Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The taxi stopped in front of the Unity Teahouse. Zhao Dong got out but didn't go inside right away. Instead, he stood to the side, lit a cigarette, and smoked it slowly. Nothing seemed amiss inside the Unity Teahouse; there were even a few patrons idly drinking tea and chatting.

His phone rang abruptly. Zhao Dong answered, and Xu Yafei's voice came from the other end. She was speaking quietly, as if secretly calling from hiding.

"Hello? Zhao Dong, Hong Wu asked you to come to the Unity Teahouse. Whatever you do, don't come!"

Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

On the other end, Xu Yafei was in an empty private room upstairs, while Hong Wu and his men were in the adjacent room. She peeked carefully out the door, slid the lock into place, and spoke with urgency, "If I'm telling you not to come, just don't! Can't you see this is a trap?"

Zhao Dong replied, "I can see that. I know it's a trap. But you can dodge trouble once, not forever. It's better to just face Hong Wu and talk things out."

Xu Yafei rubbed her brow in frustration. "You're too naive. Hong Wu wants to force you to submit to him. If you don't, today will be the day you die."

Zhao Dong held the phone in silence, his expression subtly shifting. Hong Wu wants to recruit me?

After a moment, he sighed softly. "Yafei, anyone who walks the path of cultivation must have a fearless heart. If I don't come today, Hong Wu will just find me later. It's better to face him now."

Xu Yafei's face turned pale, and she leaned weakly against the door. What Zhao Dong said was true. You could dodge trouble once, but not forever...

"Yafei, thank you for the warning. I know you're looking out for me, but I'm already here. I know what I'm doing, so don't worry."

Zhao Dong hung up, dropped the cigarette butt, and crushed it under his heel before striding purposefully into the teahouse.

On the second floor of the teahouse, in the Dragon and Phoenix Room, a huge tea table occupied the center. Hong Wu sat at its head, an imposing figure in a Tang suit embroidered with dragon patterns. He had a prominent nose and sharp, phoenix-like eyes. Kou Hongmin stood by his side, while a group of bodyguards in black flanked both sides of the room.

Hong Wu tapped his index finger lightly on the tabletop, squinting as he sipped his tea. "Brother Kou," he said softly, "do you think this Zhao Dong will come?"

Kou Hongmin pondered for a moment before replying, "He will."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Kou Hongmin smiled faintly. "Because you are Hong Wu. Here in the East Sea, no one would be foolish enough not to give you face."

Hong Wu smiled, but the expression quickly vanished, replaced by a cold indifference. "If he refuses to submit today, Brother Kou, how do you think we should handle him?"

Without a second's hesitation, Kou Hongmin replied, "Kill him."

"Good! Then we kill him!"

Hong Wu laughed heartily just as the door opened. Xu Yafei walked in, her face pale and her expression slightly unnatural. She had heard their conversation from outside.

Hong Wu glanced at her and smiled. "Yafei, come and sit. Where did you disappear to?"

Xu Yafei brushed her hair back and said flatly, "I went to the restroom."

"Oh?" Hong Wu raised an eyebrow, his eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yafei, let me borrow your phone for a moment."

Xu Yafei's expression turned guarded. "What do you need my phone for?"

Hong Wu said nothing, instead giving a subtle nod to one of his men standing near her. The man immediately took the phone from her hand and respectfully presented it to Hong Wu.

Xu Yafei bit her lip, her eyes flashing with anger. "Hong Wu, what is the meaning of this?"

Hong Wu ignored her and opened the call history.

After a moment, he stood up and walked over to Xu Yafei. He slipped the phone back into her pocket with an apologetic smile. "Yafei, look at me... getting old and paranoid. Don't mind me."

Xu Yafei breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thankfully, she had deleted the call log. Otherwise, she and Zhao Dong would be dead before any negotiation even started.

She coldly pushed Hong Wu's hand away. "Don't touch me. If you don't trust me, then go find a woman you can trust. Stop pestering me."

Xu Yafei walked to the other side of the room and sat down, her face a mask of impatience.

Hong Wu chuckled awkwardly. "Now, now, you know you're the only one I care for..."

"That isn't love. It's a twisted, possessive obsession."

Hong Wu coughed, a bitter smile on his face, but said no more. Just then, one of his men rushed in from outside.

"Boss Hong, Zhao Dong is here!"

