Chapter 201: The First Meeting of Envy and Greed

Xueyuan took the clothes, a disdainful smile on his haughty face. "The style isn't bad. It seems the Seven Deadly Sins have some taste after all."

Seeing that Xueyuan was in a good mood, Murong Yun asked tentatively, "Lord Xueyuan, the woman I locked in the villa is gone. Did she..."

"Hmm?" Xueyuan shot Murong Yun a cold glare. "Do you think I'm your nanny?"

Murong Yun's expression changed drastically, and he said in a panic, "This subordinate wouldn't dare!"

"Hmph! Trash! Always obsessing over women. Remember your mission. Once Murong Mengli is dead, seize control of the Murong family's assets as quickly as possible. I don't want to hear another word from you about anything else!"

After lecturing Murong Yun, Xueyuan picked up the Envy Mask and the tailcoat, then vanished.

He left a gloomy-faced Murong Yun standing there. Xueyuan's parting words had been so ambiguous that he couldn't even tell if the man had taken Jasmine away.

...

...

A hundred li outside Lanshan, within a dense forest.

"Brother Shentu, I'll have to trouble you this time," Sikong Zhen said to a dark-faced, middle-aged man who was as burly as a tower.

The man looked to be around fifty. His rough skin appeared weathered by countless storms, and thick eyebrows—drawn like bold strokes of ink—slanted sharply toward his temples, framing a pair of large, piercing, bell-shaped eyes. His short hair stood as stiff as steel needles, lending him an imposing, martial air.

Shentu Lie flashed a wide grin. "I am duty-bound to share the Empire's burdens."

Sikong Zhen nodded politely, though he sneered inwardly. He knew the true faces of these Empire nobles all too well. They always spouted pretty words about sharing the Empire's burdens, but in reality, they only ever acted for their own benefit.

He had paid a hefty price to get Shentu Lie to make a move this time.

Thinking of that payment improved his mood slightly. Thanks to Shentu Lie's insatiable greed, he had managed to pocket a small profit of his own in the process.

"Brother Shentu, I've already transferred all the elites from the neighboring cities' Law Enforcement Bureaus. However, to keep Envy from noticing, I didn't let them get close. They are all lying in ambush a hundred li away.

"I'll disguise myself as Greed and go meet with Envy. Once my sneak attack succeeds, I'll fire a flare. When that happens, you'll lead them in to completely encircle and lock down Lanshan."

"Yeah, don't worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong. Even if Envy had wings, he wouldn't be able to fly away!" Shentu Lie smiled savagely, his tone brimming with absolute confidence.

...

...

At the Bronze Coffin Company, Nangong Mengli got into a Black Commercial Vehicle and set off.

Not far away, atop a skyscraper directly across from the Bronze Coffin Company, a man wearing a tailcoat and a Silver-White Mask watched the Black Commercial Vehicle with keen interest.

Etched onto the Silver-White Mask was a smiling face twisted by envy.

The man's identity was obvious—the Seven Deadly Sins' Envy (Xueyuan).

Xueyuan watched the Black Commercial Vehicle gradually disappear from sight. With a leap, he vanished into the dimming sky.

The vehicle drove for about half an hour before stopping at a gas station.

Hidden in the shadows, Xueyuan frowned slightly. He hated waiting. He just wanted Murong Mengli to hurry up and leave Star City for Lanshan so he could kill her under the guise of Envy. Leaving a few witnesses behind would wrap up the whole affair.

As the car sat refueling, the door suddenly opened from the inside. A plain-looking woman stepped out and slowly stretched.

Seeing this, Xueyuan froze. Where was Murong Mengli?!

He had seen it clearly earlier: Murong Mengli was the one who got into the vehicle. Aside from the male driver, she had been the only person inside. So why was a stranger stepping out now?

"Heh..." Xueyuan suddenly sneered. "Well played, Murong Mengli. Truly cautious. To think you'd pull a bait-and-switch right in front of me. It seems Murong Yun's previous assassination attempt really spooked you. But no matter how cautious you are, it's useless. As long as I know your destination is Lanshan, that's enough."

With that, Xueyuan vanished from his spot. He headed straight for Lanshan to lie in wait.

However, he failed to notice a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows, watching his every move.

Su Mu smiled faintly. "The fish has taken the bait. The Seven Deadly Sins' Envy and Greed are about to officially meet. Truly something to look forward to!"

A long while later, Xueyuan's figure appeared on Lanshan. He slipped through the shadows of the mountain forest, his footsteps as silent as a ghost.

Upon reaching the peak, he casually leaned against the back of a large tree. Shrouded by the leafy canopy, he patiently waited for his prey to arrive.

It wasn't long before his eyes narrowed. His powerful Blood Clan senses detected someone approaching the peak at high speed.

Are they here? Is it Murong Mengli... or the out-of-province chamber of commerce director she's supposed to meet?

When the person reached the summit, Xueyuan tilted his head slightly, covertly observing the newcomer from the shadows. One glance left him utterly stunned.

The Seven Deadly Sins!?

He blinked, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and bewilderment.

The newcomer was wearing the exact same tailcoat and Silver-White Mask. The only difference was that his own mask was Envy, while the other person wore the smiling face of Greed.

What's going on? Could it be...

An unbelievable thought suddenly sprang into Xueyuan's mind: the person Murong Mengli had arranged to meet was actually Greed of the Seven Deadly Sins!

For a moment, his thoughts spun wildly, as if he had stumbled upon some earth-shattering secret!

Pride killed the Murong Family Head, yet Murong Mengli is secretly meeting with Greed from the Seven Deadly Sins. Could it be... Murong Zhuo's death was actually the result of Murong Mengli joining forces with the Seven Deadly Sins?

Just as he was deep in thought, Sikong Zhen, disguised as Greed, suddenly spoke. "Come out."

His voice was unusually raspy, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. This was a detail he had deliberately verified with Taoist Priest Xuanqing beforehand. Taoist Priest Xuanqing had mentioned that Greed's voice was very hoarse and his build was similar to Sikong Zhen's, just slightly taller. For this very reason, Sikong Zhen had even worn height-increasing insoles.

He wasn't sure if his disguise could successfully fool the real member of the Seven Deadly Sins standing before him, but at this point, he could only give it a try. Even if he was seen through, it didn't matter. The moment the flare went off, Shentu Lie would charge up with his troops.

Behind the large tree, Xueyuan's heart sank. Being discovered meant that Greed was highly likely to be a Gold tier powerhouse as well!

Crucially, he was currently wearing the Envy Mask and had just happened to run into a genuine member of the Seven Deadly Sins. There was absolutely no way to explain this away. It seemed a battle was unavoidable.

His expression dark, he stepped out from behind the tree. The Silver-White Mask concealed his features, leaving only a pair of gloomy eyes exposed.

Thus, Envy and Greed of the Seven Deadly Sins met for the first time.