My Ares Son-in-Law

"You've finally seen the light." Zhao Ruixiang's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, slowly swept across every face present, finally settling on a blank space. His voice was deep and resolute. "Pass on my orders: arrest him immediately! Whether the murderer is Xiao Chen or not, capture him and interrogate him thoroughly! If it really is him, cripple his limbs. I want to personally escort him to Ao Tianchen to claim credit!"

He paused, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes: "This boy has disgraced my Qingyang Sword Sect and offended the Lü family. I was going to let him off the hook for now, but it seems... Heaven is determined to destroy him!"

"Sect Master, leave it to me!" Zhao Bei licked his lips, revealing his menacing fangs, as if he could already see Xiao Chen being trampled under his feet and kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.

“You alone aren’t enough.” Zhao Ruixiang waved his hand, pondered for a moment, and then said, “That traitor Lin Zhenghao has acknowledged him as his master and will definitely protect him with his life. Zhao Peng!”

The burly man who had been silent to the side looked up in response, his figure standing like an iron tower, his eyes filled with a fierce light: "Here!"

"You go with Zhao Bei," Zhao Ruixiang said in a deep voice. "Capture Lin Zhenghao first... He's been following Xiao Chen for many days and must know the inside story. We can deal with Xiao Chen after we've interrogated him!"

"Yes!" the two replied in unison, their voices so loud that the candlelight in the council hall flickered slightly.

"Sect Master!" An old voice suddenly rang out. Elder Hai stood up shakily, his face full of hesitation. "Xiao Chen is one thing, but Lin Zhenghao has made great contributions to our Qingyang Sword Sect and risked his life many times... If we kill him like this, won't it discourage the other disciples?"

"Heartbreaking?" Zhao Ruixiang turned his head sharply, his gaze like lightning, shooting straight at Elder Hai. "Every man for himself! Sacrificing two unrelated outsiders can bring a hundred years of prosperity to the Qingyang Sword Sect. Is there any need to hesitate about this choice?"

"But after all, he..."

"No after all!" Zhao Ruixiang suddenly flung his sleeve, his anger erupting, causing the teacups on the table to jump. "He's Xiao Chen's dog now! A dog who's left the sect! Kill him if you want, his life isn't worth a single penny in my eyes!"

He ignored Elder Hai's advice and shouted sternly, "Zhao Bei, Zhao Peng, set off immediately! I need to see him before dawn!"

The two men accepted the order and strode away, slamming the heavy wooden door shut with a loud bang that made the entire council hall vibrate.

Elder Hai watched their retreating figures, a chill creeping into his heart, and he sighed softly.

Looking at Zhao Ruixiang, who was sitting in the main seat with high spirits, he suddenly felt that this step might not pave the way for the Qingyang Sword Sect's rise to prominence, but rather... toll the death knell for the entire sect.

The provincial capital, a high-end villa district.

Inside Lin Zhenghao's villa, the lights were off, only the slivers of moonlight filtering in from the windows illuminating his figure sitting cross-legged on the floor. He had been in seclusion there for three days, not leaving the house, relying entirely on takeout for his meals, his mind completely absorbed in the cultivation techniques and elixirs bestowed upon him by Xiao Chen.

At first, the technique was as obscure as a celestial scripture, its energy flow path completely different from the Qingyang Sword Sect's mental cultivation method and even from all common martial arts in the world. It was full of twists and turns, and several times the true energy was almost disrupted, and the meridians were damaged. As the medicinal power of the pills slowly nourished his body, the profound mystery of the technique gradually became apparent.

Late on the third night, when he circulated his energy again, a crisp "crack" sound suddenly came from inside his body, as if some invisible barrier had been completely shattered!
A torrent of scorching yet gentle true energy suddenly erupted from his dantian, circulating wildly throughout his body along the strange path recorded in the cultivation technique!
Wherever he passed, his meridians seemed to be widened several times over, his muscles and bones resonated, making crackling sounds. His previously stagnant blood and qi instantly boiled, and an overwhelming power surged from his limbs and bones, more than three times stronger than his previous peak state!
Lin Zhenghao suddenly opened his eyes, a dazzling light flashing within them. The air around him swirled and churned from the sudden surge of power. He clenched his fist, feeling that even against a master ranked 700th on the Celestial Ranking, he could kill them with a single punch!

Is this the opportunity bestowed upon us by Mr. Xiao?

He felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and loyalty, and secretly vowed: even if it costs him his life, he would protect Mr. Xiao!
"This...this is a true treasure of martial arts!"

Lin Zhenghao trembled violently, his eyes blazing with unbelievable ecstasy, his pores opening wide in utter shock. The cultivation technique and elixirs bestowed by Mr. Xiao could actually produce such an incredible resonance!
He could clearly feel the impurities in his body being gradually stripped away by the power of the elixir, his meridians being widened and reshaped by the warm and gentle true qi, and his bones emitting a faint "rustling" sound, as if he were undergoing a complete transformation.

An unprecedentedly smooth path of martial arts, as if paved with golden light, stretched endlessly before his eyes!

At this moment, he sat cross-legged in the center of the living room, surrounded by a layer of pale golden, condensed energy, like smoke or mist, flickering with his breath. This was a clear sign that he was releasing his true energy and was about to touch a higher realm—something he wouldn't have dared to even dream of before!

The villa was quiet. Yun Yuyan had gone to the company to handle an urgent matter, Zhou Keying had already returned home, and Mr. Xiao had temporarily left due to important business.

In the vast space, only his aura after his breakthrough mingled with the moonlight outside the window.

Suddenly, Lin Zhenghao's eyelids trembled violently, and the pale golden aura around him suddenly became agitated!
"Boom...!"

With a deafening crash, the entire security door shattered like paper, and the door frame, along with flying screws, flew in and slammed heavily onto the crystal chandelier in the living room!
Shattered glass flew everywhere as two menacing figures strode into the house, stepping over wood chips and bricks... It was Zhao Bei and Zhao Peng!

Lin Zhenghao slowly stood up, his aura instantly receding, his eyes as cold as ancient iron, staring intently at the two: "I, Lin Zhenghao, have long since betrayed the Qingyang Sword Sect. You two have trespassed on private property, acting like bandits. Do you want to die?"

Zhao Bei scoffed, crossed her arms, and looked him up and down, her eyes full of mockery: "Oh, Xiao Chen's good dog, still secretly practicing so late? Leaving the Qingyang Sword Sect, you've learned to strive for excellence? Too bad, no matter how much you practice, it won't change the fact that you're a traitor!"

Zhao Peng, however, had no time for idle chatter. His gaze swept across the living room like a hawk's, and in a flash, he transformed into a blur, sweeping across the coffee table. With a gust of wind at his fingertips, he had already firmly grasped three lustrous and plump pills in his palm!
The rich aroma of medicine instantly filled the entire room, and the pill patterns flowed in the palm of the hand as if they were alive, with colors so bright they were unbelievable. It was clearly a top-grade pill that had just been refined!

Zhao Peng's pupils suddenly contracted, his breathing became rapid, and he abruptly turned to stare at Lin Zhenghao, his voice rising with extreme agitation: "Where did these pills come from?! You traitor, how could you possess such top-grade treasures?!" (End of Chapter)