As a top-tier celebrity, An Jinan was accustod to being the center of attention, enjoying endless glory in the lilight.
But that was only for public appearances.
Behind the scenes, she was exploited and oppressed by the true elite, people like Xiang Jinhong. She was treated as a plaything and a money-making tool. Any disobedience ant being shelved or blacklisted.
She had actually grown accustod to it, thinking it was normal.
But what about Lin Tang?
A re nobody from the countryside, and over so trivial matter, he had forced her to kneel and beg for rcy, thoroughly humiliating her. Even Xiang Jinhong was apparently afraid of him.
Since when can wealth and power not crush an insignificant nobody? Xiang Jinhong is useless. He doesn't even know enough to hire a professional killer. What good is poison against a bullet? It's ridiculous!
Channeling her grief and indignation into motivation, An Jinan attacked the weights in the hotel's gym, fiercely sculpting her body. She was determined to be in peak condition to win the concubine selection in one fell swoop. Once she beca Long Tianji's woman, the first thing she would do was ask him to squash Lin Tang like a cockroach.
"This is a disaster! A disaster!"
Her assistant ran over in a panic. "I just got word that all female celebrities who ca to Jiangbei are being expelled. It seems to be a direct order from President Xiao himself, prohibiting any female celebrities from participating in the selection."
THUMP!
An Jinan, who had been holding a plank, collapsed heavily to the floor.
Ignoring the pain, she scrambled back up and exclaid, "Why? On what grounds?"
"The word is that so celebrity was blind enough to offend soone important, so now all of us have been given a blanket ban."
Who could be so stupid as to drag the rest of us down… Wait! It couldn't be , could it? Because I offended that piece of trash Lin Tang? No, that's impossible! Absolutely impossible!
At that mont, her phone rang. It was the head of her company calling personally, ordering her to withdraw imdiately.
"I want to try one more ti…" An Jinan pleaded, not ready to give up.
"Try my ass! Get your ass back here right now! Don't you dare annoy President Xiao and drag us down with you!" the boss swore. Through the phone, she could almost sll his foul breath.
Utterly dejected, An Jinan returned to her room to pack. Just then, Xiao Xuanye's n, their faces like stone, showed up at her door and commanded her to get out imdiately.
"Could I at least take a shower first?" An Jinan asked, her voice as sweet and gentle as she could make it.
"No! You have five minutes, max. After that, we'll use force!" the man stated flatly, completely unmoved.
An Jinan was speechless.
She had no choice but to hastily throw on her coat and leave the hotel, still sticky with sweat. As she was about to get into her car, she saw the latest promotional video playing on a massive screen on a nearby high-rise.
It was Shen Youling's flawless, beautiful face.
"Wow!"
"Who is that? She's gorgeous!"
"I know her! That's Jiangbei's number one beauty, Shen Youling… My god, how is she even more beautiful than before?"
"Wasn't she supposed to have been disfigured?"
Passersby looked up, all of them completely captivated.
An Jinan stared blankly for a long ti before she stumbled.
"Anan, what's wrong?" her assistant asked, rushing to support her.
An Jinan shook her head and let out a bitter laugh. "Even if I were still qualified for the selection, how could I possibly compete with her?"
* * *
Learning that all the female celebrities had been disqualified, Xiang Jinhong was also shocked.
Could it have been because of Lin Tang? No, that shouldn't be right…
After so deeper inquiries, he learned the truth. The order, it turned out, had co directly from Long Tianji himself.
It seems this King Tianji has conservative tastes… So, how did she recover her looks? Tsk, tsk, now that is a top-tier beauty. Even if King Tianji is conservative, he couldn't possibly not be moved when faced with a married woman like her. The most miserable person right now must be that son of a bitch Lin Tang…
Xiang Jinhong felt terribly upset as well. A beauty capable of toppling nations was fated to be soone he could only admire from afar. He desperately wished that a peerless cultivation technique would fall from the heavens for him to master. Then he could thrash Long Tianji and claim the beauty for himself.
「On the roadside.」
Mu Fan, his face hidden by a mask, moved like a zombie. Suddenly, he spotted a large electronics store where every high-definition LCD TV was displaying Shen Youling's photo.
Mu Fan stared, speechless.
The old butler was gone, but Mu Fan had secretly taken over all the operations he had managed. He had also committed all information about Long Tianji to mory. He rembered very clearly that Shen Youling was the woman Long Tianji had once proposed to.
This beautiful woman will participate in the selection too, right? And there's also a princess from the Sunset Country who is said to be breathtakingly beautiful… Does that an that even if my wife participates, there's a ninety-nine percent chance she'll be rejected?! So even if I do nothing and let her go to Jiangbei, she'll still co back to in the end… No! NO! My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world! As soon as Long Tianji ets her, he will definitely choose her as his concubine! I wasn't wrong! I did nothing wrong! Hahaha, only by completely absorbing my wife into myself will she never leave ! I was right!
Mu Fan's cheeks twitched, his eyes darting in opposite directions. A sick, crazed smile appeared on his face as he pointed at the image of Shen Youling. "I won't allow you to be more beautiful than my wife. I'm coming to devour you right now!"
