This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 236 Heaven's Record and People's Hearts
"Not enough." Zhao Qian lazily slumped into a sofa covered with animal hides, crossed her legs, "It's just a bit boring. Those few good-for-nothings have no spirit of resistance at all. It's no fun."

Zhao Deming gave her a cold glance.

“You’ve played yourself to death again? Clean it up yourself,” he said. There was not a trace of fatherly affection in his tone, only impatience with the troublesome matter.

"No, Daddy—" Zhao Qian's voice immediately became sweet and cloying, drawing out the syllables as she pleaded, "There are so many slaves, let them clean up~"
"Why should we do the dirty and tiring work ourselves?"

Zhao Deming didn't respond at all, but stared at the ink smears spreading on the scrap paper with an increasingly gloomy expression.

Zhao Qian sensed that something was wrong, so she toned down her seductive manner, got up and walked to the desk, where she also saw the red dot that ruined the whole scene.

She frowned slightly: "...Dad, what's wrong? Did you run into a tough opponent?"

"Hmm," Zhao Deming squeezed out a syllable from his throat.

Zhao Qian leaned forward curiously, staring at the blush.

"Who is it that's causing you so much trouble?" she asked with interest.

“Xiaoyu’s new ‘friend’.” Zhao Deming’s voice was filled with undisguised sarcasm and annoyance.

"That's it?" Zhao Qian immediately relaxed, even scoffing, a contemptuous smile appearing on her face. "What decent friends could he possibly have? Just another idiot with a bit of strength."

"Tell me the name, I'll go lure the person back and deal with them, isn't that enough?"

She was very confident in her charm, especially when dealing with those so-called 'righteous people'. Zhao Deming finally looked up and saw his daughter's arrogant and beautiful face.

“His name is Nie Weiyang,” he said.

"?"

The confident smile vanished, and Zhao Qian felt as if she'd been doused with a bucket of ice water. She knew her father's style; he wouldn't bring up useless information...

“…That Nie Weiyang? How could he possibly know a piece of trash like Bai Yu?” Her voice was filled with disbelief.

"Bai Yu pursued her for a month and forced his way into her relationship; she didn't even know him before."

Zhao Deming waved his hand impatiently, making no attempt to hide his disparagement of Bai Yu in his words.

"But the problem is, that Nie Weiyang happens to be a paladin! And he's actually going to put those bullshit rules into practice! He's decided to take care of this mess..."

As a criminal trafficker living a comfortable life, Zhao Deming would never underestimate any opponent, especially someone like Nie Weiyang, who had a well-known reputation, mysterious strength, and obvious close ties with the authorities—he wasn't some stupid villain from an online novel who only realized the seriousness of the situation when the enemy came knocking on his door!
The sense of danger is growing stronger.

Zhao Deming suddenly stood up, his movement so fast it startled Zhao Qian.

"Stop spacing out!" he snapped. "Immediately pack up all the important items, drive the slaves down into the lower caverns, create some death threats for them, and buy them time."

"Then, go call your mom. We'll meet at the entrance in ten minutes!"

Zhao Qian was startled by her father's unprecedentedly tense attitude and subconsciously obeyed: "Oh... okay, okay."

She turned to leave, but couldn't help turning back to ask, "Dad, where...where are we going?"

Zhao Deming's eyes were gloomy as he quickly checked the several contract scrolls and equipment he carried with him. Without looking up, he replied, "Go 'outside.' Find the 'Merchant Guild.'"

"The Chamber of Commerce?" Zhao Qian was taken aback. "You mean... the real... criminal traffickers..."

“Yes!” Zhao Deming interrupted her, his tone resolute. “The most capable peers are all in the Chamber of Commerce, and we have connections with them. They will protect me.”

"Only when we get there will we be truly safe, and only then will it be possible... to turn the tables and solve the problem!"

"You mean we're going... abroad? In the New World?" Zhao Qian's voice carried a hint of hesitation and fear.

Leaving familiar territory for completely unknown foreign lands carries considerable risk.

