Chapter 85: The Dragon King Sells His Woman! A Night Like a Dream!
The air in the private VIP room was stagnant, heavy with unspoken tension and the metallic scent of fresh blood that seemed to cling to Han Qi's clothes.
Han Qi stood rigid. Beneath the Bronze Dragon King mask, his face was pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead, sliding down to sting his eyes.
He didn't tell anyone his true identity. Not the subordinates who worshipped him, not the enemies who feared him. Besides his adoptive father, Tianfeng Ichiro, and a few loyal confidants like Situ Yueying who knew fragments, he was a ghost.
Why?
Because Han Qi knew the stakes.
If his true identity as the illegitimate son were exposed, and his elder brother Han Xiu—the legitimate eldest son of the [Emperor Capital Han Family]—found out he was alive and building power in Modu, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Han Xiu was a monster. A man who killed their mother without blinking.
Currently, Han Qi still didn't have the strength to contend with Han Xiu! He was still accumulating, still hiding, still playing the role of the useless son-in-law to stay off the radar.
However...
Shen Anyu sat on the plush leather sofa, legs crossed, looking at him with a gaze that seemed to penetrate the bronze metal of his mask.
If he couldn't even satisfy this small request—to show his face—how could he gain Shen Anyu's trust?
If his identity was exposed to Shen Anyu, wouldn't his fate be controlled by this terrifying Young Master? It would be like handing over the hilt of the sword resting against his neck.
Han Qi was immediately caught in a dilemma. His breath hitched in his throat.
Shen Anyu swirled the liquid in his glass, chuckling inwardly.
He watched the flickering gaze in Han Qi's eyes beneath the mask holes. He knew that Han Qi was struggling, hesitating, weighing his pride against his survival.
But what Han Qi didn't know was that Shen Anyu had already known his true identity for a long time.
Although ordinary people couldn't uncover the secrets of the Dragon King, the [Yanxia Shen Family] was a colossal entity. They had [Martial Dao Grandmaster] level retainers, elite intelligence networks, and resources that could pry open any secret. They had thoroughly investigated Han Qi from every angle, following every clue since Shen Anyu gave the order.
Furthermore, Shen Anyu had previously directly revealed Han Qi's identity to Han Qi's greatest enemy, Han Xiu, thereby directly plundering 500,000 Destiny Points in a single stroke of genius.
The net was already tightening, and the fish was still worrying about the bait.
If Han Qi knew all this... he would probably be ashen-faced beneath that mask, wailing as if he had lost a parent, and utterly despairing!
Shen Anyu decided to play the benevolent lord. He stood up and patted Han Qi's stiff shoulder.
"Forget it. If you don't want to reveal your identity, I won't force you!"
"I understand. Everyone has past events they don't want to talk about! A hero always has a mysterious origin, right?"
Han Qi's shoulders sagged in relief. He was immediately grateful, his voice thick with emotion.
"Young Master Shen's generosity is deeply appreciated by Little Han!"
However, just as Han Qi began to relax, Shen Anyu's tone shifted. The warmth evaporated, replaced by a cold, uncompromising steel.
"However... for the next matter, Little Han, you can't refuse. Or I'll be annoyed!"
Han Qi nodded quickly, eager to please after being spared the unmasking.
"Young Master Shen, please give your orders; Little Han will certainly fulfill them for you! Anything within my power!"
In Han Qi's mind, since he hadn't revealed his identity and had temporarily submitted to Shen Anyu, what difficult request could Shen Anyu make? Money? Territory? He had plenty of both in the dark.
Shen Anyu looked at Han Qi with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He slowly said:
"I fell in love at first sight with Situ Yueying, the proprietress of Dream Bar!"
"As the saying goes, 'a thousand cups are too few when drinking with a true friend'. She understands wine, and she understands silence. She is my drinking confidante!"
"So, Little Han... please give Situ Yueying to me."
Shen Anyu paused, letting the words hang in the air like a guillotine blade.
"I will certainly not mistreat her. Nor will I mistreat you! It's a fair trade."
