Chapter 22: Bargaining with a Tiger for Its Hide

"Aren't you known for never failing? Why are you begging for mercy so quickly?" Chen Yuyi watched Qin Guo with a hint of amusement.

Qin Guo gritted his teeth. "I'll go kill the employer. With the task gone, it doesn't count as a failure!"

Chen Yuyi's lips curled into a subtle smile. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"As long as you don't kill me, I'll give you an explanation."

"Very well, go ahead." Chen Yuyi slowly turned away, not sparing Qin Guo another glance as he walked off.

Qin Guo stared at his retreating figure, his pupils suddenly contracting, and he collapsed onto the ground. He had noticed that Chen Yuyi's feet were not touching the floor—they were walking on air!

Chen Yuyi had deliberately displayed this technique to intimidate Qin Guo. Though it seemed effortless, among martial artists, walking on air was far more difficult than forming a domain of energy. But to him, it was nothing; his internal energy was vast, and walking on air was merely a matter of will.

Returning to the villa, Shen Zhuyun sat in silence on the sofa.

When she saw Chen Yuyi enter, she rose wordlessly and went back to her room.

Chen Yuyi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward. It seemed his cold wife had actually been waiting for him to return, yet she left without saying a word. Still, perhaps that was simply her nature.

At the foot of the mountain, in a luxurious villa.

A sliver of sunlight spilled across Zuo Qianhui's face as she slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, a terrifying visage appeared before her: one half was that of a normal person, and the other half resembled a demon, twisted and frightening—scars left by fire.

She panicked and tried to scramble out of bed, but her body felt powerless, and she could only move feebly.

"Don't be afraid, I won't harm you," the voice was harsh and raspy, but unexpectedly gentle.

"Who are you?" Facing the ghastly face, Zuo Qianhui summoned her courage to ask.

"You look so much like Huiru," Mo Chengkong murmured, not answering, but gazing at her.

Zuo Qianhui paused, recalling the cemetery incident. "How do you know my mother? And what are you planning by bringing me here?"

She curled up, more frightened than ever before.

"Rest assured, you are Huiru's daughter; I won't hurt you. Your mother and I were childhood sweethearts, until Zuo Hongshan barged in and stole her away. Not only that, he took the business I painstakingly built, and even tried to burn me alive!"

As Mo Chengkong spoke, the twisted side of his face seemed even more grim. "Fortunately, fate spared me. That fire didn't kill me; instead, it led me to my mentor. Since then, I have trained on a remote island, waiting for the day to return and exact revenge!"

"You want to kill my father?" Zuo Qianhui's eyes shimmered with fear.

A flicker of malice crossed Mo Chengkong's gaze. "Look at my face, at all I've lost—it's all thanks to him. Only his death can quench my hatred!"

But then his eyes softened. "Don't worry. You are you, and your father is your father. I won't harm you. I brought you here because you look so much like your mother—seeing you is like seeing her again."

Though Zuo Qianhui feared him, she sensed he meant her no harm, and her terror eased. But knowing he intended to kill her father made her anxious and uncertain.

"Mr. Mo, hurry, help!" Suddenly, someone rushed in, panicked.

It was Huang Jie, his face full of alarm. But upon seeing Zuo Qianhui lying in bed, he was momentarily dazed.

"What happened?" Mo Chengkong demanded coldly.

Huang Jie licked his lips. "M