【Texture】(44, 45, 46, 47)

Author: Wandering Traveler,

September 10, 2015,

Chapter 44:

Han Zhe and I sat silently on the chairs on either side of the square table. The woman in white had
stood up at my signal, but seeing me return to my seat, she knelt back down in her original position. She
seemed to sense my bad mood and therefore didn't do anything out of line.

I don't know how much time passed, but footsteps echoed in the hotel corridor, followed by a knock on the door. I got up
and opened it. The first thing I saw wasn't Wang Lie, but Jack Fred's face. This

guy, of course, didn't know about the heated argument Han Zhe and I had had. When he saw me, he playfully winked at me. Then, before I could speak, he whispered, "Quick, hurry! Let me see where that pretty girl is!" He squeezed into the room. 　　Wang Lie followed him in. Seeing my expression, Wang Lie was somewhat surprised, but didn't speak, only nodding at me. 　　I closed the door behind me. Following them into the room, their gazes naturally fell on the woman in white. The woman in white, seeing someone enter, also turned her gaze towards them. Jack Fred didn't seem to react much; the woman in white simply nodded when she saw him, indicating she remembered the German. However, the moment she saw Wang Lie, the woman in white immediately showed a look of terror and fear. This was the third time I'd seen this expression on the woman in white. The first time was in the underground palace when she was following me from afar, and we locked eyes after I discovered her. The second time was just now when I tried to pull her into the Heavenly Palace. And now, when Wang Lie appeared before her, she showed this expression again, and not only that, her body trembled violently. Trembling, she unconsciously moved backward, seemingly wanting to distance herself from Wang Lie. The trembling was even more severe than when she was discovered following me in the underground palace . 　　Seeing this, I immediately stepped forward, blocking Wang Lie's path. At the same time, I said, "Don't frighten her." 　　Wang Lie seemed somewhat exasperated by my actions, because from the beginning, he had only stood there observing the woman in white , without making any other movements. However, seeing my obvious protective stance towards the woman in white, Wang Lie simply smiled faintly, then took a step back, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. He then began to speak. 　　"It seems those guys stole the corpse for her! They must know me, and they know I live in this city. They anticipated I might interfere with their operation, so they split their men into two . One group ambushed us on the old road east of Liziping. Normally, locals go to the villages in Liziping via the old road. And they weren't wrong; when Chun'an and I went there the day before yesterday, we went in from the old road to the east. But then I thought it would be more convenient to meet at the highway service area, so I notified everyone to meet there. 　　Ye Tong, because he brought his zombie girls, didn't want to attract attention at the service area, so he still chose to enter the mountains from the old road to the east, and they caught him red-handed." 　　Han Zhe looked up and asked with concern. "Is he alright?" 　　Wang Lie took out cigarettes, casually handed one to me and one to Jack Fred, then lit one for himself, took a puff, and continued. "There were five people who attacked Ye Tong and his two zombies. I don't know the others, but Li Yong was among them. Everyone knows Ye Tong; his group of who charge in the front lines. And he reacted quickly enough; when he realized they were surrounded, he immediately gave a signal and turned to retreat, so he's safe. But the two zombie girls he brought are in a worse state ; one of their bodies has been burned off by more than half. Fortunately, their heads are still intact, and they haven't been completely destroyed, but it will probably be difficult for them to be of any use again without a few years to recover." 　　Hearing this, I suddenly thought of Lin Meimei and quickly asked, "Not Lin Meimei's, right?" 　　Wang Lie shook his head. "The Lin Meimei case hasn't died down yet. Ye Tong couldn't have brought it out." 　　Hearing Wang Lie say this, I immediately felt relieved. 　　"Later, when they saw Xiao Jing and I arrive, they thought they had achieved their goal! They didn't confront Xiao Jing and directly, they just kept us occupied. They thought that as long as they could hold us off, the other group could safely use those hastily created zombies to lure and capture this woman." As he spoke, Wang Lie pointed to the white-clad woman still trembling against the headboard. Seeing Wang Lie point at her, the white-clad woman curled up even more. Feeling a pang of pity, I went to the headboard and sat down next to her. Seeing me sit down, the white-clad woman leaned against me as if she had found a support . 　　Wang Lie's expression remained unchanged, but Jack Fred whistled . I immediately glared at the German. The German shrugged, grinned , and sat down in my previous spot. 　　"Although I hate to admit it, I really have to thank you for volunteering to come and help this time." 　　Wang Lie realized that the woman in white was quite afraid of him, so he took the opportunity of talking to shift his gaze to the German. "If it weren't for you and Yan Ping, they might have actually succeeded." 　　At this point, Wang Lie gestured with his chin towards Han Zhe and asked. "We later ran into the police patrolling the mountain, and in order to get rid of them, we had to take a detour, which wasted a lot of time. So, 　　have you figured out who this woman is? You and Yan Ping have been guarding her here for most of the day. You should have some right?" 　　Han Zhe sighed heavily. "What exactly? I really can't figure it out! Yan Ping said those people called her a Spirit Maiden. What is a Spirit Maiden, Wang Lie, you know a little bit about it. But none of us here have actually seen one, so I need to spend some time researching and confirming it."

Hearing Han Zhe say this, Jack Fred quickly reached out. "I can vouch for you, Yan Ping wasn't mistaken. Because
I also heard those guys call her the Spirit Maiden."

Hearing Jack Fred say this, Wang Lie's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light,
and the appeared in Wang Lie's pupils again. The moment the blue light flashed, I instantly
lost control of my body, and could only sit stiffly against the headboard. The woman in white also stopped trembling at the same time,
her entire body frozen in place.

I was shocked, thinking Wang Lie was about to attack the woman in white, but unexpectedly, the blue light only lasted
for two or three seconds. I quickly regained control of my body, and the woman in white also quickly
recovered from her stiffness, leaning against my shoulder again, trembling with fear.

Wang Lie, however, showed a surprised expression, muttering to himself. "She shouldn't be a demon... but
the yin energy on her... it's unbelievable!"

I pushed the woman in white aside and rushed to Wang Lie in a few steps, grabbing his collar and glaring at
him, shouting, "Wang Lie, what do you mean?"

Wang Lie was unaware of my argument with Han Zhe, so he
was somewhat confused by my agitated behavior.

"Yan Ping, why are you so agitated? I was just checking her aura."

"Checking her aura?" I realized I had indeed acted impulsively and quickly released Wang Lie's collar.

Wang Lie didn't seem to mind my actions, as his interest was now completely focused on the woman in white
. He stared intently at her, seemingly talking to himself, yet also explaining
something to us.

"She's not a demon anymore! I'm certain of that now! Although the yin energy around her is incredibly
dense, I can't sense any evil in it! This is genuine Xuan Yin
Qi."

I was completely baffled by Wang Lie's explanation. I habitually turned to look at Han Zhe.
Han Zhe realized I was looking at him, paused for a moment, and then sighed as he explained to me.

"Yin and Yang are no longer just one thing; they are merely basic general terms. Most people
can only roughly distinguish the attributes of Yin and Yang, but Wang Lie is different. He can distinguish various types of Yin and Yang energy.

Different demons possess different types of Yin energy. The Yin
energy of zombies is strictly speaking Yin Corpse Qi, while the more ferocious ones are Yin Sha Qi. The Yin energy of the dead is Yin Soul Qi. The reason for
these names is that these Yin energies, in addition to the basic Yin energy, also contain various other
things, forming different types of Yin energy."

"Then what is Xuan Yin Qi?" I
asked immediately after hearing Wang Lie say that the woman in white possessed "authentic Xuan Yin Qi."

Han Zhe pursed his lips and replied, "Xuan Yin Qi is the purest Yin energy, without any other impurities
or aura. In contrast, pure Yang energy is Chi Yang Qi. Do you
understand now?"

"Then, what does possessing Xuan Yin Qi mean?" I asked again.

"This means she's definitely not a demon or monster! Because while all demons and monsters possess
yin energy, it's never pure yin energy! It's because the yin energy is impure, carrying all sorts of
chaotic things, that various kinds of demons and monsters are formed! Conversely, if it were pure yin energy, it
could never be classified as a demon." Han Zhe solemnly stated his conclusion to me.

After confirming Han Zhe's meaning, I breathed a long sigh of relief.
The lingering worry in my heart vanished.

I had the opportunity to blast the tunnel and isolate the woman in white in that gloomy and terrifying underground palace. But I
hesitated and brought the woman in white out of the explosion site. Although I've always been someone who does things without
regret, I still had some doubts before confirming the woman in white's identity.

After all, I had personally witnessed Lin Meimei's transformation after her mutation and
the power . I had
a clear understanding of the threat that the "demons and monsters" mentioned by Wang Lie and the others posed to ordinary people. If the woman in white were truly a demon, even if she only harmed an innocent civilian after emerging
, I, as the person responsible for personally bringing her out of the underground palace, would face a guilty conscience. Now
that it's confirmed the woman in white isn't the kind of "demon" that Wang Lie and the others have been talking about, capable of harming ordinary people, my
worries have finally subsided. As for whether the woman in white is a "spirit maiden"
or a "goddess," it doesn't really matter to me. I only need to confirm that she won't
harm anyone.

Just as I was relaxing, Han Zhe suddenly revealed the true origin of the woman in white to Wang Lie and
Jack Fred . "However, even if she's not a demon, she came from a cage. So, for
her own good, and just in case, I think it's best to find a way to send her back to the cage."

The German obviously didn't know about the underground palace beneath Phoenix Mountain, so he didn't react much to what Han Zhe said
. Or perhaps he just found the word "cage" unfamiliar, so he showed a questioning expression.

Upon hearing Han Zhe's words, Wang Lie immediately frowned and turned to ask, "How do you
know , "Yan Ping said he
saw her in the tomb chamber beneath the cage where Xia Nan's coffin is kept. As for how she came out, Yan Ping doesn't know
."

Han Zhe usually veers off-topic when he speaks. However, this time, he was very direct,

explaining the origin of the woman in white to Wang Lie while immediately stating his thoughts and suggestions on how to deal with her

. Clearly, he hoped that Wang Lie would form a preconceived notion and support his
ideas.

Seeing that Han Zhe had so quickly brought up the fundamental issue of our disagreement, I immediately stated
my position. Moreover, now that it was confirmed that the woman in white was not some terrifying demon, I felt my reasons for
opposing were even more valid. "I disagree with sending her back to the underground palace beneath Phoenix Mountain! That underground palace..."
"You all said it yourself, it's a cage to suppress demons. If she were a demon, I wouldn't
object to sending her in! But now you've confirmed she's not a demon! Why should you put her in that cage to suppress
demons and monsters ?"

Han Zhe stood up immediately upon hearing this, his eyes widening in surprise. "
Even if she's not a demon, she's clearly not a human like us! Do you think someone like her can stay
outside? Living with ordinary people?"

Just as I was about to refute his argument,

Wang Lie, standing there looking at Han Zhe, suddenly said slowly, "You think she's not human and
shouldn't live outside with ordinary people! What about me?"

Wang Lie's tone was gentle, yet tinged with a faint sadness. But to me, it was like
a thunderbolt. Han Zhe froze, unsure how to respond. After a long pause,
he stammered... "You're different now... Although you are... Sigh..." Clearly, Han Zhe
didn't know how to answer Wang Lie's question at that moment, and could only sigh.

