Chapter 358: The Beautiful Black Widow!
"Mitsui Hideichi? Qi Guanjing? I remember they were both powerful figures from the Dark World who accepted Zhong Lingyin's bounty."
On the other side of the partition, Shen Anyu pondered, having overheard their conversation clearly through the [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] he had deployed earlier. The names floated in his mind, categorized instantly by the System's database.
However, what concerned him even more was the name that had just been mentioned—Martial God Hall.
The steam from the hot spring curled around his fingers as he tapped the edge of the stone pool rhythmically. His eyes, usually deep and unreadable, narrowed slightly as he accessed the classified information stored in his memory.
The Martial God Hall was originally a loose, neutral organization of extreme Martial Artists who gathered to spar, discuss martial arts, and seek to break the legendary [Land Immortal] boundary. It was a holy land for pure warriors. It included many martial arts magnates at the [Heavenly Human Unity] level—beings who could draw upon the power of nature—and a considerable number of [Grandmasters] and [Great Grandmasters].
In fact, the threshold for merely joining the Martial God Hall as an outer disciple was being a [Grandmaster]. In the secular world, a Grandmaster could dominate a city, but in that Hall, they were merely the foot soldiers.
However, power inevitably breeds corruption.
As the Martial God Hall existed for longer, it failed to find a way to break through to the [Land Immortal] realm. The stagnation led to frustration, and frustration led to a desire for worldly power. Ambitious individuals began to rise from within, seeking to unify the loose collective into a rigid hierarchy.
After all, controlling the Martial God Hall meant possessing a vast power that even great nations and ancient families would fear. It was a nuclear weapon made of flesh and blood.
But most powerful Martial Artists, those old monsters who had families and factions in the secular world, opposed turning the Martial God Hall—a place for martial arts communication—into a strict, militaristic organization. Unwilling to become tools in the hands of ambitious individuals, they withdrew one after another.
That ambitious individual, who is now the current Hall Master of the Martial God Hall, was extremely tyrannical and ruthless.
Anyone who wished to withdraw from the Martial God Hall was immediately branded a "Traitor," hunted down by enforcement squads, and even had their entire Family exterminated to serve as an example. This sparked countless bloody conflicts in the hidden world over the last decade.
The Hall Master of the Martial God Hall's insane actions drew the displeasure of various nations, who issued high-level bounties and sought his capture. What was originally a respectable sanctuary for Martial Dao had, due to the greed of a few, devolved into a clandestine dark force—a terrorist organization composed of superhumans.
Especially in Yanxia, the Martial God Hall was placed on the highest level of wanted lists. If anyone from the Martial God Hall entered Yanxia's territory, they would be immediately apprehended or executed on sight.
"I remember that Ye Linyuan and his First Senior Sister, Pei Changli's Master, was one of the Martial God Hall's elders. He was an upright man who refused to bow to the new Hall Master. After withdrawing from the Martial God Hall, he was pursued most fiercely, and his eventual demise was directly related to this internal purge."
Shen Anyu's mind reconstructed the timeline.
"And that battle also earned Pei Changli the name Female Sword Immortal. Breaking through to become a [Heavenly Human Unity] expert during the life-and-death battle, she single-handedly repelled three [Heavenly Human Unity] experts from the Martial God Hall with her sword. Her appearance was like an immortal descending to earth, her sword dao was astonishing, and her unparalleled demeanor made countless martial arts experts admire her."
A smile graced Shen Anyu's handsome face, his gaze growing deeper and more calculating.
If there were no surprises, the Martial God Hall should be the ultimate "Villainous Enemy" encountered by Ye Linyuan, the Child of Destiny, and his seven older sisters in the later stages of the original plot.
Even now, Ye Linyuan likely attributed the ambushes and curses he encountered to the Martial God Hall.
'The enemy of an enemy is not necessarily a friend,' Shen Anyu thought, a cold light flickering in his eyes. 'But there is certainly something that can be exploited. If I control the narrative, I can make the Martial God Hall take the blame for my actions, while I harvest the benefits.'
Speaking of which, Shen Anyu also wanted to understand the current state of the Martial God Hall better. He needed a tongue to speak, someone who knew the internal layout.
And right now, a "tongue" had delivered herself to his doorstep.
Immediately, Shen Anyu stood up from the warm water. The water cascaded off his defined, muscular frame, his [God-Level Steel Body] glistening under the dim ambient lights like polished marble.
He turned and said to Suzuki Natsuki, who was still flushing from their previous intimacy:
"You stay here. Soak for a bit longer and relax your muscles. I'll be right back."
"Mhm, Master... Natsuki will wait for you."
