High-level martial arts: Long spear with black flames to suppress demons.

Inside the spacious and brightly lit venue, Bai Yin and Li Xiwan changed into light sportswear and were running laps along the edge of the track. Li Xiwan's physical condition was poor to begin with, and she lacked regular exercise. After running less than three laps, she was already panting heavily, covered in sweat, and her steps felt as heavy as lead.

In the very center of the venue, Shen Chang'an sat cross-legged on a cushion, toying with a peace token he had just redeemed from the internal shop. On its jade-like surface, a wisp of black fire pattern flickered, the very defensive rune [Guard] that he had mastered the previous night.

"Baiyin, come here for a second."

Shen Chang'an waved.

Upon hearing that she didn't need to run anymore, the little cat demon immediately stopped and dashed over. Shen Chang'an held the "No Problem" token in his hand, activated the defensive barrier, and said to her, "Try attacking me with all your might."

Bai Yin's eyes lit up, and she immediately revealed her sharp cat claws, transforming into a white shadow as she pounced. "Swish swish swish!" A series of furious scratches rained down on Shen Chang'an.

However, a thin, semi-transparent black barrier stood firmly in front of her. No matter how hard Bai Yin scratched, even using all her strength, the barrier remained unmoved, not even a crack could be found.

Shen Chang'an made a preliminary assessment of the rune's defensive capabilities.

Afterwards, he went alone to a reinforced corner of the training ground specifically used for testing lethality and secured the jade tablet. He gathered his fifth-realm spiritual power, clenched his fist, and unleashed a powerful punch.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After withstanding three of his full-force blows, the black flame barrier on the jade tablet finally shattered, and the jade itself turned to dust. Shen Chang'an nodded in satisfaction. Being able to withstand three full-force blows from a fifth-realm expert was quite astonishing; it was more than enough to save Old Zhao and the two elders' lives.

As for the main attack, [Explosion], since it is a consumable that can be released only once, it can be contained in ordinary, cheap yellow talisman paper, making the cost very low.

Shen Chang'an plans to draw more and conduct power tests during actual combat. He also plans to distribute them to Bai Yin and Li Xiwan as hand grenades, greatly increasing the team's firepower coverage.

With that in mind, Shen Chang'an acted immediately. He sat down on the floor in the corner, picked up a stack of blank talisman paper, and began to draw talismans with great concentration.

......

A private room at Royal Dynasty KTV.

At this moment, several henchmen in the private room were scrambling for the microphone and howling like madmen. The deafening heavy metal music made Zhang Qingqing's eardrums ache, her stomach churn, and her chest feel tight and suffocated.

Beside her, Ye Sheng still held a wine glass, chatting with her casually, constantly urging her to drink.

Unable to bear the oppressive and suffocating atmosphere any longer, Zhang Qingqing could only manage a forced smile and make an excuse: "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."

After saying that, she grabbed her canvas bag and hurried out of the private room as if she were fleeing.

As soon as the door to the private room closed, Wang Qiang immediately moved closer to Ye Sheng and, in a low, obsequious voice, suggested, "Young Master Ye, this little girl is quite wary; she'll probably be hard to get drunk. Should I 'add something' to her drink later?"

Ye Sheng sneered dismissively and shook his head: "Using drugs is a despicable tactic. I prefer to see them when they're sober, that look of fear mixed with forced submission, that's what I enjoy most."

After saying that, Ye Sheng stood up, straightened his shirt collar, pushed open the door, and followed him out unhurriedly.

Watching Ye Sheng's departing figure, Wang Qiang clicked his tongue with a hint of envy. He turned around and pinched Cao Min's thigh hard without any mercy: "What a pity to waste such a good virgin. I can only wait until Young Master Ye has eaten her clean before I can taste what's left."

The hand was squeezed very hard, and Cao Min's eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but she could only bite her lip and dare not complain.

With his anger flaring up and nowhere to vent it, Wang Qiang grabbed Cao Min by the back of the head, his tone leaving no room for refusal: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and cool me down."

Cao Min's face turned pale, and she humiliatingly squatted down. The henchmen around her were already used to this, and even occasionally let out a few lewd laughs.

Zhang Qingqing practically fled into the KTV's restroom. As soon as she pushed open the stall door and locked it, she couldn't hold it in any longer and began to gag violently by the toilet.

She reached down and pressed her fingers to her throat, tears streaming down her face as a physiological reaction occurred. With a few painful retches, she finally vomited up the few mouthfuls of spicy liquor she had just drunk, along with her breakfast.

I feel terrible. My stomach feels like it's on fire, and my chest feels tight and suffocating.

She washed her face with cold water, and looking at her pale reflection in the mirror, a wave of intense regret washed over her. She shouldn't have listened to Cao Min's nonsense and come to a place like this!

