Chapter 19

If one were to ask which pleasure house in Maple Forest City is the most enchanting, the seasoned connoisseurs would all give you the same answer—Three Fragrances Tower.

It is not just a place with a third of the beauty of cosmetics, but a place that monopolizes a third of the world's fragrance—Three Fragrances Tower.

Even though it is just a branch.

Since its establishment, it has swept through Maple Forest City's mediocre flower and willow market like a whirlwind.

Now, the young masters of Maple Forest City can enjoy their pleasures, all thanks to Three Fragrances Tower's improvement in the business level of the city's courtesans.

It is akin to the great expert Dong A's enhancement of the educational standards of Maple Forest City's Dao Academy. Of course, this is something Zhao Rucheng would only say in private.

The current top courtesan at Three Fragrances Tower is a woman named Miaoyu.

Many people daydream about her boudoir, wishing they could crawl under her skirts. But those who have the fortune to taste her sweetness are few and far between.

On a beautifully decorated swinging bed, a middle-aged naked man lay with a passionate expression, his body moving with joy, but beneath him was clearly just a pile of bedding.

Just a pearl curtain away, a soft couch faced the swinging bed. Miaoyu, propping her chin in her hand, leaned lazily, her curves exquisitely defined. Her eyes were hazy, and it was unclear whether she noticed the middle-aged man's "self-entertainment."

A man in black knelt before the couch, reporting something respectfully.

"So, this Jiang Wang knows a highly sophisticated sword technique, but he has never shown it to anyone before?"

Her voice was lazy, like a cat just waking up, subtly stirring the heart.

The man in black knelt, never raising his head: "Indeed. I am incompetent and cannot find out where he learned it."

Miaoyu pondered, lifting her finger: "You may go."

Hearing this, the man in black pressed his forehead to the floor, his ring and little fingers curled, his thumb, index, and middle fingers forming a triangle over his heart, and softly recited: "At the bottom of the Lethe, at the depths of the Yellow Springs. The revered deity returns, illuminating the world."

He then seeped into the floor.

"A sword technique that has never appeared in Maple Forest City's Dao Academy? Passed down from which great warrior of the Sword Testing World? Or perhaps..." Miaoyu's eyes became hazy.

"Daozi..."

She thought more, farther, and more ethereally.

"At the bottom of the Lethe, at the depths of the Yellow Springs. The revered deity returns, illuminating the world."

She made the same gesture and recited the same words.

On the swinging bed, the naked man continued to move with himself, lost in a beautiful fantasy, seemingly able to sink into it forever.

...

...

At this moment, in a village far away in the Kingdom of Yong, a fierce-looking bald man was greedily gnawing on something, blood covering his mouth and hands.

From the empty hole in the chest of the fallen villager beside him... it was clear he was eating a human heart.

He was enjoying his meal when a streak of light suddenly shot down, heading straight for him.

Unfortunately, this was not a righteous sword from the heavens to punish evil.

The bald man reached out and grabbed the streak of light, turning it into an ancient long sword.

"Damn! I'll swallow your heart sooner or later!" The bald man was clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

"Old man, what era are we in? Still using flying swords to send messages!" He cursed as he opened the letter on the sword with his blood-covered hands.

The Mo Sect's long-distance voice transmission box had been widely used for many years, with excellent sales. But some forces refused to use it, as no one could be sure if the Mo Sect's mechanical experts had left any hidden mechanisms in the transmission boxes.

Even if the Mo Sect members swore by the heavens and earth—no matter how rigorous the heart-demon oath, dozens of ways to break it had already been studied. What good was an oath?

"Zhuang Kingdom, Qinghe County, Three Mountains City?" He spoke each word slowly, spitting out, "What a remote place!"

The long sword swayed in the air, as if urging him to do something.

The bald man became even more irritated, but clearly, the sender of the letter was someone he could not resist at the moment.

He used his blood-stained fingers to draw a simple horse on the letter, meaning: go immediately.

He casually fixed the letter back to the sword, and the sword flew away as quickly as it had come.

After the flying sword was gone, the bald man suddenly remembered something, "The boss won't be able to read this, will he?"

He thought for a moment and then shrugged off this small worry.

"If he can't read this, what kind of boss is he?"

...

...

As Jiang Wang approached the dormitory door, he heard voices inside.

After entering the inner gate, he still lived with Ling He and Du Yehu, for the convenience of constant practice and Dao exploration. Zhao Rucheng would occasionally stay for a night, but not for long. Although the room was much better than before, for Zhao Rucheng... it made little difference.

Hearing Jiang Wang's footsteps, Ling He quickly came out, "You're finally back. Your family has been waiting for you for a long time!"

Family...

Jiang Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly entered the room. At the set of rosewood table and chairs by the window, he saw a woman with lingering charm—naturally, the set of furniture was something Zhao Rucheng had insisted on having moved in.

Du Yehu sat awkwardly beside her, answering her questions one by one, looking like a well-behaved child in front of his friend's parents—though this "child" had a beard that was too thick and a face that was too mature, making him seem older than the well-maintained woman.

Seeing Jiang Wang enter, the woman quickly stood up, her eyes filled with surprise, "Xiao Wang, it's been so long! You've grown taller and stronger!"

Jiang Wang nodded and greeted her, "Aunt Song, hello."

His mother had passed away long ago, and this woman was his father's second wife. He couldn't bring himself to call her anything else, so he always referred to her as Aunt.

This aunt was not a bad person and had never mistreated him. However, a few years after his father remarried, Jiang Wang had already entered the outer gate of the Dao Academy. The practice was arduous, and he rarely returned home except during holidays. They had no conflicts, but their relationship was not particularly deep.

As Aunt Song greeted him, she pulled a little girl from behind her, "Quick, say hello!"

The little girl, shy and timid, only opened her mouth to say softly, "Brother," after being urged by her mother.

Aunt Song's silk clothes were bright and added to her charm. The little girl was also well-dressed, but her delicate features naturally drew admiration.

Unfortunately, after calling out, she quickly hid behind her mother again, only peeking out with half her head to look at her long-lost brother.

He, of course, loved his sister. Blood was thicker than water, and that was something no one could change. But his focus on cultivation meant that each return home was brief. It had been a long time since he had heard that word, "Brother."

Though the voice was soft and small, it was as clear and pleasant as a pearl rolling on a jade plate.

After enduring countless battles and seeing much blood and darkness, Jiang Wang's heart, which he thought had become cold and hard, suddenly felt a warmth.

After returning from Tangshe Town, Jiang Wang rarely showed a genuine smile, "An An!"