Annexation of the Secular Assets of the Three Major Families

In the courtyard of the Long Family estate.

"Master, the Leng Xing'an family has been dealt with."

"Leng Qingqiu, together with the Gu Family, has arranged their funeral."

"At present, it seems she suspects our involvement, but lacking evidence, she has shown no signs of taking action."

"As for Leng Ling'er, I have already taken control of Lin Yinyin, intending to lure her out of Jianghai."

"However... due to the deaths of Leng Xing'an's family, Leng Ling'er's spirits are rather low."

"Because of this, Leng Qingqiu has also increased the number of guards around Leng Ling'er."

Long Aotian listened to his subordinate's report, his mood visibly pleased.

With a satisfied expression, he placed a black chess piece on the board and chuckled, "Heh, no matter. This gradual effect is exactly what we want."

"Whether it takes a week or a month, Leng Ling'er... must be lured out of Jianghai without raising suspicion."

"Dismissed. Continue having Lin Yinyin monitor the situation."

"Yes!"

The shadow departed.

Long Aotian's expression then turned utterly delighted.

Leng Qingqiu, ah, Leng Qingqiu... this is the price of opposing the three great families.

Leng Xing'an was merely an appetizer.

Next, you will experience the agony of losing your loved ones, one after another—your family, your lover, your friends...

Leng Ling'er seems to mean everything to you, so we’ll save her for last.

Now then...

Long Aotian smirked coldly and sent a message to the other two great families with a flick of his fingers.

Since he had already struck at Leng Qingqiu's family...

The remaining task—dealing with the Gu Family—would be left to the Situ and Yu Families.

For the sake of the Divine One, these two families must also contribute.

Especially that Gu Family's young master, Gu Yan—he must die!

Hmph, if you want to blame someone, blame Leng Qingqiu!

Who made you her lover?

......

......

Three days later.

Inside the Gu Family's public-facing beacon of hope—

Luo Ya frowned as she watched a smug-faced man lounging on a sofa.

He crossed his legs and shamelessly scanned Luo Ya from head to toe.

"Principal Luo, your Gu Family's businesses have really expanded, haven’t they?"

"I hear Warrior Stores and Warrior Restaurants are being rolled out worldwide?"

Aside from him, the room was filled with stern-faced bodyguards clad in black, emanating an intimidating aura.

Luo Ya's frown deepened.

"First of all, Situ Yun, I am not a member of the Gu Family. I merely manage these enterprises on behalf of my employer."

"Secondly... I never received any notice that my employer invited you here."

Situ Yun—the eldest son of the Situ Family—let out a derisive laugh.

"Why would this young master need permission from the head of some insignificant family?"

"Oh, wait—I heard your ‘Young Master Gu’ has taken over as family head now, hasn’t he?"

He deliberately glanced around and raised his voice.

"So? Is he too afraid to face me?"

Luo Ya clenched her fists, barely suppressing her anger.

"Situ Yun, what exactly do you want?"

"If you’re here to insult my employer, then I must ask you to leave."

What was going on?

Over the past three days, she had noticed something unusual.

The Situ and Yu Families—two of the oldest and most powerful warrior clans—had been secretly investigating the Gu Family’s businesses.

They had even interfered with the rollout of their enterprises.

"What do I want?"

"Hah! I’m just here to give your Gu Family’s Gu Yan a warning!"

Situ Yun stood up and laughed arrogantly.

"Sometimes, choosing the right side is crucial!"

"Tell your employer not to stubbornly cling to the wrong path—unless he wants to drag his entire family down with him!"

"Let’s go!"

With that, Situ Yun signaled his retinue of elite guards to leave.

Meanwhile, Luo Ya tightened her grip, sensing trouble ahead.

Had her employer... provoked the three great families?

Ordinary people might not know, but she, Master Ya, was well aware—the Situ, Yu, and Long Families were the three most powerful clans in the world.

Their lineage stretched back over a thousand years, and they maintained close ties, controlling the global economy.

Even the League answered to them.

