CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 177: [ASK YOU A QUESTION]

Chapter 177: Let Me Ask You a Question

"I won’t kill you!" Guo Qiang clenched his teeth and then glared fiercely at Guo Kang. "But... what about Ah Zhen?"

Ah Zhen was none other than Guo Yuzhen, also known as the Fourth Miss.

In fact, Chen Nuo had also been puzzled about something: How could Guo Qiang and the Fourth Miss, given their abilities, have been so easily subdued by the Guo Family in Jinling?

When the couple joined forces, they had almost brought about the downfall of the Star Sky Empress. Not to mention that they had coincidentally encountered Lu Xixi’s fatal weakness by accident.

Speaking of Guo Qiang’s capabilities alone, he was already at the threshold of stepping into the Controller level.

How could the Guo Family’s men have pursued him so relentlessly in Nanjing that he had nowhere to run, was forced to flee in panic, and was even seriously injured?

The one who led the team to Jinling City to capture Guo Qiang was Mountain Tiger, the son of Manager Liu. He was considered a martial arts expert, but still far, far from Guo Qiang’s level.

Guo Kang shook his head. "I grew up with Fourth Sister from a young age. Without any grudges or grievances between us, I wouldn’t take her life... Now, she is only confined at home under house arrest. If you want to see her, after you kill me, no one in the Guo Family could stop you."

Upon hearing this, Guo Qiang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief but shook his head. "It’s good that she’s alive."

Guo Kang glanced at Guo Qiang, shook his head with a cold smile. "That’s just your nature—so indecisive despite all your great abilities.

There’s nothing wrong with Fourth Sister. Although she wronged you this time, it’s just because she was foolish and naive.

You don’t have to blame her."

This statement made Chen Nuo sense something, and he looked at Guo Qiang. Guo Qiang’s face was pale, but he finally gave a wry smile and whispered to Chen Nuo, "She drugged me! A bowl of Power-Dispersing Powder. I was caught off guard, drank it, and my martial strength was greatly diminished. That’s how I got chased around by Mountain Tiger and those kids."

Chen Nuo’s eyes widened in shock. "What the fuck? She drugged you?"

"Ha!" Guo Kang scoffed. "That’s why I say my Fourth Sister isn’t too bright. After years of running and hiding, as the years go by, she also grows older. She always hoped for a haven, for reconciliation with the family, and for a peaceful return home someday.

Guo Qiang concealed a lot from her, never telling her he stole something of mine from the family.

In my Fourth Sister’s eyes, the two of them were merely eloping. Given a few years, the family’s animosity would dissipate, and the day of reconciliation would ultimately come. Family matters—where are all these irreconcilable grievances? After all, when women get older, that’s mostly how they think."

"So what then?" Guo Qiang asked through clenched teeth, anger evident in his voice. "So you deceived her?"

"Just a little trick," Guo Kang shook his head and said. "Fourth Sister has always been in contact with the family. The last time I offered a hefty sum to a master to capture you, someone from the family tipped her off, resulting in my commissioned master’s failure to catch you!

This time, I simply reversed the tactic!

I had someone tell her that her mother was gravely ill and that the family was willing to reconcile, as long as she could bring you back. After eloping for so many years, it was a done deal. Even if you returned, at most, there would be a scolding. Could we really forcibly separate you two?

You have lived as husband and wife for so many years. The family would ultimately have to hold their noses and accept this affair.

This woman understood it that way and was deceived that way."

"What about the drug?" Guo Qiang shook his head in bewilderment.

"You are stubborn," Guo Kang laughed heartily. "Fourth Sister brought up the topic of returning home several times, and each time you argued fiercely with her. You were worried about the treasure you stole from me, thinking that if you went back, I might kill you, so of course, you would never agree to return.

But Fourth Sister didn’t see it that way. Unaware of this matter, she thought you were just too stubborn, unable to swallow your pride and reconcile with the family.

