Xiao Jue suddenly turned around and with a swift sound slid down the stairs, his legs flying out in rapid kicks. Those who had rushed up the stairs were immediately knocked flying by his momentum and strength.

With a graceful flip, Xiao Jue threw himself directly into the crowd, drawing his waist saber with a sharp sound but not unsheathing it, holding it horizontally in his hand. He struck east while pointing west, struck north while pointing south, his moves swift and ruthless. The continuous black shadows moved so fast that from a distance they looked like a black whirlwind. You could only see his figure weaving like flowing petals, only hear the continuous “crack crack crack crack” sounds as those bodyguards and thugs who were used to bullying others were all sent flying with missing teeth and faces like pig heads, scattered all over the ground. Snow-white, yellowish, and blackened teeth of various colors rolled all over the floor.

Before long, from the stairs up and down to the shop entrance, people lay sprawled everywhere clutching their faces and hugging their legs, moaning.

While Xiao Jue stood coldly with his saber among the pack of dead dogs, looking at the people on the ground with disgust.

Their crimes didn’t deserve death, but their mouths were filthy enough. Gathering for debauchery, gorging themselves on the people’s fat and blood, acting as accomplices to tigers in base and vile ways – what use were they? Knocking out your teeth will teach you to sing! Teach you to eat! Teach you to be happy! Teach you to bark wildly!

As for Jiang Chuanyun… he slowly turned to look at that young wastrel. The wastrel was so frightened by his contemptuous gaze that he shivered and wet his pants again.

Xiao Jue smiled expressionlessly, unhurriedly pacing to his front. Suddenly he grabbed someone hiding behind the stairs and dragged them before Jiang Chuanyun, coldly saying to that person: “You, spit.”

Eyes wide with shock, that man who was clearly one of the capital’s wealthy young masters stared blankly at Xiao Jue’s face. Jiang Chuanyun looked at Xiao Jue’s expression and swallowed fearfully, shrinking back again, only to find his back against the floor boards with nowhere left to retreat.

“Spit, spit your golden liquid,” Xiao Jue’s expression was mocking, “also let this Young Master Jiang have a taste, taste the flavor of ‘receiving spittle from subordinates.'”

Jiang Chuanyun’s face was ashen. This killing god was ruthless and merciless enough!

His fingers gripped the floor boards tightly as he tried to intimidate Xiao Jue with bluster: “Do you know who I am? How dare you humiliate me like this? My father is the Minister of Personnel!”

Slowly lowering his head to look at Jiang Chuanyun, Xiao Jue said indifferently: “Do you know who I am?”

Jiang Chuanyun struggled and shouted: “I don’t care who you are! You can’t be greater than my father!”

“Oh?” Xiao Jue’s expression showed surprise mixed with deep mockery. “A mere Minister of Personnel, in this place at the Son of Heaven’s feet where officials’ caps fill the capital like stars, actually dares to claim first place? And you, a mere bastard son of a mere Minister of Personnel, spitting on others, actually dare to be arrogantly presumptuous and wildly use the word ‘bestow’!”

“…Not only do I dare humiliate you,” Xiao Jue sneered, patting the head of the trembling wealthy young master, “spit quickly! Otherwise I won’t just be humiliating, but killing!”

“You don’t want to live! How dare you!…” Jiang Chuanyun was still jumping and ranting when Xiao Jue’s hand flashed out like lightning, dislocating his jaw with a “crack.”

Jiang Chuanyun stared with wide eyes and gaping mouth, frozen in place. Xiao Jue frowned and avoided the wine and meat stench from his mouth, shouting: “You, spit for me!”

One command, one response. That wealthy young master was already scared out of his wits, and being shouted at by Xiao Jue made his ears ring, head spin, and bones ache. In panic without thinking, he spat right into Jiang Chuanyun’s gaping mouth!

…

But Xiao Jue didn’t look, only gazing out the window, coldly saying: “Not golden enough! Continue! Use all your nursing strength!”

The dandy had no choice but to stretch his neck and pat his chest, coughing for a long time before “Ptah!” spitting again!

