a hornet's nest.

Upon receiving Hong San's warning, Zhong Yun finally understood the magnitude of the trouble he had stirred up. The four words from Hong San meant: Brother, I can't handle this; you need to bolt.

Zhong Yun scratched his head, glancing at the young man slumped unconscious on the floor. Damn. I didn't realize this kid had such powerful connections. I probably can't stay here.

Did he really have to leave like this?

If he decided to leave, virtually no one could stop him. While there were a few people aboard the ship whose strength made him wary, if he was set on escaping, few could truly intercept him. However, giving up the identity of a citizen of a high-level civilization that he had worked so hard to obtain seemed too great a waste.

He looked at the young man again, and a decision solidified in his mind.

As Hong Yuting reached the entrance to the Qin residence, he ran straight into a large, fiercely advancing crowd. The sight caused the hair on his scalp to prickle.

Among the throng, the devastatingly beautiful Second Miss Qin wore an expression of both anxiety and fear across her flawless features. The usual haughty arrogance was gone, replaced by a different kind of beauty.

Walking beside Miss Qin was a handsome middle-aged man. He was expressionless, clad in a long black robe that radiated an icy aura. The moment Hong Yuting saw him, a chill rose from the depths of his heart, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"Miss Qin, I just heard the news," Hong Yuting said, walking toward the group with an air of self-reproach, only to be halted by the people outside the main party.

"You still dare show your face?" Second Miss Qin looked at him as if he were an irreconcilable enemy, her eyes blazing.

The Qin family bodyguards subtly encircled Hong Yuting. To show his sincerity, he had brought none of his own men. He wore a look of profound sorrow. "I know you hate me, Miss Qin, but this is not the time for recriminations. We must hurry there; if we delay, Young Master Qin could be in grave danger."

Miss Qin was startled, casting him aside for a moment. She ordered her bodyguards, "Watch him," before throwing back a warning: "If anything happens to my brother, I will not spare the Qin family." Then she led her entourage quickly toward the Fourth Level.

Hong Yuting knew Miss Qin wasn't joking. He called out urgently, "Miss Qin, take me with you. I think you need detailed information on Yun Zhongyu."

The middle-aged man beside Miss Qin turned back and nodded once.

The bodyguards surrounding Hong Yuting parted immediately, allowing him to catch up, forcing himself past the strong discomfort to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the middle-aged man.

"Yun Zhongyu is not of my Hong lineage. A month ago, I was captured by pirates, and he saved me. He claims to be an adventurer, his origins unknown. His strength is around Level Four, and he possesses a blue mecha, extremely fast. He specializes in close-quarters combat," Hong Yuting rattled off the information rapidly, specifically emphasizing that Zhong Yun was not a Hong family member.

The man beside him nodded slightly but remained silent.

Looking at this middle-aged man, Hong Yuting sighed internally. If even he had been mobilized, Yun Zhongyu was likely doomed this time.

With a massive CRASH, a large hole was blasted in the door.

"Young Master Qin, Gu Yue is here to save you!" A gentle voice drifted in.

Zhong Yun looked over. A huge silhouette lumbered in, followed by two other figures. One was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with dark hair; the other was a burly fellow.

Zhong Yun’s gaze swept over them, pausing briefly before lighting up. The smile on his face became even warmer. His eyes fixed intently on an old man standing beside the dark-haired young man. His pupils contracted slightly. This elder, merely standing there casually, exuded an aura of extreme danger.

The burly, muscular man standing at the front was completely ignored.

"Young Master Qin, Young Master Qin, Gu Yue has come to rescue you," the dark-haired young man called out. Even as he spoke, he maintained a slow, gentle cadence, devoid of any heat, which struck Zhong Yun as profoundly strange.

Just as Zhong Yun was about to speak, another voice sounded from outside the door: "Young Master Qin, Lan Ling is here to save you!" The words were identical to Gu Yue’s, but the voice was entirely different—coarse, yet full of vigorous energy.

Gu Yue, Lan Ling? Zhong Yun was mid-speculation when three more people squeezed through. Leading them was a tall, slender man. Trailing him was a scholarly, refined youth—a classic pretty boy. Beside him was a middle-aged woman whose charm had not faded, her figure exceedingly alluring.

Seeing these two groups arrive, Zhong Yun couldn't help but curve his lips into a faint smile.

P: Another week gone by, requesting votes. First publication

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