"I really haven't heard my old man mention the Xuanyuan family," Xu Ming said with a noncommittal smile.

"Xuanyuan Bing, the only woman of the Xuanyuan family, and their sole heir?" Yang Yi thought inwardly, his gaze fixed on Xuanyuan Bing as if inexplicably drawn to her.

Just then, three young men walked in through the doorway. Upon spotting Xuanyuan Bing seated at the dining table, a flicker of discernible joy crossed the eyes of one of them, suggesting a particular interest in her.

Tang Shen and Ximen Ling, brothers to Nangong San, knew very well that their Nangong brother had always been devoted solely to Xuanyuan Bing, for how many years? They recalled their high school days when Nangong San, because of her, had created indelible memories for them; alas, the beauty remained unmoved.

Yang Yi had been observing from the sidelines, noticing their actions. At this moment, Dongfang Shiling interjected, "The young masters from three of the Eight Great Families—the sophomores, Tang Shen, Ximen Ling, and that king of the Middle Way, Nangong San!"

"The King of the Middle Way?" Yang Yi questioned, puzzled.

"Indeed. Nangong San is the most troublesome fellow in the Nangong lineage, and among these three, he possesses the harshest methods, yet lacks ambition and desire. Perhaps his heart is given entirely to the peerless beauty, and Xuanyuan Bing is that beauty who drives him to distraction," Dongfang Shiling stated calmly.

"I see!" Yang Yi appeared enlightened, redirecting his gaze toward Xuanyuan Bing once more.

Nangong San approached Xuanyuan Bing, paused for a beat, and then, his expression softening slightly, spoke to her softly, "Are you alright?"

Hearing the voice, Xuanyuan Bing seemed utterly unresponsive, maintaining her indifferent posture, as if she had completely overlooked Nangong San. Observing this, the surrounding onlookers couldn't help but suppress stifled laughter. Xuanyuan Bing’s coldness was notorious at Fudan, and were it not for Nangong San's status, the gazes fixed upon him would likely have been roaring with mirth!

Nangong San’s face stiffened, his heart filled with bitter amusement. He had always believed he could move her at least once; all his past efforts were now history. Thus, Nangong San didn't press the issue too hard, forcing a smile, "Bing'er, you..."

"When did I permit you to call me Bing'er?" Her voice was as crisp as a nightingale's song, yet it carried a chilling coldness that instantly sent shivers down one's spine.

"This..." Nangong San paused upon hearing this, then offered an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I..."

"Excuse me, classmate, please don't stand there obstructing my meal!" Xuanyuan Bing’s single sentence completely shut Nangong San down, leaving him no opening whatsoever, illustrating the depth of her aloofness.

Hearing this, Nangong San's heart grew more bitter. After a fleeting expression of helplessness, he walked away to another spot.

"Nangong brother, why put yourself through that?" Tang Shen glanced helplessly at Nangong San, pouring him a cup of tea before asking.

"Yes, she's just a mere woman, isn't she?" Ximen Ling remarked.

"Heh heh, my two brothers, don't trouble yourselves over me. You two wouldn't understand these matters. No matter how nationally beautiful or exquisitely graceful a woman is, standing before me, she cannot compare to her," Nangong San chuckled, keenly aware of what his friends were thinking as he spoke.

"It seems true what they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Ximen Ling said with a faint smile, lending a certain charm to his otherwise plain features.

But as soon as his words fell, Tang Shen, standing nearby, seemed to sense something and said, "It looks like they’ve joined forces. They are indeed not simple, and I fear they are already taking note of us!"

"Hmm?" Nangong San and Ximen Ling both exchanged a look of surprise. They glanced over at Yang Yi and his group, who were indeed looking towards Xuanyuan Bing, but they said nothing, merely offering a subtle smile and letting it pass.

"It seems they noticed us," Fatty Lin remarked with a faint smile, casually picking up his food.

"Perfect!" A wicked, charming curve appeared on Yang Yi’s lips as he inwardly began planning. He then turned to Dongfang Shiling and said, "I have a task for you. Do you think you are capable of handling it?"

"Replying to Young Master, I know what you intend to do. I will do my utmost!" Dongfang Shiling certainly knew Yang Yi's aims, but in his mind, he thought, "It seems Fudan is about to change. No, perhaps the entire landscape of Huaxia is about to shift. Both the good fish and the bad fish will soon surface."

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Meanwhile, at the headquarters of a certain assassin organization in the UK.

A middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back before a screen, which constantly reflected footage of killing acts and the recorded demise of his bronze-level assassins. Upon seeing a young man raise a single hand toward the sky and shout, 'Grandmaster Second Stage Domain,' he visibly trembled.

"Father!" A young man's voice suddenly called out.

The middle-aged man raised a hand, switched off the screen, and turned toward the youth, asking, "Have they all basically withdrawn?"

"Yes!" The youth was unmistakably Xu Bin.

There was no need to elaborate on the underground headquarters of the Weeping Blood Assassin Guild. The middle-aged man Xu Bing called 'Father' was named Xu Ling, a man already forty-five years old, known in the assassin world as the 'Iron-Blooded Assassin.' He himself came from the ranks of assassins, conquering the field to establish the Weeping Blood Assassin Guild as its founder. Not only were his martial arts attainments exceptional, but his methods were also fiercely intimidating and bloody; he had once single-handedly sought vengeance, gouged out an enemy's heart, and placed the organ directly on their doorstep—only someone as perverse as him could execute such acts.

"Hmm, we've likely encountered trouble this time. This target is beyond our capacity to handle," Xu Ling, worthy of being a veteran of the assassin world, had deduced from a mere snippet of secretly filmed video that none of his dispatched men could match that youth, which accounted for his deeply grim expression.

"Father, do you mean to...?" Xu Bin knew well that Yang Yi was not easy to deal with, and the opponent's strength far surpassed theirs; his people simply couldn't cope.

"Yes!" Xu Ling pondered for a moment, then added, "The one who issued the astronomical price has a non-trivial background, likely connected to the British Royal Family. Therefore, we cannot afford to offend them. Currently, the only option is to deploy our final trump card; only this can resolve the crisis before us."

"But Father, what if we fail even this time?"

"I know what you are worried about. I have also gathered preliminary information on the strength of the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang—he is likely at the Azure Grandmaster level. Our operatives, however, are merely at the Yellow Grandmaster level. This time, we might have to deploy everyone to stand a chance of taking him down!" Xu Ling understood clearly that while the gap in strength was crucial, sheer numbers meant that no matter how powerful one individual was, they couldn't hold out forever.

"This is the only way for now. If this matter is not handled properly, our Assassin Guild might face an unprecedented crisis," Xu Bin said with unease. Though he had met Yang Yi only a few times, every encounter left him feeling that Yang Yi was dangerously capable—at least, more dangerous than his father standing before him.

Just as they prepared to unleash their last resort, back in Huaxia.

Yang Yi and his group had returned to class after their meal, though he seemed lost in thought. The matters at Fudan University had been delegated to Dongfang Shiling. The objective was straightforward: to establish his own faction within Fudan University. Naturally, he needed an adversary, and the best opponent would be one capable of causing a sensation throughout Shanghai. Without a doubt, that adversary was the Shangguan Family. While Yang Yi genuinely wished to contend with the legendary heir of the Ye Family, the time was not yet ripe.

However, the affairs of the Shangguan Family were now beyond Yang Yi's direct concern. As soon as Dongfang Shiling brought back news, Yang Yi could launch a full offensive. He didn't seek instant fame but aimed to secure a foothold in Shanghai before sweeping across the entire nation’s underworld—this was Yang Yi's ultimate goal. Of course, the prerequisite was eliminating the Green Gang!

This was not only because the Green Gang was subordinate to the Carefree Gate, but also because the Green Gang had already established enmity with the Black God Gang. Therefore, to establish himself in the underworld, he needed to eliminate the Green Gang immediately before the Dragon Gang could react, securing a firm footing in the South China region.

Once he seized the critical juncture, and acted swiftly and decisively, Yang Yi was confident that with the Black God Gang and the forces mobilized from Country R, he would have a hundred percent chance of taking down both the Green Gang and the Dragon Gang simultaneously. He could even directly target South China without worrying about interference from the Carefree Gate or the Dragon Gate, becoming the overlord of East, West, and South China. Furthermore, with rapid development, challenging the political elite of North China would not be impossible, even though by that time the Carefree Gate and the Dragon Gate surely wouldn't stand idly by. But Yang Yi would still have the Profound Gate as a backup.

Thinking of this, a meaningful smile played on Yang Yi's lips, as if the solution to every puzzle was slowly emerging. "The plan is set, but it all depends on what good news Dongfang Shiling brings back this time. After all, to execute those deeds, we must first establish the super headquarters of my Black God Gang in Shanghai!" he muttered inwardly, his tone dark, causing the nearby Dongfang Mei'er to look at him with suspicion.