Xu Mu couldn't help but laugh when he saw Jiang Huihui's expression.
This heroic, confident, handsome-yet-beautiful woman looked unexpectedly adorable now.
"So, are you taking it or not?"
Xu Mu held up the Qi Sea Pill again.
"Don't think you can win me over with a single pill. I'm not that cheap!"
Jiang Huihui slipped her trembling jade hand into her pocket, then nervously popped a piece of gum into her mouth.
"This pill's yours—on one condition. You work for me for a year."
That was Xu Mu's real intention. Judging from her powerful cultivation technique, her background was clearly extraordinary.
And she had a strong sense of justice—if she agreed, she'd definitely keep her word.
In Xu Mu's eyes, a Qi Sea Pill was a fair price to hire someone like her.
At the current pace of development, within a year the so-called hidden clans wouldn't even be worth worrying about.
By then, the only ones who could compete with him would be the great sects.
So naturally, Jiang Huihui wouldn't need to "work" any longer.
"I refuse! You say it's work, but you're really trying to take advantage of me, aren't you?"
Her face turned cold.
[Favorability −1]
Sure enough—men were all the same.
"You're overthinking. I already have a wife."
"Exactly! Men with wives are the worst offenders—they think it's more exciting that way!"
Jiang Huihui stepped right up to him. "Get off my scooter."
"You sure know a lot," Xu Mu said lightly. "Even if I did want to take advantage of you, do you think I could actually do it?"
She frowned—he… had a point.
If she swallowed this pill, there was at least a 50% chance she'd advance to the Mystic Art Realm.
There was no way someone like Xu Mu could overpower her.
"Then what do you mean by 'work'?" she asked, hands still in her pockets.
"You've probably looked into my family. We've been expanding too fast, and that's bound to attract jealousy from hidden clans and other experts."
Xu Mu glanced at her. "The last assassin was hired by the Fengs. The one before that—by Lin Yang."
"So you want me to protect you?"
"Not just me. If you work for me, you follow my orders. Whoever I tell you to protect—you protect. I won't make you harm anyone, and you'll still earn your points. If you don't like that, we part ways here."
[Favorability +20]
Hearing that, Jiang Huihui blushed with embarrassment. She'd completely misjudged him.
When Xu Mu turned to leave, she hurried forward and grabbed his arm. "Brother Xu Mu, I was wrong! Don't go!"
She felt genuinely guilty—he'd only been thinking of her, and she'd assumed the worst.
"If we're not on the same path, there's no need to force it. I can give this Qi Sea Pill to someone else."
Xu Mu's tone was calm as he pulled his hand free.
"Brother, there are people around. Once we're alone, can I kneel and apologize?"
She rushed behind him and hugged his waist, resting her face against his back. "Don't go, please—I was wrong."
If she could reach the Mystic Art Realm, her power would easily match a sanitation squad captain's.
Even if she didn't win the title, she'd at least have a valid reason for the future.
"Let me go."
Xu Mu remained stoic.
"Boss, my phone's open for you 24 hours a day. Call anytime."
She took out her gum and offered him a piece. "Here—let's forget what just happened."
"Ha. You sure know how to talk."
He took the gum. "One year. Always on call."
"I promise!" she said, raising her hand in oath.
"Then it's yours."
Only then did Xu Mu hand her the Qi Sea Pill.
She sniffed it once, then swallowed it in one gulp.
As the power inside her began to surge, she confirmed—it was genuine.
What she didn't understand was why he didn't use such a precious pill himself, and instead gave it to her.
He hadn't originally planned to give it at all—he'd only offered it after seeing her depressed.
Wasn't that just to cheer her up?
And he claimed he didn't like her? What a bunch of excuses!
She tried to calm herself and asked, "Where to next?"
"Just drop me at the office, then you can go."
Xu Mu had already decided how to deal with Yun Wu.
Normally, he'd consider this method shameful—perhaps even immoral.
But since Yun Wu wanted him dead, he felt no guilt whatsoever.
When they returned to the Yang City branch, Xu Mu let Jiang Huihui go.
Before leaving, she told him not to go out for a few days—the assassin would definitely return.
After seeing her off, Xu Mu drove back to Jiang City.
It was simple logic—after an assassination attempt, most people would hole up at home.
He figured Yun Wu would think the same.
So this time, Xu Mu would wait for her to come.
Back at his villa, he took from his storage space a faint pink herb—
Spring Night Grass, a Grade-3 heavenly treasure.
It was the same poison that had once afflicted Xia Sihan.
Originally, Xu Mu—being a "righteous" man—hadn't intended to use something so base.
But against an enemy who wanted him dead, he had no qualms.
Of course, he wasn't the kind to take advantage of the helpless.
He was, after all, a good person.
At worst, he'd use some Judo techniques later… to "fulfill her dream."
A Grade-3 heavenly treasure like this could unleash enormous potency in his hands.
Using his personal mini-furnace, he refined two pills, blending in several catalysts to enhance the Spring Night Grass's effect.
He looked at the dark-red pills in his palm. "This stuff's vicious. A normal person wouldn't survive it."
He then took a small vial, crushed one pill inside, and mixed it with water until it turned pale red.
Into that liquid, he dipped a dagger and a few silver needles, letting them soak before sealing them in his storage space.
Spring Night Grass worked best orally, but there was no way he could trick Yun Wu into swallowing it.
So his plan was to make her absorb it through blood contact—a cut on the skin.
Normally that'd be too small a dose, but he'd boosted the potency to compensate.
He didn't stay home—he didn't want Ye Tong or Ye Yu caught up in it.
So he hopped into his Lamborghini, ready to take a loud drive through the city streets.
Meanwhile, Yun Wu had already arrived in Jiang City.
Thanks to intel from Feng Kang, she knew all about Xu Mu.
If she couldn't find him, she'd just wait near his villa.
He had to come home eventually.
She took out her phone and messaged Fan Shiyu: "Sister shouldn't have scolded you."
Fan Shiyu was also on the Death List. The "Kill-One-Get-One-Free" event had actually started because of her.
Her first mission after joining the Death List had ended in failure.
When Yun Wu heard about it, her words had been too harsh.
Who would've guessed Xu Mu had a Gang Qi-level guard by his side?
Fan Shiyu making it back alive was impressive enough.
Just as Yun Wu was about to approach Xu Mu's villa, a sports car sped out of the gate.
The license plate—it was Xu Mu's.