Beauty

The Huang Mansion was filled with chatter.

The veteran guards all wore expressions of shock.

"I saw those two from afar; they seemed to be martial artists in the Tendon-Refining Realm. To think they were beaten to death just like that, so easily?"

"Good heavens, this is incredible. Since when did our Changfeng County produce such a ruthless expert?"

"I heard they were assassins from the Wind and Rain Pavilion, known for their extremely vicious methods."

"Hey, Lu Li, you're close with Uncle Zhao. Did you see the Blood Ghost yesterday?" Li Qing hurried over to ask as soon as he saw Lu Li arrive.

Having heard about yesterday's events, he felt an even greater yearning for the path of the martial artist.

To kill a Tendon-Refining Realm expert with a casual blow—what kind of immense power must that require!

He had already begun to project himself onto the Blood Ghost, fantasizing that he was the protagonist who had done the killing yesterday.

Lu Li shook his head. "No. I was at home at the time, though Uncle Zhao was scared out of his wits yesterday."

Li Qing nodded in disappointment. He now revered the Blood Ghost as an idol, romanticizing his image to the point where he longed to kowtow before him.

Hearing that Lu Li hadn't met the man, a profound sense of regret welled up in his heart.

He looked at Lu Li's face, which was as calm as an ancient well, and seeing his complete lack of interest in the Blood Ghost, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

This was the talk of the entire Changfeng County.

Li Qing asked, "Lu Li, aren't you even a little curious about the Blood Ghost?"

Lu Li shook his head. "I am not him, so why should I be curious?"

"Heh, if it weren't for the Blood Ghost, you would have died yesterday too. To show no gratitude at all—you really are heartless and ungrateful. Bah!"

Li Qing snapped at Lu Li and turned to leave, finding no common ground for further conversation.

Lu Li stood stunned, baffled by the sudden outburst.

Watching Li Qing's retreating back, he suddenly realized how much the other man worshipped the Blood Ghost, and he couldn't help but find it amusing.

I wonder what they would think if they knew that I am the Blood Ghost?

"Old Huang, we're in big trouble this time!"

In Huang He's study, Wang Ju looked distressed.

Some were happy, while others were worried.

They were the ones who had received Gao Huaiyi and his companion when they arrived.

But now that something had happened to them right after being hosted by them, the Incense Fragrance Sect would certainly send people to investigate.

The Incense Fragrance Sect was always overbearing when it came to the lives of their members.

In the past, they had slaughtered an entire household just because they had mere suspicions.

The incident had caused a massive uproar.

"Old Huang, what should we do? Things have blown up so much; it won't be easy to explain."

Huang He was busy writing with a brush, trying to numb his anxiety.

At these words, his calm heart was instantly disrupted.

He furrowed his brows and said in a low voice, "This matter was the work of the Wind and Rain Pavilion; it has nothing to do with us."

"If they want us to cooperate, we will simply comply."

Wang Ju's expression remained grim. "Sigh, I'm just afraid the Incense Fragrance Sect will demand an exorbitant price and force us to help them spread their teachings."

"By then, not only will we fail to escape the County Magistrate's control, but we will also be held hostage by the Incense Fragrance Sect."

"Sigh, we had a partnership going, but now it's all ruined!"

At this, his face filled with rage. "Hmph, that magistrate only cares about lining his pockets; he doesn't care at all even when something this big happens."

Huang He sighed. "Who told them to be stronger than us?"

"Take the Wind and Rain Pavilion, for instance. They have countless experts under their command and are a hegemon of the martial world."

"When they get angry, even the Imperial Court has to be three parts wary."

"What are we, in comparison?"

"They operate in the shadows. If not for this incident, I wouldn't even have known that the Wind and Rain Pavilion had set up shop in our Changfeng County."

"Be careful in your dealings from now on; make sure we don't get targeted by the Wind and Rain Pavilion."

"However, I heard the commoners saying that the Blood Ghost is a man of justice who couldn't stand the way Gao Huaiyi and his companion were acting, which is why he dealt such a lethal blow."

Huang He began to calculate quickly. "From now on, pay the subordinates a bit more and offer them more support. Don't go around docking their pay so casually anymore."

Hearing Huang He's heartfelt advice, Wang Ju's face looked rather unsightly.

