C71 Let Him Have a Good Time!

Moments later, Lin Miaoran emerged from the inner room, followed by a visibly shaken Fu Rui.

With a look of fierce determination, Lin Miaoran said through clenched teeth, "Rest assured, Sixth Sister, when he returns tomorrow, I'll ensure he experiences a painful pleasure!"

As she spoke, she crushed the book in her hand titled "The Beautiful Sister-in-Law" into dust, and the shredded pages fluttered away like a swarm of butterflies.

Earlier, while overhearing the conversation between the woman and Chu Yan in the inner hall, Lin Miaoran had idly thumbed through the book. She couldn't recall what had prompted her, but as Fu Rui returned the money pouch to Chu Yan, Lin Miaoran, as if possessed, decided to keep the book. Perhaps it was the title or some other reason that had piqued her interest.

Upon reading it, she quickly grasped the salacious content and even caught sight of the exquisitely explicit illustrations. The images and text that burned into her memory now caused her cheeks to blaze with heat.

Filled with a mix of frustration and mortification, Lin Miaoran directed her ire at Chu Yan, the "pretend dragon" who had elicited such a response from her. "To think he indulges in such lowbrow literature—a tale of a despised son-in-law's rise, winning over the disdainful young miss until she's hopelessly devoted. As if such things happen in real life! I won't let you off easy tomorrow!"

Lin Miaoran fumed, her anger palpable. Fu Rui, witnessing her mistress's wrath, shrank back and instinctively moved aside, thinking to herself, "The miss is truly fearsome."

Fu Rui's heart swelled with both sympathy and pity for Chu Yan, who would face this storm upon his return the next day.

Meanwhile, Chu Yan had left the Langya Pavilion far behind. The pavilion's sign, now obscured by the night, was barely discernible in the distance. For some inexplicable reason, a sudden chill swept over him, causing him to shudder.

"Who's cursing me?" he wondered silently. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several shadows flickering at the mouth of the alley just a short distance behind him.

"Hmm?" Chu Yan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

He mulled over something briefly, then, with his head bowed, he continued on his way.

Shortly after he moved on, four silhouettes slipped out from the alley he had just passed.

Exchanging glances, they murmured to each other in hushed tones.

"Is that definitely him?"

"No mistake about it!"

"I was right there when Chang Shun died; I saw everything crystal clear."

"Okay, let's be cautious, guys. This one's got a higher cultivation level than Chang Shun."

Moments later, using the darkness and the cover provided by nearby buildings, the four figures stealthily trailed Chu Yan.

Oblivious to their presence, Chu Yan walked on, seemingly unaware of the pursuit.

Without realizing it, the four had been tailing Chu Yan through the ruins of the old town for well over half an hour.

Then, they watched from a distance as Chu Yan paused beneath a large tree. After scanning the surroundings, he began to dig at the base of the tree.

Soon after, Chu Yan straightened up, a look of joy spreading across his face as he held a small pouch in his hand.

As Chu Yan emptied the pouch, the four onlookers' eyes bulged, and their breath caught in their throats.

Inside was a bag of Spirit Money, at least a hundred pieces!

In the ruins of this old town, a single piece of Spirit Money could drive a person to desperate acts.

A hundred pieces? That could compel someone to the unthinkable.

Their eyes instantly reddened with greed and savagery.

Meanwhile, Chu Yan, seemingly unaware of his shadowers, glanced around, tucked the money bag into his chest pocket, and swiftly darted into a shadowy alley nearby.

"After him, quick!"

"We can't let this windfall slip away!"

Without a second thought, the four gave chase.

The alley, nestled in a secluded part of the old town's ruins, was flanked by long-abandoned houses, their facades crumbling and overgrown with weeds.

In the dead of night, the alley was shrouded in darkness. Despite being martial artists, the pursuers had to strain their eyes to see, even with their companions at arm's length.

They continued the pursuit down the alley, a nagging unease growing in their minds. Yet, the lure of the Spirit Money was too intense, stoking a feverish desire that quelled their apprehension.

"Wait! Something's off here!" After a pursuit, the leader of the group suddenly called out in a low voice.

The three trailing behind him halted abruptly, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

The leader's voice took on a bizarre tone. "The alley... it ends here."

"Huh?"

"That can't be!"

"There's no other path, how could anyone have disappeared?"

The trio squeezed forward to see for themselves and, indeed, the alley had come to a dead end. They exchanged bewildered glances.

Just then, a cold breeze swept through, sending an involuntary shiver down everyone's spine.

"I think we should—" The speaker's words were cut short as he crumpled to the ground.

The sight sent shivers down the spines of the remaining three.

"Who's there? Who's messing with us?"

"It's you, isn't it? Show yourself!"

"We're not scared of you!"

Their voices were fierce, but their fear was palpable as they spun around, shouting into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Chu Yan was standing less than a foot behind them.

As they moved and looked around, he executed the Seven Stars Chaotic Wind Steps, swiftly changing his position to remain in their blind spots.

Thus, despite their wide eyes and tense muscles, they couldn't catch sight of Chu Yan.

Seeing their terror, Chu Yan let out a cold snort.

The sound echoed in the quiet, dark alley, frightening them to the core.

Someone let out a roar and bolted back the way they came, with the other two close on his heels in a panic.

But Chu Yan wasn't about to let them escape.

He launched into the Seven Stars Chaotic Wind Steps, closing the gap in an instant as if by magic.

His arms shot out, pressing against the heads of two of the men.

With a resounding thud, their heads were driven into the wall.

The old brick wall crumbled under the impact, and as the dust settled, the two men slumped down, faces bloody, unconscious.

The runner at the lead, though aware of the commotion behind him, was too terrified to glance back, his face drained to a ghostly pallor.

But in an instant, he was overwhelmed by an immense force surging from behind.

With a grip on the collar of his shirt, the force swung him around mid-air, then slammed him down with the ferocity of a thunderclap.

Bang!

The dull echo reverberated, sending a shudder through the timeworn alley.