After the medical van sent by Li Yuantong's subordinate took Ning Shuang and her mother away, Wei Yan returned to his residence. The quiet atmosphere of the house provided the perfect backdrop for the architect of destiny to hatch his grand plan.
Wei Yan leaned back in his office chair, letting the blue light from his laptop screen illuminate his cold face. His first focus was on the Song Family, the Yonghe property giant on the brink of internal collapse.
Song Anyu, the genius adopted daughter, was now caught between her devotion to her adoptive father and the corrupt ambitions of a side branch of the clan.
Meanwhile, Song Zhenling had become an unwitting pawn for her father as he prepared a bloody plot. Wei Yan smiled faintly as he looked at the military logistics data disguised as a shipment of construction materials; he knew exactly when the rebellion would erupt, and he planned to use it as a staging ground to subjugate the two Song girls under a new authority.
Turning to the Bai Family, Wei Yan discovered a far more intriguing biological anomaly. Matriarch Bai Yeshi was an impossible phenomenon in the eyes of the world; A medically virgin mother maintains her virginity while giving birth to Bai Yuqing through top-secret IVF technology.
Bai Yuqing, now a senior at Yonghe National High School, grew up under strict surveillance, unaware that she was a genetic "vessel" prepared by her mother for esoteric purposes.
For Wei Yan, the mystery of Yeshi's purity and Yuqing's existence are the keys to gaining control of the Bai family's medical and genetic research network, an asset he desperately needs to strengthen his ecosystem.
However, beneath all the machinations of power, it was Luo Mengyi's tragedy that most disturbed his instinct for dominance. The girl who should have been celebrating her high school graduation was now a living corpse imprisoned in a secluded pavilion in the Luo Family.
A trivial misunderstanding about a childhood crush had triggered the massacre of the man's family, leaving Mengyi in a deep depression, a prisoner of her own family's honor. Wei Yan saw the pent-up anger in Mengyi's profile; she was a thorny rose ready to bloom with poison if anyone gave her a reason to seek revenge.
"One city, five girls, and hundreds of intertwined threads of fate," Wei Yan muttered as he closed his laptop with a soft thud that echoed in the silent room. He had dissected every secret, every wound, and every ambition.
To him, they were no longer just names in a database, but instruments that would play the symphony of his power.
Wei Yan adjusted his sitting position, letting his fingers dance across the keyboard again, dissecting the genealogy and network of relationships connecting the major families of Yonghe City. His eyes fell on the data on Song Nan, the biological son of the Song family patriarch who mysteriously disappeared five years ago.
"Song Nan... disappeared without a trace, but recently there's been an influx of illicit funds from conflict zones?" Wei Yan muttered, tapping the table. A cynical smile appeared on his face. "So the crown prince lets his adopted sister, Song Anyu, work hard to maintain the stability of the company while his father is besieged by plots from the side branches? This is truly the cliché of a mercenary king. Disappearing like trash, then returning with millions of troops to reclaim the throne. Boring."
He then shifted his gaze to the Luo family's digital files, searching for the identity of his childhood friend Luo Mengyi, whose family had been wiped out. A name appeared, with military records partially erased by higher authorities.
"Xiao Chen? Sigh..." Wei Yan shook his head, his expression a mix of amusement and disgust. "A common name for the god of war in the special forces. Let's guess: he survived a massacre, joined the deadliest secret unit, and is now on his way home to collect debts from the Luo family. A very standard resume indeed."
Wei Yan's astute analysis, based on the multiverse novels he had explored, concluded that this world was trying to force a "returning protagonist" scenario into its ecosystem. The fact that Song Nan was the patriarch's biological son only made the game even more high-stakes. But to Wei Yan, both the Mercenary King and the God of War were merely nuisance variables whose movements he had already predicted.
"Please come, Xiao Chen, Song Nan," Wei Yan whispered coldly as he shut down his laptop. "I will ensure that when you return, not only is the company gone, but also the loyalty of Anyu, Mengyi, and Zhenling will be locked under my control in the future."
The room darkened again, leaving a purple glow in his eyes that reflected boundless ambition. Tomorrow afternoon would be a very busy curtain-raiser—between picking up Ning Shuang, claiming her Xuanyin Body at the 'grand event' that will be his first turning point in this world.
----
In Xia Chunyu's private residence, the atmosphere was much more tense. Li Yuantong stood in front of Xia Chunyu's tightly locked door, as soft sobs could be heard from inside.
"Chunyu, open the door or I'll force it open," Yuantong said coldly.
"Go away! I don't want to see anyone! I... I don't deserve to be there after what happened!" Chunyu shouted from inside, her voice hoarse from crying so much.
