Chapter 10

Night.

Within Chai Sang City, tranquility had returned as before.

The members of the Yan Family had all gathered under Yan Liuli's command, awaiting dawn to return to the Yan Family estate.

It seemed as though everything had passed.

But was that truly the case?

Unlike the Gu Family, whose patriarch Gu Luoli had died, Gu Jianmen still lived—and Gu Jianmen was one of the Eight Princes of Northern Li.

A graduate of the Tian Qi City Academy.

For him, taking control of the Gu Family was as easy as turning over his hand.

But for Yan Liuli, there were many things to consider.

She was merely a woman.

To seize control of the Yan Family would inevitably bring a host of troubles. Moreover, in this incident, the Yan Family had suffered the heaviest losses.

Countless experts had fallen in this conflict.

Afterward, the Yan Family's influence in the Southwest Dao would likely face no small degree of contraction.

Their position would become even more precarious.

Yet Yan Liuli herself possessed no formidable strength.

She was beset by troubles both within and without.

"Perhaps... my only chance lies with Mister Jiang..."

Only by attaching herself to Jiang Mu Ming, a powerhouse of astonishing strength, could she truly take control of the Yan Family.

But the question was—

How could she latch onto such a towering tree?

Yan Liuli suddenly recalled that he had asked her to come find him tonight.

Could it be...

If that were truly the case, it might just resolve her current predicament.

Now that Gu Luoli was dead.

Yan Liuli's sole remaining goal in this life was to no longer be a pawn.

To take charge of her own destiny!

No matter the cost, she had to seize control of the Yan Family.

With that thought, Yan Liuli rose at once.

And walked toward Jiang Mu Ming's room.

At this moment, Jiang Mu Ming's room was still brightly lit.

At the desk.

Jiang Mu Ming read by candlelight.

This was a habit he had maintained for over a decade—whenever he had even a moment of free time, he used it to read.

Otherwise, he could never have finished thirty thousand scrolls of books.

Even skimming wouldn't do.

He had to devote his mind to reading at every moment.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A soft knock sounded at the door.

From the footsteps, Jiang Mu Ming could tell it was a woman.

Without needing to think, he knew the person outside the door was Yan Liuli.

Jiang Mu Ming rose and opened the door.

Outside, Yan Liuli bowed gracefully. "Liuli pays respects to Mister..."

"Today, truly thanks to you, Mister—otherwise, Liuli might not have been able to avenge this wrong."

Jiang Mu Ming waved his hand.

He first let Yan Liuli into the room, then closed the door.

He replied, "Merely a matter of mutual benefit."

"Now, it's your turn to fulfill my request."

Under the dim candlelight.

A faint blush crept across Yan Liuli's delicate face, and her legs unconsciously shifted.

A hint of anticipation stirred within her heart.

What exactly would Mister Jiang's request be? So late at night, and alone with a man—Yan Liuli couldn't help but let her thoughts run wild.

And though Yan Liuli didn't consider herself a peerless beauty who could topple kingdoms, she was still strikingly lovely.

Which ordinary man, upon seeing her, wouldn't steal a few extra glances?

But the next moment, Jiang Mu Ming suddenly pointed to the books laid out on the side table.

He said, "First, finish reading these."

Yan Liuli was stunned.

Could it be that his request was simply for her to read?

How was that possible!

Yan Liuli didn't think her charm had sunk to such depths!

"Is Mister Jiang's request for Liuli to read these books?"

Jiang Mu Ming shook his head.

"Of course not. This is only the first step."

Yan Liuli's face lit up with understanding.

So, did Mister Jiang enjoy the style of a fragrant companion reading by his side, keeping him company as he studied?

Then, as they read on, wouldn't things naturally...

Yan Liuli's cheeks flushed even deeper. She picked up the book from the table and turned to sit beside Jiang Mu Ming.

A wisp of subtle fragrance drifted into Jiang Mu Ming's nose.

Jiang Mu Ming glanced at her, puzzled. He'd only told her to read.

Why sit so close?

But it didn't matter, as long as it didn't disturb his own reading.

Though relying solely on reading no longer boosted Jiang Mu Ming's strength much—he'd need to teach others to make a real breakthrough—

for him, reading had become a hobby. A book never leaving his hand was his norm.

Jiang Mu Ming sank back into the world of books.

Countless thoughts seemed to collide in his mind, sparking even more ideas and insights.

It was intoxicating.

But for Yan Liuli beside him, the time dragged painfully.

She was right there, yet Jiang Mu Ming made no move at all.

He was completely in the posture of "deaf to the world outside, eyes fixed only on the sages' texts."

Nothing like what she'd imagined.

So Yan Liuli had no choice but to immerse herself in the book in her hands.

And then, as she read...

She found the book titled Peerless Legend surprisingly captivating. Before she knew it, she was lost in its pages.

It felt as if she'd lived through that world herself. Some of the female characters stirred her heart with excitement.

The mysterious, mighty, and domineering Yaoyue—

if she had such power, she could control the entire Yan Family on her own.

And then there was Jiang Yuyan, born ordinary and humiliated at every turn, who climbed her way up step by step with her own cunning.

She reached the pinnacle of power and martial arts.

It made Yan Liuli think of herself. Her current situation was also plagued by internal strife and external threats. Could she, like that character, grow stronger step by step?

But one thing was certain.

Though Yan Liuli wanted to grow stronger, she was no venomous person like Jiang Yuyan.

She wouldn't lay a hand on her benefactor.

And as Yan Liuli was absorbed in the book, the night deepened.

Jiang Mu Ming suddenly spoke. "What do you think?"

Yan Liuli was jolted from the world of the book.

"What do I think?" She was still lost in the story, unable to pull herself out.

She barely understood what Jiang Mu Ming had said.

Jiang Mu Ming gave a light smile at this. Her posture now was exactly the same as his own when he'd first read those novels back then.

"So, what do you think of this book?"

Yan Liuli finally understood what Jiang Mu Ming meant and quickly replied, "It's excellent!"

"Liuli has never read anything like this before..."

For a moment, she didn't know how to describe the book.

Grand.

Real.

Captivating and thought-provoking.

It even made her wonder—had these events really happened?

"Of course you haven't. Or rather, these books are something only you've seen for now."

A flash of insight seemed to strike Yan Liuli.

She stood up.

And looked at Jiang Mu Ming with excitement.

"Could it be... that you wrote all these books yourself, Mister Jiang?"

Yan Liuli said in disbelief.

Mister Jiang wasn't just astonishingly powerful—he also possessed such talent?

Writing every single one of these books so brilliantly.

To this, Jiang Mu Ming only smiled, offering no answer.

Instead, he said, "There's more than just these. There are plenty over there."

"My request is this: use all the strength of the Yan Family to print and publish every last one of these books."

"Let these books spread across the world!"

PS: Is anyone reading this book?