Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

Li Yu left with the Fifth Princess, who kept turning back to look at him.

Before leaving, the Third Prince of the Great Zhou slapped a silver note on the counter with a face value large enough to buy half of Qingniu Town, dazzling the shopkeeper.

He specifically instructed the manager to clear out the quietest and most spacious courtyard in the Tianzi restaurant so that these two distinguished guests could be well taken care of.

Li Qingge was being dragged out by her own elder brother, who was pulling her by the sleeve. Her eyes were still glued to Su Qing, and she kept spouting nonsense like "Young Master Su's talent is unparalleled" and "I will definitely visit him to learn from him another day."

Even after they boarded the carriage, the curtain was still slightly ajar, revealing a pair of reluctant eyes.

Su Qing waved goodbye with a smile, holding the tattered folding fan, until the carriage turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Only then did she turn her gaze away and casually tuck the folding fan back into her waistband.

"Let's go, Gu Dacaizi." Su Qing stretched, his originally upright scholarly posture instantly slumped, exuding an indescribable languor. "Since someone's paying, let's enjoy the taste of the capital's number one den of iniquity."

With the hot-handed Six Doors waist token tucked in his arms, Gu Xiang's mind was filled with the sinister constable and the mysterious national advisor that Li Yu had mentioned.

He followed behind Su Qing like a frightened quail, shrinking his neck as he walked into the inn.

This Drunken Immortal Abode truly lives up to its reputation as the top establishment in the capital; even the cracks in the paving stones exude a fragrance of perfume.

Upon entering the top-tier courtyard, the waiter diligently served tea and snacks, but Su Qing casually rewarded him with a golden melon seed to send him away.

Once the gate is closed, the world becomes quiet.

Gu Xiang plopped down on the stone bench, took out his waist token with a worried look, placed it on the table, and stared blankly at the bloodstains on it.

"Brother Su... Brother Su," Gu Xiang still called her that, even though he knew she was a female demon who could twist a person's skull off. "What do you think the Imperial Advisor is up to? My heart is pounding, I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

Su Qing ignored him.

She walked straight into the main room, an extremely luxurious bedroom with a thick woolen carpet on the floor that felt soft and fluffy, like walking on clouds.

In the middle of the room was a huge bath tub, next to which was a screen painted with pictures of ladies, and incense burner burning precious ambergris.

"It's so hot!"

Su Qing muttered something.

She felt extremely uncomfortable pretending to be a man all the way.

Although illusions can conceal one's form, the cloth strips binding the chest are still genuinely tight around the body.

To maintain that image of a refined gentleman, she even had to walk with an air of nonchalance, which was completely contrary to her foxy nature.

Gu Xiang was restless in the courtyard. Seeing that Su Qing had been inside for a long time without making a sound, he couldn't help but stand up.

"Brother Su? Should we discuss a strategy? Although Brother Li went to the palace to gather information, we can't just sit here and wait to die. What if the Imperial Advisor sends someone tonight..."

Gu Xiang muttered to himself as he pushed open the door.

"Squeak—"

The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Gu Xiang stepped one foot across the threshold, and the words she was about to say came to an abrupt halt, like a duck being choked.

The room was dimly lit, but the setting sun streamed in through the window, casting an ambiguous golden-red hue over everything.

Su Qing stood with her back to the doorway in front of the screen painted with portraits of ladies.

Her blue robe had been mostly removed, hanging loosely around her waist. The jade crown that had originally been used to tie her hair was casually tossed on the table, and her long, ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching all the way to her waist.

As Gu Xiang pushed open the door, Su Qing just happened to raise her hand and untie the last restraint.

The illusion is broken.

The once unremarkable scholar's back view underwent a breathtaking transformation in that instant.

His shoulders were thin and rounded, and the lines of his back were as beautiful as a landscape painting drawn in one stroke.

The waist that was originally bound was now completely stretched out, so thin that it seemed impossible to grasp, extending downwards in a breathtaking arc.

The worst part was that she was turning her head to the side.

The handsome face that originally belonged to "Young Master Su" now seemed to have been redrawn by a divine hand.

Her eyebrows and eyes became long and alluring, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, exuding a natural charm.

Her lips were naturally red without any makeup, and they were slightly parted, as if she were panting.

The thin white undergarment hung precariously on her shoulders, revealing large expanses of smooth, white skin that shimmered with a warm glow in the setting sun, even more dazzling than the finest mutton-fat jade in the capital.

Gu Xiang froze completely.

His mind went blank; all the Confucian classics he had read over the past twenty years were now fed to the dogs.

All notions of "do not look at what is improper" and "the separation of men and women" were shattered by the extremely impactful scene before them.

He felt his throat was dry and his heart felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

Su Qing turned around when she heard the noise.