And this time, I had someone tell her that her mother was critically ill and that all she wanted was to reconcile with you.

So, this woman, with her mind clouded by emotion, believed my deception.

Feeling that she couldn’t get through to you, that there was no reasoning with you, she had no choice but to drug you.

She thought that once she had you subdued, she could forcibly take you back home. By then, it would be too late for you to regret. And once back, the family could always resolve matters.

I must say, both you and your spouse are simple-minded, truly unfit for the wiles of the Jianghu."

"Pah! I was on guard against everything else, but who could have ever anticipated that my own woman would bring me a bowl of medicine to knock me out!" Guo Qiang’s face flushed red with anger as he exclaimed, "You are to blame for your excessive malice!"

"It’s not that I’m malicious, but rather you’re too stupid," Guo Kang laughed heartily. "Guo Qiang! How do you think you managed to steal that item from me in the first place?!"

Guo Qiang was taken aback. "Huh?!"

"After I seized the old master’s body, my soul was weak and debilitated. That treasure, although capable of allowing someone to seize a body, Body Seizing isn’t that simple, is it?

Having taken the old man’s body, my spirit was extremely feeble, like that of a young child, mostly groggy all day, with few moments of lucidity!"

"...No wonder," Guo Qiang frowned. "During that time, you were always in seclusion, telling the family that you were studying the ancestral Cultivation Technique, and once you shut the door, it would be for days or even months at a time."

"My spirit was frail, and I was in fear of being taken advantage of by others! And with Liu Changgui, a venomous snake, lurking by my side, how could I not be cautious?

Liu Changgui harbored ambitions as fierce as a wolf, and I was too weak to fend him off. If I had kept that item with me, he might have stolen it when he had the chance. Then I would have merely fashioned a wedding garment for someone else.

After much deliberation, within the entire Guo family, the only person I truly trusted and was sure I could control was you, Guo Qiang!

So, under the guise of our ancestor, I forcibly commanded you to marry the fifth sister and suppressed you in every way possible within the family. Then, while speaking with you, I deliberately let slip some information about that treasure. You were foolish enough indeed, for it wasn’t long before you sneaked into the inner residence in the dead of night and stole the treasure I had prepared.

Guo Qiang, all this was but a ploy because I felt that it was not safe to keep the item with me, so I entrusted it to your care for a few years!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Nuo asked, "After you seized your father’s body, which surely couldn’t have been in great condition, didn’t it feel unnatural not to switch to another body?"

Guo Kang looked at Chen Nuo and shook his head. "Right now, I’ve been utterly defeated, and naturally, the item is in your hands. But do you think I would willingly spill these secrets, kid?"

Chen Nuo wasn’t in a hurry and replied casually, "Guo Qiang, how far are we from Xi’an City?"

"... Uh?" Hearing this, although Guo Qiang didn’t understand the full implication, he thought for a moment and replied, "About forty kilometers."

"Forty kilometers, huh? It would take almost an hour to drive back to Xi’an," Chen Nuo nodded and then looked at Guo Kang. "I still advise you to come clean."

"..."

"If you don’t talk, do you believe I could make you somersault all the way back to Xi’an from here?"

Guo Kang was shocked and couldn’t help but curse, "You... you little punk! To humiliate your opponent like this, do you have any..."

"Dignity? No," Chen Nuo shook his head.

"... And another thing!" Guo Kang clenched his teeth, staring at Chen Nuo. "What exactly did you use to subdue me? I can’t think of any method that could counter all the top practitioners of the Mentality Series in this world! Once I regain my youth, the fundamental techniques of my Guo family are best at refining the physical body. I can’t understand how I lost to you!"

Chen Nuo patted Guo Kang’s shoulder. "Actually, there’s no harm in telling you.

Did you really think my spiritual power would be so easily absorbed?

