Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 1027 Entering the scene
Zhuge Shi hid in the shadows of the corridor, his gaze like the most precise probe, meticulously scanning everyone in the front hall, analyzing their behavior and expressions.

Her goal is to find the whereabouts of the bone tiger's corpse.

The fastest way is undoubtedly to find the person in charge of core transactions within Pinxinfang and obtain clues directly from them.

This isn't actually that difficult; it's simply a matter of paying some money or using some methods to get the insider to talk.

However, she didn't know much about the details of the Concubine's Heart Pavilion, so she needed to observe it first, find the most suitable entry point, and then take action to avoid alerting them or getting into unnecessary trouble.

She was thinking that if she could successfully obtain information here, then when Fang Yu arrived, she wouldn't need to waste time lingering here. She could go directly to the exact location of the bone tiger's corpse, which would be much more efficient.

Just as Zhuge Shi was calmly analyzing the situation, a voice, tinged with a deliberately pretentious and slick tone, pierced through the noisy music and commotion of the front hall and entered her ears with exceptional clarity:

"...Ah! Such a scene deserves a toast! Ladies and gentlemen, listen to my tale: The spring scenery in the love nest is beautiful, the dancers' waists are as slender as willow branches..."

This sound...

Zhuge Shi suddenly turned his head, his gaze instantly piercing through the carved windows of the corridor, precisely locking onto a table of wine and goblets near the stage in the front hall.

All I could see was that table.

A young master dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a jade crown, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, but whose brows and eyes still exuded the frivolousness and debauchery typical of a playboy.

He had one arm around a scantily clad woman who was serving him drinks, and with the other hand, he held up a wine glass and loudly recited his vulgar doggerel with a smug look on his face.

A few seemingly close friends were clapping and cheering, showering him with compliments.

It was none other than Qian Wu, the young master of the Qian family.

"What's this guy doing here?"

Zhuge Shi narrowed his eyes slightly, a sharp glint flashing in them.

Zhuge Shi, who was still pondering how to find a breakthrough, immediately came up with a plan.

With a swift movement, she vanished from the shadows as silently as a ghost, passed through the crowd, and went straight to Qian Wu's table, unceremoniously plopping down in the empty seat next to him.

Slightly tipsy and feeling quite pleased with himself, Qian Wu felt a fragrant breeze brush past him. Thinking it was a new girl throwing herself at him, he smiled and tilted his head to lean closer.

However, when he vaguely saw the person's face, he froze as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. The color drained from his face and even his lips turned blue with fright.

"M-Sir?! What are you doing here?!"

Qian Wu's voice trembled noticeably; his previous arrogance had vanished, replaced by fear and unease.

Although he has now climbed up the social ladder by getting in touch with Yuwen Wuji, the adopted son of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and his status has improved, he has personally witnessed Zhuge Shi's actions and knows that this woman is incredibly powerful and has a mysterious background. She is definitely not someone he can afford to offend.

"Low-key."

Zhuge Shi didn't even glance at him, only uttering two words indifferently, her gaze casually sweeping over the few women beside Qian Wu who seemed somewhat at a loss because of her arrival.

Qian Wu immediately understood, as if he had received a pardon, and hurriedly waved his hand to drive the women away: "Go away! All of you, get out of the way! Can't you see that I have important matters to discuss with the lord?!" His attitude was completely different from his previous joking and laughing manner.

After the women left dejectedly, Qian Wu forced a smile, carefully picked up the wine pot with both hands, and wanted to pour wine for Zhuge Shi as an apology.

Zhuge Shi raised her hand to stop him, getting straight to the point, her voice calm yet undeniably assertive: "I heard that Pinxinfang recently received a batch of 'new goods'."

Qian Wu was taken aback at first, but then immediately understood the implication in Zhuge Shi's poem.

His eyes darted around, and he hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Understood! Understood! Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go arrange it right away!"

He dared not ask any more questions, only wanting to get rid of this evil spirit as soon as possible.

Zhuge Shi said no more, sitting there calmly, his gaze fixed on the song and dance on the stage, as if he were truly just a customer waiting for a transaction.

Qian Wu dared not delay, immediately got up and left his seat, and walked quickly towards the backyard.

Not long after, he returned with a fawning smile on his face and whispered to Zhuge Shi, "My lord, everything is arranged. The manager of Pinxinfang is waiting in the private room upstairs. Please come in."

Zhuge Shi nodded, stood up, and followed Qian Wu out of the noisy front hall. They went up the softly carpeted stairs to the second floor.

In a secluded private room on the second floor, a middle-aged man with a mustache, shrewd eyes, and dressed in a silk robe was already waiting.

