After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

The dazzling lights of the mall and the silvery laughter of the Su sisters were all shut out the moment my phone vibrated in my hand.

Chen Ya.

The call connected, and there wasn't a single wasted word on the other end. Chen Ya's voice, usually so efficient, was now filled with suppressed anger.

"The Tianjin Wharf has been sealed off."

"The remnants of the Black Dragon Society in the north have colluded with an unidentified maritime force to cut off all shipping lanes."

Chen Ya's voice was low and heavy.

"The other party is ruthless in his actions and is an excellent swimmer, much like the 'Pai-jiao' you mentioned."

Zhou Ran's gaze remained fixed on the Su sisters, who were happily spinning in front of the mirror, with a gentle smile even in his eyes.

He only replied with two words.

"Wait."

The crisis that could shake a business empire wouldn't even cause a ripple in his mind after he hung up the phone.

"Boss, do you think this new outfit looks good?"

Su Qingling lifted the hem of her Hanfu skirt, fluttering like a butterfly, her eyes full of innocent naivety.

"nice."

Zhou Ran nodded and handed over a black card.

"Go and buy all the remaining styles in that store; they'll be your work uniforms from now on."

He watched the two sisters cheer and rush into another store before slowly turning around.

I strolled to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the night view of the city flowing like a galaxy.

He did not return to the gym.

Instead, he dialed Wu De's number right there.

"Boss! You're back?"

Wu De's voice came through the receiver, excited and obsequious, as always.

"Something came up."

"You and Qin San, come to the top floor of the Starlight International Center now. I'll be waiting for you."

Half an hour later.

Wu De and Qin San, dressed in suits, appeared in the VIP lounge on the top floor.

They reported on the gym's recent revenue, membership growth, and even the progress of taking over the Song family's businesses in great detail and with clear logic, which was perfect.

Zhou Ran listened quietly, her knuckles tapping silently on the armrest of the leather sofa.

Under the purple-gold demonic eyes, everything before his eyes was pierced through.

Deep within the skulls of Wu De and Qin San, there were dark purple vesicles, their surfaces covered with wriggling mucous membranes.

Countless fine, translucent hyphae emerged from the vesicles, like plant roots, densely penetrating the two people's sea of ​​consciousness.

Every word they uttered, every event they recalled, those fragments of memory about Zhou Ran and the core secrets of the business empire were greedily decomposed and absorbed by these mycelia.

Then, it transforms into invisible streams of data, traversing space and traveling to some unknown coordinate.

Their souls had long been sealed off, leaving only a perfectly controlled flesh and blood shell.

"Well done."

Zhou Ran suddenly spoke, his voice filled with approval.

He stood up, walked over to the two of them, and a perfectly satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"But recently, I've run into some trouble."

Zhou Ran's face paled slightly, and she raised her hand to press her temples, her voice weak.

"I forcibly cast a spell a few days ago and suffered a backlash, damaging my soul."

I found that there's an abandoned Taoist temple in the western suburbs of Jiangcheng, where underground yin energy converges, making it suitable for quiet recuperation.

As he spoke, he used the corner of his eye to catch the two people's most subtle reactions.

"I've decided to go there for seclusion tomorrow night at midnight."

Forty-nine hours in total, during which time no one may disturb them.

"This matter is classified as top secret."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Ran's magic eyes accurately captured a flash of red light, like garbled code, in the deepest part of Wu De's shrewd eyes.

Hooked.

A smile appeared on Zhou Ran's face, but deep in her eyes, there was only a lifeless stillness devoid of warmth.

The false information he had carefully fabricated was quickly transmitted through the connection of the Gu worm.

The owner of that demonic Gu is in Jiangcheng.

After dismissing the two, Zhou Ran returned to the Xiao family manor.

Before they could even settle in, a fiery red figure staggered in.

Xiao Hongli, who should have been in the capital, overseeing the handover of the Song family's businesses, appeared at the door with a deathly pale face.

