Beautiful Shadow V

Ink-Black Long Hair trailed all the way to her waist. Though the woman sat facing her, her black hair still concealed her face completely.

"I was the one who told him to come." The woman answered Ruler's confusion with a smile.

"No, you can't do this." Ruler felt utterly weak. The deepest despair surged up from the bottom of her heart and swiftly filled her chest. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, drop by drop.

The woman slowly rose to her feet and walked toward her.

"The one surnamed Song was prey we had long since marked. You wanted to let him go? That broke the rules.

"So I pretended to be you and sent him word. See? Not only did he come, he even brought along two extra fresh blood meals. Not bad at all."

They had laid their plans for someone like Song Zhenguo, someone born in the Yin Hour, for so long. Naturally, they would never permit a single one to escape. After all, people like that were rare treasures.

Tears streamed down Ruler's face. Her body could not move at all as the woman gently stroked her cheek. Then that hand slowly sank into her head as if piercing into it through her temple, beginning to stir gently.

As the woman stirred, Ruler's eyes gradually changed from lively to slowly becoming alluring and enchanting. A faint, enticing sheen also spread over her skin. Strands of fragrance even drifted through the air, a faint scent of extreme temptation.

Yet the long-haired woman noticed that, deep in Ruler's eyes, there still remained a trace of heartbreaking despair.

"You can stay by yourself for now and sober up a little. As for that man surnamed Song, I'll have someone else handle him." Realizing something was wrong, the woman swiftly withdrew her hand, gave a cold snort, and vanished from the cabin.

Ruler was left alone in the room, her eyes blurred with tears.

Song Zhenguo brought Chen Jiaorong and Lu Sheng aboard the painted pleasure boat.

"Young Master Song, Young Master Chen, Young Master Lu, today is a wonderful day. Your entertainment has already been arranged, and we've only been waiting for the three of you." As soon as they boarded, the Boat Woman came forward with a beaming smile.

"Where is Ruler?" Song Zhenguo asked with a smile.

"She's still dressing up. Young Master Song, you must cherish her properly tonight." The Boat Woman lowered her voice and laughed.

"Of course, of course!" Unable to suppress the smile on his face, Song Zhenguo led Lu Sheng and Chen Jiaorong into a cabin prepared in advance.

Once the three had taken their seats, the night outside the window was hazy. Moonlight faint as gauze filtered in and fell across the windowsill.

The Boat Woman did not leave. After bringing them inside, she clapped her hands, and a procession of veiled women filed through the door.

All the women wore genuine three-piece undergarments: white bandeaus over their chests, while only a strip of thin, pale-green translucent gauze covered the space between their legs.

Every one of them had a graceful figure and a well-proportioned body. Even behind their veils, it was clear that they were pretty-faced, with delicate and refined features.

One of the women carried a pipa and slowly sat down inside the room. Her pale fingers plucked lightly at the strings.

The Music Sound curled and turned. The three men shuddered all over, and the heat that these women's attire had already stirred in their bodies made their blood and qi surge even more fiercely.

The pipa was soft, so soft, like a lover whispering gently beside one's ear. A pleasant, tender melody slowly flowed forth, leaving the three men dazed and slightly intoxicated.

Before long, wine and dishes were brought in one after another, all of them things said to nourish yin and invigorate yang.

Song Zhenguo's face was flushed as he smiled and continually urged Lu Sheng and Chen Jiaorong to eat.

After taking two bites, Lu Sheng did not pick up much more food. He merely sat where he was and listened to the music.

The meal lasted for more than two hours. The beautiful courtesans changed in three shifts, and all three men had drunk to their satisfaction.

"Come to think of it, this painted pleasure boat originally forbade any skin-to-skin intimacy. But today is different from usual. The Boat Head promised me that as long as I redeem Ruler tonight, we can each pick one of the courtesans who appeared earlier to accompany us for the night." Song Zhenguo said with some pride.

"Really?" This was also Chen Jiaorong's first time hearing of such a thing. "This painted pleasure boat has never competed with brothels for business." Surprise showed on his face.

"That's why I'm so pleased. The courtesans here aren't women ordinary people can lay hands on. You two worthy brothers needn't be polite. I already have Little Ruler, so I care nothing for the other women. The two of you can pick one or two." Song Zhenguo laughed. "That is rather novel." Lu Sheng glanced outside. It was gradually getting late, and he had no idea how long they had spent aboard the boat. The passing customers who had been coming and going outside had gradually dwindled. Earlier, faint voices could occasionally be heard from the deck, but now there was almost nothing.

"Why don't we play Pitch-Pot? Today is the Scented Silk Festival. If you score well at Pitch-Pot, there are even extra services as rewards." Song Zhenguo had spent a great deal of time on this painted pleasure boat and was thoroughly familiar with its rules.

Lu Sheng had no objections, and Chen Jiaorong agreed with a smile.

The three had the women of the pleasure boat bring over a Pitch-Pot jar and Flower Arrows. Song Zhenguo was the first to pick up an arrow and toss it toward the jar, while Lu Sheng and Chen Jiaorong watched from the side.

Whenever he hit the target, the girls beside him would clap and giggle in praise. Chen Jiaorong was already somewhat drunk. He reached out to draw the smallest girl into his arms and teased her softly, filling the air with an ambiguous mood.

Pitch-Pot was a popular little game in which arrows were thrown into a jar shaped like a large bottle. It was widely played by everyone from refined scholars to ordinary commoners.

