After Jiang Xun was sold to Pei Liang by his entire family, he had no choice but to submit to her for the sake of his long-term prospects.
And so, he obediently began his career of trading his body for information.
His departure did not go smoothly. After all, his affair with several women had just been exposed at the council meeting. Although some of the young heroines from prestigious families were being restrained by their elders and temporarily forbidden from having anything to do with him, there were still plenty of independent-minded women—or those with special identities—at the scene.
Thus, the moment Jiang Xun left the Jiang residence, he was surrounded.
Several female warriors blocked his path and demanded an explanation.
What explanation could Jiang Xun possibly give? He had merely made the same mistake that every man in the world was bound to make.
Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to having his affairs exposed. He calmly admitted:
“My love for you was genuine, and everything I said to you was genuine as well. It’s just that all of it came with an expiration date.”
The women were enraged. One hot-tempered heroine even wanted to kill the heartless bastard on the spot.
But who was Jiang Xun? He had years of experience dealing with such conflicts.
Besides, even then, most of the women still wanted to persuade him to settle down. How could they bear to watch the handsome and amorous man die beneath a blade?
There were already so many dull, uncultured men wandering the martial world. How rare was it for a figure as romantic and dashing as my beloved Jiang to appear?
More importantly, he was willing to give them a chance to get close to him. Naturally, they had to treasure him.
So before anything could even begin, the women blocking his way and interrogating him had already turned on one another.
That was only natural. They were rivals in love to begin with—who could possibly stand the sight of the others?
Jiang Xun took advantage of the ensuing chaos and slipped away. After changing both his style of dress and his usual weapon, he made his way to the small town Pei Liang had specified.
He had to be grateful for the backward state of information transmission in this era. Although Jiang Xun was famous throughout the martial world, the only people who could recognize him at a glance were the wandering heroes who spent all year traveling outside their homes.
Most disciples of the various sects were not familiar enough with him to recognize his face, let alone their female relatives.
In a secluded little town like this, hardly anyone knew Jiang Xun. With only a little disguise, he could easily pass himself off as someone else.
So Jiang Xun disguised himself as a scholar traveling the world.
The town was one of several located near the Wangqiu Sect. Though the Wangqiu Sect was suspicious in almost every respect, as a second-rate sect, there were naturally many matters it could not handle openly.
Thus, although its people were well informed about the heroes of the various martial sects, this particular town was something of a blind spot.
The disciples stationed around the town certainly would not be core members who knew the sect’s secrets. Ordinary disciples, meanwhile, had probably only heard descriptions of the Jade-faced Gentleman in rumors.
Why had this town attracted Pei Liang’s attention in particular?
Because it was where the family of the Wangqiu Sect’s Second Elder lived.
After arriving, Jiang Xun did not rush into action. Instead, he sat down in a teahouse with an excellent view, located along the main road that almost everyone passed through when going to the market or buying groceries.
His martial training had given him excellent eyesight, and from there he could see his target’s residence in the distance at a glance.
It stood in what was practically the busiest part of the town.
Going by Jiang Xun’s usual methods, he would have found an opportunity to “accidentally” encounter the woman and then seduced her step by step.
This time, however, Pei Liang had strictly forbidden him from doing so.
According to Pei Liang’s deductions, he might expose himself before he even succeeded.
Exposing himself would not matter much. But if he caused her plans to be exposed prematurely, she certainly would not let Jiang Xun off.
Jiang Xun was unconvinced. In every other respect, he might not be able to compare with his extraordinarily capable fiancée—but when it came to seducing women?
Hah! How dare a complete amateur instruct an expert?
Yet half a day later, Jiang Xun abandoned the idea of acting according to his own wishes.
He might have been arrogant in this particular area, but there was one thing he had not been wrong about: he understood women well.
Of course, Pei Liang was the exception.
Jiang Xun simply could not comprehend that woman’s unfathomable mind. After suffering setback after setback at her hands, he no longer dared challenge her authority.
If he ruined everything and was punished for it, the consequences might be more than he could bear.
Thus, though unwillingly, he opened the ingenious plan Pei Liang had prepared for him.
The moment he read it, Jiang Xun was stunned.
