The waiter nervously led the way, muttering to himself.
Good heavens, who was this person? Such an imposing presence! Compared to him, their Prefect was like a mere firefly next to a blazing sun, utterly incomparable. The moment he appeared, it struck a chill of fear, leaving no room for carelessness.
The group entered the Deqing Tower.
The hall was filled with a cacophony of voices, people eating and drinking, creating a lively scene. In the center of the ground floor, a raised platform had been erected, where someone was singing a folk tune. Cheers erupted, one wave after another, and no one paid much attention to their arrival.
The waiter, with a beaming smile, placed the silver notes before the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper’s eyes widened, looking them over repeatedly until his mouth split into a wide grin.
“Excellent, immediately arrange the best rooms for our guests.”
“Yes, Shopkeeper,” the waiter chirped, turning to face Qingyao and her entourage. The leading figures were all handsome, but each carried an aura that suggested they were not to be trifled with. Especially the youngest and most dashing among them, whom the waiter dared not even look at directly.
“Please follow me to the private rooms on the fourth floor. I will arrange for the guests in the two rooms on the fourth floor to be moved to the third.”
“Very well,” Mo Chou nodded, and the group followed the waiter upstairs.
This inn was luxurious and grand, with heavy, rich colors used in its interior decoration, giving it an overall sense of opulence and magnificence.
The colors on the first floor were somewhat mixed, but upon reaching the second floor, they became much more consistent, exuding elegance and taste.
The clamor gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of their footsteps ascending. The conversations in the private rooms on the second floor were noticeably quieter than those on the first, occasionally punctuated by suggestive, ambiguous murmurs.
As they reached the turn on the third floor, a group suddenly emerged, blocking their path. The waiter looked up, saw the person leading them, and immediately retreated to the side in trepidation, signaling for Mu Qingyao and the others behind him to do the same. These were individuals not to be provoked.
These were the esteemed young masters of Fufeng City, the local power brokers, people whom everyone yielded to. The one leading them was none other than the Prefect’s son, Su Mingjie, the eldest son Su.
Behind him followed his retinue of admirers, his usual companions for drinking and merriment, all sons of local gentry and wealthy merchants, or officials serving under the Prefect of Fufeng City.
At this moment, this group was already slightly inebriated, their arrogance and impudence amplified. They staggered down the stairs, intending to head to the pleasure houses to find beautiful women.
However, upon emerging from the third floor, they found their path obstructed by someone, their expressions immediately soured, and a string of unpleasant words followed.
“Damn it, who’s blocking my way? Get lost, don’t piss me off, or I’ll kill you.”
As this curse reached Qingyao’s ears, a chill instantly permeated her being, her expression turning cold. She had been in a foul mood lately, and these detestable individuals had just run into her.
Although her martial arts were not superior enough to deal with true martial arts masters, dealing with these ruffians was a mere trifle. A fleeting, chilling glint flashed in her eyes as she spoke in a somber tone.
“Who are you calling names? Whose ‘master’ are you?”
When Eldest Son Su heard someone dare to challenge his words, he immediately became somewhat incensed. He raised his eyes to look, only to see a handsome young man blocking their way. That face, that figure, though a man, was likely enough to make women sigh in envy. His eyes lit up, and a string of drool was about to drip from his lips as he stared, grinning lewdly.
“This master has never tasted the flavor of a man before. I’m afraid it would be even more intoxicating. Just looking at you makes my heart itch.”
As his words fell, boisterous laughter erupted from behind him, followed by echoing agreement and smacking of lips, as if it were indeed a truly intoxicating prospect.
Mu Qingyao’s expression turned cold, an icy chill surging forth. Without another word, she darted forward, extending a fair hand and in a blink, clasped Eldest Son Su’s hand. With a sudden surge of strength, she yanked him upwards, flipping him head over heels onto the ground.
Simultaneously, a sharp crack of bone breaking was heard. And it didn’t end there. At the same moment, a delicate foot fiercely stepped onto his now numb hand lying on the ground. With a press of her foot, she ground it in several fierce rotations.
More cracking sounds of bone breaking followed as several bones in his hand were snapped. Following this, Eldest Son Su’s pig-like screams echoed throughout the entire third floor.
The waiter’s face turned ashen with fear. Eldest Son Su’s supporters also snapped back to reality, erupting like a disturbed beehive. They surged forward, their drunken stupor vanishing, and roared.
“How dare you break the hands of the Prefect’s son, and then stomp on his broken bones!”
Qingyao clapped her hands, speaking with a casual air.
“So what? None of you will escape. Come, teach these brutes a lesson for their insolence!”
As her words finished, Mo Chou and Mo You immediately stepped forward, attacking the useless fops without mercy. In a blink of an eye, they had the young masters beaten into a bloody mess, crying and wailing.
From the third-floor staircase, they slid down to the second-floor landing, piling up in a chaotic heap. Mo You even stomped on them a couple of times, eliciting fresh waves of agony.
Prince Nan’an watched everything unfold, completely still. He knew she was angry, and since that was the case, he would let her vent. He would handle the aftermath.
Qingyao walked over to Eldest Son Su, whose bones she had twisted and whose hand bones she had broken, and asked with a smile.
“Whose ‘master’ are you?”
“Spare me, young master, spare me.”
Eldest Son Su had lost all his former arrogance. His face was pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He repeatedly begged for mercy, the pain in his hands excruciating.
“First, tell me whose ‘master’ you are, and then ask if I’ll spare you. Otherwise, I have plenty of time to waste with you.”
Qingyao said with a forced smile, her dark eyes filled with a chilling, malevolent aura, like a spectral envoy from hell, emanating a terrifying coldness. Eldest Son Su could no longer endure it and began to cry out repeatedly, “I am my master’s, I am my master’s!”
“You must clearly state whose family you belong to, or we will continue this until then.”
Qingyao shot him a cold, dissatisfied glance and huffed. Eldest Son Su was now as obedient as a small dog, not daring to refuse. He quickly added, “I am the young master of the Su family, I am the young master of the Su family.”
“Good, that’s more like it. Shout louder,” Qingyao stood up, her demeanor calm and collected as she commanded. Eldest Son Su had completely lost all semblance of dignity, tears streaming down his face as he shouted, “I am the young master of the Su family, I am the young master of the Su family, I am…”
Mu Qingyao did not tell him to stop, nor did he dare to stop or lower his voice. His continuous shouting had already alerted those downstairs on the third floor. Everyone was puzzled. At this moment, everyone in the entire hall could hear Eldest Son Su’s roars: “I am the young master of the Su family, I am the young master of the Su family.”