Chapter 46 Terrible Advice

The woman in red slowly withdrew her gaze from Lin Jiangnian. She found it increasingly difficult to see through the fellow before her. This realization stirred faint ripples in her heart, breeding an unsettling sense that the situation was slipping out of her control.

Yet, that thought quickly vanished.

He was under the influence of her love gu; he could never escape her grasp!

"Still, she is, after all, the eldest young miss of the Xu family. Killing her is by no means an easy task!"

The woman in red seemed to recall something and gently shook her head.

Xu Lan was protected by formidable martial artists, and coupled with the fact that she rarely stepped outside, assassinating her here in Linjiang City presented an extraordinarily high level of difficulty.

"I need your help!"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her sideways. "How so?"

"Help me lure her out!"

A cold glint flickered in the eyes of the woman in red. "As long as you can draw her guards away, I can take her life."

"I cannot help."

Lin Jiangnian refused without a second thought. "Killing her is your affair; I will not get involved..."

"If my identity is exposed, both of us are finished!"

The woman in red knitted her brows.

This was precisely what worried her the most.

Xu Lan had to be eliminated!

She knew Lin Jiangnian's identity was a fabrication. If Xu Lan were to expose him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Although Xu Lan had not betrayed Lin Jiangnian for the moment, who could guarantee that she would keep this secret forever?

As for leverage, she didn't believe in such things at all!

Only the dead kept secrets.

Then, the woman's brows furrowed even deeper.

Without Lin Jiangnian's assistance, relying solely on herself to assassinate Xu Lan would indeed prove immensely difficult.

More importantly... although Lin Jiangnian had previously managed to flush her out, after this incident, who could guarantee that Xu Lan had not left contingency plans behind?

If Xu Lan was on her guard, attempting to kill her again might yield the very opposite of the desired result.

At this thought, the woman's eyes grew slightly cold.

Trouble!

This was already a major trouble!

How was she to deal with her?

The woman in red pondered for a moment, then raised her gaze to look at Lin Jiangnian again, finding his expression serene and calm as he met her eyes.

That familiar face, carrying an inscrutable meaning, suddenly sparked a realization in her mind.

Perhaps, might there be another way?

"I have another plan!"

"What is it?"

The woman in red considered her words before saying, "Find a way to subdue her!"

"Subdue her?"

Lin Jiangnian looked at her suspiciously. "What kind of subduing do you mean?"

The woman in red looked straight at Lin Jiangnian and said earnestly, "If you want her to keep her mouth shut permanently, besides killing her, there is only one option left: make her your woman, tying her fate to yours. Wouldn't that make things much simpler?"

Lin Jiangnian: "..."

Thinking she might actually come up with a brilliant strategy.

What kind of atrocious idea was this?

"Besides, since she knows your identity is fake, why hasn't she exposed you?"

The woman in red narrowed her eyes. "You clearly came within a hair's breadth of killing her. Logically speaking, she ought to be terrified of you and avoid you at all costs. Why would she still dare to come looking for you..."

"Don't you think this is highly unusual?"

Lin Jiangnian was momentarily stunned.

Prompted by her words, Xu Lan's behavior did indeed seem somewhat strange.

Was that really how a normal person would react?

"Therefore, if my guess is correct... she most likely has feelings for you!"

The woman in red glanced at him. "You could perhaps give it a try—whether by force or by drugging her... turn her into your own, and she will be easy to control!"

Lin Jiangnian fell silent.

By force?

Drugging her?

What kind of terrible suggestions was she coming up with?

"If all else fails, once you have grown closer to her, find a way to trick her into coming out, and the two of us can join forces to quietly do away with her... seamless and untraceable, no one will ever know!"

The burning intensity in the eyes of the woman in red showed she was quite pleased with her own proposal.

"I refuse!"

"Why?"

"I refuse to sell my body!"

Lin Jiangnian stated with a deadpan expression.

The woman in red gave him a sidelong look. "Is your body worth that much?"

