After descending the mountain, my aloof fiancée became completely devoted to me.

The night was as dark as ink; in the western suburbs of Jiangcheng, the old street of the black market was dimly lit.

This is a lawless gray area, a melting pot of all sorts of people, including martial arts practitioners, business tycoons, and underground forces. The air is thick with the smells of tobacco, alcohol, sweat, and an undercurrent of hostility.

With only two days remaining until the three-day duel at Blackrock Valley, the entire Jiangcheng city's attention is focused on the life-or-death duel between Lin Ping and the Mountain-Suppressing King. In the black market, a massive gambling frenzy has already erupted.

Crowds gathered in front of the gambling stalls of all sizes on both sides of the street, and everyone was talking about this final battle.

"I bet three million, and the Mountain-Suppressing King wins! That Lin Ping is just an arrogant brat who doesn't know his own limitations. He dares to challenge the Mountain-Suppressing King; he's just asking for death!"

"It's more than just courting death. The King of Zhenshan is the pinnacle of martial arts in Jiangcheng, with the strength of a half-step Grandmaster. He has dominated Jiangcheng for decades, and no one dares to provoke him. Even if that kid can take care of a few assassins, he's still no match for the King of Zhenshan."

"I also bet on Zhenshan King. The odds are 1 to 10. Only a fool would bet on Lin Ping to win; it's just throwing money away."

Discussions rose and fell, everyone was certain that Lin Ping would lose, and almost no one had any hope for this suddenly appearing, unknown young man.

Through the gaps in the crowd, a tall, composed young man slowly walked in; it was Lin Ping.

He was dressed in simple casual clothes, with a calm expression and unhurried steps. He blended into the crowd unnoticed, just like an ordinary passerby. No one would have thought that this seemingly ordinary young man was the central figure in this turmoil.

Lin Ping's gaze swept indifferently over his surroundings, not catching a single word of the mockery and contempt he heard, yet his heart remained completely unmoved.

Ants peering at the sky, people at the bottom of a well observing others—how could these ordinary people possibly comprehend the profound wisdom of ancient emperors?

He walked slowly to the largest gambling platform. The dealer was a burly man with a face full of scars, and behind him stood several fierce-looking thugs, who were in charge of the place.

Just as Lin Ping was about to place his bet, a clear, slightly androgynous voice rang out beside him: "I bet five million, Lin Ping wins."

Upon hearing the voice, the surroundings instantly fell silent, and everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken.

The man was dressed in a neat black outfit, with his short hair tied up. He was tall and slender with handsome features. He deliberately lowered his voice, looking like a dashing young man, clearly dressed in men's clothing.

Everyone present looked surprised, and then burst into laughter.

"Where did this fool come from? He actually dared to bet on Lin Ping to win. He must be out of his mind."

"Five million down the drain? They really have too much money to burn. I think this kid is just here to join in the fun."

The boy remained calm and unconcerned about the ridicule around him.

Lin Ping turned his head to look at the person beside him, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes.

The other person was slender with a graceful neck and eyes that held a woman's gentleness. Even if she deliberately disguised her voice and changed her clothes, she could not hide it from the divine sense of this emperor.

It was immediately obvious that this was a girl deliberately dressed as a man.

He didn't point it out, but said calmly, "Everyone else bets on him to lose, you've got some nerve."

The boy froze, turning to look at Lin Ping with surprise in his eyes: "You know me?"

"I don't know him." Lin Ping said calmly. "I'm just curious, everyone else is pessimistic about Lin Ping, so why are you so optimistic about him?"

The young man suppressed his surprise, looked at Lin Ping seriously, and slowly said, "I heard about the commotion at the Shen family villa that night. Eight elite assassins of the Mountain Guardian King were all defeated in an instant. Such strength is not something an ordinary youth can possess. The Mountain Guardian King has a great reputation, but he is not necessarily invincible."

"Moreover, the courage to face the pressure of the Mountain-Suppressing King and to make a life-or-death pact with Black Rock Valley is worth the gamble."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ping's lips curled into a faint smile. This girl has quite the discerning eye, far more insightful than these short-sighted and vulgar people.

"Good eye." Lin Ping praised softly, then looked at the dealer, "I bet ten million, Lin Ping wins."

These words caused an uproar throughout the room.

Everyone stared at Lin Ping as if he were a fool.

"Another lunatic? Ten million! Just throwing it all away like that?"

"These two probably came together to throw money away. They'll regret it when the battle at Blackrock Valley comes in two days."

The girl dressed as a man was also taken aback, not expecting that this stranger would also think so highly of Lin Ping. She immediately felt a sense of goodwill and took the initiative to speak: "Brother, we are kindred spirits. Do you also think Lin Ping can win?"

"Victory is certain." Lin Ping uttered two words with unwavering certainty, without the slightest hesitation.

The word "simple" exudes an innate confidence that inexplicably resonates within one's heart.

The girl gave Lin Ping a deep look, feeling that although he seemed ordinary, he possessed an unfathomable aura that made it impossible for her to understand him.

The two chatted casually for a few more minutes about martial arts and the Mountain-Suppressing King. The young woman's speech was extraordinary, and her knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary people. Lin Ping learned that she was also a martial artist and that her background was not simple.

After a brief conversation, the girl, who had other important matters to attend to, clasped her hands in a fist salute to Lin Ping and said, "Brother, I have other matters to attend to and will take my leave first. I will personally attend the battle at Black Rock Valley and hope to witness the victory you spoke of."

After saying that, the girl turned around and disappeared into the crowd with agile movements.

Lin Ping watched her departing figure, his eyes flickering slightly. He then turned and left the black market, heading back towards the Shen family villa.

He had no intention of staying here long. He came today only to see the attitudes of the various forces in Jiangcheng, and now he has achieved his goal.

As soon as Lin Ping approached the Shen family villa, he noticed that the atmosphere inside was unusually heavy. The villa gate was wide open, and servants were running around in a panic, their faces anxious and their steps unsteady.

A sense of panic and fear filled the air.

Lin Ping paused slightly before quickly entering the villa.

Inside the living room, Chen Jinmei's face was ashen, her brows were tightly furrowed, and she was extremely restless. The butler stood to the side, his forehead covered in cold sweat, while a group of bodyguards ran around in a panic.

As soon as Lin Ping entered, Chen Jinmei rushed forward, her face filled with anxiety and panic, her voice trembling: "Mr. Lin, you're finally back! Something's happened! Aoxue is missing!"

Lin Ping's brows furrowed suddenly, and the faint warmth emanating from his body vanished instantly: "What happened?"

Chen Jinmei took a deep breath, suppressing her anxiety, and said in a low voice, "Just half an hour ago, the maid went to Aoxue's room to deliver a late-night snack and found the room empty. The doors and windows were intact, and it was as if Aoxue had vanished into thin air. We searched the entire villa inside and out, but we couldn't find any trace of her."

"What about the surveillance footage?" Lin Ping's voice turned cold.

"The security cameras in the compound have all been secretly jammed and turned black, so they can't capture anything. It's obviously premeditated," the butler quickly replied.

Upon hearing this, the coldness in Lin Ping's eyes intensified.

The Shen family fell into a deathly silence. Everyone knew that Shen Aoxue's sudden disappearance was no small matter.

Chen Jinmei's eyes reddened, her voice filled with worry: "It must have been done by the King of Zhenshan's men! Their assassination attempt failed last night, so they secretly kidnapped Aoxue. They're trying to use Aoxue to blackmail you, Mr. Lin!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement; it was the most reasonable guess at the moment.