Upon hearing this, Han Qi's expression changed drastically beneath the mask!
His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Although in his heart, his wife Liu Qingyue was the most important woman in the world, the sun in his sky, and the woman he loved most...
But Situ Yueying's position in his heart was also not low.
She was his shadow. His sword.
Han Qi knew that Situ Yueying was loyal to him. She admired him, loved him silently. But because of his wife Liu Qingyue, he hadn't reciprocated that affection. He kept her at arm's length, using her loyalty while denying her heart.
However, humans are not plants; how can they be without feelings?
Han Qi also highly valued and cherished Situ Yueying. She was the one person he could be his true self around—the Dragon King, not the trash son-in-law.
Tonight, knowing that Black Dragon was coming to Dream Bar to cause trouble, and worried about Situ Yueying's safety, Han Qi had quickly finished washing his mother-in-law's feet. He didn't even care about being scolded for spilling water. He found a flimsy excuse to go for a walk and rushed desperately towards Dream Bar to save her.
Just now, to save Situ Yueying, he also fought with Black Dragon, risking injury and exposure!
And now... Shen Anyu directly demanded Situ Yueying? Like she was a piece of furniture?
This naturally filled Han Qi with extreme dissatisfaction! A surge of possessiveness flared within him.
Han Qi had heard more or less about who Shen Anyu was.
Things like Qin Ningbing, the billion-dollar beauty CEO of [Renxin Hall Pharmaceutical Company]. And that stunningly charming young woman, Liu Mi, whom Shen Anyu was with just now...
All these undoubtedly proved that Shen Anyu was a playboy! A collector of women!
For such a playboy to demand Situ Yueying, his purpose was self-evident. He wanted to add another flower to his garden. He wanted to sleep with her.
"Little Han... am I giving you too much face?"
Shen Anyu's voice dropped an octave. The playfulness was gone.
"Asking you to do something, and you keep making excuses? First the mask, now the woman?"
Shen Anyu's expression turned cold, and he looked at Han Qi with a chilling gaze. The pressure in the room spiked, suffocating Han Qi.
Han Qi's heart grew cold.
He had hesitated about revealing his mask earlier. Now, if he refused to part with Situ Yueying... Shen Anyu would surely be furious. The alliance would shatter. Shen Anyu might back Black Dragon instead. Or worse, he might destroy the Dragon King Society right here and now.
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Looking at the cold light and absolute authority in Shen Anyu's eyes, Han Qi's heart felt heavy as lead.
He weighed the scales in his mind.
On one side: Situ Yueying. Loyal, beautiful, useful.
On the other side: His vengeance against the Han Family. His future with Liu Qingyue. His life.
"Young Master Shen... your request... Little Han... agrees!"
Han Qi gritted his teeth and replied with difficulty, the words tasting like ash in his mouth.
As soon as he said this, Han Qi felt a strange sense of relief mixed with his shame. His mind immediately began to rationalize, to spin this defeat into a strategy to protect his ego.
'Having Yueying by the side of this Shen Family Young Master might not be a bad thing,' he told himself.
'I saved Yueying and her younger brother Yuehe's lives. Yueying has always been loyal to me. Just now she even risked her life to save me.'
'If I explain it to her... she will understand. She can be my spy.'
'With Yueying helping out by Shen Anyu's side, whispering in his ear... I can gain more support and trust. I can accumulate strength more quickly.'
'I can use her position to reclaim the [Emperor Capital Han Family], avenge myself, and achieve my dreams.'
'Once my wings are fully grown... I can leave Shen Anyu and bring Yueying back! It's just temporary. It's a mission.'
His mother was persecuted by Han Xiu and died in a car accident. He himself was persecuted by Han Xiu into pretending to be a useless live-in son-in-law, enduring humiliation from his in-laws for three years...
All of this had made Han Qi's heart morbidly dark long ago. He was willing to sacrifice anything for his vengeance.
Besides his wife Liu Qingyue, who was the light of his life, nothing else mattered much in Han Qi's heart. Including his own life.
