After struggling for a while, Gu Yan realized he couldn't manage to pull Leng Qingqiu into his arms.
Moreover, Leng Qingqiu said she wanted to go upstairs to read, so Gu Yan had no choice but to give up reluctantly.
"Qingqiu, I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"Got it, now get lost."
"Ouch... Qingqiu, you're so beautiful even when you're cursing..."
Click. The study door closed.
Slap!
Leng Qingqiu suddenly covered her face, an expression of embarrassment appearing.
She opened her eyes. Though they lacked color and luster, combined with the blush on her face, they held a unique, bewitching beauty.
"What an impertinent fellow."
"Doesn't he know I'm not only the actual controller of the Leng family but also the Night Queen?"
"To do such a thing to me in front of my subordinates, he's ruined my image in their eyes!"
"That damned bastard."
Leng Qingqiu gritted her teeth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
No, no, she couldn't let Gu Yan disturb her mind and plans.
Since the young master of the Dragon King Palace was difficult to deal with, she should turn her attention to other weaker forces.
Although she wanted to say that, recently there seemed to be some issues with the company.
Leng Qingqiu felt for the letter sent by Leng Xing'an, the nominal head of the Leng family.
It said:
[Dear niece, we're in trouble! There's a mole inside the company who escaped with our research results! Our investigation shows they were sent by the Yan Xing Group! What should we do now?]
"Ah."
Leng Qingqiu sighed lightly, imagining Leng Xing'an's helpless appearance in her mind.
How would the Leng family manage without her?
But the Yan Xing Group...
Leng Qingqiu thought for a moment, a hint of murderous intent flashing in her eyes.
Actually, the information Gentleman Orchid had passed to her before mentioned that the King of Hell Palace had interfered in worldly affairs.
Among them, the Yan Xing Group was a large real estate company established by the King of Hell Palace in the mortal world.
They built more than half of the houses in Jianghai City, demonstrating their substantial power.
Having been rooted in Jianghai for so many years, they must have infiltrated every corner of the city by now.
Who knows how many martial artists they have...
Leng Qingqiu's expression grew serious. Her current strength was still too weak, and the risk of rashly moving against the King of Hell Palace was too great.
Moreover, there was something she didn't understand. Why would the Yan Xing Group, a real estate company, want to steal their Leng family's medical technology data?
Leng Qingqiu frowned deeply, biting her fingernail.
A moment later, her eyes cooled slightly. She decided to have Mei Xue and the others investigate.
Dig up all the information on the King of Hell Palace.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen.
The atmosphere was somewhat strange.
Gu Yan was washing vegetables, while Mei Xue was cutting them.
The former asked kindly, "Why were you taking a shower in my house?"
Your house?
Mei Xue frowned slightly and said, "The mistress told me to clean up here."
"Oh." Gu Yan nodded and asked again, "What did Qingqiu want you to do? Tell me about it."
After all, the two of them had a special secret relationship, so Gu Yan didn't care about putting on an act.
Hearing this, Mei Xue was silent for a moment. Should she say it? Would revealing this secret task the mistress had given her count as betrayal?
But this matter was related to Gu Yan anyway. After some thought, Mei Xue still chose to speak up, thinking it might make Gu Yan trust the mistress more and be moved: "After being injured by Xiao Lin yesterday, the mistress had me come here to recover."
"After the treatment, the mistress asked me to protect you secretly."
! Hearing this, Gu Yan's face lit up with joy.
He even washed the vegetables more diligently: "Ah haha... Is that so? Hmm, that's our Qingqiu for you!"
Oh my, he hadn't expected Qingqiu to be so good to him, even thinking of secretly sending someone to protect him.
Even though on the surface she still acted tsundere and told him to go die, she really was a woman who said one thing but meant another.
Seeing the excellent effect, Mei Xue also laughed coldly in her heart.
Hehe, you foolish man, you probably don't know that the mistress's true purpose is to make you feel moved like this, so she can eventually take over your Gu family?
You're only happy for now.
Once I complete the remaining four tasks and get news of my brother, I'll immediately report your true face to the mistress!
Mei Xue thought secretly.
Gu Yan had no idea what Mei Xue was thinking. In his joy, his mind wandered to a plot point from the original novel.
If he wasn't mistaken, an early antagonist in Jianghai City from the original story - the [King of Hell Palace] - was about to make an appearance.
This organization was the largest martial arts group in Jianghai City.
They had their fingers in every industry and even established the Yan Xing Group real estate company.
They also had many collaborations with the Gu family.
At the annual family gathering, the Gu family would invite representatives from the King of Hell Palace to attend.
On the surface, the two families appeared to be in harmony and prospering together, but the reality was different.
The Palace Master of the King of Hell Palace had a great ambition - to swallow up all the families in Jianghai City.
He wanted to become the emperor of Jianghai City.
The Palace Master's name was Yan Huang, a martial artist at the middle stage of the Grandmaster realm.
In the original novel, he served as a major early antagonist.
Because the family he wanted to swallow happened to be the Shen family, the protagonist Xiao Lin ended up clashing with him.
After a series of life-and-death battles, Xiao Lin successfully broke through from the peak of early Grandmaster realm to formally enter the middle stage of Grandmaster.
He then killed the Palace Master Yan Huang and took over all the businesses under the King of Hell Palace, expanding his own power and becoming a prominent figure in Jianghai City.
Hmm, in short, it was a troublesome organization.
But there was no need to worry too much. According to the plot development, this King of Hell Palace would eventually be destroyed by the protagonist's team.
As for why they got involved with the protagonist's team?
That was because one of the families the King of Hell Palace wanted to swallow was the Shen family.
As Shen Wan'er's newly minted admirer, Xiao Lin naturally took on the responsibility of eliminating the villains without hesitation.
Not only did he resolve the crisis for the Shen family, but he also won Shen Wan'er's favor.
So Gu Yan figured he just needed to develop steadily behind the scenes.
Let the protagonist Xiao Lin deal with this King of Hell Palace business.
Just as Gu Yan was thinking this, he paused.
His expression turned a bit strange.
Wait a minute, according to the details described in the original novel.
The King of Hell Palace wanting to swallow up all the families in Jianghai City seemed to be under Leng Qingqiu's instructions.
The King of Hell Palace's vigorous opposition to Xiao Lin was also because of Leng Qingqiu's orders.
After all, when Yan Huang died in the original novel, he said something like this:
["Hahaha!! You think you can rest easy after killing me? The truly terrifying existence hasn't even appeared yet!!"]
["All those people from back then will die!! The devil has crawled out of hell!! Xiao Lin, you who share the same karmic fate will die too!!"]
["Whether it's you! Or your friends and comrades! They will all die!"]
["Hahaha! This old man will be waiting for you all in hell!!"]
Recollection over, Gu Yan's mouth twitched.
Ah... So it turns out it was all Qingqiu's doing.
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."
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.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
