Yingyue was filled with frustration. Her father had informed her only a couple of days ago that she was getting engaged, and her engagement was to none other than “that” Xu Mingyuan. Trash of the Xu family, a hopeless playboy who occasionally acted as a licking dog towards beautiful women. Yingyue’s future had never looked more grim.

“What is my idiot father thinking?! A political marriage, in this day and age? He’s dead to me! Use me as a tool, I’ll show you!” Yingyue stomped on the floor in righteous indignation. She was an ambitious woman, seeking to take over as the city lord in the near future. She wanted the power to be responsible for her own life, to achieve her own sense of freedom. Her ultimate goal was to grow Liu City into a magnificent domain, and to marry someone she loves. Xu Mingyuan was a man she could never love.

Yingyue reigned in her anger and began to seriously think. “The only way to fix things now is by force. It’s doubtful that dog Mingyuan would agree to simply call off the engagement, considering his worthless pride, and either family will never listen to my pleas either. I must find someone who isn’t affiliated with the two families if I want to forcefully cut off the arrangement…” Yingyue’s brain formed many thoughts in a short time, calculating her options.

“My reputation will suffer some damage but it is infinitely better than throwing away my future and clipping my wings. There is no other choice.” She made her resolve. The last thing to do was find a proper bodyguard to potentially fight off Xu Mingyuan and his men. There were a number of independent contractors around Liu city who could provide what Yingyue was looking for, so she summarized each one's information in her mind before deciding on a destination.

“If it’s them, maybe I can escape this fate…” Yingyue mumbled to herself before grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

—

Yingyue stood in front of an imposing gray building in a large lot. Above the door was a large sign, “Black Hound Security Association”. The solid lines of the architecture exemplified a utilitarian design. In the air that seemed to freeze from the intimidating aura given off by the building, Yingyue began to reconsider her choice.

“Though I did choose this place for a reason, being in front of the actual thing is really a different feeling. I might’ve bitten off more than I can chew here…” Yingyue muttered to herself before shaking her head. “Regardless, I don’t have many good options and if I’m successful here I’ll certainly break off the engagement. The alternative is simply not an option.” With her resolve steeled, Yingyue entered the building.

The interior of the building was similar to the outside, gray and minimalist. The lobby was clearly not made to welcome guests. Yingyue walked forward in this environment with sure steps, not hesitating now that she held her goal in mind. At the end of her walk was a desk with nobody behind it, just a button and a sign, “Push the button for assistance.”

Yingyue pushed the button.

“Black Hound Security Association, what do you want?” A cold voice rang out of an unseen speaker, saying something that sounded more like a statement than a question. Yingyue raised an eyebrow at their tone before opening her mouth.

“Liu Yingyue seeks an audience with your CEO.”

“Ah, Ms. Liu, we’ve been expecting you. Take the elevator to your right up to the top.” The voice changed its tone slightly, becoming a bit friendlier but remaining informal.

Yingyue entered the elevator after the voice dropped, heading towards the highest floor. She collected herself before the elevator reached the top of the building with a *ding*. Yingyue stepped out of the elevator and prepared to negotiate.

—

“And what brings a little girl like Ms. Liu into my office?” A gray haired, wrinkled man inquired towards Yingyue. His shirt bulged with powerful muscles, a testament to the type of life he had led. A scar crossed over his face, slicing across his left eye giving him a savage feel. That man was the head of the Black Hounds, Chen Bambang.

“I’ve come to ask for an escort to my engagement party. Somebody who doesn’t mind making an enemy of the Xu family.” With those two sentences Yingyue had said more than enough. A sharp glint shot through Chen Bambang’s eyes as he considered her words.

Time passed as Chen Bambang rubbed his chin with his eyes closed, seemingly thinking deeply about the matter. Yingyue could do nothing but wait, tense with anxiety as she sat. This was her only chance at salvation, yet she could only nervously stare as someone else held her future in their hands.

After a good while, Chen Bambang’s answer finally came.

“No.” One word to shatter Yingyue’s hopes. Yingyue’s expression darkened as she opened her mouth.

“Is there a reason why? We haven’t even discussed salary or other terms, I can provide you plenty of benefits you know?” Yingyue glared at Chen Bambang as she spit out her words. Chen Bambang stared at Yingyue for a moment before breaking into boisterous laughter.

