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

The following morning, the hotel's buffet restaurant was brightly lit, with warm white lights shining down, highlighting the exquisite and abundant dishes on the long table.

Zhu Xiaohan, Ake, Alu, and Adai sat around the dining table, eating quietly in a relaxed atmosphere, except for the absence of the main characters from last night's farce.

Before long, Lin Ping walked over slowly, dressed in simple black casual clothes. He stood tall and straight, with a cool and indifferent expression, exuding an aura of a distant master. He reached out and took some simple porridge and snacks, sat down at an empty seat at the table, and quietly ate with his eyes lowered.

Before he could even take two bites, a light footstep approached.

Xiaoyuer carried the tray, walked quickly to Lin Ping's side, pulled out a chair and sat down, completely ignoring the other people at the table.

The embarrassment and anger of being kicked out of the room last night were gone from her face. Instead, she wore a sweet smile, deliberately leaning her arm closer to Lin Ping's side, and said in a soft and affectionate tone, "Lin Ping, I specially picked out your favorite snacks. I'll eat with you."

The women around the table exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a hint of mockery. No one spoke; they simply watched Xiaoyuer's deliberate attempt to ingratiate herself, quietly enjoying the spectacle.

Ake's fingers, which were holding the cutlery, paused slightly. A hint of helplessness flashed across her cool eyes, but she did not interrupt.

Adele, a playful smile playing on her lips, casually stirred the porridge in her bowl, waiting for what would happen next.

Lin Ping raised his eyes, glanced indifferently at Xiao Yu'er beside him, neither responding to her words nor looking at the snacks she offered.

He put down his chopsticks and bowl, his voice flat and even: "I'm full."

Before Xiaoyuer could react, Lin Ping stood up and turned to walk out of the restaurant, quick and decisive, without pausing for a moment.

Xiaoyuer's sweet smile froze instantly, all the elation in her eyes vanished, leaving only embarrassment and resentment. She turned to look at the girls quietly watching at the table, and seeing the undisguised smiles in their eyes, her cheeks flushed, but she stubbornly refused to show her fear. She bit her lip, immediately got up, and chased after them.

Inside the restaurant, the group watched the two figures leave one after the other, exchanged knowing smiles, but no one spoke.

The hotel lobby was bustling with people, but Lin Ping walked steadily out of the main entrance.

Behind him, Little Fish followed closely, never leaving his side.

A gentle breeze ruffled her hair as she quickened her pace to catch up with Lin Ping, asking softly, "Why are you walking so fast? I haven't finished talking to you yet."

Lin Ping didn't stop, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his voice icy: "Don't follow me."

"No!" Little Fish quickly stepped in front of him, spreading her arms to block his path, looking up at him with a hint of stubbornness, "Wherever you go, I'll go!"

Lin Ping finally stopped, lowered his eyes to look at the woman in front of him who was pretending to be domineering, and the coldness in his eyes gradually deepened, all his previous indulgence disappeared.

"You can follow me if you want."

He spoke clearly, his tone carrying an undeniable pressure: "Tell me all the secrets you've been keeping in your heart."

Xiaoyuer's expression suddenly changed, her eyes filled with panic, and she subconsciously turned her head away, forcing herself to remain calm: "I don't understand what you're saying. What secrets could I possibly have? I just want to follow you."

"simple?"

Lin Ping chuckled softly, his laughter chilling to the bone, and the pressure of a Grandmaster quietly spread out, firmly locking onto his body.

"You lurked by my side, deliberately pestering me and getting close to me in every way; it was never something you did on a whim."

He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on Xiaoyuer's evasive eyes, his words hitting the nail on the head: "Your mastermind has already realized that you've been exposed and are no longer of any use. You're following me not out of greed, but to use my life to save yourself and escape their pursuit to silence you."

Little Fish froze, her blood nearly freezing, her fingertips trembling slightly, unable to feign even a hint of her spoiled and obedient nature.

She lowered her head, her long hair obscuring her face, and remained silent for a long time, all her pretense completely shattered.

A breeze swept past the two on the street, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere, with hidden danger lurking beneath the surface.

After a long while, Xiaoyuer finally raised his head. The cunning in his eyes was gone, replaced by solemnity and dejection.