Wang Lie noticed the surprised look in my eyes and smiled gently.

"You know I have special abilities, Yan Ping! Ordinary people certainly don't possess these abilities.

In that sense, she and I..." Wang Lie pointed to the woman in white huddled at the head of the bed and continued,

"We're actually the same. We're different from ordinary people! But I still consider myself
human! That's why I use my abilities to deal with those demons and monsters! Old Han,
I know you were just saying that casually. But you know my situation. According to what you
just said, someone like me, who is different from ordinary people, would hardly be classified as human.
So, if I may be frank, I cannot
agree . I'm special too, but I've never felt any different from ordinary people in life."

Hearing this, I understood immediately. Because of his extraordinary talent and
power, Wang Lie considered himself and the woman in white as equals.

"Old Han, I understand what you're worried about. You and I both know that the cage used to suppress the demons
isn't just one method, but a series of interconnected mechanisms. Since she exists in that cage, she
's very likely a link in that system. You think that if this link is missing, it might affect
the cage's integrity. But have you considered that we already know of the cage being breached
twice . Adding Tang Hui and the others going down, that's three times already. And there might
be unrecorded breaches before. Yet so far, apart from the two corpse kings that appeared, nothing else
has happened. Wu Zixu and Sun Wuzi were such great men; they built it together..." The cage would
n't lose its function simply because a single link in it is missing. Sun Tzu's military strategy was always meticulously planned, with each move
designed to kill. Although we don't know how he dealt with demons,
he must have incorporated his insights into military tactics when constructing the cage. Did Sun Tzu ever suffer a defeat? He was always the one beating others; how
could others possibly have the chance to beat him? I think you don't need to worry too much! I actually think
Yan Ping ! Since we've confirmed she's not a demon, there's really no reason to send her
back to the underground palace. Keeping her outside doesn't seem to do her any harm. At most, she might steal some food
…” Hearing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. It turned out Wang Lie had finally guessed who the "culprit" was

in the Huai Shu Gang food theft incident . 　　"And Jack Fred told me about her zombie hunting. I was wondering before what dealing with zombies like it was nothing. Now I understand, just look at the dense Yin energy she possesses. 　　I doubt anyone could match her ability to deal with the demons and monsters that spring from that Yin energy. Haven't you considered keeping her here to deal with other demons?" 　　As soon as Wang Lie finished speaking, I immediately expressed my agreement! Although Wang Lie's motivation for keeping the woman in white outside was to use her abilities to help them subdue demons, which involved a certain degree of self-interest , at least on the issue of whether to send the woman in white back to the underground palace, Wang Lie and I were in agreement: we opposed Han Zhe sending her back! 　　Seeing Wang Lie clearly state his position, Han Zhe stood frozen in place. He lowered his head and pondered for a long time before suddenly looking up and saying... "Even if you and Yan Ping don't want to send her back to the cage, we can't just let you two have your way. Same rules as before, let's vote! I insist on sending her back." 　　I immediately spoke up: "I insist on keeping her!" 　　Wang Lie's lips curled up. "I agree with Yan Ping's opinion." 　　Then I shifted my gaze to Jack Fred! In my opinion, the woman in white, in a sense, was someone he and I rescued from those pursuers, and she saved us when we almost fell into the ravine. I figured he would be on Wang Lie and my side. But what this German said almost made me furious! 　　"Whatever Wang Lie approves of, I resolutely oppose! So, I support Lao Han!" 　　After saying that, the German immediately turned his face away, refusing to face me directly, giving me a chance to glare at . 　　"So the vote is now two to two..." Han Zhe's face revealed a sly expression. 　　Wang Lie shook his head, walked over to Han Zhe, and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Xiao Jing is under eighteen and doesn't have the right to vote. That leaves Ye Tong. He's not here, but he'll definitely support my decision. So the final vote count is three to two, and our decision passes." Han　　Zhe still wanted to insist. "Although Ye Tong always supports you, he might not..." 　　Wang Lie immediately interrupted Han Zhe. "Then call him now and ask him for his opinion." 　　Han Zhe's lips moved slightly, but he ultimately didn't pick up the phone to contact Ye Tong. Seeing this, Wang Lie smiled. "Come on, Lao Han. You're always like this. Just say you don't want to take responsibility!" Then...

Changing the subject, he said, "The problem now is how to properly settle this woman."

Wang Lie seemed to strongly disagree with Han Zhe's view of the woman in white as "non-human." Therefore, he
deliberately emphasized the word "woman."

Han Zhe naturally understood Wang Lie's meaning, but didn't dwell on the definition of the woman in white.

"Her yin energy is too heavy. Even if it's pure, unadulterated yin energy, it will still cause an imbalance of
yin and yang . To ensure there are no problems, she'll probably have to stay by your side and you
try to balance it as needed."

Wang Lie nodded, but then turned his gaze to me. "That makes sense. However,
I've noticed she's very afraid of me, and seems quite close to you. So, Yan Ping,
I still need your consent before deciding whether to let her stay with me."

Although I had previously claimed to Han Zhe that I had the right to dispose of the woman in white, that was
a forced argument in response to Han Zhe's suggestion to send her back to the underground palace. I was somewhat surprised when Wang Lie suddenly
asked for my opinion on taking the woman in white away.

Wang Lie walked straight to my side and whispered in my ear, "I have eyes. This woman clearly
likes you. You got angry at me for her sake, which means you're interested in her too, right? To avoid any
trouble this woman might cause due to her yin energy, she's safest with me. But that
means separating you and her. If you don't agree, how can I arrange things for her?"

I turned my head and whispered in Wang Lie's ear, "You won't take
advantage of being alone with her to sleep with her, will you?"

Wang Lie probably hadn't expected me to ask him such a question. His facial muscles twitched
slightly . However, he quickly answered my question. "First, she is beautiful, that's true. But I still prefer
more normal women. Second, you're already my friend, and I never
lay a finger . That's my principle!"

I then smiled at Wang Lie. "Then what do I have to worry about? You can take her with
you." However, I still asked Wang Lie about his specific plans for settling the woman in white
.

Wang Lie then explained his ideas. "Although she's with me, I just tested the level of yin energy
on . I estimate that if I spend a little more effort
to gather yang energy and harmonize it before the yin energy causes the surrounding environment to become unbalanced, she shouldn't need to stay with me all day.

I have an apartment on the sixteenth floor of the Sunshine Department Store in the city center. So I plan to settle her there
. It's densely populated and on a high floor. It's convenient for me to mobilize yang energy within a small area to harmonize the yin
energy on her. Although her yin energy is heavy, it will take at least two to
three days to cause the environment to become unbalanced. So, I only need to go there every three days to harmonize yin and yang, which should ensure that the place
doesn't become a place that turns yang. Do you think this is appropriate?"

When I heard that Wang Lie was actually planning to give up an apartment to settle the woman in white, I immediately felt
uneasy. The residential building above Sunshine Department Store in the city center is conveniently located with easy access to transportation and a full range of amenities.

Property prices there are consistently among the highest in the city, with higher floors commanding
even higher prices due to less noise pollution from below. Although Wang Lie didn't mention the size of the apartment, I knew that
almost all the units in that building were large, luxurious residences, the smallest exceeding 200 square meters.
While local property prices weren't comparable to first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the price per square meter was still around ten thousand yuan.
In other words, Wang Lie had essentially provided the woman in white with an apartment worth over two million yuan. This naturally put
immense pressure on me, someone belonging to the "lower-middle income group."

Wang Lie seemed to sense my thoughts and immediately offered an explanation. "That house is collateral, and
it's just sitting empty until the loan is repaid. Since it's useful now, let's arrange for her to stay there
for a while. Once the loan is paid off, I'll find another place to settle her. By the way, I'll only go there
once . So most of the time, you'll have to go and keep an eye on her yourself. I'll prepare
a key to the house for you. How to keep her there is your responsibility. I won't interfere with anything else."

And so, the group of us devised a plan for the woman in white's life for the next period, while she
herself remained completely oblivious.

Although the woman in white was extremely afraid of Wang Lie, with my help and coaxing, she eventually
obediently got into Wang Lie's car with me.

In the car, the woman in white seemed to finally feel tired, and actually leaned on my shoulder, closed her eyes,
and even let out a soft snore. Only then did I realize that she, like us ordinary people, needed to
sleep .

Wang Lie, who was driving, didn't seem surprised at all. Instead, he took advantage of the white-clad woman's sleep to
ask about what I knew about her.

"So she can talk! She was silent the whole time; I thought she was mute."

"Not only can she talk, she can sing too. But I can't understand a word she says, and
I can't understand her songs either. By the way, although I can't understand her words, her pronunciation
sounds a bit like Hakka dialect." I casually told Wang Lie my personal assessment.

After listening, Wang Lie thought for a while and then said... "Sounds like Hakka? Could she be speaking Classical Chinese? As far as I
know, the pronunciation of ancient Chinese languages is completely different from ours now, especially the nasal sounds and retroflex consonants
. It's said that among all the regional dialects in China today, Hakka is the closest to Classical Chinese
. But as long as she's not mute and can speak, that's fine. We can both take our time
to adapt to each other's languages. In short, we need to find a way to communicate with her normally. By the way, can she
write ?"

"I don't know," I replied.

"Well, that cage was built in the late Spring and Autumn Period. During that time, many southern states
used bronze inscriptions. Old Han has some knowledge of bronze inscriptions. He can come over during the day and try writing in front of her."
"If she also knows Jinwen, perhaps they could communicate through writing."

"That's a good idea." I replied, glancing at
the woman sleeping soundly on my shoulder. The white-clad woman's beautiful face appeared exceptionally dignified in her sleep. The bright moonlight outside the car window shone on
her, as if enveloping her in a halo of holiness.

