Situ Qianhui grew excited when she saw Feng Jiuxiao. “Brother Jiu, I didn’t expect to see you at Camel Mountain. Are you alone?”

“No,” Feng Jiuxiao looked in the direction of Ling’er and Xiao Jiu. His heart jolted when he could not pick them out from amidst the crowd, and he made haste in the direction he had seen them walking.

Situ Qianhui followed Feng Jiuxiao as he squeezed his way through the crowd. “Brother Jiu, where are you going?”

Feng Jiuxiao could not be bothered with Situ Qianhui. He anxiously scanned the crowds, searching for Ling’er and Xiao Jiu. He spied a pagoda in the middle of a lotus pond nearby. It was five metres away from the shore and stood at a respectable height of four metres. He would probably have a better chance of finding Ling’er and Xiao Jiu if he had a higher vantage point.

For someone of his martial prowess, the distance was no challenge.

He was about to jump when an arm shot forward and grabbed him, stopping him. “Brother Jiu, why are you in such a hurry?”

Feng Jiuxiao glanced at Situ Qianhui with eyes resembling two frigid chips, “I have something to do.”

He pulled away from Situ Qianhui’s grasp and jumped onto the pagoda in the middle of the lotus pond.

All Situ Qianhui felt was a rush of air before she saw Feng Jiuxiao’s slender form perched on the tiled roof of the pagoda. Dressed in white with his collar and cuffs embroidered with gold thread and sewn in the likeness of phoenix feathers, Feng Jiuxiao cut an impressive figure. The gentle flutter of his robes in the breeze lent him the appearance of an otherworldly immortal.

The country of Feng Yi had beautiful mountains and clear waters, producing handsome men and beautiful women.

The Feng family had a total of nine sons. Feng Jiuxiao was the ninth son and was the number one beauty in Feng Yi; even Situ Qianhui paled in comparison.

Situ Qianhui was stunned. The only man she wanted to marry was Feng Jiuxiao. Her beautiful face became distorted when she thought about how he said that the woman he loved was Ling’er.

Brother Jiu could only be hers and hers alone. No one else could take him away from her.

Feng Jiuxiao stood on the pagoda’s roof. The world dimmed, and Camel Mountain paled to grey before his unfathomable beauty.

At the same time, it also attracted the attention of the tourists looking at the immortal-like man standing on top of the pagoda.

Half of the tourists were foreigners, and the other half were locals of Feng Yi. They hailed from all over to offer incense to the Buddha residing in the temple of Camel Mountain.

Feng Jiuxiao had never shown his face in public. Whether during parliamentary debates or national conventions, he had always kept his appearance under wraps. It was also one of the reasons why Feng Yi was such a mysterious country.

So, when many people saw the handsome man on top of the tower, they were amazed but did not associate him with the President of Feng Yi.

Ling’er was wearing the same style of clothes as him today. It was white, and the collar and cuffs were embroidered with white-gold dragon scales.

Feng Jiuxiao’s gaze swept through the crowd and saw a flicker of white. He did not bother to confirm whether it was Ling’er before disappearing in that direction.

…

Qin Shu asked around, learning the places of interest in Feng Yi.

“Go to Camel Mountain. Today is a good day to make a wish. It’s lively with so many people going together. I’m sure you’ll have fun!”

That was what the locals told her, so she joined the crowd on their pilgrimage to Camel Mountain. There were people as far as the eye could see. It was a sight to behold, a taste of what Feng Yi was like during its peak tourist season.

If she had known it would be so crowded, she would not have followed the local’s suggestion.

Situ Qianhui knew Feng Jiuxiao was looking for that woman, that despicable worm that had captured his heart. It infuriated her. “What’s so good about that woman?”

She turned around and was about to leave when she bumped into a man standing behind her. Upon seeing the man, any thought of reprimanding him for his carelessness died on the tip of her tongue.

