Feng Zhiwei followed those two people, Yin’er and her companion, all the way to a secluded small garden in the back courtyard.

She found it somewhat strange—why wouldn’t they go to a room for patronizing a brothel? Did this person have a fondness for outdoor pleasures?

Behind a cluster of winter jasmine, those two stopped. Then came the man’s hurried, heavy panting, the woman’s low, thin moans, the soft sounds of clothing being unfastened, and the smacking sounds of saliva mingling.

Feng Zhiwei’s face reddened. She turned her back, thinking to herself that she must be crazy—being suspicious about what? A patron patronizing a prostitute, and she actually followed them!

She lifted her foot to leave when she suddenly felt that faint moaning behind her was rather wrong—it didn’t sound like passionate murmuring, but rather like enduring pain.

She hesitated for a while, then still turned her head to look. Through the golden flower clusters, she saw that man whose clothing was completely removed actually pluck a rose and insert it toward Yin’er’s chest!

Roses were covered with fine, dense small thorns, blooming deep red and alluring. That man had sharpened the rose stem’s end to a point and was forcefully attempting to stab the flower into that one spot of crimson on Yin’er’s chest.

Yin’er’s moans had already turned into miserable cries.

Feng Zhiwei suddenly walked over.

As she approached, there was actually still a smile on her face. She patted the man’s shoulder, smiling: “Morning.”

That person was just getting into his fun. Caught off guard that someone would greet him like this in such a place, he was stunned and released his grip, turning his head.

Cold light flashed.

A round, bloody object flew out, rolling into Feng Zhiwei’s palm.

Feng Zhiwei was still smiling, standing before that person. In one hand was a dagger reflecting cold light; the other blood-stained hand very adeptly caught that thing and withdrew it from between the person’s legs.

Just now, after that greeting, with one slash she had cut open the person’s scrotum, and her fingers quickly pinched and squeezed out one precious egg.

Her movements were too fast and too smooth, resulting in her hand being withdrawn before the other party felt the pain. He let out an “aow” and clutched his crotch, jumping a zhang high.

However, that cry of pain also failed to successfully exit his mouth. At the same moment he felt the pain and jumped up, Feng Zhiwei grabbed that rose and stuffed it right into his mouth.

The rose’s fine, dense small thorns instantly pierced through his oral cavity with countless wounds. That person rolled his eyes from the pain, his whole body convulsing—he couldn’t even cry out.

Only then did Feng Zhiwei leisurely withdraw her hand, casually tearing off a few tree leaves to wipe the blood clean.

Yin’er was so shocked she couldn’t speak. Her face pale, she retreated several steps, even forgetting to put her clothes back on properly. It was still Feng Zhiwei who kindly helped her straighten them out, then casually took a pouch from her waist and put that precious egg inside.

Then she waved that pouch containing the precious egg in front of that person.

“You… you…” That young master gasped for breath, directly knocked down by Feng Zhiwei’s calm ferocity. Both in pain and afraid, shaking so much he couldn’t speak coherently.

“I’m very well.” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “You, however, are not doing so well.”

“You… I’m going to kill you…” The other party convulsed, forcing out a hoarse voice through gritted teeth, each word filled with gnashing hatred. “I’m going to skin you! Tear apart… your bones! Your whole family… grind bones to scatter ashes…”

Feng Zhiwei ignored him, turning to ask Yin’er a few questions in a low voice, then smiled.

Her smile was frank. Clutching that pouch containing the egg as if holding a flower, she said lightly and skillfully, “I wonder what Scholar Li’s feelings would be upon learning that his three-generation single-line grandson lost his scrotum while patronizing prostitutes?”

That person trembled, his face turning white. Thinking of his stern grandfather at home, his legs grew even weaker.

“I wonder if Scholar Li’s old friends in court—those censors—knowing that the Scholar doesn’t govern his household strictly and his precious grandson was castrated while patronizing prostitutes, would personally petition His Majesty to help manage and restrain him?”

Young Master Li was stunned, seeming to remember something, his face becoming even more colorless. Originally about to faint from pain, he now didn’t dare faint.

Feng Zhiwei’s smile grew increasingly gentle.

Yin’er only knew this dandy’s identity, but Feng Zhiwei knew even more—that political strife in the Tiansheng court was severe, with court ministers each belonging to different factions. Once they caught hold of an opponent’s weakness, they were relentless unto death. Although she didn’t know which faction Scholar Li belonged to, he certainly was affiliated with some power group. This kind of matter would equally be a vulnerability for others to attack.

Moreover, Secretariat Scholar was an honorable civil position, bearing the responsibility of selecting talented and virtuous scholars throughout the realm, with character and conduct of paramount importance. If this matter of indulging his grandson to patronize prostitutes and get castrated came out, he would certainly face impeachment.

