Young Master Is Being Jealous Again!
Chapter 606: Ruanruan Encounters the Punishment Hall, Gets Tricked in the Initial Battle

Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Ruanruan Encounters the Punishment Hall, Gets Tricked in the Initial Battle

Master Huo’s health remained the same as before.

Compared to before his illness, his body had become somewhat frail.

Qin Ruan walked down the cobblestone path at Champs Elysees Manor, her expression fleetingly filled with annoyance as she recalled his still failing health.

Now, every day that she cleansed his body, she was using up her own Evil Qi.

Which was the same as consuming her own lifespan.

Nonetheless, Master Huo’s health still showed no sign of improvement.

Did they really have to wait for several months for his body to slowly recover?

Suddenly, Qin Ruan paused her steps, she pulled her coat around herself and looked at the refreshing courtyard.

The weather was growing increasingly cold.

In this golden October, the climate was colder compared to previous years.

Qin Ruan didn’t particularly mind this, it was from the chatter of the servants that she learned that this year’s winter was unusually bitter.

Seeing Qin Ruan stop, Lin Hao who was following behind took two steps forward, whispering in a low voice, "Madam, it’s cold outside. We should get going."

"I know."

Qin Ruan’s face betrayed a hint of resistance.

Master Huo had not been in good health these past few days. He was clearly quite sensitive to the cold, and his bouts of coughing grew more frequent.

When in her presence, he would always suppress his urge to cough.

Whenever he was by himself, the suppressed coughing would surge forth incessantly.

On a few occasions while passing by his study, she had heard coughing coming from inside.

Men always cared about their dignity. Therefore, Qin Ruan chose not to breach the barrier between them, pretending to remain unaware.

Fortunately, Master Huo had not been terribly busy over this past week.

However, last night, Huo Qiang, who had been absent for several days, made an appearance, bringing with him a stack of documents to present before Master Huo.

The backlogged documents from the HEA Group, reports from other enterprises under the Huo family’s name, as well as matters in dire need of resolving from the Punishment Hall were among them.

Seeing so much work piled up in front of Master Huo, Qin Ruan instantly frowned.

Unable to control her irritation, she spoke up in front of Huo Qiang to complain.

And who would have guessed – the moment she opened her mouth, she set herself up for defeat?

All the matters affecting the Punishment Hall which urgently needed attention had been passed on to her.

Qin Ruan glanced back at Lin Hao, who was carrying the list of the Punishment Hall’s delinquents. Her face was sullen, her frustration indescribable.

She wasn’t a fool. She quickly realized.

Master Huo and Huo Qiang had deliberately staged their little play in front of her. Their entire plot was to have her take on the tasks of the Punishment Hall.

The Punishment Hall had to deal with several problematic figures and extract some internal details from them.

Since Master Huo was unwell, this responsibility had now fallen onto Qin Ruan.

The suspects had already been brought to Champs Elysees Manor, housed in a small building opposite their residence.

Punishments inevitably involved blood, and they certainly couldn’t carry it out in their own dwelling and stain it with the grisly smell of blood.

Accompanied by Lin Hao and the silent Huo Chuan, Qin Ruan headed towards the nearby building.

Speaking honestly, she was somewhat nervous.

Before coming, she had conducted a brief analysis of the files relevant to the upcoming interrogations.

The people brought in from the Punishment Hall had all committed unforgivable acts against the Huo Family.

Among the three, one had attempted to assassinate those of the direct bloodline of the Huo Family, while the others, a professional hitman and a special agent, had taken the lives of several of the Huo Family’s elite Hidden Guards. Their sins were unforgivable.

These individuals had been employed by various factions and, despite their long-term detention, little useful information had been obtained from them.

Qin Ruan was unsure if she could achieve that which others had not.

Soon, the trio reached the front of the building.

Out front, several members of the Huo Family’s Hidden Guards dressed in black and exuding formidable auras stood on guard.

Their presence was more conspicuous compared to that of Huo Chuan and Huo Zhi.

The men had a strong sense of Evil Qi, combined with the blood-stained air of those who had spent years in relentless battle.

Qin Ruan understood that these members of the Hidden Guard were members of the Punishment Hall.

"Madam!"

On seeing Qin Ruan approach, they bowed their heads respectfully, calling out to her.

Qin Ruan gave a slight nod in response, stepping into the small building.

Lin Hao and Huo Chuan closely followed behind her.

Inside the building.

Three unkempt, bound men were kneeling on the ground, their hands and feet shackled.

Their heads were covered by black hood obscuring their faces.

More than a dozen of the Huo Family’s Hidden Guards stationed themselves around these men.

These guards exuded the same aura as those standing guard outside the building.

An unmasked Evil Qi and unfettered fierceness surrounded them, creating an intimidating force.

Upon witnessing Qin Ruan’s entrance, everyone straightened up and called out to her, faces turned her way.

"Madam!"

Qin Ruan pursed her lips, her beautiful face devoid of any expression.

However, within the pocket of her coat, her hand was slightly clenched.

Her deep, black eyes scanned the guards surrounding her.

After a while, she asked in a gentle, pleasant voice, "Well, who shall we start with?"

A member of the Hidden Guard immediately stepped forward.

Before he could reply, Huo Chuan approached Qin Ruan and spoke quietly, "Madam, we should first verify their identities."

