Everything Zhang Yang had said, only Long Cheng could truly grasp. Long Cheng had also started cultivating from childhood, just not as early as Zhang Yang, who began at birth. He understood that Zhang Yang’s severity just now was a deliberate scare tactic aimed at Li Ya; it was all false, and such arduous training was entirely unnecessary. The real techniques of hypnosis were useless without internal energy, and no one knew better than him just how difficult cultivating that energy was. He was the only one present who could fully comprehend Zhang Yang.

“Ring! Ring! Ring!”

Even as they were speaking, Zhang Yang’s phone suddenly rang. Looking at the number, Zhang Yang answered immediately. The call was from Long Feng, who had finished procuring all the necessary medicines for Zhang Yang and was rushing back from Jiao Yi, nearing Changjing. Zhang Yang told him to head home by himself and wait; they would celebrate his return that evening. Long Feng asked nothing and hung up directly. That was one of his virtues: he did whatever Zhang Yang said without probing further. Moreover, he never interfered with Zhang Yang’s private matters, yet he stood steadfastly in front when danger arose. Such a bodyguard was truly commendable.

As soon as Zhang Yang hung up, Huang Hai’s phone began to ring. “It’s Zhiguo!” Seeing the caller ID, Huang Hai immediately called out, drawing the attention of Li Ya and Long Cheng toward him. Zhang Yang watched Huang Hai too; Wu Zhiguo calling at this hour must mean he had received some news. Huang Hai pressed the answer key and switched to speakerphone.

“Brother Hai, the address is 37 Huahe Road, Building Six, Unit 301. My cousin bought that apartment; the woman he brought from the South is staying there. She should be there right now. I’ll keep him distracted here; you all go grab her immediately!” Wu Zhiguo spoke rapidly, repeating the address once more before hanging up abruptly. However, everyone had already memorized the address he provided.

“Let’s go, brothers, we have work to do!” Huang Hai beckoned. The four of them squeezed into one car and sped away from the location. This woman was the key; Wu Zhiguo was still in danger, and their success in rescuing him depended entirely on capturing her. Huahe Road was in the city center, a prime location. The complex Wu Zhiguo mentioned was also a renowned high-end residential area, a symbol of luxury housing during this era. The apartments inside were large, many featuring duplex structures, and the prices were steep—a place many young people aspired to. The former ‘Zhang Yang’ had often dreamed of working hard after graduation to buy a place here. The Wu family estate was in the suburbs, and reaching the city took time. Huang Hai drove ferociously, desperate to prevent any leak of information that might allow the woman to flee. If she truly escaped, it wouldn't take long—perhaps only a few days—before she could drag Wu Zhiguo to his death, rendering her capture useless.

Despite numerous traffic violations and the ensuing curses from other drivers, Huang Hai finally arrived at the complex in record time. Their car was impressive; no one stopped them at the entrance. After parking, the group immediately began searching for the woman’s unit. Fortunately, traffic congestion was not severe in this period; otherwise, arriving this early would have been impossible. “Building Six, Unit 301,” Li Ya muttered the address, sounding somewhat excited. He felt like they were out chasing a thief. Li Ya was several years older than Zhang Yang, but his maturity level was far behind; among them all, Zhang Yang was the most composed.

“Li Ya, Cheng Ge and I will go in first to secure her. You and Hai Ge wait outside!” As they neared their destination, Zhang Yang suddenly stopped and spoke softly. “No need. It’s just a woman; we’ll all go in together. I don't believe we can’t catch her!” Li Ya waved his hand dismissively. The target this time was just a young girl, and he didn’t take it seriously. “She is a woman, yes, but one capable of deploying Gu poison. If you’re unafraid of being poisoned, you can certainly charge ahead!” Long Cheng glared at him, causing Li Ya’s mouth to drop open, his heroic demeanor instantly vanishing. Long Cheng was right; this was a poison-wielding woman, likely from the Southern Border regions. Recalling the terror associated with Southern Border women in dramas and novels, Li Ya instinctively shrank his neck back.

“Cheng Ge is right. Let him and Zhang Yang go in first. We’ll guard the entrance to prevent the woman from escaping!” Huang Hai chimed in, supporting the suggestion. They all knew Long Cheng’s prowess, and while they didn't know Zhang Yang as intimately as Long Cheng did, they were certain he was formidable. Back then, Zhang Yang had single-handedly taken on several people, thoroughly teaching the Jinling Shi Feng contingent a lesson; he had to be far more skilled than the rest of them. Sending in Long Cheng, their strongest fighter, alongside Zhang Yang was indeed the safer bet.

After finalizing the plan, the group moved forward together, quickly locating Building Six. Unit 301 was on the first floor. Seeing the window open, Zhang Yang paused, gently lifted Lightning from his shoulder, and whispered a few instructions to it. Lightning, which had been dozing lazily, instantly sprang to attention upon hearing Zhang Yang’s words. With a few quick movements, it hopped onto the ground and scrambled toward the upstairs railing, soon slipping through the gaps into Unit 301. Through their mental link, Zhang Yang confirmed that someone—a woman—was inside, which put his mind at ease. Zhang Yang exchanged a look with Long Cheng. Taking advantage of someone entering the building unit, the two immediately followed, heading upstairs.