"Where did this lunatic co from? Shoo, shoo! Don't ss with my business!" the store owner said in disgust as he ca out to chase him away.
The next mont, Mu Fan had him by the throat, demanding repeatedly, "Tell ! Who is more beautiful, her or my wife? Tell ! Hurry up and tell !"
"Ghk— Ghk—"
The poor shop owner dangled in the air, his feet kicking wildly. Then, fungal threads began to creep over his body, wrapping around him and greedily absorbing him until, bit by bit, he vanished.
"Ah!"
Inside the store, the owner's wife collapsed to the floor in terror.
SWOOSH!
Mu Fan whipped his head around, his eyes locked onto her. His expression suddenly shifted, and tears of profound emotion stread down his face.
"My wife! It's so good you're not dead! I've finally found you again!" he sobbed.
「Xiangdao Island.」
In the spacious basent of the Zheng Family villa, a swimming pool had been dug out. Countless tiny black insects sward within it like a tide.
Suddenly, the black insects scattered, revealing Yan Luoyang's subrged body. He was naked. His flesh was covered in severe burns that looked like a layer of blackened skin stretched taut over his gaunt, bony fra. One of his eyes was gone, leaving only an empty socket.
But his vision was unimpaired. A large beetle was perpetually curled up inside the socket, and all its senses—its eyes, its antennae—were shared with him. Besides, his other eyeball was still intact, though it was covered by a web of eerie, crimson veins. He could see everything with perfect clarity.
"Ma-Master…" Zheng Junjie, Zheng Hongsheng's biological son, prostrated himself respectfully, his body trembling. He had not been turned into a Corpse Slave and still possessed his own consciousness, which was why he lived in constant fear. He could never have imagined that the once-mighty Zheng Family would suddenly beco slaves to another. The vast family fortune, which Zheng Hongsheng had spent a lifeti building, had all been for soone else's benefit.
"What is it?" Yan Luoyang asked as he stood up, his voice as calm as an ancient well.
Zheng Junjie's voice quivered. "You ordered to keep a close watch on any intelligence regarding Lin Tang and Shen Youling. Sothing major just happened involving Shen Youling…"
He handed over a tablet computer, which was playing a video of Shen Youling.
Yan Luoyang's dark fingernails scraped across the screen, producing a piercing screech.
Selecting a concubine? Long Tianji? Don't think I won't recognize you just because you're in disguise! His voice was bone-chillingly cold, saturated with endless hatred. He was certain that Long Tianji was just Lin Tang in disguise.
Nobody believed a man of Lin Tang's age could be a King. But ever since Lin Tang unleashed his talismans and their terrifying power, I knew he wasn't practicing re martial arts. It has to be a strange and mystical Cultivation Technique, one even more profound than the Corpse Heart Technique! It's likely one of the forbidden arts practiced by the demons of legend! But whether you're a demon or not, I will make you wish you were dead! I'll make you watch as your family and your wife suffer endless humiliation… And as for you, Lee Encai, just you wait!
Although his injuries had not yet fully healed, he planned to erge from his seclusion and see if he could stir up trouble.
He looked at Zheng Junjie. "You have a daughter studying abroad, don't you?"
「Greenleaf Manor.」
Mo Pinglan was diligently applying layer after layer of makeup to her face, making it look like a mask from a Sichuan opera. It had to be said, it did a surprisingly good job of concealing her blackened true face.
In another room, Zhu Yingning was fully focused on analyzing a small amount of powder. It was the surplus she had painstakingly saved from the powder she applied to her backside daily.
Damn you, Lin Tang. As soon as I completely counteract the itching poison on my buttocks, I'm going to run as far away as I can and never see you again!
After nurous attempts, she was on the verge of a breakthrough in her analysis when she heard footsteps. She quickly hid the powder.
The next mont, Mo Pinglan walked in, her eyes suspiciously scanning the room.
Zhu Yingning lowered her head ekly. "Second Master, is there sothing else you require of this humble servant?"
Mo Pinglan stared at her for a few seconds before sighing softly. "Are you still angry with ? I was only following Master Lin Tang's orders when I disciplined you."
"Yes, yes, I understand completely. Everyone knows you were forced, Second Master. You're the purest, most innocent white lotus in the world," Zhu Yingning said sarcastically. She had been tornted by Mo Pinglan in every way imaginable during this ti but could only endure the humiliation.
Mo Pinglan looked helpless and was about to say more when one of her subordinates entered and whispered in her ear.
"Is that true?!" Mo Pinglan jolted as if struck by lightning.
WHOOSH!
She rushed out and switched on the television. When she saw the latest photo of Shen Youling, her face indeed free of the black marks, she began to tremble all over.
She imdiately called Lin Tang, her voice a desperate plea. "Master, are you available right now? I want to co find you. I hope you'll take pity on and treat my face, too!"
The line was silent for several seconds before Lin Tang's voice ca through. "You are… Mo who-lan, was it? Sorry, I seem to have forgotten all about you. Besides, the Thousand-Year Huangsun Resin is all gone. There's none left for you."
CRASH!
The words struck her like a bolt from the blue.
Mo Pinglan stood completely petrified.
"Aaaaaaaaaah—"
She snapped.
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