Qin Ruan was unfamiliar with the procedure, but knowing that Huo Chuan was in charge of the Punishment Hall, she gave a slight nod of approval.

Huo Chuan stepped forward and started talking to the hidden guard who had emerged.

"Are these three from the previously listed names?"

The hidden guard maintained a serious, stern demeanor that was underlined by a faint hint of familiarity.

They appeared to be old acquaintances of Huo Chuan.

The guard presented the list to Huo Chuan, "Brother Chuan, we only carry the duty to bring the people on this list. Just take a look and you’ll know."

They were only responsible for bringing people from the Punishment Hall, not for personally apprehending anyone.

Huo Chuan scanned the list hurriedly–a mere formality.

However, at a glance, his expression dramatically changed.

...

Residential area.

From the upstairs study room, one could hear the bouts of uncontrollable coughing.

"Cough... cough..."

"Cough...cough...cough..."

Intense, persistent coughs rang out one after another.

Huo Qiang ascended the staircase, arriving at the door of the study.

Hearing the short, hoarse coughs coming from within, he raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door.

Without waiting for an answer from within, Huo Qiang pushed open the door.

He hurried in, standing before the desk, "Master, something has happened!"

Huo Yunjiao gripped the blood-stained handkerchief tightly in his hand, raised his eyes, and glared at Huo Qiang with a gloomy look.

"Have you forgotten your manners?"

The tone wasn’t harsh, it even carried a hint of indifference and fatigue.

Huo Qiang’s expression was one of urgency, "I admit my mistake, sir, but there has been a mishap with Madam."

Huo Yunjiao sat leaning at his desk, his eyebrows knitted, his pale face slightly gloomy with his head held up.

He pressed his thin lips together, his eyes cold and sharp, "Speak!"

Huo Qiang replied concisely and rapidly: "The three men selected for Madam’s practice session at the Punishment Hall have been tampered with.

One of them is a dangerous character, the same villain who tried to assassinate the second master a few months ago, in an altercation with our guards he injured five of them."

The injury of five hidden guards showed how dangerous this person was.

A suppressed urge to cough bubbled up in Huo Yunjiao’s throat, he forced it down.

A feeling of oppression emanated from him along with an aura of decisive killing intent.

Cold fury shined in Huo Yunjiao’s eyes, his handsome, cold face frowned in anger, "Is there any back-up arranged for Madam, who is tampering with things from behind?"

Under the Third Master’s sharp gaze, Huo Qiang slowly bowed his head,"We just received the news, Madam hasn’t arranged for any back-up.

The person responsible is likely one of the elders from our family. We’ve sent people to investigate; we should have specific news very soon."

Huo Yunjiao stood up, bracing with both hands on the table.

The blood-stained handkerchief slipped from his hand to the edge of the table, "Why didn’t you send people to aid Madam?"

Underneath his gentle gaze, Third Master’s demeanor was cold and ruthless.

Huo Yunjiao was angry!

Given Huo Qiang’s steady and prudent approach, he should have arranged for someone to support Qin Ruan to prevent something unexpected.

Huo Qiang’s eyes fluttered. He admitted honestly, "Sir, I had Huo Zhi sent there first."

He too, was worried about any mishap at Madam’s end, and had asked Huo Zhi to rush there in advance.

Huo Yunjiao’s dark eyes flashed coldly. He was not satisfied with Huo Qiang’s arrangement.

"Huo Zhi has just recovered from a severe illness. What can she do? Send someone to Madam’s side at once!"

"Yes, I will make arrangements immediately!"

Huo Qiang turned to leave.

He heard footsteps right behind him, turned back and saw the Third Master coming around the desk, accompanying him out of the study.

"Master?"

Huo Yunjiao sounded cold, with a hint of impatience, "Aren’t you leaving yet!"

Huo Qiang’s ordinary face turned serious, "Master, you can’t go. Madam will be alright!"

Huo Yunjiao’s eyes were frosty, "What if she isn’t?"

Even if there’s the tiniest chance something could happen, the master absolutely cannot be allowed to go out today!

Huo Qiang gritted his teeth, "Huo Chuan, Lin Hao, Huo Zhi are all there for Madam, plus nearly twenty hidden guards from the Punishment Hall, Madam is hardly in any danger.

Master, your current health condition won’t stand exposure to the wind. If Madam finds out, she’ll be distressed again. A few days ago, Huo Chuan told me that he had seen Madam shedding tears alone because she is very worried about you."

At this moment, his last resort was to bring up Madam.

Other than Madam, he didn’t know how else he could stop the Master from leaving his rooms.

If Qin Ruan were here and heard Huo Qiang’s words, she would definitely cry out in injustice!

True, she was aware that the Master’s health was in a critical condition.

But she wasn’t distraught enough to shed tears.

And yet, having heard Huo Qiang’s words, the Master chose to believe them.

He stood still, his aura of murderous intent fading, his facial expression contemplative.

A hint of tenderness could be seen in Huo Yunjiao’s dark, dangerous eyes and his voice softened significantly, "First, go and arrange for people to support Madam."

Huo Qiang saw that the master didn’t intend to leave his room, he respectfully complied and quickly left.

Just a few minutes later, he stepped back into the study room.