“Plenty of benefits she says! Ha! You’re killing me kid, you’re a natural comedian!” Chen Bambang held his stomach as his laughter continued, tears coming to his eyes. He wiped his eyes, collecting himself before opening his mouth again. “Listen up fool and listen well, your father already contacted every defense contractor in this city. Benefits? What can you give me, your allowance? Mr. Liu makes the laws in this city, little Miss Liu. No good dog will bite the hand that feeds it, and we Black Hounds are no different. I’m sure you did your research kid, you aren’t a total moron for coming here, but the ‘independent’ affiliation means jack when your livelihood is on the line. The price for a job like this is far more than you can offer.” Chen Bambang coldly stared at Yingyue, like a predator hunting its prey.

Yingyue’s expression hardened upon hearing his answer. The worst case scenario was unfolding in front of her, and she knew if she didn’t leave now it was unlikely she’d get another chance to break her engagement with Xu Mingyuan. Given the current situation, she felt as if she’d only delivered herself straight to the monster’s den. Yingyue hurriedly stood up from her seat, patting her professional looking mini skirt smooth in an anxious act of self soothing before taking a breath. “Well then, I see we have nothing more to discuss. Thank you for your time, I really must be going now.”

Yingyue spat out her words quickly, not wanting to stand in front of the intimidating old man any longer. She didn’t wait for his words before turning around and walking out of the office, taking measured steps that would look natural to any casual observer. Inside however, her mind was a mess. She was certain Chen Bambang would not let her leave easily, as her father was likely waiting for her to be caught and returned to the house. After all, she had sneakily left her family’s estate in order to be here. Her engagement was only a day away, and her father knew she was a flight hazard given her personality.

As Yingyue was considering the reality of her situation, she waited for the elevator to descend to the base of the towering building. She was tense with fear as she stood in silence, cold sweat dripping down her back. What happened next would surely decide her future.

The elevator ticked down 3… 2… 1, before the doors slid open. Yingyue held her breath. In front of her appeared 20 armed men, standing in black uniforms. The one in front opened his mouth and loudly ordered. “Liu Yingyue! At the request of Liu Bohai, we will be detaining you and bringing you back to your house! Come quietly and you will not be harmed!”

Yingyue quietly deliberated for a short moment before raising her hands in surrender. She didn’t say a word, simply allowing herself to be led to an adjacent room to the lobby. Once Yingyue was inside the room, most of the men left, leaving only five to watch over her.

Yingyue had nothing else to do while she waited to be transported back home, so she scanned the room. She was sitting in a corner of the room, by a computer terminal that appeared to be showing something related to traffic in the area. Most of the room was filled with various vehicles, clearly she was in a garage. Shutters lined the wall on the side of the room opposite of Yingyue, all down and locked.

‘It’s unlikely I could escape by stealing a vehicle. In the first place, the keys aren’t kept in this room from what I can see. Damn it! They really were waiting for me right outside the elevator. I was an idiot for coming here! I was too desperate, ugh how can I get out of this now? I must hold strong and wait for a good opportunity!’ Yingyue’s thoughts were freely flowing in a panic, trying to calculate her chances at escape. She chewed her lip as she glared at the five guards standing around her, pondering deeply.

‘Even if I manage to run out of here in a moment of distraction, won’t I just be captured shortly after? I can’t outrun these men and their cars, is it truly hopeless?’ Yingyue clenched her fists in anger, her face paling as she thought more and more.

As Yingyue worried, the man who seemed to be leading the security detail opened his mouth. “Alright, time to head out. Mr. Liu is ready so let's not delay any longer.” Yingyue’s mind turned white as she realized there wouldn’t be a chance to escape. As Yingyue was herded to a large black SUV, the garage shutter on the furthest right began to raise.

“Hey, that's the wrong shutter moron! What are you doing back there!?” The leader yelled irritatedly at the man sitting at the computer terminal.

“I’m sorry sir! It wasn’t me! Someone outside must’ve triggered the shutter!” The man at the terminal shuddered as a cold sweat ran down his neck. He couldn’t stop the shutter from raising now that it had begun.

Yingyue chewed her lip, taking a moment to steel her will. This wasn’t much of an opportunity but it was more than she could expect after getting into the car. She tensed her legs, poised to make a dash for the opening shutter, when a silhouette of a man blocked the light streaming through the door.