Unlike ordinary women who would scream or try to hide, she leaned lazily against the screen, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and she looked at the dumbfounded scholar at the door with a half-smile.

"Is it pretty?"

Her voice was no longer a deliberately disguised clear male voice, but had returned to its natural tone.

Soft, languid, with a slightly hoarse tone, like a cat's paw gently scratching at the tip of your heart.

Gu Xiang nodded subconsciously, then shook his head violently.

"well……"

He stammered, unable to speak, only feeling a rush of heat to his head.

Su Qing chuckled softly, her bare feet stepping onto the carpet as she walked towards Gu Xiang.

As she moved, her loose inner garment swayed gently with her movements, revealing glimpses of her arousing curves.

A faint, delicate fragrance wafted over, not the smell of cosmetics, but an indescribable natural body scent, like orchids after the rain, or like a ripe peach.

Gu Xiang wanted to retreat, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot and he couldn't move.

Su Qing walked up to him, so close that they could feel each other's breath.

She extended a finger and gently lifted Gu Xiang's chin.

"Master Gu, weren't you quite the talkative one at the poetry gathering? Why are you suddenly mute?"

Gu Xiang was forced to raise her head and look directly at that stunningly beautiful face so close to hers.

Those eyes seemed to hold hooks, as if they wanted to steal his soul.

'I...I...' Gu Xiang's face was flushed, her eyes darting around in a panic, yet she couldn't help but glance at that patch of white skin. 'Confucius said... Do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper, do not...'

"What indecent assault?" Su Qing leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against Gu Xiang's face. "Weren't you watching so intently just now? Your eyes were practically popping out of your head."

Gu Xiang felt like he was about to explode.

He felt only that he was a sinner, a lecher who had blasphemed the teachings of the sages.

But... but it's really beautiful!

That kind of beauty is not the fragility of ordinary women, but a beauty full of wildness and aggression.

Like a spider lily blooming on the edge of a cliff, it is known to be poisonous, yet people can't help but want to get closer.

"Clouds...clouds remind me of her clothes, flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy..."

Gu Xiang recited this line of poetry as if possessed.

After he finished reading it, he was stunned.

Su Qing burst out laughing.

That smile seemed to bring spring to the whole room.

"Oh, so you still remember to be pretentious at a time like this?" Su Qing slid her finger down Gu Xiang's chin to his Adam's apple and gently pressed it. "Looks like you haven't gone stupid from reading too much."

Gu Xiang felt a tingling sensation in his Adam's apple, and his whole body went limp.

Just then, he felt a heat under his nose.

When I reached out and touched it, my hand was covered in bright red blood.

I have a nosebleed.

Gu Xiang looked at the blood on her hands, her mind went blank, and she felt ashamed and indignant.

"Oh dear, why are you so easily teased?" Su Qing feigned surprise, covering her mouth, but couldn't hide the teasing in her eyes. "Brother Gu, your self-control is lacking. This is nothing. If you really saw the whole thing later, wouldn't you be splattered with blood on the spot?"

Gu Xiang frantically covered her nose, backing away while stammering, "No...no...I'm just feeling hot! Yes! I've been traveling too much lately, that's why I'm feeling hot! It's definitely not because...because..."

"Why?" Su Qing pressed closer, cornering him against the doorframe. "Because I'm too good-looking?"

With nowhere left to retreat, Gu Xiang pressed his back tightly against the door frame, his face showing a look of resignation to his fate.

"Miss Su... Miss Su! Please have some self-respect!"

He closed his eyes and shouted loudly, trying to use his voice to cover up his guilty conscience.

Su Qing found his expression extremely amusing.

This scholar, though terrified, acted entirely on his own. His inner energy surged wildly within him, clearly indicating his mental turmoil.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore."

Su Qing withdrew her hand, turned around, and walked back behind the screen.

"Close the door, I'm going to take a shower. If you want to watch, stand guard at the door. If you dare to peek..."

A rustling sound came from behind the screen, followed by the sound of water entering the screen.

"I'll gouge out your eyes and eat them with my drinks."

Gu Xiang felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

He leaned against a pillar outside the door, panting heavily, his heart still pounding.

too frightening.

This isn't a fox spirit, this is a deadly demon!

Gu Xiang raised her hand to wipe the blood from her nose, looking at her hand covered in red, she felt like crying.

"Gu Xiang, Gu Xiang, you're aiming for the top scholar title, how can you be so lacking in self-control?" He muttered to himself in self-reproach. "The sage said, 'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form...' But... but it really is white..."

He slapped himself hard.

"Dirty!"

Just then, Su Qing's lazy voice came from inside the room.

"Gu Xiang".

Gu Xiang shuddered and immediately stood up straight: "Yes! What are your orders, Miss Su?"

