Ling Luo flash-stepped behind Chang Fei and handed him the purchases, though her gaze remained fixed on the female physician walking stealthily along the wall.

“Off to meet her lover again,” Chang Fei said as he took the boxes and bags, passing some to Song Yuanyuan. “Whose turn is it this time?”

“Those two just hole up in the pleasure house the moment they meet. I’m not going!” Song Yuanyuan shook his head firmly.

Chang Fei extended his hand. “The usual rules—best two out of three.”

They played rock-paper-scissors, and Song Yuanyuan unfortunately lost.

“Go on, hurry up,” Chang Fei laughed with undisguised schadenfreude. “Send a signal if anything seems off.”

Song Yuanyuan walked away dejectedly, carrying the box of pastries.

Ling Luo remarked, “That physician seems to be hiding something.”

Chang Fei peeked over to look: “Really? Last time she brought a food box for her lover. I saw her open it—just pastries and food. Then they stayed in a private room at the pleasure house all night until dawn. I felt embarrassed standing guard for so long.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Ling Luo asked. “It’s just surveillance.”

Chang Fei took a bite of his meat sandwich and made a gesture with his hand, eyes clear as he spoke euphemistically: “Those two weren’t just lying under the covers chatting. Meeting at a pleasure house at night—passionate lovers can’t just be holding hands, can they?”

Ling Luo: “…”

She made a sound of acknowledgment, indicating she understood.

Though she suspected something was amiss with the physician, Ling Luo didn’t actively expose it. She wasn’t in a hurry.

By her calculations, the people from North Court Moon Palace were currently at Tianji and wouldn’t leave for another ten days to half a month.

Song Yuanyuan followed the physician to the lively pleasure house at night. Since she was meeting her lover secretly, she took a secluded path, which made it convenient for him to sneak into the pleasure house unnoticed.

In a secluded pavilion of the pleasure house, two silhouettes appeared against the window—first embracing and kissing, then sitting together in an embrace, until gradually the two shadows merged inseparably.

They had investigated the physician’s lover before—he was a shop worker, completely ordinary and unremarkable. Because their parents disapproved of their relationship, they could only meet at night.

Song Yuanyuan crouched behind a tree in the courtyard, averting his gaze discreetly.

He hadn’t even experienced holding a girl’s hand, yet here he was being forced to—wait! Someone’s coming!

Song Yuanyuan suddenly became alert, flash-stepping up a tree to conceal himself.

Several shadows moved along the small path beneath the pavilion. One was particularly strange, even flicking a tail, which puzzled Song Yuanyuan.

“Master, you’ve raised the price by another ten percent. This year will be difficult for us,” said a familiar voice. Song Yuanyuan recognized it as the woman the courtesans called Madam Hong, the pleasure house manager.

Madam Hong walked with two serving girls, her demeanor unusually respectful. Walking before her was unmistakably a painted-skin spirit in the form of a large cat.

Song Yuanyuan covered his mouth when he recognized the familiar large cat.

The large cat snorted. “I only care about collecting money. How you run the business to earn it is your concern.”

“The girls need rouge and powder daily, and that costs money,” Madam Hong said with a worried expression as she spoke to the large cat. “Then there’s training, musical instruments, clothing, accessories—everything costs money, not to mention the saffron perfume—”

The large cat’s tail shot straight up as it turned around with wide eyes. “Why do you need to buy so many things?!”

Madam Hong explained sweetly: “Master doesn’t understand. Mortals love these things. Even the slightest unique fragrance can captivate them endlessly. Add to that our pleasure house girls—each exceptionally beautiful with their unique charms, knowing just how to handle clients—they keep countless young masters coming back. Even that heir apparent frequently…”

“Wait!” The large cat, previously listening intently with wide eyes, suddenly barked, “You let a cultivator in here?”

“A cultivator? Impossible!” Madam Hong shook her head repeatedly, showing a trace of fear. “According to your rules, the pleasure house doesn’t serve cultivators. All our clients are mortals. I would never deliberately let a cultivator in!”

The large cat sniffed the air and angrily stomped its foot. “You’re lying to me! There’s a cultivator’s aura here. You’ve broken the rules! I’m leaving! I won’t let you manage this pleasure house anymore!”

