"Bitch, I haven't even gone looking for you, yet you actually have the nerve to show up on your doorstep!"
The person who had arrived was none other than the vile woman who, in his past life, had colluded with her lover to orchestrate his murder: Liu Yanting.
"Gu Qianxue's death is scheduled for evening, so there's no rush yet. Since you've come knocking, I'd like to see what exactly you're up to!"
At the same time, another person crossed Li Hao's mind—Liu Yanting's older sister, Liu Xiaopang.
Though Li Hao's father was the richest man in Yuncheng, he was far from the most powerful. In this era of high martial arts, strength mattered far more than money.
Li Hao remembered that in his past life, Liu Xiaopang had been a genius at Yuncheng No. 1 High School. Scoring the top martial arts exam score in the entire province, she had been admitted to Magic City Martial Arts University. After graduation, she joined the military and achieved one military exploit after another, eventually becoming the pride of Yuncheng.
Killing Liu Yanting right now would certainly vent the hatred in his heart, but it would also bring unnecessary trouble to himself and his father.
With his current strength still insufficient, Li Hao had no intention of killing Liu Yanting just yet. He wanted to play with her properly first...
After all, the most painful way to die was certainly not a swift execution with a single blade.
Only slow torture, slice by slice, was the outcome Li Hao truly desired.
"Xiaoyao, open the door!"
Li Hao said coldly, then sat down on the sofa, poured himself a glass of red wine, and slowly swirled the liquid in the glass.
Looking through the peephole and seeing the visitor, Xiaoyao curled the corner of her lips in clear and intense aversion to the person outside.
Yet, obeying her young master's orders, she had no choice but to comply.
Reluctantly opening the door to let Liu Yanting in, Xiaoyao wore a look of disdain and said with an icy attitude, "Miss Liu, our young master likes cleanliness. Please change your shoes!"
"You... what kind of attitude is that for a mere maid?" Liu Yanting, choked by Xiaoyao's tone, flushed red with anger and demanded straight to her face.
"Hmph!"
Xiaoyao let out a cold snort without a word in response, turned around, and walked away.
Seeing this, Liu Yanting's expression grew even uglier, her body trembling slightly with rage as if a volcano were about to erupt. Harboring venomous thoughts, her eyes rolled as an idea formed: "Hmph! A lowly maid dares to put on an attitude with me? I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"
Liu Yanting wore thick makeup, her chalk-white face looking like a wall plastered with multiple layers of putty, unnaturally pale. Her bright red lips looked as if she had just lapped up chicken blood without bothering to wipe clean. Clad in a sexy yellow dress—her "battle robe"—she flaunted her plump, cheap figure without reservation.
Swishing her water-snake waist and swaying her hips, Liu Yanting strutted over to Li Hao and sat down on the sofa, pressing her body tightly against his.
At the same time, she quickly reached out both arms, gently grasped Li Hao's left hand, and lightly traced her fingers across his palm.
Wriggling her body like a maggot, Liu Yanting put on a pitiful, squeaky voice to complain, "Ahao, look at that maid! How can she act like that? What kind of attitude is she pulling?"
Li Hao had observed the entire process from the moment Liu Yanting entered the room, noting her tone of voice and subtle facial expressions.
At that moment, Li Hao wanted nothing more than to slap himself across the face. He thought to himself, "With such a grossly exaggerated act from this bitch, I actually used to be fooled by her. I was truly an utter fool!"
In the past, Li Hao had even listened to this bitch's words and punished Xiaoyao repeatedly. In the end, it was also because of this bitch that Xiaoyao had been fired!
Staring at this hypocritical and shameless face, Li Hao suppressed the urge to finish her off right then and there, a cold smile forming in his heart. "You want to play, do you? Fine! Then I'll keep you company and play with you slowly!"
Having lived two lives and endured boundless humiliation and torture, Li Hao was no longer the easily gullible village landlord's fool he once was!
In this lifetime, Li Hao would wash away his disgrace in blood, making this pair of scoundrels experience pain a thousandfold greater than his own, so as to wipe out the supreme humiliation of being mocked and murdered.
Smiling coldly inwardly while feigning ignorance on the outside, Li Hao said indifferently, "What's wrong?"
"Ahao, I am your high school classmate! She is nothing more than a maid; what right does she have to talk to me? Besides, look at her attitude—her upbringing is simply appalling!"
"Oh! And what would you have me do?"
"Ahao, she's just a maid, so naturally I won't lower myself to bicker with her. But you've just returned from the hospital and your body is still very weak. With an attitude like hers, how can she possibly take care of you properly?"
"This bitch, this green tea bitch, she really knows how to act... Caring about me? Who the hell are you trying to fool? Such a shameless, scheming bitch!"
Li Hao withdrew his left hand, tucked it beneath his right arm, and gently wiped it against his clothes twice as if brushing away some filth. Only then did he swirl his wine glass and ask offhandedly, "Oh, do you have any good suggestions?"