Seeing Jiang Chuanyun’s expression of wishing he were dead, Xiao Jue released his grip and threw away the wealthy dandy, saying coldly: “Those who humiliate others will be humiliated in return. You’d better remember this today, otherwise in the future, you won’t just be swallowing spit!”

Collapsed soft on the floor boards, retching violently, Jiang Chuanyun vomited until he was nearly breathless. Among the filth on the ground, he barely raised his head, glaring at Xiao Jue with venomous eyes, saying brokenly: “…This young master… remembers…”

Looking at him coldly for a moment, Xiao Jue sneered and turned to leave: “Heaven’s sins can still be pardoned, but self-inflicted sins cannot be survived. Take care of yourself.”

Speaking the last sentence, he suddenly froze, remembering that day in the meditation room when the holy monk’s final words. At that time his heart and soul were shattered, confused and dazed. Though he heard every word clearly, connected together he paid no attention to what they meant. Now disturbed by this young wastrel, his pained and confused thoughts had settled somewhat, and he recalled the holy monk’s final words: “Being in the game unable to escape is ignorance; being outside the game but accidentally entering is sin. Benefactor, take care of yourself.” He couldn’t help but lose focus.

What did those words mean?

His thoughts tonight were all about Chang Ge’s death and past events, already confused and bewildered. Now remembering Master Shiyi’s cryptic words, he immediately forgot his surroundings, looking up at the sky, silently pondering, completely forgetting where he was.

“Whoosh!” The sound of something heavy falling.

Someone had quietly approached and struck down at his head from behind with a wooden board.

Xiao Jue, deep in thought, didn’t turn his head but swept his arm horizontally. The board was struck and shattered. A martial artist’s reflexes are sharp – without paying attention they can still automatically counterattack. A mere sneak attack was nothing to him.

The board shattered, but light smoke dispersed.

Sweet, fragrant, with a faint fishy smell – but that fishy smell wasn’t unpleasant, rather had a kind of wild, seductive strength that seemed to arouse the most primitive desires deep within.

Xiao Jue’s heart tightened and he immediately held his breath.

But it was too late.

The scenery before his eyes swayed and overlapped with phantom images. Flying eaves hung upside down, stars and rivers returned to origin. All his internal energy seemed suddenly drained, even his fingers were soft as candy, everything he touched was soft… floating… burning…

Xiao Jue let out a low growl from his throat, suddenly turning and punching the broken porcelain bowl fragments on the ground. Blood spurted out, and the intense pain immediately forced his confused consciousness to suddenly awaken!

The opportunity was fleeting – how would Xiao Jue waste his blood in vain?

In just that instant, he had pounced before the sneak attacker, his fingers swiftly gripping the man’s throat!

This person was precisely the advisor who had calmly commanded everyone to call the guards earlier. Just now he took advantage of Xiao Jue’s distraction to attack with the wooden board. This man was cunning and treacherous, knowing the board couldn’t possibly strike Xiao Jue, so he had sandwiched packets of drugged incense between the board’s edges. When Xiao Jue shattered the board, the incense was released and dispersed, immediately taking effect.

Actually, if he hadn’t been exceptionally distracted today with his mind entirely on Chang Ge’s death, even such tricks couldn’t have harmed him in the slightest.

This advisor was secretly delighted seeing his scheme succeed, never expecting his opponent to be so fierce and ruthless. Hit by incense that could normally fell ten big men, he didn’t immediately collapse but used physical pain to trigger his killing nature, counterattacking to immediately put him to death. When had he ever seen such a brave and fierce person? Already scared to the ground, he kept pleading and desperately dodging.

Someone rushed over, grabbing Xiao Jue and dragging him backward. Xiao Jue was already at his limit, his fingers gripping the throat but lacking strength to press down. Being dragged like this, he felt a buzzing in his head, his vision went black and he fainted, yet his fingers still tightly gripped the advisor’s throat.

The one who rushed over was Jiang Chuanyun. He tried to drag away the killing god with his pale face, not expecting Xiao Jue’s fingers to grip so tightly. The advisor’s eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth, already unable to breathe. This drag made him emit pig-like whimpering from his throat. Jiang Chuanyun quickly let go and tried to pry open Xiao Jue’s fingers. After much effort he finally opened them, leaving two blue-black finger marks on the advisor’s throat!

