Tao Meng froze when he heard his name called. His eyebrows scrunch together, and he stares at Tang Zhonghui, Qi Li, Gui Tian Lan, and Gui Zhongmin.
He was confused as it should have been only his men and Ling Ni who knew his name. So who was it that knew his identity?
"Who was it?"
His eyes scan the four men then the crowd behind. A dangerously glint of light flash across his eyes and his entire being emitted a cold aura.
"Which one of you knows me?"
He swore he had heard a woman's voice, but in a fit of rage, his brain told him that it was one of the four men. They were the closest to him and from their appearance, one of them must have a womanly voice.
Just as he was about to ask again, his eyes caught sight of the woman he came here for.
Yue Ling steadily approaches her four subordinates from behind. As she nears them, it was like they had eyes on the back of their head and takes a step to the side to make way.
Her angelic figure stops in the middle of them and her eyes locked with Tao Meng's. The gun in his hand was now pointing directly at her, but she didn't show any signs of fear.
She glances away from him and down to his men still groaning in pain on the ground.
"Pathetic."
Her bluish-green eyes look back at Tao Meng as a faint sneer curl on her lip.
"You're a long way from Red Moon."
Tao Meng couldn't help but feel a cold chill brush through his body and made all the hair on his body stand. His plan on giving a good impression was quickly overtaken by confusion. How does she know that he is from Red Moon?
"How do you—"
He was going to ask her, but before he could finish his question, he sees a very familiar figure appear behind Yue Ling.
His eyes widen and shook as a wave of petrifying horror wash over him. Without realizing it, he takes a small step back and lowers his hand holding the gun.
"Y-You… why are you here?"
This is his third time seeing Liu Shan. The assistant looked like an average person, but he knows that Liu Shan is not someone he can easily cross.
When he met Liu Shan at Fate, he made sure to remember the man's face. He told himself to always be on the lookout so that they didn't cross paths as he didn't want to be an enemy of Fate.
However…
As he thought this, he couldn't help but glance at Yue Ling again. She was a peerless beauty that can make heads turn. After their encounter at Moonlight, he paid more attention to her background.
She is every man's dream woman and he can understand why Lu Tian was head over heels for her. However, what made him more curious about her was her background.
His men had tried to find everything about her, but the information they were able to find only involved her work life. Nothing about her personal life was known.
He stares at her for a long second then looks at Liu Shan. However, he quickly looks back at her and all the colors on his face drained away.
Her eyes… Her bluish-green eyes.
'Shit!'
He curses inside for not realizing sooner. Those bluish-green eyes that resembled the ocean that surrounds the islands should have told him. The same eyes that he had met during the meeting with Fate.
He shoves the gun inside the pocket of his jacket and chuckles at her.
"Ma… I mean, Han Yue Ling."
He was about to call her Mami but stops himself. From what he remembers, 90 percent of the people who have seen her face is no longer breathing the same air as her. If he wants to live, he has to pretend that he doesn't know who she is.
Stumbling a step forward, he puts his hands up and shows his palms to her. He wanted her to see that he had no weapon.
"It's not what it looks like."
Yue Ling kept her calm composure as she stares at Tao Meng who changed from an arrogant man to someone who was showing respect to his elders.
"It seems like Red Moon wants to follow in Ghost Gang's steps."
She was never one to reveal herself to others, but once someone dares to point a gun at her people, she will not hesitate to intervene.
"No, no. This is all a misunderstanding."
Tao Meng takes two steps forward and tries to explain. However, with each of his steps, Liu Shan and Qi Li took a step to block her from the man while Gui Tian Lan, Gui Zhongmin, and Tang Zhonghui moved to protect her sides.
Each person emitted their own dangerously aura that made Tao Meng stop in his steps.
Yue Ling stood in the middle as her subordinates surround her. She was still able to see Tao Meng, but one can see that there was not a shred of emotion in her eyes.
"Did you think I wouldn't be able to see through your plan?"
She noticed Jia Yin and the other men from Red Moon slowly standing up but glance to Ling Ni who was standing alone.
"Sending her to do your dirty work was a cowardly thing to do."
From their short conversation, she was able to figure out the reason why Tao Meng showed up in this part of Imperial.
If she had been someone else and not the leader of Fate, she would have trusted Ling Ni and fell for the trap. Once that happens, she would no doubt end up living a life like Ling Ni.
As she looks away from Ling Ni, the woman she thought was her friend was frozen stiff.
Ling Ni didn't know what to think anymore. She thought Yue Ling was only a retired model who turned out to be a fashion designer. However, when their eyes locked just now, she swore it was like everything turned dark and she was being pulled into a black hole.
Even the envy she had over Yue Ling and Liu Shan's relationship had long disappeared. Now, all she could think of was the sudden change in Tao Meng.
He is the leader of the Red Moon and very full of himself. Never has she seen him waver like this. Yet, it was like Yue Ling was the monster that had been haunting his nightmares.
Yue Ling no longer paid any attention to the woman she thought could be a friend. She glances at the ten men standing on Tao Meng's side.
"You and your men should have kept your mouths shut and enjoy the food here."
Her words fell as she scans the faces of each person before her eyes land on Tao Meng.
"As the leader of Red Moon, you should be aware of what happens to those who dare cross the line with me and my people."
Tao Meng was known for being merciless in the underworld. However, his expression at this moment was like a dog begging to run away with his tail between his legs.
All he could do was stare at Yue Ling, but that didn't last long before he averts his eyes from her.
Looking at her was like staring into a dark abyss draining his life force away.
"Damn bastard! You're going to die for punching my throat!"
Unaware of his boss's sudden change in demeanor, Jia Yin threatens Tang Zhonghui. He turns into a raging beast in the wild and rushes at the young man.
However, before he could sneak a punch, his arm that was already stretched out a pause in midair and he turned as pale as a ghost.
He stares at the person in front of him and his lower lip trembles uncontrollably.
"M-M-M… Ma…"
Like a person suddenly losing his sanity, he could only stutter his words before finally able to force it all out.
"Ma-Mad R-R-Reaper."
