Tiger Taming Master Chen Mo!

The morning sun rose, and the sky grew bright.

The members of the Heavenly Qilin Guard stood in the small courtyard of Qingya Pavilion, chatting idly.

"Brother Qin, how was the battle last night?" a junior banner officer asked.

The short and stout Qin Shou stood with his hands behind his back, saying indifferently, "This one used my family's staff technique to engage the enchantress. After three hundred rounds of fierce combat, I finally unleashed the Flood Dragon Exits the Sea, beating that enchantress until she was in shambles and begging for mercy."

The junior banner officer exclaimed in admiration, "I have long heard that Brother Qin's staff technique is exquisite, possessing the bearing of a grandmaster. It truly lives up to its reputation."

"What about Brother Zhang? Did you have your fill?"

"Heh heh."

The junior banner officer took a porcelain bottle from his robes, shaking his head as he said, "This humble one prepared three Dragon-Tiger Pills, intending to brave that dragon's den and tiger's lair to test its depths. I never expected that after using just one, the other party would be utterly routed."

Qin Shou clapped his hands, "Brother Zhang's attainments in the way of pills are comparable to the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. This one is impressed."

The two exchanged a glance and burst into loud laughter.

A battle of beans—refreshing!

The others also looked refreshed and satisfied.

The salary of the Heavenly Qilin Guard was quite substantial; an ordinary runner earned seven taels of silver a month, and that wasn't even counting other gray income... yet even so, in a money pit like the Music Bureau, it was far from enough.

The girls they had requested last night were of the caliber of Hua Fu and Hua Yan.

Under normal circumstances, they would have had to save for several months to afford it.

"It really is comfortable following Chief Banner Chen."

"We run a few errands, pick up major merits, and get to play with girls... with a leader like this, what more could one ask for!"

The men from the Ding Fire Bureau shook their heads and sighed.

Although Chief Banner Li was reliable in her work, she was rigid, inflexible, and had a temper that was far too explosive...

Most importantly, she didn't know how to take them to brothels!

"It's already this late, why hasn't Chief Banner Chen come out yet?"

"If we're any later, we'll miss the roll call."

Just then, the sound of "slap, slap" drifted faintly from the room.

A moment later, the frequency of the "slap, slap" sounds increased, becoming as rapid as a violent storm; just listening to it was enough to make one breathless!

Qin Shou and the junior banner officer exchanged a look.

Damn, there's a master in there?!

"The Chief Banner still hasn't finished?"

"From last night... until now?"

The group stared at each other in dismay.

Qin Shou had once received a head-on blow from Chen Mo and knew how exaggerated his "capital" was. He couldn't help but worry whether Yu'er, a delicate woman, could withstand such lashing.

She wouldn't be forced into retirement because of this, would she?

After waiting for a long time, the door pushed open, and two figures walked out.

"Chief Banner, you..."

Qin Shou was just about to step forward, but his expression suddenly froze, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Li, Chief Banner Li?!"

Behind Chen Mo followed a woman wearing a blue and white hezi dress, with a green silk sash tied around her waist that outlined her slender figure, making her heavy chest appear even more ample.

Her snow-white, delicate face was flushed with a rosy hue, and her originally sharp brows and eyes looked like a pool of spring water, rippling with every glance.

She looked as if...

She had been thoroughly nourished?!

The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The men lost all control of their expressions, their mouths hanging wide open as they stared blankly at the pair.

"Ah!"

Li Yuan hadn't expected them all to be waiting outside. She was flustered for a moment, but unable to run back into the room, she could only turn sideways and hide behind Chen Mo.

?!

Isn't this just burying one's head in the sand to steal a bell?

Watching her shy, maiden-like appearance, the runners of the Ding Fire Bureau collapsed to the ground.

Is this still the cold-faced, selfless Chief Banner from their memories!?

Chen Mo twitched the corner of his mouth and whispered, "Chief Banner Li, your persona seems to have collapsed."

Li Yuan lowered her head, her earlobes burning red, and gave his waist a hard pinch, "It's all your fault!"

Chen Mo: "..."

"No wonder Flag Officer Li insisted on tagging along; so she was eyeing the Chief all along?"

"Feeding the tiger with her own body—what a man!"