"Yes, we have to go."

Zhao Deming took one last look at the filthy pile of paper on the table, as if it represented the stable life he was about to be forced to abandon.

"Nie Weiyang is highly skilled in combat, decisive, ruthless, and backed by official resources. He's not one of those pushovers anymore; he's a real prickly porcupine! Moreover, judging from his attitude, I highly suspect he'll soon expose my affairs to the Pingdu authorities… then he won't be able to leave even if he wants to!"

He quickly gathered his belongings, his eyes flashing with ruthlessness: "Run! This is our last chance!"

He paused, his tone filled with deep regret and resentment: "It's just a pity... we don't know what this guy's beliefs were. Otherwise, when we got to the Chamber of Commerce, we would have made sure he died without ever knowing why!"

After saying that, he didn't delay any longer. He pushed Zhao Qian, who was still in a daze, aside and strode outside to begin making urgent arrangements for the evacuation.

Zhao Qian looked around at the beautiful and comfortable home decor with hesitation. After hesitating for a while, she stomped her foot, picked up her skirt, and ran out of the room.

……

The setting sun bathed the mountains and forests in a warm golden glow. Nie Weiyang and Russell walked through the gradually thinning trees and arrived at a babbling brook.

The stream was crystal clear, revealing pebbles and water plants at the bottom. Bai Yu sat on a large rock by the stream, his white robes appearing somewhat thin in the twilight.

He didn't look at the two people approaching, but stared blankly at the stream.

In the stream, a brightly colored water snake is locked in a fierce battle with an equally ferocious carnivorous fish, splashing water everywhere.

The moment Nie Weiyang stopped, something unexpected happened!
The water snake, which had been focusing all its efforts on the fish, seemed to sense something. It suddenly abandoned its prey, and with a leap, it broke through the water like an arrow, rushing straight at Nie Weiyang!

Nie Weiyang reacted with lightning speed, his right hand flashing out and precisely pinching the water snake's vital spot. A slight cracking sound rang out, and the water snake, which had been extremely ferocious just moments before, instantly went limp. However, its still-active nerves caused it to writhe, trying to coil around Nie Weiyang's arm, its cold snake eyes flashing with an unusually frenzied light.

Nie Weiyang casually shook the snake bones apart and threw the limp snake carcass back into the stream. The terrified carnivorous fish immediately pounced and began to tear it apart.

The snakes are becoming increasingly aggressive towards him. The cycle of life and death is awakening at an accelerated pace. But it is far from fully awakened; this is the only good news for now.

Russell's expression was strange; as a nature caller, he was more sensitive to this unusual hostility from nature.

"A snake curse or something?"

"More or less," Nie Weiyang replied casually.

He shook the water off his arm guards and looked at Bai Yu, who was still facing away from them.

Bai Yu seemed oblivious to the terrifying scene that had just transpired, or perhaps he simply didn't care. He slowly turned his head, his pure white eyes staring directly at Nie Weiyang.

For the entire day and night, he stayed near Nie Weiyang, but did not enter the city.

This in itself proves his choice.

For a moment, the only sounds in the forest were the flowing stream and the faint sounds of carnivorous fish gnawing on the snake carcass.

After a long while, Bai Yu finally spoke, his voice dry yet exceptionally clear, carrying a calm that came from a desperate situation:

"I figured it out."

Nie Weiyang didn't speak, but waited patiently.

Bai Yu took a deep breath, and it seemed as if some kind of long-sealed hard shell was cracking in his eyes, from which the fire of revenge surged forth.

“I’m going to kill him,” he said, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, yet carrying immense weight, “no matter the cost.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on Nie Weiyang, as if making an unbreakable vow.

"Please help me. Whatever it takes!"

Nie Weiyang smiled.

“The price is another matter,” he said. “Right now, I need you to contact him and tell him—I have no ill intentions toward him.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu was stunned for a moment, while Russell couldn't help but turn his head and roll his eyes at the empty space.

(End of this chapter)