The subordinate beside him hesitated. “Young master, The emperor has granted Zu An the title of baron, and he is also a member of the Eastern Palace. Won’t there be a huge uproar if you assassinate him in public?”

“Who said I was going to kill him?” replied the noble young master indifferently. “Don’t worry, I’ve already completed all the necessary arrangements. I will teach him an unforgettable lesson. It’s his fault for daring to go against my father. My father might not be willing to lower himself to such a level, but I’ve always been one to take proper revenge.”

“Your wisdom is boundless, young master,” the subordinate next to him immediately fawned.

The young noble was unmoved. “Have you all completed the necessary preparations? Check everything again. I won’t tolerate any carelessness.”

“Understood!” His subordinates quickly withdrew to carry out his orders.

…

Meanwhile, in the government brothel, Zu An was completely dressed and waiting.

When he saw a gorgeous young lady in a long dress enter the room, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. “Honglei, every time I see you, I am dazzled by your beauty.”

“That mouth of yours has fooled too many girls already,” replied Qiu Honglei, rolling her eyes. She showed no sign that she was pleased by his flattery. “Ah Zu, I have to go back to the Holy Sect.”

“I know.” Zu An replied, his expression downcast. “Your master already told me.”

Damn it, why have I been subjected to so many goodbyes recently? First it was Manman, then Zheng Dan, and then Snow. Now, even Qiu Honglei is leaving! 

The capital city was supposed to be where things happened, yet he felt strangely lonely.

“Meetings are difficult, and goodbyes are just as unbearable.” Qiu Honglei sighed. She had spent two years as a courtesan queen in the Immortal Abode, and had met countless scholars and poets. It was inevitable that some of their mannerisms would rub off on her. “We have to separate right after the confirmation of our relationship…”

Zu An pulled her into his arms and said in a serious voice, “If you fail at cultivating that stupid technique, then just throw it away. I don’t need you to be an incredible expert. If you’re weak, it will only give me more chances to protect you.”

Leng Shuangyue was completely speechless when she heard these words. This guy really is a master pervert! He drew our lady saint right into his arms! Also, dear Lady Saint, can you at least try to look the part? Didn’t you have countless tricks to deal with such men before? You would have them dancing in the palm of your hand, yet they would never get anything in return. How did you end up falling for someone yourself?

She sighed. If all those men knew that the lady saint of their dreams was bashfully lying in the arms of another man, they might grow angry enough to spew blood.

…

Leng Shuangyue’s mind was a cluttered mess. However, since the sect master hadn’t said anything about it, she wasn’t going to jump in and be the bad guy right now. A hug wasn’t a big deal, as long as they didn’t go any further.

Qiu Honglei snorted. “Hmph, my master would kill you if she heard you talking about the Heavenly Devil Temptation like this.”

Despite this, she knew that she couldn’t let their relationship continue like this forever. How was she supposed to contend with all of Zu An’s other girls if she gave up on cultivating the Heavenly Devil Temptation now?

She was definitely pretty, but so were Chu First Miss and the others. If she ended up butting heads with another who was stronger than her, she would be completely helpless!

Furthermore, she was the Lady Saint of the Holy Sect. She had her own ambitions.

She wanted to pursue the dao and become powerful, just like her master. No, it would be great if she could surpass her.

Hmph! Her master had loved to spank her when she was a child. She wanted to give her a taste of that one day! This sudden, blasphemous thought elicited a burst of guilt, but she was still eager to give it a try. She was from the Devil Sect after all. Their core tenet was their rebellion against orthodoxy.

“I’m being serious! Your cultivation technique is really dangerous. Even your master…” Zu An hesitated. In the end, he did not tell her about Yun Jianyue’s relapse. He did not want her to feel any additional pressure. It might lead her to experience unnecessary fear on her journey of cultivation.

Besides, she was different from Yun Jianyue. As long as she reached the consummate level, even if she experienced a relapse, Zu An could help her deal with it. He really didn’t mind.

A sudden spark of motivation appeared in Qiu Honglei’s eyes. “Ah Zu, don’t worry. My master said that I have the best aptitude out of all of the Holy Sect’s inheritors. I will cultivate the technique to its peak, and look for you then. But you’d better not forget about me.”

Towards the end, a trace of bitterness entered her voice.

