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Her long black hair cascaded down to her waist. Even though the woman sat facing Jun’er, her face remained hidden beneath the thick veil of hair.
"I asked him to come..." the woman replied to Jun’er's unspoken question with a faint smile.
"No... You can't do this..." Jun'er trembled. Her strength vanished, and a deep, overwhelming despair surged through her chest. Tears spilled silently from the corners of her eyes.
The woman slowly rose to her feet and walked forward.
"The man surnamed Song was a prey we marked long ago. You want to let him go? That breaks the rules.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qm0H9cwsI
So, I pretended to follow your method and sent him a message... Isn't that right? Not only did he come, he even brought two more fresh blood sacrifices. How thoughtful..."
They had been planning this for ages, targeting those born during the Yin hours like Song Zhenguo. Such individuals were exceedingly rare—and they would never let one escape.
Jun’er continued to cry, paralyzed by despair. She couldn't resist as the woman reached out and gently touched her cheek. Then, her hand sank into Jun’er's temple, sliding in as though piercing through her skull, and began to stir softly.
As the woman moved her fingers, Jun’er's eyes lost their vitality and turned sultry. Her skin began to shimmer with an alluring, radiant sheen, and the room filled with a faint, intoxicating fragrance.
But the long-haired woman paused. She noticed a lingering trace of despair in Jun’er’s eyes—something raw and deeply unsettling.
"Stay here and recover your senses. I’ll have someone else deal with the man surnamed Song." The woman’s tone turned cold. She swiftly withdrew her hand, snorted, and vanished from the wing room.
Only Jun’er remained, sitting silently with tears streaming down her face.
…………
Song Zhenguo brought Chen Jiaorong and Lu Sheng onto the pleasure boat.
"Mr. Song, Mr. Chen, Mr. Lu, today is a wonderful day! Everything has been arranged—we’ve just been waiting for the three of you," a smiling boat girl greeted them the moment they boarded.
"Where is Jun'er?" Song Zhenguo asked, his tone light and expectant.
"She’s still getting dressed. Mr. Song, please go easy on her tonight," the boat girl replied playfully in a soft voice.
"Alright, alright!" Song Zhenguo laughed, unable to hide the excitement on his face. He led Lu Sheng and Chen Jiaorong into a private room that had clearly been prepared in advance.
The three men sat down. Outside the window, the night was misty, and a faint moonlight filtered in like a sheer veil, casting a soft glow across the windowsill.
The boat girl didn’t leave right away. After settling them in, she clapped her hands, and a line of veiled women entered the room one after another.
They wore revealing attire—white tube tops clinging to their upper bodies, and translucent light green veils draped over their lower halves. Despite the minimal covering, their elegance and beauty were undeniable. Each had a graceful figure and delicate, captivating features.
One of the women carried a pipa. She sat gracefully in a corner of the room and began to play with bare hands.
The gentle notes of the instrument drifted through the room like whispers in the ear—soft, intimate, and enchanting. The music, coupled with the women's presence, sent a subtle shiver through the three men, stirring a hidden vitality within them.
Soon, plates of food and pitchers of wine were served. Every dish and drink was carefully chosen—tonics that nourished yin and strengthened yang.
Song Zhenguo’s face glowed with a rosy flush. "Come, eat! Don’t be shy. This is a rare treat!" he said, encouraging Lu Sheng and Chen Jiaorong with a broad grin.
Lu Sheng took a couple of bites but quickly set his chopsticks down, preferring instead to sit back and quietly listen to the music.
The banquet lasted for over an hour. Three groups of beautiful entertainers rotated in and out, and the trio drank freely, their spirits lifted and indulgence fully embraced.
"Speaking of which, this pleasure boat usually forbids physical contact," Song Zhenguo said with a smug grin, "but today is different. The captain promised me that as long as Jun’er is redeemed tonight, the three of us can each choose a beauty from the boat to accompany us for the night."
"Really?" Chen Jiaorong's eyes widened in surprise. "This boat has always avoided competing with brothels."
"Exactly! That’s why I’m so pleased," Song Zhenguo chuckled. "The women here aren’t usually touched by just anyone. My two brothers, don’t hold back. I already have Xiaojun, so I’m not interested in anyone else. You two, feel free to pick one or two."
"This is something new," Lu Sheng remarked, glancing outside. The night had grown darker, and he couldn’t tell how long they had been aboard. The number of guests wandering the decks had noticeably dwindled. Earlier, there had been the sound of chatter and footsteps, but now everything had grown quiet.
"Why don’t we play pitch-pot?" Song Zhenguo suggested. "It’s the Scented Silk Festival today. If you score well, you can get extra services." Clearly, he was well-versed in the boat’s rules.
Lu Sheng nodded without objection, and Chen Jiaorong smiled in agreement.
They called over the attendants and requested a set for pitch-pot and flower arrows. Song Zhenguo picked up the first arrow and made his throw while the other two watched from the side.
Whenever he hit the target, the girls beside him clapped and cheered with sweet smiles. Chen Jiaorong, already tipsy, reached out and pulled the smallest girl into his arms, whispering something to her. The mood between them quickly turned intimate.
Pitch-pot was a traditional game, where players tried to toss arrows into a pot shaped like a large bottle. It was a popular pastime, enjoyed by both scholars and common folk alike.
Lu Sheng, growing more aware of the time, turned to the girl next to him and asked casually, "Are you still open this late?"
"Yes, we’re always open," the girl replied with a gentle smile.
Lu Sheng stared at her for a moment. Something about that smile felt off, unsettling in a way he couldn’t quite name. He thought it over but couldn’t pinpoint the source of his discomfort. Eventually, he turned his attention back to Song Zhenguo and let the feeling pass.
