Chapter 174: Chapter 174

[Ding… Red Rose’s spirit collapses, emotional value +999…].

[Ding… Red Rose is furious, emotional value +1000…].

Red Rose’s mentality was shattered.

Whatever Xu Hao commanded, she had to obey meticulously. No matter how much she resisted in her heart, she couldn’t control her actions.

What the hell did Xu Hao make her take?

As a top-tier assassin in the underworld, Red Rose had seen her fair share of horrors—corpse-dissolving acid, agonizing poisons, hypnosis, and mind control. But she had never heard of a drug that could forcibly override free will and directly manipulate the body.

This defied everything she knew about the world.

Calling him “Master” filled her with unbearable humiliation and shame.

She was the infamous Red Rose.

Who dared insult her ?

If anyone even glanced at her the wrong way, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.

She was forced to kneel before a man.

The fury and hatred in her heart raged like an unstoppable flood.

But she couldn’t show it.

Because Xu Hao was now her master.

A slave had to act like a slave.

The only hint of her seething rage was the fire burning in her eyes.

If looks could kill, Xu Hao would have been reduced to ashes by now.

Xu Hao found it all amusing.

No matter how much you hate me, you still have to obey.

She was the perfect tool for farming emotional points.

In just a short time, the emotional value had skyrocketed.

Xu Hao reached out and lifted her chin, finally taking a proper look at this female protagonist.

Her oval face was flawless, her bright eyes dazzling, her cheekbones sculpted as if by divine craftsmanship…

Her long, flowing hair was tied back.

Tall and curvaceous, she wore a crimson outfit that made her look like a blood-drenched god of slaughter descending from hell.

As expected of a female protagonist.

With a charm stat of 94, she was exceptional in every way…

Bai Ling wasn’t bad either—after all, anything produced by the system was guaranteed to be high-quality—but her primary role was close protection.

Her external qualities ultimately fell short.

Being scrutinized like a piece of merchandise, Red Rose burned with humiliation.

She wanted to tear Xu Hao apart limb from limb.

Bai Ling approached just then.

Hearing that Xu Hao intended to keep this assassin—who had tried to kill them moments ago—by his side, she felt uneasy.

The sheer fury in Red Rose’s eyes made it clear:

Given the chance, she would retaliate.

The only reason she was obedient now was because of the drug Xu Hao had forced her to take.

But how long would the effects last?

What if the drug wore off when Xu Hao least expected it, and the assassin struck?

“I know what you’re worried about,” Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively. “Relax. She’ll stay obedient.”

Only then did Bai Ling set aside her concerns.

If the master said so, then it must be true.

Then, with a thud, she dropped to one knee before Xu Hao.

“Master, please allow me to train in the ‘Faceless’ realm.”

“Once I’ve gained enough strength, I’ll return to protect you properly.”

The enemies Xu Hao faced were growing stronger.

As his bodyguard, she couldn’t even protect him—instead, she was becoming a liability.

The guilt weighed heavily on her.

She had brought this up once before, but at the time, Xu Hao hadn’t found a suitable replacement, so she had stayed as his personal guard.

Now that this top-tier assassin—a Transcendent expert—was under his control, Bai Ling could leave with peace of mind…

Xu Hao understood her reasoning.

This time, he didn’t refuse.

He already had a plan for Bai Ling.

The Faceless faction still lacked a commander.

Sending her there would be perfect.

But… thinking of Bai Ling’s unwavering protection all this time, he felt a pang of reluctance at sending her away.

With a thought, he retrieved two delicate glass vials from his spatial storage.

Inside each was a pill—one a Marrow-Cleansing Pill, the other a Realm-Breaking Pill.

“Take this one as soon as you return. Save the other for when you reach the peak of Dark Force.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Master…”

Bai Ling accepted them reverently.

Having served Xu Hao for so long, she recognized one of them—the pill that had transformed the Xu sisters after they took it.

Though she didn’t know what the second pill did, the fact that Xu Hao had given it to her filled her with excitement and gratitude.

“Rise,” Xu Hao said casually, then pointed at Red Rose.

“Before you leave, train her properly. Teach her what it means to be an excellent personal bodyguard.”

Under Xu Hao’s orders, she had spent the entire night drilling Red Rose on the “Essentials of a Personal Bodyguard.”

Xu Hao lounged in a rocking chair in the courtyard, issuing commands.

