69: A femme fatale, she murdered to silence witnesses.

Seeing the name "Zhuo Qingyao," a playful curve tugged at the corners of Qin Lang's mouth.

Finally couldn't sit still, huh?

He pocketed his phone and patted Ye Linger's head as if nothing had happened.

"Linger, I'm going out to buy something to drink. You keep busy."

"Oh, then hurry back! I want milk tea! Full sugar!"

Ye Linger didn't even lift her head, focused intently on studying a new talisman paper.

Qin Lang walked out of the shop and strolled leisurely to the street corner.

A stretched black luxury hovercar was parked there, arrogantly occupying half the lane, drawing curious glances from passersby.

The car window slowly rolled down.

A face with exquisite makeup, beautiful and moving, yet exuding a hint of pettiness, was revealed.

It was none other than Zhuo Qingyao.

"Get in."

She didn't even look at Qin Lang properly, just coldly spat out two words.

That bossy demeanor was as if she were summoning a dog to come and go at her beck and call.

Qin Lang stood outside the car, hands in his pockets, with no intention of moving.

"If you have something to say, say it here."

"I'm not used to riding in strangers' cars, especially..."

He looked the luxury car up and down and clicked his tongue.

"A car so full of the stench of money... I'm afraid of car sickness."

Zhuo Qingyao's fingers tightened abruptly; her beautifully crafted nails nearly tore through the leather seat.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in her heart, and pushed open the car door to step out.

Since this brat didn't know what was good for him, she wouldn't be polite either.

"Qin Lang, I don't have time to beat around the bush with you."

Zhuo Qingyao walked up to Qin Lang in her high heels; although she was a head shorter, her overbearing demeanor remained undiminished.

She pulled a gold card from her Hermes bag, held it between two fingers, and extended it toward Qin Lang.

"There is one million in this card."

"As long as you agree to one condition, this money is yours."

Qin Lang glanced at the card and smiled.

"One million? Third Miss Zhuo is certainly 'generous'."

He deliberately emphasized the word "generous."

"I wonder what Third Miss wants to buy? Buy me? Or..."

"Buy you to stay away from that bastard Ye Linger!"

Zhuo Qingyao interrupted him, her eyes cold.

"And stop all financial support to the Lingxin Pharmacy Pavilion immediately!"

"As long as you nod, this one million is yours immediately."

"Also, I can use Atlas's connections to get you a 20% discount on future potion purchases."

This was indeed a tempting offer.

For an ordinary student, one million plus Atlas's connections would be enough to make them sell out their own father without hesitation.

But Qin Lang just gave a faint "Oh."

"Sounds good."

He reached out his hand, seemingly about to take the card.

A sneer of disdain curled at the corners of Zhuo Qingyao's mouth.

As expected, there is no problem in this world that money cannot solve.

The so-called "knight in shining armor" is nothing but a joke in the face of profit.

However.

Just as her fingers were about to release the gold card.

Qin Lang's hand suddenly stopped.

"However, I think Third Miss might have a slight misunderstanding about my worth."

He pulled back his hand and took the black gold card he'd won from He Ye for one million out of his pocket, waving it in front of Zhuo Qingyao.

"One million? That was last month's market rate."

"I've gone up in price now."

Qin Lang leaned in closer, watching Zhuo Qingyao's face gradually stiffen, and held up one finger.

"Want me to stop? Sure."

"Bring me 100 million."

"If you can't pay that, stop embarrassing yourself here, you poor loser."

"Poor... poor loser?"

Zhuo Qingyao was completely stunned.

She had heard countless names in her life; even when her arch-rivals called her a venomous snake, she could just laugh it off.

But this was the first time someone dared to call her, Zhuo Qingyao, a poor loser!

"Are you playing me?!"

Zhuo Qingyao snapped back to reality, her exquisite face instantly turning the color of pig liver, and the aristocratic poise she had maintained completely vanished.

"Qin Lang! Don't push your luck!"

"Do you know what the consequences are for going against Atlas?"

She pointed at Qin Lang's nose, her voice as sharp as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Let me tell you! If you continue to be stubborn, not only will the Lingxin Pharmacy Pavilion be finished, but you yourself won't be able to buy a single high-tier potion on the market ever again!"

