Chapter 287: Gu Yuanzong Makes His Move

Accompanied by Gu Zhengying and Gu Zhangsheng, Gu Yuanzong arrived at the back garden. The crowd, previously scattered, gathered instantly. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by Gu Yuanzong's appearance and rushed forward one after another to offer their greetings.

Gu Yuanzong wore a professional smile, nodded to acknowledge everyone, and walked straight toward Chen Che.

Seeing this, the jealous Su Xiao finally found a reason to act; she strode over and forcefully pulled apart Jiang Lan and Chen Che, who were huddled together intimately.

Amidst Jiang Lan's dissatisfied expression, Su Xiao gave her a look of righteous justification.

Chen Che naturally noticed Gu Yuanzong walking over; he quickly straightened his clothes and stood up with dignity.

"Mr. Chen, I have long heard of your name. It is truly an honor to meet you today. You are indeed a hero among the youth."

Gu Yuanzong's smile was kind and gentle, much like an affectionate elder.

Chen Che responded with a smile: "To receive such praise from Elder Gu, it is I who am truly fortunate. Thank you, Elder Gu, for inviting me to attend this banquet."

"A young man should not be so humble."

Gu Yuanzong beckoned to a Follower, "Come, I will toast you a drink, hoping that you and the Gu Family can become friends in the future."

"It would be my greatest honor."

Chen Che smiled with a completely harmless expression.

The conversation between the two left everyone present stunned; they watched this scene with dropped jaws, feeling it was beyond belief.

"Who is that young man? To think he could be treated this way by Elder Gu?"

"The new master of the Scorpion Society, Chen Che... the one who made the Huang Family stumble before."

"So it's him. But the Huang Family is a powerful and noble clan, and they have always been on good terms with the Gu Family. Why is Elder Gu so friendly toward Chen Che?"

"What does it matter if the Huang Family and the Gu Family are on good terms? Elder Gu has a broad vision; he must think highly of Chen Che. Otherwise, how could he ignore all the other guests the moment he appeared and come straight to find a young man like Chen Che?"

"It seems we should build a good relationship with the Scorpion Society in the future; this Chen Che has a boundless future."

………

The guests discussed it among themselves, and their voices reached the ears of the Ouyang Family and the others, leaving them even more confused.

"Dad, what does Elder Gu mean by this?"

Huang Shengming could not help but ask in a low voice.

Huang Shili glanced at Gu Zhengying and Gu Zhangsheng, shook his head, and did not answer.

Ouyang Guilin frowned deeply. Reason told him that even if Chen Che's suspicions were cleared, it was impossible for Gu Yuanzong to treat a young man this way. Combining this with what happened just now... he concluded that Gu Yuanzong must have some other plan.

Ding Zhen shared the same thought as Ouyang Guilin; he warned his two sons, who were still brooding over the matter of Ding Xu, to remain calm and wait to see how things developed.

Seeing this, Fang Yuying breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the matter was over. She turned to look at Fang Shaoyi, only to find that the latter's brows were knitted into a "chuan" character, and his sharp, spirited eyes were constantly observing the surroundings.

"I never imagined Mr. Chen would actually gain the appreciation of Elder Gu. It seems our choice was not wrong."

Ma Youxiang gazed at the scene not far away and smiled with satisfaction.

"That is because Father has a keen eye," Ma Yiren added with a smug smile.

Ma Zijun, however, did not dare to agree with his father and grandfather's views. According to the plan, Chen Che should have left after investigating the Gu Family, but now he had swapped back with Shen Qi, as if he had anticipated that Gu Yuanzong would come to find him.

Ma Zijun, however, dared not agree with the views of his father and grandfather; according to the plan, Chen Che should have left after investigating the Gu Family, but now he had swapped back with Shen Qi, as if he had anticipated that Gu Yuanzong would come looking for him.

Xue Zhangming squinted as he observed Gu Yuanzong and Chen Che. He could not figure out what these two old and young foxes were up to, but he could clearly see that beneath their cordial smiles, both were hiding cold, sharp blades.

Yet, the development of events was exactly as he had expected, and even more unexpected to everyone else.

Yet, the development of events was indeed as he had expected, and even more so beyond the expectations of others.

Chen Che and Gu Yuanzong clinked glasses, both observing the other as they drank the wine in one gulp.

"Many thanks, Elder Gu..."

Before Chen Che could finish his sentence, his wine glass fell onto the green lawn, shattering with a "duang" sound. A pressure like a falling Mount Tai meteorite descended from the sky, enveloping Chen Che without giving him the slightest chance to prepare or defend himself.

Before Chen Che could finish his sentence, his wine cup dropped onto the green grass, making a "duang" sound as it shattered into pieces; a pressure like a falling Mount Tai meteorite descended from the sky, enveloping Chen Che without giving him the slightest chance to prepare or defend himself.

Chen Che fell face-first onto the ground, not even having time to brace his body with his limbs.

Chen Che lay face down on the ground, his limbs not even having had time to brace his body.

