Chapter 217: The Dragon King's Green Hat! A Grandmaster's Stamina!
Listening to these chaotic and resentful inner thoughts echoing from Situ Yueying's mind, Shen Anyu, currently wearing the face of the Dragon King Han Qi, maintained a perfect poker face.
He didn't need to probe further. The [Fixed Light Joy Zen Contract] had already laid her soul bare before him. Continuing to act as Han Qi and ask questions she would only lie about was redundant.
It was like a master puppeteer asking his puppet if it liked its strings.
Shen Anyu's lips curled into a familiar, slightly arrogant smile—a perfect replication of Han Qi's confident smirk. With the [Extraordinary Ventriloquism] skill, he adjusted his vocal cords, producing a voice that was indistinguishable from the Dragon King's own baritone.
"Young Master Shen told me to return overnight. He just gave me some confidential instructions regarding the expansion in Jinling. Young Master Shen will be back here soon, and I'll have to return to Jinling immediately afterward to execute his plan."
He paused, letting his gaze soften with a practiced, hypocritical concern. He reached out, as if to touch her shoulder, but stopped halfway, maintaining the distance of a "leader."
"Yueying... you've been wronged, haven't you? Lurking by Young Master Shen's side, sacrificing your dignity for our cause... it must be hard on you."
Hearing the first sentence, Situ Yueying felt a wave of relief wash over her.
'Young Master Shen is coming back soon!'
She didn't know why, but just knowing that Shen Anyu—the true master of her heart—was returning made her feel safe. The oppressive aura of the Dragon King seemed less terrifying when she knew her protector was near.
But hearing the second sentence...
Situ Yueying's heart turned cold. A sneer formed in her mind, sharp as a dagger.
'Wronged? Hard on me?'
'Han Qi... oh, Han Qi. You hypocrite! You beast in human skin!'
'You were the one who personally sent me to his bed! You were the one who told me to use my body as a weapon! And now you stand here, pretending to be a caring leader? Pretending to pity me?'
'I must have been blind before to have fallen for such a man. Compared to Young Master Shen, you aren't even worth the mud on his shoes!'
However, on the surface, Situ Yueying was the picture of a loyal subordinate. She lowered her head, feigning a touched expression, her voice trembling slightly.
"Dragon King, please don't say that. I haven't been wronged. For the great cause of the Dragon King Hall, this sacrifice is nothing. Besides... Young Master Shen treats me well. He is not suspicious of me."
"That's good..."
Han Qi, impersonated by Shen Anyu, nodded slowly. Inside, Shen Anyu was laughing at the irony.
'She's a good actress. If I didn't have the System, I might have been fooled by her loyalty.'
He decided to push one last button. He furrowed his brows, feigning a serious, almost desperate expression.
"Yueying, have you uncovered any important news or secrets while by Young Master Shen's side? Anything we can use against the Shen Family? The situation in Jinling is... complicated. We need leverage."
Situ Yueying looked at him. She saw the desperation in his eyes, the greed for power.
She feigned a difficult expression, biting her lip.
"Dragon King... I haven't been by Young Master Shen's side for long. He is very cautious. And he comes infrequently to the hotel. So... I haven't uncovered any important news yet."
'Lies,' she thought viciously. 'Even if I knew Shen Anyu's deepest secrets, I would rot in hell before I told you, Han Qi.'
Looking at "Han Qi's" visibly disappointed expression—the furrowed brow, the sinking corners of his mouth—Situ Yueying felt a surge of disgust. He only cared about the intel. He didn't care about her safety or her feelings.
"Is that so?"
Shen Anyu sighed, channeling Han Qi's disappointment perfectly.
"Alright. Time is tight. Young Master Shen will be back any minute now. I can't be seen here."
He walked to the window, the night breeze billowing his coat. He turned back one last time, his gaze intense.
"I'll leave first. You must continue to lurk. Use any means necessary to gather information. Remember, the future of the Dragon King Hall depends on you."
