As the first light of dawn began to break, Qin Ren quietly slipped out from the attic, signaling to Qin Feng, who had spent the night enduring the cold wind on the eaves outside. Together, the two brothers stealthily made their way out of the Lian Zhou estate.
With the rising sun casting a warm golden glow behind them, the brothers strolled along the wide streets of Wan Hua City, the morning breeze caressing their hair and robes. The sweet fragrance of blooming flowers filled the air as they walked side by side, their presence as striking as the rising sun.
The golden sunlight reflected off their handsome faces, casting a soft, radiant glow. As Qin Feng squinted at the blazing red sun, he adopted the usual cold, stoic demeanor of the Sword Saint of the Starry River. Despite the long, sleepless night, he showed no signs of fatigue. His narrowed eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp, icy glint, like the blade of a sword.
Qin Ren, with his hand behind his back and his folding fan lightly waving in his hand, walked with a refreshing, carefree stride. Though he had spent the entire night fighting and entangling with two women, he felt perfectly at ease, almost ethereal as he walked. His mind was still sharp, and his body light, as if he were floating rather than walking.
Passersby marveled at the sight of the two brothers, their handsome features attracting looks of admiration and envy from all directions. Men gritted their teeth with jealousy, while women clasped their hands to their chests, swooning at the sight.
The brothers enjoyed the mixture of emotions they stirred—respect, admiration, infatuation, jealousy, and even curses—each look adding to their sense of pride. Even the Sword Saint, normally unshaken, couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.
After a while, Qin Feng broke the silence, his voice cutting through the calm of the morning. "Third Brother, is this the way back to the inn?"
Qin Ren smiled cryptically. "No."
Qin Feng furrowed his brow. "Then why are we still walking this way?"
Qin Ren gave a knowing smile. "Big Brother, don't you think walking in the direction of the rising sun and morning breeze makes us look even more majestic? The way the crowds gaze at us—it's a pleasure to be the object of such admiration, don't you think?"
"So, you brought me the wrong way just for that?"
"No," Qin Ren responded, his expression turning serious, "I actually got lost."
...
Just as Qin Feng was about to give Qin Ren a piece of his mind, a sudden, pressing danger caused Qin Ren to instinctively ask a passerby for directions back to the inn.
With haste, the two brothers turned around and retraced their steps.
After a while, Qin Feng could no longer suppress his curiosity. He asked coldly, "Third Brother, why did you stay so long last night? And why, if you were already... undressed, was Lian Zhou Luo'er fully clothed and chasing you with a sword? Did your potion fail?"
Qin Ren shook his head, his thoughts drifting back to the enchanting forms of the two girls from last night. "I, Qin San Shao, would never fail with such a potion. The problem was, the first person I... 'gathered' wasn't Lian Zhou Luo'er, but someone else. I only realized my mistake after the deed was done. By the time I tried to slip away, Lian Zhou Luo'er entered and caught me—of course, she was furious and chased me with her sword."
Qin Feng chuckled. "Third Brother, you're quite lucky! Two beauties in one night? Tell me, who was the first girl?"
Qin Ren shrugged. "I don't know who she was, but according to Lian Zhou Luo'er, she was her cousin."
"Cousin?" Qin Feng's face changed slightly. "What does she look like?"
Qin Ren thought for a moment. "She has a small, heart-shaped cinnabar birthmark just below her navel, very beautiful."
Qin Feng was becoming impatient. "I meant, what does her face look like?"
Qin Ren grinned. "She has a peach blossom tattoo on her right breast and a petal on her left hip."
"That's not what I meant! I'm asking about her face!"
"Well, describing her face is harder." Qin Ren paused, thinking. "She was beautiful, but I wouldn't say more so than Lian Zhou Luo'er. Her aura was youthful, almost childlike. There was a certain feeling of conquest when I was with her. Oh, and she has a tiny red mole near her left eye that's very alluring."
Qin Feng's expression darkened, his gaze sharpening with a dangerous glint.
Qin Ren blinked, taken aback by his brother's reaction. "What's wrong, Big Brother?"
Qin Feng's voice was low, barely a growl. "You have guts, Third Brother."
Qin Ren's heart skipped a beat. Looking at his brother's menacing expression, he stammered, "Wait... could she be... yours?"
Qin Feng drew in a deep breath, his expression shifting. Slowly, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a small pouch.
"Before I left the mountain, Father gave me a Thunderbolt Charm, one of one hundred and eight. I've never used it. Take it." He handed it to Qin Ren, then retrieved another item, a small pill.
"This is the 'Life-Reviving Pill' Father gave me. I've never used it. Keep it safe. Also, here's two hundred thousand taels in silver notes, valid across the country. Be careful how you use it; it might be hard to come by again."
Qin Ren took the items, his mind whirling with confusion. "Big Brother, what's going on?"
Qin Feng shook his head, looking troubled. "Third Brother, get ready. You're going to need to run. I'll take care of your two wives back at the mountain."
Qin Ren was stunned. "Run? Why? With our family's power, who could force me to flee?"
"Third Brother," Qin Feng said grimly, "do you know who Lian Zhou Luo'er's cousin is?"
Qin Ren was puzzled. "No, who?"
Qin Feng pulled Qin Ren into an alley, his voice lowering. "Lian Zhou Luo'er has only one cousin—the daughter of the head of the Lian Zhou family, Lian Zhou Fenghua's younger sister."
He paused, eyeing Qin Ren's confused expression. "She's Qin Ni'er, one of the Royal Seven Secret Agents. It's her who gave me information about the Lian Zhou family. But what you don't know is that Qin Ni'er is actually the Emperor's illegitimate daughter."
Qin Ren's eyes widened in shock. "She's a princess?"
"Yes," Qin Feng sighed. "But her true identity is a secret, even within the Lian Zhou family. The Emperor raised her to be the leader of the Seven Secret Agents, a position of immense power, to act as a spy and control things in the shadows. She found out that Lian Zhou Fenghua was involved with the demonic sect and feared it would bring ruin to the family, so she infiltrated the Lian Zhou family to investigate. And you, Third Brother, have unknowingly made her your target."
Qin Ren's mind raced. "Big Brother, you really know how to play your cards close!"
Qin Feng's expression faltered. "What do you mean?"
Qin Ren smirked. "Come on, Big Brother, you wanted me to get close to Lian Zhou Luo'er to get to Qin Ni'er, didn't you? If I'm right, you probably planned for me to use Lian Zhou Luo'er as a way in, and now you're expecting me to seduce Qin Ni'er, right? With her status as the Emperor's daughter, this would be a huge benefit for you!"
Qin Feng stared at him in stunned silence before letting out a soft laugh. "You've got it all figured out, Third Brother. But now, the plan has changed. If Qin Ni'er finds out what happened, she won't be pleased."
Qin Ren sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright, I get it now. It's all for the family, right? But seriously, I'm not running away. Let's see what happens. A little princess won't be able to stop me!"
With a determined look, he hurried off in the direction of the city gates.
Meanwhile, Qin Feng quickly made his way back to the inn where the two women were waiting. As he approached the door, a voice, smooth and enticing, echoed through the air.
"Big Brother, in such a hurry... have you been up to something you shouldn't have?"