Return of the Celestial King

Qiangwei shook her head vigorously, her face etched with helplessness.

"Celestial King, we haven't figured it out yet. These brothers must have died this morning, but I only just discovered it…"

As she spoke, her tone filled with self-reproach.

Qin Tuo immediately comforted her.

"Qiangwei, what's done is done. Don't dwell on it. Our priority right now is to find the one behind this and figure out who our enemy is."

Qiangwei nodded. She knew how important this was.

After all, an enemy capable of silently killing so many elite Rose Hall disciples outside the villa had to be extraordinarily powerful and could not be underestimated.

With that in mind, Qiangwei offered another well-intentioned reminder.

"Celestial King, they're definitely coming for you. They failed to get you in the Provincial City, so they might head straight for Ming City. You absolutely have to be careful!"

Qin Tuo chuckled.

"Alright, I know. Don't worry."

With that, Qin Tuo hung up.

This hidden enemy was formidable. Qin Tuo knew they were after him.

But even so, Qin Tuo wasn't afraid. Having reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, he possessed immense confidence and had no fear of these cowards lurking in the shadows.

Later that evening, Qin Tuo woke Chen Man Ni up.

Chen Man Ni, eyes heavy with sleep and a weary expression on her face, said:

"Qin Tuo, why are you waking me up? I'm still sleepy!"

Qin Tuo reminded her with a smile.

"Manni, did you forget? We have to go to that banquet soon. A lot of people are waiting."

Chen Man Ni shook her head and gave a wry smile.

"Qin Tuo, I'm exhausted. I really don't want to go. You should just go by yourself…"

Seeing that Chen Man Ni seemed truly exhausted and hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep, Qin Tuo, though a bit disappointed, didn't press the issue.

"Alright then. You stay here and get some rest. I'm heading out!"

Qin Tuo said a few words, telling Chen Man Ni to be safe, and then left alone.

'Besides,' he thought, 'Chen Man Ni has a Body-Protecting Dharma Artifact. If she's in any danger, I'll sense it immediately and rush back.'

'With this Dharma Artifact, there shouldn't be any major issues.'

Then, Qin Tuo took a taxi to the Lige Hotel by himself.

The banquet had just begun. The moment Qin Tuo appeared in the hotel, every eye in the room immediately turned to him!

Immediately, a large crowd began to flock around him, fawning over him and trying to curry favor.

An untold number of people came forward to offer toasts, their faces plastered with obsequious smiles.

Qin Tuo had become the center of the entire banquet and was already having trouble keeping up.

"Mr. Qin, you are a true prodigy! I've admired you for a long time. Seeing you in person today, I can say your reputation is well-deserved!"

"Mr. Qin, allow me to introduce myself. I'm…"

"Mr. Qin, you're not married yet, are you? If I may be so bold, I'd like to play matchmaker for you. Would you be interested?"

A horde of dignitaries from Ming City all spoke at once, and the entire banquet hall instantly became so noisy it was hard to hear anything clearly.

Qin Tuo couldn't help but smile wryly. 'If I'd known this banquet was going to be so rowdy, I wouldn't have come.'

Just then, Ouyang Tianqi, the host of the banquet, cleared his throat twice. Many faces in the crowd changed, and they hurriedly parted to make a path.

They realized they had gotten a little carried away, nearly forgetting that Ouyang Tianqi had specifically organized this banquet to welcome Qin Tuo.

Ouyang Tianqi walked over with a broad smile, a glass of wine in his hand. He first shared a drink with Qin Tuo.

Then the two of them went to the head table and sat down, exchanging pleasantries.

Everyone watched this scene, their hearts filled with envy!

How they wished they could be sitting beside the two of them, joining their intimate conversation.

However, everyone present knew they weren't qualified. Only a select few could sit at the same table as Ouyang Tianqi and Qin Tuo.

After a bit of small talk, Ouyang Tianqi asked curiously:

"By the way, Mr. Qin, I heard that the Chief Investigator of the Security Pavilion from the Provincial Government invited you to join, and was even willing to give up his position as Chief Investigator for you, but you refused. Is that true?"

Instantly, everyone's attention was riveted on him, their hearts pounding with shock.

They all wanted to hear what Qin Tuo had to say. Could it really be true?

Qin Tuo nodded with a smile.

"Yes. I had some personal matters to attend to at the time, so it wasn't a good time to accept the position. I had no choice but to decline."

A collective gasp echoed through the room!

Everyone thought Qin Tuo was simply incredible for unhesitatingly turning down such a massive temptation.

A guest beside them exclaimed in admiration:

"Mr. Qin, the position of Chief Investigator for the Provincial Government's Security Pavilion… that's a major provincial official! It's an even higher post than Prefect Xu's. So many people would kill for a position like that, yet you refused it. That's just incredible!"

"Indeed! Mr. Qin is a role model for us all. Such firm resolve and lofty ambition are truly second to none!"

The guests throughout the hall showered him with praise, so much so that even Qin Tuo himself started to feel a bit embarrassed.

At this moment, Chen Wenxiong, who was sitting nearby, raised his glass and said loudly:

"Everyone, let's just enjoy our drinks today and not talk about these other matters!"

Chen Wenxiong knew full well that Qin Tuo didn't appreciate people prying into his affairs, which was why he had stepped in.

Ouyang Tianqi quickly chimed in with a smile.

"That's right! Today is for drinking. We'll leave all other matters for another time!"

And so, seeing which way the wind was blowing, the guests quickly shut their mouths, afraid of displeasing Qin Tuo.

The banquet continued its lively course, and there was a never-ending stream of people approaching Qin Tuo to offer toasts and try to get acquainted.

Fortunately, Qin Tuo had his Spiritual Power protecting him, making him immune to alcohol. An ordinary person would have been dead drunk and passed out long ago.

As the night deepened, two security guards were making their routine patrol on the mountainside of Half Moon Bay.

They carried powerful flashlights, their beams constantly sweeping the area as they chatted and laughed.

Suddenly, two shadows flashed past in front of them!

The two guards instantly grew tense…

"Hey, did you just see someone pass by?"

one of them asked, frowning.

The other guard nodded grimly and whispered:

"Yeah, I saw it too. You think it's a thief?"

At this thought, a hint of excitement appeared in their eyes. They felt their chance to do something heroic had finally come!