Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO-Chapter 654 Tao Ranju, Hu Deyao

If Xu Ke were here, he would certainly recognize the person Han Wang called Left Envoy Hu. This was the same old man in black who had saved him in the alley and rescued Xu Yi at Li Lang's villa…

Hearing that Left Envoy Hu had traveled from so far away only to appear and question them about Xu Ke with his very first words, both Han Wang and Ye Lang were baffled.

"Left Envoy Hu, you… do you have some connection to Xu Ke?" Han Wang asked in astonishment.

Hu Deyao was in no mood to answer. He bellowed, "Answer my question first! Do you think you can just ignore me now that you've reached the Innate Great Perfection realm?"

"Let me tell you, even if my hands and feet were tied, you still wouldn't be a match for me."

Han Wang, who had been so arrogant in front of Xu Ke, now wore a completely different expression. He chuckled awkwardly, "Left Envoy Hu, you jest."

"I never intended to kill Xu Ke."

"Then what are you doing in Tianhai?"

"I came here on my own initiative to help Xu Ke!"

Seeing Hu Deyao's fury on Xu Ke's behalf, Han Wang knew there was definitely a connection between them and immediately gave the answer he thought Hu Deyao wanted to hear.

He completely forgot how, just days prior, he had been cursing Xu Ke while stubbornly resisting his return home...

As expected.

Hu Deyao was taken aback, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Came to help voluntarily? Really?"

"Absolutely! How would I dare deceive you?"

Hu Deyao's face instantly broke into a wide smile.

Seeing this, Han Wang and Ye Lang also smiled and immediately looked for a place to sit.

However, in the next second, Hu Deyao barked, "Who said you could sit? Stand up!"

Han Wang and Ye Lang snapped to attention, standing meekly in place.

Hu Deyao scoffed, "Explain everything clearly! Dammit, I just returned from reporting in Jiang City, and the moment I turn my back, I get news that you went to assassinate Xu Ke. You two have some real nerve!"

Hearing this, Han Wang knew Hu Deyao was deeply unsatisfied with his simple answer and suspected he was lying.

So, Han Wang had no choice but to spill everything.

He recounted how he was poisoned, the tasks Xu Ke had assigned him, and the arrangements for his return to the country.

After listening, Hu Deyao burst into scornful laughter. "I knew you weren't that kind-hearted. How could you possibly come back to help so obediently?"

"So you fell into Xu Ke's trap."

"Losing to a twenty-five-year-old kid… you're really something else."

Meanwhile, Hu Deyao was secretly shocked. Damn it. How is Xu Ke's progress getting so monstrous? The last time I saved him in the alley, he clearly couldn't even handle a few cultivators at the Innate Initial Stage and was nearly killed. How can he now withstand Han Wang's attack head-on? Good heavens, he's gotten way too strong!

Hearing Hu Deyao's mockery, Han Wang's expression turned unnatural. "Left Envoy Hu, I was just careless."

"Heh heh!"

Hu Deyao snorted, clearly unconvinced, then continued, "Well, since you're useful to Xu Ke now, I won't punish you. I had originally intended to take both of your hands."

At these words, Han Wang turned pale with shock. "Left… Left Envoy Hu, why would you do that to me?"

"Who exactly is Xu Ke?"

Only now did Han Wang realize the gravity of the situation.

He had always held Hu Deyao in deep reverence; their relationship was almost like that of a teacher and student. But he never imagined that just for accepting a mission to kill Xu Ke, Hu Deyao would actually consider crippling him.

After all, for Han Wang, who practiced the Ice Palm, taking both his hands was no different from crippling him entirely.

"Who is he? Heh heh!" Hu Deyao grabbed a nearby plastic cup with a steeping teabag, took a sip, and sneered, "I'd advise you not to ask. If you knew his real identity, you'd piss your pants in fear."

At that moment, the expressions on Han Wang and Ye Lang's faces flickered wildly. Both were frantically wondering if Xu Ke possessed a background so formidable that even Left Envoy Hu feared it.

"Also, can you stop coming to Tianhai to cause trouble all the time?" Hu Deyao continued to curse. "We made an agreement with the Martial Alliance Leaders from all jurisdictions that we would not commit murder in the four major cities. Are you treating the oath the Elder and I swore as if it's worthless?"

Han Wang involuntarily flinched, his face troubled. "But Left Envoy Hu, the Assassin's Alliance has long since parted ways with you. That oath was made by Tao Ranju; it shouldn't apply to the Assassin's Alliance, right?"

Hearing this, Hu Deyao laughed with fury, grinding his teeth. "Fine, you want to be independent, is that it?"

"Alright, I'll respect your wishes. I definitely won't interfere with your business anymore."

"When the time comes and everyone unites to take you down, neither the Elder nor I will lift a finger to help."

Han Wang and Ye Lang dared not say another word.

Afterward, Hu Deyao stood up and left with a sneer. "I can't be bothered with you anymore. But you'd better protect Xu Ke. If he so much as loses a single hair, I'll hold you responsible."

This was his main reason for coming.

Although he had been ordered to protect Xu Ke, for various reasons, he always seemed to lose track of him or something would go wrong. There was the time in the alley, Xu Yi's kidnapping, and the incident on the Haisui Expressway…

Every time he let his guard down, Xu Ke ended up in trouble, which was a huge headache for him.

Now that he had Han Wang and Ye Lang, two big suckers, to protect Xu Ke in his stead, why wouldn't he be happy?

This way, I'll have something to report to the Elder, and I can go do my own thing. Awesome! Despite his outwardly angry demeanor, Hu Deyao was inwardly ecstatic.

But while he was overjoyed, Han Wang was on the verge of a breakdown.

"What?"

Han Wang was dumbfounded. "How did we suddenly become bodyguards?"

He was supposed to kill Xu Ke after he got the antidote!

Oh, right. Because of Hu Deyao, he no longer dared to kill Xu Ke. But he didn't want to protect him either! Having to face Xu Ke every day… he was certain the constant bullying would drive him insane…

"Then how about I protect him and kill you instead?"

Hu Deyao's cold words extinguished any thought of resistance.

"Left Envoy Hu, fine, I'll watch over him. But can you at least give me a time limit?" Han Wang could only mumble, settling for the next best thing.

Hu Deyao said teasingly, "Let's start with one month. After a month, you probably won't be able to beat him anymore anyway."

Upon hearing this, Han Wang looked as though he had lost his entire family. Ye Lang, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly went vacant, his eyes glazed over…

They both knew Hu Deyao was determined to screw them over.

The implication of his words was clear: he would be free from this duty only when Xu Ke was strong enough to beat him.

That would take at least a few decades! How could that possibly happen in one month?

"Relax, you don't have to look so miserable." Seeing Han Wang's wretched state, Hu Deyao felt a bit bad for constantly picking on him. "There's an upside to this. I'll let you in on something, and once you hear it, you'll be more than willing to follow Xu Ke."

"What is it?" Han Wang asked, all hope drained from his voice.

"Xu Ke is the designated heir of Tao Ranju," Hu Deyao said, clapping Han Wang on the shoulder with a smile.

As his words fell, the aged faces of Han Wang and Ye Lang flushed crimson at a visible rate. Their cloudy old eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at Hu Deyao and stammered in shock, "Wh-What?!"

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