She lost one of her expensive high heels, and her Chanel suit was in a mess.

She swayed, as if all her strength had been drained, and fell straight towards Zhou Ran.

Zhou Ran reached out and pulled that soft body into his arms.

A cool breeze wafted over, accompanied by a unique fragrance reminiscent of orchids.

Xiao Hongli collapsed into his arms, her body limp and boneless. Her usually proud and aloof face was now flushed with an eerie blush.

Her voice was soft and gentle, so soft it could melt your bones.

"Owner……"

"After you took the Yin-Gathering Banner, I... I lost my Yin energy balance, and my body feels terrible..."

Her soft body pressed against Zhou Ran's chest, her breath sweet as orchids.

Those phoenix eyes, which always carried a hint of mockery and a touch of arrogance, were now shimmering with moisture, veiled by a thin mist that tempted one to succumb.

Zhou Ran held her firmly, his brows slightly furrowed, his face showing just the right amount of pity and concern.

"What's going on?"

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me in the capital?"

His palm touched Xiao Hongli's back, and a gentle demonic energy probed in, carefully examining her.

With his palm pressed against her back, demonic energy probed into her meridians, leaving only endless mockery deep within Zhou Ran's soul.

Xiao Hongli's pure and domineering Yin energy contained a faint, almost non-existent, sweet, and slightly metallic taste.

That's not a disorder of Yin energy.

Rather, it is an extremely sophisticated, even artistic, form of poison.

It doesn't hurt or kill.

Its sole purpose is to catalyze the host's physique into the ultimate furnace, while simultaneously planting an irresistible primal desire deep within the soul.

The vision of the Purple-Gold Demon Eye penetrated deeper and deeper, piercing through flesh and blood.

Zhou Ran could clearly see that a pink nematode, as thin as a hair, was coiled around Xiao Hongli's core, tightly intertwined with her essence.

Well thought out.

The other party knew that Xiao Hongli was his woman, and had also calculated her physical condition.

The intention was to use this perfect medium to secretly transfer the poison into his body during intercourse, and then, through dual cultivation, drain his primordial essence.

What a clever trick – a trap for a hero's grave.

"I...I don't know either, I just suddenly felt really panicked."

It's like something important was about to be lost, and then... it just came back on its own...

Xiao Hongli nuzzled against him unconsciously.

Her voice was tinged with aggrieved sobs, and her hands unconsciously wrapped around Zhou Ran's neck, her breath growing increasingly hot.

"Master, I'm so cold, yet so hot..."

The Su sisters, who had just returned from shopping for clothes, blushed with embarrassment upon seeing this scene and instinctively tried to avoid it.

However, the Tidal Holy Body deep within their bloodline made them instinctively feel palpitations and unease.

Zhou Ran did not expose them, and gestured for the two women to leave.

His face showed a hint of doting affection.

He lowered his head and whispered in Xiao Hongli's ear.

"Since you're not feeling well, Master will help you take good care of yourself."

Before he finished speaking, he tightened his grip, picked up the soft, fragrant body around the waist, and carried her to the innermost cubicle.

"Boss..."

Su Qingwu looked at the closed door and called out worriedly.

"Never mind."

"Stand outside; no one is allowed to come in."

The Su sisters outside the door exchanged a glance, then stood guard on either side of the door.

"Sister, Sister Xiao is acting strangely."

......

inside the room.

The lights were dimmed to an ambiguous, yellowish hue.

Xiao Hongli was gently placed on the bed, and she climbed on top of her, her breath sweet as orchids, a venomous glint flashing in her eyes.

She succeeded.

However, the next second.

The tender kiss I had envisioned did not come.

The feigned warmth vanished completely.

The temperature in his eyes was more piercing than ten-thousand-year-old ice.

Zhou Ran pinned her down, and all traces of pity vanished from his purplish-gold pupils.

All that remains is the emotionless killing intent of a predator locking onto its prey.