By the banks of Shouxihu Lake in Yangzhou City stood a pure villa community, where almost every detached house spanned over five hundred square meters, with the cheapest unit priced at no less than ten million.

At the very center of the entire complex sat the largest villa by footprint, conveniently bordering the community's Workers' Lake, and even incorporating a section of that lake as its private pond. This spot offered the most exquisite scenery and, naturally, commanded the highest price. This villa was the residence of Li Mingshan, Chairman of Mingshan Group.

On the third-floor grand balcony, there was an open-air infinity pool.

Li Mingshan reclined pleasantly in the pool, gazing up at the stars in the sky.

When contemplating a problem, Li Mingshan preferred to soak alone in the pool; the physical comfort sharpened his mind for clearer thought.

"This order is worth a full billion. I absolutely must find a way to secure this contract."

Li Mingshan’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Hmm?" Li Mingshan suddenly felt a gust of wind, and the upper half of his body, emerging from the water, turned slightly cold. He glanced over, and his expression instantly shifted.

Standing on the balcony was a youth dressed in black trousers and a cyan short shirt. The newcomer was none other than Teng Qingshan.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Li Mingshan remained composed despite the surprise, speaking in a deep voice. Simultaneously, he stepped out of the pool, casually tying a nearby bath towel around his waist.

Teng Qingshan observed Li Mingshan, scrutinizing him. Li Mingshan was an elegant middle-aged man around forty, possessing an uncommon bearing. "If one doesn't know Li Mingshan, it would be difficult to see through to his core." Before arriving, Teng Qingshan had already checked Li Mingshan’s background through 'Elina'.

Li Mingshan, forty-three years old.

In his youth, he was a member of a theft ring, later rising to become its leader. He used the money stolen as his initial capital to venture into business. Because this man had connections on both the dark side and the legitimate side of society, coupled with a large cohort of followers,

his capital grew at a phenomenal rate.

Over twenty years, Li Mingshan’s Mingshan Group amassed assets nearing ten billion.

"I advise you not to bother with the gun hidden in your towel," Teng Qingshan stated calmly.

Li Mingshan's face changed. His hand, which had been securing the towel, swiftly pulled a handgun from within the fabric. Dealing in both legitimate and illicit sectors, he had forced countless families into ruin through his business dealings and caused numerous suicides through usury. He had too many enemies.

He rarely went anywhere without his handgun.

The moment Li Mingshan drew his weapon, Teng Qingshan, who had been ten meters away, was suddenly standing before him.

"You!" Li Mingshan was startled by the sheer speed, and the handgun in his grip was now in Teng Qingshan's hand.

With the sharp sound of metal components colliding, the gun in his hand was dismantled into various parts. Teng Qingshan smiled, grasping the metal pieces and twisting them as easily as twisting pretzels. Teng Qingshan casually tossed the mangled scrap onto the ground.

Li Mingshan’s heart hammered, yet he forced himself to remain calm, even managing a hint of a friendly smile: "Brother, you truly have remarkable skill. To arrive on the third floor without a sound. I am impressed, deeply impressed!" To bypass bodyguards and surveillance systems and reach the third floor—what manner of skill was this?

To twist steel into a pretzel—what kind of power was this?

"I have a few questions for you now," Teng Qingshan’s expression was utterly unchanged. The security measures of these local tycoons were utterly useless against him. Having navigated the globe for years, Teng Qingshan had seen defenses far more formidable than these.

"Please ask, Brother," Li Mingshan quickly consented.

Teng Qingshan fixed his gaze on Li Mingshan: "Tell me, why did you try to kill Qin Hong?"

"Kill Qin Hong?" Li Mingshan was inwardly shocked. Very few people knew about this matter, as Qin Hong was a member of a national special department, and Li Mingshan dared not publicize the affair.

"Brother, where did you hear such rumors? It is absolutely slander and false accusation!" Li Mingshan vehemently denied it. "Though I, Li Mingshan, may not be a wholly upright businessman, and I’ve certainly engaged in rough tactics in my youth, asking me to kill Qin Hong—I wouldn't dare, even with ten times my current courage."

"Whoosh!"

A sound of rushing wind filled the air, and Li Mingshan felt a sharp, searing pain across his ear and left cheek.

Teng Qingshan's slap sent Li Mingshan tumbling; the bath towel fell away, leaving the disgraced Li Mingshan clad only in his underwear.

"Brother, why did you..." Li Mingshan looked up at Teng Qingshan, slightly enraged, but was met only by Teng Qingshan's icy gaze and calm voice: "In my presence, it is best you don't play clever games. If you lie one more time, this day next year will be your anniversary of death."

A shiver ran through Li Mingshan.

He, Li Mingshan, had dealt with tough characters and seen his share of murderers and ruthless individuals. But compared to the man before him, those vicious killers seemed like merely pawing pets.

Looking down at the grotesquely bent barrel of the gun, Li Mingshan became completely sober. He looked up at Teng Qingshan and said quickly, "Brother, I, Li Mingshan, had no prior enmity with Qin Hong. Yes, this time I hired someone to help kill Qin Hong. But, I was acting on someone else's request."