I'm hungry.

Su Qing's voice came out along with the splashing water, making Gu Xiang blush again.

"Go tell the waiter to bring some food. Remember, two roast chickens. If you miss one, I'll eat you."

"Yes! I'll go right away!"

Gu Xiang seemed to have received an imperial edict and rushed out of the courtyard as if fleeing.

Running down to the lobby, the cold wind calmed Gu Xiang's restless heart a little.

He touched his still burning cheeks, but he couldn't shake the scene from his mind.

That cascading long hair, that breathtaking silhouette, and those mesmerizing eyes.

I used to think of Brother Su as a chivalrous knight-errant, but after I learned that she was a woman, I still thought of her as a formidable female knight-errant.

It wasn't until just now that he truly realized that the one in the room was a genuine vixen.

Moreover, she's a vixen who can melt a person's bones.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" The waiter asked with a strange look, looking at Gu Xiang, whose face was flushed and whose nostrils were stuffed with two wads of cloth.

Gu Xiang snapped out of his daze and coughed awkwardly, "Two roast chickens, the fatty kind. And...and a pot of iced tea, the colder the better."

"Okay!"

The waiter called out and went to the kitchen.

Gu Xiang found a corner to sit down and was about to drink some water to calm his nerves when he suddenly caught a glimpse of several people walking in through the door.

The group of people were dressed in ordinary clothes and looked like ordinary people, but Gu Xiang keenly noticed that their footsteps were extremely light and they landed without making a sound.

Moreover, everyone's waist was bulging, obviously hiding something.

Most importantly, their eyes.

Gu Xiang was all too familiar with that look in his eyes.

Back in Black Wind Stronghold, that's how the bandits looked at people—like they were looking at a pig or sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

As soon as these people entered, their eyes swept around the lobby before finally settling on Gu Xiang.

Gu Xiang's heart skipped a beat.

Could he be one of the Imperial Advisor's men?

No, if it were the Imperial Advisor arresting someone, he would have just sent the Six Doors or the Imperial Guards. Why bother with all this sneaking around?

The group exchanged glances, then casually walked over to Gu Xiang's table.

Gu Xiang's hand unconsciously reached into his pocket, where he kept Li San's waist token.

"Hey young man, wanna share a table?"

The leader of the group asked with a smile, while his hand was already on Gu Xiang's shoulder. The grip was so strong that Gu Xiang's bones ached.

Gu Xiang forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, despite the pain: "This...this table is so big, please make yourselves at home."

The man sat down, lowered his voice, and said in a tone only Gu Xiang could hear, "Someone paid to kill you. If you know what's good for you, come with us. Don't force us to take action in a place like this."

Gu Xiang's heart sank to the bottom.

Buying a life?

He was a complete stranger in the capital, so who else could he have offended besides that second-in-command?

Could it be that the remnants of Black Wind Stronghold have chased us all the way to the capital?

"Brothers, is there some misunderstanding?" Gu Xiang tried to stall for time. "I'm just a poor scholar, I have no money..."

"Enough nonsense!" The man pulled a short knife from his sleeve and pressed it against Gu Xiang's lower back. "Go!"

Gu Xiang's whole body stiffened.

He tried to shout, but the knife tip had already pierced his clothes, the cold touch against his skin.

Just then, footsteps came from the stairwell.

The footsteps were light, yet rhythmic.

Da, da, da.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it.

A woman dressed in red was seen slowly walking down the stairs.

Her hair was wet and draped over her shoulders, and she held a half-eaten chicken leg in her hand. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, yet it also carried a lazy, sleepy quality.

It was Su Qing.

She seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the lobby, and walked straight to Gu Xiang's table, throwing the half-eaten chicken leg onto it.

"Gu Xiang, why are you taking so long to buy me a roast chicken? Do you want me to starve?"

The men stared in disbelief.

The leader swallowed hard, leering at Su Qing. "Wow, this young lady's got some hot stuff. What, is she your lover?"

Su Qing tilted her head, glanced at the man, and then at the short knife pressed against Gu Xiang's waist.

She suddenly laughed.

That smile was captivating.

"Your lover?" She extended a finger and lightly tapped the blade of the dagger. "You bunch of rotten sweet potatoes and stinking eggs, do you think you're worthy to touch my people?"

Before she could finish speaking, she flicked her finger lightly.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound.

That steel dagger shattered into pieces, just like glass.

This scene is exactly as the storyteller described:

Her green robe faded, revealing her smooth skin; her vertical pupils startled the infatuated scholar.

The bright red nose could not be concealed, yet they said the two roast chickens were late.

A red-clad figure suddenly descended from the top of the building, severing a steel corpse with a flick of his fingertips.

Behold the alluring fox spirit, and laugh as she asks the wicked rats when their days are numbered.