“Master!” Madam Hong hurriedly stepped forward to stop the large cat. “Master, please investigate clearly! I didn’t…”

Song Yuanyuan was about to climb down and confess when just as he was descending, he sensed a cold, sinister aura spreading through the courtyard. Madam Hong’s words were cut short as a black sword light slashed her from behind, spraying blood everywhere.

The two remaining serving girls screamed in terror, their legs giving way as they collapsed to the ground.

The sword light had been meant for the large cat, but Madam Hong, fearing dismissal, had stepped forward to block its path, accidentally intercepting the attack.

The large cat’s fur bristled with anger. “Who’s there?! Show yourself!”

A second black swordlight sliced toward the large cat, silent but filled with killing intent. Song Yuanyuan flash-stepped to block the strike, but another attack came. The large cat barely dodged it, and a third attack was already on its way!

Everything happened simultaneously in an instant!

More than one cultivator was hiding here!

Song Yuanyuan couldn’t block in time. He used his sword chime to weaken the attack somewhat, but the sword light still cut across half his body, causing blood to flow freely.

“Run!” Song Yuanyuan shouted to the two serving girls as he drew a barrier seal with one hand.

The serving girls hadn’t even managed to stand before a fleeting sword light penetrated the barrier and slit their throats.

The large cat’s fur bristled again as it shouted, “Stop it! If you want to fight, go outside! If you keep fighting, I’ll call my junior uncle!”

Song Yuanyuan: “Call him! Call him now!”

He couldn’t defeat three hidden Bai Linglong assassins!

Those eighth-level, third-cycle sword techniques—it must be them!

Song Yuanyuan formed a hand seal, about to send a signal, when a black shadow flash-stepped in front of him and blocked him. As he hastily raised his sword to defend, he caught sight of the physician hurriedly leaving the pavilion.

Damn it!

She was suspicious!

Weakened by his injuries, Song Yuanyuan was overpowered by his opponent’s sword pressure and knocked flying into a tree. The impact made him cough up another mouthful of blood.

Another lethal sword strike was already before his eyes when the large cat leaped forward to block it. Its transformation dispersed, and the unblocked portion of the sword force cut into Song Yuanyuan’s back, making him groan and collapse again just as he was trying to stand.

Every strike from Bai Linglong was lethal. The previous sword had severed the spiritual meridian in his right hand; he could no longer hold his sword or form spiritual seals, making it impossible to send a signal.

Three hidden Bai Linglong assassins would ensure death even for a cultivator who had broken through the Life and Death Boundary.

Having survived four lethal sword strikes, Song Yuanyuan was already fortunate.

But I don’t plan to die here yet!

Blood flowed over his eyes as they reflected the black jade sword in the shadow’s hand—the weapon Bai Linglong only revealed for the final blow on a target.

The jade sword descended but was blocked by a sword light that appeared without warning. Before Song Yuanyuan could express surprise, another figure flashed before his eyes, slashing at the Bai Linglong assassin holding the black jade sword.

The large cat’s annoyed yet arrogant voice sounded again: “It’s these bastards causing trouble and killing people in my establishment! I warned you to take your fight outside or I’d call my junior uncle—”

Before it could finish, another Bai Linglong hidden in the darkness slashed at it, dispersing its form again.

Yue Liangze forced back the first Bai Linglong shadow, his sword techniques holding an absolute advantage. However, Bai Linglong’s movements were always unpredictable, mastering both Myriad Flower Shadow and Flash Step techniques—they could escape from under your sword in the blink of an eye, switching positions.

Others might escape, but this one couldn’t shake off Yue Liangze. Each time he used Flash Step to change position, he found his new location already sealed off by his opponent’s sword. It wasn’t that his position was predicted, but that Yue Liangze’s sword was too fast.

The hidden Bai Linglong launched a killing strike, only to have it shattered by the black-sword-wielding young man, who maintained perfect silence while exuding supreme pressure.

The shadow was no match. Swept away by Yue Liangze’s sword momentum, it crashed into a stone lamppost and fell beside the murdered serving girls. Just as it was about to rise, a blade appeared at its throat.

“Stop!” a deep voice threatened from behind. “Drop your sword, or I’ll kill him now.”