The two sat on the ground facing each other. Though they had finally brought down this killing god and breathed a sigh of relief, Xiao Jue’s murderous aura and fierceness were truly frightening. Both saw shock and terror in each other’s eyes, trembling with fear, unable to stand for a moment.

These two had disaster stars shining on them today – how could they know who they faced? Back then Xiao Jue roamed battlefields, famous precisely for his fearless courage and military strategy mastery. His reputation as war god shocked the world, enemy armies fled at the mere mention of his name. If not for today’s unusual circumstances with his spirit crushed and easily taken advantage of, otherwise regardless of status, how could these two disgusting creatures dare bully him?

After a long while, the advisor barely crawled up and helped up Jiang Chuanyun, saying in a low voice: “Thank you Young Master for saving my life.”

“What are you saying, Advisor Hu,” Jiang Chuanyun wiped cold sweat, saying hatefully: “You saved this young master – this kid is ruthless enough! Damn it, forcing me to eat spit! If I don’t finish him off today, my surname isn’t Jiang!”

He stared at Xiao Jue for a long while, remembering the disgusting spittle swallowing, evil rising from his heart. He viciously kicked Xiao Jue once, thought a moment, then suddenly pulled open his pants with a sinister smile: “Forcing me to eat spit – I’ll force you to drink piss!”

“Wait,” Advisor Hu suddenly reached out to stop him.

“Hmm?” Jiang Chuanyun glanced over sideways. “You think saving this young master means you can order me around?”

“How would this student dare?” Advisor Hu quickly bowed, his mouse whiskers twitching as he pondered: “This student was thinking, this person is unconscious now, so even if you humiliate him he won’t know. What’s the point? This man hurt so many of our people and humiliated you, Young Master. How can mere torment relieve the hatred in our hearts? Today Young Master suffered such shame – if we don’t destroy his entire family, how can Young Master’s reputation be restored?”

“You’re right,” Jiang Chuanyun thought it over and tied up his pants. “A piss would be too cheap for him now. Right, he killed people today, so we’ll send him to the authorities. The Ministry of Justice prison has plenty of torture waiting. Before his execution I’ll go invite him to drink piss!”

He waved his hand, calling those young masters cowering nearby: “The Yingdu Prefect should have sent officers by now. You all bear good witness, and take good care of this ‘hero’ later!”

“Prefect Du and Minister Jiang’s relationship is quite ordinary,” Advisor Hu said with sinister calculation as he examined Xiao Jue. “Also, Young Master, don’t you feel this kid, though simply dressed, has extraordinary bearing – not like someone from common origins?”

“Bearing?” Jiang Chuanyun looked Xiao Jue up and down, reluctantly humming through his nose in grudging acknowledgment. Thinking it over, he frowned: “What do you mean?”

Advisor Hu smiled sinisterly: “Prefect Du and Minister Jiang have never gotten along. The criminal you’re accusing, Young Master, Prefect Du might not take seriously. And if this kid has some family background, we might not get satisfying revenge. This student has an idea…”

He sneakily leaned close to Jiang Chuanyun’s ear and whispered this and that.

“Brilliant!” Suddenly bursting into wild laughter, Jiang Chuanyun repeatedly patted Advisor Hu’s shoulder. “Good! Everyone in Yingdu knows Prefect Du loves his daughter like his life – she’s the apple of his eye, his precious treasure. Never mind touching her, if anyone touched a hair on her head he’d fight desperately… Good! Sinister enough, poisonous enough!”

Advisor Hu smiled obsequiously, unsure whether to thank him for those last comments or pretend he didn’t hear them.

“Only it’s too good for this kid…” The laughter stopped as Jiang Chuanyun ground his teeth examining Xiao Jue. “He still gets to enjoy that beauty…”

“A moment’s pleasure, whole family execution,” Advisor Hu smiled viciously. “Though Prefect Du is an upright official, when it comes to his daughter, can he still spout righteousness and maintain justice? This kid is finished!”

