South City Street · Miao Yu Flower House

As evening approached, South City Street, which had experienced the Flower House tragedy, was no longer as lively as before, yet green lanterns were still brightly lit everywhere.

Occasionally, horses pulling carriages would pass by, leaving a trace on the bluestone road.

"This Flower House is really tall, a full nine stories!"

Lin Heng looked up, and perhaps due to the overcast clouds, he felt as if the top of the building pierced straight into the sky.

"Immortal, this Miao Yu Flower House is the most heavily invested industry in Golden Horse City. Nowadays, not just immortals, but even ordinary wealthy people come here to enjoy themselves."

The two conversed as they entered the first floor of the pavilion.

Having made prior arrangements, the Brothel Madam did not make a fuss, only instructing two girls to accompany them and serve them well.

"Chief Si, young master, this way please!"

"Are the two of you here for elegance or for the mundane?"

Seeing Lin Heng didn't understand, Chief Si chuckled and explained, "It seems the Immortal is new to this place."

"Elegance refers to listening to music in the theater, letting your mind wander, and falling into a trance of past times.

Mundane means being accompanied by a charming beauty, whispering sweet nothings into the night."

What a way to describe whispering sweet nothings into the night with such elegance! To turn the mundane into elegance, and elegance into the mundane.

"Chief Si, you really know your stuff, but this time we need to combine elegance and the mundane, so please spare no expense."

"No problem, I'll cover the Immortal's share!"

What a smooth operator!

After reaching the second floor, they dismissed the female attendants.

The nine-story pavilion occupied a vast area, with each floor being about five hundred square meters.

Each floor was exquisitely decorated, far more luxurious than ordinary flower houses.

Inside the Flower House, there was singing and dancing, with beautiful attendants moving around.

This was the most heavily invested industry in Golden Horse City, a place for officials and nobility to indulge and entertain themselves.

The Flower House had dozens of elegant rooms, as well as numerous private boxes for guests with special preferences.

At this moment, many young men and women were holding beautiful girls in their arms, drinking and making merry, either chatting and laughing or composing poems.

Lin Heng glanced around the interior of the Flower House and found the hall filled with people, most of whom were dressed in splendid attire.

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"Chief Si, why are all those people gathered together?"

"Haha, that!" Chief Si glanced over and explained, "This is a literary gathering. These people are either famous young masters of Golden Horse City or talented scholars. On this second floor, there's a talented woman named Xu Rong, who only sells her art, not her body, and is quite popular."

"Only those who can compose poems based on given objects will be granted an audience."

"She only sells her art, not her body, and yet so many people are here to support her?" Lin Heng asked in surprise.

"Oh! Immortal, we're all men here, don't you understand? The more talented and virtuous a woman is, the more people like her. The harder she is to get, the more it stirs the desire to conquer."

"Ahem." Lin Heng coughed lightly.

It seems to be true.

What you can't have always stirs the heart, while what you can easily get is often not cherished.

"Haha!" Seeing this, Chief Si quickly changed the subject, "Immortal, let's head straight to the third floor!"

"Alright."

The two stepped onto the third floor, the very place where three murder cases had occurred.

Their appearance immediately attracted the attention of many women.

Though Chief Si was nearing fifty, he still had a dignified and handsome presence, full of vigor.

Lin Heng, dressed in white, had striking features and an extraordinary demeanor, exuding a certain charm and elegance.

For a moment, everyone was entranced.

Only one woman's expression changed slightly upon seeing them, and she retreated into an elegant room with a hint of panic.

Lin Heng's heart trembled, his gaze fixed on the direction the woman retreated!

[She's a cultivator!]

[Three consecutive murders, and still not satisfied. Demonic cultivators are indeed insatiable.]

He had already formed a hypothesis, sensing the aura from the other person even from ten steps away.

Her cultivation level should be similar to his.

"Chief Si, we can proceed with the plan. Once you select an elegant room, I'll wait next door and can respond immediately if there's any disturbance."

"Alright, I'll go in first."

Chief Si called over two women and walked straight into Room Three.

Lin Heng entered the adjacent room, positioned between Chief Si's room and the room of the woman in the purple dress.

This way, he could be alert to any disturbances on either side.

The room was simply furnished with wooden tables, chairs, and a bed.

As soon as Lin Heng entered, he was greeted by a faint fragrance.

He looked around the room, and his gaze finally settled on the table.

On the table was a purple sandalwood box, emitting a faint fragrance, with the lid tightly closed, its contents unknown.

He tapped the box lightly with his index finger.

"Knock! Knock!"

Three crisp knocks echoed slowly, and after a moment, the box slowly opened.

Inside lay a jade pendant.

"A jade pendant?" Lin Heng frowned, looking around in confusion.

Could it be something left behind by the previous guest?

Lin Heng tentatively placed the jade pendant into the System Space.

As expected.

[Name: Wealth and Grain Jade Key]

[Description: Key to the City Lord's Mansion's treasury, can be used to withdraw silver with a token, or exchange for spirit coins and spirit stones at any bank in the city...]

The system provided information about the item.

Lin Heng was secretly shocked, taking the jade pendant for a closer look.

The jade pendant was round, about two inches long.

The entire pendant was a translucent, vibrant green, as clear as fine jade, clearly not an ordinary item.

"How did the City Lord's Mansion's treasury key end up here?"

Such an important item, easily left outside, he couldn't believe the jade pendant was placed on the table without other guests noticing.

The fragrance in the room was enough to prove that this elegant room had not been vacant.

What he didn't know was that his every move was being watched by people from the City Lord's Mansion.

Killing requires a reason.

Killing a cultivator naturally requires a legitimate excuse.

If a disciple on a mission harbors greed and steals treasures, even if they die as a result, outsiders would find no excuse.

Though the scheme wasn't clever, if it worked, everything would be fine.

This was the plan targeting Lin Heng.

Meanwhile, another plan targeting Yun Yao was unfolding methodically.

Lin Heng didn't hesitate, pocketing the jade pendant.

Once Ye Tian takes down the City Lord's Mansion, he could reap the benefits.

This was the wealth of an entire city, who wouldn't be tempted?

While waiting for the prey to arrive, he didn't idle, sitting on the floor and beginning to practice the "Azure Emperor's Spirit-Devouring Art," preparing to open the third Spirit Wheel.

Though two Spirit Wheels could continuously refine spiritual energy and enhance cultivation, the speed was indeed slow.

Hoping to lie back and level up automatically was currently unrealistic.

He took out an Essence Stabilizing Pill from the System Space and swallowed it.

Buzz!

In an instant, the pill's power was rapidly absorbed, and a surge of spiritual power erupted from his dantian.

The cultivation continued until late at night.

There was no movement from Chief Si's room next door, but there were occasional thumping sounds from the adjacent elegant room.

"Damn it! What is that guy next door doing, and why is the spiritual energy becoming so thin!"

The woman in the purple dress was also focused on her cultivation, intending to recover some strength before dealing with Lin Heng next door.

Unexpectedly, the spiritual energy around her seemed to be drawn away, continuously dissipating.

Forcing her to stop cultivating.

"A mere Qi Refining second-level cultivator with such means, if I could seize all his Yang Essence, I could complete my cultivation rotation and break through in just three days!"

The thought flashed through the mind of the woman in the purple dress. Originally, her goal tonight was to wait for an ordinary person to take the bait.

Coincidentally, Lin Heng went next door at this time, making her somewhat tempted.

"This person is a disciple of the Azure Pavilion Sect, so easy to obtain without any effort, it would be a waste to kill him directly!"