Chapter 325: Liu Ruyan and Zhong Lingyin Actually...
"Young Master, it's all arranged. The internationally renowned Ouroboros organization, the Reaper mercenary group, Pluto, Sword Demon Miyamoto Ichiro, and even the recently famous Bomb Fiend from Sakura Country, have all taken on this bounty…"
A respectful voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with a hint of awe at the sheer scale of the chaos unleashed.
Shen Anyu had already arrived in Sakura Country at this time. He stood on the balcony of a luxury suite in the Tokyo Aman Hotel, overlooking the sprawling, neon-lit metropolis. The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of cherry blossoms and the distant hum of urban life.
The person on the other end of the phone was Guo Laoliu, the Sixth Hall Master of the Netherworld Palace who had previously betrayed Tian Yunzi and Ye Yan.
Shen Anyu, seeing that he was a talent and a [Grandmaster]-level expert, had decided to spare him. He used both carrot and stick, controlling him with a potent, slow-acting poison and installing a [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] directly into his bloodstream before having him establish a new dark organization, the [Shadow Alliance].
On the surface, Shen Anyu was the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family and the Yanxia An Family, a noble Young Master from a prominent family, untainted by the world. He was the picture of elegance and legitimate power.
Underneath, Shen Anyu was the controller of the Dragon King Society, the undisputed leader of the Jiangnan Dark World, holding the leash of thousands of thugs and martial artists.
And in the deepest shadows, where no light could reach, there was the [Shadow Alliance].
The [Shadow Alliance], Shen Anyu's blood-stained glove, was a shadowy organization under his direct, secret command that handled dirty work too sensitive for his other identities. It absorbed many remnant forces from organizations like the Netherworld Palace and the War God Alliance, consolidating the fractured underworld under one banner. Its backbone consisted of [Grandmaster] and [Innate] experts that Shen Anyu had acquired through system draws—loyal, tireless, and lethal.
Furthermore, within the [Shadow Alliance], Shen Anyu gathered many of the major and minor villains from the original novel plot, "Expert Descends from the Mountain, My Beautiful Sister-in-Law." This was what he was most familiar with.
According to the principle of conflicting destinies, villains were prone to attracting the Child of Destiny like moths to a flame. By controlling the villains, he controlled the narrative. Some of these villains were unruly, arrogant, or simply stupid, and Shen Anyu naturally made an example of them by killing them publicly to ensure absolute obedience.
With Shen Anyu's unlimited financial support and strategic guidance, the [Shadow Alliance]'s power rapidly expanded. In less than a month, it became a well-known dark organization in the international Dark World, feared for its efficiency and ruthlessness.
Of course, this time, Shen Anyu did not use the [Shadow Alliance] for the bounty. That would be too traceable. Instead, he used a series of shell accounts and proxies to mislead others into believing the bounty originated from the Martial God Hall.
The Martial God Hall had now become Shen Anyu's favorite scapegoat. If Ye Linyuan were to unleash his full power in a rage, he would go after the Martial God Hall, weakening Shen Anyu's potential rival, and Zhong Lingyin would not suspect Shen Anyu in the slightest. It was a perfect plan: killing two birds with one stone.
A sky-high bounty of one billion US dollars was enough to drive men mad. It could attract [Grandmaster] and [Grandmaster]-level dark powerhouses to act collectively, swarming like piranhas. As for [Heavenly Human Unity]-level powerhouses, they would not be moved by one billion US dollars; their currency was power and longevity, not mere paper money.
"Zhong Lingyin, the global superstar queen who has been popular in recent years, excelling in both film and music…"
Shen Anyu sat down on a velvet sofa, flipping through a dossier on a holographic tablet. He scrolled through Zhong Lingyin's information, coming across her photos, posters, and concert videos, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
In the photos, posters, and videos, Zhong Lingyin's clear and beautiful appearance was so exquisite and ethereal, like a Fairy who had descended to the mortal world. She possessed a purity that seemed untouched by the grime of the entertainment industry. Especially her pair of lively, sparkling, clear, and moving beautiful eyes—they held a innocence that made one want to protect her, or destroy her.
As a Destined Heroine, her appearance and beauty were beyond words. She was a masterpiece of the creator.
With such beauty and talent, it was normal for her to become globally popular in just a few years. She was the dream lover of countless men.
However, Shen Anyu noticed at first glance that Zhong Lingyin and Liu Ruyan looked extremely similar, at least ninety percent similar. The facial structure, the nose, the shape of the lips—they were nearly identical. Only their temperaments and styles were completely different: Liu Ruyan was enchanting, alluring, and dangerous like a poisonous flower, while Zhong Lingyin was clear, ethereal, and pure like a mountain spring.
"Could it be a classic melodramatic plot, long-lost twin sisters?" Shen Anyu mused, tapping his chin.
"Probably not. Their ages differ by a few years, so it doesn't match the twin timeline."
"As for the degree of similarity, I'll put them together later and appreciate them carefully from head to toe, inside and out. It will be a fascinating study in genetics and... aesthetics."
Shen Anyu smiled slightly, a wicked glint in his eyes, and an idea formed in his mind. A script for a 'hero saving the beauty' was already written.
…
"Fourth Senior Sister, Lingyin knows and will be careful…"
Zhong Lingyin hung up the phone with Fourth Senior Sister Ye Liyou, a bitter smile appearing on her exquisitely beautiful face.
At this moment, she was in a high-end restaurant in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Sakura Country, preparing to dine. The restaurant was dimly lit, elegant, and quiet, catering to the elite.
Unexpectedly, she received a frantic call from Fourth Senior Sister Ye Liyou—the fearsome [Blood Shadow Rose]—who said that someone had put a one-billion-dollar bounty on her for kidnapping and that she would personally come to protect her, urging her to be extremely careful and stay put.
