Chapter 384: The Matriarch Descends! The Ultimate Shura Field Begins!
At the main entrance of Jiangjing Manor, the massive wrought-iron gates stood open like the jaws of a beast waiting to be fed. Shen Anyu stood there, his posture straight as a pine, quietly waiting.
The autumn wind brushed past, rustling the leaves of the meticulously manicured phoenix trees lining the driveway, but Shen Anyu remained motionless.
There were few people in this entire world who could make Young Master Shen—the man who trampled on Children of Destiny and treated Heavenly Humans like livestock—wait personally at the door.
The one about to arrive was his most beloved woman, his anchor in this chaotic world: his mother, An Zhiyi.
Shen Anyu's eyes were deep, reflecting a lifetime of memories that didn't belong to this timeline. He was a reincarnator, having lived in this world for over twenty years, but he had only awakened his past life's memories and the System a few months ago.
In his previous life on Earth, he was an orphan, adrift in a cold society. But in this life, An Zhiyi had taught Shen Anyu what unconditional, overwhelming maternal love truly was. She was a woman who would burn the world down to keep him warm.
Shen Anyu's mind drifted back to the dark text of the original novel, "The War God's Return."
According to the records in that damn book, after the Villain Shen Anyu was brutally killed and dismembered by the Protagonist Ye Yan, the Shen Family collapsed. But An Zhiyi did not fall gracefully.
In her madness mixed with terrifying calmness, she exhausted the entire fortune of the Shen and An families. She became a vengeful demon, planning every possible scheme to drag Ye Yan to hell. Unfortunately, the halo of the [Child of Destiny] was too bright, too unreasonable.
In the end, with regret and unwillingness gnawing at her soul, she set fire to the ancestral hall. She self-immolated while clutching Shen Anyu's black-and-white portrait to her chest, screaming his name as the flames consumed her.
Crack.
Shen Anyu's fist clenched at his side, the sound of his knuckles popping audible in the silence.
"That future... has been incinerated by me."
In this life, the [Child of Destiny] Ye Yan has already been killed by Shen Anyu. His head was severed, his destiny plundered.
That kind of tragic fate will never repeat itself.
Shen Anyu narrowed his eyes, a cold, terrifying glint surging within them like a hidden blade.
'No matter what Child of Destiny appears next, no matter what damn destiny or heavenly will tries to correct the plot... they must die!'
'I will kill them all. Better to kill the wrong person than let one go! I will pave a road of bones to ensure her smile remains.'
Behind Shen Anyu, the atmosphere was thick with a different kind of tension.
Aunt Xiao, the head housekeeper, stood respectfully with the maids, their heads bowed.
But for the "Harem" members—Susan, Yang Luoluo, Zhong Lingyin, and Ruan Lingshan—the pressure was suffocating. To them, the incoming visitor was not just a mother; she was the "Empress Dowager," the ultimate judge, the future mother-in-law.
Even a battlefield didn't feel this stressful.
'You absolutely, absolutely must leave a good impression! Susan, you can do it! Don't be weird. Don't take out a knife. Smile. Just smile.'
Susan clenched her small hands so tightly behind her back that her knuckles turned white. Her usually dull, yandere eyes were darting around nervously, checking her reflection in the glass of the guard booth. She adjusted her skirt for the tenth time, terrified that a single wrinkle would disqualify her from entering the Shen family.
'Luo Luo, you're great. You're cute. Master Brother's mother will definitely like you. Be polite, be sweet!'
Yang Luoluo cheered herself on with full vigor internally, but her tense appearance was more nervous than going into a deathmatch with a [Grandmaster]. Her round face was pale, and she kept biting her lip.
Zhong Lingyin and Ruan Lingshan were handling the pressure slightly better, though beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
Zhong Lingyin, the Heavenly Queen, had adjusted her mindset. She was used to the spotlight, used to judgment. She had already decided: no matter what, she wanted to be with Shen Anyu. Even if she couldn't be the main wife, even if she was just a concubine hidden in the dark, she accepted it.
As for Ruan Lingshan, she had positioned herself humbly as a "little maid" or a plaything, without too many improper thoughts of status, which paradoxically made her the calmest of the group.
Five minutes passed. The wind picked up.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Thirty minutes…
After waiting for a full forty minutes, the sound of engines finally broke the silence.
A low-key, dark grey Volvo sedan slowly drove up the winding path of Jiangjing Manor.
Low-key? Only to the untrained eye.
Upon closer inspection, Shen Anyu could see the heavy modifications. The chassis was reinforced, the tires were run-flat military grade, and the glass was inches thick—bulletproof and explosion-proof.