Hong Wu's eyebrows shot up. He glanced at Xu Yafei, then gave a look to the men around him before settling back into his seat.

A few moments later, Zhao Dong walked in, and every eye in the room instantly turned to him. The atmosphere grew cold, the air seeming to freeze.

Hong Wu broke the silence with a faint smile. "Young Friend Zhao? Please, have a seat."

Zhao Dong met Hong Wu's gaze, his own expression perfectly calm. He sat down on the opposite side of the square tea table and spoke lightly. "Mr. Hong, it's been a while."

Hong Wu smiled and said to one of his men, "Someone, serve our Young Friend Zhao some tea!"

A moment later, a cup of tea was placed in front of Zhao Dong. Hong Wu made an inviting gesture, smiling. "Young Friend Zhao, this is a hundred-year-old Longjing from my personal collection. Please, try it."

Everyone's eyes fell upon the cup. Xu Yafei stared at it, her heart pounding, wondering if it was poisoned.

Zhao Dong smiled faintly. Without a word, he picked up the teacup, took a sip, and nodded slightly. "Excellent tea."

Hong Wu's eyebrows twitched, and he exchanged a subtle glance with Kou Hongmin.

Kou Hongmin's gaze also shifted as he watched Zhao Dong. To drink that tea so decisively in this situation... his mental fortitude is extraordinary. If we can't recruit him... he must be eliminated!

"I assume you didn't invite me here today just to taste your Longjing, Mr. Hong," Zhao Dong said. "If you have something to say, please speak freely."

The room fell quiet once more.

Hong Wu stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming as he sized up Zhao Dong. He smiled slowly. "Young Friend Zhao is truly no ordinary man. Such composure is rare indeed. You are correct. I invited you here today for more than just tea. There is a matter to discuss."

"Then please, speak."

Hong Wu's fingers tapped on the table as he fixed his eyes on Zhao Dong. He began to speak, his voice smooth and deliberate. "Young Friend Zhao, perhaps we've had our misunderstandings in the past. But there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. You are young, powerful, and brimming with potential. However, you lack foundation, background, and a patron. Young men like you are easily cut down in their prime. But I... I can give you an opportunity. I can give you a background. I can be your patron. Young Friend Zhao, what do you say to following me, Hong Wu?"

As Hong Wu spoke, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. Every eye was fixed on Zhao Dong.

Xu Yafei clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms. She watched Zhao Dong with bated breath. One wrong word, and he dies. But... if he gives the 'right' answer, how could I ever face him again?

Zhao Dong remained silent. He took another sip of tea, and the soft clink of the lid against the cup echoed clearly in the room.

Hong Wu idly rolled a string of prayer beads in his hand, a strange smile playing on his lips. "Young Friend Zhao, you can think it over. I, Hong Wu, have wealth and power. Follow me, and you will only gain. Here in the East Sea, as long as you follow me, I can give you anything you desire. Have you made up your mind?"

Zhao Dong slowly set down his teacup. He smacked his lips and a slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Hong Wu. "Mr. Hong, what I desire is something you cannot give. So... my answer is this: we walk different paths and are not meant to travel together."

The smile on Hong Wu's face slowly faded. The atmosphere in the room became oppressive, so heavy it was hard to breathe. His eyes narrowed, a sinister glint within them. "Young Friend Zhao, I'll give you one last chance. What is your answer?"

Zhao Dong shook his head. "You could give me ten chances, a hundred chances, and I would still refuse. We're not the same kind of people."

Hong Wu laughed, a cold, mirthless sound, and shook his head. "Since it has come to this... Ah Sheng, kill him."

"Yes, Boss Hong."

A lean man stepped out from behind Hong Wu. The man was short and gaunt, dressed in simple cloth clothes and shoes. His eyes bulged like those of a dead fish. He stared at Zhao Dong, his lips parting in an ugly sneer. "Time for you to die."

The moment the words left his mouth, the man's figure blurred. He shot forward with a gust of wind, his hand like an eagle's talon aimed straight for Zhao Dong's throat.

Zhao Dong's pupils shrank. A peak Second-Rank Grandmaster! He's much stronger than Wei Wu!

His heart sank. He was completely outmatched; his chances of surviving today were almost zero.

And yet, how could a cultivator possibly retreat?

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Dong let out a low roar as Spiritual Energy converged in his palm, and he unleashed a strike of his own.