Chapter 239: The Art of Lying! The Dragon King's False Hope!
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Han Qi's, main emotional line (The Unwavering Wife) has been completely severed!]
[Ding! Plundering +600,000 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Han Qi's, fate has undergone a huge change! The plot has been derailed!]
[Ding! Plundering +200,000 Destiny Value!]
… …
"Sometimes, a lie doesn't require actual lying. You don't need to invent facts. You only need to tell ninety-nine percent of the truth and conceal the remaining one percent... to guide the outcome to exactly what you desire."
Shen Anyu sat in the back of his Maybach, watching the scenery of Magic City blur past the tinted windows. His lips curved into a triumphant, chilling smile, and he chuckled softly.
The notification sound was like music to his ears. 800,000 Destiny Value in one go. The "White Moonlight" had finally fallen from the sky and shattered.
The information and data he sent to Liu Qingyue contained not a single falsehood. Every document was authentic. Every photo was real.
Back then, a brutal internal struggle occurred within the Emperor Capital Han Family, one of the top families in the nation.
Han Xiu, the Han family's eldest legitimate son and heir apparent, was a ruthless man. To secure his position, he directly took action, planning to eliminate his stepmother (a mistress) and his half-brother, Han Qi, through a meticulously planned car accident.
The "Mud Truck Iai Slash"—the ultimate weapon of urban novels—is usually invincible!
However, Han Qi was a Protagonist. He had the [Child of Destiny Halo]. The truck failed to kill him, only eliminating his birth mother, Li Qi, who died protecting him.
To evade further pursuit from his powerful elder brother, Han Qi could only feign being broken. He fled to Magic City, pretending to be a useless cripple, and married into the small, insignificant Liu family as a despised live-in son-in-law.
He appeared weak and incompetent to lull Han Xiu into a false sense of security. "Look, brother, I am washing feet for a living. I am no threat."
And Liu Yuan, the dissolute Young Master who relentlessly pursued Liu Qingyue back then?
He was indeed instigated by Han Qi. Han Qi used his hidden connections to push Liu Yuan to harass Liu Qingyue, pressuring her to her limits. When she was desperate and had no way out, Han Qi appeared at the opportune moment, proposing the "contract marriage" as a shield.
After they married, Liu Yuan was arranged by Han Qi to go "overseas," where he conveniently drowned in a swimming pool.
… …
Shen Anyu did not utter a single false word in the dossier he sent to Liu Qingyue.
However, context is everything.
By cleverly arranging the sequence and omitting Han Qi's internal monologues of love, he painted a very different picture.
He led Liu Qingyue to believe—quite logically—that Han Qi's marriage into the Liu family was solely a strategic move to escape Han Xiu's pursuit.
He made it look like Han Qi used the Liu family and Liu Qingyue as a Human Shield.
After all, think about it from her perspective: If Han Xiu had not stopped his pursuit... if he had decided to be thorough... the entire Liu family would have been annihilated as collateral damage.
Under the Emperor Capital Han Family's immense power and wealth, the small Liu family was no stronger than a grasshopper. They would have been crushed without a sound.
Han Qi brought this danger to their doorstep knowingly.
Even Liu Yuan's accidental drowning was misinterpreted as Han Qi silencing a loose end—a cold-blooded murder.
In the intelligence provided by Shen Anyu, Han Qi was portrayed not as a loving husband in hiding, but as a patient, terrifying, and twisted individual. A man who plotted in the shadows, using people like chess pieces, suppressing his true nature for years while watching his "wife" suffer humiliation.
The only information Shen Anyu concealed was that Han Qi actually, genuinely, deeply loved Liu Qingyue.
Shen Anyu hid the fact that Han Qi endured the humiliation because he wanted to protect her, not just himself.
But...
Even if Han Qi were to appear right now, kneel down, and scream his love to the heavens... Liu Qingyue would not believe him.
Why?
Because actions speak louder than words.
When the Liu He High-End Lighting Factory faced a crisis recently... when the Liu family was on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness... where was Han Qi?
Where was Dragon King Mr. Han, the man who possessed immense power and billions in secret funds, known as the Underground Emperor of the Magic City Dark World?
He did nothing.
He watched them cry. He watched his father-in-law smoke until his lungs burned. He watched his wife despair.
Under such circumstances, how could you expect Liu Qingyue to believe that Han Qi was devoted to her?
"If you have billions and let me beg for pennies... is that love?"
What a joke!
It was Shen Anyu. It was the "Villain" who extended a helping hand. It was Shen Anyu who lent 100 million yuan without interest, resolving the crisis and allowing Liu Qingyue to breathe again.
Of course, Han Qi had an excuse. He didn't know.
But why didn't he know?
Because his top confidant in Magic City, Situ Yueying, the beautiful proprietress of Dream Night Bar, had already been thoroughly conquered by Shen Anyu. She blocked all information regarding the Liu family's crisis from reaching Han Qi.
Such is the simplicity of a true lie. It relies on the victim filling in the blanks with their own despair.
"Han Qi's Destiny Value has been plundered by more than half... but he still has some use. I'm not in a hurry to kill him yet."
Shen Anyu's eyes flickered with calculation.
Han Qi was a useful tool. He had already been dispatched by Shen Anyu to encircle and annihilate the Netherworld Palace.
Besides Han Qi, the fake Young Master and Child of Destiny Xu Ping'an was also causing trouble for the Netherworld Palace under the leadership of Feng Kelei (the cross-dressing assassin).
The Netherworld Palace.
This was the force controlled by the next major protagonist: Ye Yan, the "Master Descends from the Mountain" Child of Destiny.
