Time slowly passed.
The grouping situation was quickly determined.
A total of 13 representatives from different sects or clans were present.
Two factions were grouped together, making up five groups.
The remaining sixth group consisted of three people: Shangguan Miaoyin, Ning Qian, and Gu Yan.
Gu Yan smiled at Shangguan Miaoyin and Ning Qian, teasing, "Now we're teammates."
"I hope you're not imposters from the Night organization," he added.
Ning Qian frowned slightly and retorted, somewhat upset, "Mr. Gu, please don't say such things. I would never degrade myself by associating with an organization like Night!"
Shangguan Miaoyin, on the other hand, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Mr. Gu, you really do love joking. Don't forget, I even defended you at the Gu family before."
Gu Yan shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who knows? You should always prepare for the worst. What if..." He deliberately lowered his voice and pretended to be sinister, "...I am the Night King?"
His voice did not really drop; those around him heard it clearly.
The martial artists present were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Mr. Gu, you're really pulling our leg now!"
"Yeah, there's no way you could be the Night King!"
"Exactly, if you were the Night King, why would you be here helping us strategize?"
"That's right, we trust that Mr. Gu has nothing to do with Night!"
"Besides, if there was any suspicion, we could just test him!"
Everyone expressed disbelief. If Gu Yan were the Night King, it would be far simpler to just kill everyone present, after all.
Shangguan Miaoyin also couldn't help but find Gu Yan's idea ridiculous. She laughed softly and said, "Mr. Gu, you really shouldn't joke like that."
"Anyway, let’s move on. What’s our plan going forward?"
Heh, what a ridiculous man, claiming to be the Night King?
Why don't you say that the Master would cry, throw tantrums, and act spoiled with you?
Such a whimsical and delusional fellow. It seems he has no idea who the Master really is.
He’s still being toyed with, completely unaware of the truth.
The others also turned their attention to Gu Yan.
Now that the groups were decided, it was time to discuss the next steps.
Gu Yan pretended to ponder for a few minutes before speaking.
"For now, let's refer to those from the Heavenly Demon Sect who are suspected of being under the influence of the Night organization as members of the Night faction."
"Judging from their recent activity, we can guess that their next move won’t be far off."
"So, sticking together is actually a way to protect ourselves."
"The number of people each faction has brought isn’t large, but when grouped together, it’s just enough."
"If there are members of the Night faction among us, they can not only report to the others but also keep them in check."
"And if there are no members of the Night faction within a group, then it’s even better. With our numerical advantage, do we really need to fear them?"
"As long as we manage to secure the aura of a member of the Night faction, we’ll gain the upper hand!"
"Therefore, everyone needs to stay vigilant and be careful!"
"Because Night might attack us at any moment. Additionally..."
Gu Yan looked around at the people present and said gravely, "There are many factions that came to Jianghai this time. A total of 18 factions have registered with the Martial Arts Department."
"However, only 13 of those are present here today, so... I suggest you all avoid revealing the details of today's discussions to the factions that aren’t here."
"Especially avoid acting alone to prevent any accidents."
"That’s all."
Somehow, Gu Yan’s words had become the directive for everyone’s actions.
They all nodded in agreement with the plan: "Well said! Mr. Gu's plan is very reliable!"
"Exactly, this strategy not only ensures our safety but also helps us identify members of the Night faction! It’s a brilliant move!"
Gu Yan listened impassively to the praise, nodding slightly to himself.
Good, these dimwits finally believe me. Just as simple-minded as in the original story, these righteous fighters.
As for some of the devious ones who seemed distracted...
Heh, it doesn’t matter. As long as my goal is achieved, that’s all that matters.
Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right moment.
...
...
Back in the luxury car, Gu Yan sat in the passenger seat, while Ning Qian and Shangguan Miaoyin sat in the back.
The car drove aimlessly, and no one spoke.
Gu Yan looked out the window, thinking about Qingqiu’s alluring beauty.
Ah~ The first step is done. Now, it’s time for the second step.
Qingqiu, wait for me. Once I finish this phase, I’ll come find you soon~~
Though Qingqiu’s subordinates are here, which can serve as an alibi, it does make some things inconvenient to do. But no worries, I have other ways.
After a few minutes of silence...
Shangguan Miaoyin couldn’t take it anymore. She glanced at Gu Yan and asked with a smile, "Mr. Gu, where are we headed now?
"Are you planning to just circle around Jianghai?"
Good question.
Gu Yan turned to look at the backseat and said, "Hmm... To be honest, even with a plan, keeping you two around puts a lot of pressure on me."
"After all, I’m a married man, and taking you two anywhere isn’t very convenient."
This guy...
Shangguan Miaoyin smiled on the surface, but inside she was seething with envy and resentment.
What a disgusting man, saying such things in front of her, expressing his relationship with the Master like that. Truly, jealousy makes one lose sight of reason!
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her envy, and chuckled softly, "Mr. Gu, you really do love joking."
"But we can’t just keep driving around Jianghai without a destination, right?"
Hearing this, Gu Yan turned to Ning Qian and asked, "Any suggestions, Miss Ning?"
After a moment of silence, Ning Qian looked at Gu Yan and said slowly, "I want to find my senior brother."
"Gu Yan, do you have any way to locate my senior brother?"
Regardless of the plan, her goal remained finding Xiao Lin.
Before, she hadn’t considered asking Gu Yan for help, but now she remembered that as a prominent figure in Jianghai, Gu Yan must know the whereabouts of the Dragon King Palace’s young master, Xiao Lin.
So, directly asking him for help might be more efficient than searching aimlessly.
Gu Yan naturally wouldn’t refuse such a request. Based on information from his subordinates, Xiao Lin’s relationship with Shen Wan’er had been rapidly progressing.
A mysterious light flickered in his eyes as he responded, "Of course I can, but..."
"Miss Ning, I must remind you that Brother Xiao Lin is currently deeply involved with Shen Wan’er..."
Ning Qian interrupted, "Gu Yan, my senior brother dating anyone is none of my business."
Her tone was somewhat complicated, her gaze slightly uneasy: "I came down the mountain only to help him on my master’s command."
Gu Yan didn’t say anything more. He just nodded and smiled, "Then... Lao Gao, head to Spring Mountain Estate."
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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."
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?!