Red Rose stood nearby, glaring at him with venomous hatred.

But when he spoke, she had no choice but to obey—picking up the teapot, pouring a cup, and presenting it to him respectfully.

Xu Hao took the cup and issued another order.

Red Rose had no choice but to knead his shoulders with practiced hands.

She was seething inside.

The distance between them was so close.

Xu Hao was completely relaxed—with her assassination skills, she could kill him in a single strike…

But her body refused to listen.

Her hands moved with gentle precision, as if she were a devoted servant.

Where was the feared top-tier assassin of the underworld now?

She had been reduced to a mere maid.

After the massage, Xu Hao stretched lazily and commanded:

Red Rose was on the verge of exploding.

Stepping into the open space before him, she began swaying awkwardly.

As a bloodthirsty killer, she had never danced to please anyone—let alone a man.

She didn’t know how to dance. Had never done it before.

But her body moved on its own, mimicking movements she’d seen in the past.

The humiliation was unbearable.

[Ding… Red Rose’s mentality collapses, emotional value +888…].

And so, Xu Hao’s training of the assassin heroine began.

Yan Wumei arrived in a hurry.

Xu Hao was about to begin her usual “training session,” but Yan Wumei cut straight to the chase.

“Uncle Xu, let’s go to the study first.”

Every time they trained, Xu Hao would drag her to the study halfway through.

This time, she decided to skip straight to it.

She had received word that the government’s anti-crime crackdown was nearing its end.

That meant the Green Dragon Hall and the Tyrant Gang would soon launch a full-scale assault on the Red Rose Society…

She was still at the late-stage Dark Force level.

Though Xu Hao’s training had significantly improved her combat skills, she still wasn’t strong enough to face two peak Dark Force experts.

She needed to grow stronger—fast.

To Learn more combat techniques from Xu Hao.

Or Consume something that could boost her power.

By proactively suggesting the study, she not only saved time but also showed obedience.

Surely Xu Hao wouldn’t withhold his rewards.

True to her expectations, Xu Hao—pleased with her attitude—granted her another power boost.

Yan Wumei was ecstatic.

She could feel herself nearing the peak of Dark Force.

When they returned to the courtyard, she noticed a woman staring intently at her.

Yan Wumei’s heart skipped a beat.

She was the queen in the eyes of countless people.

Her public image had always been that of an untouchable ice goddess.

If her secret with Xu Hao were exposed, her persona would collapse.

But in reality, Yan Wumei was overthinking it…

Red Rose’s identity was far more terrifying than hers as an underground queen.

The reason Red Rose looked at her with such a strange expression was that, during the investigation into Luo Yan’s beating by Xu Hao, this alluring mature woman had played a pivotal role.

Luo Yan had returned to the country because of her.

And judging by her relationship with Xu Hao, she was on the verge of falling for him…

Xu Hao wasn’t just a hypocrite with a righteous facade—he also had an eye for beautiful women.

Her looks were on par with Yan Wumei’s.

If Xu Hao had set his sights on Yan Wumei, then what about her…?

Red Rose racked her brain, trying to figure out how to resist if Xu Hao made a move on her.

The conclusion left her in despair.

There was no solution.

No matter how much she resisted mentally, her body would betray her.

With just one word from Xu Hao, she would willingly offer herself, presenting every possible position for him to take as he pleased…

Red Rose loathed men who played with women’s emotions.

In the past, whenever she encountered such men, she would execute them without mercy.

But now, the person she despised most was right in front of her, and she could do nothing.

Worse, she faced the constant danger of being summoned to serve him in bed.

The thought of being ravaged by Xu Hao made Red Rose wish for death.

But she couldn’t even die.

Her despair was absolute.

[Ding… Red Rose feels utter despair. Emotional value +999…].

[Ding… Yan Wumei is overwhelmed with shame. Emotional value +951…].

Another hands-on teaching session began.

While instructing Yan Wumei, Xu Hao made Red Rose watch closely and learn.

He had already decided to train this female lead into his personal bodyguard.

Though she was at the late-stage Huajin level and fairly strong, she was still far inferior to him.

During their fight yesterday, she couldn’t even block a single move.

Even without using teleportation, she stood no chance against him.

As for why he didn’t teach her hands-on like Yan Wumei—there was no need.

Teaching the female lead was just an excuse.

His real goal was to farm emotional value.