Then a thought rose unbidden in his mind:
If Pei Liang were a man, the title of Jade-faced Gentleman would probably never have belonged to him.
Was there anything she could not do?
No, that wasn’t the point. How could a woman who had barely ever left home know so much about the ways men seduced women?
The Second Elder’s surname was Hu, so his wife would simply be referred to as Madam Hu.
Madam Hu was thirty-six that year. In Jiang Xun’s eyes, with proper care, that was precisely the age when a woman possessed a mature, alluring charm.
To the people of this era, however, she was already considered advanced in age.
Madam Hu was Elder Hu’s second wife. She had married him more than twenty years ago but had never borne him any children. The children Elder Hu had had with his first wife were all grown by now.
His eldest son was even older than Madam Hu herself. Naturally, it would have been inconvenient for him to continue living with them, so he had long since moved out and started a household of his own.
Elder Hu’s daughter had also married and moved away. She lived far from the town and could not return more than a few times a year.
Elder Hu was busy with sect affairs and, with troubles arising one after another lately, he had never been home often to begin with. Over the past two years, he had been returning only once every several months.
As a result, there were usually very few people at the Hu residence. Apart from a few servants, an old matron, and some guards, the only people close to Madam Hu were a young maid and her wet nurse, who was as dear to her as a mother.
Jiang Xun understood women. With one distant glance from the teahouse, he could tell that although Madam Hu was lonely, she was not the sort who would be easily won over.
It was much like Abbess Yuqing. At a glance, he had known that although she appeared solemn and austere, her heart was not truly free of worldly desires.
Madam Hu, by contrast, was the sort who possessed a strong wariness.
Of course, given enough time, Jiang Xun could still bring her around. But doing so without alerting anyone—especially without letting the Wangqiu Sect discover anything—would be difficult.
So he had no choice but to adjust his plans according to the information and advice Pei Liang had provided.
His first move was to buy the courtyard next to the Hu residence and cut down several old trees in the yard that blocked the view.
Whenever Madam Hu opened the window of her bedroom, she would now have a clear view of that courtyard.
The previous residents had planted several lush trees there for the sake of privacy. Whenever Madam Hu opened her window, all she had seen outside was dense greenery, which had been rather pleasant to look at.
Jiang Xun’s commotion naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the Hu household.
At the time, Madam Hu was in her room doing her makeup. Hearing the sound of an axe chopping outside, she asked her wet nurse, “Who is making such a disturbance?”
The wet nurse opened the window.
At that very moment, one of the trees was chopped through. The enormous tree came crashing down, startling the three women inside.
Its huge crown seemed to be falling straight toward them, and the young maid could not help letting out a cry of alarm.
Fortunately, there was no real danger. The tree eventually landed safely in its owner’s courtyard.
Then Jiang Xun’s figure appeared through a gap in the severed branches.
He held an axe in one hand. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on his face, which was as beautiful as jade. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed lightly, his tall and broad-shouldered figure exuding effortless grace.
Perhaps he had heard the maid’s cry, for he lifted his eyes toward them.
That single glance left the three women in the room bashful and dazed, utterly at a loss.
Afraid that the two younger women might embarrass themselves, the wet nurse hurriedly shut the window.
The hearts of the two younger women pounded wildly.
The little maid asked, “Nanny, who is that man? He’s so handsome.”
The wet nurse scolded her, “Silence! How can a young woman be so shameless as to comment on an unrelated man?”
The maid fell silent after being rebuked, but her heart continued to pound wildly.
Madam Hu had been curious as well, but the wet nurse’s reprimand jolted her back to her senses. She suddenly realized that her thoughts were improper.
She had always been reserved and proper. How could she have become so curious about an unrelated man? The very thought filled her with shame and indignation.
Yet no matter what reason told her, that fleeting glimpse from earlier refused to fade. The shock and dazzling beauty of the encounter had left all three women unable to forget it.
Had they been born in a later age, they would have known that this state of mind had a scientific name: the suspension bridge effect.
Jiang Xun knew nothing about any so-called suspension bridge effect, but he had seduced more than enough women and possessed abundant experience. He understood perfectly well what sort of opening move was needed to break through the guarded, conservative heart of a virtuous woman.
He was in no hurry. Being too eager would only make a woman like this wary.
