Patrolling Evil-Quelling Island, Meeting Li Hengfeng Again, the Courtesan's Heart-Do You Want It?

Regret Lake is bordered by "Gold Ingot Ward" to the west and "Primordial Ward" to the east. The lake is vast, and although it was a place to suppress evil bandits, the surrounding shore is still a beautiful landscape. After another incense stick's time, the boat docked. Officers were waiting on the shore to take the rope and tie it to a wooden stake. They had arrived at "Evil-Quelling Island." Li Xian sheathed his sword, stretched his body, and made a "snap" sound. Looking out from the deck, he saw that the island was shrouded in mist and extremely quiet. There were a few sparse, withered trees, their branches and leaves yellowed and twisted, quite unsettling.

Stepping onto the shore, his toes barely touching the ground when he felt the soft, sinking surface—a peculiar swamp. Li Xian remained calm. Seeing the swamp stretched far ahead, he lightly stepped through the air, then flew back to the bow of the boat. Zhang Qiusheng reminded him, "Brother Li, this is your first time on the island; you may not know the rules. From here, there's a mile-long swamp. With your abilities, you can certainly use your lightness skill to leap across, but it's best to follow us as we lay down the planks to avoid getting your shoes and socks dirty." Li Xian smiled, "Thank you for the reminder!" He looked around, carefully sensing the surroundings, thinking, "Besides the swamp, every time Leap Ascension, my body suddenly feels heavier, as if my lightness skill is being suppressed. No wonder Lei Chong arranged it this way. This swamp, though dangerous, can't stop a martial artist's lightness skill. But it's deadly for criminals. Criminals wearing iron shackles will be extremely heavy; once they sink into the swamp, even with excellent lightness skill, it will be very difficult to use it."

turn out to be...

This Evil-Quelling Island has a unique topography. It was once a mine, containing rare jade. Years of mining loosened the ground, and a geological earthquake caused it to collapse, forming a deep pit that later filled with water to become a lake. However, the precious jade ore remains deep within, possessing a peculiar influence and a strange, the Unseen power. Birds are scarce on this island, and due to the influence of the jade, birds flying over it feel increasingly heavy and struggle more and more. Eventually, they become exhausted and sink into the lake. Only the specially bred "Sharp-Beaked Dove," with their strong and powerful wings, are able to fly across the Regret Lake.

Gold-Seeking Guard then used these birds and beasts to deliver messages.

The soldiers brought planks and laid them out to make a road. Li Xian and the others crossed the swamp and saw several watchtowers. The area was overgrown with vegetation and scorched with red, making it a gloomy and oppressive place. However, there was a clearly discernible road for carriages and horses.

Following the path, winding and turning, one enters the depths of the island, where the evil thieves are imprisoned.

Before their eyes was a square "Prison Tower," about seven zhang tall, with sharp edges and corners, and entirely black. The person in charge of all matters concerning the Evil-Quelling Island was a tall, thin man named "Liu Quan," with a strange appearance and carrying a long sword on his back.

The sword was more than half a person's height, about five or six feet long. Li Xian thought to himself, "This person's Swordsmanship must be extremely strange. A sword three feet long is most suitable for carrying and wielding. Any longer and it would be cumbersome and conspicuous. This sword is so strangely long that it must have some other powerful feature."

Liu Quan walked with a steady gait, possessing exceptional martial arts skills and profound attainments. Despite being a man of Mud Face Mud Body, he was remarkably courteous to Gold-Seeking Guard, greeting him with a smile and explaining his daily affairs and temporary lodgings...

The Gold-Seeking Guard is responsible for the safety of Jade City. Evil-Quelling Island suppresses evil thieves and villains. If these villains escape, it will inevitably affect the safety of Jade City. Therefore, the Gold-Seeking Guard has the right to supervise and protect the island. Gold-Seeking Guard are often dispatched to patrol the island and monitor the situation.

The duties of the Gold-Seeking Guard were relatively easy, and they had a certain degree of jurisdiction. Their main tasks included four things: stationing guards, patrolling and supervising, patrolling islands, and patrolling lakes. Each time they were stationed on an island, the four Gold-Seeking Guard would work together, each responsible for one task, and they would take turns.

You can earn six military merits every day. After half a month, you can leave the island and receive five coins' worth of fine meat and a salary of ten taels. It is a job that is both hard and lucrative. However, disciples of the Aristocratic Clan families have never liked to come here. It is far from prosperity and is lonely and harsh.

