NOVEL WEB Chapter 166
"You're absolutely right. That Yan Wumei is as seductive as a fox—she needs to be taught a lesson."
"Your aunt is the Queen of the Legal World. Conquering her will be quite entertaining… and that little loli too..."
Hearing Xu Hao openly admit his intentions toward Yan Wumei,
then declaring his plans to target his elegant and noble aunt,
and even going so far as to include her young daughter—
Luo Yan could no longer hold back.
His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead.
Gritting his teeth, he spat out three words:
"You… are… dead…"
With a heavy stomp, he cracked the hard asphalt beneath him,
leaving a small crater—proof of his fury.
In the next instant, he turned into a blur,
charging straight at Xu Hao with killing intent.
Luo Yan wasn't acting recklessly or underestimating his enemy.
He moved with the agility of a top-tier assassin,
his figure ghostly under the moonless sky.
Xu Hao had never revealed his aura or shown his strength,
but Luo Yan could tell from his unshaken demeanor—
he was at least at the Transformation Realm, possibly even mid-stage like him.
As for being stronger? Impossible.
Luo Yan had investigated Xu Hao.
A self-made billionaire, constantly buried in work—
reaching the Transformation Realm was already a miracle.
How could he be stronger?
Luo Yan had spent years in the dark world, fighting daily,
and had only reached mid-stage.
There was no way Xu Hao surpassed him.
[Ding… Luo Yan's rage surges, +987 emotional value…].
As Luo Yan closed in for the kill,
Xu Hao stood motionless,
casually waving Bai Ling aside.
Bai Ling stepped back, ashamed.
She was still too weak.
Facing a Transformation Realm expert,
she couldn't even protect her master—instead, she needed his protection.
Her eyes flickered with determination,
her gaze locked onto the battle.
If Xu Hao were in danger, she'd throw herself into the fray without hesitation.
Xu Hao had deliberately provoked Luo Yan for one reason—
to farm emotional value.
And it was working.
The points kept rolling in.
Plus, his words had shaken Luo Yan's mentality,
creating openings in his attacks.
Not that it mattered.
Xu Hao's strength was more than enough to crush him.
But as a seasoned schemer, he knew caution was key in this world of protagonists.
As an antagonist, he couldn't afford carelessness.
Even if Luo Yan spread his words, warning the female leads, who would believe him?
They'd only watch helplessly as Xu Hao conquered them one by one.
In the end, Luo Yan was powerless.
Now that Xu Hao had grown stronger,
he no longer needed to tread as carefully.
All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Luo Yan's ghostly figure suddenly appeared behind him,
fist aimed straight at his heart.
But—
To Luo Yan's shock,
his punch hit nothing but air.
Xu Hao's form flickered,
vanishing before his eyes.
His speed… was even faster?!
Luo Yan's eyes widened.
He had believed his movement skills were among the best in the dark world.
Yet Xu Hao's were superior.
What kind of businessman was this?!
If someone told him Xu Hao was some hidden dark-world monster,
he'd have believed it.
At the same time,
he sensed the energy radiating from Xu Hao—
Late-stage Transformation Realm.
Luo Yan's mind reeled.
It was like a meteor crashing into the ocean,
sending shockwaves through his thoughts.
A self-made tycoon, buried in work,
was actually a late-stage Transformation expert—
stronger than him, a top assassin who had fought for over a decade.
Was he insane?
Or was the world insane?
Shaking off his disbelief,
Luo Yan twisted his stance,
sealing Xu Hao's escape routes with precision.
His fist shot out at a bizarre angle,
aiming for a lethal strike.
But—
Xu Hao had already predicted his move.
He sidestepped effortlessly.
Luo Yan attacked again and again,
but each strike missed.
Not even a single thread of Xu Hao's clothes was touched.
A cold realization settled in Luo Yan's heart.
Xu Hao's movement skills were far beyond his.
Today's battle was hopeless.
Stronger, faster, how was he supposed to teach Xu Hao a lesson?
If anything, he was the one being schooled.
Luo Yan wasn't stubborn.
As an assassin, he knew the rule—
Strike once, escape a thousand miles.
He decided to retreat.
Revenge could wait.
He was still young, with room to grow.
Xu Hao was already in his fifties,
only a minor realm above him.
He'd surpass him eventually.
But, did Xu Hao allow him to leave?
In a flash, Xu Hao appeared beside him,
so fast Luo Yan couldn't react.
—Divine-Level Taichi Fist!
A single punch struck a critical pressure point.
Xu Hao's Master-Level Medical Knowledge gave him perfect understanding of the human body,
amplifying the damage.
Luo Yan was sent flying again,
crashing into the asphalt with enough force to leave a human-shaped crater.
This time, he couldn't get up immediately.
The impact sent him skidding another dozen meters,
his back scraping against the rough road,
leaving a bloody trail.
This was the power of a Transformation Realm expert.
It was also why Luo Yan hadn't attacked earlier, he feared collateral damage to Yan Wumei and the others.
And this was just a single punch.
If they had truly clashed,
the entire street would have been destroyed.
Luo Yan lay in a pool of blood,
fingers twitching weakly.
Every breath sent agony through his shattered organs,
his back burning like fire.
He tried to push himself up—
but the moment he moved,
a tearing pain erupted inside him.
His organs convulsed.
A mouthful of blood sprayed out.
His body collapsed again.
Thud.
Luo Yan stared blankly at the sky,
where the clouds had parted,
letting moonlight wash over his pale face.
His eyes were hollow, his spirit broken.
