If Hu Han couldn't even grasp this, then Li Chonglou would have to re-examine the Hu family's affairs.
It wasn't that he disliked gratitude, but if Hu Han fell into such emotions, he could easily become a ticking time bomb, potentially erupting at any critical moment!
No one wants such a ticking time bomb around them!
As soon as the four of them returned to the main road, Li Chonglou contacted the convoy. While he and Chen Pao had advanced at top speed on the way there, returning with Hu Han, it was more convenient to travel by vehicle.
The main priority was to get Hu Han to a safe place. After giving some instructions to Chen Pao, Li Chonglou left alone.
Fortunately, before he left, Hu Han finally spoke, "Brother Li, I understand. I wasn't calm enough just now. I hope Brother Li won't..."
Li Chonglou interrupted, "The method I mentioned isn't a lie. You also know the reason I want you to stay with the Hu family, so Second Master is equally important to me."
With that, Li Chonglou left directly. Hu Han couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Chen Pao, standing nearby, asked with a hint of confusion, "You still don't trust the boss?"
"No, I trust Brother Li. I know Brother Li's character, so I know he's angry."
Hu Han mumbled, feeling that he was still too young and his mindset needed further refinement.
Chen Pao looked thoughtfully in the direction Li Chonglou had disappeared.
From these brief exchanges, he could vaguely surmise the relationship between them. That's why he wanted to use Hu Han's words to test Li Chonglou's character. As for the results so far, he was quite satisfied.
"Calm under pressure, unaffected by personal emotions – isn't that one of the fundamentals for someone destined for great things?"
A flicker of excitement suddenly appeared in Chen Pao's eyes, though neither the Cullinan nor Hu Han noticed it.
On the other side, after leaving, Li Chonglou made a phone call he hadn't made in a long time.
Ma San.
After Gao Baisong's incident, he had asked Ya Lili to have Ma San help with his care. Although Gao Baisong hadn't contacted him after being discharged from the hospital, Li Chonglou knew he should still be with Ya Lili.
After all, his original agreement with him was for him to watch over Lili.
As expected, when the call was answered and Li Chonglou asked where he was, Ma San replied, Ya Lili's company.
"How has she been recently?"
Ma San's bored voice came through the phone, "Exactly the same as before, no abnormalities."
Li Chonglou then asked him to hand the phone over to Ya Lili.
"Lili, when you're alone lately, have you felt like you're being followed?"
"No, why?"
Only then did Li Chonglou truly relax, thinking that Ya Lili's situation should be fine. Ordinary bodyguards would suffice from now on. Although Ma San's strength was sealed, he was still a master by profession, and keeping him there would be a waste of talent.
So, after asking Ya Lili to return the phone to Ma San, Li Chonglou got straight to the point, "Your old master's grandfather had an accident. You're not part of the circle anymore, and I'd like your help to check on it."
A serious tone came from the other end of the phone, "Is Hu Han okay?"
"Hu Han is fine, we rescued him. But both he and I want to check if Second Master is still alive."
"What do you need me to do?"
Ma San didn't hesitate at all. Li Chonglou liked decisive people and couldn't help but grin.
"I need you to go into Third Master Hu's territory and investigate. However, I must warn you, this time you'll not only face the gunmen and swordsmen trained by Third Master, but you might also encounter unruly people from the circle."
Ma San fell silent. He was decisive, but not brainless. With his strength sealed, encountering people from the circle would be no different from seeking death.
Li Chonglou naturally understood this, so he didn't rush him. In fact, Li Chonglou had already thought of a plan, and as long as Ma San was careful enough, it should be fine. However, he wasn't in a hurry to mention it.
Ma San's current silence also served to test his attitude towards him, and it allowed Li Chonglou to understand him better.
When a situation calls for employing someone, one must be extra cautious and prudent. This is a lesson countless seniors have learned through bloodshed, so Li Chonglou chose this moment to test his attitude, as well as Hu Han's.
After tens of seconds, Ma San finally asked, "No problem, but I want you to promise me one thing."
Li Chonglou smiled. Ma San was clearly much more seasoned than Hu Han. Even in a clear situation, Hu Han's own worries affected his judgment. But Ma San, this was a matter of life and death.
"Speak."
"After the mission is completed, I want the method to unseal my strength."
Li Chonglou was not surprised by this. After all, this was what he had used to persuade Ma San to join him in the first place.
"That's no problem. I've delayed this for too long. I'll wait for you at the Hu family's residence."
After hanging up, Li Chonglou confirmed a few things within the soul bottle and then continued on his way.
Li Chonglou was already familiar with the courtyards of the various masters in the Hu family, knowing their locations. He was now heading towards Third Master's courtyard. The Hu family was a crucial link in his subsequent plans, so how could he not pay close attention? Regarding Second Master's affairs, Li Chonglou had a detailed plan from the beginning. As long as Second Master was still alive, he was almost a hundred percent confident he could rescue him!
About fifteen minutes later, with the integration of Wen Yi, Li Chonglou finally arrived near Third Master's courtyard. Unlike Second Master's residence, Third Master's courtyard was located beside a lake and was flanked by mountains on two sides. In ancient times, it would have been a perfectly defensible stronghold.
"It seems this fellow's rebellious intentions aren't a day old."
Li Chonglou stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the courtyard below, and suddenly understood a few things.
"Wen Yi, is your energy still sufficient?"
"It should last a few more days."
Li Chonglou nodded, then activated his Heaven's Eye透视 (Tòushì - perspective/insight) divine ability. Yes, his divine ability had long since recovered, and it was the source of his confidence in this plan! According to Chen Pao, the supervisory department only paid attention to those within the circle who violated the rules. Since he was merely observing from a distance, he naturally didn't need to worry about the supervisory department!
However, for the sake of safety, Li Chonglou did not approach. He merely used his Heaven's Eye from afar to observe whether they were secretly taking people away. Getting too close and being noticed by the supervisory department would also be troublesome. Who knew if they had arrived or not, or when they would arrive, and the Heaven's Eye would have difficulty penetrating others' auras.
Just like those grey-clothed figures at the airport, Li Chonglou's Heaven's Eye had lost its function while tracking Liu Fei, suggesting that those grey-clothed figures had already arrived before that, but his Heaven's Eye had not detected any abnormalities. This was also the first time Li Chonglou had discovered the limitations of his Heaven's Eye透视 divine ability.