Adultery

"Heh heh," Li Shaolin chuckled twice, ignoring Aili's look of disdain, and turned to continue forward.

After just a few steps, his eyes lit up. A massive, endless pumpkin field spread out before them. Green, tangled vines grew in neat rows, and pumpkins as thick as two hands clasped together and as long as one's waist were everywhere. Faintly, they could even see some commoners moving among them, either picking or trimming leaves.

"Careful. We'll circle around from that side—don't let them spot us!" Aili warned Li Shaolin.

He nodded, and the two crouched low, beginning to move through the pumpkin field. The field was enormous, with a few Stonefang Boars scattered here and there, greedily chomping down on the pumpkins. The scarecrows on their wooden frames were useless decorations, as birds flitted past, pecking at the pumpkins the boars had already gnawed.

Aili's face was full of indignation. "If it weren't for those damned Defias Brotherhood, this pumpkin field's harvest would be twice as good!" Li Shaolin didn't share her sentiment, thinking to himself: What good is a better harvest? Most of it would probably be taken by the family or the authorities anyway. What reaches the commoners' hands is likely the same. But he forgot that he himself was now part of the landowning class—the miners at Fargodeep Mine would indirectly be exploited by him too.

The pumpkin vines were taller than a person, so as long as they moved carefully, there was little worry of being discovered. But it was high noon, the sun blazing overhead, and the pumpkin leaves occasionally brushed against their skin, leaving a tingling itch. After about half an hour, Li Shaolin's mouth and throat were parched, a wave of thirst washing over him. Just then, he spotted a huge, ripe pumpkin lying ahead. Delighted, he drew his Infantry Sword, walked over, and with a "thwack," sliced it open. Golden pumpkin juice flowed out along the cut. (This was a special kind of pumpkin, not the common sort one usually sees.)

He cut off a piece and tossed it into his mouth. Mm, sweet with a slight bitterness—not bad. Another slice, and he handed it to Aili beside him.

Aili was also thirsty, so she set aside all ladylike decorum, took it, and bit down hard, her small lips working as she ate.

After finishing the pumpkin, they patted off the dirt and moved on. Li Shaolin couldn't help but find it amusing and asked, "Hey, beauty, your way of eating is way too wild, you know? Kind of hurts your image."

Aili glared at him and snapped, "Keep moving, or I'll sew your mouth shut!"

With a dry laugh, Li Shaolin picked up two pumpkin leaves, wiped the juice off his Infantry Sword, and hurried forward again.

In the distance, a few houses came into view. The two stopped and crouched down.

"Hey, kid, according to Dark Necromancer Jajin's records, this Sulena Keldon ran off with a guy from the Defias Brotherhood named Erland Dudmore. That guy should be pretty high up in the Defias, which means we're facing at least two opponents of our level, maybe more. Scared? If you are, turn back now!" Aili whispered in his ear, her breath soft as orchid.

"Heh heh, how about adding some gold coins?" Li Shaolin replied, his mind a little stirred, his face a greedy grin.

They watched for a while and saw no one else passing by the houses—seemed everyone was busy with their own business. With a slight gesture, they moved quietly, closing in on the wall.

Sticking close to the wall, they spotted a house with a wooden door left ajar. Li Shaolin pointed at it, signaling Aili to check it out together.

Slipping inside sideways, they saw a spacious wooden hall with a few tables casually placed, apparently for meals. It was cold and empty, seemingly deserted. A wooden staircase slanted up to one side.

"Hey, I'll go up and look. You guard here," Li Shaolin said softly to Aili.

Aili nodded and closed the half-open door.

He climbed the stairs slowly, and as he reached the second floor, he faintly heard voices.

He waved at Aili below, signaling that someone was here. Seeing this, Aili also crept up the stairs.

"You could handle it yourself—why call me?" Aili grumbled.

"Boss, there's two or three of them! How am I supposed to kill them all?" Li Shaolin replied, annoyed.

Rounding the corner, a quick glance showed three rooms, two empty and one with its door shut tight. The voices seemed to come from that one.