Lei Chong usually assigned those from impoverished families and ordinary backgrounds to this place. Wang Jue, Zhang Qiusheng, and Hong Dexin had been here several times and were quite familiar with the rules. Liu Quan, the deputy warden of Evil-Quelling Island, was unaware that Li Xian was new to the island and assumed he already knew the layout, so he didn't go into details and simply gave a brief overview as usual. Li Xian was very clever; with just a few words, he had a general understanding of the essentials. After asking the guards a few more questions, he quickly grasped the whole picture.

On that day, after reporting for duty, Li Xian and the others began to perform their duties. Li Xian was responsible for patrolling the island, Zhang Qiusheng was responsible for stationing guards, Hong Dexin was responsible for patrolling and supervising, and Wang Jue was responsible for patrolling the lake.

Each led several dozen soldiers to follow. Li Xian composed himself. "Coming to Evil-Quelling Island is not for a vacation. Zhang Qiusheng and the others are plotting to harm me. Perfect, I can use this opportunity to familiarize myself with the island's situation so I can react more quickly if anything goes wrong in the future."

It was nearly dusk. Li Xian, following the Terrain Map, patrolled southeast. If he saw anything unusual, he would send his soldiers to investigate. The soldiers under him were respectful to Li Xian, obeyed his every word, and dared not offend him, but they did not flatter or fawn over him.

All because of Hong Dexin to seize power on the way to the island, the soldiers sensed that there might be a conflict between the four and dared not approach them to curry favor, for fear of displeasing the others. Evil-Quelling Island had sparse vegetation, with withered and twisted trees, and withered and yellow grass.

Li Xian scanned each place he passed with a focused gaze. If he found a place where people could hide, he would diligently investigate. However, due to the dense fog, his visibility was obstructed, and his patrol of the island was much slower.

After touring the southeastern region, it was nearly dusk. They rested for a while before turning northeast. Upon arriving here, they saw a mooring place. When Li Xian and his companions arrived by boat, their boat had stopped here.

Several boats were moored in the harbor. They were of different types and served different purposes. There were more than ten patrol boats for Evil-Quelling Island, three supply boats, four ferry boats, and one boat for escorting thieves... These boats were used to maintain the operation of Evil-Quelling Island.

Although Evil-Quelling Island is under the jurisdiction of Gold-Seeking Guard, only General Xu Central Lang General has the ability to command the ships there. Lang General Lei Chong cannot command them either. There is another ship that can accommodate more than a hundred people. It is very impressive, with a flag flying high above, embroidered with tiger and python patterns. This ship belongs to Gold-Seeking Guard, Gold-Seeking Guard uses this ship to enter and leave the island.

If Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue were to use any tricks, they would surely do so on this ship. Li Xian thought to himself, "If I patrol this ship, the soldiers at the rear will inform the three of my plans, making them more vigilant. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Since their tricks are out in the open, I'll make them focus on doing everything perfectly."

He plucked a strand of hair, planted it quietly nearby, and then led the patrol away. To the northeast was a strange rocky area, extremely difficult to find a place to stand. A soldier familiar with the area told Li Xian that a fugitive had once escaped from his Prison Tower and fled to this place, only to have his chains get stuck in the rocks.

Every few steps, there would be a choke point. Even with light-footed skills, the terrain here was unique, and the chains on his feet were heavy. He would not be able to jump far before falling to the ground. Sometimes, the fall was so severe that broken bones and sprained tendons were commonplace.

It was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), and the sky was completely dark. Li Xian ordered his soldiers to light torches. However, the light was limited, and with the fog thick and the surroundings pitch black, they could not see far.

Li Xian, with his Pure Yang Body, remained calm throughout. He patrolled to the northwest, having already covered most of the area. There were many watchtowers here, but it was like a wind gap, with cold winds always blowing in, making his hair fly. Further southwest, there was a twisted forest with many vines on the ground, covered with sharp thorns and barbs.

After patrolling the island, Li Xian had a general overview of its terrain. Swamps, strange rocks, strong winds, and vines formed layers of obstacles. He couldn't help but think, "This Evil-Quelling Island lives up to its name. With its terrain and restrictions, even Second Realm martial artist would find it difficult to escape. Even if they managed to reach the island's edge, the lake would still block their way. If I hadn't come here, I would never have known that criminals were imprisoned in such a place."