“Will my wish really come true if I offer incense at this temple? Is that why there are so many people going to Camel Mountain?” Qin Shu wondered aloud as she took in the sights around her. A beautiful woman stared at her. Qin Shu did not know who she was, nor did she recall meeting a woman like her before.

Qin Shu was wearing a voice changer. Her voice was that of a young man in his early twenties as she spoke.

Situ Qianhui stepped into her space, sizing up the man seriously. The man possessed eyebrows that looked a lot like Feng Jiuxiao’s.

Qin Shu had encountered similar situations in women’s and men’s clothes. Many people would gawk at her openly, seemingly transfixed.

Therefore, she did not mind the beautiful woman’s stares and continued on her way.

Situ Qianhui stared at the man’s back. Why did he look like Feng Jiuxiao in his youth?

At this moment, a man in casual clothes walked over. It was Situ Qianhui’s attendant, Qian Mo. He whispered, “Young Miss, it’s done.”

“Already?” Situ Qianhui’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. “Let’s go and take a look.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

Qian Mo left with Situ Qianhui.

Qin Shu had not walked far when a man whispered into the beautiful woman’s ear, causing surprise to flash on her face. Qin Shu did not believe her appearance was the cause for the woman’s surprise; it must have been something the man said. There was a dangerous glint in the woman’s eye when her surprise subsided.

There was something wrong with this woman.

Qin Shu decided to follow her.

–

In a room at the back of the temple…

Qian Mo led the Young Miss to a cubicle, separated by a one-way mirror.

Situ Qianhui stood in front of the mirror and stared at the two figures lying prone on the wooden floor. It was Ling’er and Xiao Jiu, neither of whom looked like they would get up any time soon.

Qian Mo asked in a low voice, “Young Miss, what should we do next?”

“Send the woman to the Gate of a Hundred Entertainments. As for the child, he’s quite beautiful. Send him there as well,” Situ Qianhui said.

Qian Mo was a little hesitant. “The Gate of a Hundred Entertainments… isn’t that…?”

It was a high-end and luxury nightclub.

“I want her broken. I want her ruined! Hah! Will she have the face to see Brother Jiu once she’s defiled and spent? Will Brother Jiu still love her, or would he think her a dirty woman used by a thousand others?”

Qian Mo bowed in acquiescence. “I understand. I will send them to the Gate of a Hundred Entertainments now.”

“Do it quickly and quietly. I don’t want any loose ends. Don’t let anyone catch wind of this. Make sure you photograph her ‘pleasing’ the guests; I’m sure it would make good material for a cup of tea with Brother Jiu,” Situ Qianhui’s eyes flashed viciously as she spoke.

“I understand, Young Miss.” Qian Mo immediately relayed the Young Miss’s instructions, ordering his subordinates to handle the matter.

Situ Qianhui glanced at Ling’er, who was on the ground, and smiled darkly, “Who told you to steal Brother Jiu from me? I’ve been pinning for him all these years, and you had the nerve to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. You brought this upon yourself. I pray you never appear before Brother Jiu again for your own good, or death would be the least of your concerns. I can already imagine how he’ll view you in contempt…”Situ Qianhui muttered.

She turned around and stepped out of the cubicle, feeling lighter than she had felt in many, many years.

–

Qin Shu followed the beautiful woman covertly, arriving at the backroom of the temple. Why would the woman go there when offerings were made in the main hall?

She did not dare to get too close because she realised that the woman and the man were not inferior to her in terms of martial might. If she got too close, she would be easily discovered.

Only after the woman left did she enter the backroom.

It was a room meant for people to rest. It was far from the bustling crowd and much quieter too.

She entered through the open door, immediately assaulted by the smell of burning sandalwood inside. It was a calming scent, relieving the weary and refreshing the senses.

The floor was made of wood and appeared relatively clean. Qin Shu surveyed the room but found nothing amiss. It looked like any other room meant for one to rest.