Several other black SUVs discreetly surrounded it in a protective formation, carrying elite bodyguards and top-tier escorts from the An Family's private security.
Given An Zhiyi's status as the matriarch of a top-tier financial empire, she had experienced numerous assassination attempts and kidnappings over the decades. Caution was written into her DNA.
In this world of hidden martial arts, it was not uncommon for important figures to vanish or be assassinated overnight.
Screech.
The convoy came to a smooth halt in front of the main building. The bodyguards immediately fanned out, their eyes scanning the perimeter.
The door of the central Volvo opened.
Three women, all stunning beauties with distinct temperaments, successively got out of the car. The air seemed to freeze for a moment due to the sheer concentration of charisma.
The first to alight appeared to be in her late twenties. She was tall and slender, her posture rigid and disciplined like a drawn sword.
She had short, sharp hair that framed a face that was both pretty and undeniably heroic. She wore a well-tailored black skirt suit, but unlike a typical office worker, she wore no stockings, revealing legs that were toned and powerful. She wore practical flat shoes, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
She wore little makeup, yet it did not conceal her natural, rugged beauty. Her eyes were sharp, scanning potential threats instantly.
It was none other than Shen Anyu's Aunt—An Zhiyue.
The former General Instructor of the Fire Phoenix Special Forces, and now the newly minted [Female War God], renowned in the international Dark World for crushing the "War God Alliance."
Next to alight was a sharp contrast—a languid and charming mature woman.
Her soft, dark hair was styled in loose waves that draped over her shoulders. Her large sunglasses hung down her nose bridge, revealing eyes that were alluring yet sharp. A dark purple long coat was lightly draped over her snow-white skin, worn loosely to reveal a black silk camisole underneath.
The outfit perfectly outlined her explosive, curvaceous figure. Her beautiful legs, wrapped in sheer black pantyhose, were long and fair, ending in high heels that clicked rhythmically on the pavement.
This mature woman saw the lineup of beauties around Shen Anyu and instinctively rolled her eyes.
'This scoundrel... just how many does he have?'
However, as her gaze swept over the group, it landed on two familiar figures.
Yang Luoluo. Zhong Lingyin.
Liu Ruyan's eyes widened slightly behind her sunglasses, showing clear surprise.
And when Yang Luoluo and Zhong Lingyin saw this languid and charming mature woman, they felt a bolt of lightning strike them. They immediately lowered their heads, looking at their toes, guilty and terrified.
'Second Senior Sister is here too?!'
Their guilty conscience was practically radiating off them. They dared not look up.
This reaction made the mature woman suspicious. Her eyes narrowed.
She was naturally Zhong Lingyin and Yang Luoluo's Second Senior Sister, Liu Ruyan.
Previously, to prevent the naive Yang Luoluo from falling into Shen Anyu's trap, she had lied and claimed to be Shen Anyu's girlfriend. But Shen Anyu, that beast, had turned the tables on her, taking advantage of the lie to bully her, resulting in her suffering a "great loss" (in a sensory sense).
Now, seeing her Junior Sisters acting like thieves caught in the act... Liu Ruyan felt a bad premonition.
The last to exit the car was the center of the universe for everyone present.
A beautiful woman, noble and graceful in appearance, stepped out. Her features were exquisite, possessing a classic elegance that modern plastic surgery could never replicate. Time seemed to have lost its traces on her face; she looked more like Shen Anyu's older sister than his mother.
She wore a custom-made black women's formal suit that screamed authority. Gold-rimmed glasses rested on her nose, framing eyes that were usually sharp and calculating—the eyes of a predator in the business world. Her chin was slightly raised, exuding the natural, suffocating aura of a powerful female executive who controlled trillions in assets.
An Zhiyi.
The Eldest Young Lady of the Yanxia An Family. The Matriarch of the Yanxia Shen Family. The Head of the Shen Corporation.
But the moment this iron-willed woman saw Shen Anyu, the ice melted.
Her sharp gaze instantly softened into a pool of water, flashing with a hint of surprise and overwhelming doting affection.
"An'yu..."
She walked forward quickly, ignoring the bodyguards.
"Mother specifically didn't tell you when I was coming to give you a surprise. Why are you waiting here in the wind? How long have you been waiting? Are you tired? Look at you, is the wind too cold?"
Her barrage of questions was filled with concern.
Shen Anyu smiled—a genuine, warm smile that had no trace of his usual villainous smirk.
