If Ruan Lan were here, she would have instantly recognized the owner of those eyes—it was none other than Wan Meirong, the plump woman she had forced to kneel and apologize.

"Ms. Wan, he's with that woman, Ruan Lan," the bodyguard said, pointing at Hu Yanjie.

"And where is she?"

Wan Meirong clenched her teeth. "She made me lose all face last time. This time—I'll make sure they get what they deserve!"

After kneeling last time, she had gone home and cried to her husband, begging him to pull some strings to get her revenge. But to her surprise, her usually obedient husband had refused. The reason he gave was that the Sea Temple Festival, a grand event, was approaching, and they couldn't afford any complications. Especially since the Wan Family had been the victors of the last festival, they couldn't allow anything to go wrong at such a critical juncture.

As a result, Wan Meirong hadn't slept a wink in days.

She never would have imagined it. That woman actually dared to show up on Sea Temple Island, the Wan Family's own territory. Wasn't she just courting death?

"Ms. Wan, she's up ahead with two other women, buying something," the bodyguard said, pausing before adding, "Ah Feng is tailing them. They won't be able to escape."

"Good."

Wan Meirong gave a cold sneer. "Keep a close eye on them. After the island is cleared at six p.m. and they've left, I want you to—" She drew a finger across her throat.

Wan Meirong lowered her voice. "Remember, don't do it on the island, and make sure no one knows it was the Wan Family… especially not that I was the one who ordered it."

"But Ms. Wan, I heard them say they were planning to board the cruise ship…" the bodyguard replied.

"Hmm?"

Wan Meirong was momentarily stunned, though not surprised. For this year's Sea Temple Festival, the Wan Family had sold quite a few cruise tickets, making a hefty sum. She figured those people had just bought tickets to join in on the spectacle.

"Even better."

Wan Meirong narrowed her eyes. "I hear that the Martial Dao expert our family invited has a taste for beautiful women. Even if he… has his way with them… they wouldn't dare to protest!"

A chill shot down the bodyguard's spine. He quickly lowered his head, his back drenched in a cold sweat.

It wasn't the first time he'd been confronted with Wan Meirong's pettiness and cruelty, but he still felt a surge of fear. After all, a quick kill was a simple matter. If Wan Meirong had just ordered him to kill Ruan Lan and her friends, that would have been one thing. But she wanted to ruin the rest of their lives. Moreover, that Martial Ancestor, Xu Huang, didn't just like beautiful women; he had peculiar tastes. Nearly every woman who entered his room emerged with missing limbs. Few ever met a good end.

"That's the plan, then," Wan Meirong said, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smirk. Her fleshy body trembled as she walked away.

***

At five o'clock in the afternoon, tourists on Sea Temple Island had already begun to depart. Several medium-sized yachts were docked at the island's pier.

Hu Yanjie, Yu Xiaoxiao, and the other two women boarded a ferry, which then sailed toward the luxurious Wan Family cruise ship.

The thought of witnessing legendary experts in action filled Ruan Lan with excitement. "Hmph, that bastard brother-in-law is always bullying me. I'm going to find an expert to take me on as a disciple, and then maybe I'll finally be able to beat him!"

"And after you beat your brother-in-law?" Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

"Then I'll make him cook me midnight snacks every night, of course!" Ruan Lan declared indignantly. "Do you two have any idea what it's like to be starving in the middle of the night, craving crawfish? Do you know what it's like to eat roast lamb chops at midnight…"

"That's too greasy. I usually eat vegetarian," Li Li said softly.

Ruan Lan patted her best friend's shoulder with pity. "You just don't understand the joy of good food."

The three women chatted away while Hu Yanjie, unable to get a word in, simply kept quiet.

Soon, they were boarding the Wan Family's five-story luxury cruise ship, which was a blaze of multicolored lights against the darkening sky, dazzling and brilliant.

"Your tickets are for the first deck," a security guard at the ship's entrance said dismissively after a quick glance at the ticket in Hu Yanjie's hand.

