Chapter 174 Ominous

The next morning, the curtains were drawn tight, and faint sunlight seeped through the gaps, making the entire room quiet and dim. Guan Ya gradually woke up and subconsciously reached out her arm for her lover, who she shared a bed with, only to find the space empty.

Still not fully awake, she frowned slightly, then her thick eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her beautiful eyes to look. The pillow beside her was empty. Just that one glance made her mood, after waking up on such a beautiful morning, suddenly turn sour. But immediately, as if sensing something, she turned over and looked towards the desk. A figure sat there, the blue light from the screen illuminating his face. The surrounding area was dark, highlighting his handsome, clean-cut features.

Guan Ya's heart instantly calmed, and her usually quiet and beautiful mixed-race face immediately came alive. Her voice held a hint of sweetness and laziness as she nibbled on potato chips and said, "Getting into the 'wise man' time so early in the morning?"

"Woman, you're playing with fire again. Have you forgotten who was crying and begging for mercy last night?" Zhang Yuanqing glanced over, scoffing.

He saw Guan Ya sitting up, hugging the covers, her long, beautiful legs dangling off the bed and onto the floor as she leaned over to pick up the nightgown scattered at the foot of the bed. This posture allowed Zhang Yuanqing to clearly see the smooth curve of her jade back.

As delicate as the finest jade, but without the boniness of a young girl, instead, it had the plumpness unique to mature women. An enchanting woman... Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, averted his gaze, and looked back at the computer.

Guan Ya put on her nightgown and walked to the desk, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. "You're looking at dungeon guides... oh, you're about to enter a dungeon soon. I think this time it's a multiplayer dungeon?"

Zhang Yuanqing hummed in agreement. "The dungeon guides from the Taiyi Sect are almost useless, but I still have to look at them; just in case." Based on his performance in the Yáshan Sea, the worst-case scenario for the next dungeon was another 6-carrying-4 situation. The most optimistic case would be an S-grade dungeon.

Just imagine, when your items and trump cards can easily kill a level 4 Saint and fight a level 5 Saint, and even go toe-to-toe with an early-stage level 6 Saint, would the Lingjing let you continue to enjoy yourself in a dungeon of the corresponding level? The Lingjing has an effective balancing mechanism.

A situation of a level 6 carrying a level 4 is rare in the matching mechanism, but rare doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The reason for its rarity is likely that most people don't have enough points. When your hidden points are high enough, maybe matching with a high-level Saint becomes the norm.

However, this phenomenon is probably only known to a select few geniuses, such as the Marshal and the Demon Lord, who also advanced rapidly and reached the peak of the Master level in a short period. Guan Ya rested her pointed chin on his shoulder and said softly, "Come back safely! Maybe once my rating improves, I can get matched with you in the same dungeon."

Since deciding to level up properly, she no longer deliberately stalled her level. After her outstanding performance in the Slaughter Dungeon, Guan Ya's current rating is stable at A-grade. For her, an A-grade script is a dungeon that she has to risk everything to complete. In the last "Lin'an Strange Case," she faced three life-or-death crises and almost died inside. It was hard to imagine how Yuanshi had survived so many S-grade dungeons in the past.

"I have a lot of treasures now; even if I face a level 6 powerhouse, I can hold on for a while." Zhang Yuanqing turned his head and lightly kissed her red lips, and the two began to kiss passionately, their breathing gradually becoming heavy.

At this moment, the phone on the desk chimed, it was Guan Ya's phone with the constellation stickers. Guan Ya raised her head, reached out and picked up the phone to check the message, her expression suddenly changed: "My mom is coming to Songhai tomorrow."

"She's acting so fast... I thought the mother-in-law would be like a villainous boss, disdainfully giving me time to develop..." Zhang Yuanqing instinctively gritted his teeth, then rolled up his sleeves to welcome the first step of happiness, starting with slaying the mother-in-law. Guan Ya said: "7:30 PM, at the entrance of the Fùjiā Wān villa complex."

A black business car arrived at the complex, and Yin Ji, sitting in the back seat, heard a sharp honk outside the window.

She lowered the window and turned her head to look. A blue sports car was parked by the side of the road, and a handsome young man sat in the driver's seat. The young man raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "Beauty, get in the car, this Venerable will take you for a ride."

Yin Ji was not used to his familiar attitude, but looking at his smiling face, her usually gloomy mood was inexplicably lighter. She nodded slightly and opened the car door.

Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized the Demon Lord's widow as she stepped out of the business car towards him. She was still wearing a layered black silk dress, with delicate lace trim on the hem.

Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, a black veil covered her face, and her eyes were calm and beautiful. Her temperament was ethereal and mysterious, hiding a sense of nobility, like an elf of the black moon. The orange light from the streetlights shone on her face, adding a touch of warmth. *Bang.*

Yin Ji got into the car and gently closed the door.

In her calm, dark eyes, faint starlight appeared as she said, "Master gave me two magical items to guard against accidents. Before the meeting, we should take precautions to avoid falling into the enemy's trap..."

A few seconds later, she smiled and said, "Congratulations."

The Yuangong was shining brightly, indicating that Yuanshi Tianzun was in the stage of passionate love, but there was also a faint haze lingering. So, Yin Ji kindly reminded, "Your relationship will have twists and turns in the near future." Zhang Yuanqing started the car and merged into the traffic, lamenting, "My mother-in-law and future father-in-law don't agree with my marriage to my girlfriend." Yin Ji was stunned again and smiled, "With your status and position, it's hard to imagine the girl's parents would object."

"Because they have better options." Zhang Yuanqing turned the steering wheel and steered the car onto the elevated road, helplessly saying, "My girlfriend is a direct descendant of the Fù family. The Fù family originally wanted her to marry into the Miller family of the Heavenly Punishment. In Fù Qingyang's words, this is a project worth hundreds of billions, with a high return rate and low risk."

"And I am a commoner, with no assets, no power, no money, only illusory potential. The risk is high, the effect is slow, and the return rate drops to zero if I die in the Lingjing one day."

"On the other hand, marrying into the Miller family, it doesn't matter if that kid dies. Their goal is to cooperate with the Miller family, not to cooperate with that kid."

Hearing this, Yin Ji frowned, taking a pessimistic view of Yuanshi Tianzun's relationship.

She came from a powerful force, and although sects and families were different and wouldn't force their members into marriage, she had at least seen the practice, even if she hadn't partaken. The marriage of Lingjing aristocratic families was not like what was portrayed in TV dramas, capable of moving heaven and earth, and moving the future mother-in-law.

Just as Yuanshi Tianzun said, marriage was a major project involving the development of families and forces, with immeasurable benefits behind it. Could you simply refuse to marry if you didn't want to? In front of the family, most clansmen did not have the right to negotiate, unless they were extraordinary geniuses.

Although Yuanshi Tianzun had limitless prospects, as he said, the risk was high and the effect was slow, and there was a possibility of the investment being wiped out. Compared to that, the Miller family had a low risk and a high return. As an investor, the choice was self-evident.

The conversation should have ended here, and shouldn't have continued, but Yin Ji didn't know why, but a surge of curiosity arose in her heart, and she asked, "Then, what do you plan to do?" Zhang Yuanqing said calmly, "Naturally, I will fight to the end."

"But fighting may not have good results, and it will implicate you," Yin Ji said.

"What's there to fear? I am a member of the official faction, what can the Fù family do to me? I will get Guan Ya pregnant first and cook the rice. They can only grudgingly accept it." Zhang Yuanqing was full of momentum, and then said, "But her mother is also very experienced, and she saw through my wolfish ambitions, not giving me a chance and flying to Songhai. I haven't figured out how to appease her yet."

"Yes, you have an official identity," Yin Ji murmured to herself. After all, it was different, they were facing relationship problems, not life-and-death problems. The teacher's stern reprimand seemed to ring in her ears again: "If you want him to die, you continue to stay with him, and next time, if other elders come to the door, the headquarters will not spare his life." After a few seconds of silence, she couldn't help but ask: "What about her? Isn't she afraid of implicating you? The Fù family elders are known for their strictness, even if she is not afraid of implicating you, how will she resist the family?"

Yin Ji was a bit talkative today. Zhang Yuanqing said frankly, "Since we decided to be together, we will naturally share the risks together. She said that if the Fù family dared to intervene violently, then she would make herself an orphan." Yin Ji was stunned.

After that, she didn't speak again, just staring blankly at the scenery outside the window, the night wind messing up her hair, and swaying her skirt, like a sad lilac flower. Half an hour later, the blue sports car drove away from Songhai and arrived in Jinshan City. Yin Ji, who had been silent all the way, finally spoke.

Zhang Yuanqing parked the car on the side of the road, watching her take out a tortoise shell from the inventory and hand it over. "Shake it three times to the left, three times to the right, it can measure your recent fortune."

"This divination tool complements astrology, adding a layer of insurance."