Chapter 45

In the underground parking lot of Sunshine Department Store, Wang Lie parked the car. He helped me carry the white-clad woman onto my
back, and then we took the elevator to the mortgaged apartment on the sixteenth floor of the residential building. Judging

from the interior design, the owner was likely a nouveau riche. The decor was predominantly gold, and decorative items like money trees, Pixiu, and the God of Wealth were scattered throughout the room. This explained why the apartment had ended up in Wang Lie's hands. Such nouveau riche often liked to take risks in investment and business. Money came quickly, but if they mismanaged it, they would pawn their assets to try and make a comeback. 　　After finding the bedroom and placing the woman in white on the bed, covering her with a blanket, I turned and went back to the living room. Wang Lie , seeing me come out, handed me a key and explained some things to keep in mind regarding the woman's stay. 　　"The owner here signed a two-year loan agreement with me, and there's about a year . Although I reckon that guy probably won't be able to pay it back, it's best not to move the furniture or change the layout of the house during this last year. You can use most of the household items after tidying them up; if you run out, just buy new ones. However, I won't pay for these expenses, including water and electricity; you'll have to cover those yourself. For details, come to my company when you have time and contact the manager in charge of this loan. I'll have him handle the temporary handover procedures with you. Also, give me an account number; I've transferred the money for the trip to Liziping to you..." 　　Hearing this, I was stunned. "What? You're going to pay me for helping out in Liziping?" 　　Wang Lie nodded seriously. "You're right. I remember telling you before that we're actually mercenaries. Solving problems for others isn't free. I own my own company and am financially well-off, so I can do these things without worrying about income; I mostly act according to my conscience. But it's different with people like Ye Tong. If they don't get paid, they'll starve. You've also met Tang Hui ; he's the same. That Li Chao guy can't be hired without money. This time in Liziping, I was the organizer, so naturally I have to pay the participants." 　　Wang Lie explained, and I finally understood some things. It turns out these "exorcists" charge for their services , and whoever organizes the gathering pays the fees. I immediately remembered that I had asked them to help deal with the woman in white, and theoretically, it shouldn't be free. I quickly spoke up. " Don't worry about the expenses for going to Liziping. Just send the money to Ye Tong and the others. Ye Tong is . Now that this woman has taken over your company's mortgaged property, I'm the one who should be giving you money." 　　Wang Lie's face showed a mocking expression. "Come on, Yan Ping. If we're really talking about money, I doubt you can afford it. Han Zhe and I have both privately learned about your situation. With your income, you wouldn't be able to afford even one of my services under normal circumstances. Let me put it this way: regarding the situation your comrade's family had, normally, hiring someone to resolve it—well, someone like Tang Hui—would cost tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan; nobody would even with you. And I'm one of the highest-paid people in this line of work. So normally, not many people can actually afford to hire me. I do these things more to put my mind at ease. Besides , I'm very interested in this woman. If we could really communicate with her, Han Zhe and I might be able to find out the real situation in the Phoenix Mountain prison. So, we're helping you settle this woman out of our own needs." 　　If Wang Lie had shown contempt for me in other ways, I might have argued with him on the spot. But now that it came to money, I was speechless. I could only accept his high-handed attitude. Because the other party was indeed richer than me, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and admit defeat on this issue. 　　Seeing my dejected look, Wang Lie realized that his attitude might have been a bit too direct. He immediately changed the subject. "Since you don't want money, I won't force you to do anything. But let me make this clear from the start. I'm only responsible for harmonizing the yin and yang energy around this woman once every three days. The rest of the time, you have to keep a close eye . Don't let her cause any trouble. Old Han was right about one thing. Although she's not a demon, the yin energy she possesses is still very dangerous for most ordinary people. So you need to avoid her having too much contact with ordinary people as much as possible. Do you understand what I mean?" 　　I nodded in response. "I understand. You mean it's best to keep her in this house and minimize out. She seems to be a glutton, especially fond of food. I think as long as we keep providing her with food, we can ensure she stays here peacefully." 　　Wang Lie paused for a moment when I used the word "glutton" to describe the woman in white, then a smile appeared on his face. He replied with a smile, "I hope it's as you say." After saying that, Wang Lie took out a paper packet from the pocket of I glanced at it and saw that it was a packet of cinnabar. 　　He sprinkled the cinnabar into a small Tai Chi pattern on the marble floor of the living room. As he did so , he explained to me, 　　"I can manipulate Yin and Yang energies, but the Yin energy on this woman is too strong. To use enough Yang energy to harmonize it, I will need to use the power of a magic array." 　　I asked. "Don't you mind if I'm here?" 　　Wang Lie gently shook his head. "The Yin-Yang Two Elements Formation is a basic skill. Anyone in our line of work can use it once they've entered the profession. You can take a look; learning it won't hurt." With that, Wang Lie sat cross-legged in front of the Tai Chi symbol and took out two more talismans. 　　"The method I'm using to activate the formation is something ordinary people can do. I'm activating it now to gather..."

Gathering Yang energy is important, but it can also be used to harmonize the Feng Shui and fortune of a house. If you're interested
, I can teach you now. It's better to learn these things from me. Old Han is
much better at theory than me, but he's completely clueless when it comes to teaching apprentices. He taught two people a few years ago, for
several years, but they're still not very good. Mainly, he's too stubborn and serious. When teaching formations and talismans
, he tries his best to explain the principles and theories clearly. The result is that
he only confuses people more. They have no energy left to consider practical applications and specific methods. I'm not
as complicated as him. Understanding the principles of these things is meaningless in reality. You only need to know
what a formation is, what a talisman is, how to arrange and use them, and what their effects are.

After these events, I've actually
developed a strong interest in the skills and methods of Wang Lie and Han Zhe. But since they haven't brought it up, I'm too embarrassed to proactively suggest learning from them
. Now that Wang Lie had clearly stated his willingness to teach me some basics, I immediately
sat cross-legged opposite him, guided by his gestures, across the cinnabar tai chi diagram.

"I'm teaching you this for my own convenience. Although I predict I can guarantee
three days many things are unpredictable. Using this formation, while ordinary people can't
gather enough yang energy to harmonize the yin energy on her like I can, it can still slightly enhance the yang
energy , suppressing the yin energy on her. Once you learn it, if I can't arrive in time
, this formation can also slightly slow down the speed of the feng shui changes here." After saying this, Wang Lie
began formally explain how to set up the formation and how to activate and use it…

Around seven o'clock in the morning, I was awakened by my phone alarm. Opening my eyes, the first thing I
saw was the white morning light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Wang Lie sat cross-legged by the window, bathed in the morning light.
After harmonizing the yin energy in the room last night, Wang Lie seemed quite tired. However, his way of resting and recovering his energy
was a bit unique. He didn't lie down and sleep on the sofa or anywhere else like me. Instead, he sat
cross-legged in front of the French windows, meditating. It seemed that his posture hadn't changed at all in the hours until I woke up.

Seeing that his eyes were closed, I didn't disturb him and went straight into the bedroom. The woman in white
was asleep, her posture and movements unchanged from when I left.
Going in and out of the living room and bedroom, I clearly felt a temperature difference between the two rooms; the bedroom seemed
several degrees cooler than the living room. I couldn't help but have a clear
understanding of the direct effects of the yin energy carried by the woman in white. But for some reason, I suddenly remembered some
experiences . Back then, every summer, the neighbors, whether they knew me or not, loved to come to
the courtyard of my old house, saying that it was much cooler than the other houses in the area. At the time,
I always thought it was just an excuse for the neighbors to gather and chat in our courtyard.
Looking back , it's probably true that my house was haunted by a demon, its yin energy so strong that it was cooler than the neighbors' houses
. Because I've always lived in the old house, I didn't feel it clearly. But the neighbors, going in and out of their own
homes and then into my old house, could clearly distinguish it.

I'm now certain that a demon had resided
in my old house for a long time. But who this demon was remains a mystery to me. My grandmother was virtuous and kind, renowned for her good character,
which doesn't fit the characteristics of demon possession. My grandfather's childhood sweetheart, my second grandmother, my uncle's
biological mother, passed away from illness when my uncle was only four or five years old. If she was possessed by a demon
, our house should have become a place of yang energy shortly after her death. Why did it take decades for
the signs of yang energy to appear?

As I walked back to the living room, my thoughts unconsciously shifted to the old house. You
see , my family isn't very large. After Liberation, the only people who lived in the old house for an extended period
were my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, uncle, and myself—five men in total; plus my great-grandmother and
two grandmothers. My aunt was from the city; my uncle gave up a government job arranged for him by the county civil affairs
department . Aside from holidays,
when my aunt and Yan Guang would return to their hometown a few times, they never stayed at the old house for long. Naturally,
they had no connection to the mysterious demon in the old house. If there was any connection, it could only be among those who lived there
long-term .

Suddenly, a thought that even I found impossible surfaced in my mind.

"Could it be...could the demon be possessing my father?"

Han Zhe had mentioned when introducing the demon that while it preferred to possess beautiful women,
it could also possess men. However, when a man is possessed by a Yin demon, he doesn't exhibit
the same obvious behavioral characteristics as a woman. He simply weakens due to the possession until he dies.

My uncle's family of three should be fine. I myself am, of course, excluded;
both my great-grandfather and grandfather died of old age. The most suspicious person in the family now is my father. The circumstances of my father's
death were extremely unusual; it was clear that someone had performed some kind of sacrificial ritual or method on him. Han Zhe
said that poor families usually deal with Yin demons by exchanging one's life for the demon. But he never told me how members of sects normally
deal with Yin demons. If my father was possessed by a Yin demon, and the intruder's target was actually
the Yin demon inside my father…

The thought immediately sent a chill down my spine. Turning my head, I saw Wang Lie had opened
his eyes and was relaxing his hands. I quickly went to Wang Lie.

"Wang Lie, there's something I'd like to ask you,"

Wang Lie asked, standing up with his hands on his knees in a proper military sitting posture. "What is it?

Speak."

"What methods do you usually use to exterminate Yin Demons?"

Wang Lie paused, somewhat surprised by my sudden question. But he still answered me seriously.
"Yin demons aren't common ghosts anymore; I've only truly dealt with three. Different sects
use methods to deal with them."

"So how did you kill the Yin demons?" I immediately pressed Wang Lie on his own methods.

Wang Lie tilted his head, seemingly recalling his experiences killing Yin demons. "Yin demons are utterly insignificant to me
. I have countless ways to deal with them if I want. I can directly gather yang energy into
the body of the possessed by a Yin demon, release that yang energy, and forcibly neutralize the yin energy that has gathered to form the Yin demon. The Yin demon
will then naturally vanish. Of course, the possessed person might not be able to withstand this method; the sudden release of yang energy could injure
their internal organs. So, I usually just forcibly
pull the Yin demon out of the possessed person's body. You know, I can manipulate yin and yang energies, and the yin energy on the Yin demon is also within my control
. Of course, particularly powerful Yin demons might be able to resist my pulling force on yin and yang energies. But so
far , the three I've killed were all directly pulled out of their hosts and then killed by using yang energy
."

Hearing Wang Lie speak so easily, I suddenly remembered that Wang Lie was a "first-rate exorcist." His
methods for dealing with Yin demons were naturally unique to him, and my previous question was misdirected. I quickly changed
my question . "Then how would Han Zhe deal with the Yin Demon?"

Wang Lie thought for a moment and replied. "If it were Han Zhe, he certainly wouldn't handle it like I did. He would probably
use a Yang attribute talisman. To ensure the safety of the possessed person, he would probably also set up an altar and a formation
..."

"What kind of formation would he set up?" I immediately asked after hearing the word "formation." Because my
father body was surrounded by a strange formation.

"In most cases, it would be the Blazing Sun Vermilion Bird Formation; sometimes the Big Dipper Black Tortoise Formation would also work..." Wang
Lie seemed to realize that I had suddenly asked him about formations, and then asked me in return. "

Why are you suddenly asking these questions? Did you remember something about your old family house?"

Judging from Wang Lie's question, he must have heard some of the family stories I told Han Zhe from him,
but I still patiently explained the details to Wang Lie again.

After listening to my explanation and doubts, Wang Lie immediately shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible. Your father was stabbed sixteen times, both in
front . The fundamental purpose of the formation was to protect the host's life
and kill the Yin Demon. Although I don't know what kind of formation your father set up around him, it's absolutely
impossible by stabbing the host! Stabbing sixteen times is a common method used in evil rituals. Righteous sects
never use this method to exorcise demons... I think you're overthinking it.
How can a son doubt his own father?"

Hearing Wang Lie's rebuke, I felt a pang of guilt, but I still responded somewhat unwillingly.

"My old family house has only had so many people living there. I really can't figure out
who possessed. But if I can't figure this out, I can't eat or sleep in peace."