To solidify their dominance, the three families had even established an organization called [Spirit].

Its members were all Grandmasters at minimum, each terrifyingly powerful.

And yet... her employer had somehow crossed them?!

This was bad.

Just as Luo Ya was lost in thought—

A sudden disturbance erupted.

As Situ Yun stepped through the doorway—

Slash!

One of his own guards abruptly drew a blade and severed his head in a single motion.

Splash!

Blood gushed from the stump as his head hit the floor.

Situ Yun was dead.

Luo Ya: "?!!"

Her thoughts froze mid-sentence, replaced by sheer horror.

What just happened?!

Situ Yun—killed by his own men?!

It happened too fast, too abruptly, leaving Luo Ya stunned.

Then—

Squelch... squelch...

Tentacles sprouted from Situ Yun’s corpse, accompanied by the sound of gnawing.

In moments, his remains were completely devoured.

The tentacles then swelled and gathered—

And before Luo Ya’s eyes, they reformed into another Situ Yun.

Identical in appearance, expression, and demeanor.

At the same time—

Whoosh!

The guards—along with the newly "reborn" Situ Yun—all turned and knelt on one knee toward Luo Ya.

"Wait—what is this?!"

Luo Ya was bewildered, but realization soon dawned.

She turned her head—

And there, standing silently behind her to the right, was Gu Yan.

Clad in black robes, his face eerily calm.

"??"

Luo Ya glanced between Gu Yan and the kneeling Situ Family guards.

Then it hit her.

This was...

"You... you already took control of the Situ Family’s guards?! And you killed Situ Yun—aren’t you afraid the three families will retaliate?!"

Her voice trembled with shock. Was this man insane?!

Yet Gu Yan merely stepped forward, his tone indifferent.

"The three families have already set their sights on the Gu Family."

"They won’t spare a single member—not you, not me."

"Controlling them was merely a preemptive measure."

"Now, I need you to do something."

He placed a USB drive on Luo Ya’s desk.

She stared at it, conflicted.

"You’re not asking me to do something that threatens the three families, are you?"

"Correct."

"‘Correct’?! That’s a death sentence!"

"If we don’t act, we die anyway. And your son will die first."

"Why?!"

Panic crept into Luo Ya’s voice.

"Because..."

Gu Yan opened his eyes—revealing pupils brimming with unsettling pressure—and spoke slowly.

"Your child attends a warrior elementary school... one funded by the three families."

"It's no coincidence that your child awakened. They had long planned to use your child to make you betray me from within."

"Unfortunately for them, they never imagined you don’t even have control over whether you live or die."

At these words, Luo Ya’s face paled.

She clenched her fists, staring down at the USB drive in her hand. After a brief pause, she gave a firm nod. "Boss, you have my word. Within a month, the Gu Family will be the only enterprise left standing in this world."

Luo Ya agreed.

She wasn’t afraid of death—she was afraid of harm coming to her child.

She had never dealt with the three great families, but she knew Gu Yan well.

So... she chose to trust him, to believe he would protect her child.

Because she never forgot one thing Gu Yan had once said:

He... never betrays his own.

"Good."

"The USB contains all the information you’ll need."

"Act without hesitation, because..."

Gu Yan raised his hand, and a shadowy force enveloped the Situ Family delegation, teleporting them away.

His voice was calm. "I’ve already prepared everything for you."

Every member of the three great families’ vast corporate networks—high and low—had been implanted with his shadow cells.

All of them now obeyed his commands.

To the three families, their mortal-world industries were nothing more than tools to sustain their extravagant lifestyles.

Naturally, they wouldn’t waste elite enforcers on managing mere businesses.

Besides, with empires so vast, collapse was unthinkable.

And Gu Yan... exploited that very arrogance.

He had already replaced every key figure across the three families with his own people.

With their assets under his control, swallowing the rest of the market was inevitable.

Soon, everyone in the world would use only Gu Family products.

One month from now...

The first step of his God-Slaying Plan would be complete.