NOVEL WEB Chapter 169
Yan Wumei's mind was in turmoil.
Xu Hao had drastically improved her strength in just a few days.
But now, he suddenly refused to teach her anymore.
She understood the reason.
Xu Hao was already incredibly powerful.
What man could endure this kind of temptation indefinitely?
"Uncle Xu… maybe you should go find Sister Wanqiu?"
"The training can wait…"
She didn't want to give up.
Then it hit her—Xu Hao had a wife! Her eyes lit up with hope.
"Wanqiu is six months pregnant."
Xu Hao sighed, his tone helpless.
No wonder he's so pent up…
Yan Wumei finally understood.
Su Wanqiu was pregnant—for the baby's sake, Xu Hao had to restrain himself.
What now?
She racked her brain for a solution.
When she looked up, she found Xu Hao staring at her—intently.
At first, she didn't get it.
Then it hit her like a lightning bolt.
Was he seriously considering… her?!
"U-Uncle Xu, no… we can't…" she stammered.
Xu Hao chuckled.
"You're Feiyan's sworn sister. I'd never do that to you."
Yan Wumei exhaled in relief.
So it was just a misunderstanding.
But before she could fully relax, Xu Hao suddenly leaned in, his breath hot against her ear as he whispered—
"But you could… do this… and that…"
Yan Wumei's eyes widened.
Her face cycled through shock, disbelief, and reluctant consideration.
It wasn't exactly what she'd feared… but it still involved her.
Just… a different approach.
Unconsciously, her lips pressed together.
Right now, this seemed like the only solution.
If she refused, Xu Hao would stop teaching her—and her Red Rose would be torn apart by those two factions.
Never.
Besides… compared to that, this alternative was… manageable.
The days of training had also softened her resistance.
Had Xu Hao suggested this on day one, she would've stormed out immediately.
Her expression flickered between embarrassment and frustration.
Finally, she clenched her teeth and muttered—
"…Just this once."
"You agree?" Xu Hao's lips curled.
Once?
Hah.
Once was just the beginning.
Yan Wumei slipped out of Xu Hao's study, her nerves frayed.
As she descended the stairs, she collided with Su Wanqiu—her belly prominently rounded.
One look at Yan Wumei's flushed face, and Su Wanqiu knew.
Amused, she feigned innocence.
"Wumei, have you seen Xu Hao? I couldn't find him in the courtyard."
Over the past few days, Yan Wumei had become a frequent visitor.
Su Wanqiu had grown fond of her—this "sworn sister" of her fifth daughter.
She'd always known Yan Wumei wouldn't escape Xu Hao's clutches.
And now, here we are.
"I-I don't know…" Yan Wumei's voice cracked.
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
This was Xu Hao's wife.
She felt like she'd been caught red-handed.
Even if they hadn't gone all the way… it was too close for comfort.
Su Wanqiu's gaze sharpened.
"Wumei, are you feeling unwell? You look feverish. We have some cooling medicine—let me get it for you."
Her tone dripped with faux concern.
This was hilarious.
Now she understood why her seventh daughter, Xu Huayi, loved teasing people so much.
Yan Wumei nearly choked.
"Feverish"?
Well… technically, yes.
But admitting it? Never.
"I… burned my tongue on hot water earlier. It's nothing."
Seeing her flustered state, Su Wanqiu took pity and dropped the act.
"Alright. But remember, this is your home too. Don't hesitate to ask for anything."
"Thank you…" Yan Wumei mumbled before fleeing.
Day Six
Yan Wumei returned, as promised.
With Xu Hao's "problem" resolved, their training resumed.
But soon—
"Wumei, you can feel it too. This isn't sustainable."
"I need your… help again."
Yan Wumei sighed.
Back to the study they went.
Day Seven
Day Eight
By now, she'd grown accustomed to it.
The [Emotional Points] from her dwindled—she was no longer as reactive.
Xu Hao decided it was time to escalate.
But first, the Lottery Draw
[Current Emotional Points: 220,000].
Xu Hao grinned.
Time to splurge.
