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

No one dared to take on this hot potato.

Rumors about the mass grave were rampant, and anyone who touched it was said to die.

Ma Tianhao held the pair of pale, skull-shaped walnuts in his hand, his gaze sharp as a knife.

The knife scraped across Xiao Hongli's face, leaving a fake smile clinging to her skin.

"Mr. Xiao, land parcel A-03 was originally a project your Xiao family was determined to acquire. What, are you now hesitant to take it?"

This is an open conspiracy.

This is a dead end;

Refusing to accept would be tantamount to admitting that the Xiao family had poor judgment, resulting in a loss of face.

Xiao Hongli gripped her wine glass, unsure how to respond.

"Five hundred million? That's too cheap."

A lazy male voice interrupted the suffocating atmosphere.

Zhou Ran got up and walked to the big screen.

"I want this land."

He turned around, his gaze landing on Ma Tianhao's face. His expression was blank, only revealing a hint of mockery.

"However, I didn't bring any money with me. Since Chairman Ma is in such a hurry to get rid of his assets, how about lending me 500 million?"

The hall was completely silent.

Empty glove white wolf?

How can they be so confident in their claims?

Ma Tianhao stopped fiddling with the walnuts, then laughed angrily, "Zhou Ran, do you think I run a charity? Why are you bidding if you don't have money?"

"Who says I have no money?"

Zhou Ran snapped his fingers.

"Fatty, show us your talent!"

"Okay!"

Fatty Wang had been itching to get going for a while. Carrying the huge red cloth bundle, he strode onto the stage.

Boom!

The ground shook.

The muffled thud struck everyone's hearts, making their eardrums buzz.

"This is a return gift from our boss to Chairman Ma, and it also serves as the bidding funds for this auction."

Fatty Wang tore off the red cloth.

A rusty, two-meter-tall bronze bell is exposed to the light.

The bell is covered with traces of time, and although the intricate inscriptions are covered by rust, they still exude a desolate and ancient feel.

"A gift...a gift of a bell?!"

Someone in the audience screamed in surprise.

Sending a bell to Chairman Ma at his birthday banquet is a way of bidding him farewell on his deathbed.

This isn't a return gift; it's defecating on the head of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce.

Those wealthy businessmen who had long been dissatisfied with the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce were secretly pleased.

Ma Tianhao's facial muscles twitched, but he didn't react.

Because the Heart-Eating Gu within him stopped its agitation the instant the bell appeared, curling up in a corner of his heart, trembling.

"President Ma, don't be so quick to get angry."

Zhou Ran stepped forward and flicked his finger on the bell.

when--!

Crisp and melodious.

The sound swept across the entire venue.

The sound of the bell was like a pair of invisible hands, soothing the restlessness in everyone's hearts and washing away the chilling aura brought by the Blood Corpse Jade.

In the corner, an old Taoist priest who had been dozing off suddenly jumped up, not even noticing that his sunglasses had fallen to the ground.

"The Soul-Suppressing Bell?!"

This is a soul-suppressing ritual artifact from the Tang Dynasty's Celestial Masters sect!

The old Taoist priest's voice trembled as he stared intently at the bell:

"Inscriptions seal away evil, bronze sounds cleanse the marrow..."

Priceless! This is absolutely priceless!

The wind direction reversed.

The savvy wealthy have changed their tune.

If it is indeed a magical artifact as the old Taoist priest said, then 500 million is not only not expensive, it's practically dirt cheap!

Zhou Ran, supporting the bell with one hand, looked at Ma Tianhao:

"Chairman Ma, trade this bell for your piece of broken land."

You won't lose out on this deal.

Ma Tianhao stared intently at the clock.

Of course he knew it was a good thing.

If one accepts the gift, one will be publicly humiliated and "sent to one's death."

If he doesn't accept it, he will not only miss out on a priceless treasure, but also confirm that he is blind to its value.

This kid has set a dead end for him.

"receive!

Why won't you accept it!

A hoarse, shrill voice came from behind the curtain backstage.

The sound was like two rusty iron pieces rubbing against each other, making one's eardrums ache.