The three of them continued playing for a while.
"It's getting late, we should go freshen up now. We'll come back to keep you gentlemen company shortly," the leading dancer said with a graceful smile.
"Go, go," Song Zhenguo waved his hand, clearly in high spirits.
A group of beauties filed out of the wing room one by one, and the last girl gently closed the door behind her. The room suddenly fell into silence.
The three men lounged on the low couch, surrounded by a clutter of leftover wine and half-eaten dishes. Two large wine jars stood to the side.
"I drank a little too much tonight," Chen Jiaorong muttered, shaking his head.
"Don’t forget why we’re here," Song Zhenguo said with a grin. "Need to use the toilet?"
"I’ll just go wash my face," Lu Sheng replied as he stood up and walked out of the wing room.
Outside, the corridor was dim and gray. The middle hall of the ship lay quiet beyond the row of wing rooms, their doors now closed. No girls came or went, and the silence felt unnatural. Lu Sheng, still a little groggy from the wine, made his way toward the toilet.
After relieving himself and splashing cold water on his face, he felt noticeably more awake. As he wiped his face dry and stepped outside, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A sliver of light fell across the floor outside the toilet, cast from the hall ahead—but something about the hue felt... wrong.
"I remember the lights were yellow before..." Lu Sheng murmured, narrowing his eyes at the crimson glow on the floor.
Everything was quiet—unnervingly so. Not a single sound echoed around him, not even the gentle lapping of waves against the hull.
Frowning, Lu Sheng lowered his gaze, examining the red light under his feet. He carefully stepped forward, leaving the toilet and heading toward the hall.
The silence followed him like a shadow. At some point, the warm yellow lanterns that had lit the hall were replaced by red ones, casting an eerie crimson glow that stained every surface in sight.
Lu Sheng moved toward the railing and looked down. He was on the second floor; the main deck was below. But now, not a single soul could be seen. The girls and guests he had glimpsed earlier were all gone. Only the cold wind stirred in the empty corridors.
His brow furrowed. A strange tension crawled up his spine. Without hesitation, Lu Sheng turned and walked briskly back toward the wing room.
When Lu Sheng reached the wing room, he pushed the door open—but Chen Jiaorong wasn’t there. Perhaps he had also gone to the toilet. Song Zhenguo hadn’t returned either; maybe he was still freshening up.
Just as Lu Sheng turned the corner into the room, his eyes narrowed.
Two large red lanterns now hung silently above the seating area where they had eaten and drunk just moments ago. No one knew when they’d been placed there, or by whom.
The door creaked open and shut with the breeze, casting shifting shadows across the silent room. Lu Sheng stared at the lanterns, then slowly scanned the surroundings.
"Brother Song? Brother Chen?" he called out.
No response.
A chill ran through him. The image of the strange red-painted ship he’d encountered earlier flashed through his mind, and his expression darkened.
Lu Sheng sat down on the edge of the seat, resting his hands on his knees. He remained still, waiting. If the two had simply gone to the restroom, they would return here sooner or later.
Time passed slowly.
Then, faint footsteps echoed outside the room.
They approached unhurriedly, steady and soft—until they stopped just at the doorway, hidden beyond the corner of Lu Sheng’s vision.
"Brother Song?" Lu Sheng stood slowly and called out again.
Silence.
The figure at the door didn’t reply. It simply stood there, unmoving.
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes and slid his hand to the short blade hidden at his lower back—tucked beneath his robe, barely the length of his forearm. It was a weapon he’d bought specifically for self-defense.
He stepped forward quietly, each footfall controlled, his body tense.
But as he rose, behind him, something began to stir.
A faint, ghastly pale figure slowly took shape—its white robes fluttering without wind, face obscured, hands stretched like claws. It hovered silently, reaching toward the back of Lu Sheng’s head.
Squeak...
Suddenly, Lu Sheng reached out and gripped the edge of the wooden wall, rubbing his fingers over a faint handprint left on its surface.
Startled by the sudden noise, the white-robed figure jerked its clawed hand back. It turned toward the wooden wall, sensing only an accidental disturbance—nothing more. Slowly, it twisted back again, its ghastly fingers stretching forward once more, this time targeting the center of Lu Sheng’s spine.
But then it saw his face.
A pair of brilliantly bright eyes stared straight into its own.
"What are you doing?" Lu Sheng grinned, his lips curling back to reveal a chillingly white tooth.
The white-robed figure recoiled in shock. With a ghostly shudder, it immediately floated backward and melted into the wall behind it—vanishing like smoke.
Bang!!!
In a split second, a black figure crashed against the wall—Lu Sheng!
Without a word, he swung his blade with blinding speed. The flash of silver cut through the wooden wall like a blade through tofu, shattering it as he chased after the fleeing specter.
The white-robed figure, clearly terrified, drifted through the adjacent room, sinking into the next wall in an attempt to escape.
Boom!
"Die!!!" Lu Sheng roared, his voice thunderous as it echoed through the corridors.
The wall exploded under the force of his strike as he charged in again, relentless.
His veins bulged, snaking visibly beneath his skin, glowing faintly under the red lantern light. His blood surged like a storm, his muscles swelling until his entire body seemed to expand—now like a little giant. His grip tightened around the blade in his hand, which now looked like a mere twig compared to his enlarged frame. The blade’s width was barely a third of his forearm.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4d7YwItUs
Fueled by fury and strength, Lu Sheng pressed forward like a storm given flesh.
-----------9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAD6tyEtze
Hi there, Taleria here!9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5bcC7FQSl
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