Suzuki Natsuki knelt submissively and obediently by the edge of the pool. Her beautiful, watery eyes watched Shen Anyu leave with total adoration. She didn't ask where he was going or what he was doing. To her, his word was the imperial decree.
Shen Anyu put on a bathrobe loosely, stepping out of the private enclosure and into the shadows of the garden.
...
The night air on Akina Mountain was cool, carrying the scent of pine and sulfur. The steam from the various hot springs created a natural fog, shrouding the resort in mystery.
In a secluded courtyard not far from Shen Anyu's private pool, a figure was waiting.
"So it's you, the handsome young man from the race before?"
A teasing, husky voice broke the silence.
Shen Anyu looked up. Perched on a rockery stone, a woman was looking down at him.
It was a foreign woman—a Caucasian beauty with striking features. She had long, wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her back like molten gold. Her eyes were a piercing emerald green, filled with a dangerous, predatory playfulness.
She wore a tight-fitting black leather combat suit that clung to her body like a second skin, outlining her explosive, hourglass figure. The zipper was pulled down low, revealing a deep valley of snow-white skin that heaved with her breathing.
Upon seeing Shen Anyu's handsome face clearly under the moonlight, the white woman's sharp, murderous gaze softened instantly.
She licked her red lips, winked, and said with a charming smile:
"Sister is in a bad mood right now because the mission failed, handsome. Can you make her feel better? If you serve me well, I might spare your life."
As she spoke, the white woman walked over, her hips swaying hypnotically. With each step, her 'mountains' surged, threatening to burst the tight leather constraints. She exuded a heavy scent of rose perfume mixed with the metallic tang of blood—a femme fatale in the truest sense.
Shen Anyu stood with his hands in the pockets of his bathrobe, his expression calm. He looked at her not with fear, but with the appraising look of a collector examining a specimen.
"How can I make you feel better?"
Shen Anyu smiled at the white woman and asked with interest.
The white woman giggled, the sound like silver bells. She raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, a weapon uncoiled from her waist.
It was a black steel cable, several meters long, covered in microscopic barbs that glinted coldly in the moonlight.
She held up the barbed steel cable, a cruel, sadistic smile blooming on her enchanting face:
"What I, big sister, like most is destroying beautiful things."
"I love the sound of beautiful skin tearing, the sight of blood blooming on a handsome face... If I torture a handsome man like you, hear you scream and beg for mercy, it will definitely be very interesting. It relieves stress better than anything else."
Damn, she's a pervert.
Shen Anyu was speechless. Is that all? He had expected some grand speech about the Martial God Hall, but instead, he got a sadist with a leather fetish.
Shen Anyu reined in the polite smile on his face. His expression turned indifferent, his eyes turning into deep, abyssal pools.
"Tell me about the internal structure of the Martial God Hall. Who sent you? What is the current location of the Hall Master? If I'm in a good mood, I might not kill you."
The air froze.
The white woman, Scarlett, froze. Her playful expression vanished instantly, replaced by sharp killing intent.
"You know the Hall? Then you must die!"
Her reaction was instinctive and lightning-fast.
Whoosh!
The barbed steel cable in her hand struck towards Shen Anyu. It moved swift as lightning, tearing through the air with a high-pitched sonic boom. Infused with her [Grandmaster Peak] internal energy, this strike carried enough force to pierce through several meters of thick alloy steel plate.
It was a killing move. She intended to take his head off instantly.
However.
Shen Anyu didn't move. He didn't dodge. He didn't even blink.
He simply smiled slightly, raised his right hand casually, and grabbed the air.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
Shen Anyu's hand caught the barbed steel whip mid-flight. The barbs, sharp enough to slice diamond, ground against his skin but couldn't even leave a white mark on his [God-Level Steel Body].
"What?!" Scarlett's pupils constricted to needle points.
Shen Anyu gripped the whip and pulled.
"Come here."
The white woman only felt an unparalleled, immense force travel down the cable. It wasn't the strength of a human; it was like being pulled by a hydraulic press.
The barbed steel whip in her hand instantly flew out of her grip, tearing the skin of her palms. Her expression changed dramatically.
'Impossible! I am a Grandmaster Peak! My physical strength is thousands of catties! How can he overpower me so easily?'
'Is he... a Great Grandmaster? Or even... Heavenly Human?'
She realized instantly that she had kicked an iron plate—no, a diamond plate.
She was an A+ ranked envoy of the Martial God Hall, a veteran of countless battles. She knew when to fold.
She didn't have time to think further. She flashed back, tapping her toes on the ground, her figure turning into a blur as she retreated. Since she couldn't contend with him, she would flee!
In a flash, the white woman leaped, soaring into the air like a bird, appearing on the several-meter-high wall surrounding the hot spring pool.