Wang Lie sighed. "I know it must be very painful for you if you can't get over this.

But in my opinion, you have to be able to let go of many things. Your loved ones have all passed
away, so why dwell on the details? The feng shui of your old house has been restored.
For you, dealing with the things around you now is probably more important..."

Wang Lie's words of advice made me realize that I had indeed been getting a bit stuck in a rut. I forced
a smile, and seeing the increasingly bright sunlight outside the window, I adjusted my mindset and turned to the coffee table,
picking up the tea set left behind by the homeowner.

Normally, I have a habit of drinking tea in the morning. Flipping through the tea set was just out of habit.
To my surprise, I discovered that the homeowner usually drank Pu'er black tea. Pu'er tea can
be stored for a long time, and even though the house hadn't been lived in for more than half a year, the tea leaves were still usable. I immediately
ran the kitchen to boil water, and then brewed some tea using the tea set. After Wang Lie finished stretching, he came over
to help . Once everything was settled, we sat together, drinking tea and chatting while waiting for the woman in white to wake up.

After a while, my phone suddenly beeped with a text message notification. I took it out and looked at the source,
immediately stunned.

It was Zhou Jingyi!

At this moment, I still vividly remembered what I had witnessed yesterday afternoon in the hot spring hotel room.

Therefore, I was extremely unwilling to have any further contact with this woman. But I was also curious about her purpose in texting me
at this time. So, I finally opened the message.

"8:30, meet at the Cantonese dim sum restaurant on Xingguang Road."

After confirming the message, I laughed in anger! I've seen shameless people before, but this level of shamelessness
was truly unprecedented. Yesterday evening, she was having fun in the room with other men, kicked me
out with a single sentence, and now she's acting like nothing happened, inviting me to dim sum. Of course, I wouldn't pay her any attention.

Just as I was about to throw my phone aside, Zhou Jingyi's second text message appeared on my screen.

"I got the materials from Aunt Lu. Come over if you want them!"

Upon seeing this text message, I was completely stunned! "The materials from Aunt Lu"? Could it be

the National Geographic materials that Lu Zhaohui had promised to provide me earlier yesterday afternoon for my urgent column in the editorial department

? Why would Lu Zhaohui directly give the materials to Zhou Jingyi?

After thinking for a long time, I finally realized! After realizing this, I suddenly felt extremely
frustrated.

Lu Zhaohui knew perfectly well why Zhou Jingyi and I entered the Phoenix Mountain tunnels through our
conversations in the underground palace. She also knew that the column I was in charge of was
sponsored by Matsumae Pharmaceutical Group, where Zhou Jingyi worked. Presumably, in her view, this column was a joint effort between Zhou Jingyi and me,
so giving the materials to me or Zhou Jingyi made no difference. On this issue, I really couldn't
raise any objections to Lu Zhaohui's actions. Because she had no idea what happened between Zhou Jingyi and me yesterday afternoon
.

But now Zhou Jingyi was nonchalantly using this as leverage, forcing me to go and meet her. My
face flushed bright red.

Wang Lie noticed the change in my expression and gave me a surprised look. Then he turned his attention
to my phone and took it from my hand. I didn't
react to Wang Lie's actions because I was already furious at Zhou Jingyi's behavior!

"Oh... someone invited you to have morning tea and wants you to go pick something up. Then hurry up and go. I don't have any plans for
today As for the company, I'll go check on it after you come back and we exchange information."
After reading the text message, he immediately made adjustments and arrangements to the plan of guarding the woman in white.

"I don't want to see that woman!" I said through gritted teeth, suppressing my anger.

"Is that so? But the woman who texted you seems quite confident! If you want it,
come over? That's quite a confident tone! By the way, what is that information she mentioned?
Judging from her tone, it must be very important to you." Wang Lie smiled faintly.

"I need the materials for this issue of our magazine's outdoor column. I assured the director yesterday that I'd get the column out within
two days , otherwise our issue might be missing pages." I
said, angrily downing my teacup.

"If that's the case, I think you should go see her!" Wang Lie said calmly.

"I don't know why you don't want to meet this woman. But in my opinion, things should be handled separately
.

Since this material is related to your actual work, it's best to go and get it first. Get
the information from your editorial department first; after all, a person should keep their word. Since you promised your director,
you shouldn't break your promise to him! As for the conflict between you and this woman, you can resolve that later.
Face isn't worth much. A real man can bend and stretch. Besides,
since she's a woman, what's wrong with you, as a man, giving in a little?"

Hearing Wang Lie's nonchalant words, I didn't know how to explain to him. After all, I was too ashamed to talk about what happened at the hot spring hotel yesterday afternoon
. After thinking for a moment, I suddenly remembered
the real reason I went to see Zhou Jingyi.

"You're only saying this because you don't know anything. Let me tell you, it was this woman who asked me to go into the Phoenix Mountain
tunnel. I suspect she's just using me."

"What? You went into the Phoenix Mountain tunnel because this woman asked you to?" Wang Lie immediately looked surprised when he heard this
, and then lowered his head to think. After a moment, he looked up and asked me. "What evidence do you have to prove this
?"

When Wang Lie asked for evidence, I was stunned for a moment. Zhou Jingyi's
reason for suggesting that I go to the Phoenix Mountain tunnel for research, although it was a stretch, was definitely plausible. This obviously could not be used as evidence. Thinking about Zhou Jingyi's series of actions in
the tunnel and the underground palace, it seemed that she was acting passively, just like me. First, she
was forced to go with Boss He, and then she was running for her life with Mr. Tang's group. Suddenly, I remembered a detail
in , and immediately brought it up with Wang Lie.

"That woman brought some things out of that underground palace, it seems to be a few scrolls of silk paintings. That's what
Mr. Li's mother, Lu Zhaohui, told me. According to her, it was her
decision to give the silk paintings to this woman!"

"Silk paintings?" Wang Lie's eyes flashed with a sharp light when he heard this. Then he took out his phone,
opened a file stored on it, and handed it to me.

"Take a look, are these the ones? This file was sent to me five days ago by a friend of mine in the underworld who specializes in handling
antiques . He said someone just pulled out a few silk paintings from an ancient tomb in the area and wants
to sell them, asking if I'm interested."

I opened the file and was instantly dumbfounded. There were three photos in Wang Lie's phone file, each
one a erotic image of men and women having intercourse. Most importantly, these erotic images
were exactly the same as the murals I saw in the underground palace in terms of painting style and method. The men appeared to be young and handsome, while the women appeared to be voluptuous and
mature.

"This...this...to be honest, I've never seen what those silk paintings that woman got looked like.

But these three silk paintings are extremely similar to the erotic murals I saw in the underground palace. Could it
be that these three silk paintings are the ones that woman brought out of the underground palace?"

Although I was furious with Zhou Jingyi's actions and attitude towards me, I didn't have
the habit . After seeing the photos of the silk paintings that Wang Lie showed me, I immediately realized that these three silk paintings
were very likely the ones Zhou Jingyi brought out of the underground palace.

"Hehe," Wang Lie laughed. "Judging from the name on your phone number, this woman is called Zhou Jingyi?

Looks like she's quite the money-grubber. How long have you been out of there? She's already so eager
to sell. You must have noticed, these three pictures are very
similar to the martial arts manual circulating outside. So after seeing the photos my friend sent, I immediately decided to buy them all. It's just that
this seller is too greedy; the price is extremely high. I've been asking a friend
to negotiate with her these past few days.

My friend wasn't contacting the seller herself, but an intermediary. The intermediary only said the seller is a woman.
Now, hearing what you're saying, it might be this Zhou Jingyi. But it's really rare to see a woman in the tomb-raiding business.
Are you sure you were set up by her when you entered the Phoenix Mountain tunnels?"

Hearing this, I immediately began to waver on the question of whether Zhou Jingyi was using me.

Tomb raiding, in a sense, is a technical skill. I saw what kind of preparations those people from the Joseon Dynasty made to enter
the underground palace . When Zhou Jingyi entered the tunnel, she
carried a large flashlight, which didn't seem like a premeditated act. Furthermore, she obtained the silk painting only
with Lu Zhaohui's permission. If Li Chao and his group hadn't been just dabbling in tomb raiding,
why would ordinary tomb raiders so easily give away their loot? Zhou Jingyi isn't a god; how could she have
known Li Chao and his group's true purpose and reasons for tomb raiding beforehand? Recalling Zhou Jingyi's behavior inside the underground palace...
And now, with her actions regarding the silk painting, my suspicion that Zhou Jingyi was using me is growing increasingly uncertain.

"Could it be that Zhou Jingyi really just wanted to create a unique column? After unexpectedly obtaining the silk painting, is she only thinking about
immediately cashing it in? If that's the case, then her actions are understandable. Because she's a
woman who will stop at nothing for money and status and is adept at using her advantages. I even suspected before that she might
have similar motives to those like Wang Sen who used Li Chao..." Thinking about this, I couldn't help but
develop a certain understanding of Zhou Jingyi's various actions.

Wang Lie, of course, had no idea what was going through my mind. Seeing that I didn't answer him, he continued to
ramble on in front of me. "If these three silk paintings are the ones you brought out of the underground palace,
then I might need to formally request that you meet with this Zhou Jingyi. Even I would find it difficult
to justify the price she's asking! Five million per painting, fifteen million for all three. While everyone knows
that silk paintings from the Spring and Autumn Period are strictly speaking priceless, and any price is justified, they are still stolen goods.
Isn't she worried about someone reporting her to the police for such a high price? If you're going to meet her, I hope you can
talk to her. If you really want to sell them, it would be best to lower the price."

I looked up at Wang Lie and said. "You really want to buy those silk paintings from her?"

Wang Lie nodded in confirmation. "I'm determined to get them! If she continues to refuse, I'll naturally find
other ways to take these three silk paintings from her. Han Zhe should have told you the reason; that strange set of
dual cultivation technique diagrams caused a lot of trouble before. I've confirmed that these three silk paintings are not among the thirteen
already circulating diagrams. Although I'm not sure if these three silk paintings are
necessarily related to the thirteen diagrams, after all, the painting techniques of the thirteen diagrams are very different from these three silk paintings. Moreover,
these three silk paintings are just drawings, without any symbols or words, which is also different from the thirteen diagrams
. However, since these silk paintings were found in the Phoenix Mountain prison, for safety reasons, I think it's more appropriate for us
to keep them . Of course, compared to other methods, I would prefer to have a peaceful
transaction with her using money."

I thought for a moment, and finally stood up from my seat. I sighed. "If that's the case,
to report back to the editorial department and to buy the painting for you, it seems I still have no choice but to meet her."

Chapter 46

A little over ten minutes before 8:30, I arrived early at the Cantonese dim sum restaurant Zhou Jingyi had specified.

Upon entering, I saw Zhou Jingyi, dressed in a standard women's suit and pencil skirt,
elegantly enjoying her breakfast at

a booth by the window. After calming myself down slightly, I walked over and plopped down in the seat opposite her.

"You're here? Order whatever you want. It's on me." Zhou Jingyi glanced at me and
greeted .

Although I had already composed myself, her nonchalant attitude
reignited my anger. "No need for food. Give me the documents, I'll take them and leave."

