Miaojiang, somewhere within this primitive forest, a figure clad in black and wearing a purple mask stood, the very same mysterious woman who had appeared earlier in the Blood Demon Sectâs cave.
Soon, six graceful silhouettes abruptly appeared before this mysterious woman. Each of these six was dressed in long skirts of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, their delicate features radiant with an aura that seemed to lift them above the mundane world, much like the legendary seven fairies.
"Greetings, Saintess!"
The six women knelt on one knee, looking up at the woman with the purple mask with faces full of reverence.
"He is at a critical moment of his breakthrough. To prevent the Blood Demon Sect from intervening again, all six of you must guard that valley and forbid anyone from entering and disturbing him," said the black-clad woman with the purple mask, her voice crisp and commanding.
"As you command, Saintess," the six women nodded in unison.
"But Saintess, what if the Sect Master of the Blood Demon Sect appears? With our combined strength, we may not be able to withstand him," one of the women expressed her concern.
"He was gravely injured in that battle; it is impossible for him to emerge so easily. Do not worry," the masked woman reassured them before her figure vanished in a flash.
And the six women disappeared from the spot just as suddenly.
The day passed quickly once again, and the raging waves of Zhonghai remained relentless.
Ling Corporation managed to resist the sneak attack from the Fang family, thanks to the Liu familyâs intervention, but the Fang family had tied up all their companyâs funds in the stock market.
A staggering thirty billion in funds was poured into the stock market to suppress Ling Corporationâs stock. Even with the Liu familyâs support, they could not hold out for long, as they certainly couldnât, like the Fang family, invest all their corporate funds to help Ling Corporation.
As for Mei Yue Company, though the relatives of the five deceased and their bodies had been taken away by the police, Mei Yue Companyâs image and reputation plummeted.
The avalanche of condemnation online did not cease, and the once established reputation was now thoroughly shattered. Despite Luo Jingxuanâs attempts to clarify the situation multiple times, it was futile as Mei Yue faced the danger of closing down.
Inside the Ling family living room.
Ling Zhenguo and Ling Qingya sat there, the latter looking somewhat haggard, her head bowed in silence.
"Grandfather, Iâm sorry."
After a while, Ling Qingya looked up at Ling Zhenguo with a hint of remorse in her eyes and spoke.
"Why apologize?" inquired Ling Zhenguo indifferently, gazing at his granddaughter.
"Grandfather, you built Ling Corporation from scratch, and you entrusted it to me, but instead of improving it, it has come to this state. I have let you down," Ling Qingya said with her head lowered.
"You havenât let me down. I know youâve done your best. This isnât your fault, and maybe itâs just a calamity destined for Ling Corporation. However, what I want to tell you is, if Ling Corporation is gone, then itâs gone,"
"But if a suitable husband is gone, it will be very difficult to find another. I still hope you think it over carefully. Are you truly done with Ye Luo? Donât end up regretting it later, for it will be too late by then," continued Ling Zhenguo, looking at Ling Qingya with a serene expression.
"But Grandpa, itâs because of Ye Luo that Ling Corporation has ended up like this," said Ling Qingya, her eyes briefly flickering.
"We canât blame him for that, and besides, I believe if he were here, he would definitely have a way to resolve all of this. I can tell that you both have feelings for each other. But Ye Luo is a man, and not just any manâheâs a charming one."
"A man like him is bound to have more than one woman by his side, no matter how outstanding the woman is, unless you plan to marry an ordinary mortal in the future. Otherwise, you canât guarantee heâll stay faithful to you alone."
Ling Qingya hung her head, her face changing colors as she seemed lost in thought.
"Think about it. As for the matters of Ling Corporation, donât worry about them. Let things take their natural course; your grandfather can afford the loss," Ling Zhenguo said, standing up and leaving, leaving Ling Qingya alone in contemplation.
Meanwhile, in Miaojiang, inside a room in Miao Village, the sisters Nie Wenling and Nie Wenyu sat together.
"Sister, if Ye Luo really can come back this time, I will definitely marry him," Nie Wenling suddenly said.
"Are you serious?" Nie Wenyu looked at her sister with a somewhat astonished expression.
"Of course. If it werenât for him this time, our sisters, as well as our father, would probably be finished. Heâs also saved us several times. And this guy doesnât seem too bad as a boyfriend choice," Nie Wenling said, a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"But he already has a fiancĂ©e," Nie Wenyu couldnât help but interject.
Nie Wenling pursed her lips and said, "A fiancĂ©e is not a wife. Theyâre not married yet, so whatâs there to be afraid of? Besides, if it comes to it, the two of us sisters can marry him together. I refuse to believe we canât match up to Ling Qingya."
Hearing Nie Wenlingâs bold words, Nie Wenyuâs fair face instantly turned red, and she shyly said, "Wenling, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Nonsense? I am not speaking nonsense," Nie Wenling said with a narrowed gaze, watching as Nie Wenyuâs face became flush with embarrassment.
"Ever since the last time Ye Luo saved you, sister, I noticed you donât look at that guy the same way. You often zone out aloneâare you thinking about Ye Luo?" Nie Wenling said with a sly smile.
"Oh my, stop talking nonsense. Thatâs not true," Nie Wenyu replied, her personality being on the reserved side. She felt quite shy and somewhat at a loss as Nie Wenling spoke.
"Giggle... Sister, thereâs no need to deny it. I remember when we were little, we said we would grow up and marry the same man so we would never have to be apart."
With her complexion crimson, Nie Wenyu said, "That was just silly talk when we were kids. How could you take it seriously?"
"But I think itâs a really good idea. Why donât we both marry that guy, Ye Luo? He always appears when weâre in danger. I think heâs the guardian deity for the two of us sisters," Nie Wenling said with narrowed eyes, murmuring to herself.
Nie Wenyuâs expression turned complex, her mind replaying images of Ye Luo, which proved hard to forget.
As the two sisters were discussing Ye Luo, in the valley outside the cave of the Blood Demon Sect where Ye Luo was located, a gust of wind began to blow, and under the moonlight, two figures in black appeared, their faces emotionless and their bodies emanating a cold and sinister aura.
"Youâve finally come."
A cold voice suddenly rang out in the valley, causing the expressions of the two figures in black to change as they scanned the area.