“Exactly. This kills two birds with one stone – both avenges us and helps my father deal with a political enemy. Father will surely praise me greatly,” Jiang Chuanyun grew more satisfied, saying excitedly: “That guy relies on being new nobility of the new dynasty, looking down on families like ours from former high officials of the previous dynasty. He’s always opposing my father in court. Now’s the perfect chance to teach him a lesson. You treasure your daughter? Now I’ll have her deflowered at coming-of-age, unable to marry for life. Perfect – you can keep your daughter at home forever, treasuring her! Haha!”

He smugly gestured around: “Come! Everyone come! First carry this guy down to the carriage, then I’ll have our best lightness-skill bodyguard captain deliver the groom to the bridal chamber! Haha, little beauty, sandalwood bed, waves upon waves behind gauze curtains, out comes a cheap good bridegroom!”

“Young Master’s poetry is wonderful!” Advisor Hu ordered people to carry up Xiao Jue, following with flattering smiles.

“By the way,” Jiang Chuanyun, who was singing enthusiastically, suddenly turned back, casually asking: “How did you have that knockout drug? It was quite effective.”

After hesitating, Advisor Hu said quietly: “Replying to Young Master, before you took this student in as an advisor, I used to do some business without capital on Black Mountain at Profeng Stronghold…”

After a pause, Jiang Chuanyun threw back his head and laughed heartily, growing happier as he thought about it, chuckling: “So you were originally a highway bandit, yet managed to look respectable as an advisor!”

A flush of shame crossed his face. Glancing up at Jiang Chuanyun, Advisor Hu still bowed his head respectfully with a smile.

“No matter,” Young Master Jiang vigorously patted Advisor Hu’s shoulder. “You’ve done good work today and come up with good schemes. This young master looks favorably upon you. Usually you don’t show off, but now you seem like good material! Don’t worry, my father manages the Ministry of Personnel. Tomorrow I’ll have him think of a way to arrange a position for you!”

“This student thanks Young Master’s great kindness!” Advisor Hu was so delighted even his whiskers flew up as he bowed deeply.

“Haha…” Laughing even more smugly, Jiang Chuanyun waved his hand: “Let’s go quickly, leave before Yingdu Prefecture’s officers arrive! We’re going to watch a good show!”

………………

Tonight the moonlight was decent, with sparse stars.

“How I miss my past life’s heat lamps…” Qin Chang Ge stood in the courtyard, mournfully looking up at the sky with squinted eyes, missing her previous life’s water heater, air conditioning, color TV, laptop, washing machine…

Beside her, a small shadow assumed the exact same pose and expression, looking up at the sky with squinted eyes, sighing: “How I miss the honey-glazed cloud ham from a few days ago…”

Rolling her eyes at the sky, Qin Chang Ge’s rare melancholy was rudely interrupted by shamelessness. Not bothering with that reincarnated food god of a son, she shuffled toward the house: “The water should be about ready, time for a bath.”

Transmigration had this disadvantage – leaving family behind to come to a less civilized dynasty. Though this was her past life and easier to accept, being used to the conveniences of highly developed technology in her previous life, she still felt somewhat resentful about current living conditions.

In her previous life reading transmigration novels, protagonists who crossed over were super capable, from atomic bombs down to artificial eggs – everything solved with a finger snap. Qin Chang Ge scoffed at this – it was truly the Cultural Revolution theory that human power conquers productive forces. Besides, would that still be human? What normal person could know so many things? What level had that person’s brain development reached? Ninety-nine percent? One hundred and one percent? Overdrawn?

Qin Chang Ge mournfully stepped into the wooden tub… Taking a bath required burning water all day… Why didn’t I learn how to make water heaters in my past life?

Splash!

Because she was distracted, because she complained too much, because she didn’t estimate that the coffin shop didn’t mind wasting wood and made the bathtub both large and deep… the wise and mighty empress stepped into empty air and tumbled into the bathtub!

…

Chu Feihuan was admiring the moon in the courtyard. Honestly, there wasn’t much to admire about the moon on this winter day, but his cold fire rose at night, often making him irritable, so coming out for some air felt better.