Still, his hearing was exceptionally sharp. When he circulated his internal energy, he could catch every slightly louder sound coming from Madam Hu’s room.
He now knew that the information he had received was accurate. The greatest obstacle was most likely that wet nurse.
Unless he could get past her, even if Madam Hu had feelings for him, she would be powerless to act on them.
Jiang Xun remained completely unhurried, but the most lively of the three young women could no longer contain her curiosity.
Though the wet nurse had scolded her, she was still consumed by a clawing curiosity about a man as handsome as any she had ever seen.
Thus, after breakfast, she tried to persuade Madam Hu.
“Madam, the courtyard next door has been empty for ages, but someone has moved in now.”
“Putting aside the etiquette of neighbors, we ought to find out who they are for the sake of our own safety. Why don’t I take some pastries over after the meal and pay them a visit?”
It was indeed a reasonable suggestion. Since they lived so close to each other, neighbors ought to know something about one another.
The wet nurse knew exactly what the girl was thinking, but chose not to expose her. After all, what young woman did not admire a handsome man?
She prepared a box of pastries for the girl and earnestly instructed her, “Ask what you need to ask, then come straight back. Don’t linger.”
“Got it!”
The maid took the food box and hurried over to the neighboring courtyard. When she knocked, it was the handsome young gentleman she had seen the day before who opened the door himself.
She had assumed that a man of his bearing must come from a distinguished family and have servants waiting on him.
Yet Jiang Xun behaved with easygoing openness and did not conceal his background. He said that he was from the capital and had come out alone to travel. He disliked having attendants follow him around.
He had passed through this area and learned that the peach blossoms would be in full bloom in a little over a month, so he had decided to stay for a short while.
“Then why did you chop down the trees in the courtyard, Young Master Jiang?” the maid asked.
Jiang Xun smiled. “I practice martial arts every day, and the trees in the courtyard were in the way.”
“Are you a martial artist from the jianghu?”
“Not really. I only know a few basic moves to strengthen my body. I can hardly compare with genuine heroes of the martial world.”
That made sense. How many wandering martial artists possessed the graceful bearing of Young Master Jiang? Anyone who saw him would assume that he was a noble young master from an illustrious family.
Before the maid left, Jiang Xun gave her several gifts in return.
They were exquisite, delicate pastries that were extremely expensive. Even for the relatively prosperous Hu family, they were things the maid had never seen before.
Jiang Xun also casually gave her a small jade rabbit and said with a smile, “I enjoy carving things in my spare time and often make little objects myself. My craftsmanship is rather crude, but please don’t laugh at me. Keep it and play with it.”
It was the same sort of jade rabbit he had once given to Hongxiu and Qingyi.
With their eyes spoiled by Pei Liang, Hongxiu and Qingyi naturally would not think much of it. To ordinary people, however, it was a treasure that might cost five or even ten years of savings to purchase.
The little maid was overjoyed. When she returned, she hid the jade carefully and did not dare mention it to Madam Hu or the wet nurse.
But Jiang Xun’s identity had now taken on a clear shape in the minds of the three women.
He came from a distinguished family, was carefree and unrestrained, treated others with courtesy and friendliness, and would not be staying in the area for long.
Even the stern wet nurse lowered her guard somewhat after learning how substantial his background was.
Indeed, how could such a handsome, generous young gentleman be some disreputable villain?
The wet nurse took out the box of pastries he had given them and said, “These seem to be from the city’s largest pastry shop, the Zhanyue Pavilion.”
“Each piece is so exquisite that one almost hates to eat it, and the price is astonishingly high. Only wealthy merchants and rich households can afford them.”
“Look at the box itself. The wrapping ribbon is even woven with gold thread. One can only imagine how much this box must have cost. It seems that Young Master Jiang is no ordinary person, even in the capital.”
Still, the return gift was so lavish that it aroused suspicion. The wet nurse had someone make inquiries about the surrounding area.
After learning that the neighboring residence had finished settling in on the following day, she discovered that Jiang Xun had visited several nearby households bearing gifts. The gifts he gave them were all extremely valuable, and the Hu family was not treated any differently.
