Volume 1, Chapter 16: It Is Hard to Be a Good Person
“Sir, let’s talk as we walk.”
Li Ya nodded and prepared to step out.
Xiao Yudie wanted to follow but was told to stay behind by Li Ya.
“It’s nothing serious. You still have work to handle tomorrow, so get some rest early.”
Xiao Yudie parted her red lips to say something but only nodded in the end. “Alright, boss, I’ll wait for you at home.”
Watching Li Ya and the old steward leave, Xiao Yudie felt puzzled.
“Villa No. 6… I heard that an elderly man from the Imperial Capital lives there. Could it be that the boss knows some big shot from the capital?”
But soon she shook her head, knowing her boss was someone of great standing.
As the young master of the Li family—one of the four great families of Tianzhou—it was quite normal for him to know important people from the capital.
Still, Xiao Yudie wondered why such a distinguished figure from Villa No. 6 would suddenly come knocking at night.
Walking through the park, Li Ya glanced up at the sky. Tonight, dark clouds blanketed the heavens, obscuring the moonlight and stars.
The once tranquil Yunhu Elegant Garden was now eerily silent, with only the chirping of insects by the roadside breaking the stillness.
“Sir, could you tell me exactly what strange things have been happening in the Ruan family?”
“If it weren’t something unusual, I doubt Old Master Ruan would have sent you to see me so late at night.”
Li Ya spoke calmly, his tone betraying no surprise at the trouble in the Ruan household.
“Mr. Li, my name’s Zhang Feng. I’ve served the master for many years. Just call me Old Zhang.”
“Tonight, for some unknown reason, several servants suddenly turned pale and fell ill.”
“At first, the master thought it was food poisoning or some disease, but before long, even his two pet parrots died suddenly.”
“The two black dogs guarding the courtyard didn’t die, but they lay motionless on the ground.”
As Zhang Feng spoke, he glanced at Li Ya with curious eyes.
He had just overheard Xiao Yudie address Li Ya as “boss.”
He hadn’t expected this young man to be the employer of the female CEO of the Luo Shen Group, which piqued his curiosity about Li Ya’s identity.
Moreover, it was rare for Old Master Ruan to personally send someone for help after something strange happened at night.
“Is that all?”
“Has anyone close to Old Master Ruan shown symptoms like fainting or convulsions?”
Li Ya inquired softly.
Though his martial skills had not advanced much in recent years, Li Ya had been studying some feng shui arts.
Previously, he had been focused solely on Su Yunjin, wanting only a simple life, so he hadn’t delved deeply into these matters.
But after cultivating the Nine Dragons God Talisman, it was as if his meridians had been opened, and many previously obscure concepts suddenly made sense.
Though he didn’t fully understand the black energy he had seen earlier, he was certain that if it erupted, it would be deadly.
At Li Ya’s question, Old Zhang’s expression changed in surprise.
“Mr. Li, you’re right. The family head came back to see Old Master today but, for some unknown reason, fainted and lost consciousness shortly after…”
Li Ya nodded calmly. It was just as he suspected.
Soon, the two arrived at the Ruan estate. Though it was late at night, the mansion was brightly lit. Villa No. 6 was even larger than Li Ya’s Villa No. 1.
Many people were coming and going, and several sturdy men in black suits guarded the entrances.
Li Ya noticed that these men were all skilled and agile, their temples slightly bulging, clearly seasoned fighters, most likely former soldiers.
At the sound of Li Ya’s footsteps, the bodyguards immediately grew alert.
“This is Mr. Li, the person Old Master specifically instructed me to meet.”
The bodyguards eyed Li Ya suspiciously but nodded and followed them inside.
Inside, numerous medical personnel were already treating the Ruan servants, but they seemed baffled, unable to determine the cause.
Li Ya glanced over and noticed that the servants all looked pale, with a streak of dark cloud above their foreheads.
“Uncle Zhang, why did you bring this fraudster here?!”
Ruan Mei came out angrily upon seeing Li Ya.
Hearing Ruan Mei’s accusatory tone, Old Zhang was stunned and turned to Li Ya in confusion. “Mr. Li, do you know our young lady?”
“Well, there was a misunderstanding before.”
“Ha! A misunderstanding? You’re just a conman. I bet you poisoned my family to trick my grandfather!”
Ruan Mei had a friend in the police who had informed her of a scam gang recently operating in Luo City. Coupled with Li Ya’s sudden appearance, she jumped to the conclusion that Li Ya was part of the scam.
With her father ill and strange incidents happening at the estate, Ruan Mei blamed all these troubles on Li Ya.
The bodyguards’ expressions darkened as they surrounded Li Ya.
They exuded a fierce aura, far more formidable than the petty thugs of the Fierce Tiger Gang. These were elite soldiers, battle-hardened veterans.
Old Zhang was overwhelmed and quickly stepped in front of Li Ya.
“Miss, could this be a misunderstanding? Mr. Li was personally requested by your grandfather to come.”
“Besides, Mr. Li already deduced the family’s troubles on the way here, proving he’s no conman.”
Old Zhang forced a wry smile.
Though he had doubted Li Ya earlier, he knew Xiao Yudie—the CEO of Luo Shen Group—and that group would never be involved with scammers.
“Heh, Uncle Zhang, you’re naive. It’s precisely because he’s behind this that he knows our family’s secrets. Grandpa is old and naive.”
“I’ve already contacted Dr. Xu from Luo City. We don’t need you here causing trouble.”
Li Ya’s face darkened.
He had only come out of respect for Old Master Ruan, a war hero who had devoted his life to the Dragon Kingdom.
He hadn’t expected his goodwill to be met with such hostility and false accusations.
“I only came because of Old Master’s favor. If you don’t want my help, I’ll leave. Take care of yourselves.”
With that, Li Ya turned without hesitation and started to leave.
“Heh, so you want to leave after we’ve uncovered your scheme? Not so easy. Grab him!”