At that moment, Zhou Jingyi's beautiful face appeared exceptionally ugly to me! Thinking of her
movements and actions between that man's legs, I felt an urge to vomit.

Zhou Jingyi seemed to have anticipated my impatience. She calmly picked up
a crystal shrimp dumpling and placed it in front of her. Her cherry-like lips gently bit off a piece, chewing it slowly for a moment before she
lazily spoke. "What's the rush? I haven't even finished breakfast yet,"

I said coldly, trying to suppress my emotions. "Get the materials so I can go back and edit
and format them immediately. It has nothing to do with you eating here."

"How can it not matter? I need to review and approve the content of this column. You think you can decide the layout all by yourself
? I definitely won't agree. If things go wrong, I won't be able to explain it to the group's business development department
." After Zhou Jingyi finished speaking, she put the rest of the shrimp dumplings into her mouth.

"Patience, I must be patient. First, I need to get the materials and appease the director!"

I tried to remind myself.

"I know you're busy. And you wouldn't understand the specifics of editing and layout anyway. Let me take the materials
back, finish them, and then send them to you for review. If you're not satisfied, just give me a call. I'll
revise them immediately until you're happy. Is that alright?"

"Hmm? You know I'm busy?" Zhou Jingyi smiled almost mockingly,
nodding slightly as she chewed her food. After swallowing, she looked up and said with a smile, "But
I'm free today. So I'll be supervising your editing and layout work closely. Don't you think many things can't be explained over
the phone ? Having me there allows me to provide immediate guidance. That
's much more efficient!"

I finally couldn't tolerate her flippant attitude any longer. I stood up abruptly, head down,
staring intently into Zhou Jingyi's eyes, breathing heavily. "What exactly do you want? Let me tell you straight.

My patience has its limits! Don't go too far..."

Zhou Jingyi looked up at me, her face showing no fear or panic. "What kind of
attitude ? I kindly invited you to dim sum, and if you didn't accept, fine. I'm just trying to fulfill my job duties.

And you're yelling at me? You ask me what I want? I should be asking you what you want!"

Hearing her words, I was momentarily enraged. I reached out and grabbed Zhou Jingyi's
collar ...

At that moment, a hint of panic appeared on Zhou Jingyi's face. As I forcefully dragged her
up from her seat and pulled her in front of me, I suddenly realized my mistake. This was a public place; I shouldn't have attacked her here
under any circumstances . Realizing this, I suppressed my anger once again. Panting,
she said, "Give me the information. I'll take care of the column! You'd better not try to blackmail me with this
..." Although Zhou Jingyi's face showed fear, she still uttered two words
resolutely , "I won't!"

Hearing her reply, I was momentarily at a loss for words. Hit her? I've never hit
a woman , especially not in a public place like this. Just snatch the documents and leave? I
glanced around Zhou Jingyi's seat out of the corner of my eye. Besides her small handbag, she clearly
wasn't carrying anything else. And whether the documents were in her bag, I couldn't be sure. Based on my
past work experience, paper materials and documents couldn't fit in a small handbag.

Of course, for electronic documents and data, a small magnetic storage medium would suffice. Thinking this, I
released Zhou Jingyi's collar and reached for her handbag.
But as soon as I let go, Zhou Jingyi grabbed the handbag tightly beside her, threatening, "If you dare touch my bag,
I'll call for help immediately!"

Hearing this, I deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped into my seat. Snatching
the handbag wouldn't be difficult, but if I actually did it, I'd become a robber…

I finally let out a long sigh. "Fine. No column this issue, fine! I accept my apologies to
the director At most, I'll just get gossiped about by the editorial staff; I've been
through that before! I don't want to get involved in Wang Lie's matter of negotiating with her anymore. Anyway, Wang Lie is capable;
he'll definitely find a way to get his hands on that silk painting in the end." Thinking this, I suddenly felt a
sense . Understanding this, I immediately stood up and walked towards the restaurant door. Right now, all I wanted
was to get away from this woman immediately.

"Stop right there!" Zhou Jingyi realized I was leaving and hurriedly shouted at me. Seeing that I
ignored her and continued walking towards the door, Zhou Jingyi suddenly yelled, "Indecent assault…"

The commotion between Zhou Jingyi and me had already attracted the attention of the surrounding customers and staff.

They were confused about what had happened, and I had been restraining myself from actually resorting to violence,
so the customers and staff were still observing. But when Zhou Jingyi shouted "indecent
assault the four young men eating near the door immediately stood up and blocked my way.

"Brother, what did you do to that lady? Please explain." The young man in the lead
spoke politely, but directly blocked my path.

At that moment, I didn't want to answer the young man's question at all. So I coldly uttered two words, "
Get out of my way !"

Upon hearing my answer, the young man standing next to me immediately reached out and punched me in the face...

The young man's movements weren't fast; with my actual abilities, it would have been easy to dodge. But at that moment,
I had no intention of dodging, because I felt that I might really need to take a punch to
clear my head.

With a "thud," the young man's fist landed solidly on my left cheek. In
a sense was just a test from the young man, so it wasn't very powerful. I stood still,
taking the hit head-on. The young man who threw the punch probably didn't expect it
to hit my face so easily. Surprised, I instinctively took a half-step back...

Seeing them retreat, I planned to slip through the gap between them and leave. I
figured that after punching me, they'd be too embarrassed to block my way anymore. But
then Zhou Jingyi caught up from behind. Zhou Jingyi's next move threw me and the four young men blocking my
way into a state of confusion.

Zhou Jingyi swung her handbag, hitting the young man who had thrown the punch at me. The young man quickly
raised his arm to block, and seeing him block, Zhou Jingyi hit him several more times. The young man was probably
stunned now; he had thrown a punch at me to stop Zhou Jingyi from hitting me. Now, Zhou Jingyi
, without any explanation, started wildly hitting him with her handbag. He had no idea
what on. Not only was he confused, but I was also baffled by Zhou Jingyi's actions
. I unconsciously stopped, wondering what had gotten into this woman that she was attacking
the young man who was actually helping her.

The young man being attacked, mindful that Zhou Jingyi was a woman, and a stunningly beautiful one at that,
only passively shielded himself with his hands and retreated after being attacked with her handbag. The young man who had tried to stop me couldn't stand it anymore and
grabbed Zhou Jingyi's arm, shouting, "What are you doing? We're helping you! Why are you
hitting ?"

Zhou Jingyi forcefully broke free from his grasp and slammed her handbag at the young man again,

yelling, "Who told you to hit him? Who told you to hit him?"

Zhou Jingyi's shout left me and the other young men, already bewildered, even more dumbfounded. The young man being beaten was
forced back by Zhou Jingyi's blows, stammering an explanation. "
Wasn't you who shouted that he was molesting you? We were helping you catch him!"

Zhou Jingyi exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Did I ask you to hit him? What right do you have to hit him?"

she retorted, continuing to swing her bag at the young man. After being hit several more times with
the bag finally snapped, yelling, "You bitch! We helped you, and you hit us instead!
Are you crazy?"

Hearing her call her a bitch, Zhou Jingyi's blows intensified. The bag slammed into the young man's body
with a clear thud. The other three young men finally reacted and surrounded her. Two of them
grabbed Zhou Jingyi's arms from either side.

Even with her hands restrained, Zhou Jingyi persisted, kicking the young man in the stomach
. Her high heels delivered a powerful kick, hitting the
young man directly in the face hard. The young man immediately showed a pained expression. Clearly enraged by the blow, he
disregarded the fact that Zhou Jingyi was a woman and swung his hand to slap her across the face.

Just as the slap was about to land, I stepped forward and grabbed the young man
's wrist. My action clearly caught these young men off guard. Taking advantage of their surprise,
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhou Jingyi forcefully broke free from their grasp and, like a cat, darted behind me, clearly
using me as a shield.

"Had enough? If so, stop now!" I tightened my grip, squeezing the
young man's wrist and flinging him aside. The young man gritted his teeth, staring at the almost dented
finger mark on his wrist before realizing my true strength. He understood that the punch they had landed on me was intentional
.

Realizing this, the young man wisely chose silence, taking a few steps back as he looked at me.
They had initially intervened because of Zhou Jingyi. Now, they had no
reason to make things difficult for me, and while he had tried to teach her a lesson in the heat of the moment, he had calmed
down and realized his impulsiveness. Having separated them from Zhou Jingyi,
there was no need for this farce to continue.

With a stern face, I ignored Zhou Jingyi, turned, pushed open the restaurant door, and walked out. Seeing this, Zhou Jingyi
immediately tossed two hundred-yuan bills to the waiter at the door, saying, "Keep the change," and then chased after us from the doorway
. The four young people could only watch our departing figures and resign themselves to their bad luck.

Zhou Jingyi followed behind me, grinning as she said, "I knew you wouldn't stand by and watch me
get bullied."

I didn't turn around, and asked coldly, "What makes you think that?"

"Because I know you like me." Zhou Jingyi shamelessly blurted out this.

The muscles in my face twitched involuntarily. "Don't you think you're a little too confident? I admit,
you're a great beauty! Nine out of ten men would fall at your feet after seeing you. But I'm definitely not in
that category."

"Is that so? Then my sleeping with other men shouldn't make you unhappy!
And why did you give me that deadpan look when you saw me just now?" Zhou Jingyi said, quickening her pace to walk
alongside .

I never expected Zhou Jingyi to so readily recount what happened at the hotel yesterday, so

casually. For a moment, I was at a loss for words, unsure how to
justify .

"Since leaving that godforsaken place, you've only met me once, right? I don't remember
doing anything to offend you at any other time! Why did you talk to me like that?"
Zhou Jingyi pressed on, further provoking me when I didn't answer.

I pursed my lips tightly, unsure how to respond to her words.

"You know what kind of woman I am! So if you don't like me, you shouldn't get angry or upset if I sleep with
any other man. But you're clearly unhappy now! I just don't
understand, I haven't offended you, I haven't done anything to hurt you, so why did you give me that dirty look the moment
you saw me? Give me a reasonable explanation!"

Hearing Zhou Jingyi's almost aggressive questioning, I stopped, standing there,
panting heavily.

"I know, you're a man! Men... care about their pride. You might be dying to like someone, but you just
don't dare say it. You're afraid of being looked down upon by the woman you like, afraid of being rejected to her face! Right,
now I understand why you're still single... Someone like you, no wonder you'll never find a wife
!" Zhou Jingyi moved to face me, tilting her head slightly, chin raised, her face full of contempt.

My lips moved involuntarily. I sighed, calming myself down,
and looked up at Zhou Jingyi coldly, saying, "Whether I find a wife or not is none of your business! Even if I did, I
wouldn't choose someone like you. Who the hell knows how many times you'll cheat on your husband?"

"Who said I'd cheat on my husband? Watch your mouth!" Zhou Jingyi's willow-leaf eyebrows
almost stood upright. "Before marriage, it's my freedom to sleep with any man! But after marriage, I
'll be devoted to my husband. No other man will even dare to touch me! Do you believe me?"

"Heh, so you're a contract-abiding citizen? You strictly
adhere to those contracts in your dealings with people? But I'd like to know, if your future husband knew you were someone who
could sleep with any man casually, would he still be interested in marrying you?"
Having thoroughly offended her verbally, I simply dropped all my pretense and
confronted Zhou Jingyi head-on.

