The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

In the backyard of an inconspicuous silk shop in the south of the city.

The accounting room was brightly lit. "Jiangling Fox" Hu Sanniang was frowning as she stared at several thick ledgers. Rong Jiaojiao hadn't returned to send a message yet, making her inexplicably uneasy. Her fingers unconsciously twirled the abacus beads, making a soft clicking sound.

Suddenly, the back window slid open silently.

Hu San Niang reacted extremely quickly, pressing her hand sharply against the hidden mechanism under the table!

"laugh--"

A sword light, darker than the night, flashed so fast it seemed like a phantom, precisely grazing her wrist. A sharp pain shot through her; Hu San Niang didn't even see who had struck her, only feeling an icy chill instantly freeze her movements and voice. Then, a numbness shot through the back of her neck, and her consciousness plunged into endless darkness. In the instant she fell, a glimpse out of the corner of her eye revealed Bai Qing'er, the beautiful but cold-eyed woman she had seen before beside Rong Jiaojiao, flashing through the doorway, and before Bai Qing'er stood a noble-looking girl wielding a blood-dripping short sword!
Several shadow guards flashed in like ghosts, quickly took control of the scene, and searched through confidential documents, their movements silent and efficient.

…………

At the West City Wharf, in the hold of a seemingly ordinary cargo ship.

"Jiujiang Loach" Liu Shuigui was polishing a water-splitting dagger by the dim light of an oil lamp. He was short and stocky, with dark skin and eyes like those of a ferocious beast lurking at the bottom of the river. The water gently lapped against the hull, and his ears twitched. His years of experience licking blood off the water's edge allowed him to detect an extremely faint sound that didn't belong to the current or the hull.

He abruptly blew out the oil lamp, his body shrinking into the shadows like a slippery eel, the water-splitting dagger held horizontally across his chest.

"boom!"

The hatch was smashed open by a tremendous force!

The light of the moon and torches instantly flooded in!

Liu Shuigui's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he was about to attack when he saw Bai Qing'er standing at the door! His heart trembled, and he blurted out, "Miss Bai? You..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw behind Bai Qing'er the girl's face, which appeared particularly cold in the torchlight, and behind her several men in black with imposing auras, wielding strange hook-and-chain weapons.

Liu Shuigui instantly understood something, his heart sank to the bottom, and in despair, he unleashed his ferocity.

"I will fight with you!"

He let out a strange cry, and the Water-Splitting Thorn flashed with a cold light, rushing straight at Shan Wanjing, who seemed to be the weakest!
"court death!"

With a sharp cry, Shan Wanjing advanced instead of retreating. In her hands, instead of her usual longsword, she wielded a pair of exquisite yet sharp foot-long daggers. Her movements were as agile as a butterfly flitting among flowers, dodging the sharp points of the Water-Splitting Thorn. The daggers, like the spitting tongue of a venomous snake, instantly pierced Liu Shuigui's wrist!

"Crack!"

The sound of bones shattering accompanied Liu Shuigui's piercing scream. Before he could change his move, Shan Wanjing's other short dagger followed like a shadow, precisely piercing a vital point under his ribs, instantly severing all his strength. The hooks of the two shadow guards coiled around him like poisonous vines, locking him firmly in place.

Bai Qing'er stared expressionlessly at Liu Shuigui, who lay convulsing on the ground like a dead fish. Her eyes held no emotion, only the cold indifference of someone who had completed their mission. She strode to a hidden compartment inside the cabin, expertly opened it, and retrieved a stack of secret documents wrapped in oiled paper. She presented them to Shan Wanjing with both hands.
"Young Master Shan, these are copies of secret letters exchanged between Rong Jiaojiao and Xiao Xian's naval commanders, as well as a partial list of spies."

Dan Wanjing took it; it felt slightly heavy in her hand. Watching Bai Qing'er's practiced movements, she gained a deeper understanding of the woman's cunning and ruthlessness, and also a more profound appreciation of Yi Huawei's necessity for her to control the situation. She glanced at the roster and said coldly:
"According to the list, leave no one behind."

That night, the stench of blood quietly permeated certain corners of Baling City.

Bai Qing'er, like the most precise hunting dog, led Shan Wanjing and the sharpest claws of the Dongming Sect, darting through the night. She knew every secret stronghold of Rong Jiaojiao and the habits and weaknesses of every confidant. Identification, raids, captures, or killings... Rong Jiaojiao's seven most core and loyal confidants in the Jianghuai intelligence network were either captured or killed on the spot. All key strongholds were eliminated, and important secret files, rosters, and communication channels were swiftly taken over and sealed by the Dongming Sect's shadow guards.