Someone among the guests screamed, startled by this sudden turn of events.

The guests, who had just been pondering how to build a relationship with Chen Che and were now clueless, were all dumbfounded, frozen in place and not daring to move.

Because everyone felt that as Chen Che fell, the Gu Family Followers, who had previously been impeccable in their service and etiquette, had all changed their faces, their kind smiles replaced by a chilling, murderous solemnity.

Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger occupied three corners of the back garden, ensuring everyone was within their line of sight and surrounded.

Ouyang Guilin revealed a look of expected arrogance and smiled, looking at the disheveled Chen Che with disdain.

Ding Zhen narrowed his eyes, exchanged a glance with his two sons, Ding Mingchang and Ding Mo, and they all laughed with schadenfreude.

"I thought Elder Gu was just going to let Chen Che leave like that; it seems I was overthinking it."

Huang Shengming also revealed a sinister smile once again.

Huang Shili laughed as well and glanced at the Ma Family not far away, his eyes filled with undisguised provocation.

However, no one in the Ma Family paid any attention to Huang Shili's provocation.

Ma Youxiang spat out the wine in his mouth and exclaimed in utter astonishment: "What is going on?"

Ma Yiren was also stunned. He looked at Ma Zijun and asked: "Zijun, you helped Mr. Chen investigate things before. Do you know about today's events? What is happening now? Why would Elder Gu target Chen Che?"

Ma Zijun clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He did not hear a word from his father or grandfather; his entire attention was on Chen Che.

He looked around and found that all the Gu Family members were on high alert, as if they were waiting for Gu Yuanzong's order for no one in the back garden to be spared.

The situation had exceeded the scope of the plan. Ma Zijun had already finished the tasks Chen Che had assigned him, and now he could only adapt to the circumstances.

Ma Zijun whispered to the accompanying Lin Su: "If something happens in a moment, don't worry about me; you must ensure Chen Che's safety!"

Lin Su nodded heavily, her gaze fixed on Chen Che, her eyes filled with suppressed anger and worry.

Fang Yuying's heart, which had just settled, rose back to her throat. She panicked and immediately looked to Fang Shaoyi for a countermeasure: "Great-grandfather..."

Fang Yuying's heart had only just settled before it rose back into her throat; flustered, she immediately looked to Fang Shaoyi to ask for a countermeasure: "Great-grandfather..."

"Shh!"

Fang Shaoyi shot her a sideways glance, then glanced at Xuanwu not far from them, showing not the slightest abnormality.

Fang Yuying secretly peeked at Xuanwu, then looked at Chen Che with a face full of worry; if he really died, then the Fang Family, especially Fang Shaoyi, would be held under Xuanwu's thumb forever.

As for Su Xiao, who was closest to Chen Che, she reacted the instant Chen Che fell, only to be left breathless by the aftermath of the pressure.

Su Xiao struggled to move her body, which felt as heavy as a thousand catties; even with her True Qi released without reservation, she could only move a little.

Jiang Lan stood rooted to the spot in terror, looking helplessly at Gu Yuanzong and the cold-faced Gu Family members behind him, including Gu Zhengying.

She was worried about Chen Che, yet she knew clearly that she could not help at all; for a moment, a surge of mixed emotions welled up in her heart, making her so anxious she was scratching her ears and cheeks, suffering intensely.

Jiang Lan desperately glanced toward the dance floor, where Song Jinhe and Shen Qi, who were hiding in invisibility, noticed Jiang Lan's pleading gaze.

Shen Qi wanted to rush out regardless of the consequences, but was stopped by Song Jinhe.

She was equally worried in her heart, but she believed in Chen Che; since Chen Che had decided to return, he must have calculated every possible outcome.

Therefore, what she needed to do now was to stay calm and remain patient; if it came to the absolute last resort, she would protect Chen Che's safety even if it meant risking her own life!

Gu Yuanzong, meanwhile, never paid attention to the reactions of the people around him; his gaze remained fixed on Chen Che.

At this moment, Chen Che was face down, his entire body sinking into the soil inch by inch; even though the True Qi within his body resisted stubbornly, it only ensured his internal organs remained undamaged, with no possibility of breaking free at all.

Gu Yuanzong narrowed his eyes sharply, his gaze profound as he wondered what he was thinking; the pressure he released continued to increase, and the protective True Qi on Chen Che's body gradually grew exhausted, crumbling and dissipating bit by bit.

If this continued, even if Chen Che wasn't crushed to death, he would be suffocated.

A bad premonition!

Fang Shaoyi, Fang Yuying, Ma Zijun, Lin Su, and Jiang Lan exchanged glances in an instant.

Shen Qi and Song Jinhe, who were out of everyone's sight, also stopped concealing their auras, their True Qi slowly surging.

Everyone prepared to strike together!

"Stop!"

A loud shout rang through the silent back garden of the Gu Family; Ma Zijun and the others were slightly stunned to see an unexpected person rush over quickly to stop Gu Yuanzong's actions.