Chapter 314: New Mission

Seeing Sang Qian's excitement, Zheng Dan had no worries. The dragon was gone anyway. She could always claim that the dragon had been disturbed by humans, worried about its nest being exposed, and had thus moved away.

She also secretly congratulated herself on having just cleaned the cave, removing all traces of her time with Zu An. Otherwise, if a large group of people went to inspect it, there was no telling what they might discover.

"Let's return to the Giant Whale Gang first. The previous rebellion needs to be dealt with," Zheng Dan said.

After all, Chen Xuan had only colluded with the mid-to-high-level members previously. Now that these individuals were dead, she could regain control of the Giant Whale Gang upon her return.

Sang Qian said in a deep voice, "Let's go directly back to Bright Moon City. There's no need to go to Giant Whale Island."

"Why?" Zheng Dan asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Those members of the Giant Whale Gang have already been annihilated by the troops I led," Sang Qian said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Zheng Dan exclaimed, her face paling in shock.

Sang Qian said calmly, "If they could betray you once, they could betray you a second time."

"Moreover, you are to marry into our Sang family. Your position as the Giant Whale Gang leader, if exposed, would be very troublesome. So, I took this opportunity to completely eliminate this hidden threat."

Zheng Dan couldn't help but rage, "How could you do this? That was my life's work for years!"

"It's time to let it go. The Giant Whale Gang has already served its greatest purpose over the years; keeping it would only be a disaster. You should prepare to be a good wife and mother; that's what a lady of your standing, Miss Zheng, ought to do." Sang Qian waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to take Zheng Dan away.

Hearing that the Giant Whale Gang had been annihilated, Zheng Dan was utterly distraught as servants helped her away.

Watching the group leave, Zu An, still in the tree, felt a chill down his spine. Sang Qian appeared dashing and handsome, but he acted with unexpected ruthlessness.

Giant Whale Island had at least several hundred people, possibly over a thousand including families, and they were all annihilated by him, leaving no one alive.

No wonder Zheng Dan had just tried to prevent him from appearing with her. Given that man's ruthlessness, it was highly probable he would have seized the opportunity to kill him.

After Sang Qian and his group departed, Zu An immediately set off towards Bright Moon City, finally returning to the Chu family residence by evening.

"The young master-in-law is back!"

Cheng Shoubing was squatting by the door and cried out in ecstasy when he saw him.

The entire Chu family then erupted, and many people rushed out.

The first person to emerge was none other than Qin Wanru.

Seeing that it was indeed Zu An, she was both surprised and delighted. "Where have you been all these days?!"

"But it's good that you're back, it's good. Quick, go inform Master, and tell Chuyan and Xiao Zhao to come back; there's no need to search anymore."

Zu An was wondering why he didn't see Chu Chuyan and was startled by her words. "Are Chuyan and the others out looking for me?"

"Yes," Qin Wanru sighed. "Ever since Teacher Shang from the academy came to inform us that something might have happened to you, Chuyan was so anxious she didn't close her eyes for days, taking people out daily to search for your whereabouts."

"Even Xiao Zhao was searching; I don't know what she was thinking."

"Her body clearly hasn't fully recovered yet..." Zu An was touched but also felt deeply guilty. Although he had been recuperating in the cave these past few days, his main activity was his unrestrained time with Zheng Dan.

Not long after, Chu Zhongtian and the others also rushed back upon hearing the news.

Although Chu Chuyan had a faint glimmer of moisture in her eyes, her calm nature kept her mostly composed. Chu Hanzhao, on the other hand, couldn't hold back, directly throwing herself into his arms and crying, "Brother-in-law, where have you been all these days? We were so worried about you, boohoo..."

Chu Zhongtian exchanged a peculiar glance with his wife. Qin Wanru also frowned slightly, but seeing their second daughter in such an emotional state, she didn't say anything.

After a moment, Chu Zhongtian still couldn't bear to see his second daughter clinging tightly to Zu An. He cleared his throat. "Ah Zu, where exactly have you been these past few days?"

Seeing everyone's intense gazes fixed on him, Zu An awkwardly pushed Chu Hanzhao away, though the front of his clothes was already soaked with her tears.

Women are indeed made of water and flesh.

While lamenting, Zu An quickly replied, "That day, I was with people from the academy. Later, I found information about the Giant Whale Gang leader and went to investigate, but I was discovered, captured, and taken to Giant Whale Island."

Everyone around them changed their expressions. Though he spoke lightly, they could easily imagine the dangers he faced.

"Do you know the identity of the Giant Whale Gang leader?" Qin Wanru hastily asked. Over the years, the Giant Whale Gang's salt smuggling had seized a large portion of the Chu family's market, and the leader's identity was even more mysterious than Chen Xuan's.

"I don't know. When I was captured and taken to the island, I happened to stumble upon an internal conflict within the Giant Whale Gang, and I escaped amidst the chaos." Zu An replied, mixing seven parts truth with three parts fabrication.

He felt a pang of apology, but he couldn't possibly betray Zheng Dan.

"It's a pity we couldn't find any information about him!" Qin Wanru said, vexed.

Chu Zhongtian said, "Knowing or not knowing is meaningless. The news just arrived that Sang Qian discovered Giant Whale Island and, with the River Defense Battalion, completely wiped out the Giant Whale Gang."

"Is there really a connection between Giant Whale Island and the Zheng family? What about the captured individuals? Have Xie Yi interrogate them." Qin Wanru said hastily.