For a time, the wet nurse decided that Young Master Jiang was simply extravagant with his money. Since he claimed to be traveling for the first time and had not brought even a servant boy with him, his behavior was consistent with that of a wealthy young master who knew nothing of the hardships of the world.
He was not even afraid of attracting thieves by flaunting his wealth.
With her experience, the wet nurse easily thought of this possibility and voiced it aloud.
The little maid was frightened out of her wits. “What should we do, then? Young Master Jiang is practically a heavenly immortal in human form. He’s so generous and easygoing, and far too kind to know how to guard against others. How could that possibly be his fault?”
“Madam, we’re neighbors, after all. We ought to look out for him. Why don’t we have the household guards pass in and out a few times to frighten off any petty villains?”
Madam Hu did not want to see such a handsome young gentleman come to harm outside. It was not only the two younger women who felt that way—even the wet nurse, despite her age, could not bear the thought of anything happening to such a promising young man.
There were countless wretched men in the world. Now that they had finally encountered a good one, would it not be a terrible waste to let him meet with disaster?
Madam Hu therefore silently agreed to the maid’s suggestion. From then on, they occasionally offered him reminders, and whenever they cooked something delicious, they would have a servant deliver him a bowl. In this way, they quietly looked after him.
As expected, the young gentleman was also courteous. Whenever someone treated him with three parts kindness, he returned ten parts in kind.
After a while, the maid and the wet nurse became quite familiar with Jiang Xun, and even Madam Hu could speak with him directly.
One day, the wet nurse took a day off and returned to her family home.
She had never married and regarded Madam Hu as her own daughter, but her parents and siblings were still alive. Since she was able to earn money, relations within the family were harmonious enough.
The wet nurse was close to the women of one or two households in the village. Whenever she returned home, she would visit them, sit for a while, and exchange gossip.
But this time, one of them suddenly brought up a subject.
“A wandering Daoist came to the village a few days ago. My old man treated him to some wine and meat, and in return, he heard all sorts of interesting stories.”
“One of them was about a wealthy household. The rich master had taken a second wife, but after more than a decade of marriage, they still had no children.”
That struck directly at the wet nurse’s deepest concern.
At present, her only worry was that her young mistress had never borne a child of her own. Once the master passed away, she feared Madam Hu would have no one to rely on.
But it could hardly be blamed on her mistress. When the master had taken a second wife, he had already been well over forty. Surely it was unlikely that the fault lay with her mistress, who was still in the prime of youth at the time.
Besides, Madam Hu’s elder sister, born of the same mother, had given birth to a son just last year. Clearly, even at her mistress’s age, she ought to be capable of bearing children.
At that, she immediately perked up.
The other woman continued, “The second wife was unwilling to be left without support in the future. If the old master died, she would be a childless widow, and the children from his first marriage might well drive her out.”
“So she took the dangerous step of borrowing another woman’s womb to bear a child.”
The wet nurse sucked in a sharp breath. “Th-That’s truly—”
She had been about to curse the woman’s shamelessness, but when she thought of her own mistress’s situation, she could not help empathizing with her as a fellow “mother.” The words in her mouth therefore took a different turn.
“She had been childless for so many years, and then suddenly became pregnant. How could the old master not have grown suspicious?”
The other woman gave her a mysterious smile. “That is precisely where the clever part comes in.”
“Of course the old master was suspicious. But somehow, that madam came up with a marvelous trick that even fooled the blood test for determining kinship. When the two drops of blood merged, the old master had no choice but to believe it. He even bragged that he was still vigorous despite his advanced age.”
“Little did he know he had long since become a living cuckold!”
“Still, according to the Taoist priest, that madam herself was quite a good woman. No one knows where she found the child’s biological father, but the boy grew up handsome and clever—more capable than all his older brothers and sisters. His mother carefully raised him, and he eventually passed the highest imperial examination in one stroke. From then on, his mother’s status rose with his.”
“After the old master died, even though the children from the first wife’s household tried every possible way to oppress her, she had her son to rely on, so they could do nothing to her. Later, when the boy rose to prominence, they naturally became even more afraid to offend her. The entire family ended up living according to her wishes.”
Wasn’t that exactly what the wet nurse longed for?
Although she had not yet dared to form any improper associations, she nevertheless asked, almost as if possessed, “That miraculous? What method did the madam use to fool the blood test?”
