Woman, You're Playing with Fire

The next day.

It had only just begun to dawn, but the Capital City was already bustling.

In just ten days, word of the Puppet Assembly had spread far and wide.

The two thousand spirit stones in prize money, along with the temptation of trampling the Gongshu Clan underfoot, had drawn countless weapon smiths like moths to a flame, while those lacking the skill to compete had been left watching from the sidelines.

Still, weapon smiths were a rare breed. Of the several thousand people who had poured into the Capital City in recent days, more than ninety percent were there just to watch.

How could they possibly miss the spectacle?

Forget the prize money and whether anyone would trample the Gongshu Clan.

The venue alone was worth coming to see.

The Weapon-Forging Platform!

What kind of place was it?

When Emperor Taizong expanded his territory, he had summoned weapon smiths from across the land to forge divine weapons for his famed generals, who then crushed the surrounding tribes into submission.

The place where those divine weapons were forged was the Weapon-Forging Platform.

Afterward, it opened only for major weapon-forging events. Anyone without a powerful backer couldn't get permission to use it.

Not many knew who was behind this.

But whoever had secured the Weapon-Forging Platform and casually tossed out two thousand spirit stones, then another two thousand, was undoubtedly a ruthless big shot.

There were no more than ten people like that in the entire Capital City.

But none of them seemed to have any grudge against the Gongshu Clan!

The Gongshu Clan had always quietly made military weapons and hardly ever involved themselves in court disputes. How had they managed to offend someone that ruthless?

Southern Pacification Mansion.

Qin Yanying was already beside herself with impatience. "Muye, Muye! Hurry up and eat, damn it! You're taking forever. If we get there too late, we won't get good seats. Do you want to spend the whole time staring at the backs of people's heads?"

Bai Yuji smiled and tugged at Qin Yanying's sleeve. "Auntie, don't worry. Muye has already reserved a private room beside the Weapon-Forging Platform. We went to take a look yesterday. The view is excellent, and no one can block your line of sight."

"Whoa!"

Qin Yanying jumped. "The restaurants beside the Weapon-Forging Platform aren't cheap. You're being that extravagant?"

Qin Muye set down his bowl of congee and said solemnly, "Auntie! I think you need to recognize who you are and get used to living like a rich person."

Qin Yanying laughed, but she still felt as if she were living in a dream.

Qin Muye had given her ten thousand taels in pocket money a few days ago, yet why did it still feel unreal?

A maid carried in a pot of medicine and carefully set it on the table. "Young Madam, the medicine you prepared is ready."

Qin Muye froze and glanced at the bowl of congee in his hands. "Hadn't I already taken my medicine today?"

Bai Yuji glanced at Qin Yanying and lowered her voice. "It's a new medicine!"

Qin Yanying completely missed the meaning of that look and simply assumed her great-nephew had found another way to get better. "Yuji really is capable. You've found another remedy. Let me have a sniff."

Before she had finished speaking, she lifted the lid of the pot.

She twitched her nose, then said in surprise, "Why does this smell familiar?"

Just then—

"Yanying, those sentries have already..."

Chen Sui hurried in. When he saw the pot of medicine on the table, his expression turned awkward. "Huh? You're making me drink it this early? Why'd you bring this thing over in front of the kids..."

"Just shut up!"

Qin Yanying panicked. She hurriedly covered his mouth, hooked an arm around his neck, and dragged him out of the room.

Qin Muye wasn't familiar with this medicine, but even he was quick enough to guess what it was.

Bai Yuji looked surprised. "Auntie always keeps her distance from him, so I thought they hadn't gone that far?"

Qin Muye pursed his lips. "Food and sex are human nature. They're in their thirties and forties. Did you think they were chaste young lovers?"

"If things have gone this far, why don't they get married?"

"Auntie says she just treats Uncle as a plaything, using his body to relieve her boredom. She doesn't have any feelings for him."

"Middle-aged love really is carefree."

"Carefree, and yet tangled up in knots."

Qin Muye pursed his lips. Because of his third uncle, Auntie had always had a thorn in her heart. Still, the way things were between them now seemed pretty good.

At least they were drinking medicine often.

But...

He rubbed his head. "This kind of medicine only treats the symptoms, not the root, right? Could it hurt the body?"

Bai Yuji smiled. "Don't worry! The medicine is mainly nourishing. I controlled the dosage and added herbs that strengthen the body. The symptoms and the root are two sides of the same coin, and a person's will can also be medicine.

"Your root has hit a bottleneck because your vital energy isn't active enough. It might be because you're resisting or afraid of this. We can only try to awaken the symptoms first and see whether it works. The only worry is that we might not even be able to wake the symptoms..."

