Chai Wang saw Xu Mu about to leave and quickly spoke up to stop him.
He knew all too well that with the current tension between the Chai and Xu Families, Xu Mu would undoubtedly go to the police.
With so many assets in his hands, if he died, he couldn’t take them with him.
He needed to spend money first to stall Xu Mu.
A man in his position would never allow anyone to hold leverage over him.
Otherwise, he’d be forever at their mercy.
Xu Mu had to die!
"With that assurance, I can rest easy. Wait a moment—let me see how much they’re asking for."
The reason Xu Mu hadn’t sought out Yun Wu of "Moonlit Solitude" was because this assassination target included Fang Chu.
Fang Chu was the male lead—Yun Wu would be no match for him.
Of course, this sixth-ranked "Black Robe" wouldn’t stand a chance either.
Xu Mu’s goal in hiring him was to witness Fang Chu’s strength firsthand.
If he wasn’t much, Xu Mu planned to find an opportunity later to send him straight to the grave.
There was a reason for choosing Black Robe. In the storyline, he was described in just one line:
"Ruthless and sadistic, reveling in torture."
So even if he died, Xu Mu wouldn’t care.
He had considered hiring someone higher-ranked, like one of the top four assassins on the Death List.
There were plenty of details about them.
But Xu Mu knew securing their services was nearly impossible.
Even if he somehow managed, the Chai Family couldn’t afford it.
At their level, money meant nothing—they only demanded specific items.
If someone could provide what they wanted, they’d owe a favor and be willing to kill.
"By the way, give me high-definition photos of Fang Chu and Dai Dongyang. Don’t tell me you don’t have them."
Xu Mu had already started contacting customer service.
Assassins on the Death List didn’t deal directly with employers—they had dedicated agents.
Chai Wang didn’t dare refuse and immediately handed over two photos.
Following the agent’s instructions, Xu Mu filled in their names, photos, and other details.
But when listing Fang Chu’s cultivation level, he only wrote "Mid-stage Dark Force."
If he set it too high, he feared the assassin might back out.
A few minutes later, the agent replied:
"Sir, after review by our 'Night Parade of a Hundred Demons,' Dai Dongyang is a genius from a hidden clan. The fee is 20 billion."
"As for Fang Chu, also a martial artist, Black Robe’s base rate is 5 billion."
Xu Mu glanced at the message and nodded to himself.
About what he expected.
He showed his phone to Chai Wang. "Two hundred and fifty billion."
Chai Wang cursed inwardly—Do I look like an idiot to you?
Two hundred and fifty billion—how many years would it take for his entertainment venues to earn that back?
How many gigs would his stable of celebrities need to book just to break even?
But he had no choice. If he didn’t silence Xu Mu now, he might be arrested any second.
Regret gnawed at him. If only he’d refused Fang Chu outright and never targeted the Xu Family.
Now, it was too late.
"Xu Mu, can you give me a few days? I can’t gather that much cash at once," Chai Wang pleaded.
"A few days? By then, the old master of the Nan Gong Family’s birthday would’ve passed," Xu Mu retorted. "Today. Weren’t you swimming in money when you waged business war against my family? Now you’re broke?"
Chai Wang had no rebuttal.
But he wasn’t stupid—dumping his assets en masse would only drive prices down.
The Chai Family couldn’t withstand that kind of blow.
He thought of a solution: a bank loan.
As a tycoon, securing 20 or 30 billion would be easy.
He immediately ordered his company’s CEO to arrange it.
"Xu Mu, how about leaving me your account details? The money will be in by the end of the banking day," Chai Wang said. "If it’s not, you’re free to call the police."
Xu Mu considered it, then gave a slight nod.
Chai Wang wouldn’t run—his crimes were too severe. Even fleeing abroad wouldn’t save him from extradition.
"I’m leaving. I’ll be waiting for the money."
Before departing, Xu Mu patted Chai Wang’s shoulder. "If you warn Fang Chu or Dai Dongyang in advance, you’re finished."
Chai Wang shuddered. Was Xu Mu reading his mind?
He’d just been thinking of tipping them off to strategize.
Watching Xu Mu’s retreating figure, Chai Wang’s eyes darkened with malice.
The Xu Family had to be destroyed—especially Xu Mu!
...
Having accomplished much that day, Xu Mu drove back to Jiangbei.
On the way, Li Yun called.
She said Zhao Yingying was already released.
With the new evidence, she’d been bailed out.
Their lawyer had shown Zhao Ping the video and explained the legal ramifications.
Just mentioning that they’d request the court to audit Zhao Ping’s and his family’s recent bank transactions was enough to make him drop the lawsuit in terror.
Li Yun ended by inviting Xu Mu over for dinner.
After some thought, he decided to go. He’d been too busy today—no justice points earned.
Arriving at Li Yun’s home, he found her in a dress, chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Tonight’s menu: hot pot.
"Brother Mu, thank you for clearing my name."
As soon as Xu Mu stepped into the house, Zhao Yingying rushed forward and grabbed his hand, tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes.
[Affection Points +30]
She was completely overwhelmed—if it weren’t for Xu Mu, she truly wouldn’t have known what to do.
"We’re all family here."
Xu Mu chuckled and ruffled Zhao Yingying’s hair.
Li Yun, who had just emerged from the kitchen, didn’t know where to look when she saw Xu Mu.
Her heart raced uncontrollably.
[Affection Points +30]
Especially when she saw how close Zhao Yingying and Xu Mu were, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
But what was done was done—there was no use regretting it now.
She had already adopted a carefree attitude; after all, she had no intention of finding another man.
"Xiao Mu, come sit down. Dinner’s ready," Li Yun said with a smile.
"Sure, Sister Yun."
Xu Mu nodded.
"Huh? Brother Mu? Why are you calling her ‘Sister Yun’? Doesn’t that make her a whole generation older than me?"
Zhao Yingying asked from the side.
"We’ll address each other however we like."
Xu Mu grinned at Zhao Yingying. "It’s mostly because when Sister Yun and I went out together before, people thought we were siblings."
Li Yun lowered her head, her cheeks tinged pink.
[Affection Points +10]
Zhao Yingying also broke into a silly smile. "That’s true. People often mistake us for sisters too."
As they were eating, Xu Mu noticed another message on his phone—it was from the customer service of "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
He opened it and skimmed the content.
Customer Service: "Sir, have you decided not to kill them after all?"
Xu Mu thought for a moment before replying, "It’s too expensive. I’m still considering."
Customer Service: "Mr. Black Robe happens to be in Jiangbei these next two days. He’d like to take this opportunity to accept the mission."
Xu Mu: "I’m broke. How about knocking off a billion?"
Customer Service: "Deal."
"?"
Xu Mu cursed under his breath. He’d lowballed it—who knew you could haggle over something like this?
Still, it wasn’t his money to begin with, so he wasn’t too heartbroken. Having an extra billion left in his account was an unexpected windfall.
After dinner, Xu Mu was about to find a chance to discuss the Heavenly Thunder Technique with Li Yun when Ye Tong called.
He answered immediately. "What’s up?"
"Hubby, my brother’s back. He wants to treat us to dinner," Ye Tong said cheerfully on the other end.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