The woman replied, “I’m only telling you because we’re friends. You must never repeat this to anyone. If this method got out, the whole world would descend into chaos.”
She then whispered the method into the wet nurse’s ear.
The wet nurse’s heart pounded wildly. When she returned to the Hu residence, she found Madam Hu embroidering in her room.
The doors and windows stood wide open, offering a perfect view of Young Master Jiang’s courtyard.
Looking down, the wet nurse saw Young Master Jiang practicing with a long staff.
No wonder he dared to go out alone. Judging from his movements, his martial skills must have been quite impressive.
Young Master Jiang was dressed in close-fitting martial attire, clearly outlining his strong physique. The long staff whistled through the air with imposing force.
His long, powerful arms, broad back, sturdy waist, firm buttocks, and long legs all made the viewer’s heart race and rendered her incapable of looking away.
If even a woman of the wet nurse’s age found the sight so captivating, there was even less need to mention the two young maids. Their eyes seemed ready to fly straight into that courtyard.
The wet nurse sighed inwardly. How could she not know?
Ever since Young Master Jiang had arrived, her mistress had stopped visiting the courtyard so often. She spent most of her days in her room instead.
And the reason was none other than the feast for the eyes outside her window.
Seeing this, the wet nurse said nothing. She merely went out, found several beggars, and paid them to prick their fingers and provide samples of their blood. She then tested them according to the method she had heard from the neighbor.
To her astonishment, the blood of two complete strangers truly did merge as though they were related. She tried it with several more pairs, and the result was the same every time.
For a moment, the wet nurse was beside herself with joy. The bold idea that had taken root in her mind could no longer be suppressed.
That evening, she cautiously brought the matter up with Madam Hu.
Madam Hu was both embarrassed and furious. She scolded the wet nurse for encouraging her to do something so shameless.
But the moment the wet nurse mentioned Young Master Jiang, Madam Hu fell silent.
“Young Master Jiang’s birth, appearance, and bearing are rare in this world. How could an ordinary mortal compare with him? If you had a child by him, that child would surely be clever and bright, with a limitless future.”
“Madam, the master is already old. How many more years can he have left? You are more than thirty years younger than him. It isn’t that I wish to harm you. It’s just that whenever I think of you being left alone and helpless after the master’s death, forced to live under someone else’s roof, I cannot sleep at night.”
Was this concern limited to the wet nurse alone?
Madam Hu had been depressed for years for precisely that reason.
Even so, she still said, “You yourself said that Young Master Jiang is an extraordinary man—young, handsome, of distinguished birth, and generous with his money. There are more than enough young women eager to marry him. Why would he spare a second glance for a half-aged woman like me?”
“Do not entertain such thoughts, Nanny. You’ll only overestimate yourself and make a laughingstock of us both.”
Now that the wet nurse had allowed her thoughts to run free, details she had deliberately ignored in the past began to surface.
She said to Madam Hu, “That may not necessarily be true.”
“Madam, we’ve interacted with Young Master Jiang so often, and we’ve encountered him countless times outside. Have you never noticed where his gaze usually falls?”
“Even when that chatterbox Sanqiao is prattling away, he keeps his eyes on you. And the last time we went boating by the lake, there were so many courtesans and well-bred young ladies present. All of them were dazzled by Young Master Jiang’s appearance and tried to strike up an acquaintance with him. Yet did you ever see him respond to any of them?”
“On the contrary, the moment he saw you twist your ankle, he became terribly anxious, fussing over you and asking after your condition. At that point, there was no one else in his eyes.”
Madam Hu felt both embarrassed and delighted. Yet, with her lips, she still feigned doubt.
“I’m old enough to be Young Master Jiang’s elder. Perhaps he merely—”
“I don’t think so!” The wet nurse smiled, growing ever more certain. “A man’s gaze toward a woman—whether it holds filial admiration, affection, or desire—is not difficult to distinguish.”
“Madam, surely you yourself have felt it?”
Naturally, Madam Hu’s heart had been stirred. Otherwise, she would not have found excuse after excuse to steal glances at him every day.
The wet nurse continued, “Young Master Jiang will only be staying here for another month. Nearly half that time has already passed, and once he leaves, you will have no further dealings with him. It could not be safer.”