It was an extremely terrifying and powerful behemoth in the international Dark World, many times stronger than the War God Alliance or the Black Tiger Gang. It had roots in the ancient martial arts world.
But it was not in Shen Anyu's eyes.
If he hadn't wanted to avoid alerting Ye Yan and his mysterious Master prematurely, Shen Anyu would have already begun his move to crush it.
Now, with the Magic City Ye Family's five-year memorial day having arrived today, and Ye Yan about to make his grand appearance in the city, there was no need to worry about alerting them. The war had begun.
He would cast the net today and uproot the Netherworld Palace.
The Dragon King Son-in-law (Han Qi) and the fake Young Master (Xu Ping'an) were Shen Anyu's two sharp blades.
"To have a Child of Destiny deal with another Child of Destiny... wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Let the dogs bite each other while the master watches."
Shen Anyu chuckled softly.
The car stopped.
He stepped out into the bustling CBD of Magic City. He stood in front of a sleek, modern skyscraper.
The Lin Family Company.
Inside was an important person. The most important person to Ye Yan.
The First Female Lead of the book "Master Descends from the Mountain, My Beautiful Sister-in-Law".
Lin Keqing.
Recalling that vibrant, charming, and graceful beautiful young woman from the original plot—a woman with the aura of a capable CEO and the softness of a longing lover—a hint of lingering satisfaction flashed across Shen Anyu's handsome face.
Only one word: Smooth.
"Ye Yan... you are coming down the mountain to find your fiancée? Too bad. I'm already here."
… …
Meanwhile.
Deep in the mountains of Jiangnan province.
A hidden base, concealed within a dense forest.
Smoke rose into the sky, carrying the smell of burning wood and flesh.
Amidst blood and fire, a young man wearing a Bronze Dragon King mask stood with his hands behind his back. He was as steady as a deep pool and a towering peak. His gaze was cold as he looked at the corpses scattered before him.
The tragic wails of the dying and the venomous curses of the defeated did not move him in the slightest.
He was the Dragon King. He was used to slaughter.
"Dragon King! Report!"
A Dragon King Society expert, covered in blood, ran up and bowed respectfully to Han Qi.
"This Netherworld Palace branch base has been completely uprooted! Not a single one left alive! We found their ledgers and communication devices!"
"Mm."
Han Qi nodded indifferently.
"Clean up. Leave no traces that lead back to us."
"Yes, sir!"
As the subordinate left, a long-haired middle-aged man next to Han Qi spoke up.
He was holding a long katana, its blade still dripping with blood. He wore a traditional martial arts uniform that looked out of place in the modern world.
"The Netherworld Palace is a colossal entity, Han-kun."
He spoke in the Sakura Country (Japanese) language, his tone grave.
"They have more than one Grandmaster-level expert. Their main headquarters is rumored to have a Great Grandmaster. Shen Anyu sending you to destroy their bases... is not a good thing. He is using you as a spear."
This person was Tianfeng Ichiro.
A notable expert in the Sakura Country Martial Arts World. A Sword Saint. And a devoted admirer of Han Qi's birth mother, Li Qi.
Tianfeng Ichiro had always been remarkably steadfast and obsessive about martial arts, yet his devotion to Li Qi remained unchanged for decades.
However, Li Qi preferred to be the concubine of the Emperor Capital Han Family's patriarch rather than be with a swordsman from another country.
Tianfeng Ichiro was greatly devastated and went into seclusion for twenty years, guarding her memory.
But when Han Qi contacted him for help three years ago and learned that his beloved Li Qi had been murdered by the Han Family, Tianfeng Ichiro couldn't help but emerge from seclusion. He swore to assist Han Qi in seeking revenge, treating him as the son he never had.
Han Qi also recognized Tianfeng Ichiro as his adoptive father. He learned the [Heavenly Wind Draw (Tianfeng Iai)] and all of Tianfeng Ichiro's martial arts. In just three short years, his cultivation broke through repeatedly, reaching the Grandmaster (Middle Stage), capable of defeating enemies beyond his level.
Hearing Tianfeng Ichiro's words, Han Qi sighed softly. He took off his mask, revealing a handsome but weary face.
"Adoptive Father... I know."
"I know Shen Anyu is using me. I am not a fool."
"But we are still under Shen Anyu's wing now. His influence in Yanxia is too great. We need his support—his money, his connections, his intelligence network—to develop our strength quickly."
Han Qi clenched his fists.
"We cannot disobey Shen Anyu's orders yet. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. He could crush the Dragon King Society before it truly rises."
"Not to mention provoking Shen Anyu's hostility... even if he doesn't act personally, just exposing my identity to Han Xiu in the Capital would bring us great trouble. I am not ready to face the Han Family yet."
"We must endure! Still endure!"
Han Qi's eyes burned with the fire of ambition and vengeance.
"Shen Anyu promised me. He gave me his word."
"He said that as long as the Netherworld Palace is completely destroyed—removing a threat to his business—he will help me deal with Han Xiu. He will use the Shen Family's power to help me reclaim the seat of the Emperor Capital Han Family's patriarch!"
"Once I am the Head of the Han Family... I will no longer need to bow to anyone. Not even Shen Anyu."
Tianfeng Ichiro looked at his adoptive son with pity. He wanted to say that trusting a man like Shen Anyu was like trusting a tiger not to bite. But he remained silent.
Han Qi put the mask back on.
"Let's go. There is one more base to clear."
He didn't know that the "promise" was just a carrot on a stick. And he didn't know that while he was fighting in the mud for a future that would never come, his "sanctuary"—his wife Liu Qingyue—had already seen his true face... and hated him for it.
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