"That's all I know."
Shen Hong clenched his fists, his expression taut with nerves.
The Shen Family wasn't a hidden aristocratic clan, yet they held steady as third in Jiangbei largely because of his father-in-law. Though not from a hidden clan, the old man worked for the state and held significant power.
So the Shen Family had a "red" background; even hidden clans wouldn't dare go too far.
"You're sure the date isn't wrong?" Ye Chen frowned slightly.
"I'm sure. Others might forget, but I won't. To tell you the truth, Ye Tong's birthday is on the same day as my father-in-law's."
Shen Hong looked steadily at Ye Chen. "I had a good relationship with your father. I learned the very next day that Ye Tong was born."
Light flickered in Ye Chen's eyes. He certainly would never forget Ye Tong's birthday.
Ye Tong was more than a year older than he was—strictly speaking, sixteen months.
But if what Shen Hong said was true, Ye Tong's birthday had been moved forward; that would make her younger—only eight months older than Ye Chen.
How was that possible?
They shared the same mother. Even if Ye Tong had just been born and his mother became pregnant again immediately, an eight-month pregnancy wouldn't have produced Ye Chen.
He had never heard that he was a premature baby.
What's more, how could a woman become pregnant so quickly right after giving birth?
Ye Chen rose from the sofa and headed for the villa's front door. "Shen Hong, your intel is useful."
With that, the three of them left.
As Ye Chen pondered, he hadn't expected that investigating his parents would uncover something like this.
Could it be that he and Ye Tong didn't share the same mother after all?
His father was a famed businessman; having a child with another woman in secret wouldn't be unheard of.
Ye Chen shook his head slightly. Since he was investigating the Ye Family, no clue could be ignored.
He would look into this carefully as well.
Just as he reached the manor gate, he saw a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair in a below-the-knee skirt—Shen Wanning.
The two merely exchanged a glance without speaking and passed each other by.
Inside the villa, Shen Hong exhaled.
What on earth was going on with that Ye kid?
How had he suddenly acquired subordinates like those?
He certainly knew the realms of ancient martial artists; that woman just now could strike things from a distance—
Proof she could release Gang Qi.
From what he knew, the Gang Qi realm was enough to found a hidden aristocratic clan.
And yet such a master was still so respectful to Ye Chen.
It spoke volumes about the young man's identity.
"Dad! Who were those people just now?"
Shen Wanning stepped into the villa and asked.
"An old friend's son," Shen Hong replied gravely.
Xu Mu had no interest in business matters; he left all that to Xu Shou and Xu Ningbing.
His main goal was to earn Fate Points and increase his strength.
Of course, if anyone threatened his family, Xu Mu would act.
After wrapping up Zhang Shuaikai's issue, he messaged Dai Xingluo.
Learning she was at the Antique Market, Xu Mu drove over to deliver the Qi Sea Pill he had refined.
At the market, he headed to Dai Xingluo's antique shop.
As usual, she was lounging on a rocking chair.
Li Zizai sat at the front desk, polishing porcelain with a handkerchief.
"You're here," Li Zizai greeted with a smile.
Xu Mu nodded.
Wearing hanfu, Dai Xingluo sat up at once. "Brother."
"The herbs you gave me weren't top-tier, so I added a few more and refined you something better."
Xu Mu handed her the pill.
"Grade-7 Qi Sea Pill?"
Li Zizai, still wiping the porcelain, stared wide-eyed in shock.
"What? This is a Qi Sea Pill?" Dai Xingluo drew in a sharp breath.
Back in her sect, she'd heard that only the sect's genius disciples could take something like this.
She never imagined that an outer-sect disciple like her would have the fortune to use one.
[Favorability +20]
Dai Xingluo silently rejoiced—her judgment hadn't been wrong.
"The Qi Sea Pill is already a high-grade pill," Li Zizai said, setting down the porcelain. He'd heard Xu Mu was dabbling in alchemy and had figured, at best, he might make a Grade-1 pill.
Who'd have thought he could refine Grade-7 already?
"Brother, then I'll take it," Dai Xingluo said with a squinting smile.
"No one's fighting you for it," Xu Mu waved her on.
Dai Xingluo swallowed the pill; a surge of pure power flooded her body.
She smiled and looped her arm through his. "Brother, how should little sister repay you?"
"Did you go make trouble for Feng Yue?" Xu Mu asked blandly.
"Who's Feng Yue? Sounds familiar." Dai Xingluo's face was all innocence, but inside she was cursing.
So that Feng Yue dared to tattle—had she lied to her before?
"Don't play dumb. You left so early yesterday, I guessed as much. I called, and she told me everything."
Xu Mu pointed at Dai Xingluo. "If you pull that again, I won't forgive you."
Dai Xingluo was a bit surprised. So it hadn't been Feng Yue actively snitching—then she could forgive her.
"We just had a little misunderstanding—it's cleared up now. We're good sisters," she said, cheek pressed to Xu Mu's arm.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm heading out first."
Xu Mu slipped his arm free. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Meng Wanyue for a few days.
He wondered how her cultivation method was progressing.
Speaking of methods, Xu Mu still had a Fire Phoenix Sword heart-method on hand.
He'd tested it briefly yesterday when sparring with Yun Wu and found it quite good.
He was considering whether to let Dai Xingluo cultivate it—after all, her sect practiced sword arts.
But it was a Earth-Rank method; he preferred to give such things to his own people.
And Dai Xingluo, in the storyline, was a "vicious supporting female."
She wasn't as obedient as someone like Ye Tong or Meng Wanyue.
Still, she had risked her life to help him in the ruins.
Xu Mu decided to hesitate a while longer and said nothing about it.
Leaving the shop—
Xu Mu was about to drive off when he noticed two people arguing at a distant stall.
As he walked closer, he couldn't help but laugh. Truly, he was a fated antagonist.
One of the men was Chen Xuan, the "master descending the mountain."
He wore the same getup—shabby tracksuit and canvas shoes.
Only today he wasn't carrying his woven urea sack.
Xu Mu went over to see what was happening.
"You clearly didn't hold it steady just now!" Chen Xuan's face looked grim.
"My treasure? I'd weld it to my hand if I could! And you have the nerve to say I didn't hold it steady?"
A middle-aged stall owner pointed at a shattered blue-and-white porcelain bowl on the ground. "You broke it! Ten thousand—otherwise you're not leaving!"
"This bowl is fake," Chen Xuan's gaze turned cold.
"Fake or not, I paid ten thousand for it, so it's worth ten thousand! I'm not even asking for more—already giving you face!"
The middle-aged man looked like he had Chen Xuan dead to rights.
"You son of—"
"I'll take the bowl," Xu Mu cut in, patting Chen Xuan on the shoulder. "Bro, we meet again."
Chen Xuan looked over and frowned. "You?"
Of course he remembered this man—back at the Qin Family in Jiangnan, this was the one who humiliated him.
"Boss, I'll transfer you the money. I'm buying the bowl," Xu Mu said, pulling out his phone.