Seeing Li Hao take the bait, Liu Yanting put on a righteous act and proposed, "Ahao, a maid with such poor character is simply unsuited to take care of you. For the sake of your health, you should replace her with a Martial Artist!"
Hearing this, Li Hao cursed inwardly at the bitch starting her routine again! Yet out loud, he purposely said, "What's so great about a Martial Artist? I only like beauties."
"Ahao, you are the esteemed Young Master Li of our Yuncheng, of what noble status and standing! While this maid may possess some looks, she isn't qualified to serve you."
"A Martial Artist is completely different! Just think, Martial Artists are the dragons among men, elite talents selected out of ten thousand. Having a Martial Artist by your side means you can be served with far greater care; and when you encounter danger, they can protect your safety. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
"Have you forgotten? If you had a Martial Artist by your side back then, you wouldn't have been injured when you were attacked by the Purple-Haired Rat! Ahao, if you don't cherish your own body, I'm terribly worried for you!"
Liu Yanting's speech was articulate and logical, sounding entirely as though she had Li Hao's best interests at heart. Yet having experienced everything in his past life, Li Hao knew this bitch's schemes and tactics all too well.
Feigning approval, Li Hao played along: "Yanting, I never expected you to be so meticulous and thoughtful. Actually, my dad wanted to arrange a Martial Artist bodyguard for me before, but I refused because I didn't want to stand out too much at school!"
"Well, looking at it now, I really should..."
Before Li Hao could finish, Xiaoyao, who had been eavesdropping in the corridor, rushed out and interrupted, "Young master, the tutor the master arranged for you will be here soon..."
"Oh, my dad hired a tutor? How come I didn't know about this?" Li Hao asked, feigning confusion.
"Young master, after you fell asleep last night, the master notified me. I was just about to tell you, but Miss Liu here interrupted!" When saying "Miss Liu," Xiaoyao deliberately heavy-handed her tone on the word "Miss."
"You vile slave, how dare you mock me? Have you got a death wish?" Naturally picking up on Xiaoyao's implication, Liu Yanting immediately stood up and pointed angrily at Xiaoyao, cursing.
Her plan having been interrupted, Liu Yanting was already burning with frustration. Seeing a maid whom she regarded as a lowly ant dare to mock her profession—she could no longer contain herself and instantly dropped her facade.
Watching this, Li Hao sneered inwardly: "A bitch is a bitch; she couldn't keep up the act for very long, could she?"
Yet Li Hao pretended not to care, revealing nothing. Waving a hand at Xiaoyao, he said indifferently, "Xiaoyao, I get it. Go about your business first."
"Young master, but..."
Xiaoyao tried to say more, but Li Hao cut her off: "What time is the tutor coming?"
"Young master, nine o'clock in the morning."
"I know. Go tidy up the room, go on!"
"Young master, but... Oh, alright then..." Nodding in reluctant agreement, Xiaoyao turned back toward the corridor, glancing back every few steps with extreme reluctance.
Having listened to the exchange between Li Hao and Xiaoyao, Liu Yanting, standing nearby, also calmed down. While she cursed Xiaoyao as a lowly wretch, she also regretted her own impulsiveness.
Putting on a wronged expression, Liu Yanting sat back down beside Li Hao and played the pitiful card: "Ahao... Ahao, look at that... that maid was deliberately targeting me... You have to stand up for me! Boohoo..."
"Act away, keep on acting..."
Li Hao took a small sip of his red wine, watching quietly as Liu Yanting performed before him as if watching a monkey show.
After performing for a moment and noticing out of the corner of her eye that Li Hao showed no reaction at all, Liu Yanting grew even angrier. Dropping the act altogether, she snapped, "Ahao, you saw it yourself! That maid's character is simply atrocious. She actually had the nerve to mock me for being a..."
"For being what?" Li Hao asked, feigning incomprehension, though in his heart he thoroughly agreed with Xiaoyao's unspoken implication.
"Such a loyal, beautiful, and attentive maid—and I actually fired her in the past. Ah... in my previous life, my mind must have been covered in lard; I truly couldn't tell good from bad!"
"Ahao... you're so bad, how could you make me say such vulgar words out loud! I am nothing like that maid, who is utterly boorish and vile!"
"Alright, Xiaoyao just has a sharp tongue, but her heart isn't bad. Don't lower yourself to her level! By the way, where were we?"
"That maid is nothing but a vixen... As your old classmate, I cannot stand by and watch you sink deeper and deeper. Tell you what, since you agree with my earlier proposal, let me introduce a Martial Artist to you, so you won't let a low-class maid bewitch your mind."
Li Hao sneered inwardly: "As if I need you to make an introduction! If I wanted to use a Martial Artist, I could do it in a minute."
Refusing to turn her down for now, he wanted to see what exactly this bitch was driving at.
"Oh, you have a suitable candidate in mind... But let's get this straight first: ordinary Martial Artists won't catch my eye!"
"Ahao, of course! You can rest easy. The person I'm introducing to you will definitely satisfy you."
"Besides, you should know this person too..." Liu Yanting said, deliberately trying to build suspense.