The first day of duty went smoothly, though with some minor obstacles. The island was shrouded in thick fog, but no ghostly occurrences or other strange events were observed. It seems the rumors are probably untrue.

To the northwest of the Prison Tower, there is a small Marquis Wu Station. Li Xian, Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue lived there. At the end of each day's duty, they needed to write a duty report and send it back to Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station Westwind Street via "Sharp-Beaked Dove".

Li Xian wrote down the facts. Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, Wang Jue, and others exchanged glances and wrote down their stories according to plan.

And so it went for four days.

The daily duties on Evil-Quelling Island are quite busy, and the environment is harsh. Although Li Xian, Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue live in the same place, they don't interact much. Every morning, they wash up and get up, and then go about their busy work, such as patrolling the island, the lake, or the sentry posts. In the evening, they return to Marquis Wu Station, remove their armor and swords, and wash with cold water.

The island was utterly boring, devoid of any joyous celebrations. After finishing my duty roster and exchanging a few brief words, I went to bed early, intending to repeat the same tasks the next day. I felt utterly numb and listless. This kind of environment would only further diminish my motivation for martial arts training.

Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue neglected their martial arts training, far less diligent and hardworking than they were at Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station. Furthermore, due to their restless minds, they strayed onto evil paths, and the fruits of their hard work were long gone. Li Xian, on the other hand, had a pure heart and a strong will. Every evening, after finishing his many tasks, he would practice martial arts and swordsmanship in the open space of the shop, never wasting a single day.

He was extremely vigilant. Although he had seen through his opponent's plot, he was never careless or arrogant, nor did he feel that victory was assured. Therefore, he was very good at concealing his strengths and only practiced the "Heavenly Pivot Saber Method", "Suffering Body Scripture", and "Stone-Pushing Palm Method". He did not reveal any other martial arts. If a fight broke out in the future, he would have a better chance of winning. He steadily improved his skills in the three martial arts, and his proficiency became as deep as a bottomless pit.

[Heavenly Pivot Saber Method]

[Proficiency: 1121/3000 (Major Accomplishment)]

[Suffering Body Scripture]

[Proficiency: 1213/3000 (Major Accomplishment)]

[Stone-Pushing Palm Method]

[Proficiency: 1113/3000 (Major Accomplishment)]

Li Xian's swordplay was smooth and natural, adaptable to any situation. His body remained still while his blade moved in countless ways; each strike was like a spreading cloud, a raging storm, a silent rain, or a swift rabbit. He practiced martial arts daily, his swordsmanship exquisite. This prowess was secretly observed by three men, who, though saying nothing, couldn't help but feel envious. "If this boy weren't so perfectly suited to these three martial arts, he wouldn't have become Gold-Seeking Guard). He's incredibly lucky. It's a pity... no matter how high your talent, you won't be able to leave the island. Even if you master these three martial arts to their Peak Mastery, you'll have no room to use them anymore. Stop practicing, stop practicing!"

After practicing until one is completely exhausted, one should return to the room to move the Bone Turbidity and temper one's mind.

[The Five Organs Purge-Turbidity Revive-Yang Scripture; Bone-Strengthening Section]

[Proficiency: 312/1600 Proficiency]

[The Sole-Self Heart Technique]

[Proficiency: 1899/30000 (Major Accomplishment)]

Daily gains, progress in martial arts, accumulation of military merits, and growth in seniority.

On the ninth day, Li Xian had already patrolled the lake and the islands three times each, conducted one patrol as a sentry, and one patrol as a supervisor. He knew that the three men had deliberately arranged this to facilitate tampering with the boat.

Li Xian knew perfectly well what was going on, and that day he made his usual rounds.

The Prison Tower has seventeen floors in total, seven underground and ten above ground. We need to go to the seventeenth floor first and inspect it from the top floor downwards.

The corridors inside the building were narrow, with oil lamps every few steps. The oil used in these lamps was made from the grease of wild animals; the flames were dim, and the smoke emitted had a foul, fishy smell. Walking through them was extremely oppressive. Each cell was both cramped and very heavy.

Li Xian went straight to the top floor and inspected each floor from top to bottom. Wherever he passed, the guards nodded in agreement. There were many cells in the Prison Tower. Li Xian only needed to sit at the entrance of the tower, and the guards below would knock on each cell, ask the prisoners' names, and confirm their identities.