Zhang Qingqing took out her phone, wanting to find someone to pick her up. However, after scrolling through her contacts, she sadly discovered that she couldn't find a single person she could ask for help.

Go to my parents? Absolutely not. If they find out I lied and skipped studying to go to a karaoke bar with a bunch of thugs, I'd probably be locked up until the end of the college entrance exam, and I'd face endless lecturing.

Call the police? She didn't even know anything about the blond man, and he was only trying to get her drunk. If she called the police and things got out of hand, what would people at school think of her?

Her finger slid unconsciously across the screen, eventually stopping at a chat box that she had pinned to the top, but which she had never sent a message to.

The profile picture is a pure black background, and the caption reads: Shen Chang'an, the scoundrel.

Zhang Qingqing bit her lip, quickly sent the location of a KTV, and then typed: "Shen Chang'an, where are you? Can you come pick me up? I'm in some trouble."

However, the signal in the KTV restroom was extremely poor. The message kept spinning next to it, and it couldn't be sent for a long time.

Zhang Qingqing was so anxious she was stamping her feet. She held her phone up, trying to find a signal. Just as she was about to send another message...

"Tap, tap, tap..."

A series of messy and heavy footsteps came from outside the restroom, getting closer and closer.

"You guys, stay outside and guard the door. Don't let anyone in."

It was Ye Sheng's voice! And it sounded like the voice was only a wall away from the door of the women's restroom!

Zhang Qingqing's blood seemed to freeze in that instant.

Her eyes widened in horror, and she nearly dropped her phone. She immediately covered her mouth with both hands, barely breathing, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"Click".

The door to the restroom was locked from the inside. Then, the steady sound of leather shoes stepped into the women's restroom.

Actually, as soon as Ye Sheng walked in, he glanced at the row of cubicles and immediately located Zhang Qingqing's position—because only the second to last cubicle at the very back had its door closed.

But he deliberately didn't walk over. He enjoyed the thrill of the cat-and-mouse game, relishing the desperate trembling of his prey in extreme fear.

"Bang!"

Ye Sheng violently kicked open the door to the first empty cubicle.

"Oh dear, it's not in this room." Ye Sheng's amused voice echoed in the empty restroom, like the whisper of a devil.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The sound of leather shoes tapping on the tiles struck Zhang Qingqing's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Bang!"

The second door was pushed open.

"They're not here either."

The footsteps grew closer, like a countdown to death. Zhang Qingqing huddled in the corner of the cubicle, her face deathly pale, her hands tightly covering her mouth, tears silently streaming down her cheeks, not daring to even breathe.

The third one.

The fourth room.

Just as the footsteps stopped outside the cubicle where Zhang Qingqing was, her heart nearly jumped out of her throat.

However, the footsteps only paused for a moment before passing through her room and heading towards the innermost room.

"Bang!"

The door to the innermost room was pushed open.

Zhang Qingqing suddenly realized that this was a golden opportunity! While he went to the innermost cubicle, if she opened the door and rushed out now, she might be able to escape!

She reached out her hand, trembling, and just as she touched the cold metal lock, she hadn't even had a chance to turn it.

"Click".

A crisp click of a lighter rang out outside her door.

"Junior, how much longer are you going to hide in there?"

Ye Sheng's mocking and cold voice came through the thin wooden door, almost touching Zhang Qingqing's ear.

He didn't go into the last room at all! He stood outside her door the whole time!

"what!"

Zhang Qingqing screamed in fright, jerking her hand back as if electrocuted. She collapsed to the ground, crying out in despair, "What...what do you want to do! Don't come any closer! This is illegal!"

"Is it illegal?"

Ye Sheng, standing outside the door, burst into unrestrained laughter, as if he'd heard a hilarious joke. "Junior, you're still too naive. In Qingzhou District, do you know what the name 'Ye Family' means? It means I'm the rule!"

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone becoming both threatening and condescendingly soothing: "Open the door obediently. I just want you to have some fun with me. As long as you keep me happy, you can have whatever you want in Qingzhou District. Designer bags, sports cars, even a guaranteed admission to a top university, I can get you all of that."

"I don't want to! Go away! Please let me go!"

Zhang Qingqing shook her head, crying, and cried out almost pleadingly.

"If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink a penalty cup."

Seeing Zhang Qingqing's ungrateful attitude, Ye Sheng's face turned completely cold. He casually threw the cigarette butt on the ground, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the doorknob of the cubicle.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Ye Sheng began frantically banging on the fragile wooden door, the loud noise echoing continuously in the small space.

The door lock groaned under the violent impact, and cracks began to appear at the joints of the wooden door.

"Open the door! Open the door for me!"

Ye Sheng's violent roar was like the howl of a wild beast.

Looking at the door that could be kicked open at any moment, Zhang Qingqing was filled with despair. Helplessly, she curled up into a ball, hugging her knees tightly, tears blurring her vision.

