"Old is good. Being older means knowing how to cherish people, and it brings a sense of security."
"Minmin, don't you think so?"
...
The sheer audacity of his words almost made Tang Xiaomin choke on her rice.
Beside her, Tang Ye's face turned ashen, his anger boiling over.
He hadn't expected Yan Jue to remain so composed, even after he had been so direct.
Instead of driving the man away, he had only managed to infuriate himself.
"Xiaomin, he's glib-tongued and looks untrustworthy. Don't be fooled by him. You need to be more discerning."
Yan Jue merely smiled, the clear victor.
With the ball now in Tang Xiaomin's court, she would naturally respond according to her own feelings.
"Yan Jue is fine. Tang Ye, you shouldn't target him. You have no right to speak about him."
"I..."
His good intentions had been misunderstood, and Tang Ye's concern felt completely wasted.
He truly couldn't interfere anymore.
"Fine, I have no right. Be careful one day you don't get tricked by him and regret it."
"Hmph!"
Tang Ye stormed off in a huff.
Tang Xiaomin never expected that Tang Ye's words would later come true.
The man she trusted the most would become the root cause of all her suffering.
...
Watching Tang Ye's retreating back, Tang Xiaomin shook her head helplessly.
She knew Tang Ye cared about her, but she wouldn't allow him to speak of Yan Jue that way.
"Yan Jue, would you lie to me?"
Yan Jue suddenly froze, quickly masking his surprise with a smile.
"I wouldn't lie to anyone, least of all you."
As they spoke, Yan Jue received a phone call, and his expression immediately turned grave.
"What's wrong?"
"Lu Xing said he has something urgent to discuss with me. Minmin, I have to go."
So urgent?
Tang Xiaomin sensed that something had happened, and it was likely related to the Ten Hall Lords of Hell.
"I haven't been to the company all day. I'll go with you."
Yan Jue wanted to refuse, but he feared Tang Xiaomin would become suspicious.
So, he compromised.
Placing his hands on Tang Xiaomin's shoulders, he said with concern, "Your cold isn't completely gone yet. You can go to the company, but make sure Zhong Li brings you back before dark."
"Promise me, and I'll let you go."
His words were filled with care for her, so how could she refuse?
"Okay, I'll be back before dark. Is that acceptable?"
He flicked her nose.
"I really don't know what to do with you. I should have known the company was a burden; it would be better not to have it."
...
At Tang Xiaomin's repeated insistence, they went to Xianfu Group together.
In the office, Lu Xing was already waiting, frantic.
"Director Yan, something terrible has happened."
Yan Jue calmly lit a cigarette, but then, remembering Tang Xiaomin's recent cold, quickly extinguished it.
"What terrible thing? Why are you panicking?"
"Alas, the Nine Hall Lords of Hell, led by the Yan Jun, have marched their troops to the border. They insist on meeting the Supreme Commander."
"They also said that if they don't see him, they will... flatten the Underworld."
"Director Yan, when these few gather together, their forces are too numerous. If a fight breaks out, what should we do?"
Excluding Chu Chen, who was under house arrest, and Yan Jun, who had no troops, the opposing side had gathered the military might of eight Hall Lords of Hell.
Fighting eight with one, no matter how you calculate it, the odds of victory were slim.
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaomin's expression immediately turned serious.
"This battle cannot be fought."
War was merely a last resort when all other means to achieve a goal had failed.
In every war, it was the innocent who suffered casualties.
"Miss Tang, the army is now at our doorstep. This is not something we can control. We must come up with a decision quickly."
Yan Jue hadn't expected that after he had been gone for such a short time, those people would be so impatient in pressuring him.
For certain reasons, he also believed this battle should not be fought, lest he be damned forever.
The atmosphere was quiet and oppressive as Tang Xiaomin and Yan Jue each pondered their thoughts.
Suddenly, Tang Xiaomin's eyes lit up.
"Lu Xing, you just said they demanded to see the Supreme Commander?"
"Yes, but the Supreme Commander has been missing for a long time. I've never even seen him myself. Where are we supposed to find him?"
Tang Xiaomin suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Yan Jue.
"Yan Jue, have you seen what the Supreme Commander looks like?"
Yan Jue hesitated, then said, "Yes."
"You have? That's great."
Tang Xiaomin seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
"Lu Xing, go back and stabilize the situation. Stall for time as much as possible."
"Miss Tang, I'm afraid we can't stall for long."
"Just do your best."
At this moment, Lu Xing was already preparing for the impending war.
"Miss Tang, rest assured, as long as I'm still here, I will never let them cross the border."
In other words, if he wasn't here, then there was nothing he could do.
After Lu Xing left, Tang Xiaomin anxiously asked Yan Jue.
"What exactly does that Supreme Commander look like? Describe him to me."
Tang Xiaomin even thoughtfully handed Yan Jue paper and a pen for him to draw it.
"Minmin, what are you planning to do?"
A hint of cunning flashed in Tang Xiaomin's eyes.
"Since they so desperately want to see the Supreme Commander, let's give them a Supreme Commander to see. After they see him, they'll give up. And judging by their respect for the Supreme Commander, no one would dare to approach him to investigate. This way, we might be able to pull the wool over their eyes."
Tang Xiaomin's plan was to impersonate him and deceive them.
"Minmin, those Hall Lords are not fools. Moreover, this plan is too risky. If we slip up even slightly, the war will still be unavoidable."
Indeed, the risk was too great.
However, Tang Xiaomin then thought of a crucial detail.
"Your weapon, 'Shasheng,' is said to be the Supreme Commander's weapon. It might come in handy."
Shasheng was indeed the Supreme Commander's weapon, now in Yan Jue's possession.
Yan Jue had already considered Tang Xiaomin's plan.
He remained silent, merely drawing from his memory, stroke by stroke, the posture of the Supreme Commander.
When Yan Jue put down his pen, Tang Xiaomin stared at the drawing in astonishment.
"This... the Supreme Commander is actually a woman?"
Yan Jue nodded.
"Houtu is indeed a woman. She usually deliberately lowers her voice to conceal her gender and has always appeared from behind, so no one has ever seen her face."
Yan Jue's drawing depicted a valiant woman wielding a formidable long sword. Even her back alone exuded an invisible sense of pressure.
"Her clothing looks quite avant-garde. But where can we find such an outfit now?"
Just as Tang Xiaomin was fretting, Yan Jue made a phone call.
Not long after, the receptionist brought a large box.
Yan Jue personally opened it in front of Tang Xiaomin. Inside was a set of ancient yet luxurious red moon robes, identical to the attire of Houtu in his drawing.
Tang Xiaomin looked at the clothes in surprise, then at Yan Jue.
"So, you had all the props prepared in advance."