Unit 301 had a security door. Long Cheng glanced at Zhang Yang. He couldn't open this type of steel door, but for Zhang Yang, it should be no issue. Long Cheng knew Zhang Yang’s capabilities well; ordinary security doors couldn't stop him. Right now, he was contemplating brute-force entry. Zhang Yang smiled at him, adjusted his collar, and then reached out to press the doorbell.

“Who is it?” A woman's voice responded quickly from inside, tinged with caution. “This is Xiao Wang from property management. Mr. Li from Unit Seven’s pet ran over here just now. It should be inside your apartment. I’m here to help Mr. Li retrieve his pet!” Li Ya spoke with a gentle smile. Long Cheng was momentarily stunned, remembering Lightning scrambling inside, and quietly gave Zhang Yang a thumbs-up. He had only considered forcing the door open, never thinking of an alternative approach. Zhang Yang’s idea to trick the door open was far superior to immediate destruction.

“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!” Lightning cooperated perfectly, crying out from within, followed by a sharp scream from the woman inside. Hearing the commotion and noises from inside, someone rushed toward the door. The security door was yanked open, and Long Cheng seized the edge, shoving his body inside. Their objective was achieved the moment the door opened; there was no need for further pretense. The priority was capturing the woman and extracting information about the antidote. Standing near the shoe rack inside the doorway was a girl about 1.6 meters tall, appearing around twenty years old, with a rather delicate face, though her eyes held a distinctly venomous glint. She stared in shock at Long Cheng squeezing in, suddenly realizing what was happening. Lightning jumped out from inside and landed directly on Zhang Yang’s shoulder, still squeaking incessantly. It was signaling its success to Zhang Yang—it had cooperated, prompting the woman to open the door herself. Long Cheng gave her a cold look and immediately reached out with his large hand. She was indeed a woman, but she was the one poisoning his brothers. Long Cheng would show absolutely no mercy to such a person; he would not let her go out of chivalry. Not to mention, she was his enemy in this moment.

Long Cheng’s hand moved swiftly, directly gripping the woman’s wrist. The woman froze again, seemingly grasping the situation. A surge of powerful force transmitted from Long Cheng’s hand. The woman immediately let out a muffled cry, her body unnaturally twisting toward him. Long Cheng was executing a very common restraint technique, intending to pin both her hands behind her back to secure her first. The woman’s body had already pivoted, and she was bending over, but at that moment, an unexpected shift occurred: the hand Long Cheng hadn't grasped suddenly produced a small dagger, driving it directly toward Long Cheng’s abdomen. Her speed was astonishing. By the time Long Cheng noticed, it was too late to fully block the attack; he could only release her arm and shove her away. With that single motion, Long Cheng understood: this woman, like him, was a practitioner of internal energy, and quite skilled at that. While her skill was considerable relative to his own, in Zhang Yang’s eyes, it amounted to nothing. Zhang Yang had already sensed her internal energy, but it was low-level—only a novice practitioner. Her strength was probably comparable to Long Cheng’s, making her a very average cultivator. However, she was younger than Long Cheng. If she cultivated diligently, by the time she reached his current age, her achievements would undoubtedly surpass his, perhaps even allowing her to advance slightly, reaching the middle stage of the first layer of internal energy. As for the second layer of internal energy, that was absolutely impossible; reaching that level in her lifetime would be a tremendous stroke of luck.

The woman, flung away by Long Cheng, did not bolt toward the door but instead sprinted rapidly toward the balcony. The balcony was enclosed, but the aluminum alloy structure could not hold her if she was determined; she could break through the window at any moment and escape. “Where do you think you’re going!” Long Cheng shouted in frustration. Being ambushed by this woman and letting her almost escape again filled him with anger. If he let her get away now, he would only lose face in front of Zhang Yang. “Ah!” A small object suddenly struck the woman’s calf, causing her to stumble unnaturally, almost falling there. Long Cheng was already in pursuit, blocking her path toward the balcony, and reached out to grab her again. This time, Long Cheng held back no quarter; his attack was vicious, clearly intending to injure her before restraining her.

Zhang Yang, holding Lightning, walked into the room with a faint smile. He remembered to close the security door behind him. Once the door was shut, he slowly walked over and closed all the windows as well. After finishing these tasks, he walked over and settled onto the sofa. While he was engaged in these simple actions, Long Cheng and the woman had exchanged blows several times. Long Cheng was becoming increasingly alarmed with each exchange, and the woman was faring no better. Long Cheng was shocked that the woman’s skill level was nearly equal to his, considering she looked at least a dozen years younger. If she possessed such terrifying power now, what would she be like in the future? The woman, on the other hand, was worried about Zhang Yang. She could not gauge him at all. Zhang Yang looked like an ordinary person, yet her intuition screamed that this man was far more dangerous than the one currently fighting her. Because of this feeling, she couldn't commit her full focus to dealing with Long Cheng. Furthermore, she was utterly exasperated. She had come to Changjing merely to collect money for a job. Just as things were nearly concluded, an unexpected interloper had appeared. The man fighting her was clearly also an internal energy practitioner. Internal energy cultivators were exceedingly rare in the country; how could she be so unlucky as to run into one while hiding out at home?

Third update, twenty-eight chapters completed for the hundred-chapter bonus update!