"I haven't waited long. Besides, how could I be tired waiting for the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Mother, I miss you so much!"
Shen Anyu stepped forward, disregarding the onlookers, and pulled his mother into a tight embrace. His voice trembled slightly, a rare crack in his armor.
Feeling his mother's warmth, the familiar scent of elegant perfume mixed with the faint smell of old books, Shen Anyu's heart was filled with joy and peace. The Killing Intent and calculation that usually occupied his mind vanished instantly.
This was his 'Anchor'.
'I succeeded,' Shen Anyu thought, closing his eyes for a second. 'I changed the plot. She is alive. She is happy.'
Shen Anyu was not a good person. He was a villain. He would slaughter cities if it benefited him. But he had one bottom line: he wanted to protect everything he had and enjoy life with those he cared about.
"Oh, you... what mistake have you made this time? So much sweet talk? Tell Mother, Mother won't blame you. Did you bankrupt a company? Or break someone's leg?"
An Zhiyi looked at her son with amusement, patting his back gently. In the past, whenever the original Shen Anyu made a mistake and was about to be punished by his strict grandfather, he would always use all sorts of sweet words to coax her into shielding him.
Shen Anyu released her, collected his thoughts, and responded with a grin:
"How could that be? I've been very well-behaved. Tell me, isn't my mother the most beautiful woman in the world?"
He turned to the girls behind him.
Susan, Yang Luoluo, Zhong Lingyin, Ruan Lingshan, and the others nodded frantically like chickens pecking at rice.
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"Auntie is stunning!"
"The most beautiful!"
They unanimously agreed that she certainly was. And it wasn't just flattery; An Zhiyi's charisma was overpowering.
"Oh, you... you're going to make your mother so confused she won't know which way is up."
An Zhiyi blushed slightly, a rare girlish expression appearing on her face. She playfully poked Shen Anyu's forehead with her jade finger, saying with a hint of loving exasperation.
An Zhiyue, standing beside the car with her arms crossed, chuckled:
"Sister, don't be modest. I also think you're the most beautiful woman in the world. Even in the military, no one compares to you."
Shen Anyu clapped his hands and said:
"Exactly! Aunt, this [Female War God] certainly has good taste. As expected of the expert who suppressed the chaotic Dark World."
An Zhiyue gave Shen Anyu a playful glare, though her eyes held a deeper meaning.
"You brat, mocking your Aunt?"
How she got her title as [Female War God], others might not know, but didn't she herself know?
The terrifying [Alliance Master Yan Lingxiao] of the War God Alliance was personally killed by Shen Anyu in a battle that shook the heavens. And An Zhiyue's current cultivation strength, which had skyrocketed to the [Grandmaster Peak], was largely due to Shen Anyu feeding her various miraculous elixirs and guiding her cultivation behind the scenes.
Because Shen Anyu didn't need these empty reputations—he preferred to be the mastermind in the shadows—he let all the credit go to An Zhiyue.
Shen Anyu was accustomed to being half-hidden, concealing information about himself. He watched from the dark as [Children of Destiny] emerged one by one, thinking he was just a rich second-generation silkpants, only to be crushed by his hidden hand.
Even the shocking event of killing the three [Heavenly Human] powerhouses of the Martial God Hall was known only to a select few close individuals. The world was still in the dark.
Liu Ruyan watched this scene—the harmonious family banter—with a strange expression.
She bit her lip slightly. She hadn't expected that Young Master Shen, whom she considered so despicable, shameless, and cruel, would have such a humorous, warm, and charming side in front of his family.
'He... actually looks like a normal, filial son. Is this another mask? Or is this the real him?'
Liu Ruyan felt her heart waver slightly, confusing her judgment.
Immediately, An Zhiyi linked arms with her son Shen Anyu's right arm, claiming her territory.
"Come, let's go inside. The wind is picking up."
They began strolling through the luxurious grounds of Jiangjing Manor, talking and laughing, while the entourage followed nervously behind.
An Zhiyi's gaze, sharp as a laser behind her glasses, casually swept over the group of girls trailing them. She noticed their nervousness, their beauty, and the way they looked at her son.
She smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes—the smile of a matriarch assessing the quality of goods.
"Son," An Zhiyi said softly, her voice carrying a dangerous lilt. "I remember your Aunt mentioned that Liu Ruyan is your girlfriend. I was prepared to meet one daughter-in-law today."
She paused, glancing back at Susan, Lingyin, and the others.
"But from the looks of it... you have quite a few beauties hidden away here, don't you? Which of those girls are involved with you? Or should I ask... which ones aren't?"
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