Lu Chuan quickly waved his hand, "Big brother, please don't misunderstand. That's not what I meant. What I meant to say is that I'm not weaker than a fifth-stage inner energy practitioner now. You may not necessarily be my match, um, that's not what I meant..."
Zhou Long clenched his fists, angrily saying, "Kid, if it weren't for Sister Hong saying you were injured, my fist would've already landed on your face!"
Gu Hongzhuang also glared at Lu Chuan angrily, "Lu Chuan, how could you? Have you forgotten that you nearly died at Lin Hu's hands? Zhou Long's strength isn't inferior to Lin Hu's. He's more than capable of protecting you. Hurry up and apologize to Zhou Long. Your safety in the future will still rely on him."
Lu Chuan looked helpless, "Hongjie, I finished healing my injuries last night, and my strength has greatly increased. Now, a fifth-stage inner energy practitioner isn't much in my eyes anymore."
Gu Hongzhuang frowned, "I really misjudged you. I didn't expect you to be so hung up on saving face and causing trouble for yourself."
"Do you think accepting the bodyguard I arranged for you will make you lose face in front of me? You're lying through your teeth. Even though I'm not proficient in martial arts, I know that each stage of inner energy cultivation is increasingly difficult. You surpassed the fifth stage in just one night. Do you really think I'm that naive?"
Zhou Long snorted coldly, "Hongjie, I've seen many conceited guys like him. Since he says I'm not his match, why don't I just take care of him now and save you the trouble?"
Gu Hongzhuang immediately glared at Zhou Long, "Shut up!"
She looked at Lu Chuan, "This matter is settled. You..."
Lu Chuan interrupted her directly, saying to Zhou Long, "Come on, let's spar."
This was the only way he could prove himself now.
Gu Hongzhuang became even more infuriated, "Are you trying to anger me?"
Lu Chuan said, "Hongjie, we're just sparring. We'll stop when it gets too much. If I don't do this, you won't believe me at all."
He looked at Zhou Long and assumed a fighting stance, "Let's do this."
Zhou Long sneered, "You asked for it!"
From the beginning, he had a grudge against Lu Chuan. After all, being treated by Gu Hongzhuang like this made him jealous. Moreover, this kid was so arrogant. He had wanted to teach him a lesson long ago.
"Sister Hong treats you so well, but you don't appreciate it. I'll teach you a lesson for Sister Hong!"
Fearful that Gu Hongzhuang might stop him, Zhou Long didn't hesitate and immediately launched an attack at Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan activated his spiritual power, intercepted Zhou Long's moves, stepped back, made a feint to distract Zhou Long, and then swiftly struck him in the abdomen with his palm.
Bang!
Zhou Long was sent flying and landed on the ground, displaying a painful expression.
He looked at Lu Chuan in disbelief, completely unprepared to lose to this kid in just three moves.
Gu Hongzhuang had wanted to intervene, but before she could, Zhou Long was already lying on the ground from the exchange between Lu Chuan and him.
This left her utterly shocked, her eyes widened like copper bells.
"What he said was actually true..."
Lu Chuan quickly walked over and helped Zhou Long up. "Are you okay?"
Zhou Long looked embarrassed as he glanced at Lu Chuan and quickly shook his head. "I... I'm fine, bro. It was my misunderstanding. With your strength, you really don't need me to protect you."
Lu Chuan looked at Gu Hongzhuang. "Hongjie, do you believe me now?"
Gu Hongzhuang snapped out of her daze and gave a disdainful grunt. "Fine, you're impressive."
In reality, she was astounded by Lu Chuan's performance. This guy not only knew how to heal but also could exorcise evil spirits. His progress in strength was also incredibly rapid, making him an extremely rare talent.
Lu Chuan smiled and gestured to Gu Hongzhuang. "Still, thanks for your kindness, Hongjie."
"Tch," Gu Hongzhuang scoffed.
"Hongjie, I need to head home now. I've caused quite a disturbance these past few days, please forgive me."
He suddenly remembered that Munanqing didn't know his current situation, so he needed to hurry back.
"I bet my sister-in-law must have been worried sick," he added.
He had left his phone at home when he went out that day, fearing it might get damaged during the fight. As a result, Munanqing couldn't reach him at all.
Gu Hongzhuang didn't try to stop him and arranged for Zhou Long to escort Lu Chuan back to the city.
At the Golden Lake Residence,
Lu Chuan ran home as if he were flying.
Munanqing was sitting on the sofa, crying, looking much more haggard than before.
The table was littered with used tissues.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Lu Chuan hurried over to the sofa and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm back."
Munanqing looked stunned as she looked up at Lu Chuan, without any reaction for quite some time.
Lu Chuan didn't know what was wrong with Munanqing. "Sister-in-law, are you..."
At that moment, Munanqing suddenly stood up, took a step forward, and hugged Lu Chuan tightly, as if she wanted to squeeze him into her body.
"Xiao Chuan, is it really you?"
Lu Chuan hugged Munanqing, patting her back. "Sister-in-law, it's me. I'm fine. Lin Hu is dead, and the crisis is over."
Munanqing looked at Lu Chuan with tears streaming down her face, then suddenly started pounding on Lu Chuan's chest. "Why didn't you tell me before you left? You disappeared for three whole days without a word. I thought something had happened to you. I tried everything to find you, but I couldn't. Do you know how worried I was? If you hadn't come back today, I would have hanged myself and followed you!"
Lu Chuan comforted Munanqing. "Sister-in-law, why are you saying such foolish things? I'm perfectly fine. It's my fault for not informing you. I didn't want you to worry, so I left without saying anything. I promise I won't do it again in the future."
"I'd rather be worried than live in constant fear for your safety! Stinky Xiao Chuan, I don't like you anymore!"
Munanqing pounded on Lu Chuan's chest, seeming angry but actually not using much force.
Lu Chuan let her vent her emotions, feeling touched in his heart.
In this world, only Munanqing cared so much about his safety.
After a long time, Munanqing's emotions stabilized.
She wiped her tears and went to wash her face, tidying up her appearance.
She didn't want Lu Chuan to see her looking so haggard.
She walked up to Lu Chuan, asking earnestly, "Xiao Chuan, is the matter with that Lin Hu really over?"
Lu Chuan nodded. "Yes, sister-in-law, why would I lie to you?"
Munanqing reached out and pinched Lu Chuan's cheek, grumbling. "You better not make me worry like this again."
Lu Chuan promised earnestly. "I won't!"
Munanqing smiled, despite her swollen eyes, still captivating.
Lu Chuan liked seeing Munanqing smile.
At that moment, he remembered something and looked at Munanqing, asking, "Sister-in-law, you said you'd tell me a secret if I could get through this crisis. What's that secret?"
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