Qin Muye: "..."

She wants to wake up my big symptom?

Woman!

You're playing with fire!

Still, he thought it sounded like nonsense. His current value was -57/40, and the root was far too far behind. He doubted the symptoms alone could make up the difference.

It probably wouldn't slow down her progress in dragging him into it.

Qin Muye obediently drank the medicine.

Bai Yuji asked, "How do you feel?"

"I feel warm inside my stomach."

"How warm?"

"Like I've drunk a lot of hot things."

"..."

Bai Yuji looked at the empty pot, still steaming, and sank into deep thought.

So it hadn't worked?

Her heart grew heavy, but she still prepared to comfort Qin Muye.

Before she could say a word—

Qin Muye beat her to it. "Don't be discouraged. As long as you keep working at it, everything will be fine."

Bai Yuji: "..."

The Weapon-Forging Platform was less than a mile north of the imperial palace, in one of the Capital City's most prosperous districts. The surrounding area was full of high-end spirit-item shops and pill pavilions, and the people who came and went were all well-known figures from the Capital City. Ordinary folk rarely came here.

There was no other reason: the prices were simply too high.

If you looked unfamiliar and dressed plainly, the shop assistants might even look down on you.

After all, in this world, scholars had a scholarly bearing, warriors had the physique to match, and the wealthy had an air of affluence. Mistaking someone's station was a rare occurrence.

Today, however, a large crowd of ordinary people had gathered around the Weapon-Forging Platform to watch the spectacle.

South of the Weapon-Forging Platform.

The Sword-Viewing Tea Pavilion.

Shen Jin glanced down at the vast sea of people below and couldn't help showing his disdain. "Like locusts sweeping through. They've turned such a bustling district into a marketplace. What a rude sight for a beauty."

As he spoke, he unabashedly sized up the woman beside him.

She was beautiful, with furry, pointed ears that made her look especially charming and lively.

She was pure and innocent, yet possessed an innate allure.

His heart burned as he gazed at her, and he inwardly sighed that the Fox Clan of Green Hill truly was exceptional.

He hadn't wasted his money at the last auction. That little flirt of a snake really had brought this fox over.

Qingqiu Ningning noticed his heated gaze, but she wasn't put off. She only smiled softly. "It's nice when things are lively."

Shen Jin smiled warmly. "As long as you don't mind! Let's go in."

"Cousin!"

Wang Li tugged at Shen Jin's sleeve.

Shen Jin wasn't pleased. Following Wang Li's gaze, he saw a few members of the Qin Family entering a private room nearby. The beautiful, fiery-tempered woman who was as fierce as she was gorgeous had her arm linked through Qin Muye's, looking utterly intimate with him.

His excellent mood vanished by half.

Wang Li looked confused. "Hasn't that bastard always been stingy? Why would he splurge on a place like this? Where'd he get the money?"

The corner of Shen Jin's eye twitched violently. "Where do you think he got it?"

Wang Li: "..."

That was awkward.

He hurriedly changed the subject, cursing as he spoke. "I just don't understand. Chen Sui is like a yapping dog, following that shrew Qin Yanying around all day. He's practically just one title away from becoming a son-in-law of the Qin Family. So why does His Majesty still value him so highly?"

Shen Jin sneered. "Because he dares to investigate even his own brother-in-law."

Wang Li: "..."

Shen Jin said gravely, "We'd better stop provoking Qin Muye for now. Chen Sui has caught a lot of people with questionable backgrounds at the various checkpoints, but he still can't find out who's pulling the strings.

"You all know what Chen Sui is capable of. If even he can't find out, it means the person behind this has eyes and ears everywhere. Don't give him the chance to pin the blame for the Heir to the Marquis of Southern Suppression's death on us. That's not a burden we want to carry."

"Understood!"

Everyone answered in unison.

Only then did Shen Jin nod. He put an arm around Qingqiu Ningning's slender waist and led her into the room.

Qingqiu Ningning looked out the window and exclaimed in delight, "You can see the Weapon-Forging Platform so clearly from here?"

Shen Jin smiled slightly. "Does it make you feel like you wasted all that time before, devoting yourself to cultivation?"

"Mm!"

"I told you. You might not get anything else from me, but you'll definitely experience the ultimate pleasure."

"I believe you!"

Qingqiu Ningning gave him a sweet smile. At some point, she had already undone Shen Jin's belt.

Then—

She sat right down on him, heedless of anyone who might see.

Shen Jin: "..."

Hiss!

The Fox Clan really lived up to its reputation.

She'd gotten into it fast!

He just loved spending time with demon folk who weren't bound by propriety or shame!