This job was easier than patrolling the islands or lakes. Moreover, to curry favor with Li Xian, the guards would prepare wine, melon seeds, and other necessities for Li Xian to eat and drink to pass the time. If Li Xian wrote on his duty roster that a guard was lazy and neglecting his duties, the guard would be punished, and in serious cases, he would lose his job. Therefore, the guards dared not offend him.

Seeing that he had been flattered, Li Xian knew that refusing to accept it would only frighten the prison guards. So he drank wine and ate melon seeds, waiting until the lower-level guards had observed him thoroughly before moving on to the next level.

However, there are always some unruly thugs who refuse to cooperate when questioned about their names and crimes, and are extremely arrogant. Ordinary prison guards can beat and scold them, but it is still difficult to reduce their ferocity.

Then Li Xian will have to take action.

Upon reaching the fourteenth floor, one encounters a ruthless villain known as "Rolling Knife; Xu Ya." This villain is a notorious and extremely vicious criminal. Legend has it that he was originally a mountain bandit who, by chance, managed to reach the First Martial Realm by freeloading and became a bandit leader. He then led his entire band to join a gang, gradually making a name for himself before reaching the Second Martial Realm. He is incredibly tough and fearless, unafraid of death or life. The evil deeds he commits, such as rape and kidnapping, are beyond description. However, he keeps his gang title hidden. He has brought this Sha Qi into Jade City.

He killed thirteen Jade Citizen and injured fourteen constables. Even after being arrested, his ruthless nature remained unchanged. He treated all kinds of torture as child's play.

This thief, however, had mastered a martial art called "Laughing Body Saber," a rather peculiar art. Combined with corresponding techniques and daily medicinal baths, it reduced his pain and made him incredibly powerful. Although his martial arts skills were subdued, his body was immune to torture. The prison guards were helpless against him. Li Xian arrived at the prison gate, stared at Xu Ya for a moment, then flicked his fingers, releasing a burst of golden light.

He flicked the sword several feet away, sending it crashing into the wall with a dull thud. Li Xian, wearing Silver Face, flicked his fingers repeatedly, golden light flashing frequently. After fourteen flicks, the rolling knife-wielding Xu Ya fell silent.

The other prison guards, witnessing this scene, were filled with both fear and respect. They were extremely envious, and after Li Xian left, they kept trying to practice flicking their fingers, thinking how elegant and graceful this martial art was, producing a burst of golden light with a flick of the finger. How wonderful it would be if they could learn it.

After firing for half a day, my fingertips were red, swollen, and bleeding, but no golden light appeared. It turned out that... that "Laughing Body Saber" of the tough guy, although powerful, could no longer be arrogant once the limit of endurance was exceeded.

Li Xian fired more than ten shots, all hitting the same painful acupoint. With each shot, the pain intensified. The villain Xu Ya was initially arrogant, laughing wildly and feeling smug, spouting nonsense. But later, unable to bear it any longer, he cried out in pain.

He rolled on the ground howling in pain, desperately trying to hide and dodge the golden light projectiles. But his movements were too slow, and no matter how he tried to block, the golden light always hit his vital points. Eventually, the pain became so intense that he fainted.

The so-called "rolling knife meat" (a type of meat that is not cut into pieces) is no longer rolled into pieces.

In this way, they explored layer by layer. The Prison Tower was dimly lit, and they lost track of time until they reached the first basement level. Suddenly, Li Xian heard a whooshing sound of wind breaking through the air, and knew that someone was carrying out an execution.

He followed the sound and heard someone shout, "You son of a bitch, it doesn't hurt, I'll give you a good beating!" "You bastard, you son of a bitch, you son of a turtle!"

Li Xian recognized the voice immediately. Entering the torture chamber, he saw that it was indeed "The Strange Thief; Li Hengfeng." His collarbones were pierced, his feet were fitted with iron and copper boots, and he was tied to a cross-shaped wooden stake.

The inner walls of those iron-copper boots were entirely made of copper nails, making them extremely heavy; hence, they were called "Copper-Nail Boots." Whenever Jade City captured a thief, he would put these "nailed boots" on him. The thieves were skilled in light-footed martial arts, but once they put on these boots, walking became extremely painful, and even with their light-footed skills, they could hardly perform them.

In the past, Xu Shaoqian laid a large net to capture Li Hengfeng, but ultimately fell short.