Upon seeing Qian Wu leading Zhuge Shi in, he immediately put on a professional and enthusiastic smile, stood up to greet him, and said, "Honorable guest, I am so sorry for not welcoming you sooner! Please take a seat!"

His gaze swept over Qian Wu and Zhuge Shi, with the scrutiny typical of a businessman.

Qian Wu was a little annoyed. He had come here tonight to have some fun and had no intention of getting involved in any transactions or getting involved in Zhuge Shi's affairs. But at this moment, he could only bite the bullet and sit down with her.

After both parties were seated, the manager with the mustache rubbed his hands together and asked with a smile, "I wonder what kind of treasures you two distinguished guests are looking for when you visit our humble establishment? Although we at Pinxin Pavilion dare not claim to have everything, we do have some connections when it comes to rare treasures, elixirs, and even some... special items."

Zhuge Shi didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I want to buy a corpse."

"Corpse...corpse?"

The supervisor's smile froze instantly. He looked at Zhuge Shi in astonishment, then subconsciously glanced at Qian Wu beside him, his eyes filled with questioning and a hint of displeasure.

He thought Zhuge Shi was there to cause trouble, or wanted to hire someone for some dirty work like assassination.

Qian Wu waved his hand innocently, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with him and that he had no idea what this old lady was trying to do.

The manager chuckled twice, trying to ease the tension: "This customer is joking. Our 'Peaceful Hearts' Inn is a legitimate trading place, and we don't provide those... well, assassination or similar services. We only do simple buying and selling transactions."

Zhuge Shi, however, remained serious and said firmly, "I'm not joking. I really am here to buy a corpse. I heard that you recently received a shipment of goods, including one corpse that is... quite valuable."

She deliberately emphasized the words "of considerable value".

The supervisor then realized that he had misunderstood.

But then a troubled look appeared on his face: "Sir, to be honest, our Pinxinfang handles a lot of goods every day, coming and going. As for the batch of goods you mentioned... I need to check the ledger to find out exactly which one it is and what its characteristics are."

Zhuge Shi raised her hand to stop him from calling for the account books, her eyes fixed on the supervisor, and said, word by word, "No need to trouble yourself. I heard that the goods I wanted have already been sold. Right now, I just want to know the seller's information."

As soon as he said this, the supervisor's face turned several shades darker, his brows furrowed tightly, and he looked at Qian Wu again with obvious suspicion and questioning in his eyes.

Qian Wu was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly, almost swearing to the heavens: "Supervisor, please be aware! It really has nothing to do with me! I don't know anything!"

Zhuge Shi then spoke up, "It has nothing to do with him. I'm only asking you, will you give me the seller's information or not?"

The manager's smile vanished completely, replaced by an expression that was a mixture of displeasure and determination. He smiled helplessly, but his tone hardened: "Sir, you've put us in a difficult position. Our Pinxin Pavilion owes its success to our reputation! All transactions are completed on a cash-on-delivery basis; there's absolutely no reason for us to disclose customer information. This is our rule, our bottom line. We cannot comply!"

Zhuge Shi's eyes instantly turned cold.

She didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, but time was of the essence. The whereabouts of the bone tiger's corpse were unknown, and now that she had finally found the person in charge, she had to get a clue as soon as possible, even if it meant using some extreme measures.

“In that case,” Zhuge Shi slowly stood up, a dangerous aura emanating from him, “you’ll probably have to make an exception for yourself today.”

"What do you want? To threaten me?"

The manager's face darkened. As the manager of the Concubine's Heart Pavilion, he was no pushover, and a formidable aura rose from his body.

Before he could finish speaking, the supervisor struck first, sending a sharp gust of wind through the air as he slapped Zhuge Shi with his palm!

He planned to strike first and subdue the troublemaking woman first!
Zhuge Shi was prepared. She took a half-step back as gracefully as a willow catkin. At the same time, she flicked her slender hand and unleashed a skillful force, which not only neutralized the opponent's palm strike but also pulled the opponent away with the force!
Bang!
The supervisor felt a surge of powerful force, lost his footing, and was knocked back by Zhuge Shi's palm strike, crashing into the screen behind him and falling to the ground!
"Guards! There's troublemaker here!" the supervisor shouted, both shocked and furious.

The commotion in the private room had already alerted the guards outside.

Immediately, seven or eight burly thugs wielding clubs, swords, and knives surged in from all directions, completely blocking the entrance to the private room, their fierce gazes fixed on Zhuge Shi.

Zhuge Shi remained calm in the face of danger, knowing that protracted fighting here was not the best strategy.

She swayed, grabbed the supervisor from the ground, and leaped directly from the window like a swallow, landing in the lobby on the first floor.