Feng Zhiwei was very satisfied. That Young Master Li appeared not to be a complete fool—he immediately understood the stakes involved. She smiled warmly and kindly, raising that pouch high, saying gently, “I won’t make things difficult for you, young master. We won’t speak of this sordid thing you did, as long as you show some sincerity…”

“What… sincerity…” Young Master Li said with a pale face and blue lips, on the verge of tears.

“Actually, having lost one precious item doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be a man from now on,” Feng Zhiwei said leisurely. “I’ve heard that the famous physician of the South Mountains, Xuanyuan Qing, comes from the foremost medical family, with medical skills that can resurrect the dead and restore flesh to white bones. If this thing is preserved well, who knows—it might be able to be reattached for you. Even if it’s useless after reattachment, at least when you die you’ll have a complete corpse! In our Tiansheng, we most fear being buried with an incomplete body—it brings disaster for nine generations!”

“Then… then…” Young Master Li stood stupefied, covering his crotch. He hadn’t bled much—this was all thanks to Feng Zhiwei’s quick hands, sharp blade, and accurate strike. So although he was in mortal pain, his life wasn’t in danger. His mind was just dizzy, making it even harder to understand Feng Zhiwei’s meaning.

“I’m saying… you should go back, behave yourself, travel and study outside the capital—whether to find that famous physician or to tour mountains and rivers, anyway from now on you don’t know us, and we don’t know you.” Feng Zhiwei dangled that pouch in front of him. “Once you’ve left the capital, send word through someone, and I’ll sell you back this precious item, preserving both your reputation and your complete corpse for a hundred years hence. How about it?”

Cutting off someone’s egg, then selling it back to them…

The unfortunate Young Master Li rolled his eyes, about to faint directly. Feng Zhiwei vigorously slapped his face to wake him. With a deathly pale expression, he stared blankly for a long while, understanding that today he hadn’t brought guards and had suffered a complete loss. Even if he sent people to kill this lad afterward, as long as the lad casually tossed that egg away and spoke of this matter, not only would he be unable to hold his head up for the rest of his life, but the Li family would inevitably invite disaster.

No matter what, his egg had already been squeezed out—this was an iron-clad fact, his eternal weakness. No matter how he tried to cover it up, it would inevitably be discovered. The only thing he could do now was to immediately leave the capital to find a famous physician and buy back his own egg, so at least he could gather one gun and two eggs together.

“How much… silver…” he asked with a vacant gaze.

“Not much.” Feng Zhiwei smiled kindly. “Three thousand taels for the trouble.”

Three thousand taels of silver was neither too much nor too little—generally the amount such young masters could mobilize on their own without alarming their elders. One mustn’t be too greedy. Feng Zhiwei felt she was being very modest.

“Don’t have… that much… on me…” Young Master Li was covered in sweat, looking at her as if looking at a demon. “Tomorrow I’ll have it… sent…”

“Send it to under the third brick from the western wall corner of East Pond Alley. I hope that when your banknote arrives, I’ll have already received news of your departure from the capital.” Feng Zhiwei nodded with satisfaction, mentally calculating how to safely take the money.

“Don’t play tricks.” Feng Zhiwei’s calm eyes rippled and flickered in the daylight, making the other party shrink back again. “People with family fortunes should never compete with common folk like me, because they have nothing—which means they have nothing left to fear losing.”

Young Master Li was drenched in cold sweat, biting his lip and nodding—if he had originally had any ideas, at this moment seeing Feng Zhiwei’s eyes, they were all dispelled. This slender youth remained calm in expression no matter what they did. This composure itself was frightening enough, but what was more frightening was those eyes—behind the haziness, infinite stubborn ruthlessness.

Although this person hadn’t made a single actual threat, he just believed that if he truly tried to retaliate, this youth would drag him down as burial accompaniment even in death.

“Three days after you leave the capital, send someone to the same place to retrieve the item. Have them rush it to you at full gallop—it might still be in time.” Feng Zhiwei smiled radiantly, patting the pouch. “The pouch is also a gift—no charge. Buy one, get one free.”

“…”

Calling over a passing page boy to help Young Master Li return home, Feng Zhiwei believed this young master was currently both angry and panicked—he wouldn’t have the mind to silence witnesses by murder.

She consoled Yin’er with a few words. Yin’er had been staring at her in a daze with complicated eyes. Feng Zhiwei sent her away and stood alone before the winter jasmine cluster, pondering in silence.

Under the early spring sunlight, the sallow-faced page boy had delicate features, gentle and moist eyes, and an expression of great kindness and cherishing as he gazed at the flowers.

In his hand, also with great kindness and cherishing, he clutched the egg pouch.

After a long while, she smiled and said, “Have you seen enough?”