Li Xian suddenly appeared and captured the thief. Using this as an opportunity, he successfully entered the Gold-Seeking Guard. Li Xian immediately realized. "This thief is quite strong, his lightness skill is extremely impressive, he has already reached the Second Martial Realm, so naturally he should be imprisoned here."

The jailer, recognizing Li Xian's "Tiger-Python Uniform," immediately put away his whip, bowed, and called out, "My lord!"

Li Hengfeng was able to catch his breath, his features contorted, his expression ferocious. Li Xian asked, "What punishment?"

The jailer said, "This man has a criminal record and refuses to tell the truth. Therefore, I have been ordered to give him a lash every three days and a stepping stone every five days until he tells the truth."

Li Xian raised an eyebrow, thinking, "He's involved in a case, yet he won't reveal the truth? I had a conversation with Li Hengfeng before. He was arrested for stealing Tao Xiangrong; the case is crystal clear, and logically, it shouldn't require punishment. It seems there's more to this than meets the eye. Li Hengfeng and I are just casual acquaintances, nodding in acquaintance, but I need to look into this matter." Feigning ignorance, he asked, "Oh? What case is he involved in?"

The jailer said, "Sir, this man stole the Bai Clan's ' Precious-Bright Hairpin.' Although he was caught, he still hasn't revealed the location of the hairpin. Therefore, we are using torture to force him to reveal the treasure's whereabouts."

Li Xian said meaningfully, "Oh? Just the Precious-Bright Hairpin? Didn't he steal anything else?" The jailer replied, "Just the Precious-Bright Hairpin. This wicked thief didn't even have a chance to commit his crimes before he was caught."

Li Xian had already determined that the jailer was deliberately deceiving him. He channeled his Intent Infusion, sending the jailer flying through the air and crashing into the wall. The jailer, writhing in pain, scrambled to his feet and knelt in fear, stammering, "No... no... I don't know why you're punishing me, sir. I... I've offended you... but... I beg you... sir, please give me a clear explanation..."

Li Xian said, "Who deceived Gold-Seeking Guard with the intention of harming Jade City? Is that a sufficient charge?"

The jailer's face turned deathly pale in an instant. "My... my lord... please see the truth, I... I... how could I dare to harm Jade City? My lord... spare my life!" He was completely incoherent as he knelt down and kowtowed.

Li Xian said, "I'm giving you a chance to confess. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences."

The jailer was terrified, trembling all over. Li Xian raised his voice slightly and said, "Raise your head and tell the truth!"

The jailer looked up in fear and saw Li Xian wearing a silver mask that concealed his face. His calm tone only fueled the guard's suspicions. An invisible intimidation pressed down on his soul. The dim firelight illuminated half of his body, making him appear both dark and bright.

The jailer then revealed everything, big and small. He detailed how he accepted bribes each day, what bribes he received, and all the evil deeds he had committed. He confessed everything, even fabricated falsehoods, hoping to gain leniency in return.

Li Hengfeng laughed heartily, finally releasing two months of pent-up resentment; it was incredibly satisfying. Li Xian also understood the situation.

It turns out... quite a coincidence. Li Hengfeng was a renowned thief in the outer city, highly skilled and with a strong personality. He only stole valuable items and never harmed anyone. Several years ago, he offended the "Heaven-Stealing Alliance."

I didn't think much of it.

Unexpectedly, upon entering Jade City, their attempt to steal failed, and they were arrested and imprisoned. Several other thieves from the "Heaven-Stealing Alliance" were also imprisoned in the same place, having been arrested for theft in Jade City.

Li Hengfeng then faced retaliation. The thief from the Heaven-Stealing Alliance had been imprisoned for a long time and had become familiar with the prison guards. So, he used benefits as bait, promising to give the guards a hundred or a thousand taels of silver in the future, so that the guards could find any excuse to teach Li Hengfeng a lesson.

Thus, the jailer fabricated a charge and dragged Li Hengfeng out for punishment. Li Hengfeng was skilled in thievery and also had considerable agility, but being beaten and punished was his weakness.

Despite being subjected to such torment, he gritted his teeth and endured it. Fortunately, he possessed martial arts skills; the First Martial Realm arts Bone Recasting, and the Second Martial Realm brought about a metamorphosis of his bones. His body was ultimately more resilient to the ordeal, and although it was unbearable and filled with despair, his life was not in danger.

