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

The food was served quickly.

Feng Lili's skills are truly exceptional.

The fresh aroma of wild mushrooms blends perfectly with the rich flavor of free-range chicken, resulting in a golden broth with an irresistible fragrance.

During the meal, Feng Lili would occasionally glance at Zhou Ran while serving tea and water.

The young man's eyes were too calm, too calm for someone his age.

Especially the way he looked at his daughter just now—there was no disgust, nor any condescending pity.

It was a kind of indifference that was hard to describe.

That look stirred something within her long-dormant heart.

Night was falling.

The town was fast asleep, with only the distant chirping of insects rising and falling in the darkness.

Zhou Ran sat cross-legged on the wooden bed in the guest room, guiding the sparse spiritual energy around him to circulate through his meridians.

Although the spiritual energy of southern Xinjiang is not as great as that of a paradise, it is much better than that of the concrete jungle of Wuhan.

His ears twitched almost imperceptibly.

A series of suppressed footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the door.

The footsteps stopped at his door, pacing back and forth, sometimes pausing, sometimes starting again, revealing hesitation and struggle.

Zhou Ran did not get up.

He doesn't want to get involved in cause and effect.

But if cause and effect come knocking on your door, that's a different story.

at last.

knock,

knock,

knock.

Three light knocks broke the silence inside the room.

Zhou Ran opened his eyes, his divine sense already penetrating the wooden door, taking in the appearance of the person coming from the future.

Standing outside the door was the proprietress, Feng Lili.

She removed her daytime makeup, her hair dripping with water droplets, draped over her shoulders.

She was wearing only a thin silk slip dress and holding a plate of cut fruit.

Her body tensed, and she gently unbuttoned the top button on the light gauze with one hand.

"Enter."

The door was pushed open.

Feng Lili walked in and closed the door behind her.

She didn't say anything, but placed the fruit plate on the table.

Then, under Zhou Ran's indifferent gaze, the woman who had been so charming during the day suddenly collapsed to the ground.

With a "thump".

Feng Lili knelt on the ground, her head bowed low, her hands gripping the hem of her nightgown tightly.

She let down all her guard, like a mother beast cornered on the edge of a cliff, with only the most primal plea left.

"Please, sir..."

"Save my daughter."

Her voice trembled, and the last syllable sounded like a sob.

Zhou Ran sat cross-legged on the bed, his expression unchanged. He neither got up to help her nor showed any surprise.

"How do you know I can save you?"

This woman is quite interesting.

Her alluring demeanor during the day was all an act; this pleading act is probably her last trump card.

Feng Lili raised her head, tears streaming down her clean face.

"I have a good eye for people."

She sniffed, her voice hoarse.

"That Mr. Qin has a lot of blood on his hands, he's menacing and a real ruthless character."

But the respect he showed you was more like that of a believer than a subordinate.

"and……

Only your gaze is different when you see Guan Qi.

"I have consulted many so-called 'masters' and 'spiritual mediums'."

They either think it's unlucky;

"Either they're trying to scam me out of my money, or even..."

Feng Li-Li's lips were bitten until they bled, and hatred flashed in her eyes.

"You're trying to take advantage of me."

"But I have a feeling that you are different from them."

Zhou Ran understood.

This woman does have some insight; she can see through the primary and secondary issues in front of an old hand like Qin San.

"You have to pay a price when you ask someone for a favor."

Thinking of this, Zhou Ran put his hands behind his back and paced to the window.

"You should understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

Feng Lili's body stiffened for a moment.

However, she had already anticipated this step.

"I see."

She forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and slowly straightened up.

Fingertips touched the straps of the suspenders on her shoulders.

Then, with a gentle flick.

The silk nightgown slid down her skin and bunched up at her waist.

Her snow-white skin glowed with a delicate sheen under the dim yellow light.

Even after giving birth, her figure still maintains an amazing curve, full and firm, with a unique charm that only mature women possess.

Tsk, the same old routine again.

Zhou Ran felt a bit bored; the script was far too cliché.

"If you find it agreeable, sir..."

Feng Lili closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering violently, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down her cheeks.

"I'd give my life to Guanqi if it could save him."

Feng Lili's body tensed, her eyelashes trembling, awaiting that rough hand, or an even more outrageous demand.

The anticipated violation did not occur.

In the cold air, only her own disordered breathing could be heard.

Feng Lili opened her eyes a crack, trembling.

Zhou Ran remained standing by the window, without even turning her head.

For a beautiful woman like Feng Lili, this was more humiliating than a direct insult.

"Sir...do you think I'm dirty?"

Feng Lili's voice broke down completely, trembling with sobs.

"Put your clothes on properly."

"Although I, Zhou, am not exactly a gentleman, I would never take advantage of someone in distress and find amusement by bullying a woman who has nowhere else to turn."

An invisible, gentle force suddenly appeared, supporting Feng Lili's arms and causing her to stand up involuntarily.

The silk nightgown that had slipped down to her waist returned to her shoulders, concealing the dazzling expanse of white skin.

Feng Lili froze completely.

This ability to control objects remotely was beyond her comprehension.

This isn't a "master," this is a true deity!

"Sir, I..."

She was filled with shame and guilt, her cheeks flushed red, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

"sit."

Zhou Ran pointed to the chair opposite him.

After Feng Lili sat down, looking lost and dejected, he slowly continued speaking.

"Now, let's get down to business."

"Since you are so certain that I can save your daughter, it must not be based on something as mystical as a woman's sixth sense."

Zhou Ran's gaze fell on her face, his eyes seeming to penetrate her skin and look straight into her soul.

"First, your little guesthouse, located in this remote border town where no one cares, has managed to stay safe and sound."

None of the thugs and peddlers at the gate dared to glance at your yard.

This means you're not an ordinary person, or that you have extraordinary people behind you.

"Secondly, you can tell at a glance that Qin San is my subordinate, not a friend in the same industry."

You yourself have said who Qin San is: a ruthless character with blood on his hands.

"If I can make someone like this submit so readily, you can naturally guess my importance."

"The most important point."

Zhou Ran leaned forward slightly, each word striking a chord in Feng Lili's heart.

"The things your daughter has gotten involved with are no ordinary things."

It doesn't belong to this dimension; ordinary Taoist priests and monks can't even see it, let alone exorcise it.

But you could vaguely sense its presence, even guiding my attention to it. This means you can "see" it.

Zhou Ran picked up the iced tea on the table and took a sip.

"Could a woman who can see into people's hearts, understand ghosts and spirits, and run a shop in this dangerous place be just an ordinary person?"

He put down his teacup with a soft sound.

"Your character design doesn't make sense."

Feng Lili's face turned ashen.

All her pretense and scheming were easily exposed in front of this young man, like children playing house.