Lu Sheng calculated the time and casually asked the girl beside him, "You're still open this late?"

"Yes, we don't close." The girl looked at him and smiled.

Lu Sheng studied her smile and felt that something was off, though he could not say what. After thinking about it without finding an answer, he turned back to watch Song Zhenguo.

The three played for a while.

"It's getting late. We should go wash up now, and we'll come back to accompany you young masters shortly." One of the leading dancer-courtesans spoke with a smile.

"Go on, go on." Song Zhenguo waved his hand.

The courtesans filed out of the cabin, and the last one gently shut the door. The room immediately fell silent.

The three sat on low couches, with a complete mess of wine and dishes spread before them. Two whole wine jars sat at the side.

"We drank a little too much tonight." Chen Jiaorong shook his head.

"Don't delay the important matter." Song Zhenguo smiled. "Need to relieve yourself?"

"I'm going to wash my face."

Lu Sheng shook his head, rose, and left the cabin.

Outside was dim and gloomy. Beyond the cabin lay the central hall of the tower ship, where rows of cabin doors were tightly shut and no girls could be seen coming or going. Lu Sheng was also somewhat dizzy from drink, so he headed toward the latrine.

After visiting the latrine and washing his face, he sobered up considerably. He dried his face and stepped out. After only a few paces, he suddenly froze.

A patch of light from the outer hall shone across the ground outside the latrine. Yet its color was somewhat different from what he remembered.

I remember this light being yellow before, didn't I? Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes at the brilliant red glow on the floor.

Outside was silent—so silent that not even the faintest sound could be heard. Even the sound of waves slapping against the hull had vanished.

Lu Sheng lowered his head and carefully examined the red light beneath his feet. He gently lifted a leg, stepped out of the latrine, and returned to the hall.

The hall was utterly silent. The yellow lanterns that had hung there before had somehow been replaced with Red Lanterns, their faint crimson glow dyeing the entire hall one color.

Lu Sheng walked to the railing and looked down. He was on the Second Layer, with the first below him, but he could see no one there either. The few girls and customers he had seen before entering the latrine had all disappeared. Only gust after gust of cold wind billowed past.

Lu Sheng frowned slightly and quickly headed toward the cabins.

When he reached the cabin and pushed the door open, Chen Jiaorong was gone as well. Perhaps he had also gone to the latrine. Song Zhenguo had not returned either, perhaps he was still there.

Just as he passed around the corner, his gaze suddenly sharpened. Two large red lanterns had somehow been hung inside the cabin.

The two Red Lanterns hung quietly above the place where they had eaten and drunk. He had no idea who had hung them there.

Wind howled through the open door. The cabin was silent. Lu Sheng looked at the lanterns, then swept his gaze around the room.

"Brother Song? Brother Chen?"

He tried calling twice, but no one answered.

At once, he recalled the strange Red Chamber Boat he had encountered before, and his eyes instantly darkened.

Lu Sheng sat in his seat, his hands braced on his knees, quietly waiting for Song Zhenguo and Chen Jiaorong to return. If they had truly gone to the latrine as well, they would certainly come back to this room.

After waiting for a short while, fine, soft footsteps suddenly sounded from the doorway.

The footsteps slowly drew closer, soon stopping at the entrance, precisely around the corner where Lu Sheng could not see.

"Brother Song?" Lu Sheng slowly rose and called out tentatively.

The person stood around the corner without making a sound.

Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes, one hand pressing against the hilt of the short saber at his waist. He had specially bought this blade for self-defense. It was only as long as his forearm, and concealed beneath the robe at the small of his back, its outline could not be seen.

He slowly walked toward the doorway, softening his steps.

But just as he rose, a deathly pale figure slowly emerged behind Lu Sheng. A blurry white silhouette in long white robes appeared at his back, silently extending clawed fingers toward the back of his head.

Scratch, scratch. Lu Sheng suddenly reached out and gripped the edge of the wooden wall, rubbing at a faded handprint left upon it.

The White Clothed Man was startled by the sound and swiftly withdrew its claw. Looking toward the wooden wall and finding that it was merely an accidental noise, it turned back, extended its claw again, and reached once more for the center of Lu Sheng's back.

This time, however, it saw Lu Sheng's face turned toward it. A pair of astonishingly bright eyes met its own head-on.

"What are you doing?" Lu Sheng grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth that sent chills down one's spine.

The White Clothed Man was startled and abruptly drifted backward, instantly sinking into the wall behind it.

Boom!!!!

In that instant, a black figure slammed into the wall. Silver Blade Light, like a cascading waterfall of silk, fiercely cleaved through the wall.

It was Lu Sheng!!

Without a word, he had brought his saber down in a head-splitting strike. The tremendous strength and explosive force behind it smashed through the wall as easily as cutting tofu, and he lunged after the White Clothed Man.

The White Clothed Man was horrified. It continued drifting through the neighboring cabin and sank into a second wall.

Rumble!! "Die!!!"

Amid the violent crash of shattering walls came an earthshaking roar. Lu Sheng pursued without relent, smashing through another wall with a single blow and lunging at the White Clothed Man.

Veins faintly bulged across his entire body as his blood qi roiled and surged. He seemed to swell in an instant, becoming a full size larger than before, like a small giant.

He carried that saber in his hand, but compared to his body, it was like gripping a little twig. The blade's thickness was not even a third of his forearm.