Meng Wanyue looked at Xu Mu with a solemn expression. "The Dragon King has already given me orders to ensure their safety. I will do everything in my power, even at the cost of my life."
"Wanyue."
Xu Mu gazed into Meng Wanyue's cool, distant eyes. "I’d rather you protect them for my sake, not the Dragon King’s."
At these words, Meng Wanyue shuddered, unsure how to respond.
The Dragon King had ordered her to protect Ye Tong and Ye Yu. Xu Mu had asked the same.
This time, the task was identical, so she had no reason to hesitate.
But what if next time, the orders conflicted?
What if the Dragon King commanded her to kill someone, but Xu Mu forbade it? Whom should she obey?
Meng Wanyue’s mind went blank. As a former killing tool, she had never struggled with such dilemmas before.
But now, she didn’t know what to do.
"Wanyue, maybe I’m being sentimental. Don’t overthink it. Just focus on keeping them safe."
Xu Mu offered a faint smile.
"Boss Xu, regardless of the Dragon King, even if it were someone else, I’d protect them with my life if you asked."
Meng Wanyue met his gaze.
She understood her own heart. Compared to the Dragon King, she felt at ease and secure with Xu Mu.
Around the Dragon King, she was tense, uncomfortable.
She knew who truly cared for her.
"Wanyue, your words put me at ease. Here’s a gift—something I stumbled upon by chance."
Xu Mu handed her a rusted metal plate inscribed with the Mountain-Splitting Palm technique.
At first, Meng Wanyue didn’t recognize it. But after a closer look, her eyes widened in shock.
"Boss Xu, this… this is a cultivation manual!" she exclaimed.
"Exactly. I had someone check—it’s only a Yellow-grade technique, nothing too advanced. When I have time, I’ll find you something better."
Xu Mu grinned.
He had already mastered the Mountain-Splitting Palm himself. The technique was decent, allowing the user to channel energy into blade-like strikes.
Such attacks far surpassed ordinary energy projection.
"Boss Xu, this is too valuable! Even a Yellow-grade manual isn’t something just anyone can obtain. I can’t accept it."
Meng Wanyue shook her head vehemently.
In the world of assassins, only the elite few stood above the rest.
True masters disdained becoming hired killers.
Most cultivation techniques were hoarded by sects and hidden clans.
Assassins like her rarely had access to them.
Before, Meng Wanyue relied solely on skill and stealth for her kills.
But after joining the Dragon King, she nearly died on a mission once. As a reward, he granted her a Yellow-grade manual.
She had been endlessly grateful.
Yet here was Xu Mu, simply giving her one? How could she possibly take it?
"Not listening, are you?"
Xu Mu glared at her. "It’s not a one-time use item. Just take a photo of it."
He knew the lore—Yellow and Mystic-grade techniques could be recorded in writing.
Earth-grade and above, however, required the original manual to cultivate.
"But—"
"Keep refusing, and I’ll smack your fleshiest spot."
Xu Mu cut her off, pointing at her threateningly.
[Affection +10]
Meng Wanyue’s cheeks burned, but her heart swelled with joy and gratitude.
Nodding quickly, she pulled out her phone and photographed the manual.
"Boss Xu, I won’t let you down. I’ll master this technique as fast as I can." She tucked her phone away.
"Go on, then." Xu Mu waved her off with a smile.
"Right."
Meng Wanyue turned and left, eager to study the manual.
Once she was gone, Xu Mu stored the metal plate back in his spatial storage.
Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes in thought.
Ye Tong’s commute from home to work was along main roads—likely safe.
He had also instructed Ye Tong to tell Ye Yu to stay on campus and avoid unnecessary outings.
As long as those two were protected, everything should be fine.
Just as he mulled it over, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—a virtual number.
Answering, he demanded, "Who is this?"
"Xu Mu? A video link will be sent to your phone shortly. Make sure to watch it."
The voice was distorted, impossible to identify.
"What if it’s malware? Not clicking."
Before Xu Mu could finish, the call ended.
Seconds later, a text arrived with the promised link.
Hesitating briefly, Xu Mu pulled an old phone from his desk drawer.
It wasn’t truly old—just replaced after he upgraded to the latest triple-fold model.
This spare had no sensitive data, used mainly for risky browsing. Even if infected, no harm done.
Typing the URL into the spare phone, he opened the link—a video.
The footage began with a woman tied to a pillar.
Had it not been for this, Xu Mu might have forgotten her: Mu Qingying, the flat-chested schoolteacher the original Xu Mu had pursued.
Her oval face was framed by a ponytail, but now, fear twisted her features.
"Xu Mu, your beloved ‘goddess’ is in my hands, waiting for her hero. If you don’t come to the abandoned chemical plant in Wu City, Jiang Province, by 4 PM today, who knows what’ll happen to her?"
The recorder paused, then added, "If you call the police, Mu Qingying dies. Then you. Be a man—come alone. Someone will meet you there."
The video ended.
Xu Mu sighed. Why did the kidnappers keep targeting women he didn’t care about?
He was starting to question Lin Yang’s intelligence.
First Feng Yue, now Mu Qingying. Should he panic or take a leisurely bathroom break?
Then again, he understood Lin Yang’s logic.
The original Xu Mu had showered Feng Yue’s bar with cash daily—his crush was no secret.
Similarly, he’d sent Mu Qingying flowers at school every day.
Lin Yang’s choices made sense.
His mistake was not realizing Xu Mu’s soul had been replaced.
Rubbing his temples, Xu Mu debated whether to go.
If Mu Qingying failed as leverage, Lin Yang might escalate—and then Xu Mu would really have to worry.
But since it was Mu Qingying, he had room to maneuver. She posed no real threat to him.
Decision made, he pushed off the desk, ready to move.
This dragon’s den was worth storming.
As he opened his office door, Meng Wanyue appeared in the hallway.
"Boss Xu, where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"I—"
After a brief hesitation, Xu Mu decided to bring her along. "Come with me."
An extra hand never hurt. Their target was him—perfect for Meng Wanyue to rescue Mu Qingying unnoticed.
Plus, he wanted to test his recent progress firsthand.
...
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
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.
