Chapter 451 - 451: One Pregnancy, Silly for Three Years

"I'm puzzled by this as well, of course."

Yan Haifeng waved his hand and walked toward the garden. It was unclear if he was speaking to the old butler or to himself. "But there's always someone stronger out there. We can't rule out the possibility that the three of them ran into some kind of trouble in Central State."

"Patriarch, why don't we send someone to investigate now?" the old butler asked.

Yan Haifeng shook his head coldly. "Since Du'Er will be back before dark, let's not stir up any unnecessary trouble for now."

"Very well. We can make our plans after Young Master Yan Duo returns." The old butler nodded and slowly backed away. "Patriarch, I'll go and get the Second Master."

"Go on."

Yan Haifeng waved his hand and walked alone through the quiet rear garden.

The incident with Yan Duo and the "unexplained disappearance" of his three younger brothers weighed heavily on his mind.

Logically, with a powerhouse like him—a Middle Stage Creation Realm expert—the Yan Family should have nothing to worry about.

However, he had a persistent feeling that something was amiss about Yan Duo's return tonight.

Therefore, to ensure nothing went wrong, it was necessary to call upon his second brother, Yan Hailong.

Yan Hailong, an expert at the Late Stage of the Creation Realm!

The undisputed strongest expert in the Yan Family.

On the path of cultivation, after stepping into Martial Arts, the ranks are Martial Artist, Great Martial Artist, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, Venerable, and Great Venerable!

Each of these realms is divided into the First to the Ninth Layer.

And above Great Venerable are the Creation Realm, Celestial Destiny Realm, Human Emperor Realm, and Guiyuan Realm!

From the Creation Realm onward, the realms are no longer divided into layers, but into Early, Middle, and Late Stages.

For some Cultivators, breaking through to the next realm directly from the Late Stage is relatively simple.

Then there are others, like Jiang Xinghai, who continue to cultivate at the Late Stage until they reach the peak of Great Perfection before advancing to the next realm.

This is why, among those in the same realm, Jiang Xinghai's power is considered unbeatable!

「4:00 PM, Central State.」

The celebration for the Shen and Leng Families' successful promotion to first-rate status had come to an end.

After Jiang Xinghai spoke with the patriarchs of Central State's major Martial Arts families one by one, he also arranged for Yan Qingshan, the head of the Central State Martial Arts Department, to secretly assist and look after them.

Finally, after a private farewell with Shen Lingxue, he left with Leng Ning in a car, heading toward the Provincial City.

"Take care..."

Shen Lingxue watched the Land Rover disappear into the distance, her heart swelling with emotion.

Although she hated to see him go, Jiang Xinghai had his own path to follow.

He had to find out what happened to his parents and track down the culprit who had conspired against them: Mr. Long of the Black Cloak!

Now that he was gone, she feared he wouldn't be able to return often.

She just needed to get through the first trimester of her pregnancy safely, and then she could go find him.

So, she wasn't overcome with sorrow.

She would use this time to focus on her pregnancy and her cultivation. She just hoped that, at the very least, she wouldn't be a burden the next time she saw Jiang Xinghai.

"Sis, there's just so much that's amazing about Xinghai." Shen Lingyin murmured, watching the car disappear before glancing down at Shen Lingxue's slightly swollen belly.

'Soon, I'll be an aunt.'

"Lingyin, I've noticed your complexion has been quite good lately. Is that the effect of using the Anti-Aging Cream?" Shen Lingxue said with a smile.

"Uh..."

'How could Shen Lingyin not know? Her current glow was entirely thanks to Jiang Xinghai's "attentions."'

"By the way, Sis, the AM Company is opening a branch in the Provincial City. Counting the days, there are only five left in the original plan, right?" Shen Lingyin asked.

"Right. You have a better sense of time than I do. I can't even remember clearly," Shen Lingxue couldn't help but say with a wry smile.

"Don't tell me this is the start of 'pregnancy brain'?" Shen Lingyin teased.

Shen Lingxue smiled. "In that case, come with me to the Provincial City in five days for the branch opening."

"Okay! I'll get to see Xinghai again then," Shen Lingyin blurted out with a smile.

She seemed to realize how inappropriate that sounded and quickly covered her mouth.

"Lingyin, you were so against Jiang Xinghai at first, but now you're always talking about him. Have you changed your mind?" Shen Lingxue asked in a low, teasing voice.

"Sis, no way," Shen Lingyin said, lowering her head, terrified Shen Lingxue would discover what she had done.

'She felt she never should have become infatuated with Jiang Xinghai; it felt like a betrayal to her sister.'

"Hee hee, I'm just teasing you." Shen Lingxue took a deep breath.

Shen Lingyin relaxed, then noticed Mu Jianni and Zhang Rui standing nearby, their expressions complicated.

The three women's eyes met by chance, and a look of shared embarrassment passed between them.

Last night, the three of them had bared themselves to the same man.

At the time, none of them had thought much of it.

Thinking back on it now, they realized they had been a little too wild.

「Meanwhile.」

Jiang Xinghai drove to the Central State Martial Arts Department and collected Yan Duo, whose limbs had been crippled.

Leng Ning was driving a box truck carrying three ice coffins that held the bodies of the three Yan brothers.

The two vehicles traveled together, heading toward the Provincial City.

「6:00 PM.」

The Land Rover took the highway exit, finally entering the Provincial City of Shanhe Province.

"Mr. Jiang, the Yan Family estate is in South City."

Yan Duo reminded him as he gazed out the window at the familiar scenery.

'I'm finally almost home!'

'It all comes down to this!'