“Besides, Young Master Jiang is clever, handsome, and strong. Although you are a decade older than him, you remain beautiful and alluring. Just imagine how lovely and intelligent a child born of the two of you would be.”
Madam Hu could not help picturing it in her mind. She was not the only one tempted by the thought. The wet nurse had only dared conceive of this plan because a man like Jiang Xun had appeared before them.
A seed of such fine quality was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The wet nurse added at last, “As for the danger of exposing the child’s true bloodline, I have already found a way to avoid it. Madam, you need not worry. We only need to plan carefully, and you will surely get your wish.”
“If you are willing, you must make up your mind within the next few days. If you wait any longer, Young Master Jiang may leave.”
If Madam Hu had not been restrained by years of reason and the teachings of feminine virtue, she would have agreed on the spot.
Over the next two or three days, Madam Hu grew increasingly unable to eat or sleep.
One day, a maid returned from outside carrying a set of books that Madam Hu had ordered from the bookstore in town.
The books had been carefully tied together with cord, and since the maid could not read, she did not open the package.
Madam Hu untied it and took out one of the books. But the moment she flipped it open, her face flushed hotly, and she threw it away.
The maid stared at her blankly. “Madam, what’s wrong?”
She bent down to pick up the book, but Madam Hu hurriedly stopped her and ordered her out of the bedroom.
Madam Hu was both embarrassed and furious that the bookstore would sell such a thing. This certainly was not the set she had ordered. The covers must have looked identical, and some dissolute young man must have come up with this trick to hide such books from his family. The bookstore had clearly mixed them up.
Madam Hu had originally intended to burn the books. Yet her hand seemed to move of its own accord, reaching out to retrieve them. After locking the door, she opened the book again.
The positions depicted within were unlike anything she had ever heard of, and the brazen, feverish scenes were wholly beyond her experience.
She had been raised under strict family discipline, and after marriage, with her husband more than thirty years her senior, she had never truly experienced the intimacy between man and woman.
Now, as Madam Hu looked at those risqué illustrated manuals, her heart—parched for thirty years—seemed to stir restlessly within her, as though it might leap from her chest.
Just then, she heard the sound of chopping wood outside the window. She knew that Young Master Jiang was doing the work.
Even though the timing was improper, she could not resist opening the window. When she saw his powerful, well-built physique, her face flushed and her eyes grew hazy.
In her uncontrollable fantasies, he pulled her fiercely into his arms, kneading and teasing her wantonly, just as the figures in the illustrations had done.
Jiang Xun seemed to sense her gaze and looked up. He smiled at Madam Hu, the delight in his eyes completely undisguised.
Madam Hu’s face reddened even further, and she hurriedly shut the window.
That night, Madam Hu dreamed a sensual dream.
It seemed to go on and on. She and Jiang Xun appeared to have become the figures in the illustrations, reenacting every scene depicted in them.
Whether in the bedchamber, the courtyard, beside the window, or on the scented couch, traces of them were everywhere.
Her body was posed and folded this way and that, sometimes bound with red cords, as the scenes took on countless variations. Young Master Jiang, meanwhile, seemed never to tire.
When she awoke, Madam Hu did not even dare leave her bed. She quickly sent her wet nurse and maids away, changed out of her undergarments, and cleaned herself up before allowing them back inside.
By then, Madam Hu could no longer suppress what she felt inside, yet her heart was also filled with guilt.
As fate would have it, the following night, the sound of a fight came from next door.
Madam Hu hurriedly opened the window, only to see that the commotion was coming from Young Master Jiang’s quarters.
Several black-clad thieves had vaulted over the wall and were fighting Jiang Xun.
Madam Hu was scared out of her wits. Deeply worried about Jiang Xun, she immediately ordered people to go and help.
Seeing that the situation was turning against them, the thieves fled at once. Before leaving, however, they set fire to the place. Although the fire was extinguished in time, Young Master Jiang’s room was left in a terrible state.
It was probably no longer fit to live in.
Seeing this, the wet nurse promptly invited Young Master Jiang to spend the night at the Hu residence and wait until the next day to make proper arrangements.
Jiang Xun was somewhat disheveled at that point, but he accepted the Hu family’s kindness.