With a sickeningly loud cracking sound, the lock on the cubicle door was completely destroyed. The wooden door was kicked open roughly and slammed heavily against the side partition.

"Run! Run again!"

With a ferocious and possessive smile, Ye Sheng looked at his prey cowering in the corner, trembling with fear, and suddenly reached out to grab Zhang Qingqing's shoulder.

Despair overwhelmed Zhang Qingqing like icy seawater. She closed her eyes in despair and clutched her head tightly with both hands.

However, just as Ye Sheng's fingers were about to touch the girl's clothes...

A heavy, steady breathing sound suddenly rang out behind Ye Sheng's head, so close it felt like death itself was breathing against the back of his neck.

Ye Sheng was startled and was about to turn around when a large hand, like an iron clamp, gripped the back of his collar tightly.

Before he could utter a sound, the hand suddenly exerted force. Ye Sheng felt a dizzying sensation as he was forcibly pulled backward like a rag doll, tracing an arc through the air.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Ye Sheng slammed heavily against the tiled wall outside the bathroom, then slid painfully to the ground, causing dust to fall from the wall.

"It's alright now."

A familiar voice rang out from the doorway of the cubicle.

Zhang Qingqing opened her eyes with trembling hands. Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, she saw the face that belonged to Shen Chang'an.

He usually has a somewhat lazy look on his face at school, but now, backlit by the lights, he looks incredibly tall and reassuring.

Her nerves, stretched to the limit, snapped completely at that moment, and Zhang Qingqing burst into tears, all her fear, grievances, and lingering dread pouring out in that instant.

Shen Chang'an sighed softly and stepped forward to help her up. Zhang Qingqing's legs were completely weak at this moment, and she couldn't muster any strength at all. Shen Chang'an simply picked her up by the waist, walked out of the cubicle, and placed her steadily on the clean marble washbasin outside.

"I'll rest here for a while and take care of the trash."

Shen Chang'an gently comforted him.

In the hallway, Ye Sheng, dazed and confused from the fall, scrambled to his feet, clutching his chest and wincing in pain. His face contorted with rage, he yelled at the bathroom entrance, "Where the hell the hell have you been! Get in here and cripple this kid!"

Shen Chang'an turned his head and looked down at him, his tone completely calm: "Stop shouting, those people outside have already been put to sleep, they won't wake up anytime soon."

Looking into Shen Chang'an's icy gaze, Ye Sheng felt a flicker of panic, but he still arrogantly roared, "You dare touch me? Do you know who my father is?! My father is Ye Tiankuo of Hengtai Group! Do you believe I can make sure you can't stay in Qingzhou anymore?!"

Shen Chang'an frowned slightly, searching his mind for the name "Ye Tiankuo".

I don't remember.

If he doesn't recognize the name, it means the person isn't a big shot. In Qingzhou District, he basically knows all the truly influential people who have access to the extraordinary realm, or rather, those people all know him.

Seeing Shen Chang'an raise his foot to continue, Ye Sheng panicked completely and immediately pulled out his biggest trump card: "Wait! My brother is Ye Ling! I'm warning you, my brother is a cultivator who knows magic! He can crush you with a flick of his finger!"

Upon hearing the words "cultivator," Shen Chang'an stopped what he was doing.

Seeing this, Ye Sheng assumed Shen Chang'an was afraid and immediately became arrogant again, enduring the pain as he mocked, "Are you stupid? You country bumpkin, you think you can be a hero just because you have some skills? There are too many real aspects of this world that you haven't experienced! My brother is a big shot in another world. If you mess with me, you won't even know how you died!"

Shen Chang'an gave him a look as if he were an idiot, and then kicked him without any mercy.

"Bang!"

Before Ye Sheng could finish speaking, he was kicked squarely in the face. The crisp sound of his nose breaking rang out, and he fell backward, blood gushing from his nose and mouth as he clutched his face and screamed in agony.

Shen Chang'an ignored Ye Sheng, who was rolling on the ground, and took out his phone to call Lao Zhao: "Lao Zhao, help me find someone named Ye Ling, from Qingzhou."

Just a few seconds later, Old Zhao pulled up the internal files and reported, "Found it. The eldest son of the Ye family. He was tested seven or eight years ago and did indeed have some talent for cultivation. However, at that time, he wanted to join the Zhenye Division, but Brother Zhang Hai personally rejected him."

"Did Uncle Zhang refuse?"

Shen Chang'an was somewhat surprised; this was truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple.

"Yes, Brother Zhang's annotation in the file was: his talent is too poor and his temperament is too impetuous, making him unsuitable for important tasks."

Old Zhao continued reading the information, "He's twenty-seven years old now. He just registered at the bureau a while ago and barely broke through to the second realm. What happened? Did he get into trouble?"

"It's nothing serious, just ran into a clueless thug."