Red Rose was already under the control of the Slave Pill, yet she was still generating emotional value nonstop.

He could wait until the emotional value slowed down before testing the effects of hands-on teaching.

Red Rose had no choice but to obey.

She watched intently, though inwardly dismissive.

During her assassin training, she had aced every subject.

Years of experience had honed her skills to perfection.

What could she possibly learn from Xu Hao?

Even now, she believed the only reason she had fallen into his hands was because of his sneak attack and that mysterious pill he forced on her…

She refused to admit she was no match for him.

But after watching his teaching demonstration, she was stunned.

The combat techniques and force application methods Xu Hao taught Yan Wumei were far superior to hers.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

A powerful aura surged.

Clenching her fists, feeling the explosive increase in strength, Yan Wumei let out a relieved smile.

Lately, the threats from the two major factions had kept her nerves on edge.

Now, reaching Peak Dark Jin, she could finally relax.

“Wumei, congratulations on your breakthrough…” Xu Hao said warmly.

Snapping out of her excitement, Yan Wumei replied gratefully,

“Thank you, Uncle Xu.”

She truly owed him her thanks.

In less than twenty days, she had broken through two minor realms consecutively.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

No matter how hard she trained in the past, even with ten times the effort, she could never have achieved this.

It was all because of the ice cream Xu Hao gave her—it had the effect of enhancing strength.

Combined with his hands-on guidance to consolidate her power, she had managed to break through in such a short time…

A surge of confidence welled up inside her.

She was no longer afraid of the threats from the two factions.

Though she wasn’t afraid, she still wasn’t entirely confident.

Who knew if those factions had called in other reinforcements?

Even dealing with just those two experts alone might be beyond her.

“It was all your own hard work…” Xu Hao replied with a smile.

Yan Wumei’s face flushed slightly.

For some reason, she kept recalling the effort she had put into pleasing Xu Hao during their study sessions.

Now, she hesitated—should she cut off this ambiguous relationship?

After all, her secret meetings with Xu Hao had been an exchange.

She worked hard to please him in return for his teachings…

Now that she had broken through, the threat had lessened, so she didn’t need to continue.

But what if Xu Hao still took her to the study?

Should she comply… or refuse?

As she wavered, Xu Hao flicked his wrist.

A pill appeared in his palm.

“Uncle Xu, this is…?” Yan Wumei asked in surprise.

Xu Hao smiled faintly.

“This is a Breakthrough Pill. It can help you reach Huajin directly.”

Yan Wumei’s body trembled.

Her eyes immediately lit up, greedily fixed on the pill in Xu Hao’s hand.

She had already experienced the effects of Xu Hao’s strength-enhancing treats.

She had no doubt about his words.

A direct breakthrough to Huajin?

This was beyond extraordinary…

Compared to this pill, the ice cream was nothing.

This was the real treasure.

“Uncle Xu… is this for me?”

But then, Xu Hao closed his hand and withdrew it.

“Wumei, you must understand how precious this pill is. I only have a few left…”

Such a miraculous pill had to be extremely rare.

Since it was so valuable, Xu Hao must be saving it for his daughter.

She was just an outsider…

But then, hope flickered again.

If he had shown it to her, he must be willing to give it—just with conditions.

Snapping back to reality, she looked at Xu Hao.

He was staring at her intently.

Her heart raced. Taking a deep breath, she said:

“Uncle Xu, if you give me this pill… I’ll help you for the entire time Wanqiu-jie is pregnant…”

Her face burned with embarrassment.

She could say this for two reasons:

First, she still didn’t feel secure with her current strength.

If she broke through to Huajin, she could easily crush the two factions.

Second, after all this time with Xu Hao, their relationship was already intimate—only the final step remained.

Since she was already on the verge of being devoured by him, what did a little longer matter?

But Xu Hao’s meaning was clearly more than that.

How could he stop before the final base?

“Wumei, this Breakthrough Pill is nothing like ice cream. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

His gaze swept over her.

Yan Wumei understood.

Truthfully, given how close they already were, whether they took the final step or not hardly mattered.

But she still struggled to accept it.

Naturally, because Xu Hao had a family.

She was also on good terms with his wife.

And most of all—she was best friends with his daughter.

If they crossed that line…

How would they face each other?

When Xu Feiyan found out she was with Xu Hao:

“I thought of you as my queen sister, but you became my stepmom?!”