“How could I forget about you? I will think about you every day, dream about you…” Zu An whispered all manner of endearing words into her ear. Then, he raised her fair and beautiful chin up to kiss her.

Qiu Honglei moaned, and her knees went weak in his embrace. She received him gently and tenderly.

Leng Shuangyue’s eyes widened. She looked at Qiu Honglei in disbelief.

Dear sister, those are things the things only playboys say! Haven’t you heard your fair share of them back at the Immortal Abode? Didn’t you mock those silly, naive girls for being fooled by them? When did you suddenly become one of them?

Also, could the two of you not kiss so passionately? There’s someone else right here!

Mister Zu, where the hell is your hand going?

My Lady, what happened to your usual aloofness? Have you forgotten that the lady saint of the sect must remain chaste?

She was extremely conflicted. She hesitated over whether she should stop them or not. However, the two of them hadn’t yet crossed that final line, so she was afraid that she might only incur their wrath if she interrupted them. However, given the passion with which they were both exhibiting, she really was worried that something might happen.

Fortunately, Qiu Honglei snapped out of it and pushed Zu An away. She smoothed out her messy clothes and said gloomily, “You’re only good to me because you wanted my body after all…”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving two watery streaks. She looked extremely heartbroken.

Zu An immediately panicked. “Of course not! If I only longed for your body, I wouldn’t have stopped myself each time, and I would never let you go back with your master! Even though your master is a grandmaster, she’s wounded, and we’re in the capital. I can still make you stay if I wanted to. It’s only because I care about your prospects that I agreed to your master’s terms…”

Qiu Honglei’s bright smile returned when she saw how he was losing his mind while trying to explain himself. “Ah Zu, you really are the best to me…”

Leng Shuangyue sighed when she saw that the two of them were hugging again, but at least they weren’t touching each other as passionately as before. There was nothing more than warmth in that embrace. At least the lady saint still knows how to behave herself… I was afraid that she might have turned into an idiot. Her green-tea methods are still just as outstanding as before.

Hmph, we Holy Sect women need to develop such strength.

She finally let herself relax. She knew that she had worried about the lady saint for nothing.

After all, there had been many outstanding candidates in the sect back then, yet she was the one who rose to the top to become the one and only Lady Saint. How could she turn into an idiot just because of some stinky man?

…

Zu An and Qiu Honglei finally bid each other farewell. As he left the government brothel, Zu An felt rather listless.

They’ve all left, all of them have left me…

Even though this separation wasn’t forever, Zu An still felt a sense of loneliness. Everything before him looked dismal and depressing.

He walked on in this manner, when suddenly, cries of alarm rang out nearby.

When Zu An turned around, he saw a powerful steed charging at him with the momentum of an armored tank.

Even the horses in the world of cultivation can be this powerful?

Stunned, Zu An dodged aside. Given his current cultivation, there was no way a horse could ram into him.

The horse careened left and right. Everyone on the street was overwhelmed with fear, throwing the place into chaos.

A carriage slowly appeared. The driver at the front was a sloppy-looking elder. The scene that confronted him scared him out of his wits, and he froze.

The carriage he was driving was beginning to show considerable wear. It looked like it belonged to an ordinary family. If the horse crashed into it with its current momentum, the carriage would surely be blown to pieces, and the people inside would be killed.

Zu An frowned. As someone who had transmigrated from another world, he had seen many well-known instances of cars losing control and hitting innocent pedestrians on the news. As a mere keyboard warrior, he could only type with righteous indignation. Now that he had the ability to do something about it, there was no way he would let such a tragedy play out before his eyes.

With a shout, he charged over. He was fast enough to overtake the horse and grab its reins.

His feet carved two long grooves in the ground, but he managed to bring the startled horse to a complete halt.

Even so, the horse continued to stomp its legs restlessly.

A sweet and pleasant voice emerged from within the carriage. “Uncle Fu, did something happen?” The voice evoked the images of water from a clear spring, or the gentle chirping of birds.

Zu An was stunned. Hadn’t he heard this voice somewhere before? He couldn’t remember exactly where, though.

“Madam, a startled horse was charging at us, but someone stopped it for us,” The old driver replied.

The gentle voice spoke again. “Since nothing happened, let’s keep going.”