If you had absorbed just a little bit, I would have had no way to deal with you. But seeing that absorbing my spiritual power could rejuvenate you, you became greedy and took more and more... In the end, within your body, your own spiritual power had become far less than mine. Once my spiritual power reached a quantity large enough to overwhelm your own spiritual consciousness, you became my puppet."

Guo Kang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "So that’s how it is... My technique actually has such a fatal weakness..."

Chen Nuo smiled but said no more.

To call it a weakness might not be entirely accurate.

First, if Guo Kang hadn’t been so greedy when facing an opponent with Telekinesis, he could have absorbed just a little each time and stopped. Then, he could have gone back to properly refine his spiritual power, slowly integrating the absorbed power with his own. There would have been no problems.

Second, other Telekinesis masters in the world, even if Guo Kang absorbed their spiritual power, might not have possessed such keen sensitivity and control to turn him into their puppet.

Unfortunately, he happened to encounter Chen Nuo, who had just returned from RB and killed a Mother.

The benefits that the Mother brought to Chen Nuo were immense. The transformation in his spiritual power was a qualitative improvement. The pure quantity might have increased by less than double, but the pure spiritual power from the higher spiritual life form of the Mother greatly transformed and improved Chen Nuo’s Consciousness Space. His control, sensitivity, and manipulation of Telekinesis were all greatly enhanced.

Especially in the techniques of manipulating spiritual power, alien psychic entities are far stronger in this aspect than the so-called Mentality Series masters on Earth.

It can be said that even if Guo Kang had faced the Chen Nuo from before the RB trip, Guo Kang might have had a chance to win.

"..." Guo Kang exhaled and suddenly said, "I know, now that you’ve also become aware of that treasure, you certainly want to get it.

The white object is in Guo Qiang’s hands, so you naturally don’t need to worry.

The black object is in my hands, and you definitely want it!

But there are some secrets about how to use this object that you don’t know!

If you agree to one condition, I can willingly hand over the black object to you, and I’ll tell you all of its secrets!"

Chen Nuo laughed.

When Chen Nuo laughed, he liked to squint his eyes first, his lids revealing a gentle gaze, then his lips would lightly curl, bending into a shy arc like that of a bashful youth...

Before this, many people around Chen Nuo felt that this young man had a very attractive smile.

"I want to see Guo Xiaowei," Guo Kang said harshly. "Let me see him, and let him go. Then I’ll tell you what you want to know. Otherwise... no matter how you torture me, I absolutely won’t hand over the object!"

"The black object isn’t on you?"

"It’s not!"

"You’ll talk if you see your son?" Chen Nuo asked with a smile.

"I will!"

Having heard this, Chen Nuo turned his head to glance at Guo Qiang, his smile fading as he coldly said, "Roll back into the well!"

Guo Qiang had a complex expression. "Chen Nuo..."

"The matter of you offending me has not yet been settled. This time you almost killed two people by my side, and the slight connection and friendship between us is not enough to offset such a grave mistake," Chen Nuo shook his head. "Now, go into the well, Boss Guo.

People have to pay for what they have done—I believe that’s the greatest fairness in the world."

Guo Qiang did not say another word. Silently, he turned around and then jumped back into the dry well.

As for Guo Kang’s matter... Guo Qiang understood that he had no standing to make demands of Chen Nuo.

Whether Guo Kang lived or died, the only one who had the right to decide was Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo had Guo Kang stand up and then made him walk to the courtyard’s gate.

At this moment, the courtyard was like the aftermath of an F-18 typhoon. It was now a ruin, and the two residential buildings had also collapsed.

However, Chen Nuo still pulled a person out from under the fallen fence wall.

This person was the driver Guo Kang had brought with him today.

Clearly, the driver had some intelligence. From the moment the fight started in the courtyard and Liu Changgui led his men to besiege the ancestor, the driver had tried to run away but was knocked down by a blow in the melee and ended up pinned under the falling fence.