Docking the pay of the lowly commoners under them was, after all, a daily routine for people like them.

If it were just a matter of paying more, that would be nothing.

But Wang Ju had his own peculiar predilections; even if he had only offended some peasants, he had to tread carefully during these turbulent times.

Wang Ju's expression darkened instantly, his phoenix brows knitting together as his hair fell loose, revealing eyes as deep and shimmering as autumn waters.

To restrain his desires was something he admitted he could not yet do.

He took a deep breath and sighed, lamenting that in these chaotic times, one truly had no control over their own fate.

After consulting with Huang He for a while longer, they ultimately concluded that they could only play it by ear.

Disturbed and restless, he felt a familiar, scorching heat rising in his lower abdomen.

At this moment, it happened to be time for Lu Li to depart from the Huang Mansion.

It was laughable, really; after the incident at the Wind and Rain Pavilion yesterday, the veteran guards no longer gave the newcomers like Lu Li any trouble, choosing instead to mind their own business.

Now, everyone in Changfeng County was in a state of panic, afraid to easily offend anyone.

After all, assassins from the Wind and Rain Pavilion had entered the city, and heaven only knew where they were hiding.

"The government is incompetent, leaving the people in misery and the order in chaos."

"Yet, the moment a martial arts assassin organization appears, the city's security improves significantly."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how ironic."

As Lu Li passed by the Huang Mansion, he watched a group of people hauling rice and carrying pots, marching out in a grand procession.

"Hurry up, hurry up! If you keep dawdling, it'll be dark before we know it."

"Master Huang said we are to set up shelters and serve porridge to help as many people as possible survive this winter!"

Seeing this, he couldn't help but shake his head.

He sighed, reflecting that in these chaotic times, force held more deterrent power than the law.

After this ordeal, the wealthy were all putting on a show of benevolence.

Arriving at the main gate of the Huang Mansion, Lu Li was just about to turn and leave when he suddenly felt a sensation.

Someone was staring at him!

He couldn't help but look back, catching sight of Master Wang just as he was about to board his sedan chair. Their eyes met.

A flush of crimson instantly appeared on Wang Ju's face, his eyes gleaming as he stared straight at him.

As the head of the Wang Family, one of the two great clans, Lu Li certainly recognized him.

Looking at that unnaturally feminine face and the loose, flowing hair—a man with the appearance of a woman—Lu Li felt a sudden chill. His hair stood on end, and he quickly averted his gaze and turned to leave.

Along the way, Lu Li was filled with apprehension.

He remembered that Zhang Hu had introduced him to Wang Ju, so Wang Ju must have recognized him.

He admitted that with his sword-like brows, upright features, and well-defined jawline—now that he had filled out—he could indeed be called dashing and handsome.

Could Wang Ju actually have taken a fancy to me?

Recalling Wang Ju's burning gaze, Lu Li felt his heart grow colder.

"Beautiful!"

"Beautiful!"

"Too beautiful!"

Wang Ju muttered to himself, staring at Lu Li's retreating back, lost in a trance.

He had many male concubines in his mansion, but none as refined and dignified as Lu Li.

"Wait, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

Wang Ju tapped his head with his folding fan, then suddenly remembered, his eyes sparking with electricity.

"That's right, his name is Lu Li. Zhang Hu showed me his portrait."

"He used to be as thin as a monkey, but now that he's put on some weight, he's much better looking—a beauty of the highest order!"

Wang Ju's heart fluttered like a trapped bird, his eyes brimming with autumn-water longing.

Thinking of sharing a bed with him made his delicate body tremble with excitement.

But remembering that these were troubled times, and that the man was a guard for the Huang Mansion, he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he wilted instantly.

He sighed and sat inside the sedan chair.

As the chair moved slowly, he looked at the tea, snacks, and dried fruits laid out before him, but they all felt flavorless.

He gazed out the window, watching the scenery fly by, unable to eat or drink, his mind filled only with Lu Li's beauty.

His inner fire burned ever hotter, becoming difficult to contain.

"No, Zhang Hu said Lu Li is just a peasant, his parents are dead, and he has no background."

"I must have him!" he roared in his heart, his desire for Lu Li no longer suppressible.

Little did he know, behind the sedan chair, Lu Li was watching him with a cold gaze.