After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

The mist gradually dissipated. The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was so quiet that only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.

Pei Yanyu wore a dark high priest's robe, the hem of which was embroidered with a serpent totem in gold thread, which shimmered with a dark golden luster as she walked.

She held the black and gold snake staff in her hand and struck it on the gravel ground, making a dull sound.

Pei Yanrou leaned against Zhu Xunchuan's chest, and when she saw the person in question appear, she instinctively flinched.

"Sister," she called softly, her voice weak and feeble, not daring to lift her head.

Pei Yanyu stopped in her tracks. Her cold gaze fell on Pei Yanrou's hands, which were tightly wrapped around Zhu Xunchuan's waist.

"Two years have passed, and you've completely disgraced the Pei family." Pei Yanyu's tone was flat. "You cower in his arms and cry at the slightest trouble. With such meager abilities, you're only fit to act in the entertainment industry."

Pei Yanrou's cheeks flushed red, and she pouted, looking aggrieved.

Instead of letting go, she buried her face completely in Zhu Xun Chuan's broad chest, clutching his shirt with both hands.

"You're the one who dumped this mess on me," she muttered under her breath, relying entirely on the man behind her for support.

Zhu Xun Chuan raised his hand and rubbed the back of Pei Yan Rou's head, the action natural and practiced.

Pei Yanyu didn't look at her sister again. She strode forward and walked straight to Zhu Xun Chuan.

The high priestess's aloofness vanished by half at this moment, and the feigned coldness in her eyes completely melted away. She reached out and slowly and methodically adjusted the collar of Zhu Xun Chuan's trench coat.

"Three years." Pei Yanyu lowered her voice, the end of her words trembling slightly with suppressed emotion. "I protected the Pei family, and I waited for you."

Zhu Xun Chuan took the opportunity to grasp her hands in return. They felt icy cold to the touch.

He rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand twice: "You did a great job. I'll take care of the rest of the mess."

The sound of high heels clicking on gravel came from the side. Xia Wanying walked over and stopped beside the two of them.

The burgundy haute couture slim-fit trousers accentuated her perfect hip and leg lines.

"Patriarch Pei, this is a truly grand move. You sent our Brother Chuan all the way from Kyoto to this desolate place, just to deal with these traitors for you." Xia Wanying put one hand on her hip, her phoenix eyes revealing a hint of mockery and jealousy. "Dinghe Group will take a cut of this errand fee. I wonder what Patriarch Pei plans to use to pay for it?"

Pei Yanyu turned around, her gaze meeting Xia Wanying's. "I've heard about President Xia's methods. Capital works outside. But in the heart of Miao territory, rules still prevail."

"What are the rules?" Qu Feiyan walked over carrying two Miao swords.

Her black Miao tactical leather jacket was stained with some plant ash.

She pushed Xia Wanying aside and grabbed Zhu Xunchuan's left arm. "Whether this Ten Thousand Mountains is my Qu family's territory or your Pei family's backyard, we need to recalculate."

Qu Feiyan raised her delicate chin and looked directly at Pei Yanyu: "He just cured my poison, and his body is still recovering. Stay away from him, don't let your Pei family's bad luck taint him."

The visual impact of the real and fake queens appearing together is extremely strong. Pei Yanrou is delicate and dependent, while Pei Yanyu is cold and domineering. Add to that Xia Wanying's sharp-tongued tycoon demeanor and Qu Feiyan's wild and arrogant nature.

Four top-tier women surrounded Zhu Xun Chuan, the air filled with the enchanting scent of high-end perfumes mixed with exotic Miao fragrances, creating an atmosphere of intense tension.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained expressionless, and exerted force with both arms. His left hand tightened around Qu Feiyan's waist, while his right hand pulled Pei Yanyu closer to him.

"Alright. We'll settle the family accounts back inside." Zhu Xun Chuan's tone was languid, setting the tone with a single sentence. He looked at the elder on the ground, whose Achilles tendons had been severed.

The elder lay prone in the mud, panting heavily. He looked at the men and women before him, who not only showed no fear of facing certain death but were also flirting and teasing him, and a sense of humiliation surged through him.

"You're celebrating too soon!" The First Elder's wrinkled face scrunched up, and a lisp escaped his throat as he roared with laughter. "You think killing me will bring peace to the Pei family? Mr. Songkun's men have already poured all the marrow-eating worms into the underground water source of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons!"

