Chapter 118: Swordsman Online 3 BL (XII)

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Chapter 118: Swordsman Online 3 BL (XII)

It was not long after Yang Qifeng took over the Yang Corporation that trouble began to surface. The small parasites hidden within the company, apparently acting on someone’s orders, began to stir. Although Yang Qifeng had made certain preparations, he had never expected his only relative, Yang Qijing, whom he had always treated like his own younger brother, to be the one behind the trouble within the company. Because he had been completely off guard around him, Yang Qifeng was now caught in a difficult position.

The business world was like a battlefield. When the Yang Family stood like a giant in everyone’s eyes, their partners had been eager to curry favor with them. But once something went wrong, those same people scattered like startled birds. There were never eternal partners in the business world, nor were there eternal enemies.

As the saying went, “Strike when your opponent is down.” The same principle applied in business. The Mu Family and Rong Family seemed to have reached an agreement and began moving against the Yang Family. Even the Miao Family had started making preparations, hoping to take a share of the spoils. For Mu Kuiqiu and Rong Hansheng, as long as the Yang Family disappeared, Yang Qifeng’s threat would naturally be reduced.

Yet Yang Qifeng, who should have been at his most dejected, was sitting leisurely inside the Yang Corporation’s headquarters, savoring the coffee in his cup. His usually expressionless face now wore an unmistakable smile. The corners of his lips curved upward, but an even colder aura surrounded him.

A pile of documents lay before him. The abnormal transaction records contained within them were enough for him to crush every little parasite that had dared to show itself. But if he acted too quickly, he would never be able to reap the greatest possible benefit. He had begun acquiring the Yang Family’s shares held outside the company, increasing his control over the corporation as much as possible. Although Yang Qijing was competing with him for those shares, everything was proceeding smoothly. At the same time, he was naturally keeping an eye on the movements of the Rong and Yang families.

They wanted him to become depressed and withdraw. Why would he not have the same idea? Although facing two opponents at once was somewhat dangerous, he had already shown Miao Lichen his most vulnerable state. What else did he have to fear? As for the Miao Family, however, they were truly not easy to deal with.

For the past few days, nearly every major report had been filled with news about the Yang Corporation. There was no way Miao Lichen could have remained unaware. As he looked at the glaring headline, the smile on his lips remained unchanged. Only occasionally did his fingers brush over that particularly haggard face, bringing back memories of their first meeting. It had been a long time since he had seen Yang Qifeng look like this. He had never expected that man to willingly show weakness, even if it was merely part of a scheme. Unfortunately, this carefully arranged trap would never produce the result he wanted. Miao Lichen’s gentle gaze fell upon Wang Yumo, who was obediently lying on the sofa.

Wang Yumo instinctively returned his smile with one of her own, her expression pure and innocent. For some reason, her heart felt heavy. Was this not exactly the answer she had wanted? Once her beloved Yang Qijing obtained everything, she would be able to stand openly at his side. Although the situation was not particularly favorable for Yang Qijing either, there were too many companies watching the Yang Family from the sidelines. Still, as long as she handed over the chess piece in her possession, Yang Qifeng would certainly surrender without a fight. The Yang Family would fall into Yang Qijing’s hands without any suspense.

Yang Qijing’s gentle smile surfaced in her mind, but for some reason, it no longer stirred the same feelings in her. Whenever he smiled at her, it was always because he had something he wanted her to do. Was what he felt for her really love, or was he merely using her? Otherwise, why did his smile feel less sincere than that of a doctor toward a patient? The girl lying on the sofa unconsciously left marks from her fingernails in the upholstery. She raised her hand and stared at the redness on her fingertips. Wang Yumo knew that she had begun to waver, and she was even using this doubt as an excuse not to kill him.

The person she loved was Yang Qijing. It would only ever be Yang Qijing. She repeated those words silently again and again, desperately trying to ignore the bitterness in her heart.

Just as the situation within the Yang Corporation grew increasingly dire, a photograph of Yang Qifeng and Miao Lichen was suddenly exposed. Their poses were extremely intimate, and anyone with eyes could tell what their relationship was. The former favored son of heaven was now being ridiculed, to say nothing of Yang Qifeng, who had never been particularly prominent in high society.

When Yang Qifeng entered the Yang Corporation’s headquarters again, he immediately noticed that the employees were looking at him differently. It was not until he saw the report in the newspaper that he understood what had happened. The photograph showed him and Miao Lichen in an intimate pose. When they had taken the picture, they had naturally considered whether it might one day be exploited for business purposes. Aside from MoonisColdHeartisCruel, only he and Miao Lichen possessed a copy of that photograph.

Was it MoonisColdHeartisCruel? A trace of coldness flashed through Yang Qifeng’s eyes. If it really was you, then do not blame me for disregarding our friendship. Besides, how deep could a friendship formed through a game really be? The only reason he had been willing to maintain good relations with the guild members was because Miao Lichen liked the atmosphere of that guild.

He casually placed the newspaper beneath the pile of documents and left the Yang Corporation’s headquarters. Rumors and gossip would have no effect on him. If anything, they would only accelerate the others’ movements. But if everything succeeded and Miao Lichen believed that he had deliberately leaked the photograph, that would be troublesome. He would never allow Miao Lichen to misunderstand him in the slightest.

He drove toward Miao Lichen’s mental hospital at nearly full speed. After stopping the car, he did not even remove the keys before rushing toward Miao Lichen’s office.