He was obviously not dead and not severely injured either, but it was clear that he was playing dead—a sometimes sensible strategy in such situations.

When Chen Nuo pulled the driver out, the fellow trembled as if he were suffering from a serious illness.

"I’m giving you a task. Do it well, and you can live," Chen Nuo didn’t plan to trouble the driver too much.

Pointing at the dry well nearby, he said, "You’ll guard here by this well. Three days, don’t leave... I guess there’s water in the car. Under the collapsed houses, you can also find some food.

For three days, guard here, watching over the person in the well. Got it?"

"..." The driver looked at Chen Nuo warily, trembling.

Chen Nuo nodded and called out loudly, "Guo Qiang!"

From the well, Guo Qiang responded sullenly, "What is it."

"This guy will guard here. Once you’ve completed three days, contact me then.

If this fellow runs away first... just throw him into the well, and you can come up."

Chen Nuo drove away in the Guo Family car, taking Guo Kang with him.

"Since you care so much about your son Guo Xiaowei, you must have prepared many escape routes for him, right?" Chen Nuo asked Guo Kang in an indifferent tone while driving.

Guo Kang didn’t deny it. "When it’s one’s own son, one always needs to do these things."

"Your son is useless," Chen Nuo shook his head.

"...Indeed he is," Guo Kang still did not deny it.

"The useless also have their uses," Chen Nuo sighed. "Many times, the use of the useless can be beyond expectations."

Guo Kang really had arranged many contingencies for Guo Xiaowei.

This included quite a bit of the Guo family’s fortune that was secretly amassed.

In the most bustling part of Xi’an City, there were two large houses.

Additionally, properties had been purchased in Luoyang, and even in Shanghai City.

Back in a high-end residential area in the center of Xi’an City, inside a house that was exquisitely decorated but apparently uninhabited on ordinary days, Chen Nuo found a stack of property deeds bearing Guo Xiaowei’s name and couldn’t help but sigh.

Besides the property deeds, there was also a lot of money.

Accounts in three foreign banks.

"I guess Guo Xiaowei didn’t even know you, his dad, had secretly acquired so much property for him, right?" Chen Nuo said with a smile as he looked at Guo Kang. "You really do treat your son well."

Guo Kang’s expression remained unchanged as he coldly said, "He’s too young. If he knew he had so much money, I believe it wouldn’t be good for him. These houses and wealth are there, waiting for him to grow up, mature, and become sensible before he is entitled to use them."

Chen Nuo smiled and said nothing, instead picking up a laptop that was in the house.

"I can’t take the houses, nor can I transfer their ownership. But this money, if I take it, you won’t have any objections, right?

You’ve caused me such a big problem. Taking some of your money is only fair."

With his teeth clenched, the muscles on Guo Kang’s cheeks twitched slowly, but at last, he exhaled. "Fair enough."

Transferring money in this era was not as easy as in later times. Even though the accounts were overseas, the transfer still took time.

Chen Nuo wasn’t concerned, however, and instead waited leisurely in the house.

He even went downstairs partway through and found a restaurant outside for a meal.

After all, Guo Kang had already become his puppet. As long as Chen Nuo issued an order, this guy could sit on the couch at home until the moment he died without moving an inch.

Eventually, when evening arrived, Chen Nuo returned to the house. The transfers had been completed.

In the years when Guo Kang possessed the body of the old Guo family patriarch, he had stealthily moved some of the Guo family’s money, like a mouse moving its hoard. The funds in the overseas accounts had now been drained.

Chen Nuo walked onto the balcony to look at the distance.

The house offered an exceptionally good view. Situated on the 18th floor of a high-rise, it had a spacious balcony—rare for the era—with excellent cross-ventilation. From there, one could overlook the most prosperous part of the city, and in the distance, green mountains were visible.

Chen Nuo sighed, turned around, and took out a tissue, beginning to slowly wipe away his traces in the room...