"What about the four decks above?" Hu Yanjie asked. "My friend told me this was an all-access pass for any deck."

The security guard laughed. "Your ticket is a standard one. Your activity area is only the first deck. The second and third decks are for VIP tickets, the fourth is the VIP area, and the fifth is not open to the public. Is your grandfather the Family Head of the Wan Family, or is your grandmother the Patriarch of the Niu Family from Hua City? If they were, I'd even let you onto the fifth floor!"

Hu Yanjie's face flushed with humiliation. He stared at the ticket in his hand, feeling as if he were being slapped repeatedly. This thing had cost him thirty thousand yuan!

Yu Xiaoxiao realized Hu Yanjie had probably been scammed by his so-called friend. She pouted and asked, "Where did you get this ticket?"

"…"

Hu Yanjie was at a loss for words. He gave Ruan Lan a complicated look before forcing himself to say, "From a friend of mine…"

"Xiaoxiao, don't be mad," Ruan Lan stepped in to smooth things over. "The first deck is fine. Besides, it's too windy on the upper decks. I couldn't be bothered to go up there anyway."

"Exactly, exactly." Li Li quickly agreed.

The two women boarded the cruise ship first.

Yu Xiaoxiao felt a sudden warmth in her heart. She really did have the best friends. She turned and said, "Yanjie, hurry up."

"Right." Hu Yanjie let out a tense breath and followed them.

After the four of them were gone, Wan Meirong appeared. She asked the guard, "What kind of tickets did they have?"

"Standard tickets," the security guard at the checkpoint answered quickly.

Wan Meirong smiled.

Standard tickets could be bought by anyone with money. Purchasing VIP tickets, however, required identity verification. Anyone with personal or family assets below a certain threshold was not allowed to buy them. The black VIP cards, on the other hand, were not for sale at all. Only the Leading Families from the thirteen cities participating in this year's Sea Temple Festival received five tickets each to give to their closest kin. The Wan Family, of course, was not subject to these restrictions.

Standard tickets mean they have simple backgrounds. I don't have to worry about causing trouble and getting a lecture from the Family Head.

Wan Meirong beckoned, and the two bodyguards behind her strode forward.

***

There were several hundred people on the first deck of the cruise ship. While not crowded, it could hardly be called spacious. Among them were small-time bosses and rich heirs, each accompanied by an elegantly dressed female companion. They were all holding glasses of red wine or juice, chatting and laughing joyously.

In contrast, Ruan Lan and her friends were dressed in either plain dresses or jeans. They looked remarkably plain. Yu Xiaoxiao and Ruan Lan were fine with it, but Li Li seemed a little self-conscious.

"Relax," Ruan Lan said with a roll of her eyes. "So what if they're wearing evening gowns? Everyone's still wearing panties underneath, right? It's not like we came naked."

"...Keep your voice down!" Li Li's face flushed red.

"Hu Yanjie went to the restroom. Why isn't he back yet?" Yu Xiaoxiao said, looking around.

"Ruan Lan!?"

At that moment, an exaggerated and familiar voice called out. Ruan Lan turned and froze.

It was her eldest uncle's family!

Ruan Qingshan was in a suit, while Song Ru was even more extravagantly dressed, dripping with gold and silver, her face caked in a thick layer of makeup.

Ruan Jin pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked Ruan Lan over with contempt. He scoffed, "This Wan Family banquet must not be all that special if they're letting a country bumpkin like you slip in."

Ruan Lan was furious. She had finally escaped the Ruan Family, only to run into the very people she loathed most. She shot back, "Even the finest clothes look disgusting on disgusting people!"

"Who are you calling disgusting!?" Song Ru spat, her hand rising to slap Ruan Lan, but her husband caught her wrist.

Ruan Qingshan said coolly, "We are VIPs. There's no need for us to stoop to the level of common folk stuck on the first deck."

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