"I know, I know, I'm going back now."
Yao Lin suppressed the grief she wanted to cry out, tears streaming down her face as she wept silently, but her words were full of playful coaxing.
"Mm, I'll be waiting for you at home. I bought you a gift too, planning a surprise."
Gu Tianfeng grunted and hung up the phone.
However, before he hung up, he thought he heard Lin'er exclaim. It must have been her best friend, envious upon hearing about the gift he got for Lin'er.
This best friend had ill intentions. Though her family wasn't well-off, she was good friends with Yao Lin, and had even secretly tried to seduce him.
But he hadn't told Yao Lin any of this. He didn't want to tarnish his eyes with such filthy matters.
Yet, Gu Tianfeng could never have imagined that the Lin'er he longed for was now in Zhao Yunhai's arms, her fair breasts heaving restlessly.
"Let me go back, please."
Yao Lin now just wanted to escape this place that had given her nightmares. Moreover, she feared pregnancy and needed to take medication.
"This young master will naturally have someone escort you back."
Zhao Yunhai smiled faintly and released her, allowing her to quickly dress in front of him before fleeing the room.
But as soon as Yao Lin left the "Moyu" Grand Hotel, she was intercepted by a female team member of Si Jinyan and taken into a car.
These were the people Si Jinyan had arranged, aiming to infiltrate from within.
"I want to go back by myself."
Yao Lin still harbored a sliver of vigilance. She didn't want them to arrange people to constantly monitor her.
"Ms. Yao, you have no say in this. Here is my information. If Gu Tianfeng asks, say what's written here."
The female team member directly handed her her freshly prepared personal details, instructing her to memorize them on the way back.
Faced with a threat, Yao Lin could only swallow her pride. She was also afraid of her ordeal being exposed.
If Tianfeng found out, then she and Tianfeng would have no future. It would even benefit Ning Yu'er.
When two women simultaneously fancied the same man, no matter how close their relationship, they would turn into enemies. There was no such thing as sisters sharing a husband.
Ever since she realized Ning Yu'er wanted to snatch her man, she knew her sisterly bond with Ning Yu'er could never be repaired.
Heroines generally didn't like sharing a husband with their sisters, unless the male protagonist was exceptionally powerful, not just ordinarily so.
Meanwhile, on Gu Tianfeng's side, Li Mingyi was ready to make his move.
Gu Tianfeng was most relaxed while waiting for his beloved, his mind filled with thoughts of women. It was when a man's guard was at its weakest.
A trickle of water flowed slowly beneath the sofa. Gu Tianfeng, sitting on the sofa, didn't notice the disturbance beneath it.
The next second, Gu Tianfeng's expression changed drastically. His aura became formidable. Looking down, he saw his body was being bound by rope-like water tendrils, each strike forceful.
"Bastard!" Gu Tianfeng's internal energy surged, shattering the water rings.
But the water rings were shapeless yet tangible. Though shattered, they instantly reformed, as if his internal energy had passed through them without causing damage.
"May I ask what master dares to commit violence in the Gu family? Are you not afraid of being hunted across the world?"
Seeing this, Gu Tianfeng's heart sank. He bluffed verbally.
Sneaky. If the opponent had the strength to kill him, they would have done so already. Why resort to a surprise attack? With this thought, Gu Tianfeng's mind steadied.
"Water is the most gentle, the sea is boundless."
A gentle flow of water, like a soft murmur, emanated from the water. The water rings churned, and fine threads of water coalesced into a human form before Gu Tianfeng.
The next second, Li Mingyi held a pistol.
He had learned this from Zhao Yunhai: don't hesitate, just shoot.
Gu Tianfeng's pupils contracted. With a thought, the next moment, a gunshot rang out. Li Mingyi had killed Gu Tianfeng.
The silencer-equipped pistol did not attract any attention. Instead, Gu Tianfeng's death left Li Mingyi with a trace of doubt and caution.
"A bit too smooth."
Someone valued by Zhao Yunhai couldn't be ordinary. Judging by the opponent's strength just now, if not for the Sea God Pearl providing him power, the opponent would have broken free.
But he was indeed dead. So, Li Mingyi, carrying Gu Tianfeng's corpse, dissolved into a pool of water and left.
...
"My apologies, I was deceived."
As Li Mingyi returned, he placed Gu Tianfeng's corpse before Zhao Yunhai. Then, Gu Tianfeng's body transformed into a doll covered in runes.
"A substitute doll?"
Si Jinyan, standing nearby, took a step back, his eyes filled with surprise. This was too supernatural.
Anyone who had read novels or heard ghost stories knew what it meant for a corpse to turn into a doll.
"It seems the opponent possesses power beyond this world."
Zhao Yunhai's expression was unreadable, but his assessment of Gu Tianfeng's importance instantly rose to the highest level.
The possibility of the opponent having a system had reached eighty percent.
A protagonist with a system as a cheat was not weak in the early stages. Therefore, Zhao Yunhai knew Gu Tianfeng could not be left alive any longer.
Li Mingyi's face was the gloomiest among those present. He had been deceived. His first mission's outcome had been a slap in the face, and he was furious.
"Leave this to me. If I don't kill him, my Dao heart will be unstable."
Li Mingyi secretly vowed that he would not rest until Gu Tianfeng was dead.
Having experienced the apocalypse, Li Mingyi's killing intent had also grown significantly.
Any protagonist could be influenced by their environment. With a weapon in their heart, a killing intent would arise.
"Mm, I'll leave it to you. I trust you."
Zhao Yunhai also intended to temper Li Mingyi, so he agreed.
"A San, cooperate with Li Mingyi's actions."
It was time to eradicate Gu Tianfeng's Gu family. Yan Jing could not tolerate another powerful family existing.
"Please guide me." Li Mingyi didn't have much impression of A San, so he spoke very courteously.
A San nodded to Li Mingyi, acknowledging the greeting.
Zhao Yunhai went to find his father, Zhao Hongwen, and told him his thoughts.
Zhao Hongwen pondered for a long time. His son's opinion was very important, as the Zhao clan would be managed by his son in the future.
Although the Gu family and the Zhao clan had always kept to themselves, if a conflict arose, the Zhao clan would never shy away.
Furthermore, after so many years, it was time to remind the world that the Zhao clan's blades were still as sharp as ever.
"Wait for my news. I need to convene a clan meeting to hear the opinions of the clansmen on this matter."
Zhao Hongwen had not convened a clan meeting for a long time and wanted to gauge the clansmen's thoughts on the matter.
Of course, Zhao Hongwen had always been domineering in his actions. His thoughts were just thoughts; they could not change what he had already decided.
Since his son wanted to do it, as a father, he would fully support him.
"Alright, I'll go make preparations then."
After bidding his father farewell, Zhao Yunhai returned to Qianzhou, which was his base of operations.