After figuring out what had happened, Li Xian thought to himself, "This man is despicable. It would be easy for me to punish him severely. But it would be better to do some good for Li Hengfeng." He then said, "Your actions, at best, are driven by greed. At worst, I might say you are causing chaos in Jade City. It all depends on my decision." He then pretended to be deep in thought.

Upon hearing this, the jailer's eyes darted around. "These thieves are guilty anyway. What difference does it make whether they get a few more lashes or a few less? My matter, in the end, is about accepting a bribe, which can be a big deal or a small one." He took out all his gold, silver, and valuables, and offered them with a fawning smile, saying, "Sir, I understand, I understand. Please accept these as a token of my respect..."

Li Xian flicked his sleeve and sneered, "Do I lack these things? Why would I need you to give them to me?"

The jailer was taken aback, his guess proven wrong, and he became fearful again. Li Xian said, "Let's stick to the facts. I'll give you a chance to settle this privately. I'll come back here in a month to interrogate the thief. If he forgives you, we'll let bygones be bygones. If he doesn't forgive, this matter will be dealt with severely." Hearing that there was still a chance, the jailer quickly kowtowed. Li Xian said impatiently, "Alright, get out!"

The jailers left one after another, pushing the torture chamber out to wait. Li Xian Intent Infusion and burned the ropes binding Li Hengfeng's hands. Then he struck out with his palm, pushing a chair over to catch Li Hengfeng.

Li Hengfeng gradually calmed down, raising his feet so that his spiked boots wouldn't touch the ground. He clasped his hands in a rather strange posture, but given the circumstances, he couldn't concern himself with such things. He said, "I never imagined that the Gold-Seeking Guard would have such a figure! I admire you! I admire you!"

Li Xian encountered Li Hengfeng twice, both times wearing a mask. The front and back masks had different patterns and materials, so Li Hengfeng naturally didn't recognize him. Li Xian smiled and said, "Brother Li, have you perhaps forgotten me?"

Li Hengfeng was taken aback and said, "Brother, could it be..." Li Xian said, "Hahaha, I must thank you for your kindness in the past!" Li Hengfeng said, "Ah, so it's Brother Li, then no wonder! Hey, what kindness? It was my lack of skill that led to your capture. It's only right that you take credit for it."

"Brother Li is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and he stood up for me. I have only just realized his good intentions. I am deeply grateful! It is a great regret that we did not have the chance to drink together before. I wonder if meeting you today can make up for that regret?"

Li Xian laughed and said, "Of course!" He ordered someone to bring fine wine and wine bowls, as well as all the side dishes and condiments.

Although the jailers were surprised, they all did as instructed. Soon, a plate of "sliced cured meat", a dish of crispy melon seeds, a salted duck egg, and a dish of long grass roots were gathered on the table.

Although simple, the food and drink were truly delightful. Li Xian said, "Brother Li, how have you been lately? I won't ask anymore. But how long will you be locked up? Do you know?"

Li Hengfeng said, "Bah, that Xu Sun..." He glanced at Li Xian Li Xian, and out of respect for Li Xian, he refrained from cursing Xu Shaoqian, and said, "That Xu Central Lang General, in order to win Tao Xiangrong, although he didn't kill me, he interfered and sentenced me to thirteen years."

Li Xian sighed, "It's really unfair to sentence you so severely for just a box of rouge. However, I'm not very familiar with Xu Central Lang General, so pleading for leniency would be useless. If I can make some progress in the future, I'll try to help you then."

Li Hengfeng sneered, "Xu Shaoqian is a mediocre talent, but he's easily swayed by beauty. Someone like him, wanting to Tao Xiangrong Xiangrong's heart? Heh heh, I doubt it. He's destined to waste his time."

Li Xian smiled but remained silent. The cell was sealed, and no one outside could hear him. Li Hengfeng said, "Don't underestimate Brother Li just because you're in a low position for now. You've changed so much in just three days. Brother Li today is far better than Brother Li yesterday, and Brother Li of the future will surely be even better than Brother Li of today. In my opinion, it's more likely that Tao Xiangrong is attracted to a man like Brother Li."

Li Xian said, "Why would I want to please her for no reason?" Li Hengfeng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Brother Li, you have a very generous spirit, and you've helped me again this time. I'll tell you a way that might win Tao Xiangrong's heart. What do you want?"

He admired Li Xian, but resented Xu Shaoqian. After much thought, this was the only way he could get revenge on Xu Shaoqian.