CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 368, WIND SPIRIT MOON SHADOW SECT

"Hehehe~"

On the flat official road, a tall and robust black steed galloped swiftly, its four hooves flying, resembling a mass of dark clouds skimming the ground.

The sleek satin-like coat reflected a pearlescent gleam under the sunlight, with its streamlined body showing clearly defined muscles. Despite the high-speed race, the rider felt little bumpiness and instead let out a bell-like laughter.

Holding the reins and looking at the little girl squealing excitedly in his arms, Zhu Haomiao couldn’t help but smile indulgently.

As a canary locked away in the imperial palace since birth, this was her first time stepping into the outside world and witnessing the vast expanse of the real world.

"Brother, what’s that?"

"Brother, can we eat this?"

"Ahhh! Brother, Diao Chan is biting unfamiliar bugs again!"

"Good bug, love bug, tree, tree~"

"I won’t eat it! I won’t eat it! Don’t... yuck~ spit spit spit~"

..........

Zhao Nuo turned into a curious baby, tagging along with Diao Chan and making the originally boring journey filled with laughter and joy.

Without rushing directly to the destination, Zhu Haomiao took Zhao Nuo on a journey along the way, letting her see the blooming flowers and also the worldly suffering.

Gradually, the little girl became more steady, and in her lively and innocent eyes, she occasionally showed thoughts beyond her years.

"Brother, isn’t it said that the Demon Sect does all sorts of evil?"

"Why are there such prosperous cities near the Demon Sect’s headquarters?"

The black steed walked on the bustling street, Zhao Nuo nestled in Zhu Haomiao’s arms, quietly observing the bustling crowd around with a barely detectable voice.

"The rabbit doesn’t eat grass near its nest. Moreover, under the distorted prosperity, it’s built upon the blood, tears, and skeletons of countless lowly people. You must learn to see through appearances and observe the essence."

Zhu Haomiao glanced around; his deep and mysterious eyes reflected the ever-present miasma of sin, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips.

"The best are gathered, young and old all around, each one a talent..."

Murmuring to himself, the steed beneath him walked to a luxurious tavern, and Zhu Haomiao reined in, carrying the little girl dressed as a scholar down.

A waiter immediately came up, taking over the reins from him.

"Feed it with the best essence mixed with eggs and beef."

"Snort~"

Hearing this, the black steed snorted, tugging at the young man’s sleeve gently.

Understanding immediately that this fellow craved wine again, Zhu Haomiao glared at it, then turned to the waiter.

"Get it a jar of rice wine."

"Nay nay nay~"

"Two jars!"

"Nay~"

"Enough! If you drink any more, I’ll be riding drunk!"

Ignoring Wuzhui’s aggrieved whine, Zhu Haomiao signaled two fingers to the waiter.

"Just two jars!"

"Uh... sure, guest, please come inside!"

As the waiter led Wuzhui away for rest, Zhu Haomiao took Zhao Nuo into the tavern. Their striking and beautiful figures immediately attracted countless gazes.

Greed, coveting, excitement, venom, jealousy...

All kinds of beastly stares surged forward, but Zhu Haomiao, as if no one was there, found a table to sit at.

That invisible, lofty and arrogant demeanor, coupled with his understated yet luxurious dark black attire, made most people quickly realize this young man was probably not to be messed with, and unfortunately, they dismissed various bold ideas.

But there were always some with no eye power who shamelessly approached, relying on some laughable backups.

"This gentleman seems unfamiliar, is this your first time in Xiangdu?"

Looking at the youth in white, whose face showed a sullen expression, eyes filled with lewdness, Zhu Haomiao pondered for a moment, not wanting to alert the snake, and raised his hand directly in disregard.

"Waiter, order some food."

On the other side, seeing the youth outright ignoring his presence, the white-clothed youth’s venomous look flickered quickly, but he masked it with a smile in an instant.

"The Holy Sect Heavenly Meeting is about to convene soon. May I know which sect you belong to? Have you received an invitation?"

Feeling impatient, Zhu Haomiao glanced at him nonchalantly.

"Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect, Feng Zhaobai."

A second of daze, the white-clothed youth’s mind raced rapidly, but no matter how he hassled his brain, he couldn’t recall any Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect, finally forcing a smile.

"So it’s Mr. Feng, long admired, long admired, I’m Nangong Jie, under the left emissary of the Holy Sect, known in Jianghu as Mr. Lianhua."

Hearing this, Zhu Haomiao hesitated for a few seconds, then honestly shook his head.

"Never heard of it."

"......"

Half a second of awkwardness, Nangong Jie forced a smile.

"Mr. Feng’s dedication to cultivation is truly admirable."

After forcing a few awkward conversations, Nangong Jie glanced at Zhao Nuo, dressed as a scholar with curious and demure eyes, and a fervent heat surged in his eyes.

"Mr. Feng, this attendant of yours is truly a gem, would you consider letting me have her for a hundred taels of gold?"

Initially expecting his cover to be blown, unexpectedly this guy’s target was Zhao Nuo, so Zhu Haomiao rolled his eyes internally and replied crossly.

"Not for sale!"

Without any hesitation, Nangong Jie pulled a delicate and charming girl in male clothing and pushed her towards Zhu Haomiao.

"Then would Mr. Feng consider exchanging attendants with mine for a few days to fulfill a refined matter?"

"......"

Seeing the ’girl’s barely noticeable Adam’s apple and alluring shy eyes, Zhu Haomiao looked at Nangong Jie with indescribable speechlessness.

He knew the upper echelons of this world played wild games, but he didn’t expect it to be this wild!

Only now did Zhu Haomiao remember that, to prevent inheritance issues, attendants often doubled as bed warmers in this world.

Friends exchanging them for a play was common practice.

To put it bluntly, in many eyes of the upper echelon, they were just pregnancy-free toys.

"How about it? My attendant is also an exquisite beauty, with unmatched skills in serving. I assure you, Mr. Feng, you’ll be captivated..."

With such absurd words echoing, Zhu Haomiao looked at Zhao Nuo showing an expression of ’Though I don’t understand, I’m greatly shocked’, sighed painfully, and squeezed out a word through clenched teeth.

"Scram!"

The low cold shout hovered gently, and the noisy hall abruptly quieted, with the white-clothed youth’s face suddenly turning gloomy.

The mocking glances around seemed to ridicule his overestimation, causing his face to burn.

But quickly quelling his shame and anger, Nangong Jie, tearing off the mask, sneered venomously.

"You ungrateful wretch, there’s no one I fancy that I can’t have!"

Swoosh~

The hook-like fingers whistled towards Zhao Nuo. Just as they were about to touch her clothes, an iron fist smashed onto the claw.

Crack~

The savage fist instantly twisted the fingers into a deformed shape, with the unspent force pouring into the palm, turning the entire upper part of the wrist into a mess of bloody flesh.

Boom!

As power unleashed, Nangong Jie’s whole body became a blurred shadow, flying backward, crashing through the tavern’s wall, bouncing and scraping on the stone-paved street, only stopping when hitting the steps.