"That's none of your business. Finding a husband is my own affair. A smart woman like me
has plenty
n't even dare to utter a fart in front of the woman you like! Can someone like you even be called a man?" Zhou Jingyi stared into my eyes with
a half-smile .

"Whether I'm a man or not, I know myself. What right do you have to judge me?" I
responded with a smile.

"How am I not qualified? Someone booked a hotel room with me, I touched him lightly twice, and he
finished! Do you think he deserves to be called a man? Of course, I don't discriminate against
people with ..."

"What did you say? You're the one who's disabled." Hearing Zhou Jingyi bring up
the hotel room incident, I couldn't help but rush towards her, practically swearing at her
. It's no wonder I reacted this way; that hotel room incident was
the most humiliating thing I'd ever done in front of a woman. Afterwards, I tried my best to completely forget about it,
never wanting to recall it again. But Zhou Jingyi was the person involved, and now
she'd brought it up again without any mercy. Naturally, I didn't care about maintaining any composure and cursed at her.

"Really? To me, impotence and premature ejaculation are the mark of a disabled person! They don't even qualify as men!"
Zhou Jingyi didn't back down at all, raising her head to look me straight in the eye, but a blush had already appeared on both cheeks.

"I'm telling you clearly, I don't have premature ejaculation!" I gritted my teeth and defended myself.

"Not premature ejaculation? Then prove it to me!" Zhou Jingyi's hands gently pressed against my
waist , her alluring eyes seemingly overflowing with tears...

I let the scalding water wash over my body in the bathroom. At this moment, I couldn't understand
why I had ended up in a hotel with Zhou Jingyi again. Wasn't I there to get
the editorial materials for the magazine column? Wasn't I there to negotiate with her for Wang Lie?
What went wrong?

From the moment we met until now, all we'd done was give each other the cold shoulder and argue, and somehow,
we ended up in a hotel room. I tried to clear my head, wondering if I should
get dressed and run away as soon as I finished showering. Just now, I suddenly felt a sense of fear towards Zhou Jingyi.

I'd never felt so insecure in front of a woman before. I was afraid I'd end
things hastily , and then be met with her merciless mockery and ridicule.

Besides that, I felt this woman possessed some kind of magic. It seemed that no matter how outrageous or infuriating her
actions were , men could easily forgive her.

"No, no! How could I have been so easily tricked into coming to a hotel? Yan Ping, wake up!
Take a shower, get out immediately, don't look at her face, don't talk to her, put on your clothes
and leave right away. Otherwise, you'll be completely controlled by this woman, with no way to escape
..." Just as I thought this, two soft mounds silently pressed against my back. Then, two
snow-white arms reached from my sides to my chest, and jade-like fingers gently played with my nipples
.

The stimulation I felt made my head spin... At that moment, I knew I was doomed! I
had no chance of escaping this room!

The woman's body pressed against my back, twisting and turning, her smooth skin rubbing against me. The stimulation made
my whole body tremble slightly.

I don't know how many men she's slept with, but she's clearly incredibly familiar with men's bodies.
Her focusing on my nipples, kneaded and pressed against my chest, sending shivers down my
spine. The combined stimulation of the hot water and the woman's movements gave me goosebumps all over.

The woman tiptoed, bringing her mouth close to my ear, her soft lips enveloping my left ear, rubbing
back and forth, her delicate tongue lightly brushing against my earlobe. My hands, uncontrollably, reached back,
caressing the woman's smooth, moist skin.

On average women with good figures, or those whose ribs are concealed by appearance,
you can still feel them when you touch them. But with the woman pressed against me, all I could
feel was soft flesh and smooth skin, full, yet without an ounce of excess fat.

I couldn't resist turning to hug her, but the woman clearly sensed my intention. She forcefully pulled her elbows inward,
fixing our positions in place...

"There's plenty of time... Just wait patiently for me to slowly play with you. You don't have premature ejaculation anyway
... What are you afraid of?" the woman whispered in my ear, followed by a seductive chuckle.

I panted, replying defiantly, "If you say I have premature ejaculation again, do you believe I'll make sure you can't even
get out of bed? You want to play? I don't care. This is such a pleasurable thing for me."

"Is that so?" The woman smacked her lips, her warm, soft tongue brushing against my earlobe. "
Then enjoy it." Before I could react, her right hand reached down and grabbed my already
erect penis, giving it a squeeze...

"Mmm..." As the woman's fingers brushed against my side, I felt a tingling sensation, a feeling of
blissful ecstasy. But what the woman did next, and the parts of her body she touched, almost scared me
to death . When her hand gripped my entire penis in her palm, I couldn't help but curse
, "What the hell are you trying to do?" But a moment later, I realized that her grip was just right; it wasn't
meant to tease me, but rather it stimulated my penis even more in her hand.

I was about to apologize when her hand closed again, and I immediately felt pain as
my erect penis was squeezed inside my foreskin.

The woman immediately let go, and her body, which had been pressed against my back, was no longer in contact with me. In a panic, I instinctively
reached out to protect my genitals, while the woman turned and ran back to the room, accompanied by a loud, bell-like
laugh.

I felt around briefly and found nothing wrong with my genitals. Realizing that the woman had simply been teasing
me, I stormed out of the bathroom in a fit of rage.

Seeing me storm out, the woman's face immediately showed panic, and she retreated
towards . I pounced on her like a tiger. Amid her scream, I roughly
pulled her into my arms, turned her body, and our intertwined bodies fell onto the bed...

Our lips met tightly. Her lips were fragrant and soft; my tongue pried open
her teeth and brazenly invaded her mouth. Her tongue, not to be outdone,
probed into my mouth, our tongues intertwining and entwining.

My nostrils were filled with the intoxicating fragrance of her breath. The fragrance stimulated my lust and eroded
my reason. I passionately sucked her saliva from her mouth. I even felt a strong desire
to swallow her whole, to devour her completely.

My hands, like iron hoops, held her upper body tightly, and my legs clamped her lower body
between them. At that moment, the evil possessiveness that had been hidden deep within me erupted completely.

"This woman is mine! I'm going to have her! Whoever dares to take her away from me, I don't care who they are. I
will kill them by any means necessary, at any cost..."

Under my pressure, the woman was completely powerless to resist. Her body trembled violently, heavy breathing escaped
her nostrils , and her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, allowing my hands
to roam and caress her back at will.

The prolonged kiss finally left both of us feeling suffocated. When my lips parted from hers...
At that moment, I saw the burning desire in her eyes.

"Hurry...don't dawdle..." Zhou Jingyi reached out and grabbed my lower body again, seemingly
more eager than I was.

I lowered my head, greedily licking and kissing her snow-white neck and chest. She held my penis, stroking it back and forth a few times,
then pressed the head of my penis between her already wet and overflowing labia, rubbing it up and down
for a moment before suddenly stopping.

My penis was already as hard as an iron rod, the head of my penis desperately craving to enter that warm
place of the plump woman. Zhou Jingyi's sudden stop was unbearable for me. I panted heavily, raised my head, and looked at
the almost perfect curve of Zhou Jingyi's chin, asking, "Why did you suddenly stop?"

Although at this moment I only needed to shrug my hips to achieve my goal, my subconscious
warned me that this was an act of mutual consent between a man and a woman, and if I truly cherished the woman in front of me,

it was best not to do anything against her will.

Zhou Jingyi didn't look down at me, her body motionless as she stared at the ceiling as she softly spoke. "Are you
sure you want to go in? If you go in... you might never come out!"

"This woman... even at this point, she's still thinking about flirting with me!" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

I've been with many women, including girlfriends with whom I have pure feelings, one-night stands for thrills,
and prostitutes who fawn over me for money. Putting aside looks, the woman in front of me is undoubtedly the most
skilled at teasing men and driving them crazy. Even if you know she's seducing you and
toying with you, you can't resist her allure.

"If I can't come out, I'll just stay inside forever." Since she's still flirting with me at this point, I
naturally need to play along. I laughed as I gave what I thought was the most appropriate reply for the moment.

As soon as I finished speaking, the woman immediately pulled my lower body forward, and as she did so, her buttocks
sank down. With a soft

"

plop," my glans finally broke through the tight slit of her labia, and I felt as if I had instantly entered
heaven . Warm, soft, tight…

I couldn't help but moan softly.

Zhou Jingyi also let out a soul-stirring moan. "Mmm…it's in…it's finally in…

"

All my previous anger, resentment, regret, and remorse were thrown to the winds at this moment.

A different feeling…

I'm not a sex maniac. But I've definitely had a lot of sexual experience. Besides my three ex-girlfriends, I've also had some
experience with prostitution and one-night stands, although perhaps not quite at the social average. But the number of women I've encountered is in
the double digits. I've basically been with all kinds of women, but Zhou Jingyi gave me an unprecedented
level of extreme pleasure.

Her skin was smooth and delicate, her body warm and soft. Lying on top of her, the mere collision and contact of skin
was enough to give me a sense of conquest.

What I found most unbelievable was her lower body. Her two labia minora were gently pulsating, repeatedly squeezing my
penis, while inside, they were constantly writhing and rubbing against each other. Not only that, I could clearly feel
a kind of suction deep within her body, drawing my glans inward in waves…

My mind went blank; all I could feel was pleasure. At that moment,
one word came to mind… “Ecstasy.”

“You mortals will never understand the true meaning of happiness… You only pursue superficial
vanity. But I have grasped the ultimate bliss of life. You will never understand what the fusion of spirit and flesh is…

” Lin Meimei’s words in the cave suddenly appeared in my mind.

“Who knows what Lin Meimei meant by ecstasy! But for me, this feeling is ecstasy
… Even if I die in a second, I don’t care.” At this moment, I suddenly entered an
almost ethereal state. The woman’s limbs were crossed behind me, and I felt as if I were in a gentle
world. I forgot my worries, my sorrows, my pain… all negative emotions and feelings
vanished from me. All I could feel was joy… and I discovered that the deeper I went, the
stronger that joy became.

My thrusting became faster and faster. The woman's juices were constantly being squeezed from the crevice of her vagina.

The woman, like me, was completely immersed in boundless lust. She twisted her
snow-white while simultaneously thrusting upwards. It seemed my rapid thrusting couldn't satisfy her need for genital contact.
The greater the friction, the stronger the pleasure.

"Oh no…"

Zhou Jingyi's head jerked upwards, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing… her delicate features distorted at that moment
, but this distortion didn't diminish her beauty; instead, it added a certain eerie allure.

"I can't take it… I can't take it… it's coming… it's coming…"

Zhou Jingyi trembled, screaming uncontrollably. After a few moments, she struggled violently
, her body tensing, clinging to me like an octopus. A throbbing sensation ran through my lower
abdomen my waist.

A surge of heat gushed out, intensely pounding against my glans… The sensation was
incredibly stimulating. I shuddered, a tingling sensation running through my lower back…

Two streams of fluid collided inside the woman's vagina, colliding and colliding.

Zhou Jingyi and I held each other tightly, nothing could separate us.

Chapter 47

I leaned against the headboard, smoking a cigarette, savoring the ecstatic feeling from before. I suddenly
felt like I'd wasted my life. "So this is what sex is? All my previous encounters with other women
were just about satisfying my physical needs." I couldn't help but
mock .

