Chapter 542: Abundant Harvest, Happy Troubles!
Ji Xiaolin rolled her beautiful eyes and said angrily, "Old man, I'm no longer pure and innocent. Is that excuse good enough? And it was all because of that jinx Zhang Zhiyun. Zhang Zhiyun and I are incompatible; our horoscopes clash. Surely, this can cancel the engagement, right?"
"Perhaps, perhaps Zhang Zhiyun wouldn't mind..." Zhang Tianen said in a humble tone. In front of his beloved daughter, he completely lacked the domineering aura he showed when striking down the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect.
Zhang Zhiyun had fallen in love with Ji Xiaolin at first sight and was extremely satisfied. Perhaps he really wouldn't mind and could forgive her, especially since it was Zhang Zhiyun who had caused her trouble.
"I mind!" Ji Xiaolin bit her lower lip, her voice sharp with a desperation only she understood. If she was shackled to Zhang Zhiyun, bound by the chains of a family alliance, how could she ever be with Shen Anyu? Her heart clenched at the thought. After everything that had happened, after the boundaries they had crossed, there was absolutely no way she would let that man get away without taking full responsibility for her.
Zhang Tianen rubbed his temples, a deep sigh escaping his lips. The weight of his daughter's will pressed down on him more heavily than any cultivator's aura. "Zhang Zhiyun is currently unconscious from the Myriad Curses Sword of the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect," he said helplessly, his voice strained. "Breaking off the engagement at a time like this would be kicking him when he's down. It's dishonorable. How about we discuss it after he wakes up?"
"What if he never wakes up?" Ji Xiaolin retorted, puffing out her cheeks in a display of childish defiance that masked a steely resolve.
Zhang Tianen was rendered speechless. "..."
He stared at his daughter, her words echoing in the ruined hall. A flicker of realization crossed his face. She was right. He couldn't let his daughter's future be tethered to a man who might remain a living corpse forever. Pride and honor were one thing, but her happiness was everything.
"If Zhang Zhiyun really doesn't wake up," Zhang Tianen conceded, his tone shifting from weary to firm, "Dad will put aside his old pride and help you break off the engagement."
Although he valued the prodigious talent of Zhang Zhiyun, his beloved daughter was, and always would be, his absolute priority. If the boy never regained consciousness, then he, Zhang Tianen, would be the first to sever the ties, regardless of the consequences or the whispers of others.
Subsequently, Zhang Tianen, along with a determined Ji Xiaolin and the comatose form of Zhang Zhiyun, left the villa, which now stood as a skeletal ruin against the darkening sky.
As the car pulled away, Ji Xiaolin secretly sent a text message to Shen Anyu, her fingers flying across the screen. He can leave now.
Moments later, the heavy stone door of the underground secret room ground open. Shen Anyu stepped out into the ravaged gardens, dust motes dancing in the slivers of moonlight. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips as he surveyed the wreckage.
"That girl Ji Xiaolin is quite cute," he mused, his voice a low murmur in the quiet desolation.
With Shen Anyu's Divine Sense, which spread like an invisible, all-seeing web across the entire estate, he had naturally been privy to every word exchanged outside. The heated argument, the old man's weary sighs, his daughter's stubborn defiance—it had all played out for him like a private drama. Beyond that, the live feed from his nanometer monitoring robots had provided a perfect visual, a tactical map of every movement.
In reality, with Shen Anyu's current strength, he had no reason to fear Zhang Tianen, the vaunted head of the Celestial Master Peak and hailed as the strongest Artificer in all of Yanxia. The title was impressive, a name that could make empires tremble, but to Shen Anyu, it was just that—a title. The coiled dragon of power resting within his dantian could have unraveled and crushed the old man without breaking a sweat.
He could have emerged, shattered Zhang Tianen's pride, and taken Ji Xiaolin by force. The thought was amusing. Taking advantage of a man's precious daughter and then beating the father into submission... it was a bit unkind, a flagrant violation of every social decency, but Shen Anyu wouldn't have hesitated for a second if it had been necessary.
But Ji Xiaolin's clever maneuvering had made such a crude display unnecessary. She had handled the situation with a cunning that impressed him, avoiding a direct and bloody conflict.
Shen Anyu pinched his chin, a wicked glint in his eyes as a new, more entertaining scenario formed in his mind. 'If, in the future, I park a gaudy 'Ghost Fire' motorcycle right at Zhang Tianen's front gate, revving its obnoxiously loud engine and shouting for the old man to send Ji Xiaolin out... what kind of expression would he make? The sheer audacity of it... it would definitely be priceless.'
His thoughts then shifted to the unconscious protagonist. "As for Zhang Zhiyun, it seems his injuries are indeed severe this time. The Myriad Curses Sword is no joke. However, as a Child of Destiny, fortune is practically his birthright. A mere curse, no matter how potent, can't keep him down forever. He will wake up, sooner or later."
A slow, predatory grin spread across Shen Anyu's face. "Heh heh, when Zhang Zhiyun finally opens his eyes, filled with righteous fury and a thirst for revenge, only to discover that his beloved fiancée Ji Xiaolin and his precious younger sister Zhang Yaqian have both ended up in the arms of the same man... I wonder what kind of wonderful, shattered expression he will have?"
The thought of that inevitable, glorious collision of fates sent a wave of satisfaction through him. As his pleasure peaked, his brow suddenly raised. His senses, sharper than any blade, detected a presence lurking in the deepest shadows. He didn't even turn his head.
"Come out," he said lightly, his voice cutting through the silence.