That one punch had shattered his confidence.
How… is Xu Hao this strong?
Is this really just late-stage Transformation?
It felt like even Peak Transformation wouldn't compare.
Just how powerful was Xu Hao's true strength?
Could he really protect Yan Wumei… and the mother-daughter pair?
[Ding… Luo Yan falls into despair, emotional value +1000…].
Glancing at Luo Yan, who now lay like a beaten dog, Xu Hao waved his hand, signaling Bai Ling to drive them home.
After that punch, Luo Yan wouldn't be causing trouble anytime soon.
He'd be lying low, recovering at home.
And in that time, many things could happen.
By the time Luo Yan resurfaced, Yan Wumei—that fox-like enchantress—would likely already be under Xu Hao's control.
That was precisely why Xu Hao had taken action against Luo Yan.
He was ready to make his move on Yan Wumei.
If he hadn't dealt with Luo Yan first, the man would've interfered with his plans.
Speaking of that bewitching female lead…
Ever since their last "hands-on" training session—where Xu Hao had teased her to the point of ecstasy—Yan Wumei hadn't visited him again.
She had grown wary of him.
But that didn't matter.
Xu Hao already had a plan for this vixen, who was both mentor and friend to her daughter.
Hm?
Bai Ling didn't open the car door for Xu Hao as usual.
Instead, she knelt before him on one knee.
"Master, please assign me to 'Faceless'. I'm too weak to protect you…"
Her voice was thick with shame, but her words were firm.
She kept her head lowered.
Xu Hao raised an eyebrow.
After today's events, it was clear Bai Ling couldn't keep up anymore.
Against even an average Transformation Realm expert, let alone a mid-stage one, she stood no chance.
Should he replace her?
He mentally reviewed his late-stage Transformation death squad—none were suitable for this role.
For now, this would have to do.
He'd find a replacement later.
Xu Hao motioned for Bai Ling to rise.
Relieved that he at least considered her request, she exhaled softly.
Staying by his side was an honor, but her inability to protect him only deepened her guilt.
As Bai Ling drove, Xu Hao sat in the backseat, contemplating how to subdue Yan Wumei.
Ding.
A notification chimed.
Bai Ling glanced at the message, then reported:
"Master, the agents you sent have arrived."
"Good. Let them begin."**
Xu Hao's order was calm.
He had instructed 'Faceless'—his shadow organization—to dispatch two Peak Dark Force experts.
Their purpose?
To apply pressure on Yan Wumei.
Since she was avoiding him out of fear, he'd give her a reason to return.
She thought her recent breakthrough to late-stage Dark Force made her safe from the other two major factions?
Then he'd tip the scales.
He sent the two agents to infiltrate the rival factions.
For the past six months, these two groups had allied to crush Yan Wumei's Crimson Rose faction.
But with Xu Hao's help, Yan Wumei had reached late-stage Dark Force, balancing the power struggle.
Now, these two new players would shatter that balance.
They'd make her desperate.
And when she came begging for help—
That's when he'd claim her.
Of course, the two agents would die afterward.
No trace would lead back to him.
As 'Faceless' expanded, it had absorbed many—some willing, others coerced.
But only his death squad formed the true core.
The rest were disposable.
And these two?
Rebellious outsiders, perfect pawns to discard after use.
Villa Meeting – Green Dragon Hall
A dozen men sat in tense silence inside a lavish villa.
At the head of the table, a burly, imposing man—the Hall Master—spoke first:
"Speak up. How do we deal with Crimson Rose? We're one of the Three Great Underworld Powers, yet allying with Tyrant's Gang just to crush them is humiliating."
"And after half a year, we still haven't succeeded. What face do we have left?"
This was a high-level meeting of the Green Dragon Hall, one of the three dominant underworld factions.
Their alliance with Tyrant's Gang was meant to swiftly eliminate Crimson Rose, then decide the ultimate ruler of the underground.
Yet, after six months, Crimson Rose still stood.
One elder stood and proposed:
"Our three factions are evenly matched. The reason we've made no progress is mutual distrust between us and Tyrant's Gang."
"We should sign a pact with them—focus all forces on Crimson Rose, with a one-month truce between us."
Many nodded in agreement.
Neither side had committed their full strength, fearing the other would exploit their weakness post-battle.
But another elder scoffed:
"A pact? Worthless. Before, it might've worked. But now? Yan Wumei has broken through to the late-stage Dark Force."
"If she goes all-out against one of us, who can stop her? And do you really think our 'ally' would help us then?"
"No—they'd stab us in the back."
Arguments erupted.
Finally, someone sighed:
"In the end, we're just too weak. If we had a late-stage or Peak Dark Force expert, crushing Crimson Rose would be effortless."
Silence fell.
The truth stung.
Just as the Hall Master was about to speak—
BANG!
The doors burst open.
A panicked subordinate rushed in:
"Hall Master! An intruder—he's too strong! None of our men can stop him!"
Before anyone could react, a lean, sharp-eyed man strolled in.
"Ah, everyone's here. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down."
One elder roared and charged—
Only to be sent flying into a wall, bones shattered.
Gasps filled the room.
The Hall Master's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
His instincts screamed: Run.
Because this intruder's aura—
Peak Dark Force.
"W-What do you want?" the Hall Master forced out.
The man smirked.
"I'm here to join you."
Meanwhile – Tyrant's Gang
A similar scene unfolded.
The underworld, once balanced, now teetered on the edge of chaos.
And behind it all, Xu Hao's scheme against Yan Wumei had begun.