The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. Zhou Jingyi, drying her hair with a towel, gracefully
walked to the bedside, sat down on the edge wrapped in the towel, and, taking advantage of my inattention, pinched my nose. Then she
smiled and said, "How do you feel now? Still jealous?"

I was speechless at Zhou Jingyi's teasing. Looking back, I realized that all my dissatisfaction with
Zhou Jingyi ultimately stemmed from my love for her. After leaving the underground palace, she left
everyone to act alone, refusing to contact me. This fueled my resentment and led to suspicion.
Because of this suspicion, I went to see her—perhaps just a pretext to justify my desire to see her.
When I finally saw her, she was having sex with another man… Overwhelmed by jealousy, disappointment, and anger,
I broke down…

All of this, in essence, boiled down to my jealousy! I resented other
women around Zhou Jingyi; at that moment, I wished I were the one "playing" with her in bed…

Of course, even now, for the sake of my pride, I couldn't express my true feelings.

So I could only smile faintly and respond with self-deprecating humor. "A little bit, I guess! By the way,
who was the man you slept with yesterday? Your boyfriend? Or a gigolo you paid for?"

Zhou Jingyi winked at me sideways. I was stunned. She took the opportunity to
snatch my cigarette from between my fingers, put it in her mouth, took a drag, and leisurely exhaled a smoke ring before saying, "

I don't have a boyfriend. Just a middleman. I'm currently asking him to do some things for me.
I want him to work for me without worry, so I'm giving him a little something. Otherwise, who knows if that guy will collude with others
to swindle me?"

"Getting him to work for me, so I have to give him a little something..." Hearing Zhou Jingyi say such things so frankly
, my heart couldn't help but ache again. "Heh... that's right! To get someone
to do something for you, you always have to pay a price! It seems he's the same as me! Since we're
equals , what can I do? There's no need to be jealous..." Although my heart ached, I could only
force a smile and say this to myself.

Hearing me say this, Zhou Jingyi's lips curled up, revealing a strange smile that was hard to detect.
Then she stood up, walked to the coffee table, stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, and sat down on the sofa. She smoothed a strand of hair
behind her ear said, "It's good that you understand! A woman like me only has so much to offer. If I don't make full use of it,
I really don't have anything else to offer. But you're wrong about one thing. You and he are different. You and
I have a long-term working relationship, and I remember everything I promised you! As for him… it was just yesterday.
Once he finished what he was supposed to do for me, it's impossible for him to want it again!"

Hearing Zhou Jingyi's bluntness, I could only give a helpless bitter smile. But for some reason, I
felt a little better. There are some things that you understand in your heart, but you always hold onto a sliver of hope.
Because of that hope, once the illusion is shattered, the blow and damage are enormous. Conversely, if
you lay it all out directly, completely extinguishing the illusion, your heart feels much lighter.

Feeling a little better, I casually asked… "By the way, what did you ask him to do for you?

You actually had to offer yourself up?"

"Nothing much. I wanted to sell some things, but I didn't have the connections. He
knows how to contact buyers. I know nothing about that business, and I was afraid he'd team up with someone else to take advantage of me.

That guy's rich; he doesn't care about regular kickbacks or commissions, he just loves women, so I had
no choice but to sacrifice myself!"

Hearing Zhou Jingyi's matter-of-fact answer, I was speechless. I sighed. "Why didn't you think
of asking Boss He and his gang to help you? They're in that line of work too. Given our past relationship, they'd
definitely be willing to help you. If you asked them, I reckon you wouldn't even need to sleep with anyone."

As soon as I finished speaking, Zhou Jingyi's eyes widened, staring intently at me with a look of surprise.

Seeing Zhou Jingyi's expression, I felt a strange sense of pleasure, almost like I was teasing her. A deliberately profound smile
unconsciously .

Zhou Jingyi's surprised expression vanished in an instant, and she spread her hands, saying, "So you guessed it all. But it's
nothing . We escaped from that godforsaken place together, and you already knew I took the silk painting.

You wouldn't report me to the police. What am I worried about? As for why I didn't ask Boss He and the others for help,
the reason is simple. I didn't want Aunt Lu to know about this. After all,
Aunt Lu only gave it to me because I said I liked it. If she knew I sold it as soon as I got out, she would definitely be unhappy
."

Hearing Zhou Jingyi's explanation, I nodded. He Qiang and his men had just joined Wanmei Group and were currently trying
to prove their loyalty to Lu Zhaohui and her son. If Zhou Jingyi asked them to help make connections, they would most likely
report this to Lu Zhaohui privately. If Lu Zhaohui knew that Zhou Jingyi's real purpose in asking for the silk painting
was money, Zhou Jingyi's image in Lu Zhaohui's eyes would likely be greatly damaged.

Zhou Jingyi was clearly the kind of woman who would do anything to achieve her goals. Her beauty and her body
served only her personal goals. By chance, she managed to attach herself to Lu Zhaohui,
hoping to maintain her image as a strong, independent woman in Lu Zhaohui's eyes. If Lu Zhaohui saw through her
greedy and opportunistic nature, all her previous pretense would be exposed. Therefore, she certainly didn't
want Lu Zhaohui to know about her private sale of the silk paintings.

Zhou Jingyi, of course, had no idea what I was thinking. Seeing me just sitting on the bed nodding, she got up from
the sofa sat down again on the edge of the bed beside me, saying, "Since you're here,
why don't you give me some advice? I've been hesitant about this for the past few days!"

"Hesitant about what?" I looked up at Zhou Jingyi, puzzled.

"To sell or not to sell, and to whom?" Zhou Jingyi picked up my coat and took out a cigarette from her pocket. He took
a cigarette, put it in my mouth, lit it, and sighed softly, saying, "Everyone knows that thing is valuable. But
it's really hard to sell. That guy has contacted several buyers these past few days. And what happened? Lots of inquiries, but few
genuinely interested in the deal. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon, before you came, that he finally contacted two people who were truly interested. But
after he told me about the two buyers and their terms, I'm still undecided."

I took a drag of my cigarette. "What's going on? Tell me."

"One of the buyers is supposedly a local. His client told the man from yesterday that he
was very interested after seeing the photos of the silk paintings. He's clearly expressed his desire to buy them. However, he thinks my asking price is too high."

"What price did you offer?" Although I already knew the price Zhou Jingyi had quoted from Wang Lie,
I still pretended not to know and asked.

"Five million for one. Three paintings for a total of fifteen million."

I deliberately showed a surprised expression. "Five million for one? You're too greedy!"

Zhou Jingyi rolled her eyes at me. "This painting is from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. I think five million is too
cheap. Try buying the Mawangdui painting for five million. You wouldn't even be able to buy a corner of it!"

"That's right, that's right... that painting is a national treasure. No amount of money can buy it." I nodded repeatedly.

"That settles it! The one from Mawangdui is from the Han Dynasty, while my three are from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In terms of
value , they're at least as good as that one. How am I being greedy?" Zhou Jingyi gave me a disdainful look.

"You're right," I said with a forced smile. However, I wasn't
sure was Wang Lie, so I asked about the other buyer. "What did the other buyer say?"

"This second buyer didn't object to the price I offered. But he stipulated a condition for the transaction: it
had to be done in person with me. You know, those who do these kinds of deals are all
gangsters like Boss He and his men. I entrusted that man from yesterday to sell the painting so he could handle the transaction, and I would just
collect the money from behind. But he insisted on meeting me. I'm thinking, what if they're just using the painting as an excuse, and their
real purpose is to do something else? They might even be police officers, using the excuse of buying the painting
to arrest someone. So, I'm really conflicted now. The first local buyer just wanted me
to lower the price. As for the transaction, they don't need to meet me; they just need that man from yesterday to bring the painting,
and they can directly transfer the money to the account I designate..."

Hearing this, I was basically certain. This first local buyer was most likely Wang Lie.

However, I became somewhat interested in the second buyer Zhou Jingyi mentioned. Just as Zhou Jingyi worried,
whether their purpose was the painting or something else was indeed very suspicious. After all, if the other party,
like Wang Lie, simply wanted those three silk paintings, there would be no need to propose a face-to-face
transaction .

"Hmm... this kind of business is ultimately shady. So, regardless of the amount of money, safety
is the top priority." I was, after all, carrying out a private commission from Wang Lie. Therefore, taking advantage of Zhou Jingyi's
request for my advice, I subtly began to consciously guide her.

"So you mean, you're suggesting I trade with the first buyer? But he thinks I'm selling for too high a price, so if we trade
, I'll have to lower the price. The key question is, how much should I lower it?" Zhou Jingyi rested her chin on her hand;
she clearly hadn't noticed the suggestive element in my previous words. At this moment, she shifted her focus to
the price of the silk paintings.

"Did he tell you his acceptable price range?" I pressed on, continuing to steer Zhou Jingyi
's thinking towards lowering the price.

"I told him, but he bargained too hard. He wanted me to reduce the price by 40% per painting, which means three million
per painting . I really can't accept that price. After all, I almost lost my life in that awful
place for those three paintings," Zhou Jingyi explained to me, muttering to herself as she thought.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but curse the man who appeared at the hotel yesterday.
That man was too ruthless; not only did he sleep with Zhou Jingyi, but he was also trying to take advantage of this deal to pocket some more money.
Because Wang Lie had clearly stated to me that his target price was five million minus 20%! In other words,
the real price Wang Lie was willing to offer was four million per painting. The middleman Zhou Jingyi found was clearly trying to embezzle three million of the transaction funds by taking advantage of the information asymmetry
between the two parties .

Knowing this, I couldn't point it out to Zhou Jingyi directly. Because if I did, Zhou Jingyi
would immediately know that I was a shill hired by Wang Lie. At that point, it would be hard to say whether she would still be willing to continue doing business with Wang Lie.

Thinking about this, I felt a pang of regret. If I had just confessed
that I was acting on someone's behalf when the topic came up, I wouldn't have these concerns now. Fortunately, there was still room for redemption, so I decided
to take a tactical approach, subtly reminding Zhou Jingyi not to be tricked by the middleman.

"Three million? That price is indeed a bit low. But I don't think that's
the highest . A transaction is all about bargaining. Since he can spend tens of millions to buy a painting, it proves he's very
wealthy. I think we can push the price up further. By the way, you said this
buyer is a local? Do you know any specific information about him?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, definitely not any details. Because he didn't contact them himself; he arranged for
an intermediary. But the intermediary did reveal some information about the buyer. This local buyer seems to be
easy to deal with. Revealing this information is probably to confirm that he has enough funds for the transaction." Zhou Jingyi
paused here, seemingly thinking about something. Then she suddenly spoke up. "You want to negotiate a higher price with him again
? I think we should forget about it. Since he's already pushed the price so low, even if he has the money, he probably won't
invest any more in this. How much more can he offer on top of three million?"

Hearing Zhou Jingyi's sudden words, I quickly emphasized, "But it's safer to trade with this person!

You don't need to show up; just have the middleman take the goods over, and then you can wait to collect the money."

Zhou Jingyi stood up, head down, brows furrowed. Finally, she said decisively, "No way! I went through
so much trouble to get it; I'm not going to sell it off cheaply like this. Fortune favors the bold! I've decided
to trade with another buyer. Even if it's a little risky, it's nothing." After saying that, she turned to me and smiled.