As soon as he entered the Hu residence, a maid prepared hot water for him so he could wash away the sweat and dust from his body.
He had only been bathing for a short while when Madam Hu arrived carrying a bowl of calming medicinal broth.
Madam Hu was dressed lightly, with only a layer of transparent gauze over her body, revealing her full, voluptuous figure to excellent effect.
Her face was flushed with embarrassment. Beneath the lamplight, she looked nothing like a woman nearing forty. Instead, she appeared as enchanting as a young woman in her twenties.
This was precisely the type Jiang Xun liked best. He also knew exactly what the medicine was. After all, ever since he had come here, not a single step had fallen outside his plans.
Jiang Xun drank the medicine, then took advantage of its effects to consummate his affair with Madam Hu.
Madam Hu had lived for half a lifetime, yet only now did she truly experience every kind of pleasure. Compared with the frustratingly insubstantial sensations of her dream, the real thing was an overwhelming ecstasy.
After that, Jiang Xun naturally began displaying constant dependence and infatuation toward Madam Hu, as though he wished to remain at her side every day.
There were still people watching the Hu family, however, so it was inconvenient to meet there too often. If their affair were exposed, not a single one of them would survive.
As a result, Madam Hu began frequently making excuses to go out. Jiang Xun, spending lavishly, rented rooms beside all the places she often visited—the cosmetics shop, the temple, the fabric store, the silver shop, and elsewhere.
It was remarkably convenient. The scenes from the illustrations were recreated one by one.
Poor Madam Hu still believed that she had been the one to seduce this young man. Feeling guilty, she naturally let down her guard around him.
Thus, in a very short time, Jiang Xun obtained a wealth of information, even though Madam Hu herself might not have known the value of much of it.
When the appointed time arrived, Jiang Xun was about to leave as promised. Madam Hu was extremely reluctant to part with him, but she also understood that their brief affair was coming to an end.
Elder Hu would be returning soon. Jiang Xun had to leave as quickly as possible.
After bidding Madam Hu farewell, Jiang Xun withdrew from all the rooms he had rented.
The plan had gone exceptionally smoothly. Though he had devised the arrangement himself, it had also benefited from the detailed information Pei Liang had given him.
For example, the little maid’s flighty, money-loving nature; the wet nurse’s connections; and Madam Hu’s long-suppressed loneliness.
He had to admit, Jiang Xun rather enjoyed helping the useless old men comfort the women in their households.
After completing this job, Jiang Xun realized that he did not actually resent Pei Liang’s assignments as much as he had imagined.
Looked at from another angle, although it was Pei Liang who had ruined his reputation and made him notorious, when all was said and done, she seemed to be the person who understood him best.
His fiancée repeatedly toyed with him, but she never looked down on him for his unusual tastes. On the contrary, Jiang Xun could often see admiration in her eyes.
It was not mockery. She genuinely thought he was impressive.
Because Jiang Xun could never gain the upper hand in front of Pei Liang, he had unknowingly begun consoling himself.
Whenever Pei Liang showed even the slightest hint of approval, he would become unbearably pleased with himself.
In a certain sense, he had already developed something of a masochistic streak.
Jiang Xun leisurely ate a meal at the largest restaurant in town. There, he saw Elder Hu of the Wangqiu Sect passing by with several others, apparently having just come down from the mountain and preparing to return home.
He raised his cup toward the other man from a distance, thanking him for his wife’s hospitality.
Just as he was savoring the perverse thrill of it all, he heard several martial artists at the next table chatting.
“Hey, have you heard? Han Weiliu, the Young Master of the Han family who disappeared three years ago, has returned.”
Jiang Xun’s pupils contracted. How had that fellow suddenly reappeared?
“I heard, I heard!” The others wore the ambiguous smiles of men eager for gossip. “As soon as Young Master Han returned, he didn’t go anywhere else. He went straight to Moonrend Manor.”
“What’s inside Moonrend Manor? Sect Leader Pei was once Young Master Han’s fiancée. Now that Sect Leader Pei’s engagement to the Jade-faced Gentleman, Jiang Xun, is secure, Young Master Han ought to avoid suspicion.”