Winter nights brought withered flowers and plants, falling leaves drifting, cold wind making the copper bells under the eaves ring “ding-ling,” yet this didn’t add any liveliness to the desolate night, instead increasing the lonely bleakness.

Watching a withered leaf spinning at his feet, reluctant to leave, Chu Feihuan thought faintly: even plants knew to cherish human world, but ultimately couldn’t resist natural fate… And himself? How much longer did his life have?

Slowly reaching out to press his chest, there it beat weakly but stubbornly. But perhaps one day… tired… it would never beat again…

…Hold on… until…

“My mother is taking a bath…” A big head suddenly popped out, very inappropriately yet very timely interrupting his melancholy spring sorrows.

…

After a long moment.

“My mother is taking a bath…” The apparently innocent-looking but actually black-hearted Xiao Baozi pressed his hand to his heart, repeating mournfully again.

………..!!

“My mother is really taking a bath!!!” Baozi’s big eyes blinked rapidly like he was having spasms, desperately emphasizing his words for the third time.

Slowly turning his head to glare at Baozi with annoyance, Chu Feihuan said quietly: “So what?”

“My mother is taking a bath!” Baozi smiled mischievously. “Godfather, are you sure you really don’t want to go look at all?”

!!

…

Chu Feihuan was so angered by this shameless little brat that his face flushed. Under the moonlight he looked even more startlingly beautiful than his usual pallor. After a long while he collected himself, coldly glaring at Baozi once, then silently turned away again.

“Sigh…” Baozi played with his fingers, helplessly walking back. “Mother oh mother… your popularity is really bad… no one wants to save you. I asked everyone, you can’t blame me if something happens…”

“What?” Chu Feihuan turned around sharply. “Save what?”

“My mother fell into the bathtub…” Baozi blinked innocently. “But why won’t any of you go save her?”

………!!

Taking a deep breath, Chu Feihuan told himself he absolutely couldn’t be driven crazy by this shameless child – that would be too embarrassing… “What do you mean fell into the bathtub?”

“Don’t know,” Baozi shrugged. “Don’t know if she fell in the tub either, I’m guessing, because I heard her scream.”

No longer hesitating, Chu Feihuan immediately activated his powerful and well-functioning wheelchair, speeding toward the back courtyard at unusual speed. Baozi followed with a face full of satisfaction, revealing a triumphant smirk.

The saying goes “those in the game are confused, those who care lose their reason.” If anxious Chu Feihuan had turned back now, he definitely would have noticed Baozi’s trickery, but unfortunately where did he have attention for that now?

Had Chang Ge’s identity been exposed, attracting pursuers? Had she slipped and fallen? Was she…

“Bang!” Chu Feihuan pushed open the bathroom door.

Splash! Water waves rose, forming crystal walls.

Water waves rose, candles immediately extinguished. In the darkness behind the crystal wall, snow-light flashed once, a graceful and moving arc briefly appeared with moist, smooth brightness like a rising bright moon.

But it vanished instantly.

…

Black hair scattered in the bathtub, among magnolia petals floating on the water surface emerged a beauty’s head with the same innocent expression as someone else, but with a tough reaction completely unlike normal women – Qin Chang Ge smiled and tilted her head, asking: “Complaining I use too much water, coming to settle accounts?”

When Chu Feihuan slammed open the door earlier, she was greatly startled and immediately slapped the water surface. The splashing water extinguished the candle and blurred the opponent’s vision, preventing her exposure. When the waves settled she had hidden in the water. Seeing it was Feihuan, then noticing the sneaky Baozi behind him, she immediately knew Feihuan must have been innocently deceived by this little rascal. She quickly joked to lighten the atmosphere, lest thin-skinned Feihuan be hurt by shame and anger.

Taking time to glare at Baozi, Qin Chang Ge mouthed: “You’re in for it!”

Chu Feihuan stood frozen in the doorway, his mind completely blank, only vaguely seeing that bright moon-like radiance continually flashing. After a long while his face reddened and he silently closed the door and left.