"As long as you're willing to help me when we meet for the transaction, there shouldn't be any major problems."

I never expected Zhou Jingyi's thinking to change so quickly, without any warning. For a moment,
I forgot to speak, just staring blankly at her. After a long while, I finally reacted. "You...you want me to..."
"Accompany you to the transaction?"

"You're right! I'm asking you to be my bodyguard! After the transaction, I'll give you 100,000! And
..." Zhou Jingyi said, bending down and bringing her face close to mine, revealing a charming smile.

At the same time, she reached for my chest, her index finger lightly circling my bare chest.

"I'll also pay other rewards, guaranteeing you even more pleasure than today. I always keep my promises
, and now I'm fulfilling my promise to you, aren't I?"

"Wh-what?" I didn't react for a moment, blinking repeatedly.

"Forgot? I promised you that after each column was completed, I would take you to a hotel. This one
hasn't been finished yet. But you did follow my advice and went to the tunnel, and encountered that kind of accident. The data being lost
isn't your responsibility. So today, I'm still keeping my promise and letting you have a good time."

Zhou Jingyi said as if she didn't care.

"You mean, today's payment is the special reward for this column?" I asked with a wry smile.

Until just now, I still thought that our trip to the hotel was purely a passionate encounter.
But this woman, with a single sentence, categorized it as a transaction between us.

"Of course! I'm very valuable. Lots of men want to sleep with me. If I were to go to hotels with men whenever I
felt like my earnings wouldn't be worth anything." Zhou Jingyi turned
and plopped down on my lap, hooking her arm around my neck, her alluring eyes full of provocation. "Now, I
've paid you the special fee I promised. Next, I'll give you the information Aunt Lu gave me.
I'll leave the editorial column for this issue to you as soon as possible."

Hearing her say that almost made me furious. "But when I asked you for the information before, you absolutely refused to give it to
me. What exactly do you want from me?"

"I just want you to understand one thing. Whether you like me or not is your own problem. I
don't want you to bring emotions into our cooperation. You're right, I'm a contractual believer. I've always believed that
all relationships between people are just contracts and agreements. Parents and children have

a contract of mutual support, a marriage certificate is a contract of exclusive sexual and life commitment, friends have a contract of trust, and

colleagues have a contract of cooperation. Once a contract is formed, please strictly follow its
terms .

Besides that, it's best not to mix in too many other irrelevant things. This will seriously affect
the process and efficiency of contract fulfillment. When you asked me for the information before, what was your attitude? With that attitude, do you think I could
trust you to give you the information? Even if you got the information, could you be in the best state to devote to
the editing ? If you make a mess of the column, how am I supposed to explain it to the company?" As Zhou Jingyi
spoke, she stood up from my lap, walked to the sofa, took a USB drive from her handbag, and casually
tossed it onto the bed.

I leaned out and silently slipped the USB drive into my pocket. Zhou Jingyi's words were selfish and cold-blooded
to the extreme. But I didn't refute them. Because in some ways, I actually shared
similar views with her, such as believing that human nature is inherently evil, and therefore human behavior needs to be
constrained and regulated by various laws and regulations. So, even though what she said was all fallacious reasoning, I wasn't willing to oppose for the sake of opposing
.

After confirming that I had the information, I calmly spoke. "I'll get the column done immediately, so you don't need to worry about
that! It's not for you, but I also need to give the director an explanation. But what you just said
about me accompanying you to the transaction as a bodyguard, you should go by yourself. I don't want to get
caught by the police and be mistaken for your accomplice in buying and selling antiques."

Since Zhou Jingyi had now confirmed that our relationship was simply a business partnership, I didn't mind
exposing my selfish side to her as well. On one hand, she insisted on trading with
another , which prevented me from fulfilling Wang Lie's request. On the other hand, there was the reason I mentioned. If it
really was a police trap, and I showed up at the scene, I'd be in deep trouble.

"If you don't want to take the risk, that's fine too. Tell your brother to arrange for one or two people to come with me
. I'll consider it as you fulfilling your duties as my bodyguard, and I'll still pay you the promised fee." Zhou Jingyi
wasn't angry at all after I refused her offer to hire me; instead, she immediately suggested another method.

I was a little surprised when Zhou Jingyi suddenly mentioned my brother. I hadn't expected her to be targeting
Yan Guang.

"Why are you looking at me like that? To be honest, your brother is quite famous. I'd heard
of —the Second Master Yan of Ranfang Street, a very famous name! After meeting you, you've never mentioned
him to me. If I hadn't run into Qiangzi inside, I wouldn't have understood why Second Master Yan is called Second Master. It turns out it's
because of you. You're the boss, so he can only be called Second Master." Zhou Jingyi leaned against the sofa and
said with a grin.

Seeing Zhou Jingyi's almost frivolous words and attitude, I couldn't help but frown.

"As long as it's not the police, with Master Yan's men protecting us, even if the buyer I'm dealing with has
any ulterior motives, they'll have to consider the consequences of offending Master Yan in this city. So, my
personal safety should be guaranteed. What do you think?" Zhou Jingyi's eyes gleamed, as if
agreeing to her request would guarantee me a huge sum of money from the buyer.

I was about to refuse outright, but after a moment's thought, I finally nodded slowly. It wasn't that
I was greedy for the 100,000 yuan or the chance to have a hotel room with Zhou Jingyi. It was because I thought about how she was ultimately a woman,
and if she were to be cheated during the transaction, I would feel guilty. Besides,
Wang Lie was determined to get those three silk paintings. By arranging for Yan Guang's men to follow Zhou Jingyi, I can keep track of the silk painting's whereabouts before and
after , and then provide the information to Wang Lie. What methods or
means Wang Lie uses to obtain it is his business. At least I can give Wang Lie an explanation now.

Seeing me nod, Zhou Jingyi showed a satisfied expression. She began to speak. "Last time I asked you to give me a bank..."
"You still haven't sent me the card number. You should have time by now. I'll
transfer the money to you as soon as I get it."

I declined the commission Wang Lie was going to pay. But with Zhou Jingyi, I wasn't so
polite. The next trip to the tunnel, using the camera from the editorial department, was a complete disaster. This loss
ultimately fell on Zhou Jingyi's shoulders. It was only natural for me to accept the money she offered.

After confirming that Zhou Jingyi had received the card number I sent, I got out of bed and started getting dressed.
It was already close to noon. I wanted to rush back to the editorial department to
finish and then go to the Sunshine Department Store to replace Wang Lie. So, time was tight for me.

Zhou Jingyi, however, didn't seem to have any intention of leaving the hotel. Seeing me get up, she covered her mouth with her hand and
yawned, then quietly climbed onto another unused bed in the room and
crawled under the covers.

After I got dressed, I was somewhat surprised by her actions. "What? Are you planning to continue resting here?"

Zhou Jingyi was wrapped up in the blanket like a dumpling, with only her head sticking out. When I
asked , she answered lazily. "Yeah, you said you'd take care of the column. What do I have to worry about?

I was thinking about the transaction all night and didn't sleep well. Now I'll catch up on some sleep."

I then left the room without saying a word and walked onto the street. At this moment, I no longer felt
the resentment I had towards Zhou Jingyi. Our relationship had been laid bare, and my mood had calmed
down. She was that kind of woman, and that's how society is these days. What could I possibly criticize her for
?

She was right. Rather than indulging in unrealistic fantasies
, it was more realistic to define our relationship as a simple business partnership, as she suggested. She used me to achieve her

personal career and financial goals; and why couldn't I use her to satisfy my own economic and physical

needs? Having figured all this out, I shook my head and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Just as I felt a little better, my phone vibrated again. I took it out and noticed
the battery was low, thinking I should hurry back to the editorial office to charge it with the spare charger I'd left there.
At the same time I checked the text message I'd just received. After reading the message, I stopped in my tracks…

It was from Zhou Jingyi again.

“So you don’t like me sleeping with other men? I didn’t know before… now I do. In the future,
it will be as you wish…”

“What does this woman mean?” I stared blankly at the screen, completely bewildered by
the purpose of this message. I had just finally managed to sort out my relationship with her emotionally, and now
this message had stirred up my previously calmed emotions again.

After a long while, I reminded myself… "Does this woman find toying with me amusing, and has
she become addicted to it? Forget it, Wang Lie is right, let's keep things separate. What she does is her business.

I just need to do my job and fulfill my contract with her. No need to overthink
it! The editorial department, and that woman in white… I have a ton of things to deal with."

I flagged down a taxi and sped towards the editorial department.

Seeing me arrive, the director looked at me expectantly, as if he'd seen a savior. I
understood his feelings, so under his gaze, I immediately took out a USB drive and began
selecting and editing the column.

After all, it was data compiled by professional geography magazine staff; even the rejected content was of
a very high professional standard, from the text to the photographs. All I needed to do was consider
the combination of images and text. In just about half an hour, I completed the selection and basic design of
the column .

After handing the page sample to the editor, the director left the editorial office satisfied to go home for lunch.
As usual, I had other staff members order me a boxed lunch. I planned to finish my lunch, wait for my phone to charge
, and then immediately go to hand over the duties to Wang Lie. After all, I felt I needed to take on more
responsibility for the woman in white, and it wouldn't be appropriate for Wang Lie to stay there for too long.

After the lunch arrived, I only managed a few bites when I suddenly saw a figure in a police uniform appear at the entrance of
the editorial office . Looking up, I saw it was Wu Zhongjun.

I was somewhat surprised to see Wu Zhongjun in the editorial office at this time. Upon seeing me, he immediately walked
straight . Without saying a word, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the aisle.

I hurriedly put the lunch on the table, shouting, "Old Wu, Old Wu. What are you
doing ? I'm eating!"

Wu Zhongjun turned his head and said seriously. "We'll eat later. I have a question for you to
explain !"

Seeing Wu Zhongjun's attitude, I had a bad feeling. But I could only let him drag me
to a quiet spot by the window at the end of the corridor.

"Hey, old platoon leader, what's wrong with you? You rushed over without even saying hello, and now you
're pulling and tugging at me. What happened?"

Ever since I learned about Wu Zhongjun's relationship with our group of comrades from He Antang, I've started calling Wu Zhongjun "old platoon leader" like
He Antang . He helped
me a lot with Lao Lu's case and Yan Guang's matter, so this way of addressing him was both respectful and showed familiarity.

"Tell me honestly, did you go to Liziping last night?" Wu Zhongjun immediately pressed me for an answer after confirming that no one
was around .

Hearing Wu Zhongjun ask this, I immediately widened my eyes and stared at him in surprise. "You, how did you
know?"

Wu Zhongjun slapped my arm hard when I admitted it! "Where have you been?

That place is in the middle of nowhere. Tell me honestly, where did you go and what were you doing?"

"I...I...I..."

Faced with Wu Zhongjun's question, I didn't know how to answer. Could I possibly tell him that...
Zombies and a bunch of strange things have appeared in the area. Wang Lie called me over to help level up by fighting monsters? Even if I
told him the truth, he definitely wouldn't believe me. Besides, this is something that's not convenient for anyone to know.

Seeing my speechless expression, Wu Zhongjun stomped his foot and pointed his finger at my nose. "Yan Ping, Yan
Ping! What's wrong with you? What are you doing there? Do you know you're in big trouble?!"

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