Central District. Late Afternoon.

While they navigated the labyrinthine streets toward the Saintess Garden, Qian Bage took it upon himself to enlighten his new partner walking beside him.

“...Each saintess are chosen from a young age, when signs of their budding beauty is noticed. They would then take on the surname of Feng, taken in and raised by the clan…”

“Once their beauty fully blooms, the best ones would be granted the title of saintess! These selected few would then reside under the wing of the Feng clan till the day they become phoenixes.”

Absorbing the detailed background provided by Qian Bage, Bubai nodded thoughtfully.

Sounds just like a top quality beauty cultivation system. It seems the chosen ones become queens of some sort, but...

"What about the rest?"

"They have their uses, too.” Qian Bage's response was matter-of-fact. “After being given a new name, some find themselves sent into the palace, others are bestowed as gifts to others."

Well, Bubai can only say: As expected of a dual cultivation sect. Perhaps, this was where beauties like Jia Fei and Xiao Hong had originated from?

But there should definitely be plenty of overlooked maidens...

“It can’t be that they were all discarded like this, right?”

“No, no, haha...” Qian Bage chuckled softly, his eyes holding a glimmer of solemnness.

“Only some outstanding ones get kept. Most play a much bigger role. Don’t underestimate them. These women are not only skilled in the four arts. Combat, deception, scheming, assassination, interrogation, master of all trades! Each of these women are trained to be the perfect tools for espionage! It’s a waste to treat them as flower vases. So..."

Qian Bage smiled mysteriously, “In the territories of those other sects, how many noble wife or concubines do you reckon are our undercover spies?”

Merlin’s beard. So, these women were the silent blades that cut through the darkness, extending the sect's tentacles far beyond these deserts!

Bubai finally grasped a part of the underlying horror of a big sect. Beyond just a big fist, there were still countless tricky schemes at play!

Qian Bage did not give Bubai much more time to mull over this or dig deeper, "It’s up ahead. Keep your eyes peeled."

Qian Bage stopped at a corner, his head peering out cautiously, his hand beckoning Bubai forward.

Bubai moved up, peering around the corner.

Not far ahead was a compound, heavily guarded by women. But his heart immediately sunk when he recognized their familiar sleek black uniforms.

Law Enforcement Hall?! Bubai immediately turned on his heels, wanting to retreat.

He had confidence in avoiding the leftover Qi-refinement guards of any aristocratic clan, but the women from the Law Enforcement Hall? Not uh.

However, Qian Bage was quick to catch him, his firm grip preventing him from running. "Wait, wait, wait, brother-”

Bubai shot Qian Bage a glare, "You didn’t tell me they had something to do with the Law Enforcement Hall."

"Lower your voice, lower your voice.” Qian Bage urged in a suppressed voice, “Calm down. There's no need to react so much. There is indeed a small relationship between the two, but it's not a big deal. Let me explain."

With a tug, Qian Bage guided Bubai a bit further away from the corner, ensuring they were out of earshot before he continued in a whisper, "It’s just a small matter so it slipped my mind. As part of their training experience, most of the women of the Feng clan do serve in the Law Enforcement. So, it’s normal to see some women from the hall guarding here."

Not a big deal? It almost sounds like the entire Feng clan was a part of the Law Enforcement Hall!

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Bubai hissed through gritted teeth, "I didn’t sign up for this."

“Yes, yes, I understand…” Qian Bage nodded frantically, his wide eyes rolling slyly, "But think about it, brother. I already willingly sacrificed myself to take on the difficult role of luring these women away. So, you actually don’t need to directly deal with them. You only need to sneak in to drop off the gift and get out. Simple as that!”

Qian Bage gave him a wink, “Trust me, brother. I want this task to succeed more than you do. So, I came well-prepared and won’t let you take unnecessary risks..."

Bubai squinted his eyes and silently stared at Qian Bage as if wanting to see through his lies.

Qian Bage felt his reluctance. So, he took out a token and held it out for Bubai to see.

"It took a lot of effort for me to steal- ahem, borrow this from a good sister," Qian Bage admitted with a sly grin.

"I can guarantee that as long as you carry this token, the restrictions in the formation won't trigger. As long as you aren't spotted, the women from the law enforcement hall won't know a thing, even if you walk in and out in plain sight."

Bubai scrutinized the token. If this man’s words were true, this token would indeed reduce the difficulty of the entire process...