Shen Chang'an spoke in a flat tone.

"However, you might need to send two people from the logistics department to help me with some of the initial and final tasks."

Old Zhao knew immediately that Shen Chang'an had made his move, so he didn't ask any further questions, only instructing, "Okay, send me the address."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Chang'an walked up to Ye Sheng, bent down to pick up the latest model phone that the other man had dropped on the ground, and threw it directly at Ye Sheng's blood-covered face.

Shen Chang'an pulled up a janitor's chair and sat down, looking at him coldly:

"Now, call your brother."

Ye Sheng, his face covered in blood, swiped his phone screen with trembling hands and dialed the number.

As soon as the call connected, he clung to it like a lifeline, wailing and pleading, "Brother! Brother, please bring people to save me! I'm at the Royal Dynasty KTV, and a madman is trying to kill me! He doesn't respect the Ye family at all!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a deep, somewhat impatient voice: "Give the phone to that blind fool."

Ye Sheng seemed to have gained confidence, and gritted his teeth as he handed the phone to Shen Chang'an: "My brother wants you to answer the phone!"

Shen Chang'an took the phone expressionlessly and held it to his ear.

"I am Ye Ling."

"I don't care who you are, you dare to mess with someone from the Ye family in Qingzhou? Are you tired of living? State your name."

Shen Chang'an's eyes remained expressionless as he uttered three words in a flat tone: "Night Guard."

The other end of the phone fell into a deathly silence.

Five full seconds passed before Ye Ling's voice rang out again. The arrogance and coldness from before had vanished completely, replaced by obvious panic and trembling. The change in attitude was faster than turning the pages of a book.

"The...the Night Guard?! Sir, it's a misunderstanding! This is absolutely a misunderstanding!"

Ye Ling didn't even have the courage to ask Shen Chang'an's specific identity, nor did she ask what Ye Sheng had done wrong. She directly and without hesitation betrayed her own brother: "It's my fault for not disciplining him properly. That beast offended you. Deal with him however you want! Just spare his life! I will definitely go to the Zhenye Division branch to apologize to you in person in a few days!"

"No."

Shen Chang'an was too lazy to listen to his declaration of loyalty, so he casually pressed the hang-up button and tossed the phone back into Ye Sheng's arms.

The entire restroom corridor was eerily quiet.

Ye Sheng slumped to the ground. The phone was very loud, and he could clearly hear his brother's groveling, fearful pleas for mercy.

"The Night Guard..."

These three words were like a heavy hammer, slamming into Ye Sheng's forehead, instantly chilling his blood and making him feel no pain even in his broken nasal bone.

Although he was a spoiled brat, he had once heard his drunken father mention this name with a look of awe at a dinner party. Rumor had it that it was the most terrifying and inviolable supreme violent institution in the entire Eastern Huang Kingdom, possessing the power of life and death to execute first and report later.

No wonder my brother was so scared; that was a behemoth that even worldly merchants like them could never afford to offend, even if they gave up their entire fortune!

On the other side, Zhang Qingqing, sitting on the sink, saw all of this.

Looking at the tall, upright figure in the distance, who had terrified the arrogant young master of the Ye family with just a few words, Zhang Qingqing felt an unprecedented sense of security.

But at the same time, a strong sense of unfamiliarity also arises.

Is this still the same Shen Chang'an?

"The Night Guard..."

Zhang Qingqing silently repeated the word in her mind. She had no idea what kind of organization it was, but it was clear that Shen Chang'an's secrets were far deeper than she had imagined.

Just then, a series of orderly footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

Four or five field staff members in black uniforms walked over quickly.

"Chang'an".

Wu Hong stepped forward, greeted him, and glanced at Ye Sheng, who was half-dead on the ground.

"I'm sorry to trouble Director Wu to make this personal trip."

Shen Chang'an said with a hint of apology.

"What kind of talk is that? We're all brothers."

Wu Hong waved his hand dismissively and laughed heartily, "This kid's background isn't exactly clean to begin with, so I can handle these little clean-up tasks."

Shen Chang'an nodded, then turned around, looked at Zhang Qingqing who was still in a daze, and asked softly, "Who brought you here?"

Zhang Qingqing came to her senses, bit her lip, and a trace of lingering fear flashed in her eyes: "It's...it's Cao Min. She's in the VIP room up ahead."

Wu Hong, who was standing to the side, immediately understood and patted Shen Chang'an on the shoulder: "Understood. We will take care of the people in that private room and the surveillance video as well."

"Thank you for your help, Director Wu."

Shen Chang'an thanked him, then turned his gaze back to Zhang Qingqing, his tone softening.

"Can you still walk on your own?"

Zhang Qingqing took a deep breath, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. She obediently nodded, jumped off the sink, and followed Shen Chang'an, leaving the place that had almost plunged her into the abyss without looking back.