With that, Han Qi leaped out the window, disappearing into the neon-lit night of Magic City like a ghost.
Whoosh!
Shen Anyu landed on the balcony of the adjacent room, instantly deactivating the [Divine Transformation Technique].
His bones shifted back. His face returned to its peerless handsomeness. The aura of the "Loser Protagonist" vanished, replaced by the noble, domineering presence of the Villain.
He smoothed his suit, smiling with satisfaction.
"Not bad. The disguise is perfect. Even his closest confidante couldn't tell the difference."
As for probing Situ Yueying further? There was no need. He had verified what he needed to know: her loyalty to Han Qi was dead. Buried. Rotting.
And as for using Han Qi's face to... do that with Situ Yueying?
Shen Anyu shuddered.
"I'm a Villain, not a pervert. Besides, Situ Yueying is my woman now. Why would I want to look like another man while holding her? That's just cucking myself."
He adjusted his tie, checked his reflection, and prepared to make his "official" entrance.
"Perhaps another day, I can transform into Xu Ping'an and visit his mother... No, that's too twisted. Maybe visit his girlfriend Wang Qin?"
Shen Anyu shook his head, suppressing his darker impulses.
...
Inside the suite.
Feeling the cold wind from the open window, Situ Yueying stood frozen for a moment. Her beautiful eyes were filled with frost, staring at the spot where "Han Qi" had vanished.
"Hmph. Han Qi... sooner or later, I will make you pay for betraying me."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Just then, the sound of steady, confident footsteps echoed from the hallway. It was a rhythm she knew well—calm, powerful, unhurried. The footsteps of a king.
Situ Yueying turned her head. The frost in her eyes instantly melted, replaced by a spring-like warmth. A beautiful, genuine smile bloomed on her exquisite, alluring face.
"Young Master Shen! You're back!"
She didn't walk; she practically ran. Situ Yueying moved gracefully, swaying her snake-like waist, and threw herself into the man's arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of expensive cologne and masculine pheromones.
"Mmm..."
She took a deep breath, feeling her tense muscles relax. The disgust from meeting Han Qi was washed away.
[Ding! Detected that the Destined Heroine, Situ Yueying, feels a surge of attachment! Favorability +1!]
[Ding! Plundered +3,000 Destiny Points!]
Shen Anyu smiled. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, his hand gently stroking her dark, silky hair.
"What's wrong? You're clinging to me like a koala. Missing me again? I was only gone for a few minutes."
Situ Yueying looked up. She gave Shen Anyu a glance that was devoid of any calculation—a look filled only with charm, reliance, and endless allure.
But soon, she remembered the "threat."
Situ Yueying became serious. She pulled back slightly, her expression grave.
"Young Master Shen... we have a problem. That Han Qi fellow... he secretly came to find me just now! He broke into the suite!"
She spoke urgently, recounting everything that had just happened in full detail. She didn't hide a single word of Han Qi's inquiries, his hypocrisy, or her own lies to him. She laid it all out, proving her loyalty.
Shen Anyu listened attentively, nodding. Naturally, he knew everything—he wrote the script—but he still feigned a flicker of anger on his face.
"That Han Qi... how dare he be so reckless?"
Shen Anyu's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Barging into my private quarters? Trying to spy on me? Since he's seeking his own death so eagerly, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
Situ Yueying hesitated.
"Young Master Shen... weren't you going to make Han Qi a pawn? You said you wanted to use him to help you take over the underworld of Jiangnan. If you move against him now..."
She was worried about disrupting his grand plan.
"Heh heh..."
Shen Anyu chuckled. He lifted her chin, looking deep into her eyes.
"Pawns? If I want pawns, I have plenty. I can raise a hundred 'Dragon Kings' if I wish."
His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with doting affection.
"But how can a mere Han Qi compare to you? If he upsets you, or puts you in danger... then his value is zero."
[Ding! Detected that Situ Yueying feels deeply moved! Favorability +3!]