A figure detached itself from the darkness, moving with a liquid grace that belied its solid form. It dropped to one knee before Shen Anyu, head bowed in absolute submission. "Your subordinate Du Zhao greets the Young Lord."
It was Du Zhao, the agent from Emei Peak he had planted deep within the Wan Fa Sect. He had been monitoring the villa from a safe distance, a pair of high-powered binoculars his only connection to the chaos. He had watched Zhang Tianen and his daughter depart, waited patiently for a long time to ensure the coast was clear, and only after seeing Shen Anyu emerge did he dare approach. His caution was a proof of his steady, reliable nature.
"You have rendered a great service this time. Well done," Shen Anyu said, his gaze filled with genuine approval. The Du family had served the Yanxia Shen Family for hundreds of years, a legacy of unwavering loyalty. "I reward you with a Medicinal Pill."
With a flick of his finger, a small, crystalline pill shot through the air, leaving a faint trail of light before landing perfectly in Du Zhao's waiting palm. It was a Concentration Pill.
The Concentration Pill was also a gold-tier reward from the System Mall, but its value far exceeded that of the Essence Nourishing Pills or Vitality Pills. While those came in bottles of twelve for a single gold voucher, one Concentration Pill alone cost that much. It was a rare treasure designed to directly enhance one's Mental Energy—the very foundation of an Artificer's power.
And Du Zhao was currently at the absolute Peak of the Artificer Great Master level, a hair's breadth away from the qualitative leap to becoming an Artificer True Person. This pill was the key.
"Thank you, Young Lord, for the reward!"
Du Zhao felt no hesitation. He immediately tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed. The effect was instantaneous. An inexplicable, cooling energy surged not through his meridians, but directly into his mind. It felt like a spring rain washing over a parched landscape, nourishing his sea of consciousness and reinforcing the very fabric of his Mental Energy. The bottleneck that had held him back for years began to crumble like a dam under immense pressure.
A few moments later, Du Zhao's eyes snapped open, shining with a light so bright it seemed to pierce the darkness. He felt reborn, his entire being suffused with vigor. The world around him was sharper, clearer. He could feel the subtle flows of Qi in the air, the hum of latent energy in the earth beneath him. He had crossed the threshold. He was an Artificer True Person.
Overwhelmed by shock and gratitude, he kowtowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground. "Thank you, Young Lord, for your grace in promoting me!"
He was astounded that such a miraculous pill existed, a single dose capable of shattering a cultivator's shackles. The Young Lord's generosity was as boundless as his methods were divine.
Shen Anyu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm and unreadable. "With the entire upper echelon of the Wan Fa Sect annihilated, you, as a newly appointed Great Elder and an Artificer True Person, are now the highest authority remaining. You have the power and the legitimacy to take over the Wan Fa Sect. I will also dispatch experts to assist you."
The Wan Fa Sect was no mere street gang. It was an ancient and formidable power among the world's dark organizations, a behemoth only slightly inferior to the Martial God Hall and leagues beyond groups like the War God Alliance or the Blood Skull Mercenary Group. It was on par with the infamous Netherworld Palace. Its tangible assets alone were valued in the trillions, to say nothing of its vast network of manpower, its hoarded cultivation techniques, and its countless other priceless resources that money could never buy.
Shen Anyu had no intention of letting such a massive, succulent piece of fatty meat slip through his fingers.
'To some extent, this can be considered Ji Xiaolin's dowry,' he chuckled inwardly. This time, his future father-in-law, Zhang Tianen, had done all the back-breaking work, eliminating the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect and his lieutenants. And now, Shen Anyu would simply swoop in to reap the rewards. He was aiming for a life of effortless victory, after all.
Well, not entirely effortless. He had put in some effort earlier, particularly when he was holding her high ponytail. That was also very hard work.
If his future father-in-law ever learned how Shen Anyu was 'taking care' of his beloved daughter, the man would probably want to hack him to death. Twice.
"Ah... Young Lord, you want me to... take over the Wan Fa Sect?" Du Zhao stared, utterly stunned. In one night, the undercover agent had become the supreme boss. It was a promotion beyond his wildest dreams.
Subsequently, Shen Anyu dispatched a team of elite cultivators to assist Du Zhao. Consolidating power over a fractured global organization was a monumental task. Du Zhao's newly acquired strength as an Artificer True Person was essential, but without Shen Anyu's backing, he would be torn apart by internal power struggles and opportunistic rival forces.
The power vacuum left by the Master of Myriad Dharma Sect's death would attract sharks from every corner of the globe. It needed a powerful guardian, and Shen Anyu had already made the necessary arrangements.
As for the possibility of betrayal? Shen Anyu had taken the precaution of acquiring a drop of Du Zhao's blood essence long ago. With it, he could activate the God-level Blood Curse Technique at any moment, ensuring Du Zhao's entire family line would be 'neat and tidy.' Of course, Du Zhao's loyalty was beyond question. Shen Anyu would never mistreat one of his own.
With the Wan Fa Sect's fate settled, Shen Anyu turned his attention to his next objective. "Goddess Doctor Murong Jieyu is out buying Medicinal Pills and is not at the Suspended Kettle Pavilion in Hangzhou~" His Divine Sense swept over the city, only to find his target's residence empty. He had originally planned to pay a visit to Sword God Ye Linyuan's Third Senior Sister, the renowned Goddess Doctor, but fate had other plans.
"Next, should I go find Zhong Lingyin, or Yang Qiuchan, Zhou Luyao? Or go tease Ji Xiaolin?"
"Or should I return to Magic City to play with Su Hongmian and Liu Ruyan?"
It's really not easy being a man. Shen Anyu was suffering from decision-making difficulties. It was so hard, where should he go?
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