He chose Xiao Yu as the target after repeated deliberation.

Xiao Yu’s beauty was the greatest lure for Wei Yutian.

He was well aware that Wei Yutian was far more lustful than he was, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept three attractive maids by his side to indulge daily.

Xiao Yu belonged to the Yuan Shun Escort Agency; naturally, Wei Yutian was fearful. But as long as he helped eliminate the crisis, the lustful ghost Wei Yutian would fall into the trap without any coercion.

"The squad leader went to Yuanyang Prefecture yesterday, even if by fast horse, just counting the journey, it’ll take three days for the round trip!"

"I’ve given you the detailed layout map of the Yuan Shun Escort Agency. I’ve marked the location of Xiao Yu’s courtyard for you."

"It’s almost the end of the year; the escort agency doesn’t have much business. The escort masters have mostly gone home."

"With your martial arts, entering and leaving the escort agency is like entering an uninhabited land. Who could chase you after you abduct her?"

"Once you abduct her to the mansion, you can conduct the ceremony immediately. Before the squad leader returns, Xiao Yu would have turned into bones, and even if she were dug up, no one could identify her."

Luan Jingfu’s words stirred Wei Yutian’s lustful desires greatly. As he pondered, he found, just as Luan Jingfu said, that it seemed feasible.

"But wouldn’t the squad leader guess it was me when he returns?" Wei Yutian was caressing the lid of the tea cup, unexpectedly feeling a bit tense.

Luan Jingfu said, "As long as you don’t confess, what can the squad leader do to you?"

Wei Yutian was obviously still hesitating.

Luan Jingfu sighed, "So, as I said, it all depends on whether you have the guts or not. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it weren’t for the unrest at the hall, the squad leader wouldn’t have gone to the prefecture city at the year’s end. Miss this, and there’s no need to think about it again."

That enchanting face and graceful figure of Xiao Yu flashed through Wei Yutian’s mind again, heating up his heart...

The next afternoon, just after lunch, Sun Huang was in the yard, setting up a big iron pot, stewing beef...

The stewed beef was sealed in a jar, ready to eat throughout January. For guests, it could be stir-fried or served as a cold dish; it was a solid choice.

The aroma of stewed beef wafted through the courtyard. Sun Huang poked the beef with chopsticks, finding it thoroughly stewed, just about to take the meat out, when suddenly there was a knock at the gate.

Sun Huang put down his chopsticks and went to open the gate. Seeing the person standing at the entrance, he was momentarily stunned.

"What’s this? Escort Leader Sun, not welcoming me?" Luan Jingfu said with a smile.

"Not at all, not at all," Sun Huang immediately made way, "Mr. Luan, please come in!"

Sun Huang didn’t expect Luan Jingfu to visit.

Luan Jingfu smiled, "I won’t go in. I came to inform the Sun Escort Agency that this morning we received a message dart for Lin County. But seeing as it’s the end of the year, most escort masters are gone, and everyone deserves a good rest at New Year. My idea is for you and me to make this trip, Escort Leader Sun, if you would agree?"

Hearing this, Sun Huang felt skeptical but still smiled, "Mr. Luan personally invited me; how dare I refuse?"

Luan Jingfu laughed, "That’s good. Half an hour later, we’ll set off from the escort agency. Escort Leader Sun, you may get ready."

Having said that, Luan Jingfu turned and left. Sun Huang stood at the gate, watching Luan Jingfu’s departing figure, thoughts stirring.

Sun Huang stood there pondering, his wife in the yard, holding a freshly slaughtered fish, ready to dry it in the yard.

His wife, standing in the yard, asked, "Who came just now?"

Sun Huang turned around and said, "Mr. Luan from the escort agency visited, saying there’s a message dart to deliver, and invited me to accompany him."

"You’re always so agreeable, it’s New Year’s, why would they come to you for this instead of someone else?"

"It’s just to Lin County; I’ll be back tonight!"

His wife snorted, hung the fish in the yard, and returned to the kitchen.