"I will blacklist you! I'll make it impossible for you to move an inch in this circle!"

Facing this naked threat, Qin Lang just picked his ear, looking impatient.

"Blacklist me?"

"Fine, I'll be waiting."

"But before that, Third Miss should worry about your own business."

"I heard that because of your half-price promotion this month, you've lost enough money to lose your shirt."

Having said that, he couldn't be bothered to look at this crazy woman again and turned to leave.

"Oh, right."

After walking a few steps, he stopped again and turned back to deliver a final blow.

"Remember to brush your teeth next time you go out. Your breath is too foul; it's easy to choke people."

"Ahhh! Qin Lang! I'm going to kill you!"

From behind came Zhuo Qingyao's hysterical screaming, drawing gazes from passersby.

Qin Lang hummed a little tune as he returned to the Lingxin Pharmacy Pavilion.

Just as he entered, he saw Ye Linger standing at the entrance, clearly having heard the commotion earlier.

"Qin Lang..."

She looked at Qin Lang, her eyes red.

Although she hadn't heard the specific conversation, seeing Zhuo Qingyao's exasperated state allowed her to guess the gist.

"That bad woman... did she threaten you again?"

"No, she just came to send money, but I saw she didn't give enough, so I didn't take it."

Qin Lang brushed it off lightly and reached out to rub her head.

"Don't worry. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up."

Ye Linger sniffled, said nothing, and just nodded heavily.

At that moment, the System notification sound rang in Qin Lang's mind.

Favorability increased again, nearing the 70% mark.

He had thought this matter was over just like that.

But the next morning, a phone call broke the peace.

It was from Luo Fei.

"Young Master Qin, something happened."

Luo Fei's voice was very low, carrying a hint of Killing Intent.

"A new bounty just appeared on the Dark Web."

"Target: Ye Linger."

"Bounty: 100,000 biological energy."

"Requirement: Cause an accidental death, leave no traces."

Qin Lang's hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

100,000?

Although not as high as the price for his own bounty before, for an ordinary person without any combat ability, this was simply a death warrant!

That woman Zhuo Qingyao, failing to bribe, actually went straight for the kill!

She's playing the physical elimination game now!

"Who took the order?"

"No one has taken it yet, but for such a low-difficulty job, some desperate outlaw will act soon."

"Alright, I understand."

Qin Lang hung up the phone and looked at Ye Linger, who was busy behind the counter; a nameless anger surged in his heart.

Since you, Zhuo Qingyao, don't play by the rules, don't blame me for flipping the table.

He walked quickly to Ye Linger.

"Linger, take this."

He pulled the four-star Thunder Fire Talisman he had scavenged from the third-tier assassin from his pocket, along with the four-star Golden Bell Talisman that Fei Changqing had given him.

He stuffed them all into Ye Linger's hands.

"This is?"

Ye Linger looked at the two talisman papers in her hand, which were emitting terrifying Spiritual Pressure, and was startled.

"Four-star energy talismans? These are too precious! I can't take them!"

"Take them!"

Qin Lang's voice grew stricter, leaving no room for doubt.

"From today on, you must carry these two talismans with you at all times; don't take them off even when sleeping!"

"If you encounter danger, no matter who you see, as long as something feels wrong, throw the Thunder Fire Talisman directly!"

"Don't worry about the consequences; if they get blown up, it's on me!"

Looking at Qin Lang's unprecedentedly serious expression, Ye Linger seemed to realize something.

She didn't decline again, clutching the talisman papers tightly in her hand, as if she were clutching Qin Lang's heart.

"Mm! I'll listen to you!"

She looked up, her large eyes misting over, filled with emotion and reliance.

【Ding!】

【Detected target 'Ye Linger' has received a strong emotional shock!】

【Favorability surpassed 80%!】

【Evaluation: Life and death companion. In her eyes, you are not just a lover, but a guardian deity.】

Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief.

With these two trump cards capable of instantly killing a Fourth-Tier Expert, unless that crazy woman Zhuo Qingyao came with a blade herself, whoever came would die!