“Hahaha! Black hounds, today I, Wang Ling, am here to take what I am due!” As the shutter finished opening, Wang Ling entered the garage arrogantly. In just a short moment the entire garage filled with a deafening silence. A dozen pairs of eyes turned to the shutter before glancing back at each other in confusion.

The head of the guards schooled his bewildered expression before opening his mouth. “Listen buddy, if you’ve got a problem we have official channels you can go through. Right now you’re trespassing on private property and…,” The guard splayed open his hand and gestured to Yingyue behind him, “I’ve got a job I’m in the middle of, so my patience is a little thin. If you don’t get your ass out of here in the next thirty seconds I’m calling the police.”

Wang Ling opened his mouth wide and laughed uproariously, a fury dying his laugh. “The police? A group like yours? Don’t test me! You Black Hounds massacre indiscriminately when you’re paid, but when a problem comes to your door it’s suddenly someone else’s problem? You bastards sicken me, today I will show you what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the fist.” Wang Ling’s excitement died as he spoke, slowly it was being replaced with a cold resolve.

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The head of the guards narrowed his eyes, “You call yourself Wang Ling? Very good, today the Black Hounds will teach you the heights of the heavens.” As he said this, he slowly moved away from Yingyue, preparing to draw his weapon on Wang Ling.

Wang Ling too began his preparations before suddenly suffering from a figurative lightning bolt to the brain. His eyes shook as he caught sight of the woman who had been hidden behind the guard’s broad body, apparently the ‘work’ indicated by the head of security. He suddenly felt as if his soul had been stolen from his body.

Time slowed to a crawl for Wang Ling as he gazed at the woman. Her divine features seemed to sparkle like jade. Her hair, done up in an ox horn style, had a luscious gleam to it like the glittering night sky. Her face was fierce, with phoenix eyes and perfect angles, lending a dignified look to every emotion she showed. And her lips, bright red and glimmering with moisture, looked like the perfect fruit for him to eat.

In just a short moment Wang Ling greedily took in the woman’s features, not missing a single detail. For the first time in his life he felt his long broken heart begin to reconstruct, a soft but persistent beating filling his body.

‘This woman is my soulmate.’ He thought to himself. In the next short instant Wang Ling’s brain worked on overdrive, calculating the current situation and what to do next. From her expression, Wang Ling could tell she was feeling anxious, with a clear gleam of nervous anticipation in her eyes. After many years of combat training under his esteemed master, Wang Ling could tell that the woman was poised to make a dash in his direction… or maybe towards the door behind him. The ‘work’ the guard head was referring to likely involved escorting her somewhere against her will. That’s what Wang Ling’s intuition was telling him.

Suddenly, the head of the guards tensed. Now in position, his hand rapidly drew his weapon, a pistol. At this movement all of the other guards in the garage drew at once, heavily trained for any type of situation. They immediately fired on Wang Ling, no hint of civility in their actions.

‘Ha, a bunch of fools.’ Wang Ling smirked as his figure blurred, appearing to disappear the moment the hail of bullets hit him.

“Stop!” The guard captain halted the shooting with a clenched fist raised in the air. A cloud of dust rose from the spot Wang Ling had been standing in, obscuring vision.

“Did we get him?” security grunt number one spoke out of turn.

“Do you have a death wish, you moron! Why curse us like that!” The captain hissed through gritted teeth. His senses were tingling with an ominous premonition. He had just barely sensed movement from Wang Ling before the bullets landed, causing him to tense up with caution. “There's things in this world that bullets can’t kill! Keep your weapons up until the dust clears, no slacking!”

All the guards redoubled their caution, glaring at the rapidly clearing dust. As it thinned, they could no longer see a silhouette of a person.

“Shit! Where did he go!?” The captain rapidly shifted his gaze around the room, trying to catch any sign of movement. The other guards nervously shuffled their feet, waiting for the enemy to reappear.

“Heh, who’re you looking for? I’ve been here this whole time!” Suddenly a voice made itself known directly next to the captain’s ear, prompting an immediate reaction.

“Die, freak!” The captain whipped his gun to the side with fervor, hoping to hit Wang Ling with the solid barrel. His eyes caught the figure of Wang Ling, who truly had appeared next to him like a ghost. In his eyes he saw the slight smile on Wang Ling’s face as his raised hand blocked the gun’s barrel.

“Hm, looks like you have some skills. I’ll save you who offended me for last then!” Wang Ling laughed as his figure disappeared again, this time dissipating like a mirage in front of the wary eyes of every guard.

