Under the full moon, a gentle breeze swirled through the night.
In the silent streets of Wanhua City, the air was thick with the sweet scent of flowers, filling the city named after them. Despite the bloodshed that had stained the streets just hours ago, the night was perfumed with the soft fragrance of blooms.
No foul odor could ever compete with the overpowering scent of countless flowers in Wanhua City. Even the most humble of workers, those hauling dung, carried the scent of flowers on their skin.
In the shadowy alleyways of the city's southern district, two men stood.
They were men, true men—the kind of men you could only call "real men."
Hidden in the shadow beneath the eaves, they watched the grand estate at the end of the alley.
The mansion stood proudly, its red-tiled roof and flying eaves almost regal. The high walls were crowned with a gate painted a vibrant crimson, studded with copper nails. Massive copper knockers, the size of soup bowls, hung from the gate, guarded by two formidable stone lions.
The walls were laced with barbed wire, and the cruel tips of the wire glowed faintly blue under the moonlight, clearly laced with deadly poison.
Two large lanterns swung gently on the wind, their inscriptions reading: Lianzhou.
This was the estate of the Lianzhou family, a powerful house with influence far and wide. Their patriarch loved to flaunt his wealth, owning grand homes in nearly every major city.
Though the Qin family, under the leadership of the carefree Qin Xiyao, had a far grander fortune, they refrained from flaunting their wealth. Thus, despite their extensive influence from the north to the south, they did not carry the same extravagant flair as the Lianzhou family.
From the outside, one could only see the rooftop of a loft, high above the walls, glazed in tiles of beautiful blue and green.
The two men, hidden in the shadows, stared at the Lianzhou estate for some time. Finally, one spoke with a low, gravelly voice: "Are you sure Lianzhou Luo'er will be here tonight?"
The other responded: "Absolutely. The royal spy I came with has been tailing Lianzhou Luo'er. From the signals left behind, it's clear she's staying here tonight."
The first man continued, "I suspect Lianzhou Luo'er arrived in Wanhua City earlier today, and she might even be in league with Xiao Shanhe."
"You're right. Lianzhou and the Baohua Hall have had dealings for some time. And recently, Baohua Hall has been involved with the Demon Sect. It's possible Lianzhou has secretly allied with them as well."
"Xiao Shanhe is a man of vice, but he's strikingly handsome. Sending Lianzhou Luo'er to negotiate with him was bound to be effective."
"Unfortunately, Xiao Shanhe met his end at my hands. Any hopes of Lianzhou using a beauty to sway Baohua Hall have now been dashed."
"With that, their plans to collude with the Demon Sect through Baohua Hall will certainly suffer a setback."
"Exactly," the second man muttered.
"Uh... boss, do we have proof for all this? I feel like we're accusing Lianzhou without much evidence."
"That's why I need you to handle Lianzhou Luo'er. Only you can do it. This is a noble yet difficult task. Your actions will shape the future of both the Qin family's position and the righteous world of Jianghu!"
These men, lurking in the shadows, were none other than Qin Feng, the eldest son of the Qin family, and Qin Ren, the third son.
While Xiao Xiangyue and Liu Piaopiao remained at the inn, the two brothers ventured to the Lianzhou estate, intending to use the cover of night to have Qin Ren "pluck" the flower that was Lianzhou Luo'er.
Before they made their move, the brothers easily framed Lianzhou with accusations of collusion with the Demon Sect, while they turned the mission of "seducing" Luo'er into an honorable task. This was a true display of their shamelessness.
As they emerged from the shadows, they used their lightness skills to fly toward the estate, soon reaching the base of the high wall.
Qin Ren looked up at the imposing wall, lowering his voice to ask, "Big Brother, can you handle this? The barbed wire is poisonous. A small scratch might be fatal. I can jump over easily, but what about you?"
Qin Feng laughed, "Didn't Father give you the 'Nine Heavens Evil-Breaking Pills' before you left? As for me, I'm immune to poison. I could sleep with the barbed wire wrapped around me and still be fine."
Qin Ren slapped his forehead. "Oh, how could I forget that? But are you sure you can make the jump? If you get caught in the wire, won't that make you look bad as the Sword Saint?"
Qin Feng sneered, "My lightness skills might be a little worse than yours, but I can easily jump over this low wall. As for you, boy, you might be the 'Cheap Saint,' but I'm definitely the Sword Saint with more face!"
Qin Ren chuckled. "Alright, then I'll go first!" With that, he soared into the air like a giant bird, soaring over the high wall and landing lightly on the other side.
Once on the ground, Qin Ren crouched down, carefully scanning the surroundings.
The estate had a small pond, rocks, and trees, all set within an elaborate garden. The mansion was lavish, and Qin Ren had landed near a cluster of small trees by the gate.
After waiting for a moment, he still saw no sign of his brother. Just as he was wondering what had happened, the large door suddenly creaked open, and a figure slipped through.
It was Qin Feng.
Smiling quietly, Qin Feng whispered, "The door wasn't locked."
Qin Ren's mouth fell open. "Why didn't you say something earlier? I felt like a thief jumping in here!"
Qin Feng replied, "I only thought to check after you entered. It seems the Lianzhou family has a habit of leaving their doors unlocked at night. With their reputation, they likely think no one would dare enter to cause trouble."
Qin Ren grinned. "Well, aside from the young masters of the Qin family, who else would dare?"
The two brothers began their quiet search of the mansion.
It was dark inside, with no lights coming from the windows of the buildings. It seemed everyone had gone to bed. There were only a few night watchmen wandering the grounds with lanterns, but they were too inept to notice the brothers.
After a short while, they came to a small three-story building.
This building, located by the garden, was not the tallest in the estate, but it was exquisitely designed. It faced the entire garden, standing at a distance from the other buildings, and the surroundings were arranged with meticulous care.
"This must be where Lianzhou Luo'er is staying," Qin Ren muttered, "A man of taste like me would certainly choose a building with such a beautiful view of the garden."
Qin Feng nodded. "Indeed, this building is peaceful, quiet, and elegant. It has to be where she's staying."
The two brothers swiftly moved to the base of the building and hid in the shadow of the eaves. Qin Feng whispered, "I'll watch from here. You take care of the rest."
Qin Ren nodded, using his lightness skills to ascend the second floor, and then continued to the third.
He had noticed the two delicate wind chimes hanging from the balcony on the third floor, wrapped in white lotus paper, confirming that this was Lianzhou Luo'er's room. He circled the second floor first to check for guards.
Approaching the balcony, he moved silently, then paused at the window.
His heart raced as this was his first time using the full extent of his "flower-picking" skills. He had used these methods before, but not in a true, official capacity.
He was almost invisible as he crept to the window, listening closely. Inside, he could hear the soft, rhythmic sounds of breathing, signaling that Lianzhou Luo'er was asleep.
Grinning to himself, Qin Ren pulled out a small bamboo pipe from his pocket, dipped it in saliva, and poked a tiny hole in the window paper. He then blew gently into the pipe, releasing a potent scent known as "One Thousand Miles of Fragrance," a powerful aphrodisiac.
The scent was famous across Jianghu for turning even the coldest hearts into slaves of desire. It could change even the most pure and resolute woman into a helpless, lustful creature.
After a moment, the breathing inside became heavier, followed by faint moaning. Qin Ren chuckled to himself, pushing open the window and leaping inside.
By the soft moonlight, he could see a slender, delicate figure on the bed, moving restlessly, her hands exploring her own body.
Her pink undergarment had slipped halfway down, revealing her firm, white breasts, trembling with each movement. Her soft moans filled the room as she touched herself, the scent