Don't get cocky

When Meng Huai saw Hoshino Aki, his pupils contracted slightly. This woman carried a strong aura of evil. She was indeed a practitioner of Japanese dark arts.

But Japanese dark arts were completely different from gu sorcery. Judging by the situation, those people had clearly died from gu poison. Someone else had to be responsible.

Still, this woman's ability to enthrall others definitely had something to do with Japanese dark arts. No wonder Fan Yuli had been unable to resist. Even a straight woman would have stood no chance, let alone a lesbian like her!

Pei Cuiyun looked smugly at Yun Zimo, every inch the victor. After fighting her for so long, she had finally brought her down.

With an arrogant expression, she said, "Never thought you'd see this day, did you? Weren't you always so proud? Didn't you take such pride in your company? In the end, it still fell into my hands."

Yun Zimo's expression remained unchanged as she said, "Life has its ups and downs. This time, I was unlucky. Or perhaps I simply wasn't as ruthless as you.

"The biggest difference between us is that I won't stop at nothing to win. Since you want my company, and I happen to be tired of running it, I might as well grant your wish.

"Besides, your offer is higher than I expected. My fund can always use more money, so why not? We both get what we want!"

Pei Cuiyun sneered. "You really have a knack for consoling yourself like Ah Q. That attitude is certainly something I could learn from, though it's all you have left.

"It's always been the same: winners become kings, and losers become outlaws. You lost to me. That fact won't change. As for how it happened, who will ever know?"

Yun Zimo said calmly, "If saying that makes you happy, go ahead. It won't cost me so much as a hair on my head!"

Her complete lack of anger left Pei Cuiyun seething with humiliation. All her sense of triumph vanished, and she felt as though the other woman had her dancing in the palm of her hand.

She said viciously, "Don't think selling me your company will be enough. If you don't agree to what I want, I'll hound you until there's nothing left. Whatever you do, I'll fight you to the bitter end!"

Those words had come from a woman. Had a man said them, it would have sounded like love turned to hatred, the kind that could drive someone to anything.

Yun Zimo still wore that playful smile. Grinning at her, she said, "Then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. My fiancé is back now, and we're planning to enjoy our life together!

"I won't be going out to work anymore. I'll just be a supportive wife to my husband. When we have nothing else to do, we'll flirt a little, then have a couple of adorable babies!"

Pei Cuiyun's face flushed crimson as she glared viciously at her. She was beside herself with rage. This was the one thing she could not accept!

Through gritted teeth, she said, "You're destined to be mine. No one can take you away. If you run off to live happily with him, I'll destroy your family and leave you all alone with no one to turn to!

"Don't think I'm just trying to scare you. I'm working with Hoshino Aki now. She's someone with real ability. Not only is she brilliant in business, but her other methods are remarkable too!"

Meng Huai had been watching the two women trade barbs, inwardly giving Yun Zimo a thumbs-up. She truly was formidable. She had driven the other woman wild with anger while leaving her utterly powerless.

Now Pei Cuiyun had become hysterical and even revealed her trump card. That was hardly how a competent gambler behaved, much less an outstanding businesswoman.

Hoshino Aki stepped forward and said with a smile, "President Pei told me that you're a formidable businesswoman too, President Yun. Why don't we get to know each other better? We could work together in the future!"

A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she unleashed her Japanese dark arts. This woman was outrageously bold, daring to act in broad daylight. She clearly had no regard for China's cultivation community.

Yun Zimo felt her head grow slightly heavy. The other woman's eyes seemed extraordinarily beautiful, their gaze so deep that she felt as though she might plunge straight into them.

The Silver Snake, which had been sleeping soundly inside her, suddenly opened its mouth and released a breath. It raced along her meridians and swiftly entered her sea of consciousness.

The breath transformed into a little snake. It opened its mouth and swallowed two black stars, then shot out from between Yun Zimo's brows and lunged at Hoshino Aki!

Hoshino Aki had thought she had succeeded, but her mind suddenly shuddered. Then she saw a snake-shaped shadow fly out from between the other woman's brows. She hurriedly dodged to one side, but it left a bloody scratch across her face!

She was inwardly shocked. She had never expected the other woman to carry a protective charm left by a cultivator. She had truly been overconfident this time, and explaining this would probably be difficult!

Meng Huai snorted and released a trace of his Natal Golden Cicada Gu's aura. It naturally drew Hoshino Aki's attention, making her groan inwardly all the more.

His face was icy as he said, "You Japanese woman, you've got some nerve, daring to do evil here in China. You really have a death wish!

"It seems the lesson we taught you back then still hasn't sunk in. Today, I'll show you that anyone who dares swagger around in China has only one fate: death!"

With that, he took a stance as though preparing to attack.

Hoshino Aki trembled inwardly and quickly lowered her gaze in submission. "I didn't realize a fellow practitioner was here. I was truly reckless just now. Please forgive my offense!

"I was merely fulfilling a task entrusted to me. Since coming to China, I've always obeyed the law and never dared act out of line. Please judge the matter fairly!"

Meng Huai snorted disdainfully. "Do you take me for a three-year-old? You dared attack my fiancée today. How am I supposed to know you haven't done the same to others before?"

Hoshino Aki hastily swore oaths, insisting that Pei Cuiyun had commissioned her this time and that she had never done anything like this before. As for what she had done with Fan Yuli, that had strictly been a matter between lesbians!

The Japanese woman behaved this way because Japan's cultivation community was nowhere near China's overall strength. They could bluster in ordinary circumstances, but when things got serious, they immediately wilted.

Meng Huai said coldly, "Then how do you explain the Lust Gu inside Fan Yuli, and Qi Xiaoyun's death?"

Hoshino Aki hurriedly said, "Please judge fairly, sir. I've never studied the gu poison arts you're talking about. I'm a complete outsider!"

Meng Huai found that claim quite believable. Never mind these Japanese practitioners—even among China's cultivators, everyone had their own specialty. No one dared claim to know everything.

He turned his gaze back to Fan Yuli. It seemed this woman still hadn't given him the full story. She was still hiding something from him.

Fan Yuli looked back at him, utterly composed. A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips, but there was something deeply eerie about it.