Chapter 125: Eve of the Performance

The man weighed over 300 jin, his bloated frame barely contained by an expensive white suit. A greasy smile was plastered across his face as he clutched a vibrant bouquet of red roses.

"Mengli, my fiancée, you're finally here. I've waited so long." Qian Zihao reached out a flabby hand to take hers, but Nangong Mengli only shot him a cold look. "Excuse me," she said flatly. "I already have a partner."

With that, she offered her hand to her side. Her soft fingers, encased in white silk, were quickly enveloped in a long, powerful grip.

At some point, a young man in a crisp black suit carrying a Snakewood Cane had approached. Gently holding Nangong Mengli's hand, he offered a mild smile. "Excuse me. Coming through."

Without another word, Su Mu led Nangong Mengli right past Qian Zihao and strode toward the Boli Hotel. Neither of them spared him a second glance.

Completely ignored, Qian Zihao's expression darkened.

"Su Mu..." he hissed through grinding teeth.

"Filthy commoner!"

He already knew that Su Mu had returned alive. Mu Cheng, meanwhile, had vanished without a trace—the implications were obvious. Qian Zihao had agonized over the matter for the past few days and ultimately decided not to act rashly.

Others might not know the extent of Mu Cheng's strength, but he knew perfectly well. Mu Cheng wasn't just a Silver expert; he was a fully modified cyborg capable of holding his own even against high Sequence Silver combatants. Yet he had died by Su Mu's hand. Until he fully grasped the depths of Su Mu's power, Qian Zihao had no intention of throwing his last two Silver subordinates away on a suicide mission.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. He planned to wait until this banquet concluded, then spend a fortune to hire one more Silver expert. Once three Silvers struck at the same time, Su Mu would be dead without a doubt!

'Forget it. A commoner like you won't be strutting around for much longer. Once I marry Mengli and become a noble, my wealth and authority will rise to a whole new level. That's when you die.'

Qian Zihao silently plotted. The fake smile returned to his face as he enthusiastically greeted the passing guests.

The 68th floor of the Boli Hotel was entirely dedicated to a massive banquet hall. When Su Mu and Nangong Mengli arrived, an attendant who had been waiting at the entrance slowly pushed open the grand double doors and bowed deeply. "Welcome, honored guests."

The pair stepped into the banquet hall, entering what looked like a fairy tale. Brilliant crystal chandeliers hung from the lofty ceiling, shimmering like stars as they cast a bright, warm glow over the room. An opulent carpet, woven with exquisite patterns, cushioned their steps.

Tall pillars carved with intricate motifs ringed the hall. Between them hung massive oil paintings by unnamed masters, lending an air of artistry to the venue.

Nearly a hundred guests had already arrived, yet the vast space felt more empty than crowded. Immaculately dressed attendants navigated the floor with trays in hand, offering pastries and fine wine to the high-society elites.

The guests clustered in small groups, warm and pleasant smiles on every face. The hum of their conversation was perfectly restrained—lively without becoming a racket.

Melodious piano music drifted through the hall like a clear spring washing over the soul, making one feel as though they had stumbled into a royal banquet from a storybook.

"Are you absolutely certain about this?" Nangong Mengli asked, her lips barely moving as she smiled and nodded to the passing guests.

Su Mu wore an elegantly unhurried smile. He blended into the crowd seamlessly, looking every bit like the main character of the gala.

"Such an interesting banquet. Naturally, I wouldn't want to miss it."

A complex emotion flickered in Nangong Mengli's eyes. She wanted to say more, but Su Mu gently pulled her to the side.

"Two glasses of red wine, please."

The attendant offered a polite, respectful smile—neither cold nor sycophantic—and handed over the drinks before quietly withdrawing to serve the next guest.

Su Mu took the glasses, handed one to Nangong Mengli, and expertly guided her to a sofa in the corner of the room.

"My preparations are complete. Now it all depends on whether your abilities are as formidable as the legends say."

Worry flickered across Nangong Mengli's face, but she ultimately didn't try to dissuade him. "I wouldn't joke around with my own life. But you disappeared for half the day earlier—what exactly did you prepare?"

Su Mu offered a mysterious smile. "A grand performance naturally requires a bit of backstage work. You'll see soon enough. Just stick to the plan."

Just a day ago, Nangong Mengli had successfully used the Eye of Gold to awaken the Nangong Family's ancestral Gold Bloodline. To her immense satisfaction, she had also obtained the highest-ranking Silver Law in the known Sequence—Instant Bloom!

According to her, Instant Bloom was notoriously difficult to awaken. It was only thanks to the potent effects of the Eye of Gold that she managed it in one step. Even back when the Nangong Family was at its peak, only the rarest, most extraordinarily gifted members awakened Instant Bloom right from the start; the rest always manifested one of the other two Silver Laws carried in their bloodline.

After that, Nangong Mengli and Su Mu had discussed her strategy. Her original plan was to approach Murong Zhuo during the banquet, tell him she had acquired the Eye of Gold, and then, at the exact moment she offered it to him, trigger Instant Bloom. Forcing herself into a state of time acceleration, she would launch a blinding ambush and assassinate Murong Zhuo on the spot.

It was a simple, blunt plan, but undeniably effective. None of the guests—and certainly not Murong Zhuo himself—would ever suspect that his neglected, illegitimate daughter was actually a descendant of the Nangong Family. Much less would they expect her to have awakened the absolute strongest Silver Law. Through such a calculated ambush against an unsuspecting target, even a Silver 3 expert would meet a bitter end right there on the floor.

Furthermore, all of Murong Zhuo's Silver Laws were purely offensive. He had absolutely zero defense; a lethal strike would guarantee his death.

Having lived as Murong Zhuo's adoptive daughter, Nangong Mengli had long since exposed all of his secrets. His three Silver Laws were the Eye of the Storm, Wind Shadow Speed, and the Wind-Dancing Spirit Blade.

These three Silver Laws granted him powerful mobility and lethality, but provided absolutely nothing in the way of defense.

Thus, assassinating Murong Zhuo with Instant Bloom wouldn't be difficult for Nangong Mengli. The true challenge lay in escaping alive. The time acceleration of Instant Bloom was immensely powerful, but it came with two fatal drawbacks: first, she had to burn her lifespan to accelerate her own timeline; second, entering the time acceleration state placed tremendous pressure on her physical body, making it impossible to sustain for long.

These two fatal drawbacks meant Nangong Mengli had absolutely no capacity for a drawn-out fight. Having only just awakened her bloodline, she was essentially a fragile assassin—she could pull off a one-hit kill, but would basically be left waiting to die right where she stood, unless she recklessly forced herself back into time acceleration to flee the scene.

But the problem was that murdering a noble of the Empire in plain view of the crowd would leave Nangong Mengli in a state of extreme weakness. Even if she managed to flee the scene, she would never make it out of Star City.