"Ah!" the supervisor exclaimed, as Zhuge Shi involuntarily dragged him down from the second floor, leaving him sprawled on the first-floor floor in a disheveled state.

"Catch her!"

"Don't let her get away!"

The thugs shouted and rushed down the stairs, or even jumped down from the second floor, surrounding Zhuge Shi and the manager.

However, just as Zhuge Shi was about to seize the supervisor and forcibly take him away for questioning, the supervisor, who had been thrown around in a daze, had a ruthless glint in his eyes and slammed his hands on the ground!
Om-!
An invisible energy fluctuation instantly spread out from him!
Suddenly, complex and eerie runes lit up the floor, walls, and even the ceiling of the hall!

The protective and trapping formations pre-set by the Concubine's Heart Workshop have been activated!

A pale yellow light curtain, like an inverted bowl, instantly enveloped the front half of the entire hall, blocking all exits.

At the same time, a powerful pressure descended like a mountain, pressing heavily on Zhuge Shi, making her movements sluggish and significantly suppressing the flow of power within her body.

"It's a formation!"

Zhuge Shi's heart sank.

His original peak Wood Realm strength was suppressed.

She hadn't expected that the Concubine's Pavilion would have such a powerful formation.

Taking advantage of the suppression effect of the formation, the surrounding thugs swarmed forward again, wielding swords, clubs, and other weapons at Zhuge Shi.

Although Zhuge Shi was suppressed, his own strength was formidable, and he was still able to barely cope. With flashes of sword light, he blocked the incoming weapons and occasionally counterattacked, forcing a few people back.

However, the pressure from the formation was increasing, her space for movement was being constantly compressed, and the situation was becoming more and more critical.

The fierce fight had already turned the entire hall into chaos, with guests screaming and scattering for cover, and tables and chairs overturned everywhere.

Just then, two powerful auras suddenly rose from the direction of the backyard. The next moment, two middle-aged men, one tall and one short, dressed in fine clothes and with gloomy faces, appeared on the second-floor railing, coldly looking down at Zhuge Shi, who was fighting with the thugs below.

They are the head and second-in-command of the Concubine's Den!
Qian Wu scrambled down the stairs, trying to smooth things over: "Boss! Second Boss! It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! This is..."

"Get out of the way!" The second-in-command casually waved his hand, and a burst of energy knocked Qian Wu to the ground, overturning a table and leaving cups and plates in disarray.

"Treat this man and the woman causing trouble as accomplices, arrest them both!" He didn't give Qian Wu a chance to explain.

Qian Wu was roughly held down by two thugs, and he shouted anxiously, "I am a subordinate of Yuwen Wuji, the adopted son of Tianji Pavilion! You can't do this to me!"

Upon hearing this, the leader merely glanced at him coldly, his eyes completely unmoved.

The title of the adopted son of Tianji Pavilion is indeed intimidating, but the subordinates under him have no face at all.

At the same time, on the battlefield.

Suppressed by the formation and surrounded by numerous thugs, Zhuge Shi's hair was slightly disheveled and her breathing was a little rapid, but her eyes remained firm.

She knew she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Drink!" she shouted, drawing her sword.

Drawing the sword means that you will no longer hold back.

The longsword flashed with a dazzling sword flower, and at the same time, the amplification array patterns on her body, which Ding Hui had carefully inscribed and which had become one with her flesh and blood, suddenly lit up with a dazzling light!

An aura nearly twice as powerful as before suddenly erupted from her body!

The sword's momentum instantly became incomparably fierce. With a single swing, the sword energy surged and sent four or five thugs flying, along with their weapons!

This sudden surge in strength caused the attacking thugs to falter, and also caused the top and second-in-commands upstairs to show expressions of surprise.

The second-in-command stared at the shimmering array light on Zhuge Shi's body, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in his eyes. He whispered, "Brother, this array fluctuation... seems to be... Master Ouyang's method?"

The leader's eyes were solemn as he slowly nodded, about to speak.

At this moment——

"Gas explosion..."

boom! ! !
A deafening roar suddenly came from the main gate, which was sealed off by the array of light!

It was as if an invisible bomb had exploded there, and the solid pale yellow light curtain shattered into countless points of light, just like fragile glass!

The tightly closed, heavy wooden door was torn to shreds by the violent shockwave, sending wood chips flying everywhere!

"...Tianxuan!!"

A violent, spiraling energy swept in like a tornado, lifting the thugs blocking the doorway, along with nearby tables, chairs, screens, and decorations, into the air, leaving the scene in complete disarray!
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, two figures charged into the battlefield like sharp blades cleaving through the waves!

(End of this chapter)