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "There are no survivors. Not even a chicken or dog was left alive on the island!"

Qin Wanru took a deep breath. "That Sang fellow is truly ruthless."

Zu An's expression also changed. It had been merely a guess before, but now it was confirmed.

Chu Chuyan's cool voice also rang out. "It seems the Giant Whale Gang is indeed connected to the Zheng family. Otherwise, Sang Qian wouldn't have needed to silence them."

Zu An secretly gave a thumbs-up, acknowledging his eldest wife's cleverness. He mused that Zheng Dan couldn't blame him, as they had figured it out on their own.

"By the way, Ah Zu, why would the Giant Whale Gang suddenly have an internal conflict?" Chu Chuyan's beautiful eyes gazed at him. Having managed the Chu family and dealt with the Giant Whale Gang for years, she couldn't imagine such a formidable opponent falling into internal strife.

"Because Chen Xuan also arrived on the island and incited many within the Giant Whale Gang to rebel. Those individuals were long dissatisfied with the previous leader's conservatism and wanted to expand the scale of salt smuggling, which led to their internal conflict and gave me an opportunity to escape," Zu An explained. There was nothing problematic about sharing this.

"Chen Xuan!" Even Chu Zhongtian was surprised to hear that name.

"So, what was the outcome of their internal conflict?" Qin Wanru asked hurriedly.

"They should all be dead," Zu An replied.

"Dead?" The group looked puzzled, evidently unable to understand how someone like Chen Xuan could die so easily.

Zu An presented the story he had already discussed with Zheng Dan: "As I was fleeing, I suddenly heard a dragon's roar, followed by a terrifying pressure spreading out. From a distance, I saw a colossal dragon in mid-air. I imagine Chen Xuan and the others were chasing the Giant Whale Gang leader and accidentally trespassed into the dragon's territory."

"The colossal dragon soared up and down, constantly spewing fire from its mouth. Even with Chen Xuan's high cultivation, he was no match for the dragon."

"Later, after some time, I secretly approached to take a look and found a pile of charred corpses, a mass of trampled, indistinct flesh, and Chen Xuan's golden saber nearby. I imagine that was his body."

"A colossal dragon! Our ancestors had legends that a dragon existed in Dragon Hidden Mountain, but for hundreds of years, no one had truly seen one, so it was considered a myth. I never thought it was real," Chu Zhongtian exclaimed in astonishment. "It seems I need to invite a few old friends to visit Dragon Hidden Mountain and investigate the dragon's whereabouts."

Even he couldn't resist the allure of a colossal dragon. At the same time, he knew that if such a dragon truly existed, he alone would be no match for it.

Zu An thought to himself that they would be lucky to find it, as that dragon was in his Lapis Lazuli Orb.

A hint of a smile also appeared on Qin Wanru's face. "Although it was perilous this time, overall, it brought back two pieces of good news. The Giant Whale Gang and Chen Xuan were both major troubles for our Chu family, and I never expected them to be resolved together."

Chu Zhongtian also chuckled. "Yes, yes, I never thought Ah Zu would be our lucky star."

Chu Chuyan then approached Zu An and whispered, "Ah Zu, don't do such dangerous things in the future. If you discover anything, come back and inform us in advance. I can go with you."

Zu An's heart warmed, and he couldn't help but grasp her cool, small hand.

Chu Chuyan was so shy that she instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but he held her too tightly, making it impossible to withdraw. She had no choice but to let him.

Chu Zhongtian, standing nearby, noticed this and widened his eyes, then couldn't help but glance at his wife.

Qin Wanru mused that there was no point in him looking at her. If he knew his daughter had already slept with him, he would surely die of anger.

After the general questioning was complete, Chu Chuyan, concerned he was tired, arranged for servants to prepare hot water for him to bathe and change.

Chu Hanzhao clamored that she wanted to personally cook a dish to welcome her brother-in-law and wash away the bad luck he'd accumulated these past few days.

Chu Chuyan couldn't argue with her, so she went to the kitchen with her, also instructing the staff to prepare some dishes for him.

Zu An was comfortably soaking in the hot tub, enjoying himself, when a sudden warning flashed in his mind. He quickly turned around to look.

A gaunt old man stood by the tub, grinning eerily. "Your vigilance is getting higher and higher."

"Senior." Looking at Old Man Mi, Zu An always felt uncomfortable. He instinctively shrunk his body underwater, lest the old man see his extraordinary talent and realize that his body had been healed.

Luckily, Old Man Mi carried a trauma in his heart and instinctively avoided looking at those specific areas. "You're getting wilder and wilder, boy; one day you'll gamble away your life."

Zu An gave an awkward smile. "I didn't want this to happen this time; it's simply that man proposes, God disposes."

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back," Old Man Mi grunted. Among those in the mansion most worried about Zu An's safety these past few days, he was likely in the top three, as he no longer had time to find another suitable candidate.

At that moment, he even considered whether to break one of Zu An's legs so he would stay safely at home and avoid encountering danger outside.

However, considering that he still needed Zu An for other tasks, he ultimately dismissed this tempting idea.

"I came to see you this time because there's a new task for you," Old Man Mi said in a deep voice.

"A new task?" Zu An was startled.

Old Man Mi took a small brocade box from his bosom. "Go to the Wei family and find me a box exactly like this one, and bring it back to me."