Chen Nuo wiped the door handles, as well as everything he had touched since entering this room.

As Chen Nuo was cleaning, Guo Kang’s face changed!

He had realized something.

"You... want to kill me?!"

Chen Nuo replied with a relaxed expression, "Yeah."

"Here?"

"Yeah," Chen Nuo looked up at the guy. "Isn’t this place good? Unbeatable view, nice environment. Dying here isn’t too unfair to you."

Guo Kang’s eyes bulged. "You... don’t want to get that item anymore? You don’t want to know its secrets? You said you’d let me see Guo Xiaowei!"

Chen Nuo smiled, approached Guo Kang, and stared into his eyes. "Do you think I’m an idiot?"

With a sigh, Chen Nuo said in a gentle tone, "If, even now, I still believed your act of father-son affection, then you’d truly be taking me for a fool on par with Guo Qiang.

If I had maybe three-tenths of a doubt before, then after seeing all the preparations you’ve made for that waste Guo Xiaowei, and how much wealth you’ve transferred for him, I’d probably be a real fool if I still couldn’t guess."

"You could even possess and kill your own father. It’s laughable to expect me to believe you have deep paternal feelings for your son. All these years, you clearly knew Guo Xiaowei was a hopeless case, yet you never disciplined him, letting him become a waste. But secretly, you amassed so much property...

You simply saw Guo Xiaowei as your next target for Body Seizing!

Initially, possessing your father was out of necessity; his old body wouldn’t last you many years. And besides, what fun is there in an old man’s body compared to a young person’s?

Guo Xiaowei is your blood relative, and also the target you prepared for your next Body Seizing.

You knew Guo Xiaowei couldn’t take over as Family Head within the clan, so you made a backup plan.

After you possess him, it would be great if you could reclaim the position of Guo Family Head in Guo Xiaowei’s identity.

If not, you’ve already transferred so much of the Guo family’s assets that starting anew is also a good path."

Guo Kang was speechless.

Chen Nuo continued to shake his head. "Now that I know the item is split into two parts, with the black piece needing to be placed on the person whose body is seized...

And I’ve guessed that you plan to seize Guo Xiaowei.

So, where did you hide that black piece? A little thought makes it obvious.

Plus, after I kidnapped Guo Xiaowei and the others from your family, you were desperate to get him back, no matter what.

On one hand, because he’s the vessel you’ve prepared for yourself.

On the other hand, I’m afraid it’s because... that item is actually on Guo Xiaowei’s body!"

Guo Kang finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "These... these are just your guesses! Aren’t you afraid you’re wrong?!"

Chen Nuo watched Guo Kang’s eyes grow increasingly desolate, confirming his suspicions. He waved his hand dismissively. "So what if I’m wrong? It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not interested in Body Seizing or anything like that. That item—it would be nice to get, but it’s not essential if I don’t. Getting my hands on the assets you set aside for yourself is already a decent haul for me."

Guo Kang was utterly dumbfounded.

Chen Nuo continued, "Also, you desperately want to see Guo Xiaowei. I guess you must have some trick up your sleeve. That item is on Guo Xiaowei... if you could just see him, perhaps that item has some special property that could give you a chance to turn things around?"

Seeing the utter despair in Guo Kang’s eyes, Chen Nuo knew he had guessed correctly.

"But it doesn’t matter anymore," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "I don’t plan on taking any more risks or inviting unnecessary complications. I’ll search Guo Xiaowei for that item. If I find it, great. I’ll study it myself. Whatever its miraculous properties, maybe I can figure them out. If I don’t find it, or if I find it but can’t figure it out—it really doesn’t matter."

As he spoke, Chen Nuo’s smile was like that of a shy teenager. He added with a smile, "For me, stability is the most important thing."

"You... killing me like this will still cause big trouble! The Guo Family won’t just let this go! We have been rooted in this land for several generations. This time you came to the northwest, kidnapping, attacking, killing..."