But Qian Bage wasn't done yet. He patted his storage pouch with a confident air and continued to persuade, "If you still think the risk is too much, I am willing to pay extra."

Interest flickered anew in Bubai's eyes, "How much?"

Qian Bage grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Well, it depends on what you can bring back.”

Oh, it’s a collection-type quest...

“If you can bring back something like a hairpin, on top of the basic pay, I will add on one spirit stone. If it's something important like a bedside weapon, then five stones. And ten spirit stones if you can get something very, very important like…"

His words trailed off, leaving Bubai hanging on the edge of greed. "Like what?"

Qian Bage took a step back, his expression turning slightly obscene as he thrust his waist vulgarly. "Brother, you understand.”

Despite the Bubai's attempt to maintain a straight face, a twitch tugged at the corners of his lips.

Well, he wasn’t one to judge.

After all, with these added conditions, the ceiling of the payment was now fifteen spirit stones, almost the value of all his current assets combined!

This offer was indeed too tempting to refuse!

After mulling over the risks once more, Bubai threw principles and honor out the window, his voice laced with determination. "Who am I looking for?"

Qian Bage couldn't contain his excitement, his face lighting up with admiration as he clapped his hands together eagerly. "I just knew brother was a brave man with one look!"

“Less nonsense.”

“Haha…” Without hesitation, Qian Bage retrieved a jade slip from his storage pouch and handed it over to Bubai along with the token. "The Chun Hua Courtyard, located in the east. Just put this jade slip somewhere she can see at a glance."

Bubai accepted the slip, turning it over in his hand curiously.

Qian Bage coughed awkwardly, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Just some poems and the likes."

Bubai couldn't help but smirk at Qian Bage's obvious discomfort, guessing that it was more than just poems.

Nevertheless, he tucked the jade slip away in one of his coarse pouches, not particularly interested in prying into Qian Bage's personal affairs.

Instead, he focused on the task at hand, "When do we start?"

Qian Bage's excitement bubbled over, his eyes gleaming as if ready for a battle for honor, "Life is short and love is swift. There’s no time like the present!"

Bubai glanced up at the late noon sun skeptically, his brows furrowing as he murmured. "In broad daylight?"

Qian Bage's smile turned sly, giving Bubai a wink as he whispered an explanation, "The patrol, both inside and out, is much stricter at night. Now is actually the best time. Trust me, I did plenty of research."

Straightening his own robe, Qian Bage patted Bubai's shoulder reassuringly. "Brother, I'll be counting on you. We’ll meet up at Bai Hua Lou afterwards. Remember, you will have an hour at most, in and out. Do it fast, like a man."

Before Bubai could voice any lingering doubts, Qian Bage dashed away as if he was rushing to reincarnate, disappearing around the corner ahead.

“...”

Not long after, Bubai heard a commotion in the distance, Qian Bage's voice ringing out loud and clear.

"Hahaha! I, Qian Bage, am back! Feng Qi, listen up! The moment your eyes met mine, I knew you are like the moon while I the sun. Please be mine!"

Qian Bage's declaration rolled through the streets like a wave, and the angry voices of women surfed into Bubai’s ears.

“Preposterous! How dare you dirty pervert come back again! Is senior sister Feng someone you are worthy to disturb?!”

“Sisters, grab this pervert and lock him up in the water dungeon!”

“Hahaha!” Qian Bage laughed in the face of danger, his voice carrying a hint of mischief as he taunted, "With your third-rate appearances, you still want to catch me?! In your dreams! My heart only belongs to Feng Qi!"

With his divine sense attuned to the scene unfolding, Bubai observed Qian Bage speeding away.

The group of female law enforcers chased after him, racing away from the compound, their words dripping with fury.

“Stop him!” “Don’t let the disgusting bug escape!”

Many more rushed out from the Feng Clan compound to join in the hunt, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows on their figures as they scaled walls and flew after Qian Bage...

“Hahaha! Catch me if you can!”

Towing a line of irate women behind him, Qian Bage soon vanished from the range of his divine sense.

"Oh, the things people would do for love..." A gloating smile tugged at the corner of Bubai’s lips, shaking his head in schadenfreude.

Alas… who knows if it is really true love.

Bubai’s divine sense focused on the unguarded entrance of the compound. He took a moment to scan the interior, assessing the feasibility once more.

After quickly calculating the best course of action, Bubai slipped a mask over his face just like he had done countless times before.

"Well, that's my cue."