"You guessed right."

She took a deep breath, all her playfulness gone, and looked at Lin Ping seriously: "I have something to tell you. Come with me to a place."

Lin Ping remained calm and nodded readily: "Lead the way."

The two drove away from the city and headed towards the desolate mountains on the outskirts of the city.

The mountain road was rugged and bumpy, and the further we went in, the more desolate it became. What used to be a lush, green mountain was now barren, with not a blade of grass growing on it. The land was dry, cracked, and black, and the surroundings were deathly still, with not even a trace of insects chirping or birds singing.

The car was parked at the foot of the mountain, and the two walked up to the top.

Standing atop the desolate mountain, Xiaoyuer gazed at the barren landscape, his voice low and bitter: "Half a year ago, this place was a lush, dense forest, brimming with spiritual energy. Ever since those foreigners arrived with their equipment and joined forces with the Blood Shadow Pavilion, they've drained the earth's spiritual energy, destroyed all the vegetation, leaving only this wasteland."

She turned to look at Lin Ping, who stood calmly beside her, and said with a hint of helpless admonition, "Lin Ping, stop."

"You think you're invincible just because you're a top expert in the city? You're no match for the people in the secret room."

"They control the technology for extracting energy from secret realms, possess advanced weapons far beyond the understanding of martial arts, and have countless elite assassins. Their influence is widespread throughout the Southern Frontier, deeply infiltrating the region. You can protect a few people around you, but you can't protect the entire Southern Frontier, much less stop their revenge."

Lin Ping's gaze darkened slightly, and he asked calmly, "What if I insist on not giving up and insist on interfering?"

"Then you are doomed!"

As soon as Xiaoyuer finished speaking, a series of neat and uniform footsteps suddenly rang out all around!

brush brush --

Dozens of figures in black suddenly emerged from the woods and piles of rocks surrounding the desolate mountain, quickly surrounding the hilltop and instantly blocking all escape routes.

These men in black were still dressed in the standard uniform of the Blood Shadow Pavilion, with menacing blood-red patterns on their cuffs, just like the thugs on the outskirts of the secret realm. However, unlike the others, they no longer wielded ordinary weapons; each of them held a sophisticatedly designed pulse gun, its barrel gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen—advanced firearms capable of severely injuring martial arts grandmasters.

The cold muzzles of the guns were all pointed at Lin Ping, chilling him to the bone and filled with murderous intent.

The encirclement tightened layer by layer, and dozens of cold gazes were fixed on Lin Ping in the center.

Little Fish instinctively took a half step back, stood to the side, and watched the scene before him with a complex expression in his eyes.

The leader, a man in black with his face covered by a mask, spoke in a hoarse, cold voice, radiating extreme arrogance: "Master Lin, you truly possess extraordinary insight, having guessed the entire scheme. It's a pity that, knowing the road ahead leads to death, you still refuse to advance or retreat."

"The essence of this secret realm, the foundation of your martial arts, and your life—all belong to us today!"

The group of men in black slowly raised their guns, triggers poised to fire, an intense pressure of death enveloping the entire hilltop.

Faced with dozens of advanced firearms locked on him, a life-or-death crisis was imminent.

Lin Ping showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he slowly curled the corners of his lips into a faint smile, his eyes both languid and sharp, exuding the confidence of a grandmaster.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his demeanor calm and composed, showing no sign of panic despite being surrounded by a large army.

"You think you can take me down with your bunch of broken toys?"

The moment the words fell!

hum-

A vast and powerful internal force suddenly erupted from Lin Ping!

An invisible shockwave swept across the entire mountaintop, and a fierce wind suddenly raged, sending rubble flying everywhere!

Before the group of men in black could pull the trigger, the violent force had already crushed them!

Bang bang bang!

A series of explosions suddenly rang out!

Those sophisticated and advanced pulse guns instantly shattered and deformed under the impact of the terrifying internal force, turning into countless metal fragments that flew in all directions!

Dozens of black-clad experts wielding firearms had no time to react. Their bodies were all blown away by the shockwave and crashed heavily onto the rocks. They coughed up blood, their bones were broken, and they instantly lost all fighting ability. Their cries of agony rose and fell.