“What did he do!? Who is this monster!?” One of the guards shouted in wide eyed disbelief. Suddenly the guard who shouted crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, his head twisted 180 degrees.

“Shit! Shit! We can’t even see him! Boss, what do we do!?” The other guards began to shout in a panic, rapidly shifting their attention around the room. One by one the guards crumpled to the floor, not any wiser to what they'd been hit by. As the guard numbers began to dwindle, the captain kept his sharp glare on each member of his crew, observing and waiting. As he continued to observe, he finally spotted it, a small blur just at the edge of his peripheral vision at the moment another guard dropped.

“I got you this time, bastard!” The captain whispered through his grit teeth. He had been slowly moving towards the closest guard through the entire ordeal, biding his time. Once he was within an arm's length of the other guard, he stopped, poised for the kill.

A blur in his peripheral vision prompted his quick response.

“Take this, freak!” The captain yelled as he opened fire on his subordinate, hoping to catch Wang Ling with his wild spraying.

A spray of blood flew off his subordinate’s body as it fell to the ground, lacking another body to go with it. It took only a moment to confirm his plan had failed.

“Ha, bastard, you almost hurt me bad there. So turns out you could actually see me, too bad our level is simply too different!” Wang Ling laughed lightly as he spoke, his voice seeming to come from all around the room. A subtle dripping noise could be heard as well, but the captain noticed the dripping seemed to have a direction unlike the omnidirectional speaking voice he heard. He focused all of his senses on the dripping, readying himself to end the fight.

Within the next moment, the dripping suddenly moved closer to the concentrating captain, a clear indicator of its relation to Wang Ling. As he stood, the dripping suddenly shifted to a point clearly in the captain’s range.

With no superfluous movements or words, the captain immediately fired at the location of the invisible dripping noise. He emptied his entire clip into the stagnant air, betting it all to catch this invisible enemy.

As he pulled the trigger again and heard a hollow click, the captain quickly waved the air in front of him to clear any smoke and dust and confirm his kill.

On the ground was a completely blown out water bottle, fluid spilled all over the floor.

“Hahaha! Old fool, you fell for the most basic misdirection there is! Did you think you had made me bleed? Well, no matter, remember this: nobody humiliates Wang Ling!” The captain heard the voice directly behind him this time, and in fear attempted to whip around once again. The captain suddenly found himself face to face with the bumpkin who had attacked them, but felt no force behind his movement when he attempted to smack Wang Ling again.

He was overcome with confusion as suddenly his vision dropped, rapidly approaching the floor. In his last moment he realized what had happened.

“Ah.” The captain's last thought before his twisted neck deprived his brain of the necessary components for life.

—

Wang Ling shook his head and smiled ruefully as he looked at the large number of bodies in the garage. The battle had taken longer than he expected and he’d even taken a glancing blow to his shoulder, causing a small line of blood to trickle down his arm. He ruffled his long hair for a moment before sighing.

“I suppose revenge against the Wei family is still quite the pipe dream. I can handle little mercenary groups like this, but could I even stand up to another martial artist with these skills? I must redouble my efforts.” Wang Ling spoke out loud to himself, using the words to steel his resolve. As he stood and contemplated for a moment, he heard a loud squeaky noise from where he made an impromptu entrance.

Liu Yingyue was standing there, hands on the garage shutter, using her strength to lift the door. In the previous chaos, the guards had dropped all of the shutters and locked the doors to prevent Wang Ling’s escape. As a result, while Yingyue had originally wanted to make a quiet exit, she could only resolve herself to loudly open a shutter. However, upon realizing that the entire garage was silent and Wang Ling’s attention was solely on her, she could only slowly turn her head as an awkward creaking sound came from her neck. Catching Wang Ling’s eyes with her own, she could only offer an awkward and fearful smile. Seeing this, Wang Ling took his chance and closed the gap between them.

“Excuse me, Miss, I noticed you seem to be in a bit of trouble. I may not seem like much but I assure you I can help a woman as beautiful as you with whatever you may need!” Wang Ling’s greedy eyes licked Yingyue up and down for a moment before calming himself, reaching out to grab hold of the shutter as an act of consideration.

Seeing how close the scary man had gotten and watching him raise his hand, Yingyue flinched instinctively, cringing away from the maniac who had just killed at least ten men in front of her. She wanted nothing more than to escape the premises of the building and begin constructing another plan to avoid her engagement to Xu Mingyuan.