One billion dollars. The number was suffocating.
After receiving Fourth Senior Sister's reminder, Zhong Lingyin keenly sensed malicious auras around her. The air in the restaurant suddenly felt heavy and oppressive.
Although she did not practice martial arts, her sixth sense as an artist was very keen, and she knew that these people had ill intentions. She could feel eyes on her back—hungry, greedy eyes.
What to do now?
Although she was dining out, Zhong Lingyin had simply disguised herself, wearing large sunglasses and a face mask to prevent being mobbed by enthusiastic fans and paparazzi. She wore a simple beige trench coat over her dress.
But it was clearly difficult to hide from those cunning powerhouses of the Dark World. Assassins didn't look at faces; they looked at gait, bone structure, and pheromones.
She gripped her handbag tightly, her knuckles turning white. She tried to appear calm, sipping her water, but her hand trembled slightly.
Just as Zhong Lingyin was burning with anxiety, contemplating whether to run to the kitchen or call the police, a chair next to her was pulled out.
Scrape.
Someone sat down.
Zhong Lingyin flinched.
"Baby, you came here to eat too? We really are fated!"
"?"
Zhong Lingyin looked up in surprise, her eyes lighting up behind her sunglasses. It was indeed a handsome young man, dressed in a casual but stylish outfit. His features were sculpted like jade, with a warm and sincere smile that seemed to dispel the gloom of the room. His eyes were full of doting affection as he looked at her, as if she were the only person in the world.
[Ding! Detected destined heroine Zhong Lingyin's favorability +10. Plundered +30,000 Destiny Points.]
…
Zhong Lingyin thought he was one of her fans who had seen through her disguise. Fans often recognized her even when she was covered up. Although his tone was overly intimate—calling her 'Baby' right off the bat—it didn't feel greasy or vulgar. Instead, it felt oddly comforting, like a warm blanket in a snowstorm. His voice was magnetic, soothing her frayed nerves.
However, Zhong Lingyin's heart clenched at this moment. After this person sat down beside her, those ill-intentioned people around them were clearly getting impatient. The killing intent in the room spiked.
They could act to kidnap her at any moment. They wouldn't care about collateral damage.
Zhong Lingyin took a deep breath, leaning in close to the stranger. She whispered to the handsome young man beside her, her voice trembling with urgency:
"Leave here quickly and call the police. Someone wants to kidnap me. Go!"
She planned to send this innocent fan away to prevent him from being implicated and suffering misfortune. She couldn't bear the thought of someone getting hurt because of her.
"What? Someone wants to kidnap you?"
The handsome young man seemed very surprised. He blinked, looking genuinely confused, and was about to turn his head to look around.
Zhong Lingyin was instantly shocked. Was this person so eager to die? Looking at assassins was a surefire way to provoke an attack!
She quickly reached out and pulled the handsome young man's head back, her soft hands cupping his face. She lowered her voice to a hiss, urgently saying:
"Don't look around, you idiot! Or those people won't let you go. Leave this dangerous place quickly and go call the police. Tell them Zhong Lingyin is in danger!"
"Leave at once. Please!"
The handsome young man was, of course, Shen Anyu, who was just a little less handsome than all the incredibly handsome readers reading this right now.
At this moment, Shen Anyu looked at Zhong Lingyin with deep affection, ignoring her panic. He gently placed his hand over hers on the table. His hand was warm, large, and steady.
"Baby, someone wants to kidnap you. How can I leave?" he asked, his voice calm and unshakeable. "A man protects his woman."
"With me here, no one can harm you."
Zhong Lingyin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This guy was delusional!
"Are you acting in an idol drama?" she whispered fiercely. "Those people who want to kidnap me might leave me alive for the ransom, but they won't care about your life. They will kill you without blinking! Leave quickly and save your own life!"
She thought that after saying all this, explaining the mortal danger, the fan in front of her would definitely leave. Any sane person would run.
However, what happened next made Zhong Lingyin's eyes widen in disbelief.
Shen Anyu didn't leave. Instead, he leaned in.
He directly pulled Zhong Lingyin into his arms. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Before she could react, he lowered his head and captured her lips.
He kissed her passionately on the spot, right in the middle of the restaurant.
His lips were warm and demanding. His tongue pried open her mouth, deepening the kiss with a masterful technique that left her breathless. His large hand even caressed the beauty's body, sliding up her back to cup her neck, holding her in place.
Zhong Lingyin's clear, beautiful eyes instantly widened, staring at his closed eyelids. Her pretty face was full of astonishment and shock.
Her first kiss... just like that??
Stolen by a fan in a restaurant?
This fan, no, this guy, how could he treat her like this? How dare he?
No, no, how can your hand touch there?!
Zhong Lingyin reacted, her survival instinct kicking in. She directly grabbed Shen Anyu's large hand which was wandering dangerously close to her chest, and pushed against his shoulders. She broke the kiss, gasping for air, and was about to scold him furiously.
"You—!"
"Ruyan baby, you haven't kissed me for a few days, and you're already so unfamiliar? Have you forgotten your husband's taste?"
Shen Anyu smiled as he looked at Zhong Lingyin in front of him, teasing her with a glint in his eyes.
Ruyan?
Second Senior Sister??
Zhong Lingyin, who was about to scold him, was instantly startled. The anger died in her throat.
Second Senior Sister Liu Ruyan and she were ninety percent similar in appearance. When they first met in the sect, both of them were very surprised. They even wondered if they were long-lost twin sisters and went to get tested, though the results were negative.
Could this person in front of her be Second Senior Sister Liu Ruyan's boyfriend? The one she had heard rumors about?
If that was the case... he mistook her for Ruyan?
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