Chapter 47: Missed

Beyond the Zui Xian Pavilion, the crowd surged and flowed without cease.

Though it was not yet night, only dusk, the guests gathering at the pavilion's entrance had already begun to pour in.

A carriage standing by the roadside drew the eyes of passersby.

A steed of pure black, with a single horn on its head, flickered with flames in its hooves and feet; behind it, the carriage itself was richly adorned, its side bearing a large character: "Xu," with a coiling black dragon encircling the body, vividly lifelike—especially those dragon eyes.

Emerging from the pavilion amid a group of guards, a handsome young man in a brocade robe stepped out, pulling a delicate woman with a conical hat into the carriage.

Their appearance stirred murmurs and glances from the onlookers.

Among the crowd standing by the street, two men of striking presence likewise turned their eyes toward the carriage.

One wore black martial attire, his face stern and noble.

The other dressed in fine white robes, still holding a fan in his hand despite the winter wind.

The man in black, gazing at the dignified Xu Changtian, turned to his companion in white and asked curiously:

"Li, why do these passersby speak so much about that young man?"

Li Muchen glanced at the carriage, lightly flicking his fan and smiled,

"Qin, you've just arrived and may not know—this man is Xu Family's third son, Xu Changtian."

Qin Mo murmured softly, "Xu Family... which Xu Family?"

Li Muchen shook his head and chuckled, "Of course, the largest one."

Qin Mo paused slightly, whispering,

"The Imperial Chancellor's household?"

The Xu Family, the Imperial Chancellor's household—he knew that well.

But he couldn't help wondering if this Xu Family was connected to the gentle, refined Xu lady he had encountered on his journey earlier.

Her identity seemed profoundly mysterious.

"Let's go."

In silence, Li Mucen gently patted Qin Mo's shoulder, offering a smile anyone could understand: "If Qin brother is interested in making new friends, I can introduce you to someone at the right time. But this time, Qin brother saved my life—let's just drink ourselves senseless tonight!"

Qin Mo nodded lightly, offering a faint smile.

Li Mucen's suggestion was clearly just a pretext. If Li Mucen truly had a close relationship with the third son of the Xu family, he would have already stepped forward to speak with him by now. He would not be standing here, watching helplessly.

Li Mucen came from a wealthy merchant family, yet the Xu family—especially the Xu Yuan's clan—was vastly different.

Still, Qin Mo thoughtfully didn't point out Li Mucen's obvious evasion. He simply followed him, instinctively brushing his fingers against the spot on his chest.

Seeing Qin Mo's subtle gesture, Li Mucen assumed he was worried about expenses and smiled:

"Tonight I'll host the feast—just to welcome my brother."

"Oh, no, that's not it," Qin Mo chuckled, shaking his head. "I came to the Zui Xian Pavilion to find someone."

"Looking for someone?" Li Mucen paused, then offered a faint smile. "But someone you have a particular interest in?"

His words wavered slightly. "Though the girls in Zui Xian Pavilion..."

Qin Mo spoke softly. "I'm looking for Ms. Jinxuan."

"Ms. Jinxuan?" Li Mucen's expression cleared momentarily, but then something struck him—his face took on a strange, uncertain look.

Qin Mo explained: "We once had a bet between us."

Li Mucen's expression grew even more peculiar: "A bet?"

From his sleeve, Qin Mo produced a strange essence, and smiled gently. "If I can retrieve the spirit's essence from Feng Yā Lin within this month, she will play a solo piece for me."

Gazing at the essence, Li Mucen's pupils narrowed slightly.

Born into a merchant family, he had handled countless demonic essences.

In one glance, he judged the demonic power within this essence to be roughly seventh rank.

Now the world is in turmoil, demons and spirits rampant, and the various departments under the Office of Celestial Oversight are powerless to control the far reaches. Local sects and noble families merely clean up their own doorstep—whenever a particularly vicious spirit appears, it brings bloodshed to an entire village.

Currently, Qin Mo's vitality endures, yet he is no more than an eighth-rank martial man. To reverse-kill a seventh-rank spirit is no trivial feat for such a rank.

