Chapter 31: Xu Xier’s Identity

After Lin Le and his companions emerged from the crowd, Ji Xiaorui was so excited she nearly jumped for joy.

“Master! You were absolutely amazing just now! That was a real show of strength, slapping faces with your power!” Ji Xiaorui, with her spirited temperament, could not hide her excitement in the least.

Lulu, who stood nearby, had already begun to see Lin Le in a new light.

Previously, Lulu had thought that without the support of the Lin Group, Lin Le was nothing more than a fallen young master, unworthy of being Ji Xiaorui’s mentor. Aside from the admiration she’d felt for him over the past six years, there was nothing about him that deserved Ji Xiaorui’s respect.

But the scene she had just witnessed left her deeply shaken.

Lulu finally understood that those who have once known glory, no matter how destitute or troubled they become, possess a spirit fundamentally different from ordinary people.

Without a doubt, Lin Le was just such a person.

“That’s right! My brother Lin Le has always been incredible!” Xu Xier, standing beside them, spoke with great pride, as though Lin Le’s reputation elevated her own status.

In truth, from beginning to end—whether Lin Le was rich or poor, influential or disgraced—Xu Xier’s attitude toward him had never wavered.

“Your brother Lin Le?” Ji Xiaorui seemed to seize upon a weakness, speaking with a mischievous look. “Sister Xier, I haven’t asked you yet: you’re always so close to my master, what exactly is your relationship? Don’t tell me you’re old lovers or something…”

Ji Xiaorui regarded Xu Xier as if she were watching a comedy.

“Ah!” Xu Xier’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Ji Xiaorui, how can you say such things!”

“Ah!” Ji Xiaorui mimicked her, “Looks like I hit the mark, otherwise why would your face turn red like you’re lovesick?”

Lulu burst out laughing.

“Oh, I really can’t take it—you say anything that comes to mind! I’m not talking to you anymore!” Against a girl like Ji Xiaorui, sweet and innocent Xu Xier was utterly defenseless.

“Brother Lin Le, aren’t you going to do something about your apprentice?” Xu Xier tugged at Lin Le’s arm, making her complaint.

“Husband, your sister wants you to keep me in line—so why don’t you?” Ji Xiaorui, not to be outdone, grabbed Lin Le’s other arm and began to act spoiled.

Lin Le, caught between the two, could only lament his predicament, powerless to resist.

After some playful banter, Ji Xiaorui originally wanted to invite Lin Le to the underground arena in the Western District to watch a match. Ever since Lin Le had caused a stir there, his name had spread throughout the underground circles. Many devoted fans of the arena came specifically to see the young master who had defeated Black Mountain with a single punch. Yet Lin Le had not appeared again since that day, leaving them disappointed.

The rules of the underground arena dictated that ten consecutive victories made one the reigning champion.

In other words, if a fighter won ten matches in a row, they would become the arena’s titleholder, the master of the ring.

Normally, challengers needed to reach the same ten-win status to qualify for a challenge and potentially replace the reigning champion.

But since Black Mountain had accepted Lin Le’s challenge, the usual rules were changed. After Lin Le defeated Black Mountain, he directly took his place as the new champion of the underground arena!

As the titleholder, Lin Le’s status and earnings from each match were vastly superior to those of regular fighters.

The underground arena, managed for years by Ma Bozhong of Tianma Group, had long attracted the wealthy from Haizhou and neighboring provinces, with monthly revenue reaching a billion. Ma Bozhong himself pocketed at least ten million from it.

Now, with Lin Le’s current standing, each victory earned him a share of at least a million.

Yet Lin Le’s ambitions went far beyond mere match earnings. During his last visit, he had not only observed the fighters but had watched the money window carefully.

With the keen business acumen inherited from his father, Lin Tenghui, Lin Le instantly recognized the arena’s enormous nightly turnover.

No wonder Ma Bozhong personally patrolled the venue so often—this seemingly ordinary underground arena was a gold mine.

Lin Le couldn’t help but think: if he could take over the arena and make it his own, it would be like owning a printing press for money.

But his abilities were not yet sufficient, and the timing was not right. This would require careful planning.