"Going somewhere?"
Shen Anyu's voice sounded right next to her ear, though he was still standing ten meters away.
"Clever, but unfortunately... you met me."
Shen Anyu smiled, reaching out his hand and making a grasping motion from a distance.
[Void Palm - Telekinetic Grasp]
His majestic psychic power (Mental Energy) surged out, transforming into an invisible, giant hand in mid-air.
Scarlett, who was mid-jump, suddenly felt the air around her solidify. It was as if an invisible giant had grabbed her by the ankle.
"No—!"
Boom!
Shen Anyu yanked his hand down.
The invisible force slammed the white woman directly off the wall and smashed her heavily onto the hard stone floor tiles of the courtyard.
"Pfft…"
The impact was devastating. The stone tiles cracked into a spiderweb pattern.
The white woman spat out a mouthful of scarlet blood. She felt as if her internal organs were dislocated, her ribs creaking under the strain. The pain was unbearable, and dense cold sweat instantly seeped from her fair forehead, matting her blonde hair.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of footsteps approached. Slow. Deliberate. Like the footsteps of death itself.
Scarlett, the feared "Black Widow," was terrified. Her pride, her sadism, her identity as an envoy—all of it crumbled before absolute power.
Without thinking, she ignored the pain in her body. She immediately knelt on the ground, prostrating herself in a standard dog-like posture.
She looked up, her beautiful face stained with blood and dirt, her expression pitiful and alluring.
"Respected strong one! Please spare me! Whatever you want to know, whatever you want to do... Scarlett will agree to it all!"
As she said this, Scarlett deliberately adjusted her posture to accentuate her undulating curves. She pushed her chest out, her breath ragged, her emerald eyes filled with tears and a hint of invitation.
"I can serve you. I know many techniques... I can be your dog, your slave, anything. Just don't kill me!"
She was betting on her beauty. It had saved her before. Men were always weak to a submitting beauty.
However.
Shen Anyu walked up to her, his bathrobe swaying gently. He looked down at her with eyes as cold as absolute zero. There was no lust, only indifference.
"I like women who are smart and know their place. But I don't need a vase. I need absolute loyalty."
"And loyalty... needs to be insured."
"Open your mouth."
In his hand, a thumb-sized brown pill appeared. It pulsated slightly, looking grotesque and alive.
It was the [Heart-Devouring Gu].
Obtained from a lottery in the [Destiny Plunder System], this Gu was divided into male and female counterparts. The female Gu (held by the Master) could control the male Gu (inside the Slave).
If the female Gu was crushed, the male Gu would go into a frenzy, devouring the host's heart from the inside out. Even if the host was thousands of miles away, their life was in the Master's hands.
"This..." Scarlett's face turned pale. She could sense the evil aura coming from the pill.
"Eat it. Or die now." Shen Anyu's voice allowed no refusal.
The white woman, Scarlett's expression was uncertain. She knew it wasn't anything good just by looking at it—it was likely a poison or a control parasite used by the ancient Miao sects.
But she was the fish on the chopping block. Seeing Shen Anyu's cold gaze, and the faint gathering of invisible energy in his palm, she knew that her beauty wouldn't move this man. He would crush her skull without hesitation.
She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and swallowed the pill.
Gulp.
The pill slid down her throat.
"Good girl." Shen Anyu smiled, but it was a demon's smile.
"Now, let's test the connection."
Shen Anyu snapped his fingers. He activated the connection to the Female Gu stored in his System Space.
Buzz.
The next moment, Scarlett's eyes widened until they almost popped out of their sockets.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
She curled up on the ground like a cooked shrimp, letting out a heart-wrenching, blood-curdling scream.
It felt like thousands of ants were biting her heart. It felt like a rusty saw was cutting through her aorta.
If Shen Anyu's psychic power hadn't formed a protective barrier to seal off the sound, the entire Akina Mountain Hot Spring Resort would probably have been alarmed by the inhuman shrieks.
"This is the first lesson," Shen Anyu said softly, watching her writhe on the ground. "Pain is the best teacher for memory."
After a full half hour.
The screaming had turned into weak whimpers.
Scarlett, the notorious Black Widow of the Dark World, an A+ ranked envoy of the Martial God Hall, knelt on the ground again. Her leather suit was soaked in sweat, her hair disheveled, her eyes hollow.
She looked at Shen Anyu not with resentment, but with bone-deep fear and absolute submission. The past half hour was the most painful memory of her life. The pain of heart-devouring surpassed the agony of being burned by fire, surpassed any training she had ever endured.
She crawled to his feet and kissed the hem of his bathrobe.
"Master... Scarlett... obeys."
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