Chapter 31: The Old Man's Whereabouts

Li Yunbao arrived outside the Lin family villa, travel-worn and weary.

The moment he saw Xiao Nan emerge from the villa, he didn't say a word; he simply dropped to his knees. He began kowtowing frantically toward Xiao Nan: "Thank you, Senior, for the great gift of the medicine. From this day forward, my life, Li Yunbao’s life, belongs to you. Even if you were to command me to climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire, I would not hesitate."

With just a single glance, Xiao Nan could see that the Li Yunbao standing before him had undergone a complete transformation compared to the man he had seen just a short while ago. There were no surprises; he was now, in every sense, a genuine Profound-level martial artist.

"Get up."

This was an outcome Xiao Nan had long anticipated. He gestured for Li Yunbao to rise. "You called me out in the middle of the night just to thank me for that pill?"

*A single pill was enough to propel me from an insignificant, bottom-tier fighter to a Profound-level master, yet in the eyes of this senior expert, it seems like a trifle not worth mentioning?*

Seeing Xiao Nan’s calm and indifferent demeanor, Li Yunbao felt once again how unfathomable this man truly was. Recalling how he had previously suspected him of being a con artist, Li Yunbao felt deeply ashamed.

"I asked to meet you, Senior, because of another matter," Li Yunbao said hurriedly. "After taking your medicinal pill and breaking through to the Profound level, I returned to our headquarters to boost the morale of the gang. While there, I received some news from one of my brothers."

"What news?" Xiao Nan asked nonchalantly.

"Do you remember the news you specifically asked me to look into regarding that old senior, sir?"

Li Yunbao asked. Back on the day of Xiao Nan’s engagement party, Xiao Nan had given him a task—he had handed over a photograph and instructed the brothers of the Black Panther Gang to notify him immediately if anyone spotted the person in the picture. He had just received word from one of his men, and not daring to delay, he had rushed over to find Xiao Nan through the night.

"You have news of the old man?"

*So, he isn't dead?* Then again, with a man like him, how could he die so easily?

Hearing this, Xiao Nan was far more stirred than he had been seeing Li Yunbao’s breakthrough. He had merely planted a seed on a whim, giving Li Yunbao a photograph to inquire about the old man. He hadn't expected them to actually find a lead.

"Yes. One of our gang members was sent out of town a while ago. He just returned, and upon seeing the photo you provided, he was certain that he had seen that old senior not long ago," Li Yunbao explained.

"Let’s go!"

For Xiao Nan, nothing was more important than news of the old man. He immediately told Li Yunbao, "Take me to see that brother of yours."

"No need, Senior. I have already brought him here."

Li Yunbao gestured for Xiao Nan to sit on a chair outside the villa, then signaled to the Land Rover parked nearby. Moments later, a young subordinate hurried over.

"Are you certain you saw the man in the photo? When did this happen?" Xiao Nan asked, his initial excitement settling into a calm, focused inquiry. "Tell me the time, the location, and every detail of what occurred."

"Yes, Senior."

Knowing that Xiao Nan was a man who could make even their boss, Brother Leopard, kowtow without hesitation, the man did not dare to be the least bit negligent. He replied with utmost respect:

"I saw this gentleman in the photo about... a month ago. I only saw him from a distance once. He was getting out of a car with Dragon, the boss of the Sea Dragon Gang. Because I was curious how an old man could be riding in the same car as someone like Dragon, I took a second look, so the impression is quite vivid."

*The old man not only came to Luocheng but also spent time with Zhou Hailong?* Xiao Nan could not help but offer a bitter smile. His master's style was as capricious and unpredictable as ever.

"Did you only see him that one time? You haven't seen him since?" Xiao Nan pressed.

"No, that was the only time," the subordinate answered.

Li Yunbao added from the side, "Senior, before I came, I questioned the brothers in the gang repeatedly. Besides A-Qiang here, no one else has seen this old senior."

Xiao Nan said nothing. Li Yunbao’s sphere of influence was in the southern part of Luocheng, but that did not mean his men’s activities were confined solely to the south. If the old man had been appearing in Luocheng frequently, there should have been more than one person from the Black Panther Gang who had seen him.

This meant that the old man had likely just passed through Luocheng briefly before disappearing once more. The subordinate said he had seen him about a month ago. At that time, Xiao Nan had not yet descended from the mountain, but it aligned perfectly with the time the old man had gone missing.

"Zhou Hailong."

Xiao Nan whispered the name. Based on the current situation, if he wanted to track down the old man, Zhou Hailong was his only lead.

"Do you have Zhou Hailong's phone number?"

Xiao Nan asked Li Yunbao. Originally, he had intended to have Li Yunbao meet with Zhou Hailong tomorrow, but now that he knew the old man had been with him, Xiao Nan couldn't wait to confront the man.

Li Yunbao looked embarrassed. "Zhou Hailong has never held me in any regard all these years. I don't have his number, but I do have the contact information for his subordinates. If we're lucky, we should be able to find him through them."

...

Meanwhile, in a luxury residence in Luocheng.

"Brother Dragon, I have delivered the message to the Lin family."

"I believe Lin Guodong won't dare to act out; he will surely follow your instructions to the letter."

Zheng Rutong stood respectfully beside a man of about fifty wearing a Tang suit. This man was the leader of the Sea Dragon Gang, Zhou Hailong—a man whose mere footstep could make the entire city of Luocheng tremble.

Zhou Hailong took the teacup handed to him by Zheng Rutong, took a sip, and nodded. As long as Lin Guodong handed over his son-in-law—who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth—and intelligently offered up some of the Lin family's assets, he would consider sparing the family if the tribute satisfied him.

However, there was one person he would not forgive under any circumstances: Li Yunbao.

This rat, whom he had never even bothered to look at directly, actually dared to strike his men. It was an act of complete rebellion.

"After tonight, I do not want to hear that there is still an organization called the Black Panther Gang in Luocheng," Zhou Hailong said coldly, setting down his teacup. He wanted everyone to know that the Sea Dragon Gang was not to be trifled with.

Just then, Zheng Rutong’s phone rang. He glanced at it, a flash of surprise crossing his face, and looked at Zhou Hailong: "Brother Dragon, it’s Li Yunbao."