Yue Liangze turned to look. A second Bai Linglong, wearing a black cloak to conceal his appearance, had emerged with a sword pressed against the unconscious Song Yuanyuan’s throat.

The Bai Linglong knocked to the ground could barely crawl up due to his sword wound, and after struggling briefly, coughed blood and collapsed again.

His companion grew anxious and cut Song Yuanyuan’s skin slightly: “Drop the sword!”

Without that sword, they wouldn’t be able to unleash long-distance, overwhelmingly powerful sword strikes, giving them enough confidence to escape!

Yue Liangze turned to face them, his slender eyebrows rising slightly. His dark, bright eyes gazed steadily at the Bai Linglong holding Song Yuanyuan hostage. Seeing the captor press harder on Song Yuanyuan’s throat, he casually threw Wusheng away.

The discarded Wusheng shouted crude insults at Bai Linglong from the bushes.

After he threw away his sword, the final Bai Linglong appeared, carrying the injured comrade away with Flash Step.

Yue Liangze kept his eyes on the Bai Linglong holding Song Yuanyuan hostage. When he noticed the assassin’s gaze flick toward something behind him, he flash-stepped forward. Moonlight illuminated Bai Linglong’s eyes, which reflected the handsome face suddenly before him and the fear in his own eyes at that moment.

Myriad Flower Shadow!

A Myriad Flower Shadow technique is more powerful than the medicine peddler’s split into five Bai Linglong figures in that instant, all attacking Yue Liangze from extremely close range!

But a swordsman without his sword still had martial arts skills comparable to his swordsmanship.

Disarming, breaking wrists, twisting necks, sealing meridians—in just an instant of martial arts combat, Yue Liangze had disabled the Myriad Flower Shadow copies and grabbed the original by the throat.

“Young… Master… keep… him… alive…” Song Yuanyuan reminded with difficulty as he lay on the ground.

Only then did Yue Liangze halt his killing move, sealing the assassin’s spiritual meridians before knocking him unconscious.

He looked down at Song Yuanyuan, frowning, then bent down to carry him on his back, silently transferring spiritual energy to prevent his injuries from worsening.

“Young Master… you’re… too amazing…” Song Yuanyuan said softly but with a smile. “I was almost… scared to death… Thankfully you… arrived in time.”

Yue Liangze said, “Calm your breath and guard your energy. Bai Linglong’s eighth-level, third-cycle sword wounds will reverse your spiritual meridian flow.”

Song Yuanyuan said, “That person… must be… taken back…”

Yue Liangze: “Wusheng will watch him. I’ll take you to the medical pavilion first.”

Song Yuanyuan raised his hand to point toward Tinghua Courtyard’s direction, telling him intermittently what had happened that tonight.

This was the closest he’d ever come to death—a brush with mortality that left him with profound insights. Already talkative by nature, Yue Liangze transferred spiritual energy to suppress his sword wounds, and he became even more clear-headed and articulate.

“Before coming here, Ling Luo asked what I wanted to eat. I said I wanted to try your brown sugar cold jelly… She said I was dreaming. Just now, I thought I’d never get to eat it in this lifetime.”

Yue Liangze’s tone remained calm, yet conveyed a sense of steadfast reliability: “I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”

Song Yuanyuan squinted happily.

Noticing half his body stained red with blood and the taste of blood in his mouth, he said softly, “Chang Fei and Ling Luo are still watching the medicine shop. When they see the physician return, they’ll know something’s happened. When he sees me come back like this, he’ll cry with guilt… Sigh, I hate it most when he cries. He’s usually fine, but when he cries, he does look like a girl.”

“Young Master, you and Ling Luo will need to console him—”

Yue Liangze flash-stepped all the way, quickly arriving at the Tinghua Courtyard medicine shop.

At the entrance to the alley, he saw the two keeping watch in the shadows, casually eating late-night snacks and drinking water while happily playing Go.

Sensing something unusual, Ling Luo turned to look and raised an eyebrow when she saw Yue Liangze returning with someone on his back.

Song Yuanyuan was prepared to face his companion’s guilt-ridden tears, but instead heard Chang Fei excitedly say, “Senior Brother! Did you bring late-night snacks too?”

Yue Liangze: “…”

Song Yuanyuan passed out from anger.

Are you a pig? Still eating!