Leo Li wore a cold expression. "I heard Faye mention it before—years ago, that kid’s mom ruined the marriage alliance between the Zheng and Qi families, ran away pregnant with him, and in the end, the Zheng and Qi clans haven’t spoken for years."
Even if the Zheng family elders deep down hope that kid and his mom will come back, Leon Zheng—whose bright future got wrecked by them—there’s no way he’d just let it slide so easily!
Leo’s eyes flashed. "And besides, Faye is Master Yan’s favorite disciple. Once my master gets back, does that kid really think he can keep stirring up trouble all by himself?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the still-unconscious Faye Zheng, eyes full of resentment.
Meanwhile—
Evan Lin walked ahead with his backpack, hands in his pockets. Yvonne Zhu trailed a few steps behind, sneaking glances at him now and then, her eyes showing a mix of realization and confusion.
Bryce Gu deliberately hung back a few steps, giving them a bit of space.
All around them were rows of towering skyscrapers, cars roaring down the busy streets.
Compared to Seacrest and Capitalview, Oceanport was way bigger—standing beneath those buildings made you feel tiny.
"Where are you headed?"
Yvonne finally couldn’t hold back and asked, seeing Evan stride on without slowing.
"To the Zheng family."
Evan paused and glanced at her. "Do you know where the Zheng family lives?"
Yvonne was caught off guard by Evan’s question and looked at him, surprised.
If it were anyone else, Yvonne would probably think he was just hitting on her. But seeing Evan’s calm eyes, that thought didn’t even cross her mind.
"The Zheng family’s over in the new district—it’s a bit far from here, but I can take you." Yvonne nodded, then asked curiously, "But why are you going there?"
"That girl you had me slap just now—she’s from the Zheng family. If you go there now, you’re basically asking for trouble."
Yvonne looked completely puzzled.
You just beat up one of their own, and now you’re heading straight to their house—are you going to crash their place or something?
As the thought hit her, Yvonne suddenly understood.
"I'm going to take care of a few things, so I'll need you to show me the way."
Evan nodded. If he wanted, he could spend a bit of spiritual energy to lock onto the location of the Harmony Jade Pendant here in Oceanport, and then just follow it straight to Joy Zheng.
But that would be too much hassle. Now that Yvonne Zhu was offering to lead the way, Evan was happy to take it easy.
"Wait here for a bit—a car will be here soon."
Yvonne Zhu glanced at Bryce Gu, who quickly made a call. Not long after, a stretched Lincoln rounded the corner at the end of the street, driving smoothly with a heavy chassis that drew plenty of curious looks from passersby.
Once the car stopped, the driver quickly got out and opened the door.
After everyone boarded, the car started up again.
Inside, the car was spacious.
Yvonne Zhu sat beside Evan, while Bryce Gu took the seat across from them.
"That Master Lin who beat Morgan Yang on Thousand-Saints Mountain—was that really you?"
Yvonne Zhu looked at Evan, unable to suppress her curiosity.
Seeing Evan nod, she was still puzzled about the rumors of Master Lin's red hair in Seacrest, but she had no more doubts.
She'd witnessed Evan crush Luke Lu with a single stomp, seen Gavin Cheng defeated by him, and watched him break swords with ease at the Moore estate—those scenes had left an indelible mark on her mind.
"Master Lin, now that you're in Oceanport, do you have a place to stay? If not, you're always welcome to live at the Zhu family estate."
Bryce Gu, who'd been silent until now, looked at Evan and smiled warmly, his eyes full of goodwill.
At first, Bryce had thought Evan was just a prodigiously talented teenager, but now he was convinced that Evan must have the backing of a truly hidden, powerful family—otherwise, how could he have defeated Morgan Yang at such a young age?
When Morgan Yang emerged, his Pointing-to-Mystery Realm shook the city, and was leagues above those so-called Vajra masters.
"Unless something unexpected happens, I'll be staying at the Zheng family estate."
Evan thought for a moment.
Joy Zheng hadn't returned home in ages, and now that she finally had, she'd probably be staying with the Zhengs no matter what.
Evan didn't give it much thought.
Hearing this, Bryce nodded. Though he was a bit disappointed, he didn't push any further.
The car drove into Oceanport's new district and stopped in front of a villa compound.
"Up ahead is the Zheng family estate. But you just had a run-in with Faye Zheng. Are you sure it's a good idea to go in now?" Yvonne Zhu asked, a bit concerned.
She wasn't really worried about Evan's safety. With the strength of Master Lin from Seacrest, there were only a handful of people in the Zheng family who could even think of threatening him.
"It's fine. Thanks."
Evan shook his head, opened the car door, and stepped out, heading forward at a leisurely pace.
"If you need any help, don't forget to call me!"
Yvonne Zhu called after Evan's back, but he didn't respond. She sighed softly and got back in the car.
"Uncle Gu, why is he going to the Zheng family?"
As the car door closed, Faye Zheng watched Evan's back through the window, her brows furrowed.
"I can't figure it out either," Bryce Gu shook his head. "He just had a falling-out with Faye Zheng at the station. If he really had a grudge against the Zhengs, he wouldn't have waited until Oceanport to deal with her and her crew."
"Plus, I've been watching him the whole time. Whether getting in or out of the car, he hasn't shown the slightest bit of emotion. And now he's planning to live at the Zheng estate—that's even harder to figure out."
Bryce Gu looked thoughtful.
"He admitted he beat Morgan Yang, which means he's stronger than Morgan. If only we could bring him into the Zhu family."
Yvonne Zhu rubbed her temples. "And did I go too far slapping Faye Zheng just now?"
"Faye Zheng is famous for caring about her reputation. I haven't interacted with her much, but I know how much it stings to get slapped in public."
"Plus, her master is the rather mysterious Master Yan. Was it really wise for me to shoulder all this drama for Master Lin?"
She looked at Bryce Gu.
Bryce was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "For anyone else, maybe not. But for him, it's the smartest move you could make."
"Even if Faye Zheng and Master Yan hold a lifelong grudge against the Zhu family, it doesn't matter. Compared to Master Lin from Seacrest, their weight isn't even close—a hundred Master Yans couldn't compare."
Bryce Gu looked at Yvonne Zhu, his tone serious. "Miss, you'd better keep a close eye on the Zheng family these days."
"If anything happens, make sure you side with Master Lin right away. That's how we win his favor!"