[Ding! Plundered +9,000 Destiny Points!]
...
"Young Master Shen..."
Situ Yueying's heart trembled. Her eyes misted over.
Han Qi, for his grand ambitions and towering aspirations, had offered her to Shen Anyu like a piece of meat. To Han Qi, she was expendable.
But Shen Anyu... this powerful, terrifying villain... was willing to discard a useful pawn just because that pawn annoyed her.
He valued her. He saw her.
How could this not move a woman who had been betrayed?
"You treat me too well..."
Situ Yueying was incredibly moved. She stood on her tiptoes and actively offered her red lips, kissing him with a desperate passion.
She wanted to serve him. Right now. In every way possible.
However, just as Situ Yueying was about to slide her hands down his chest and initiate something more intimate, Shen Anyu gently pushed her away.
"Wait."
Situ Yueying immediately froze. She looked up, puzzled, her exquisite and alluring small face filled with confusion and a hint of rejection.
"Young Master... did I do something wrong?"
Shen Anyu smiled, shaking his head.
"No, you silly girl. I have a gift for you."
He looked at her with a critical, yet caring gaze.
"Your cultivation has been stuck at the Innate Realm (Peak) for a long time, hasn't it? The bottleneck of the Grandmaster realm is hard to break."
"I... yes. I've been trying, but..."
"I'll help you," Shen Anyu interrupted. "Tonight, I will help you break through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm. You need strength to protect yourself better in the future. I can't be by your side 24/7."
Saying that, Shen Anyu flipped his hand.
Flash!
Several jade bottles appeared in his palm, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.
[Guiyuan Pill]
[Qi Nourishing Pill]
[Vitality Pill]
The aroma of medicinal herbs instantly filled the room, rich and invigorating. Just one sniff made Situ Yueying's Qi flow faster.
Previously, Shen Anyu's Aunt An Zhiyue, a veteran Martial Dao Grandmaster, was able to break through a minor realm barrier with these pills.
For Situ Yueying to break through from Innate to Grandmaster? It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It was guaranteed success.
Of course, Aunt An Zhiyue used a full three bottles because her cultivation base was incredibly deep and required massive energy.
Ordinary people simply couldn't digest so much medicinal power. Girls without cultivation strength, such as Su Hongmian, Liu Mi, and Ruan Lingshan, could only absorb the residue by soaking in medicated wine baths. Taking these pills directly would make them explode.
But Situ Yueying was a martial artist. She could take it.
Shen Anyu estimated that she could withstand a full pill. And that would be enough to push her favorability over the edge.
Her total favorability was already at [89].
He needed that final push to break [90]—the threshold of undying loyalty.
"Such precious pills..."
Situ Yueying stared at the bottles, her breath hitching. She could sense the terrifying energy contained within them.
"Young Master Shen... you're letting me take them? These are priceless treasures! In the Martial Arts World, people would kill entire families for just one of these!"
Shen Anyu shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just take them. If it's not enough, there are more in my inventory. To me, they are just candy."
He stepped closer, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
"Although they are precious... you are worth more."
"I'm... worth it?"
Situ Yueying's delicate body trembled. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, blurring her vision.
Han Qi traded her for intel. Shen Anyu traded treasures for her strength.
The difference was heaven and earth.
She looked at Shen Anyu, then suddenly smiled—a smile like a blooming poppy, beautiful, dangerous, and intoxicating.
"Young Master Shen..."
She took the pills, holding them against her chest.
"Since you want me to take them, I will. I will become a Grandmaster tonight."
She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a husky, seductive whisper that sent shivers down Shen Anyu's spine.
"And once I break through to the Grandmaster Realm... my body will be stronger. My endurance will be better."
"A Martial Arts Grandmaster should have much more stamina than an Innate fighter, right?"
She bit her lip, her eyes flowing with liquid charm.
"At that time... Young Master Shen... don't you dare regret it if I don't let you sleep~"
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