...............

After Shan Wanjing left, only Yi Huawei and Shan Meixian remained in the courtyard. Dusk fell, and a cool breeze from the river added to the tranquility.

Yi Huawei turned his gaze to Shan Meixian: "Meixian, come here."

Shan Meixian was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing through her mind, but she still stepped forward as instructed, stood in front of Yi Huawei, bowed her head slightly, and said respectfully, "Young Master."

"Close your eyes."

Shan Meixian's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. Close her eyes? Close her eyes in front of the young master? This sudden request caught her off guard. As the matriarch of the Dongming Sect, having ruled a powerful force for many years, she was used to maintaining her dignity and composure in front of others. Even when facing the young master, whose martial arts were unfathomable, she had never had such... intimate and slightly commanding contact.

A slight panic, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, rippled through her heart. Shan Meixian subconsciously bit her full lower lip, her long eyelashes fluttering like startled butterfly wings. Finally, with a barely perceptible hesitation, she obediently closed her eyes.

The world instantly plunged into a hazy darkness. Losing her sight, her other senses became unusually acute. She could clearly hear her slightly rapid heartbeat, feel the cool evening breeze on her cheek, and… the unique, pure, and indescribable aura emanating from the young master seemed to envelop her. Just as her heartstrings tightened, she felt the young master's slender fingers, cool to the touch, gently rest on her forehead. The touch was incredibly soft, like a feather brushing against her skin, yet it made her involuntarily stiffen slightly.

An indescribable tingling sensation instantly spread from the point of contact, rushing straight to the top of her head. She could even feel a slight warmth rising from the base of her ears. How many years had it been? Apart from when her daughter was young, no one had ever touched her cheek like this. Even though she knew that the young master's action must have a deeper meaning and was by no means frivolous, the reserve and shyness belonging to a mature woman still quietly grew in her heart, causing her fingers, hidden in her wide sleeves, to unconsciously curl up slightly.

Immediately afterward, Yi Huawei's movements became fluid and rhythmic, like flowing water. She felt his cool fingertips tapping, brushing, or gently pressing across her face. Sometimes his brow was gently massaged, bringing a strange sense of relaxation; sometimes his cheekbones were covered with a delicate powder carrying a special cool scent; the sides of his nose seemed to be subtly sculpted, bringing a slight pressure; his jawline was also carefully outlined and adjusted… Each touch was precise and brief. She could clearly sense extremely faint yet real streams of true energy seeping into her flesh and bones with the young master's fingertips, like the most skillful carving knife silently sculpting.

The feeling was both novel and tinged with a secret thrill. Shan Meixian tried to remain calm and steady her breathing, but her slightly accelerated heartbeat and the uncontrollable warmth on her cheeks clearly told the story of her inner turmoil.

Throughout the entire process, Shan Meixian held her breath, not daring to move an inch, like a delicate jade sculpture. The darkness amplified all her senses, and also amplified that hidden shyness.

She could even imagine the young master's focused and calm gaze falling on her face... This thought seemed to raise the temperature of her cheeks even higher. She could only concentrate all her attention on maintaining her body's stability and breathing rhythm, trying to ignore the subtle, unsettling touch from his fingertips.

"All right!"

Yi Huawei's voice broke the silence.

Shan Meixian felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately opened her eyes. After having her eyes closed for a long time, the sudden light made her squint instinctively, and then she eagerly looked at the bronze mirror that Yi Huawei had brought.

The reflection in the mirror startled her slightly, even with her calm demeanor; a clear look of surprise flashed across her eyes.

The woman in the mirror was no longer the elegant and dignified matriarch of the Dongming Sect. Her originally soft and delicate features had been subtly softened to appear more masculine, and her complexion was slightly darker, conveying a sense of weariness from years of travel. Her eyebrows were drawn more sharply, like a sword drawn from its sheath, and her nose seemed even higher and more prominent, adding a touch of masculine spirit.

The most significant change lay in his demeanor. The gentle grace, dignity, and worldly wisdom of a mature woman were subtly concealed and reshaped by the disguise and the unique inner energy infused by Yi Huawei. In its place was a refined, reserved, and somewhat aloof scholarly air, coupled with the composure of a scion of a noble family. His eyes remained deep, seemingly containing wisdom, but they had lost some of their feminine charm, gaining instead the sharpness, scrutiny, and subtle arrogance of a young talent. He seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, becoming a well-mannered and distinguished young nobleman.

"Young master... what is this?"