"This isn't a question of whether it's valuable..." Lin Jiangnian thought for a moment. "It's a matter of dignity!"

"Dignity?"

The woman's beautiful eyes swept up and down his frame. "Do you really think... you are in any position to speak of dignity with me?"

"Besides, Xu Lan is, after all, the eldest miss of the Xu family, a proper noble-born young lady of a prestigious clan... Are you actually turning your nose up at her?"

This was no longer a matter of looking down on someone!

Her wretched idea was truly atrocious!

"I think... perhaps you should just find a way to kill her instead?"

Lin Jiangnian thought about it and let out a sigh.

"If she could be killed easily, would I need to waste my breath with you like this?" The woman in red rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"This is currently the best method: either kill her, or find a way to make her one of us..."

The woman in red gradually reined in her smile, turning serious as she said, "I will not tolerate the existence of any unstable variables, do you understand?"

Lin Jiangnian fell silent.

What she said was, in truth, correct.

Xu Lan's existence remained a hidden hazard.

As for the so-called mutual leverage, it was merely Xu Lan's wishful thinking.

He could not possibly place complete trust in Xu Lan!

Thus, killing her or turning her into an ally were the optimal choices.

However...

Lin Jiangnian sighed softly. He couldn't bring himself to kill her, and as for making her his own... Lin Jiangnian found that even harder to bring himself to do.

Who could develop romantic interests in a "bro time" companion?

More importantly, Lin Jiangnian loathed the feeling of being coerced!

The woman in red before him was coercing him.

Silence hung in the air.

The woman in red glanced at Lin Jiangnian, then slowly withdrew a small porcelain vial from her robes and placed it on the table before him.

Lin Jiangnian cast a glance at it. "What is this?"

"A sleeping potion!"

Lin Jiangnian was startled, instantly grasping her intent.

"Tomorrow, when she comes to see you again, smoothly invite her to stay for a meal, and take the opportunity to slip this powder into her bowl... This potion is colorless and odorless, takes effect within half an incense stick's time, and leaves the victim with no conscious awareness afterward..."

The woman in red narrowed her eyes as she stared at Lin Jiangnian. "You understand my meaning, don't you?"

Lin Jiangnian fell silent.

"Where did you get this poison?"

"That is none of your concern... You must subdue her; that is your next task!"

At this, the woman seemed to recall something else, her gaze drifting up and down over the silent Lin Jiangnian with a hint of suspicion. "Why do you keep hesitating and stalling? Could it be..."

"Are you incapable?"

That Xu Lan was, after all, the eldest miss of the Xu family, with an upright and delicate appearance. Aside from a slightly boisterous personality, she possessed virtually no flaws. Yet this fellow was stalling, showing all sorts of reluctance, and even trotted out the excuse of not selling his bodily dignity... Could it be that he lacked functional manhood?

Was he simply inventing excuses?

Sensing the scorching and profoundly skeptical gaze of the woman in red, Lin Jiangnian could no longer remain silent.

He could tolerate being doubted on anything else!

Being doubted in *that* regard... was something he could not endure!

Lin Jiangnian picked up the small porcelain vial from the table, examined it closely for a moment, and shot her a sideways glance. "Are you certain this potion works?"

"Of course!"

"Is the potency strong?"

The woman in red nodded calmly. "Rest assured, its potency is exceedingly strong, and it is entirely colorless and odorless. Even the most formidable martial arts masters find it difficult to resist and will fall victim to it..."

"Then..."

Lin Jiangnian pondered for a moment, then looked at her again. "If it were you... would you fall victim to it as well?"

The woman in red froze slightly, a flash of sharp insight crossing her captivating eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Could it be that you wish to drug me?"

"I do have that thought."

Lin Jiangnian nodded with utter sincerity. "I feel that rather than drugging Xu Lan, it might be better to drug you..."

"Wouldn't turning you into my person be far more useful than turning Xu Lan into mine?"

The woman in red: "..."