Somewhere in Yun Jin City
The masked man, who had escaped using the 'Mirror Transmission Technique', slowly reappeared in the deep shadows.
It was an extremely secluded small room. Only a single red candle was lit in the northwest corner, its flickering light casting the masked man's shadow long and distorted.
The small room was locked with a heavy profound iron door. Inside, apart from a table and a mirror, there was nothing else.
The man removed his mask, sat down cross-legged, adjusted his breathing and regulated his energy for a moment, then blew out the candle and left the room.
After walking up a few steps along a narrow passage, he reached an ancient city wall. The cold moonlight illuminated the ramparts, and the unique sense of historical gravitas instantly pervaded the air.
He walked slowly towards the city wall. In the northeast corner stood the Royal Gryphon, symbolizing the authority of the Eastern clan. At this moment, a tall, beautiful woman exuding an air of noble elegance walked over slowly.
The woman leaned against the city wall, as if she could feel its unique chill, even more so than the one brought by the solitary moonlight.
"Broken through?"
The woman's voice carried no discernible emotion, like the precise and indifferent time announcement of a smart AI.
The masked man shook his head. His dantian's energy was severely damaged, and it would take at least three to four days to recover, not to mention missing the opportune moment for foundation building.
"My sister's matter~"
"Rest assured, there is no one named Dongfang Jing in this world anymore."
The woman could detect a decisive and ruthless tone in the man's voice beside her, which chilled her to the bone. If she were to marry him in the future, and they disagreed, she feared he would unhesitatingly eliminate her as well.
"You are quite ruthless."
The masked man snorted, "To achieve a goal, any means are justified. Whether it's bloodshed or provoking chaos, it's all a process. I only care about the outcome; nothing else matters."
"So you'd rather give up on that woman?"
The woman's tone finally showed a sliver of fluctuation.
The masked man, uncharacteristically lowering his head, fondled a silver ring on his finger. After a period of silence, he replied, "A woman without value has only one fate: to be discarded."
The woman felt a chill sweep over her, capable of extinguishing her in an instant. "If one day I also lose my value, you will discard me without hesitation, won't you?"
"You are Dongfang Xu, the eldest daughter of the Dongfang family, the pearl of the Dongfang clan. Don't overthink it."
The masked man's answer was quite vague.
"I understand. It doesn't matter that I am Dongfang Xu, does it? The title of a Dongfang family eldest daughter is enough for you."
"Xu, some things are better left unsaid. We were born into such families and sects; many times, we are not our own masters."
Dongfang Xu looked up at the distant light clouds. Beneath the pale sky, the mountains where the Chi Xiao Sect was located remained hidden in the mist, much like this man. He, too, was a mystery, entering the Dongfang family with ambition and stirring the calm spring water until it became increasingly murky.
...
The next day, when Ren Yuanhao woke up, he found himself in the rental apartment of Shen Lan Ni and the other two women.
Apart from feeling a bit weak and experiencing the pain of bone tearing, there were no other unusual sensations.
As for why he was there, his mind was like a blank slate; he had no memory of it at all.
Just then, the thoroughly cleaned German Shepherd, seeing Ren Yuanhao wake up, immediately leaped onto the bed with a playful yelp, burying itself in his arms, almost licking his face.
"Good boy," Ren Yuanhao said, then immediately felt something was amiss. After all, the soul of this dog was none other than the second young lady of the Dongfang family, Dongfang Jing.
"Oh, no, I can't call you a good boy anymore. I should call you Miss Dongfang."
Ren Yuanhao looked earnestly into the dog's eyes and suddenly couldn't suppress his laughter. "Hahahaha, I'm sorry, I'm not used to calling a dog 'Miss' yet~"
Ren Yuanhao's pig-slaughtering laughter immediately attracted the attention of the three women.
As soon as the three women entered the room, they saw the dog pinning Ren Yuanhao down. Yang Ling Xue's expression darkened. She thought, Dongfang Jing, even though you're a dog, or temporarily so, jumping so boldly onto a virile man's bed is quite inappropriate.
Dongfang Jing seemed to be able to read the situation and sheepishly drooped her doggy head, jumping off the bed.
"You can laugh so exaggeratedly, I think your injuries are fine. Although I hate to admit it, Ren Yuanhao, you really are a pervert."
Yang Ling Xue put her hands on her hips, her eyes scanning Ren Yuanhao's body like a scanner.
"Where, where am I?"
This was the question most on Ren Yuanhao's mind.
Yang Ling Xue wrinkled her nose and said, "Are you feigning ignorance or did you have a blackout?"
Ren Yuanhao's expression was one of extreme confusion. "I only remember, when I was fighting that masked man, two children suddenly appeared, and then, I think I was trying to save someone and took a blow from the masked man or something." He shook his head, his expression full of pain. "In short, I have no memory of what happened afterward."
Seeing his state, Yang Ling Xue felt genuine concern. She immediately sat beside him and gently massaged him.
Ye Lan, holding a laptop, slowly explained, "Yuanhao, after you left last night, we didn't sleep. We waited anxiously until your location became static, and then we drove to find you. At that time, you were lying on the meadow, your body alternately burning hot and cold as ice. Although no one was there, we didn't dare to linger, so we brought you back here."
"So, when you rescued me, you didn't see that masked man either?" Ren Yuanhao's mind was in a muddle; he couldn't recall what happened. However, being able to keep his life was good enough. Then, he suddenly thought of the two children and asked, "Did you see two children, a boy and a girl, who seemed to be siblings?"
Shen Lan Ni shook her head. "No, the place was a mess, scattered with straw, fallen dead leaves and branches, large patches of neatly cut grass, and residual true qi from the fierce battle."
From Shen Lan Ni's eyes, Ren Yuanhao could almost see the tragic intensity of the battle. Fortunately, he didn't hear any bad news about the two children from her, which was a great relief.
Just then, the dog brought over a mobile phone, which surprisingly displayed a link to the 'DiDi Date' website. At the same time, a cold female voice sounded in his mind.
"Didi, the order mission has been issued. The employer is right beside the host. Mission objective: Save Dongfang Xu, and by extension, the Dongfang clan. Difficulty: 4 stars. Point reward: 1500."
"What the hell, you want me to fall in love with a dog? System,小姐姐, just kill me!"
"Don't be so cruel. Don't you see the expectant look on the canine's face?"
Ren Yuanhao smiled wryly and shook his head. Upon returning to reality, he saw the three women pounce on the dog...
Aow~