Chapter 159

Late at night, all was quiet; in the small courtyard, the room, a lone lamp, the figure of Qing Mei in white blossoms was busy drawing water for a bath.

While drawing water, she struck odd poses before a bronze mirror, muttering, 'Damn Young Master Xu, looking down on me—I'm prettier than the Eldest Miss's body, hum!'

And that little clerk, looking all prim and proper, just because his status is low—whenever she has free time, the young mistress will lock him in the dark room and bully him mercilessly!

Holy shit!

Outside the door, Heng Xian rubbed his nose—this wasn't the first time someone wanted to lock him in the dark room; even Senior Sister Tong Quezi had tried to shut him up and make him her little husband.

Could it be… that I have the makings of a little husband?

He continued peering through the crack in the window.

Objectively speaking, though Qing Mei's heavy makeup could be a bit garish, after washing it off she's still fairly pretty—especially… well‑endowed.

"Sniff—"

Heng Xian lifted his head, wondering, 'Why am I looking at this? Isn't it a bit too lewd?'

He kept looking through the crack and suddenly saw a red belly band at the window's edge, giving off a faint scent of sweat.

After a moment's thought, Heng Xian grabbed it, deliberately tapped the window, and smirked, 'Little maid, not a bad figure.'

Having said that, he turned and sauntered away.

Behind him came a shrill 'Ah!' scream, followed by the sound of clothing being put on.

The maids in the surrounding rooms were all startled awake, clattering about as they rushed out, crying, 'What's wrong? What's wrong?'

Qing Mei burst out the door shouting, 'A lecher is peeping at my bath!'

'Huh? Where?'

'Catch him and beat him to death!'

The maids chattered all at once.

Qing Mei searched around, then pointed at the pitch‑black corner where Heng Xian was walking: "He's there!"

Heng Xian turned his head, snorted, and said, "Come chase me!"

Immediately, he took off running.

"Lewd thief! Stop, don't run!"

A group of maids took off running after him.

Heng Xian headed for dark corners, quickly reaching the inner residence's guest quarters; he paused slightly, waited for the maids to catch up, then flicked his body and slipped into a room like a ghost.

On the bed inside the room, a person sat up dazedly—it was Young Master Xu.

Heng Xian flashed past an afterimage, lightly placing the bellyband on his shoulder, then turned and leapt out the window.

He left not a trace the whole way.

Given Young Master Xu's cultivation level, he had no time to react; he only felt a waft of milky fragrance on his shoulder, and in surprise picked it up, saying, "Huh? What is this?"

He brought it close and sniffed.

Just then, the door was kicked open, and Qing Mei with a group of maids stormed in, exactly seeing Young Master Xu sniffing the bellyband.

……

Heng Xian had already returned to his room, taken off his night clothes and veil, changed into a loose sleeping robe, then pulled out two drumsticks, threw one to "Gou Dan", jumped out the window, stood at the edge of the bamboo grove, eating a drumstick while watching the commotion.

Gou Dan also ran out, standing side by side with him, eating a drumstick while looking in the direction he was looking.

The guest quarters were now in an uproar:

"You may know a person's face but not their heart; a human face with a beast's heart!"

"As a guest, you actually have no sense of shame!"

"And you claim to be a student of Shangdang Academy, with lofty ambitions, looking down on maids—yet you end up peeping at maids bathing? Pah!"

"I say, everyone, could there be some misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstand your grandma, quit pretending!"

"You held it in your hand and smelled it, yet you're still being so hypocritical!"

"Bold, you lowly maids..."

"Pah! Are maids not people? Did maids just take your liberties? We and the escort bureau are merely hired help, we haven't sold ourselves!"

Heng Xian had finished the drumstick in his hand and laughed heartily.

Gou Dan also chimed in: "Chirp‑chirp..."

Heng Xian stretched lazily: "To subdue people without fighting is the supreme strategy; from now on, dealing with shady folks will be your job!"

Gou Dan: "Chirp‑chirp..."

……

The incident of Young Master Xu peeping at maid Qing Mei while she bathed caused a great uproar.

In the end, Young Master Xu apologized, and Miss Murong Zhiwei guaranteed it, moving to the outer three‑courtyard residence, settling the matter.

Even so, Young Master Xu ended up embarrassed and disgraced, hiding in his room and rarely going out.

Starting the next day, for over ten days straight, the escort bureau received no more missions, so the clerks naturally didn't need to go out; Heng Xian took on the role of a competent junior clerk, working three hours each day, tallying various odds and ends, and handling all assigned matters in an orderly fashion.

This made Wu Liang, Zhou Fang and the other escort guards, as well as several senior stewards, nod repeatedly and praise that the junior clerk was not bad.

The servants in the east‑wing residence came to respect Heng Xian even more.

Aside from work, Heng Xian usually went out wearing a decayed pedantic scholar's long robe and a melon‑rind hat, strolling about.

Seeing this attire, cultivators would frown, but no one paid it special attention, making it very useful for gathering information.

The disciples of the various sects in the city who were investigating demon traces not only did not leave, but also set up a demon‑subduing formation outside Yangzhou City, and their numbers kept growing.

This means that demon hasn't left yet!

From the offhand remarks of those great sect's true‑disciples, Heng Xian learned that the disaster he had caused was greater than he imagined!

Nowadays, the seal on the wasteland abyss that holds back the demon race has been loosened by demonic qi; ten days ago, top experts from the various sects went to renew the seal, but while they sealed here, it loosened there…

The experts of the major sects can't do anything to the demon tribe, and the demon tribe can't come up for a while either!

Both sides are now at odds!

However, the smooth escape of the ancient demon Heizei, returning to the Abyss of the Wasteland, indicates that the sealed ancient demon clan has learned of the general situation of the outside cultivation world.

This seems like not a good thing!

Thus, the major clans directed all their anger at Heng Xian, this demon tribe spy, and at the major demons causing trouble in the capital of Sang Guo.

On the day Heizei escaped, the major sects dispatched at least ten thousand elite cultivators to hunt down all demons who participated that day.

And as for Heng Xian, his extremely detailed information was dug up and placed before all the sects:

Seventeen years old, the eldest son of the Heng family of Donglan City in the Chu state, a vassal of the Great Zhou Empire; his father is the family steward Heng De, his mother is the true disciple Murong Hanshui of the Da Luo Holy Sect; he is currently at the life-and-death pass of forming the Yuan Dan,

A discarded disciple of the Tianyuan Sect, currently at the sixth level of the Qi Sea Realm, with a quick temperament, excellent spiritual roots, outstanding talent, skilled in combat, able to challenge beyond his rank, and ranked 87th on the Tianyuan Sect's Earth Ranking!

With the detailed information, the fourteen major sects immediately ordered: mobilize all disciples from the Earth Rankings of each sect and part of the Heaven Rankings disciples and elders to pursue and kill on sight!

The rewards are generous!

……

Night fell, the rain drizzled, and the air was a bit cold.

Heng Xian tightened his clothes, held up his umbrella and returned from outside, his heart heavy.

More and more true disciples from various sects appeared inside and outside the city, even seeing Huo Yuanqing, third on the Tianyuan Sect's Earth Ranking, and Ma Buying.

Staying in the city like this is not good.

But that stalk of Yi Fire True Grass still needs two days to mature; the opportunity to rise two levels cannot be given up!

"Has Master Murong returned?"

The passing attendants greeted with a smile.

"Yes, I'm back!" Heng Xian nodded, reached his room's door, paused a moment, then pushed the door open.

In the room was a person, Gou Dan squatting in the corner, looking curiously out the window.

(End of chapter)