Sun Huang went back to his room to change into the escort master’s attire, preparing to leave. He called out from the gate towards the kitchen, "The beef is ready. Just scoop it out."

With that, Sun Huang left the gate. His wife came out one step and spat on the ground, "Always creating trouble for me."

Luan Jingfu and Sun Huang rode their horses down West Main Street.

Typically, message darts are delivered along with goods, which is cheaper. But sending a single message dart like this is very costly. Unless it’s urgent and important, generally, people wouldn’t do it.

Moreover, the escort agency has rules: whether it’s a big or small dart, it can’t be delivered by one person, at least two people must go. If something happens, they can look after each other. To put it plainly, if someone dies, at least there’s someone to collect the body.

The afternoon on West Main Street was filled with people shopping for New Year’s goods, as the two riders trotted leisurely along.

Luan Jingfu said, "Escort Leader Sun, over the years, we’ve had some conflicts, but they were mere misunderstandings. Bringing you out this time is a gesture to reconcile, hoping we can get along in the future."

Sun Huang felt a stir in his heart. He had been guessing Luan Jingfu’s intentions, not expecting him to reveal it right after leaving the escort agency.

Sun Huang replied, "Mr. Luan, to initiate this friendship, I am flattered. In the past, I may have been stubborn and inflexible; I ask for your forbearance."

Sun Huang was speaking diplomatically, not believing Luan Jingfu genuinely wanted to reconcile.

Luan Jingfu smiled, "With those words, this trip wasn’t in vain."

In truth, Luan Jingfu brought Sun Huang to deliver the message dart in Lin County to establish an alibi. Sun Huang was a close associate of Xiao Zongting; his testimony carried weight.

With Sun Huang’s testimony, Xiao Yu’s abduction had nothing to do with him at all.

By midnight, the streets of Xianggu County were silent; night watchmen hunched down walking the streets, trembling in the cold wind...

Inside the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, the night guards yawned with crossed arms...

A patrol of guards had just passed by the Martial Arts Arena when a shadow flitted into the dark corner of a tree and leapt onto a pine tree.

Wei Yutian, dressed in night clothes with his face covered, stood on the pine tree, using the branches as cover, took out the internal layout map of the escort agency given by Luan Jingfu.

Wei Yutian peered through the dim light filtering through the branches at the spot marked with a red dot on the map. Pocketing the layout, he stood on the tree, heading toward the direction marked, which led to Xiao Zongting’s courtyard.

Wei Yutian glided silently like a nimble raccoon, landing softly in the tree shadows, before darting into the adjacent alley...

The courtyard of Xiao Zongting’s residence was pitch black, except for a faint light seeping through the window of the east wing, Xiao Yu’s boudoir.

Xiao Zongting and Zhu Xiaoqi had already gone to sleep.

But Xiao Yu was still awake, standing in her boudoir practicing the Complete Round Pile Skill.

She had been standing for several hours, her forehead slick with sweat, heat radiating from her head...

By March after the New Year, it’ll be time for the Taiyi Sect’s registered disciple selection. She hoped to reach the Inner Breath Realm Fourth Level of the Great Success Realm before then, so she had been cultivating diligently recently.

Noticing it was getting late, Xiao Yu was about to disperse her skill when suddenly a shadow flashed at the door and a masked man in night clothes stood before her as quick as lightning.

Electricity seemed to course through Xiao Yu, causing her to shiver as she shouted, "Who are you?" Almost simultaneously, she drew the blade from her waist and slashed at the intruder.

The intruder dodged, standing beside Xiao Yu, striking a palm blade toward the back of her head.

Xiao Yu’s heart chilled, realizing the intruder’s martial prowess clearly belonged to a True Qi Realm martial artist.

A sense of death flashed through Xiao Yu’s mind.

As the intruder’s palm blade struck the back of her head, Xiao Yu used her last bit of clarity, infusing inner breath, flicking her wrist to hurl the blade at the copper mirror on the dressing table beside her!

The dressing table was right by Xiao Yu. As the tip of the Qingling Saber struck the copper mirror, a crisp, resonant "dong" sound rippled through the deep night...