Such a prodigy truly deserves to be known.

Yet Li Muchen's mind drifted back to Jinxuan's fate. He shook his head slightly, carefully choosing his words, and murmured softly:

"Brother Qin, you may not see Miss Jinxuan today... no, perhaps never again."

Li Muchen ultimately chose to speak the truth.

Qin Mo's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed. "Brother Li, what do you mean by that?"

Li Muchen glanced at the black stallion carriage, speaking only as much as necessary: "Because Xu Changtian..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Mo felt a pang of uncertainty, his voice barely above a whisper: "Miss Jinxuan holds a special status at Zui Xian Pavilion. If she so chooses, might she not simply refuse to serve clients?"

Li Muchen looked around, then leaned in, speaking low: "Indeed, Zui Xian Pavilion would never force its maidens into prostitution—but..."

Saying this, Li Muchen sighed faintly, "...but Qin brother, Xu Changtian is the third son of the Imperial Chancellor's household. Just a few days ago, Guangfa had invited Jinxuan to a wedding ceremony that had been meticulously arranged—only for him to cancel it abruptly."

"...?" Qin Mo.

Through a series of fortunate coincidences, Qin Mo had learned of the hidden power behind Zui Xian Lou. Yet it was clearly impossible for them to have clashed with the Imperial Chancellor's household over a mere woman.

Li Muchen hesitated slightly, then pointed to the several guards sprinting forward behind the black carriage just activated:

"Qin brother, look at those guards beside the carriage."

Qin Mo focused his gaze: "What's wrong?"

"Each of them is at least seventh rank, and several even hold sixth rank."

"Sixth rank?" A flicker of astonishment finally crossed Qin Mo's eyes.

The oldest of these guards did not even reach thirty—such young sixth-rank cultivators could only be ordinary guards...

Li Muchen gave a crooked, enigmatic smile, laced with a bitter undertone: "I suspect these are merely surface-level guards. There must surely be higher-level cultivators, at the level of a shrine guardian, operating in secret."

"A fifth-grade Soul-Condensing Realm?" Qin Mo's brow furrowed tightly as he recalled the formidable power enshrined within Li Muchen's household.

Instinctively, Qin Mo narrowed his eyes to peer ahead.

Yet, aside from the ordinary guards, he could see only a bearded man driving the carriage at the front.

The stubbled driver wore a casual, easygoing smile, a longsword strapped to his back as he held the reins with a careless, slouching grace.

Before doubt could fully manifest in Qin Mo's eyes,

In the very next instant,

The bearded man's gaze swept directly toward him!

It was a warm, smiling look.

And yet, it sent a sudden, prickly chill down Qin Mo's spine, making his hair stand on end.

That single glance made him realize that every word of his recent conversation with Li Muchen had been overheard by this man.

Yet this Han man showed no intention of moving—instead, he grinned wickedly and pointed with a mischievous twinkle at the carriage behind him.

"......"

At the sight of his action, Qin Mo stiffened, then his pupils narrowed slightly.

The memory flashed before his eyes.

The woman in the straw hat who had pulled the carriage when Xu Changtian had boarded...was she Jinxuan?

Qin Mo's fists clenched tightly.

But the Han man merely chuckled and turned his head, ignoring Qin Mo entirely.

As if tormenting him were no different from playing with a mere insect when one had nothing better to do...

After withdrawing his gaze, the reins tugged, and the black single-horned stallion stepped forward, its hooves moving steadily as the carriage glided gently toward the horizon.

As if sensing laughter from outside, a soft, mellifluous voice echoed from within:

"Mr. Zhou, why are you laughing?"

Zhou Chen shrugged carelessly:

"Nothing much. I heard two people talking about Lady Su and the Third Gentleman—apparently, admirers of Lady Su found it amusing and teased them a bit."

"Ah, is that so? Jinxuan truly seems to be in demand."

Xu Yuan didn't seem to mind, instead murmuring gently:

"Mr. Zhou, when you have nothing else to do, send someone to buy me several recent copies of the daily report."