They approached the door and listened intently. Faint gasps could be heard, mixed with intermittent cries from a woman—sometimes low, sometimes high. But the wooden door muffled the sound, making it hard to make out.

"Could it be?" Li Shaolin thought with a lecherous grin. Was it what he imagined?

Aili seemed to catch on too, her face flushing red. "Shameless!" she muttered, turning to go back down.

"Hey, what if that's Sulena Keldon and Erland Dudmore in there?" Li Shaolin quickly grabbed her.

"Leave it to you. I'll keep watch. Even if it's them, they're easy to deal with now—don't tell me you can't handle two naked people without weapons!" Aili shot him a glare and said, blushing again as she said "naked."

"Heh heh, you know a lot, beauty," Li Shaolin teased. But Aili ignored him, moving down the stairs.

He checked the door bolt—it didn't seem very tight. With Aili gone, he focused his mind, and the Book of the Dead appeared in his hand. With a wave, two Skeleton Warriors and a Clay Golem materialized beside him. He muttered a few incantations, summoning a Bone Shield and a Venomous Dagger. Everything ready, he slid his Infantry Sword into the door crack and gently pried it open, revealing a sliver of a gap.

Peeking through, he saw two people locked in a fierce struggle on the floor. Black mage robes and a reddish-brown leather jerkin lay scattered about, the scene awash with exposed flesh.

He cast Detection on them, and two names appeared: Sulena Keldon, Level 9, and Morgan (Receiver), Level 10! This guy wasn't the eloping lad Aili mentioned? Could it be... an affair? He couldn't help but feel a bit gossipy.

He didn't dare linger—if they finished, it'd be trouble. Two Bone Fangs coalesced into white light on his left hand's fingers. With a stomp, "bang," he kicked the door open!

The engrossed couple startled, whipping their heads around!

Morgan was a ruthless sort. Seeing an intruder, he kicked Sulena Keldon aside and lunged for the longsword by the bed! But before his hand could reach it, "shh, shh," two Bone Fangs shot into his waist, blood splattering! Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the sword and turned, only to feel his movements slow, as if caught in some force field—the Clay Golem had reached him. At the same time, two gleaming Bone Blades fell, and in a spray of blood, he collapsed with a final, unwilling gasp, not even getting a word out before he was slain!

Sulena's face went pale. She hugged her chest, curling up like a frightened kitten, a sight that fell upon Li Shaolin's eyes.

Only then did he turn to look at her. This woman, around twenty-something, her arms barely covering her exposed form, made him hesitate to strike her down.

Seeing Li Shaolin staring dumbly without attacking, as if captivated by her beauty, Sulena's tension melted. She smiled sweetly and said in a soft voice, "Handsome, you scared me." But just then, a sudden change occurred!

The woman waved her hands, and amid the exposed flesh, a black skull materialized above his head. Li Shaolin's body jerked, his feet moving uncontrollably in a frantic stumble—it was a Fear Spell!

After casting the spell, before the two Skeleton Warriors and the Clay Golem could react, she leaped toward the wooden window. With a "smack," she crashed through the splintered wood and fell outside.

"That woman's too calculating!" Li Shaolin cursed through gritted teeth. A few seconds later, the Fear Spell's effect wore off. He looked out the window and was overjoyed—Sulena was a magic-user, not physically tough, and her unprepared jump had knocked her unconscious! Aili, who had been keeping watch by the door, heard the noise outside, opened it, and saw Sulena completely naked. Flames rose in her hand as she prepared to cast Immolate!

"Stop!" Li Shaolin called down softly, dismissing his Skeleton Warriors and Clay Golem before jumping down himself. "Thud," his legs ached from the impact, a numb tingle spreading through them.

"You trying to get us killed? This place is full of Defias! If she calls a few over, we're both staying here today!" he said to Aili, then picked up Sulena and carried her toward the door. Her skin felt smooth and soft in his arms, quite pleasant.

"Tch, what's with the attitude?" Aili muttered, following him. But inwardly, she agreed with his point and went inside too.