Wang Yumo rose from the sofa. The sensor she had kept hidden beneath her clothes suddenly vibrated, and her face went pale in an instant. Was Jing asking her to make her move so soon? But this was not the best time, was it? Would it not be better to use Miao Lichen’s life as leverage to threaten Yang Qifeng? Right, how could she have forgotten why she had disguised herself as a mental patient and approached Miao Lichen in the first place? A dangerous mental patient committing murder was perfectly plausible, was it not? Even if she were imprisoned, Jing could easily get her out. But if kidnapping and coercion were involved, the nature of the matter would be completely different. He might even be implicated.

With the same smile she always wore, she approached Miao Lichen. His expression remained as gentle as ever, and his eyes always held that soft indulgence when he looked at her.

Indulgence.

The emotion she had never particularly cared about suddenly seemed painfully ironic.

As usual, she wrapped herself around Miao Lichen’s body. She deftly slipped the thin, flexible blade hidden inside her waistband into her sleeve. Rather than a dagger or even a knife, it was little more than a thin piece of irregularly shaped metal. It looked less like something carefully crafted and more like a scrap of metal picked up somewhere by chance.

Even through the fabric, she could feel the coldness of the blade. If it really cut through skin, it would be even colder, would it not? Especially if the wound were inflicted by a patient he had personally cared for. Even if there were another life, he would surely never want to become a doctor again. She rubbed her cheek against Miao Lichen’s face. The man’s skin was even smoother and fairer than hers. The flawless sensation made her reluctant to let go. Just for a moment.

“Chenchen.” Yang Qifeng rushed upstairs, his breathing slightly hurried. When he saw Wang Yumo hanging from Miao Lichen’s body, his expression darkened. He had yet to deal with the two people outside, and now he was confronted with another scene that displeased him. Only after reminding himself that Miao Lichen cared about his patients did his mood improve slightly. Even if she were not a young woman, Miao Lichen would still be this indulgent, would he not? It was merely a doctor’s concern for his patient.

He deftly lifted Wang Yumo away, pulling her away from Miao Lichen. This was not the first time he had done so, and Miao Lichen, as always, allowed him to act as he pleased. His gaze merely followed Wang Yumo for a moment, cautious and almost as though he were afraid Yang Qifeng might hurt her.

“What are you doing here at a time like this?” Miao Lichen shifted his gaze to Yang Qifeng and poured him a cup of tea. The rich fragrance of the tea spread through the room, gradually calming Yang Qifeng’s tense mood.

“Did you see today’s newspaper?” Yang Qifeng stared unblinkingly at Miao Lichen’s face, afraid that he might miss even the slightest change in his expression.

“I already saw it. But do you really think I would care about something that trivial?” A faint smile appeared on Miao Lichen’s lips. Even if he were not the person he had become after transmigration, he still would not care about something like reputation. As long as he lived well, what did it matter if others regarded him as a demon? Restricting one’s actions for the sake of a good reputation was the true tragedy. Miao Lichen had always been someone who lived as he pleased.

“That’s true. You wouldn’t care.” Yang Qifeng thought back to the period before Miao Lichen had become so famous. He had heard people say all kinds of vile things about him more than once. They believed Miao Lichen did not possess enough ability, yet had a face that made people easily lose their hearts to him. Yang Qifeng’s gaze lingered on Miao Lichen’s features. It seemed Miao Lichen had become even more refined, and even more attractive. Who knew how many more rivals he would have in the future?

The moment Wang Yumo saw Yang Qifeng, her eyes brightened. She withdrew the blade that had almost slipped from her sleeve and watched his every movement. Slowly, she returned to Miao Lichen’s side and leaned against him as usual. Miao Lichen patted her head. Although this was the first time she had approached him in front of an outsider, there was not the slightest surprise in his eyes.

Why was he so quick to trust people? If this continued, he might lose his life without even realizing it. This time it was her. Who knew who it would be next? Wang Yumo’s fingers unconsciously moved toward Miao Lichen’s cheek. She did not know whether she was doing it to provoke someone else or because she genuinely wanted to touch him.

Just as she had expected, someone immediately grabbed her by the arm and lifted her away. Almost at the same instant, a cold gleam flashed through her eyes. The blade in her hand swept swiftly across the pale neck before her. Bright red blood splashed across her face, making her instinctively close her eyes and wipe the blood away.

“Chenchen…” The next second, she heard Yang Qifeng’s agonized groan.

A strange curve appeared at the corners of her lips. She had succeeded…

She had originally been ordered to attack Miao Lichen in order to force Yang Qifeng to relinquish control of the Yang Corporation. But if she attacked him directly, would that not make Jing’s goal even easier to achieve? Besides, as a patient who was normally extremely dependent on the hospital director, it would be perfectly natural for her to attack Yang Qifeng if she believed he had improper intentions toward her doctor.

But when she opened her eyes, the scene before her was completely different from what she had expected. The man dressed in red had blood flowing continuously from his neck. The vivid red spread across the matching fabric of his collar, making his clothes appear even more brilliant. Yet even with blood pouring from his neck, he still wore that faint smile.

There was no disbelief or hatred in his eyes as he looked at her. There was only the same indulgence as always. It gave her the strange feeling that he knew everything. He knew why she had approached him, yet he had still indulged her? How was that possible?

The blade fell to the floor with a crisp sound. She slowly stepped toward the man whose eyes had already closed, wanting to ask him for an answer. But in the end, no one would ever give her an answer.

Somewhere beyond their perception, the Samsara Disk moved forward another notch. Carrying the person it had devoted itself to, it proceeded toward the next world and began the next journey.

Miao Lichen left his original body without the slightest attachment. Almost at the same moment, the body stopped breathing. As its warmth faded away, his only shackle also disappeared without a trace. From that moment onward, there would never again be anything to restrain him. Miao Lichen no longer belonged to any world. Miao Lichen had always been rootless duckweed, drifting wherever the current carried him.

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