"You know, there is one thing that actually makes me very happy," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "Believe me, I can resolve all these troubles.

Because...

Not a single one of you in the Guo Family is a good person!"

Having said this, Chen Nuo walked towards the door with a smile.

"I set an ’alarm clock’ inside your body—you will sit quietly here, on the sofa, looking at the scenery outside the balcony. When the ’alarm clock’ goes off, you will stand up and then jump off the balcony...

You see, it’s a nice way to die.

After your death, only one story will spread... The old patriarch indulged in indecent behavior, followed by the family’s dirty secrets coming to light. In the end, overwhelmed by shame and unable to face the criticism from his family members, he chose to jump from his son’s apartment to commit suicide...

It’s not entirely logical, but it’s very much in line with human nature."

Leaving this "old patriarch" of the Guo Family in the apartment, Chen Nuo departed.

He arrived at a hotel.

In the hotel, Brother Lei, Sun Keke, and Zhang Linsheng had already left, having taken a plane back to Jinling City that night.

Chen Nuo roughly calculated the time. The plane should be close to landing in Jinling City by now.

In the hotel, there were also two subordinates whom Li Qingshan had sent to assist Brother Lei.

They were responsible for guarding a room. Inside were the four members of the Guo Family that Chen Nuo had captured on his first day in Xi’an City. These included Guo Xiaowei and three others, Guo Weidong among them.

Chen Nuo did not immediately rush to check on Guo Xiaowei or search him for anything.

The first person he met was Guo Weidong!

He was the first person from the Guo Family Chen Nuo had captured, the one in charge of the Guo Family’s businesses in Xi’an.

In an empty room, Chen Nuo woke Guo Weidong up.

Chen Nuo looked at Guo Weidong, who was somewhat slow to react after being roused from a long stupor.

Chen Nuo, in a surprisingly good mood, sat down in front of him and even offered him a cup of water.

Guo Weidong looked at the terrifying young man before him with a complex expression, hesitated for a moment, but still took the cup of water.

"Do you want to be the Family Head of the Guo Family?"

Chen Nuo’s gentle question made Guo Weidong jump up, dropping the cup from his hands.

"What... what did you say?"

Chen Nuo waved his hand. "I know, I know. Even though you are the old patriarch’s son, your identity and position aren’t enough, and you don’t hold enough power in the family.

Moreover, as long as the old patriarch is alive, how can it be your turn to be the Family Head.

Even if the old man dies, considering the family’s hierarchy, it won’t be your turn..."

Guo Weidong swallowed hard, his voice raw as he said, "If you understand all that, why say something so preposterous and laughable..."

Chen Nuo waved his hand again, interrupting Guo Weidong’s words.

"What if the old patriarch is going to die soon?

Ah, right, you’re afraid you won’t be convincing enough, that you don’t have the strength to compete within the family...

What if I arrange a strong ally for you?

For example... Guo Qiang?

His strength is unmatched in the Guo Family, right? You handle the Guo Family’s legitimate businesses, but you worry you can’t control the family’s martial power—well, let Guo Qiang help you.

Don’t ask me why. I naturally have a way to make Guo Qiang fully assist you.

I’m just asking you... are you interested?"

Guo Weidong’s face turned pale as he spoke with a trembling voice, "Who... who are you? What are your intentions with our Guo Family..."

"I don’t have the patience to waste my breath on you," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "Think it through—I’ve captured four people from the Guo Family!

Hmm, aside from that useless Guo Xiaowei.

Besides you, there are two other people from the Guo Family whose positions in the family are similar to yours.

If you refuse, I’ll just have to talk to the other two."

Saying this, Chen Nuo looked into Guo Weidong’s eyes.

"Alright, now, I’ll ask you once again.

Do you want to be the Family Head of the Guo Family?"

Guo Weidong was drenched in sweat!

「BANG BANG BANG, you know what I mean~」