Baozi stuck out his tongue and tiptoed after him, regretfully making a face. Too bad, when he heard his silly mother cry out, he immediately ran over. After a while he heard mother climbing out of the tub muttering curses. Baozi, used to being bullied by his stinky mother, was secretly laughing while holding his stomach when suddenly a devilish idea popped up – that what, it seemed like Uncle Qi’s stories said if a woman bathing was seen she had to marry that person. Since stinky mother was so bad, find someone to marry her off? Once married she’d have no time to bully me, right?

The always action-oriented Baozi thought with shining eyes, immediately counting on his fingers to consider peeping candidates. Though mother wasn’t a good person, she couldn’t be shown to just anyone – had to find someone good, consider it a son’s filial piety… That’s right, godfather! Godfather matched with real mother, perfect match!

So Chu Feihuan was pitifully deceived, Qin Chang Ge was innocently exposed…

Just now, did that count as seeing or not? Baozi racked his brains thinking.

Walking along, he suddenly noticed something wrong – why was godfather going out? Onto the street?

Baozi panicked.

What what what? Did I make godfather dizzy with anger? Angry about what? He wasn’t the one at a loss! My mother has to worry about being seen, I have to worry about my butt and snacks tomorrow – by all accounts, you’re the one who profited!

Baozi ran after him, afraid of losing the increasingly fast godfather. That way his misfortune wouldn’t be limited to just his butt – mother would definitely dismember him… He followed too urgently and when Chu Feihuan suddenly stopped his wheelchair ahead, Baozi couldn’t stop in time and crashed into him with a “bang.”

Immediate retribution… Touching the bump on his head, Baozi wanted to cry but had no tears.

But godfather wasn’t looking at him, only gazing at a group of people in the darkness, his eyes holding something strange. Baozi looked over puzzled and saw ahead a horse carriage with several limping, face-covering people clumsily dragging a black-clothed person up, kicking that person hard while dragging. From far away, Baozi couldn’t see clearly who the black-clothed person was, asking puzzled: “Eh? Who’s so unlucky?” while tugging Chu Feihuan, “Godfather, let’s go back. Mother should be done bathing, very fragrant…”

Chu Feihuan ignored him this time, only carefully staring at that black-clothed person. After a long while he said: “Rong’er, quickly go back and notify your mother to save someone.”

“Save someone?” Baozi stared wide-eyed, looking at that black-clothed person. “Who is he? Do we know him? Why save him?”

Slowly turning his head, Chu Feihuan’s expression was complex: “Others you can ignore, but this person you must save.”

“Huh?”

“Go quickly!” Chu Feihuan was rarely so stern with Baozi, his beautiful brows coldly severe. “Tell your mother: white dragon in common clothes, taken advantage of by petty villains. This matter started because of her, cannot be ignored.”

“Oh,” though Baozi didn’t understand, he was startled by Chu Feihuan’s expression and ran off. After a few steps he felt something was wrong, biting his finger and timidly turning back: “What about you, godfather?”

“I’ll follow to see where they go,” Chu Feihuan said calmly: “But my wheelchair makes noise and can’t run fast, so hurry.”

“Don’t follow,” Baozi’s big eyes rolled. “Too dangerous for you to follow. If something happens to you, mother will still punish me.” He fumbled in his pockets, pulling out a small slingshot and a black pellet, stuffing it into Chu Feihuan’s hands. “You can use a slingshot, right? This pellet has Uncle Qi’s failed sugar pills inside, with a stinky smell you can track all the way. Find a way to shoot it onto the carriage, then they can follow the scent!”

Admiringly patting Baozi’s head, Chu Feihuan said: “Good, go.”

Baozi ran off, and ahead the carriage began moving. Chu Feihuan drove his wheelchair following. He estimated this group had many people but didn’t seem to have martial arts, roughly ensuring he could maintain a bow-shot distance without being discovered. Any farther wouldn’t work.

Taking advantage of the carriage just starting and not yet running fast, Chu Feihuan drew the slingshot, loaded the pellet, about to shoot.

His chest suddenly ached.

Like raging waves roaring forth, bringing both icy cold and blazing torment, flesh instantly shredded couldn’t match this moment when his meridians seemed ground to pieces inch by inch. Chu Feihuan broke out in cold sweat, his vision went black, fingers went soft, and the slingshot immediately fell, rolling away.

“Damn!”