Wang Ling, sensing her trepidation, backed off for a moment.

“I’m really sorry about all this Miss, I promise I mean no harm. There were some circumstances here, and it seems you got caught up in my mess. If I could make this up to you somehow don’t hesitate to tell me, I am quite confident in my strength after all! I believe it is fate that we met here, please allow me to at least escort you back home! My name is Wang Ling, could I possibly get Miss's name?” Wang Ling hurriedly came up with a reason to stay around the gorgeous woman. If he missed his opportunity now, he’d only be able to chew on his handkerchief with regret!

Yingyue stopped for a moment to calm herself, still holding the shutter so she could duck under in a moment. She rationally weighed her options, not allowing the traumatizing experience to continue clouding her judgment. “...I’m Liu Yingyue. Daughter of the city lord. I’ll admit I am having some trouble that I could use a strong escort for. How do I know I can trust you? Why should you want to help me?” Yingyue glared straight at Wang Ling, keeping her response measured in order to further feel out his intentions.

Wang Ling’s eyes lit up when he heard her name and position, feeling excited from the bottom of his heart. ‘So this is the woman I’m destined to be with! Powerful, and with such a graceful name too, no one else could be worthy of this Wang Ling!’ he thought to himself.

“Lady Liu, I understand your distrust, but would you believe me if I told you it was love at first sight? I simply wanted to help the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, after fate had already brought us together!” Wang Ling couldn’t stop himself from gushing for a moment, with his excitement simply overflowing. Liu Yingyue was taken aback, instinctively stepping back from the terrifying country bumpkin before taking a more calculating look at her situation.

‘This Wang Ling, he doesn’t appear to be lying… His status is at the bottom but at the very least his looks aren’t bad. He has enough strength to help me as well, I’ve never seen such enigmatic fighting in my life… Maybe I can use him well to solve my issues, and get him a proper position of prestige in the city so he can stay near me.’ Yingyue took a deep breath, having decided on her path forward.

“Wang Ling, I cannot accept your pursuit as you are now. I’ve never heard of your family and you have no personal prestige either, so we can’t be together. However, I need your power, so I will offer to help you gain recognition and prestige so that you can stay near me in the future. That is all I can say about the matter for now, I will make no promises about having feelings for you. Do you find that… agreeable?” Yingyue’s voice grew smaller as she laid out her terms, starting strong but growing a bit embarrassed as she realized what she was saying. Wasn’t she basically selling herself to this man for help? Unfortunately, she truly had no other options, so she swallowed her shame and finished what she was saying.

Wang Ling felt as if his heart was soaring after seeing the shy countenance of Liu Yingyue, slight blush touching her ears. He used all of his willpower to drag what she had said into the front of his brain, searching for the appropriate response.

“Yes! Absolutely, Lady Yingyue, I would find nothing more agreeable! I promise you will enjoy having me around!” Wang Ling smiled as he accepted the verbal contract. Right now he felt as if he was glowing, his excitement simply pouring out of his body.

Yingyue cringed a bit at his over enthusiasm for the situation but quickly forced her expression into a more neutral position.

“I’ll quickly get to the problem then, I need you to protect me from my soon to be fiance Xu Mingyuan while I cancel our engagement!” Yingyue spat out her words quickly, not wanting to waste any more time. The plan she explained to Wang Ling truly was simple: stand behind me while I publicly shame Xu Mingyuan for the forced engagement, and if they attempt to get physical, beat them to a pulp! In this way, the word will quickly spread and Liu Yingyue will be shielded by the press! Xu Mingyuan will only be able to watch powerlessly as the engagement never comes to fruition and Liu Yingyue walks away free to control her life!

The only problem she could think of was her family, who would assuredly take out their frustration on her. Yingyue was the owner of a number of businesses that could be considered her base of political power. Her businesses provided her money and gathered information in the areas they operated in, and without them she’d likely lose any chance of fighting off her family. As such, they were probably the first thing to be targeted should this engagement fail.

For now, Yingyue decided to put her problems out of her mind. She’d found a powerful helper today, so her main goal for the day had been met. If she continued wallowing in her issues then tomorrow would only be that much more difficult for her. Xu Mingyuan may be a pathetic licking dog but he still had significant power and prestige behind his name. If she wanted to break the chain that tied her to him, she’d need all of her focus.