"Oh, who did I think it was? So frightening, you scared me..."
As the voice faded, a figure slowly emerged. Dressed in a flamboyant and alluring red gown, her heavily made-up face concealed sharp, intelligent eyes.
"Are you Xu Shi Niang?" Xue Song stepped forward and asked coldly.
Xu Shi Niang chuckled, covering her mouth, and reached out to touch the arm of Xue Song's long sword. Xue Song frowned, his arm evading her touch as he said coldly, "Don't touch me..."
"Oh, is the young master shy? Haven't you been here for some romance before? Or should I have my sisters attend to you?"
"Stay still, my sword has no eyes." Xue Song flicked his wrist, his long sword resting against Xu Shi Niang's throat.
Xu Shi Niang patted her chest, "Oh dear, young master, are you trying to frighten me?"
"Xu Shi Niang, stop playing dumb," Xue Song said coldly.
Hearing this, Xu Shi Niang curled her lips into a charming smile, "Young master, I truly don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you come over and tell me properly, sister?"
Xue Song raised an eyebrow, his face extremely displeased, while Xu Shi Niang's smile was triumphant and radiant.
Just a brash young man, and he thinks he can stir up trouble in her pleasure house? What a joke.
"Xue Song, stand down..."
A deep, clear voice rang out.
Xu Shi Niang stiffened slightly, frowning as she looked towards the source of the sound. A figure clad in snow-white robes caught her eye, and her gaze fixed upon it.
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. The person exuded an unparalleled elegance and noble bearing.
That astonishingly beautiful face appeared before her eyes. After seeing thousands of faces, this was the first time she truly felt that there were even more beautiful faces in the world.
"Esteemed sir..." Xu Shi Niang couldn't help but ask.
"I am Yan Jin Chao."
His voice was faint and cool, like the frost of an autumn night, chilling to the bone.
Xu Shi Niang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, yet she couldn't hide her amazement. "So it's Young Master Yan. May I ask why Young Master Yan has come to my pleasure house? If you are here for pleasure, I will surely find you a beauty that matches you. What do you say, young master?"
Yan Jin Chao's expression remained calm as he strode towards Xu Shi Niang. Xu Shi Niang felt a wave of pressure wash over her. She was experienced and had seen countless storms, but facing this Young Master Yan, she felt a tremor of fear.
"Young Master Yan, aren't you here for pleasure?" she said, taking a step back. The pressure made it difficult even to look up.
The man walking towards her seemed like a king who held her life in his hands. This feeling was most unpleasant.
It was suffocating, leaving her breathless.
When he was only a step away, he stopped. At this moment, the oppressive force reached its peak, and she felt as if she were about to suffocate and die. It was a feeling akin to facing death.
She couldn't help but touch her neck, fearing she would perish in the next moment. "Xu Shi Niang, where is Miss Lin?"
She struggled to lift her head. The face, as if carved by a divine hand, held eyes as dark as a bottomless abyss, threatening to swallow her whole, leading her to eternal damnation.
"Sir, what are you saying? I... I don't understand..."
Suddenly, she felt as if a hand had clutched her throat, as if she were about to be killed.
"Is that so?"
Her words were choked, but she dared not utter them. The fear of death permeated her entire being. She was afraid, experiencing the terror of death from another person for the first time.
"I... I..."
Her breathing grew increasingly difficult. Xu Shi Niang couldn't help but shed tears. Was she truly going to die like this? She didn't want to, but she could already feel death approaching.
"Daddy, Mommy said not to kill people..."
A sweet, soft voice suddenly arrived.
It was as if the entire place instantly became brighter. Xu Shi Niang felt the presence of death recede. She opened her eyes, the darkness gone, and slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
"Daddy, were you going to kill someone just now?" Xue Xing Yue toddled over to her father, raising her small head to ask.
Yan Jin Chao looked at her. At that moment, he had indeed intended to kill Xu Shi Niang. He bent down and picked up the little one. "Were you scared?"
Xue Xing Yue looked at her father, whose eyes were filled with her. She shook her head, "Xing Yue wasn't scared. Xing Yue just doesn't want Daddy's hands to be soiled. They are not worth it."
Yan Jin Chao was slightly taken aback. He had expected the child to cry in fear, but he hadn't anticipated such an answer.
"Daddy, Xing Yue misses you so much..." The little one wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her small head on his shoulder.
At this moment, Yan Jin Chao felt a sense of contentment he had never experienced before. If he were to have a child, this was exactly the child he would want in his arms.
"Young master, next..."
"Since you don't know, kill them!" Yan Jin Chao said lightly, as if they were all mere ants.
Everyone shivered. Some bolder ones asked, "On what grounds do you kill us?"
Xue Song drew his sword and chopped off the questioning man's jade crown, saying coldly, "If you know nothing, there is only death..."
"I know, I know everything! What do you want to ask? I know!" Someone quickly replied.
Xue Song stepped forward and whispered a question.
The person's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. After a pause, he pointed at Xu Shi Niang, "She knows, she knows."
Xue Song walked up to Xu Shi Niang and said coldly, "Xu Shi Niang, will you speak, or shall we make you suffer first?"
Xu Shi Niang knew she was no match for the person before her and said softly, "Young Master Sun took them."
"Go to the Sun residence," Xue Song commanded coldly, leading his men towards the Sun family.
Xu Shi Niang looked up and saw the man in the snow-white robes leaving with the little one. For the first time, she felt that as he left, her world became beautiful.
It was good to be alive.
The Sun residence was surrounded and impenetrable. Xue Song stepped forward and knocked on the door. Soon, a servant from the Sun family opened it. Seeing so many people outside, he said coldly, "What business do you have here?"
"Is Sun Wen Jie here?"
"He is not..." the servant replied coldly and was about to close the door.
Xue Song stepped forward and used his sword to brace the door. The servant froze and said angrily, "What are you trying to do?"
"Wait for your young master to return," Xue Song said coldly.
The servant froze, then exclaimed, "This is trespassing! I will report you to the authorities."
Xue Song sneered, "You are welcome to do so."
His sword was thrust into the ground near the servant's feet. The servant, startled, retreated repeatedly. Seeing this, he ran off.
Soon, the servant returned, followed by a man who appeared to be the master of the Sun family.
"Master, this person is being arrogant at the door," the servant said.
The master of the Sun family looked at Xue Song and frowned, "Young sir, what business brings you to our Sun residence?"
"Have your eldest son come out. I wish to see him," Xue Song said coldly.
The master of the Sun family asked, "Has Wen Jie done something wrong to have this young sir seek him out?"