1 Premium Draw. 12 Consecutive Draws.
[Ding… Congratulations! Reward: Luck +1!].
Xu Hao's eyes gleamed.
Finally!
It had been half a year since he last drew this stat.
Back then, his attributes were pitifully low—just 2 or 3 points each.
But after that first Luck +1, he'd never drawn below 4 or 5.
What blessings would it bring this time?
[Ding… Reward: 10 Free Attribute Points!].
Not bad for a start.
[Ding… Reward: Special Item—Ice Cream x10!].
(Effect: Slightly boosts strength. Only effective below the Transformation Realm.)
Xu Hao wasn't fazed.
The system loved tossing him these quirky consumables.
Strength-boosting ice cream?
Cute. But useless to him now.
[Ding… Reward: Characters—Six Peak Dark Force Realm Death Soldiers!].
His smirk widened.
Even though his organization, "Faceless," had spread globally, experts at this level were rare.
Six more elite fighters—a significant power boost.
[Ding… Reward: Item—Breakthrough Pill x5!].
(Effect: Breaks through realm barriers. One-time use per person. Effective up to the Transformation Realm.)
Xu Hao's pulse quickened.
This was huge.
If he took one now, he'd instantly reach Transformation Realm Peak.
But…
He clenched his fist, resisting the urge.
Too wasteful.
He'd been consolidating his strength at this stage.
Better to save it—use it to shatter the next realm when he hit the peak.
Patience.
Or… keep it as a trump card for emergencies.
Anyway, the elixir is in his hands now.
This should be considered the biggest gain from this round of draws.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Item: Ten Bottles of Wine…].
No special effects.
Just ordinary wine.
But since it's produced by the system, it must taste amazing.
Having just drawn something good,
he wouldn't complain about this.
Continue.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Skill: Throwing Daggers (Master Level)…].
A surge of memories flooded his mind.
Xu Hao had long grown accustomed to knowledge infusion, so he felt no discomfort at all.
No headaches like before.
It was all about dagger-throwing techniques.
After absorbing the information, Xu Hao fell silent.
What was his identity?
A billionaire.
What use did he have for a dagger-throwing skill? To become an assassin?
Of course not…
But on second thought, it wasn't entirely useless.
He could pair it with his telekinesis.
Before, he used telekinesis to control silver needles—now, with this dagger skill, his precision would be even sharper.
He could hit any target he wanted.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Characters: 100 Dark Force Initial Stage Death Soldiers…].
Excellent.
His high-ranking subordinates were at the Transformed Force level—
equivalent to top-tier assassins like those from the Netherworld Organization.
Dark Force experts were the backbone.
Xu Hao only had one thing to say: the more, the better.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Characters: 1,000 Bright Force Mid-Stage Death Soldiers…].
Damn.
Bright Force warriors were the basic tier, but they were still essential.
A thousand death soldiers—very nice.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—12 Free Attribute Points…].
Not bad, an increase.
Keep going.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Skill: Driving (God Level)…].
A massive amount of information poured into his mind.
Another god-level skill had appeared.
Some might ask—
Was this driving skill legit?
This time, there were no tricks.
It was completely legitimate.
No matter what type of vehicle, Xu Hao felt an unparalleled mastery.
The car would feel like an extension of his body.
He could drive however he wanted.
He could even pull off insane stunts behind the wheel.
But—
A billionaire CEO driving himself?
What a joke.
What were all his subordinates for?
This skill was even more useless than the dagger-throwing one.
Still, it was a god-level skill after all.
If, hypothetically, the protagonist son returned one day and Xu Hao couldn't defeat him—
at least this would be an escape skill.
With god-level driving, who could outmaneuver him?
Xu Hao could only console himself with that thought.
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—15 Free Attribute Points…].
Fifteen points?
This was the highest number of attribute points he had ever drawn in one go.
The +1 Luck stat really made a difference.
The regular draws ended, and now it was time for premium draws.
Xu Hao perked up slightly.
With the Luck buff,
what would the premium draw give him this time?
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You have drawn the reward—Star Submission Pill (One)…].
