Chapter 295: Bounty Order
「One day later.」
News arrived.
"Patriarch, the three Azure locations you mentioned have all been destroyed."
"We smashed everything inside. I guarantee they won't be able to reopen for business."
"Excellent. Now, pull back and pass the word to the Huo Family, the Yuan Family, and the Chu Family."
The fact that the Bloody Queen dared to move against the Xiao Family proved that her code of conduct was anything but honorable.
Now, the Xiao Family had gone into hiding, rarely venturing out, and always surrounded by bodyguards, giving the assassins no opportunities.
Therefore, Red Night would very likely target the first-tier Yuan Family, or even the Chu Family.
As it turned out, Xiao Ye was right.
That very evening, he received a call from Yuan Tiancheng. "I was almost attacked yesterday. Luckily, I managed to get away in time."
"But several companies under my Yuan Clan were vandalized last night. The losses are significant."
"Don't worry about it. I'll cover all your losses. Just focus on keeping the Yuan Family safe."
Just as he hung up, Chu Yan called. "Master Xiao, we were just attacked. Someone told me to give you a message."
"He said to tell you to stop attacking their strongholds, or else they won't be so polite."
"Master Xiao, this person is unbelievably arrogant. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Xiao Ye said coolly, "Just do as I told you before. Protect yourselves. The Xiao Family will compensate you."
Once he was sure everything on his end was more or less handled.
Xiao Ye proceeded to the next step.
「The underground network.」
On a pitch-black webpage, red text flickered.
This was a deeper layer of the internet, inaccessible without special methods.
And the content on this webpage held many secrets that could not see the light of day.
Suddenly.
A bounty notice icon appeared.
The large, scarlet emblem for "Bounty" was so striking it made the hearts of everyone viewing the site pound.
"Fuck, who suddenly posted a bounty?"
"I heard it costs a full million to post a bounty on the underground network. Who's that rich?"
"Holy shit, the bounty is for the Bloody Queen! What the hell is going on? Is the world about to be turned upside down?"
The name "Bloody Queen" was absolutely infamous on the underground network.
For a bounty to be posted after such a long time, and for it to be on the Bloody Queen of all people, was completely unexpected!
"Wait, look, there's a message under the bounty."
"Bloody Queen, come out and meet me. Otherwise, I will destroy every last one of your strongholds!"
"Who is declaring war on the Bloody Queen? That's insane! Oh, right, I heard something did happen to a few of Red Night's strongholds. Could this be the person who did it?"
This bounty sent the entire underground network into an uproar.
「In a dark, small, and cramped room.」
A woman sat cross-legged inside, her eyes tightly shut, seemingly oblivious to the outside world.
Suddenly.
Footsteps approached from outside.
"Queen… news just came in. Someone posted a bounty on the underground network."
"It came with a message. It says that if you don't agree to a meeting, they will continue to destroy your other strongholds."
"Queen, do you need us to make a move and eliminate them directly?"
In the darkness.
The woman's eyes snapped open, her voice ice-cold. "Tell Xiao Ye of the Xiao Family that I agree to meet. The time will be in three days."
"I will inform him of the location then."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The message quickly reached Xiao Ye's ears.
A corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. 'Finally, I've lured her out.'
'Regardless, this is a good start.'
Xiao Ye answered a video call, and Lin Chuyue's face appeared on the screen.
"What's wrong? Are you getting anxious again?"
Lin Chuyue immediately looked a little embarrassed. "No, I'm not anxious. And you shouldn't wear yourself out over my problems."
"I just wanted to ask how you've been lately and if you've been resting well."
Xiao Ye answered with a smile, "Of course I have. Are you still worried about my physical constitution?"
The two of them chatted for a while before Xiao Ye keenly noticed that something seemed to be on Lin Chuyue's mind. "If you've run into any trouble in the Imperial City, I hope you'll tell me right away."
"You have me now. You don't have to keep everything bottled up inside, and you don't have to pretend to be strong."
Lin Chuyue quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'm just… frustrated about something."
"I'm just cooped up in the Xiao Family estate every day, and it's getting really boring. I know it's wrong of me to feel this way, since you're doing it to protect me."
'Lin Chuyue was able to handle it before. For her to suddenly say she's bored, something must have happened.'
"Tell me, is there something you want to go out and do?"
Lin Chuyue was surprised that Xiao Ye saw right through her. "I heard there's a gathering for young people in a few days, and I'd like to go."
'Even though I'm at the Xiao Family estate right now, that doesn't stop me from working on the Lin Clan's business.'
'This youth gathering is the perfect opportunity to go and expand my network.'
'I can't rely on Xiao Ye for everything. I need to stand on my own two feet.'
"So that's what this is about…" Although Xiao Ye was worried about Lin Chuyue's safety, he knew he couldn't keep her locked up forever.
"How about this: I'll assign a few more bodyguards to escort you to the party. As long as you promise to let them protect you without leaving your side, I'll let you go. How does that sound?"
"Really?" A genuine smile finally appeared on Lin Chuyue's face. "Okay! I'll definitely protect myself. I won't be reckless."
The two chatted a little longer before hanging up.
Lin Chuyue hadn't expected Xiao Ye to actually agree and was overjoyed.
Nearby, Mu Xiang, holding a half-eaten pear, said, "I'll go with you. I'm more useful than a bodyguard."
"Deal."
「The party was that very evening.」
Lin Chuyue changed into a formal gown and attended with a younger female member of the Xiao Family.
Mu Xiang, on the other hand, dressed inconspicuously, planning to attend as a member of the Xiao Family.
Because of Xiao Ye, everyone in the Xiao Family was very respectful toward Lin Chuyue and didn't dare to cross any lines.
Soon, the party of three, along with a group of bodyguards, arrived at the villa where the party was being held.
The party was hosted by a top-tier prestigious family.
It was mainly a welcome-home party for their daughter, who had just returned from her studies abroad.
As Lin Chuyue presented the invitation, the young Xiao Family member whispered, "She's been studying abroad all this time. She just came back with a master's degree."
"If nothing unexpected happens, she'll probably be one of the future heirs to the family."
"So, Chuyue, if you can get on good terms with her, it would be very helpful for your Lin Clan."
Lin Chuyue thanked her sincerely. "Thank you. Once we're inside, you can go find your friends. Don't worry about me."
The young Xiao Family member breathed a sigh of relief. 'She was honestly afraid she'd have to stick by Lin Chuyue's side the whole time. How boring would that be?'
'She had come to relax, too, after all.'
'Since it was a party for young people, there weren't so many rules. The point was to have fun however you wanted.'
Lin Chuyue was also wearing a simple gown this time, one that looked understated and elegant.
The moment she walked through the door, her stunning beauty captured the attention of many guests.