"In that case, didn't Flag Officer Chen take on two at once last night..."

Chen Mo's brows furrowed as he said coldly:

"What are you all whispering about? Flag Officer Li drank too much last night and slept in an empty room by herself."

"Keep your mouths shut, every one of you! If I hear any rumors spreading, watch out—I'll skin you alive!"

"Yes!"

The group responded in unison, wearing expressions that clearly said, Don't worry, we understand.

The more one tried to explain such matters, the darker they became, so Chen Mo sighed and offered no further explanation.

The group walked out of Qingya Pavilion toward the mouth of the alley, where disheveled guests emerged from the houses on both sides from time to time.

Li Yuan's face flushed a deep red, and she struggled to keep her composure, but she dared not quicken her pace—her legs were still weak, after all... She could only follow closely behind Chen Mo, step by step.

Seeing this, Qin Shou silently gave a thumbs-up.

The Chief is truly a master at taming tigers...

In the bedroom, "Qing'er" was performing stretching exercises, continuously adapting to the body.

As it stood, she was merely an empty shell, a Paper Puppet inhabited by a wandering soul; it was unrealistic to expect her to be exactly like the original owner.

However, as long as Gu Manzhi kept channeling energy into it, or controlled it directly, she could achieve about seventy percent similarity. As long as it wasn't someone too intimate, they shouldn't be able to spot the flaw.

Minister Xu's household had been raided, with some dead and others exiled.

Aside from the few female relatives also cast into the Music Bureau, there were no other acquaintances left in Heaven Capital City...

But Gu Manzhi was in no mood to consider such things. She sat on the bed, hugging her legs, her breathtaking face resting on her knees, her autumn-water eyes shimmering with ripples.

"First I was struck in the chest, then I was struck on the backside; I've almost been bullied all over by him."

"That girl from earlier was quite strong, at least a Sixth-Rank martial artist. Her surname is Li... and Chen Mo's fiancée is surnamed Shen, right?"

"I didn't notice it before, but this guy is quite the philanderer..."

Yet, thinking back on her own past actions, she felt she had little right to blame him.

Perhaps it was only after being heartbroken by her that his temperament had changed so drastically...

Whoosh—

A gust of wind whistled as a figure wrapped in a gray robe flashed into the room.

Gu Manzhi didn't even look up. "Ye Henshui, why haven't you rolled away yet?"

The gray-robed figure shrugged and said, "The last mission failed and my identity was exposed; the Master is very dissatisfied with you. From now on, I am fully in charge of affairs in Heaven Capital City... Tsk, can you stop trying to scare me with the Blazing Thunder Curse? Come on, just strike me dead and be done with it—let's all just stop living!"

Gu Manzhi gripped a jade talisman in her hand, her eyes cold. "Do you think I wouldn't dare?"

The gray-robed figure naturally understood her temper; if truly pushed, she was capable of anything.

Helpless, he had to soften his tone. "Fine, you can stay here, but you have to tell me: what is your next move?"

Gu Manzhi said indifferently, "Chen Mo is currently a favorite of the Imperial Consort. If we want to deal with Yu Youhan, we must start with Chen Mo."

The gray-robed figure became interested upon hearing this. "Oh? Elaborate?"

The corners of Gu Manzhi's mouth curled slightly. "I have decided... to turn Chen Mo, and bring him over to our side!"

"..."

The gray-robed figure was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "He has a prestigious status, lives in luxury, and is a Centurion of the Heavenly Qilin Guard. Why would he mingle with a bunch of outlaws like us?"

"I have my own plans. Don't worry about it."

Gu Manzhi had already decided: she would spare no effort to "seduce" Chen Mo!

And this time, it wouldn't be through the Paper Puppet Technique—she would do it herself!

"By the way, if you dare to strike at him in secret, don't blame the heavenly thunder for being blind!"

Gu Manzhi tossed out these cold words and rose to leave.

The gray-robed figure remained silent.

He had a sinking feeling that this Saintess Gu was going to capsize in the gutter once again...

She walked to the bedside and sat down, watching Yu'er doing jumping jacks with a "heave-ho," but when her palm pressed against the mattress, she suddenly froze.

"Huh? Why is the bedsheet wet..."