A Business Deal for You

"You're despicable!" Liu Ya cried, nearly tearing her throat apart.

"Despicable? Hahaha! As long as I achieve my goal in the end, does it matter what methods I use?"

An Yun grabbed Liu Ya by the chin, greed written all over his face.

He squeezed so hard that Liu Ya was in pain, yet An Yun showed not the slightest tenderness toward her.

"Liu Ya, all these years, you've never once returned the feelings I've had for you. Hmph, I'd like to see whether you'll remain a chaste, unyielding woman or become a selfish one."

"You... An Yun, I curse you to die a horrible death." An Yun's near-madness had pushed Liu Ya completely over the edge. She had always appeared alluring and bewitching before the world, but that wasn't how Liu Ya wanted to be.

"You needn't worry about me. Just stay here obediently. Once this is over, I'll make sure to treat you well."

An Yun left the secret chamber, swaggering and laughing without restraint.

Tears rolled down Liu Ya's face. She had never imagined she would encounter such a madman.

A sense of helplessness rose within her. Fate always seemed to enjoy toying with the weak.

A man glanced furtively over his shoulder again and again. Only after confirming no one was following him did he knock on a door.

"Come in!"

Only then did the man push the door open and enter, bowing respectfully to the person inside.

"How did it go?"

"My lord, this is the exact location where Liu Ya is being held." The visitor offered up a map with both hands, not daring to look at the person seated in the chair.

Li Xingluo took the map. Its markings were quite clear, and he gave it a brief glance.

"Very good!"

"It's my honor to serve you, my lord."

The visitor seized the chance to flatter him. Li Xingluo glanced at him impassively.

"Go. Follow the plan. Once this is over, I'll give you the antidote. If you dare to obey me in public while defying me in private, you know what will happen."

The visitor immediately dropped to his knees. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes darted about.

He recalled how a companion who had questioned Li Xingluo had been brutally killed. The horrifying sight of his death remained vivid in his mind. He swallowed and looked even more terrified, fully aware of how dire the consequences would be.

"I wouldn't dare!"

"Good. As long as you do as I say, I guarantee you'll stay alive."

"Thank you, my lord!"

"Go!"

"Yes!" The visitor fled through the door as if pardoned from execution. Once outside, free of the pressure Li Xingluo had imposed on him, he wiped the sweat from his brow.

He looked back. This man was terrifying—more frightening than the clan leader.

After the visitor left, Li Xingluo slowly rose to his feet and casually said, "We can move too."

Night fell. Two figures darted through the streets and alleys of Maple Forest City, soon arriving outside a fairly large manor.

The plaque above the gate bore two characters: Jiamo.

In the moonlight, the two figures gradually came into view. They were none other than Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian.

Having long since familiarized himself with the locations of the three great families, Li Xingluo easily crossed the outer grounds of the Jiamo Family manor.

He grabbed a Jiamo Family servant at random and asked where Jiamo Lin lived.

They made their way through the Jiamo Family grounds. Seeing a room ahead brightly lit, Li Xingluo exchanged a glance with Xiao Yi Xian, then flicked his hand. A throwing dart shot from his fingers.

The dart pierced the window and cut through the stillness of the night.

A voice quickly rang out from inside. "Who's there?"

Jiamo Lin hurried out of the room and searched for the one who had thrown the dart. He could tell that it hadn't been meant as an assassination attempt, but rather as an unconventional test.

Jiamo Lin cautiously surveyed his surroundings but saw no one. Just as he was about to turn back toward his room, still puzzled—

A figure suddenly appeared behind him. Jiamo Lin caught sight of him from the corner of his eye and sent a dart flying straight at the figure behind him.

At the same time, Jiamo Lin spun around, only to find the dart he had just thrown held firmly in someone's hand.

Seeing a man dressed in a black robe and wearing a bamboo hat, Jiamo Lin grew wary. But he also noticed that none of the family's disciples had sounded the alarm, which meant the man before him was no weakling.

"Who are you? Why have you come calling in the middle of the night?"

A deep, gruff voice came from Li Xingluo. "There's no need to be so wary, Clan Leader Jiamo. I've come in the middle of the night because I have a major business deal I'd like to tell you about."

Jiamo Lin was utterly confused. Who was this man, and why had he come looking for him to discuss a deal?

Jiamo Lin, a cunning old fox, studied Li Xingluo, trying to find some clue on him. But Li Xingluo was as steady as an old dog, without the slightest flaw.

"A deal? What sort of deal requires you to sneak into my family's grounds in the dead of night? You're clearly a thief, here to steal my Jiamo Family's treasures."

Li Xingluo couldn't help admiring Jiamo Lin's train of thought—and his ability to make something out of nothing.

But Li Xingluo didn't want to waste too much time. If the Jiamo Family patrol arrived, things could get troublesome.

"Would Clan Leader Jiamo be willing to hear me out? Don't worry. This deal will bring you immense benefits."

Jiamo Lin couldn't tell what Li Xingluo was plotting, so he decided to hear him out.

"Er, what sort of good deal have you brought me, sir? If it's truly a good deal, I'll reward you. If it isn't, then—hmph! I don't care who you are; you may not make it out of this courtyard tonight."

Jiamo Lin swept his hand through the air. A large number of people leaped out from hidden spots.

Seeing the display, Jiamo Lin couldn't keep the smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Li Xingluo swept his gaze over them, perfectly calm and not the least bit flustered. Jiamo Lin's brow furrowed slightly.

"The deal is to wipe out the An Family once and for all."

Li Xingluo's voice was crisp and clear, without a trace of hesitation.

Jiamo Lin had heard him perfectly. First he was shocked, but he quickly grew suspicious.

Jiamo Lin did want to rule alone, and he had long considered annexing the An Family. But how difficult would that be?

If it were easy, he would have done it already. What was more, Jiamo Lin had heard that after taking the Breakthrough Pill, An Batian had reached the threshold of Dou Ling.

That day, he hadn't expected An Batian to take the pill right there at the Aus Auction House. Jiamo Lin had originally planned to seize it on An Batian's way back to the An Family, but the plan had fallen through.

And now this man stood before him in the open, confidently claiming he could help destroy the An Family. No matter how he looked at it, it sounded like a lie.

"Looks like Clan Leader Jiamo doesn't believe what I'm saying."

"The An Family has been in Maple Forest City for hundreds of years. How could you wipe them out just because you say so? I think you were sent by the An Family to lure me into a trap and target my Jiamo Family."

Li Xingluo admired Jiamo Lin's caution. And rightly so—if someone suddenly appeared one day, claiming they could help you wipe out your mortal enemy, would you believe them?

"What's the matter? Did I hit the nail on the head? Nothing to say, are you? Do you really take me for a three-year-old?"

Seeing that Li Xingluo wasn't responding, Jiamo Lin taunted him.

At the same time, he ordered the family's hidden guards surrounding Li Xingluo to attack.

Jiamo Lin was left dumbfounded. He saw that after receiving the order, his hidden guards didn't attack. One after another, they collapsed to the ground.

This was completely beyond Jiamo Lin's expectations. He hadn't seen Li Xingluo make a move at all, so how had he made more than a dozen hidden guards fall? How had he done it?