(Star Submission Pill: After consumption, the target will unconditionally obey your commands—but only in action, not in heart. Effective only on Dark Force and below. Does not work on protagonists with plot armor.)
Well then…
This pill sounded shady just from its name.
And its actual use was even shadier.
So, the target would obey his orders in action but remain unwilling in their heart?
Interesting.
If two people had a deep-seated grudge,
you could force the other to do whatever you wanted—while they seethed with hatred but had no choice but to comply.
It wasn't the kind of pill that brainwashed someone into slavery.
This was actually quite intriguing.
Xu Hao's first thought was the protagonist.
If he could force the protagonist to take it,
he could order him to hand over the female lead.
The protagonist would rage internally but have no choice but to obey—maximizing emotional value.
But since it didn't work on protagonists, Xu Hao dismissed the idea.
If not the protagonist, then the female lead…
The same logic applied.
And the pill's name fit the female lead even better.
Images of various women flashed through his mind—
all the female leads he had encountered over the past six months.
Some he had already subdued, others not yet.
Xu Hao began plotting.
In the end, he stored the pill away.
None of them were the right fit yet.
Those female leads could be conquered step by step—using this Star Submission Pill now would be a waste.
He'd save it for a more suitable target later…
The draws concluded.
Xu Hao began tallying his gains.
Thirty-seven free attribute points.
Without hesitation, he allocated 17 to Strength and 10 each to Constitution and Spirit.
A familiar warmth surged through him.
Moments later, his eyes gleamed.
His status panel appeared:
[Character]: Xu Hao
[Identity]: Controller of the Xu Corporation
[Charm]: 95 (Max 100)
[Strength]: 871 (Transformed Force Late Stage)
[Constitution]: 677 (Average Person: 10)
[Spirit]: 599 (Average Person: 10)
[Skills]: Close Combat (Master Level), Painting (Master Level), Calligraphy (God Level), Piano (Master Level), Music (Grandmaster Level), Tea Ceremony (God Level), Firearms (Grandmaster Level), Mastery of Eighteen Weapons (Master Level), Assassination (Master Level), Chess (Master Level), Tai Chi (God Level), Medicine (Master Level), Gambling (Master Level), Sculpting (Grandmaster Level), Throwing Daggers (Master Level), Driving (God Level)…
[Items]: God-Slaying Dagger, Immortal-Binding Rope, Universal Key, Red String of Fate, Little Whip, Breakthrough Pill (Five), Star Submission Pill (One)…
[Special Abilities]: Personal Storage Space (10 Cubic Meters), Teleportation, Deceptive Kidneys, Telekinesis, X-Ray Vision, Danger Sense, Lightning Control, Dual Cultivation, Poison Immunity
[Emotional Value]: 4869
[Free Attributes]: 0
Xu Hao's punch had been too brutal.
And it had landed precisely on a pressure point.
Luo Yan had been bedridden for over ten days.
Today, he could finally walk again.
Normal movement was fine, but using his full strength was still out of the question.
He needed more time to recover.
Once he regained mobility, Luo Yan immediately went to the Red Rose Club to find Yan Wumei.
Having been back for half a year, he had built some connections.
He knew about the incident a few days ago where the Red Rose Club was nearly wiped out by two major forces.
At the time, he had been stuck in bed, powerless—utterly frustrated…
Arriving at the nightclub where he usually worked,
he asked around but was told Yan Wumei wasn't there.
She had been leaving early and returning late these past few days—no one knew what she was up to.
Luo Yan frowned, racking his brain—until his eyes suddenly sharpened.
An image of Xu Hao flashed through his mind…
Yan Wumei was currently under threat from two major forces. She must be desperate to increase her strength.
Xu Hao had once helped her reach the Dark Force Late Stage.
But what kind of person was Xu Hao?
A ruthless, deeply scheming old fox.
He had openly admitted his interest in Yan Wumei.
For her to seek him out now was like a lamb walking into a wolf's den.
Luo Yan's heart lurched—a terrible premonition surged within him.
Panicked, he rushed straight to the Xu family estate…