Li Yuantong signaled to his guards. With a bang, the door swung open. Yuantong entered and saw Chunyu curled up in the corner of the bed. Without mercy, Yuantong pulled her arm.
"Listen, little girl," Yuantong hissed, right in Chunyu's face. "Wei Yan didn't send me here to listen to your useless regrets. He's giving you a chance for redemption. Do you want to remain a loser here, or come with me and do something meaningful?"
"But I'm afraid to look him in the eye... I'm afraid to see the hatred there," Chunyu whimpered.
"Then you don't have to see anything," Yuantong said sarcastically. He pulled out a thick black cloth.
"Put this on. And since you keep muttering about unimportant things, I'll make you focus on just one thing: Wei Yan's presence."
Yuantong roughly put the blindfold on, even though Chunyu struggled. "W-Wait! What are you doing? I can't see!"
"Stay still," Yuantong ordered. He then pressed a nerve point behind Chunyu's ear and attached a high-frequency dampening device. "I'll also rest your sense of hearing. In this dark and silent world of yours, you'll only feel my hand pulling you toward Wei Yan. Only he has the right to allow you to see the world again."
Chunyu, now functionally blind and deaf, could only gasp for breath, his body limp from the loss of sensory balance. Yuantong helped him out to the car with a triumphant smile. "Good. This way, you'll be much more obedient during the ceremony."
----
Wei Yan stepped into the quiet apartment room, where Ning Shuang had been waiting silently for the past few hours. The girl sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, still wearing the same shabby clothes Wei Yan had picked her up in, as if afraid that if she moved too much, the comfort would evaporate.
"Ning Shuang," Wei Yan called softly.
The girl gasped, her shoulders trembling violently. She lowered her head deeply, letting her messy hair cover the side of her face, which was covered in a large black smudge. "S-Sir... you've really come. I thought... I'd only be troubling you."
"I promised to pick you up, didn't I?" Wei Yan approached, standing directly in front of Ning Shuang.
"Lift your face. Today is a big day for me, and I want you to be part of the family I've built."
Hesitantly, Ning Shuang looked up. Tears streaked her cheeks, making the marks on her face stand out even more. "Look at me, Sir. How could I possibly be worthy of standing at your event? I don't want my presence to make people question your choices."
Wei Yan didn't argue. He slowly knelt in front of the girl, leveling them. Wei Yan's right hand lifted, his warm fingers gently touching the edge of the mole on Ning Shuang's cheek.
"S-Sir, don't... this skin is dirty," Ning Shuang whispered, trying to pull away due to a deep sense of inferiority.
"Be still. Trust me," Wei Yan commanded in a soothing tone.
Wei Yan began to channel energy from his Chaos Body with precision. Ning Shuang felt a warm sensation radiate from Wei Yan's fingertips, seeping into her pores. Slowly, the dark pigment that had obscured her beauty for decades began to fade, dissolving under the gentle yet powerful control of Wei Yan's energy.
"Ah... so warm..." Ning Shuang sighed, her eyes slowly closing as the heaviness and stiffness she had felt on her face vanished, replaced by immense relief.
"These blemishes don't define who you are, Ning Shuang. They're just a burden you've carried alone for too long," Wei Yan whispered, his aura enveloping Ning Shuang's senses, giving her a sense of security she had never felt before in her life.
A few moments later, Wei Yan withdrew his hand. "Now, look in the mirror."
Ning Shuang walked on shaky legs to the full-length mirror. When she saw her reflection, she gasped and covered her mouth. The mark was completely gone. All that remained was smooth, radiant porcelain skin, radiating the purity of the Xuanyin Body that had been hidden for so long.
"Is this... really me?" Ning Shuang touched her cheek in amazement. "Master... how can I ever repay this kindness?"
Wei Yan stood behind her, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. "You don't need to repay me. Just stand by my side. From today on, you are part of my home. You will see what it's like to have a family that truly values you."
Wei Yan paused, looking into Ning Shuang's eyes through the mirror with a warmer gaze. "There, you won't be alone. You will meet your other sisters—women who have also been a part of my life. They will welcome you as part of our extended family."
"Sisters?" Ning Shuang asked quietly, a hint of nervousness but also a sense of relief knowing she had a place to belong.
"Yes. They each have their roles, and you will have your own place among them," Wei Yan added, patting Ning Shuang's head. "I'll introduce you to Li Yuantong and the others. They are people you can trust."
"I will follow you... anywhere," Ning Shuang replied with absolute sincerity. "Thank you for giving me a new life and a family."
"Good. Now, get ready. The dress is ready for you. At the ceremony, I want you to feel as proud of yourself as I was of bringing you to meet your sisters."