Shan Meixian's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of amazement at the incredible skill of the disguise, bewilderment at her unfamiliar appearance, and... the lingering emotional turmoil from their secret encounter. She truly didn't understand why the young master had chosen to disguise himself so thoroughly.

Yi Huawei had already put away those strange tools with clean, efficient movements, as if the exquisite "carving" he had just done was nothing more than a trivial matter. His tone was flat: "Let's go out for a walk. You... are too conspicuous. Go change your clothes."

It is concise and to the point, without any intention to explain.

"Yes!"

With a start, Shan Meixian suppressed her myriad thoughts and immediately replied.

To complement this near-perfect disguise, Shan Meixian quickly changed into a moon-white brocade robe of superior quality but with a simple design. The robe was tailored to fit her perfectly, concealing her original feminine curves and further highlighting the "young master's" slender and upright figure.

A jade belt of the same color cinched her waist, outlining her sleek figure. Her long, jet-black hair was neatly tied back with a translucent jade hairpin, not a single strand out of place. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw striking features, her bearing refined and elegant, clearly a young nobleman from a prestigious family, exuding a touch of arrogance and scholarly air. Unless one was intimately familiar with the details of her features and her aura, it would be extremely difficult to recognize that this elegant young man was none other than Shan Meixian, the matriarch of the Dongming Sect!

Yi Huawei himself made some adjustments. He didn't change his appearance, but slightly toned down his overly ethereal, otherworldly air. His eyes lost some of their detached indifference and gained a touch of worldly shrewdness and affability. He changed into a dark-colored casual suit of fine material but with a more opulent style, making him look more like a young, wealthy merchant on an outing, or a less favored but well-off scion of a prominent family, appearing more "worldly" and unassuming.

By this time, the sky had completely darkened.

After inquiring with the innkeeper about the location of the city's largest den of iniquity, Yi Huawei, along with the disguised Shan Meixian, quietly blended into the bustling night of Baling City.

The daytime hustle and bustle had not completely dissipated; instead, under the cover of night, it fermented into a different kind of distorted vitality belonging to the border town.

Along the streets, lanterns hanging in front of shops lit up one after another, casting dim, swaying shadows on the stone pavement. From the taverns came the boisterous shouts of drinking games and unrestrained laughter, while the pimps outside the gambling dens clamored energetically. The air was thick with the cloying sweetness of cheap cosmetics, the sour stench of inferior liquor, the odor of sweat, and the greasy smells wafting from the various food stalls—a unique and intense atmosphere of the chaotic border town, a raw and authentic ambiance that assaulted the senses.

The patrolling soldiers, swords at their sides, had eyes as sharp as hawks, vigilantly scanning passersby. In some dark alleyways where the lights didn't reach, elusive, suspicious figures could be seen quickly disappearing, like phantoms lurking in the night.

"Cui Bi Lou" is located in the heart of this bustling area, in the most prosperous part of the city.

The three-story building, with its carved beams and painted rafters, and upturned eaves, was illuminated by countless lanterns, making it as bright as day. The decadent music of string and wind instruments and the boisterous laughter of men and women could be heard from afar, creating a jarring and absurd contrast with the somewhat dilapidated surroundings. A constant stream of carriages and people passed by the entrance, with guests of all kinds—some dressed in fine clothes, others feigning extravagance—coming and going, surrounded by fawning pimps and enthusiastically fawning young women, creating a scene of decadent, decadent luxury.

Yi Huawei walked at the front with his hands behind his back. His disguised face carried a hint of aloofness and unapproachability. His eyes were calm and still, like a deep pool, as he lightly swept over the heavily made-up, melodious welcoming girls and the busy pimps.

Half a step behind, the "young master" Shan Meixian followed closely. She tried her best to imitate the demeanor of a scion of a noble family, slightly raising her chin, her eyes carrying a moderate reserve and a hint of sharp scrutiny that was barely perceptible. Although Shan Meixian was born into the Yin Kui Sect and had seen many brothels, this was the first time she had ever been to a brothel as a "young master," and she couldn't help but feel a little awkward and out of place. Her hands, hidden in the wide sleeves of her brocade robe, clenched slightly, and although she tried her best to maintain a composed pace, a hint of stiffness inadvertently showed through.

Especially when those scantily clad girls swayed their hips, their strong perfumes wafting around them intentionally or unintentionally, she almost instinctively wanted to back away, yet she forcibly restrained herself. Her gaze would subconsciously and quickly shift elsewhere; that slightly awkward reaction unexpectedly fit the image of a young nobleman, new to the ways of the world and feigning aloofness. (End of Chapter)