How could it flare up now!

Cursing lowly, Chu Feihuan pressed his elbow to his chest, desperately resisting the unbearable agony. Sweating profusely, he looked up with blurred vision to see the carriage growing more distant while the slingshot gleamed faintly on the ground not far away.

Too late…

Hardening his heart and gritting his teeth, Chu Feihuan threw himself sideways, rolling off the wheelchair Qin Chang Ge had personally modified with many defensive mechanisms.

He rolled forward with clenched teeth. Under the pain flare-up his skin was extremely sensitive – normally even touching smooth things felt unbearable, much less rolling on rocky ground now? Like rolling on a nail bed, every inch forward brought tremendous damage. He bit his lower lip bloody, blood drops falling to connect a faint dark red line on the ground… Yet Chu Feihuan persisted silently with absolute patience until rolling to the slingshot.

Panting lowly, struggling to find the slingshot and pellet, Chu Feihuan sighed with relief. Looking up with sweat streaming, he despairingly saw the carriage had gone much farther – the slingshot couldn’t reach anymore.

Gritting his teeth.

Another round of torture-like rolling forward… Blood spots fell soundlessly.

Hair disheveled and clothes ragged, Chu Feihuan rolled out a distance then suddenly raised his head, biting his lower lip as his finger pulled back. The pellet shot out, tracing a dark stream of light through the air with a soft “pat,” accurately sticking to the carriage’s rear.

Sighing with great relief, Chu Feihuan nearly collapsed on the ground. Every joint felt like breaking, blood energy rising while cold fire descended – he could barely lift a finger now.

But several figures suddenly appeared ahead.

They instantly reached nearby with extremely fast movements like flying lightning, clearly lightness skill experts with definitely strong internal martial arts.

One person leaped onto the carriage.

Another suddenly turned back toward the darkness where Chu Feihuan was hidden.

………………

When Xiao Jue awoke, he found himself amid soft jade and warm fragrance.

Yellow jade dust fell in crystalline pearl curtains down to the carved shallow green floor tiles below. All four walls were filled with poetry and books. The red wood desk held the famous zither Green Silk, beside it a Jingdezhen beauty vessel held the freshest, most delicate flowers in pink and purple, their dark fragrance pleasant.

What touched his nose was smooth, cool silk. The bedding was warm with faint maiden fragrance. The rose-purple soft pillow embroidered with peonies had matching colored tassels that brushed his face soft and fine like a woman’s gentle gaze.

Xiao Jue shook his iron-heavy head, feeling sore all over like he’d been beaten badly. He suddenly felt somewhat feverish, wondering with slight confusion – given those young wastrels’ style, he should be in Yingdu Prefecture prison now. How could he have such superior treatment?

Turning his head slightly to see the surroundings more clearly.

Suddenly froze.

A jade arm, creamy smooth skin glowing like water jade, white as bright moon, stood out vividly against the rose-purple silk bedding. Following the arm, a strand of satin-black hair flowed down like water with lotus fragrance, revealing through the black hair glimpses of a beautifully lined neck and slender shoulders flowing gracefully like fine poetry.

Further down…

Slightly raised small and lovely breasts…

Like throwing a blazing torch onto dry kindling, igniting all of Xiao Jue’s spirit and reason. His lower abdomen suddenly tightened with heat, his body seeming to crawl with many small insects creeping through his blood vessels. Each place they passed brought unbearable torment, tremendous thirst arising, burning like fire, making Xiao Jue want to pounce toward that patch of snow-white coolness.

Powerful hallucinogenic aphrodisiac raged in his body. His vision turned seductive pink, the snow-white radiance swaying before his eyes. Those silky hair, jade arms, red lips, fragrant shoulders all flowed like water waves, creating layered shadows that rearranged according to his heart’s strong desire… Vaguely like that year in Longzhang Palace at the imperial wedding, on their wedding night, golden hairpins, phoenix crown, jade ornaments, pearl curtains he joyfully lifted with golden scales. That woman slowly raised her head, lips like delicate flowers, eyes like bright moon, revealing her breathtaking noble countenance…

Chang Ge…

Xiao Jue joyfully reached out his hand.