She should have taken it out at the beginning, but the conversation with Yuanshi Tianzun reminded her of the past, and she only remembered it now.

Zhang Yuanqing took the tortoise shell, like a fortune teller, raised it high and shook it three times to the left and three times to the right, and there was a clanging sound inside the tortoise shell. He tilted the tortoise shell and poured out the copper coins.

Three large copper coins were laid out in the palm of his hand. Zhang Yuanqing looked down and then looked up at Yin Ji, "How is it?"

He was not the owner of the tortoise shell, nor a Fangshi, and could not understand the hexagram. Yin Ji's pupils shrank, "A sign of great misfortune!" "What?" Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.

Yin Ji repeated, "A sign of great misfortune, you will have a life-threatening danger in the near future."

After saying that, Yin Ji opened her starry eyes again and scrutinized Yuanshi Tianzun's face, and found that the misfortune palace was clear, and there was no sign of a bloody disaster. Astrology and divination were in conflict. *I'm in danger again, can't you let me have a few days of peace? I just shared a bed with Guan Ya...* Zhang Yuanqing was filled with resentment.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't think the divination of the tortoise shell was wrong. The Taiyin fragment had its own thoughts and would grant secrets when necessary, just like in the Slaughter Dungeon, when大佬were spying outside the dungeon, it would automatically shield the full moon mark. But most of the time, it did not interfere. That is to say, he really had a big crisis recently.

Yin Ji picked up the tortoise shell, shook it three times to the left and right, poured out the copper coins, and the hexagram displayed by the copper coins made her frown again. Her hexagram was safe, which meant that only Yuanshi Tianzun would have a big crisis. Yin Ji pondered for a few seconds and analyzed, "The crisis should not be from tonight's meeting, otherwise I would be the same as you. Astrology can only see short-term fate, no more than one day, while the hexagram predicts the near future, the time is longer. Are you going to enter a dungeon recently?"

"Yes," Zhang Yuanqing nodded suddenly. "The big crisis predicted by the hexagram comes from the dungeon?"

"Well, it is also possible that it comes from my mother-in-law hiring someone to kill me," he added in his heart. Yin Ji's eyes were filled with worry.

"Let's go meet the people from the Southern Faction first, we'll talk about the dungeon later." Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his heavy emotions, not wanting to pass them on to Yin Ji, and smiled, "Every dungeon I enter is a life-or-death crisis, I'm used to it."

Yin Ji wanted to say something but stopped, but Zhang Yuanqing didn't give her a chance to speak, stepped on the accelerator, and returned to the road. Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the agreed location:

The office of a small logistics company.

In the office of a dozen square meters, packages were piled up in a mess, and only two chairs were occupied by the bright and generous, fair-faced, Xiao Yuan.

The other chair was occupied by Kou Beiyue, with a club boss's posture for leading the negotiation. The real protagonist, little fatty Xue Zichen, stood obediently aside. Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji entered the office. Kou Beiyue spoke first, his eyes sharp, and his tone low: "Whether this negotiation is successful or not depends on the sincerity of the Taiyi Sect..." Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yuanqing strode forward, picked up his collar and threw him aside: "Go away! Adults are talking, children stay aside."

Kou Beiyue staggered, fortunately Xiao Fatty Xue Zichen supported him, so he didn't fall. He glared at Yuanshi Tianzun, but didn't dare to speak his anger. Zhang Yuanqing motioned for Mingyue to sit down, then looked at Xiao Yuan, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and said with a smile: "Aunt Xiao Yuan."

She was still so beautiful and cold, her aura strong. Sitting there, she had the temperament of a wealthy family's wife, and even the gentle and kind Yin Ji was suppressed by her.

Seeing Xiao Yuan appear here, he breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that Master Wu Hen would also be watching this negotiation. The master was still reliable and didn't believe in the integrity of the Southern Faction, so he sent Xiao Yuan to supervise.

It was also possible that Xiao Yuan heard about this negotiation and deliberately came to sit in town. She had a Dream Jade Talisman, so her coming meant that Master Wu Hen also came. Xiao Yuan had a cold face and ignored him.

*What's wrong again, I haven't offended her recently, this woman is really, hot and cold,* Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt that perhaps the reliable one was Master Wu Hen. If Xiao Yuan cared about his safety, why would she still give him a cold shoulder? Yin Ji looked at Xiao Yuan and said softly: "What is the plan of your Southern Faction?" At this time, the little fatty weakly raised his hand: "Um, I am the envoy of the Southern Faction." Yin Ji looked at him, a question mark flashed in her eyes: ps: I will correct the typos later.