Can't Tell in the Dark!

The early years of the Great Xin Republic.

Shen City.

It was the dead of night, the darkness as thick as ink, terrifyingly pitch-black.

Inside a side room of a small courtyard on Rongsheng Street.

The scent of the camphor wood bed drifted faintly, and the lamplight flickered unsteadily.

It cast two overlapping, parting and merging shadows upon the wall.

After a long while.

Xu Zhenzhen's fragrant shoulders were half-exposed, her upper body covered by a thin quilt, her long, slender legs visible in glimpses.

She leaned against the bed, her face flushed like a peach blossom, her hair disheveled, and her skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat.

Accompanied by soft, fragmented gasps, she was incredibly alluring, enough to make anyone's blood boil at the sight.

She gazed at the peerlessly handsome man beside her, half-infatuated and half-languid.

Jiang Wangzu's sturdy chest was slick with a thin layer of sweat, his eight-pack abs looking all the more captivating under the orange glow of the lamp.

His fingertips wandered nonchalantly over the delicate skin of Xu Zhenzhen's lower back:

"The Black Tiger Fist Manual I asked you to find—is it in hand?"

Xu Zhenzhen swatted away Jiang Wangzu's restless hand, her lips parting slightly, her breath as fragrant as orchids:

"You devil, you were acting like a starving wolf just a moment ago, and now you're suddenly thinking about business!"

"What's the rush? I had it ready for you long ago; the thing you want... is right under the mattress."

Jiang Wangzu reached under the mattress at the head of the bed and pulled out a thread-bound booklet, its pages yellowed with age.

A sense of history rushed forth from it.

At a glance, it was clearly an antique.

With eyes full of hope, he flipped to the first page, the strokes on the yellowed paper delicate and fine.

It depicted pairs of men and women with their clothes half-removed, in lingering, intimate poses that made one's ears burn.

The small annotations in the margins were not about acupuncture points, meridians, or martial arts techniques.

They were filled with names like "Warmth of the Jade Tower" and "Begonia Receiving Dew."

"An erotic manual?"

Jiang Wangzu raised an eyebrow, his fingertips rubbing against the paper, making a rustling sound.

He flipped through a few more pages, his eyes filled with astonishment as he turned to look at Xu Zhenzhen beside him.

"It was pitch black when I stole it last night; how was I supposed to tell if the poses drawn in this book were for fighting or something else..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment, then gave him a coquettish roll of her eyes, her onion-white fingers poking his broad chest.

"Couldn't tell because it was dark?"

"If it was so pitch black, how did you tell the difference between me and Big Brother?"

"Tell me!"

Jiang Wangzu, somewhat incensed, grabbed her jade-like wrist, the veins on his neck jumping sharply under the light.

"Giggle!"

Xu Zhenzhen was amused by him and let out a charming laugh, then burrowed into his arms.

Her warm breath brushed against Jiang Wangzu's neck, carrying a faint scent of powder that made his heart itch.

She leaned into his ear and whispered with a seductive smile: "Oh, you devil, yours... is just better than his."

"Damn it!"

Jiang Wangzu suddenly gripped Xu Zhenzhen's waist, his expression turning fierce as he roared:

"You little bitch, so you really were having an affair with my Big Brother?!"

"Hahaha!"

Xu Zhenzhen laughed until she trembled, reaching out to pat his face with her cool fingertips:

"Are you confused?"

"Think carefully—who am I?"

Jiang Wangzu paused at her words, then let out a low chuckle, the hostility between his brows dissipating entirely, leaving only an atmosphere of thick, inseparable intimacy:

"That's right!"

"I really am a bit confused!"

Jiang Wangzu leaned down, his nose brushing against hers, their breaths intertwining.

The two could even feel the sound of each other's heartbeats.

His voice deepened, carrying a hint of roguishness as he continued:

"But you still need to help me get that treasured Black Tiger Fist Manual from my big brother."

"As the dignified Tiger of the Canal Gang, I can't just rely on a third-rate Iron Crotch Technique to make my way in the world, can I?"

"What's wrong with the Iron Crotch Technique? I happen to like it!"

"That's real, solid kung fu!"

"In all of Shen City, no one can compare to you!" Xu Zhenzhen said with a laugh.

"Long hair, short insight. Aside from these bedroom trifles, what else do you women understand?"

"These times are chaotic. Without powerful martial arts to rely on, a low-level hoodlum like me is just a stray dog on the side of the road, waiting to be slaughtered at will. That's why I must become strong."

"Also, lend me another fifty silver dollars. I've spent too much energy on you lately, and I need to properly nourish myself!" Jiang Wangzu rubbed his cheek against Xu Zhenzhen's, shamelessly asking.

"I suspect you're just short on cash for tonics because of your training, aren't you?" Xu Zhenzhen saw right through Jiang Wangzu's little scheme and scoffed.

She reached under the pillow and pulled out a warm banknote, still carrying her body heat and the scent of powder, and shoved it into Jiang Wangzu's hand: "Here's a hundred. Use it sparingly."

"Fantastic!" Jiang Wangzu's eyes lit up at the words. He clutched the hundred-dollar note and planted a fierce kiss on Xu Zhenzhen's face.

Then, he waved the erotic manual in his hand, a wicked smirk curling his lips:

"It's still early. Why don't we practice the techniques in here together?"

Xu Zhenzhen's face flushed red from his teasing. "Oh, heavens, I'm afraid that guy might come back suddenly!"

"What are you afraid of?" Jiang Wangzu pulled her tightly into his arms, feeling the heat radiating from her body, and said:

"He went to the Red Romance Cabaret tonight to discuss life's ideals with Little Peach Blossom."

"Right about now, who knows where they're getting all hot and heavy."

"Hmph!"

"You men are all dogs; not a single one of you is any good."

Xu Zhenzhen let out a soft huff, her fingertips tracing Jiang Wangzu's back as she whispered, "Make it quick..."

"You got it!"

The pages of the erotic manual were flipped by the cool night breeze, weaving together with the rustling sounds from the bed.

In the encroaching darkness, it brewed into an entanglement both seductive and intense.

Early the next morning.

With a hundred-dollar note tucked into his pocket, Jiang Wangzu walked out of Xu Zhenzhen's residence, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

With a mere thought, a golden-red translucent frame, visible only to him, appeared in his field of vision:

[Slap the crotch one hundred thousand times, Iron Crotch Technique mastered!]

A warm current emerged from thin air, sweeping through his entire body.

Jiang Wangzu felt as solid as a rock, indestructible, and his kidneys felt increasingly vibrant.

His strength had also increased slightly.

He focused his mind, opening the cheat he possessed as a transmigrator.

A simple Attribute Panel appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Jiang Wangzu]

[Profession: Martial Artist]

[Technique: Iron Crotch Technique (Mastered)]

[Fast-track Method: Slap the crotch one million times, Iron Crotch Technique perfected, gain the talent: Golden Dual Kidneys!]

[Talent: Succubus]

"This third-rate hard-body technique has finally been mastered!"

"But even with the Iron Crotch Technique at this level, aside from being well-endowed, having great stamina, and being immune to low blows and other 'family-ending' tactics, it doesn't seem to do much for increasing my actual combat power!"

"I still need to get my hands on more powerful kung fu!"

"However, perfecting the Iron Crotch Technique can actually awaken the Golden Dual Kidneys talent. That's something worth pursuing."

"Though, I'll still need someone to assist me in my cultivation."

Jiang Wangzu looked at the Attribute Panel before him, thinking to himself.