Teng Qingshan frowned: On someone else's request?

"Who?" Teng Qingshan pressed.

Li Mingshan hesitated, looking at Teng Qingshan, whose gaze instantly sharpened.

Li Mingshan immediately stammered in fear: "It was Shen Yangming! Shen Yangming from Northeast China!"

"Shen Yangming of the Northeast Two Tigers?" Teng Qingshan’s eyebrow twitched. He hadn't expected it to be Shen Yangming.

In the dark world, the Northeast Two Tigers was a relatively formidable independent assassin duo, one named 'Wang Qing' and the other 'Shen Yangming.' Both were A-rank assassins, and the 'Northeast Two Tigers' carried considerable notoriety. However, a year ago, Wang Qing, one of the duo, died, leading to the dissolution of the partnership.

Among assassins, some belonged to major organizations, while others were completely independent freelancers.

The Northeast Two Tigers belonged to the latter—assassins purely dedicated to their craft out of preference.

"Yes, you know Shen Yangming?" Li Mingshan managed a wry smile. "Brother, since you know him, you should understand my predicament. Shen Yangming’s name is a gold standard in the underworld! Even someone as ruthless as me wouldn't dare provoke him. When he asked me to kill Qin Hong, how could I refuse him face?"

Teng Qingshan's gaze was like a knife, dissecting Li Mingshan.

"Shen Yangming, hmph." Teng Qingshan’s look turned cold.

Li Mingshan was startled; this mysterious youth seemed entirely unfazed by the name 'Shen Yangming.'

"It’s unfortunate, but because you sent someone to kill Qin Hong, I must mete out punishment!" Teng Qingshan’s voice remained cold.

"No, wait a moment." Li Mingshan said in terror. He was a shrewd operator and couldn't fail to grasp Teng Qingshan's intent. "Don't kill me. Killing me won't do you much good. As long as you spare my life... I can give you a great deal. I can even hand over my entire Mingshan Group to you."

Li Mingshan knew that one who often dances near the water is bound to get wet. Thus, he had long ago deposited a substantial sum of money in foreign accounts, reserved for a quick escape. Even if he surrendered Mingshan Group, he could still live comfortably as a wealthy man.

"Money, I do not care for," Teng Qingshan stated dismissively.

Li Mingshan's mind raced.

If the man didn't care for money, what could save him?

"I—I have a manual!" Li Mingshan's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "I know you are powerful, Brother. Although I practice internal martial arts myself, my skill is negligible. However... I possess a secret manual, a manual to cultivate into an ultimate master."

A trace of a smile appeared on Teng Qingshan's face. "A manual? To become an ultimate master? Have you gone mad watching too many wuxia dramas?"

Teng Qingshan had already entered the Grandmaster realm and practiced the Tiger Form Divine Transformation Art—he was arguably among the world's peak powerhouses. What kind of manual could possibly tempt him?

"No, it's a genuine manual," Li Mingshan insisted. "When I was young, I was actually a disciple of a minor sect, the 'Divine Thief Sect.' Ah, well, mostly just a petty thief, but our sect is utterly fallen; there isn't a single person left who has managed to generate Inner Strength."

Teng Qingshan fought back a laugh.

Divine Thief Sect?

A sect with no masters capable of generating Inner Strength?

"But our Divine Thief Sect has a long history, and we have produced Grandmaster-level masters in the past," Li Mingshan continued, realizing that perhaps only a profound manual could save him from such an extraordinary expert. "It is a manual passed down through our Divine Thief Sect for over two millennia, transcribed by a Grandmaster during the Republic of China era."

Teng Qingshan's eyebrow twitched; a sliver of curiosity stirred in his heart.

"Where is the manual hidden?" Teng Qingshan finally asked.

"In my study, right here on the third floor," Li Mingshan inwardly sighed in relief. "Follow me."

"I suggest you don't try to escape. Your villa’s bodyguards make no difference to me," Teng Qingshan warned.

Recalling the scene where the man twisted his gun barrel into knots, Li Mingshan understood that those few retired soldiers would indeed be useless. "I wouldn't dare harbor any other thoughts, please follow me."

Teng Qingshan followed Li Mingshan into the third-floor study. The study was vast, featuring a bookcase that occupied nearly half a wall. Li Mingshan walked up to the bookshelf, pressed a button on the side, and the entire unit swung open like a door to one side,

revealing a passage secured by an iron gate.

"That's quite a secret hiding spot," Teng Qingshan commented softly with a smile.

Li Mingshan chuckled. "It is, after all, a treasure inherited from the Divine Thief Sect." Saying this, he pulled open the iron door and retrieved a thread-bound ancient book from within.

"Look," Li Mingshan handed the book to Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan took it. On the cover of the thread-bound volume were four characters—Qian Nian Ji Shi (A Thousand Years Chronicle). In the corner, two characters read—Liu Yan.