As he had already promised Gu Ya earlier that morning to visit the villa at Dragon Breath Mountain after school, Lin Le did not accompany Ji Xiaorui to the Western District.

After bidding Ji Xiaorui farewell, Lin Le told Xu Xier about his trip to the villa. Xu Xier thought that visiting Longyuan Lake would be fun and volunteered to drive him there.

On the way, Lin Le pondered whether he should buy a car; relying on others for every outing was inconvenient. He decided that once the villa at Dragon Breath Mountain was settled, he would purchase a vehicle.

Over an hour later, Xu Xier, driving her white MINI, brought Lin Le up the mountain.

As they ascended the road, Lin Le noticed that, except for the summit, the rest of Dragon Breath Mountain seemed free of the issues affecting the villa at the top.

It appeared the problem was isolated to the summit.

When Xu Xier finally drove Lin Le to the mountaintop, they saw Gu Huaishan, Gu Ya, and Guo Zhao waiting ahead.

Before they reached them, there was a muffled sound, and Xu Xier’s car suddenly stalled.

“Huh? What’s going on? How could this happen?” Xu Xier was puzzled.

Her MINI was only a few months old and had never had any issues.

Lin Le was even more surprised.

He had seen Gu Ya’s car parked a hundred meters away and found it odd, but now he understood: the problem wasn’t with Xu Xier’s car, but with Dragon Breath Mountain itself.

Some mysterious force at the summit was affecting vehicles.

Lin Le marveled—if even cars stalled here, what secret lay hidden at the top of this mountain?

At that moment, Gu Huaishan, Gu Ya, and Guo Zhao came down to greet them.

“Mr. Lin, I forgot to mention earlier—the summit’s problems affect cars as well,” Guo Zhao explained.

“It’s alright, now we know,” Lin Le replied with a bitter smile.

As Lin Le and Xu Xier stepped out of the car, Gu Ya’s gaze immediately fell upon Xu Xier.

Though Gu Ya’s own appearance and bearing were extraordinary, she couldn’t help but marvel at Xu Xier.

At first glance, Xu Xier radiated a natural spirit; her skin was smooth and pale like jade, inspiring envy—an innate beauty, perfectly described by the phrase.

What left Gu Ya most helpless was that, despite the other’s excellence, she couldn’t muster any jealousy toward this lovely girl, because Xu Xier’s pure warmth evoked only affection.

Seeing such an outstanding girl holding tightly to Lin Le’s arm, Gu Ya felt a surge of jealousy.

“Lin Le, who is this beauty? Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Gu Ya said, her voice tinged with envy.

“Oh, this is Xu Xier, a friend of mine,” Lin Le replied.

“Hello, Grandpa Gu, Sister Gu, Uncle Guo!” Xu Xier greeted them with a bright smile. Lin Le had already told her who she would be meeting.

Her voice was sweet and her smile radiant, like a ray of sunlight warming everyone’s hearts.

Even Gu Ya, who had prepared to tease Lin Le, found herself unable to say anything after hearing Xu Xier’s delightful greeting.

“Miss Xu, so young and yet so courteous and refined—truly remarkable,” Gu Huaishan praised.

At the same moment, as his gaze lingered on Xu Xier’s brows and eyes, Gu Huaishan was momentarily stunned.

He suddenly felt that this young lady’s features were strikingly similar to those of an old acquaintance.

Thinking of that person, Gu Huaishan felt a wave of emotion.

That was someone whom even he had respected in the past and still did. Though the man had passed away many years ago, his name lingered in many corners of the world.

What made it more coincidental was that this old friend was also surnamed Xu.

Could there really be some connection?

If so, then Miss Xu’s identity would be far from ordinary!

But why had Lin Le met her? Was it pure coincidence, or was there another reason?

These matters were too deep for Gu Huaishan to contemplate further.

As for Miss Xu’s identity, since this was their first meeting, Gu Huaishan dared not ask directly. Besides, when his old friend passed away, it was after a major upheaval. Even if he asked, she might not admit it easily.

Not only that, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

It would be better to proceed slowly; perhaps he could learn something useful through indirect conversation.

Having resolved silently to keep his intentions hidden, the shrewd Gu Huaishan said nothing more, maintaining his look of admiration.