The hierarchy of importance in his heart was clear:
Liu Qingyue > Vengeance against Han Xiu > Han Qi's own life > Situ Yueying and others.
As the emperor of the Magic City underworld, Dragon King Mr. Han, Han Qi was also a "hero" in the classical sense—ruthless and decisive when it mattered. He immediately made a decision!
Just like King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and sent the great beauty Xi Shi to King Fuchai of Wu to destroy him from within—you can't catch a wolf if you're unwilling to part with a woman!
Ultimately, Situ Yueying's position in Han Qi's heart was not that high. She was expendable.
If Shen Anyu had demanded Han Qi's wife Liu Qingyue... Han Qi would have fought Shen Anyu desperately, at all costs, regardless of everything! He would have burned the city down!
But Situ Yueying? She was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
Han Qi firmly believed that with Situ Yueying's loyalty to him, there would be no situation where he lost both the lady and the troops! She would remain his at heart.
At this moment, Shen Anyu almost burst out laughing. He could practically hear the gears turning in Han Qi's head, justifying the betrayal.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Han Qi's emotional line has undergone a huge fluctuation! Plundering +80,000 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Han Qi missed a great Opportunity! Plundering +200,000 Destiny Points!]
'Good heavens! So much Destiny Value!'
'It's hard to plunder Destiny Value from Han Qi usually—he's a turtle with a hard shell—but when I do, it's a big haul! Selling his loyal subordinate is truly profitable.'
Shen Anyu sighed inwardly, suppressing his grin. Then, he began to ponder the notifications.
'A huge fluctuation in the emotional line is easy to understand; Situ Yueying was given to me by Han Qi, so their emotional line is basically severed. It's hard to mend a broken mirror.'
'But... Han Qi missed a "Great Opportunity", plundering 200,000 Destiny Points? What's going on with that?'
Shen Anyu looked thoughtfully at the second System message.
Could it be that Situ Yueying had some great secret? A hidden physique? A destiny of her own that Han Qi was unaware of? It seemed quite significant, so he would have to investigate later.
Shen Anyu was in a very good mood. He stood up and patted Han Qi's shoulder, acting like a pleased boss.
"Little Han, you made the right choice. You are a man of vision."
"You should talk to Situ Yueying about this. Convince her. I don't want a crying woman; I want a willing one."
"I have something to attend to, so I'll leave first. I'll come to Dream Bar again tomorrow. And I hope you can give me a satisfactory result!"
With that, Shen Anyu laughed heartily. The sound echoed in the room, mocking and triumphant.
He turned and left the private room without looking back.
Outside, the bar was still recovering from the brawl, but the VIP area was calm.
Shen Anyu found Liu Mi waiting anxiously. Seeing him emerge unharmed, her face lit up.
He put his arm around her soft, boneless slender waist, pulling her close. The warmth of her body contrasted with the cold calculation of the deal he just made.
He exchanged a few pleasantries with Situ Yueying and the others, who looked at him with awe and gratitude, oblivious to the fact that she had just been sold by her hero.
Then, he strode away into the night with Liu Mi.
Outside, the neon lights of the Demon City reflected on the wet pavement.
Tonight, the long sword was stained with blood, and the good times were like a dream!
The daily life of a [Destined Villain] was indeed so simple, unadorned, and boring!
...
Back in the bar.
Han Qi walked out of the private room with heavy steps. The mask felt heavier than usual, pressing into his skin.
He looked at Situ Yueying.
This enchanting, exquisite, and alluring mature woman was wiping down the bar, her movements graceful despite the chaos of the night. Her red dress was vibrant against the dim lights.
She looked up at him with concern and trust in her beautiful eyes. She had nearly died for him tonight.
Han Qi looked at her with a complicated expression. Guilt, ambition, and resolve warred in his heart.
He wanted to speak but hesitated, unable to open his mouth for a long time. The words stuck in his throat like fishbones.
"Dragon King... what's wrong?"
Situ Yueying noticed something was amiss. She walked over, her eyes searching the cold metal of his mask.
"Did Young Master Shen make things difficult for you? Is there anything I can do?"
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