"Zhou Hong, are you heading straight to the airport now, or would you like to stop by my place first?" Liu Zhen Feixu asked as she drove towards the direction of Kyoto.
Zhou Hong checked the time. It was barely seven in the morning. Usually, arriving at the airport an hour and a half in advance was enough.
"As long as you get me to the airport before 10:30, that's fine."
"Alright, then let's go to my place for a bit. We can have breakfast at home."
"Whatever works."
Liu Zhen Feixu drove them directly to a residential complex.
"Is your family here?" Zhou Hong asked, looking at the complex with a hint of confusion.
"How could that be? I don't live with my family. I moved out on my own, it's more convenient for my activities this way."
Zhou Hong nodded. Given Liu Zhen Feixu's alter ego as the "Dark Night Phantom," living alone would indeed be more convenient.
"I'm in Building 3, Apartment 2904, the top floor."
Soon, Liu Zhen Feixu led Zhou Hong to her apartment.
"Come in, don't be a stranger," Liu Zhen Feixu said warmly after opening the door.
However, a man's voice came from inside the apartment, "Honey, you're back."
Upon hearing the man's voice and him calling Liu Zhen Feixu "honey," Zhou Hong's brow furrowed.
"Liu Zhen Feixu, you have a boyfriend?" Zhou Hong chuckled awkwardly. If she had a boyfriend, he wouldn't go in.
At this moment, Liu Zhen Feixu was utterly bewildered. How could there be a man's voice in her apartment? And calling her "honey"?
"Don't misunderstand, how could I possibly have a boyfriend?" Liu Zhen Feixu rushed into her apartment.
Inside the living room, a man was sitting, holding a glass of red wine and slowly sipping it.
"It's you, Situ Mei Nan. Why are you in my apartment?" Liu Zhen Feixu asked, her face filled with confusion and anger. This Situ Mei Nan, from a third-rate family, was decent-looking and had decent martial cultivation talent. Unfortunately, he was too promiscuous, and relying on his status and background, he had ruined many good women.
A few days prior, Liu Zhen Feixu had marked Situ Mei Nan as an assassination target. To her surprise, he had been pretending; his true strength surpassed hers, so the assassination failed, and she had nearly been captured. Fortunately, she escaped in time.
She never expected that after a trip to Tianmeng Mountain with Zhou Hong, she would return to find Situ Mei Nan in her apartment, and he would address her as "honey" right from the start.
"Honey, this is our love nest, of course, I'm here. Oh, and who is this, your little fling?" Situ Mei Nan's eyes flickered to Zhou Hong with a disdainful smile, as if he didn't even regard Zhou Hong as a threat.
Zhou Hong stood there, remaining silent. He had initially thought it was Liu Zhen Feixu's live-in boyfriend, but it turned out not to be the case.
"Situ Mei Nan, I order you to leave my apartment immediately."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, honey, you're truly heartless. Finding a new lover and discarding your old flame." Situ Mei Nan swirled his wine glass, making a dissolute clicking sound.
"Situ Mei Nan, what exactly are you doing here?"
"Alright, Liu Zhen Feixu, I'm tired of playing games. Let's get down to business. You tried to assassinate me a few days ago, didn't you?" Situ Mei Nan's expression suddenly turned cold.
"You're talking nonsense."
"Hahaha, Liu Zhen Feixu, keep pretending. The Dark Night Phantom causing a stir in Kyoto recently, that's you, isn't it? You tried to assassinate me the other night, but your strength wasn't enough. Did you think you truly escaped? I let you go on purpose. I planted a tracker on you, and I followed it to this place." As Situ Mei Nan spoke, he retrieved a black night suit from under the sofa. A button-like object was stuck to the suit.
"Ah!" Liu Zhen Feixu's face paled. She had never imagined that a tracker had been placed on her.
"Situ Mei Nan, I don't know what you're talking about. You should know that the Dark Night Phantom can even kill the Venerables of seventh-rate families. How could I possibly have that kind of ability?"
"Liu Zhen Feixu, are you forcing me to call the media to expose you? Go and look in your study; there are so many photos and assassination plans pasted on the walls. Do you think everyone is stupid?"
Liu Zhen Feixu trembled slightly. It was true that before each operation, she meticulously gathered information to ensure no missteps. If she couldn't handle a target, she would have to abandon it. Initially, in her research, she believed she had the ability to kill Situ Mei Nan. However, she hadn't anticipated that Situ Mei Nan was someone who enjoyed putting on a show. He clearly possessed great strength but deliberately masked it, leading Liu Zhen Feixu to make a miscalculation.
"Hahaha, Liu Zhen Feixu, your expression betrays you. What else can you say? Do you believe me if I say that with one phone call, countless media outlets will flock to your doorstep and expose this matter? At that time, your entire family will be wiped out."
Liu Zhen Feixu's body suddenly trembled violently. That was precisely what she feared the most. The last time she was on Kunlun Mountain and thought she would be captured by Venerable Chang Yin, she was prepared to disfigure herself to avoid being identified.
"However," Situ Mei Nan's tone shifted, and he chuckled, "I don't intend to expose you."
"What exactly do you want?" Liu Zhen Feixu asked with a cold snort, a hint of frustration in her heart.
"It's simple. Let me sleep with you for three years," Situ Mei Nan stated directly.
"You're dreaming."
"Heh, Liu Zhen Feixu, with my status and talent, you should feel honored to be able to sleep with me. If it weren't for your beauty, I wouldn't be interested. I'll ask you one more time: will you be exposed, or will you sleep with me for three years?"
At this moment, Zhou Hong stepped forward and said, "Brother, forcing someone against their will is quite unethical."
"Get lost," Situ Mei Nan said coldly without even glancing at Zhou Hong, as if he didn't consider Zhou Hong a threat at all.
"Liu Zhen Feixu, I am now solemnly telling you, your every word and action from this point on could influence the fate of your family," Zhou Hong replied, his voice equally cold.
"Hahaha, what kind of toad dares to brag in front of me? Do you know my standing in Kyoto? On the surface, I'm just a decadent young master. However, what no one knows is that I am actually a genius on the Earthly Ranking. Who do you think you are, pretty boy? Do you think you're qualified to threaten me?" Situ Mei Nan's gaze turned icy, and a killing intent flashed through him.
Liu Zhen Feixu, upon hearing Situ Mei Nan openly admit that his true strength had earned him a spot on the Earthly Ranking, nearly collapsed in shock. It seemed unbelievable that she had dared to attempt to assassinate a genius on the Earthly Ranking.
However, it couldn't entirely be blamed on Liu Zhen Feixu. It was just that Situ Mei Nan was too cunning and deceptive; possessing the strength of an Earthly Ranking genius, he deliberately masqueraded as a mere decadent young master.