“But not only did he fail to avoid suspicion, he stayed at Moonrend Manor for more than half a month. According to the news that’s made its way out, Sect Leader Pei and Young Master Han have been openly intimate with each other.”
“Hahaha! I wonder where Jiang Xun is right now. He probably has no idea that he’s already been cuckolded.”
The people at the table continued gossiping.
“Hey, isn’t this a good thing?”
“How many people has Jiang Xun cuckolded? Isn’t it satisfying to see it happen to him for once?”
“Among the martial world, very few people are blaming Sect Leader Pei for being fickle.”
“Of course not. Just look at Sect Leader Pei’s current power and status. If Jiang Xun were truly a Jade-faced Gentleman who kept himself pure, that would be one thing. But he doesn’t uphold the duties of a husband himself, so how could he expect Sect Leader Pei to remain faithful and never have a change of heart?”
“If you ask me, Sect Leader Pei is the one getting the short end of the stick. Just look at how dashing Jiang Xun is! What sect doesn’t bear traces of his passing? Sect Leader Pei is merely rekindling things with her former fiancé. It hardly counts as going too far.”
“That Young Master Han is a dashing and handsome man of refined charm. If not for the catastrophe that wiped out his family back then, he would have been no less remarkable than Jiang Xun. And he’s always conducted himself with impeccable propriety.”
“I expect Jiang Xun will be thrown out sooner or later and abandoned by Sect Leader Pei. The only reason they haven’t fallen out completely is that their families still have a long-standing relationship.”
“The Jiang family has been declining year by year, while the Pei family is flourishing. I’m afraid it won’t be long now.”
Everything was a matter of comparison. By contrasting Pei Liang with someone as utterly shameless as Jiang Xun, many people in the martial world found that what Pei Liang had done suddenly didn’t seem like much at all.
Everyone was waiting eagerly for Jiang Xun to show himself, hoping to witness a battle between the old and new fiancés.
Sure enough, they did not have to wait long. Several days later, someone spotted Jiang Xun at the foot of the Pei family’s mountain.
He charged up the mountain in a fury. Ancient times might not have had convenient means of communication, but somehow these people managed to summon their friends and spread the news within half a day.
In just a few short hours, the taverns and teahouses at the foot of Slashing Moon Villa were packed so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.
As mentioned before, Pei Liang was shameless when it came to making money, and the people she trained naturally inherited the same quality.
Seeing so many busybodies coming to inquire about the gossip, the people of the Slashing Moon Sect not only refrained from driving them away, but charged astonishingly high prices for tea and refreshments.
Didn’t want to buy anything? Then you weren’t allowed inside.
You wanted to gather outside and discuss things? Sorry, but there were people “from the mountain” inside spilling the latest details. Anyone with enough initiative to rush over and watch the spectacle at the earliest opportunity was practically clawing at their own hearts with curiosity. How could they stand it?
Thus, every martial artist who came here, whether rich or poor, was fleeced the moment they arrived. By the time some of those with less substantial family fortunes realized what was happening, they were practically stripped down to their trousers.
The commotion below the mountain was naturally matched by the excitement above.
Jiang Xun arrived in a furious, accusatory manner. Given his status, no one dared to stop him.
He reached Pei Liang’s rear courtyard without trouble. Han Weiliu happened to be there as well, leaning intimately against her.
Well, it seemed the rumors had not been baseless after all.
Jiang Xun’s face turned black. He pulled a thick stack of papers from inside his robe and tossed them onto the table. Pointing at Han Weiliu, he demanded of Pei Liang, “Why is he here?”
“You sent your own fiancé to seduce another woman, yet you’re here enjoying yourself with another man? Do you even know who he is?”
Pei Liang picked up the stack of papers. They contained the answers to all the questions she had asked Jiang Xun to investigate, summarized in meticulous detail. It seemed he had completed the task quite well.
She looked up and praised him with complete sincerity. “Well done. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”
Jiang Xun was furious. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Stop changing the subject. I’m asking why you’re involved with him!”
Pei Liang sighed helplessly, wearing the frank and fearless expression of a shameless woman.
She stroked Han Weiliu’s face and said to Jiang Xun, “I simply can’t let go of the new one, nor can I bear to give up the old one.”
“I’ve only made the same mistake every woman in the world makes.”
