Chapter 20: How on Earth Did You Manage to Make Such Friends?

By the time everything was settled, twilight had fallen, and the farce had finally come to an end. The Wen family’s mansion had survived a grueling day. In the lingering glow of the sunset, this luxurious residence was now riddled with holes, looking like a combat-hardened piece of equipment pushed to its limit. Fortunately, the place was vast enough to remain habitable after a bit of tidying, though another two incidents like this would surely warrant tearing it down and starting from scratch.

Fu Qian, the primary culprit, had successfully earned the respect—and fear—of everyone through his display of violence earlier that day.

"Mr. Fu, thank you for your hard work today. I have already arranged a place for you to stay." Wen Li looked exhausted, her face showing signs of wear, yet she still forced herself to remain polite. She was one of the few people willing to engage with Fu Qian.

"It was no trouble at all." Fu Qian’s tone was dismissive, causing Young Master Ye’s body to flinch.

Young people today really had such fiery tempers! Things had escalated to such a degree that Fu Qian didn't believe for a second that a simple smile could erase their grievances. If he had offended them, then so be it; whether Young Master Ye was secretly wishing to skin him alive was something Fu Qian couldn't care less about. Judging by his previous behavior, the young man valued his own life quite dearly. Fu Qian believed that after the incident with the flying corpse on the fourth floor, Young Master Ye would likely lie low and refrain from any petty schemes until he had figured out exactly who Fu Qian was. That was enough. The best part was that no matter how much he investigated, he would only ever find the fact that Fu Qian was a simple bodyguard, which would surely leave him in a state of paranoia. Hopefully, that would buy enough time for Wen Li to level up. He just hoped she wouldn't be too disappointing when the time came.

...

The night passed without incident. When he woke up in the luxurious bed, the room was already filled with bright daylight. Ever since becoming an extraordinary individual, Fu Qian had found his energy levels consistently high, making sleep largely optional. However, as an enthusiast of sleep, he remained in the habit of resting in bed. Although the bedroom provided for him had been prepared in a rush, it was clearly quite opulent, not a standard guest room. It wasn't until he heard Wen Li yawning as she walked into the adjacent room that Fu Qian realized he had been put up in the master suite. It seemed the Wen family was truly terrified.

A maid was already waiting outside the door to escort Fu Qian to breakfast. When he arrived at the dining room, Wen Li was eating with grace, her complexion having recovered significantly. Whether or not she had followed his advice, the number of servants present was noticeably lower. Wen Xiuxian was, at the very least, a pragmatic man who listened to reason.

"Good morning, Mr. Fu. Please, feel free to ask the kitchen to prepare whatever you would like."

Offering a polite greeting, Wen Li smiled and explained why her father wasn't present. "Father had some matters to attend to, so he left early this morning."

Being rich isn't easy, either! Fu Qian mused to himself as he sat down to eat some side dishes. The taste made the struggle worth it, he decided.

"Mr. Fu, regarding the security arrangements, do you see anything that needs improvement? I will have them cooperate with you completely," Wen Li asked once she had finished her breakfast, fully displaying the upbringing of a refined young lady.

"There is indeed plenty of room for improvement—so much so that there is no point in trying," Fu Qian replied without even looking up.

He was telling the truth. The Wen family's current security appeared tight, but it was built on the assumption that the opposition would be ordinary assassins. Against any non-human entity skilled in stealth and infiltration, their defenses were essentially non-existent.

...

"You still suggest I hide in the safe room, don't you?" Wen Li sighed. "For various reasons, I would prefer not to take that route unless absolutely necessary. I will discuss it with my father when he returns."

As it turned out, trouble arrived much faster than Wen Xiuxian. Shortly after, a nervous maid entered to report that a special guest had arrived, specifically demanding to see Fu Qian. Before Wen Li could respond, the door was pushed open from the outside.

A woman dressed entirely in black entered with a poker face. Despite her plain attire, her presence was overwhelming, like an unsheathed mace; wherever she looked, no one dared to meet her gaze. She walked straight to the dining table, her sharp eyes scanning everyone before settling on Fu Qian.

"Mr. Fu, I presume?"

"I can be."

...

"Chief Tan, what is the meaning of this visit?" Seeing the newcomer, Wen Li’s expression darkened. Seeing the woman targeting Fu Qian, she couldn't help but speak up as the lady of the house.

"I simply have matters to discuss with Mr. Fu." The woman surnamed Tan didn't even glance at Wen Li. Fixing a hostile gaze on Fu Qian, she gestured to the side. "Mr. Fu, please come with me."

Why is everyone in this place so arrogant? Fu Qian could naturally tell that the woman before him was no ordinary person; she was a bona fide extraordinary, and a fairly capable one at that. Does excessive muscle mass really cause the brain to atrophy?

"Chief Tan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Before Fu Qian could answer, Wen Li grew anxious. "Mr. Fu is currently on duty; it is not convenient for him to leave." She added, "This is the second time already—are you targeting our Wen family, Chief Tan?"

*Second time?* Fu Qian realized something. "The Night Watchers?"

Wen Li nodded slightly, not forgetting to introduce them to Fu Qian. "This is Ms. Tan Mingxue, the leader of the second team of the city's Night Watchers. We have had some interactions in the past."

*As I thought.* Fu Qian had felt this intuition the moment the woman walked in. Before going to sleep last night, he had spent some time learning about this organization he had crossed paths with several times. In this world, the Night Watchers were one of the largest and most peculiar organizations, exercising control over almost everything related to extraordinary powers. With their transcendent status and formidable strength, their teams spread across the land maintained order throughout the extraordinary world. Almost no one was willing to oppose them. In fact, it was precisely because of their existence that ordinary people could survive the conflicts of numerous non-human entities and maintain a normal life.

It was no wonder this woman was so arrogant; anyone backed by such an organization would inevitably develop a habit of bossing others around. As for the "interactions" Wen Li mentioned, they were likely not very pleasant experiences. Fu Qian recalled what Wen Li had said the day before: she had finally hired a powerful bodyguard, only for him to be taken away by the Night Watchers because his background wasn't "clean." That must have been the first time.

*How did your family end up with such a reputation that people are constantly undermining you like this?*

While Fu Qian was musing, Wen Li couldn't help but complain, "There was a reason for your visit last time, Chief Tan, and we cooperated fully once we understood the situation. Surely you can provide a reason for today?"

"A reason?" Tan Mingxue acted as if she had heard something amusing. "Ms. Wen, you are overthinking it. The Night Watchers aren't so bored that we would target your family." She turned her gaze to Fu Qian. "As for this Mr. Fu, surely you didn't think you could kill someone in this place and just carry on as if nothing happened?"