The Grand Elder stared intently at Pei Yanyu, his eyes filled with venom: "Everyone in the valley will die from internal organ dehydration within three days. Song Kun's mercenary squad will be coming in from the south mine soon to collect your corpses!"

Zhu Xun Chuan listened calmly. He pulled Pei Yan Yu to a perfectly good rattan chair and pressed her shoulder to make her sit down.

He casually poured a cup of hot water from the thermos in the hand of the guard next to him and handed it to Pei Yanyu.

"Your hands are so cold, have some hot water first," Zhu Xun Chuan said gently.

Xia Wanying snorted softly from the side, "Brother Chuan is so biased. I've been standing here in the cold wind for ages, and I haven't even gotten a sip of hot water."

Zhu Xun Chuan handed her another glass of water. Xia Wan Ying didn't reach out to take it; instead, she took a sip from Zhu Xun Chuan's hand and then gave Pei Yan Yu a defiant look.

Qu Feiyan tugged at Zhu Xunchuan's sleeve in dissatisfaction. Zhu Xunchuan casually took out an orange candy from his pocket, peeled it, and stuffed it into Qu Feiyan's mouth, silencing her protest.

After calming the three women down, Zhu Xun Chuan turned to look at the Grand Elder on the ground.

Pei Yanyu, holding a water glass, straightened the wide sleeves of her priestess robe. She freed her right hand, pulled a folded waterproof sheet from her inner pocket, and threw it at the Grand Elder's face.

"Fool." Pei Yanyu's tone returned to its cold, domineering manner. "You really thought I was just waiting to die while you kept me trapped in the inner quarters for the past three days?"

The elder stared at the blueprints on the ground, his pupils contracting sharply. It was a completely new blueprint for the underground water network renovation.

"Six months ago, I had the backup underground waterway re-dug. The moment you poisoned the old reservoir, I cut off its connection to the inner valley." Pei Yanyu picked up her water glass and took a sip. "The old water source's spillway leads directly to the abandoned mine shaft on the south side. Your all-powerful Mr. Songkun should be wading through the water right now, drinking the poison he himself poisoned."

Qu Feiyan crunched the orange candy in her mouth after hearing this. She raised an eyebrow: "You put the poison into the southern mine? What a coincidence, I led people to block the road yesterday and casually scattered three catties of Bloodthirsty Gu in the waterlogged area of ​​the mine."

Qu Feiyan looked at Pei Yanyu, a hint of tacit understanding in her eyes: "With your poison and my Gu formation, their mercenary squad is probably nothing but bone dust by now."

The elder's eyes widened. His last hope had been utterly shattered by the schemes of these two women.

Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, his chest heaved violently, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. His head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

A black military communicator slid out of the corpse's pocket. The screen flashed red.

Xiao Bai quickly stepped forward, picked up the communicator, and handed it to Zhu Xun Chuan. The screen displayed a newly received encrypted foreign language coordinate.

Zhu Xun Chuan glanced at the coordinates and saved them to his phone. With personal grudges settled, Song Kun's reach into the domestic territories was only just beginning.

"Clear the perimeter. Take over all sentry posts," Zhu Xunchuan ordered.

Night fell. The chill of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons seeped into the bamboo forest.

Zhu Xun Chuan held Pei Yan Yu's hand and walked up the wooden stairs into the inner courtyard stilted building.

Away from the sight of outsiders, Pei Yanyu shed all the cold, hard facade of the High Priestess. Her fingertips gently traced patterns on Zhu Xun Chuan's palm, her breathing gradually becoming rapid. Two years of waiting, all her emotions fermented in this moment.

Zhu Xunchuan pushed open the wooden door to the master bedroom.

A few red candles were lit in the room, casting a dim and ambiguous light.

On the large mahogany canopy bed, Xia Wanying had already taken a shower. She changed into a wine-red silk slip dress.

Her neckline was extremely low, and her skirt was very short, revealing a pair of long, straight, and fair legs. She crossed her right leg over her left, and held a glass of red wine in her hand, the ruby-like liquid gently swirling against the glass.

In the hallway outside, Qu Feiyan followed, peeking out from behind the doorframe. Pei Yanrou stood timidly at the back, holding a hot towel.

Xia Wanying's phoenix eyes darted around, sweeping over the women at the door before finally fixing her aggressive gaze on Zhu Xun Chuan's face.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice languid and alluring: "Brother Chuan, how are you planning to divide this bed tonight?"