A man completely shrouded in a black robe slowly walked out.

He wore a half-silver mask on his face, and with each step he took, the originally bright crystal chandeliers around him dimmed a little more.

A putrid stench of decaying corpses permeated the banquet hall.

"What a fine soul-suppressing bell."

The man in black robes stepped to the front of the stage, his greedy gaze fixed on the ancient bell through his mask:

"Perfect timing! My Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner is missing a main soul, and I'll take the spirit inside this bell!"

Upon seeing this person, the previously arrogant Ma Tianhao immediately stood up, respectfully stepped aside, and gave up the main seat.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

Senior Brother?

Zhou Ran's gaze narrowed slightly, a purple glint appearing in his eyes.

Early stage of foundation building.

It seems this is the real main course tonight: the evil cultivator sent by the Song family.

"People from the Wuji Sect?"

Zhou Ran asked.

"Wuji Sect, Fierce Ghost Fiend".

The man in black robes let out a strange laugh:

"Boy, you killed my junior brother Lingxu, ruining Young Master Song's grand plan."

We'll settle this score properly tonight!

See the picture poorly.

As the evil spirit finished speaking.

boom!

boom!

boom!

All the doors to the banquet hall were closed simultaneously.

Dozens of black-clad assassins wielding sharp blades poured out from the hidden door, surrounding the entire hall like an iron barrel.

What was supposed to be a lavish charity gala turned into a scene of carnage.

Cell phone signal dropped to zero.

The guests were in a panic, screams echoing throughout the room.

"Tonight, no one here will leave alive!"

The fierce ghost flicked its sleeve.

The lights in the lobby were turned off.

Only the ancient bronze bell emitted a faint blue light in the darkness, illuminating the hideous mask of the vengeful ghost.

In the darkness, Zhou Ran smiled.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket, took it off, and draped it over Lin Qingxue's shoulders without moving quickly.

"Qingxue, please help me get my clothes right, don't wrinkle them."

"Fatty, keep an eye on your wives."

After saying that, Zhou Ran turned around.

He was too lazy to move his wrists, and just stared at the fierce ghost as if he were looking at a dish about to be served.

"Finally stopped pretending?"

"Perfect timing, I'm just missing a ghost servant to ring this bell."

Judging from your soul, its quality is passable.

Zhou Ran!

"If you want to die, die yourself, don't drag us down with you!"

Under the table, Zhao Tianyu screamed hysterically, his voice trembling with sobs:

"Master! Master!"

This is all Zhou Ran's fault!

We don't know this kid well!

"Yes, yes, yes! Arrest him!"

Several rich kids also joined in the crying and shouting.

Zhou Ran didn't even turn his head.

"Noisy."

He picked up a bone china plate from the table.

My wrist trembled slightly.

call out!

The white porcelain plate blurred into a streak, precisely shaving off a large patch of hair from Zhao Tianyu's head before cutting deep into the solid wood leg.

"ah--!"

Zhao Tianyu felt a heat in his crotch, rolled his eyes, and fainted from fright.

The world is quiet now.

The fierce ghost watched this scene without any emotion in its eyes.

"He has some hidden strength."

However, mortal martial arts are a joke in the face of immortal techniques.

He spread his arms wide, his black robe billowing and fluttering behind him.

"Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour Souls!"

Waaaaah—!

A heart-wrenching cry echoed throughout the hall.

Countless black shadows emerged from his wide sleeves; they were the vengeful spirits he had cultivated over many years.

They hovered and shrieked in the air, carrying the stench of corpses and malevolent energy, transforming into a black storm that rushed straight towards Zhou Ran.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the red wine in the glass.

Everyone present felt as if their souls were being frozen and cracked, and a sense of despair spread through them.

Except for Zhou Ran.

Faced with a sky full of evil spirits, he not only did not hide, but instead tilted his head slightly and twitched his nostrils.

That's... appetite.

"If it were me in the past, I might have had to go through some trouble."

Zhou Ran licked his lips, and his originally dark pupils transformed into vertical purple-gold demonic eyes.

A terrifying aura from the ancient wilderness awakened within him.

"Unfortunately, you've met me now."