That jet-black long hair cascaded all the way down past her waist. Although the woman directly faced her while sitting, the hair still fully concealed her face.

"It was me who called him here..." The woman answered Yun'er's confusion with a smile.

"No... you can't do this..." Yun'er felt her entire body immobilized. A tide of deepest despair surging from her heart swiftly overwhelmed her mind. Tears continuously streamed down her eye corners.

The woman slowly stood up and walked over.

"Those surnamed Song were predetermined prey. You want to let him escape? That violates the rules.

So I mimicked your methods and sent notice to him... And look, not only did he arrive, he brought two extra fresh blood meals... Truly wonderful..."

They had schemed against such people like Song Zhenguo born under their own zodiac sign during inauspicious hours for so long. Naturally, absolutely none could be let off. After all, such folk were rare treasures.

Yun'er wept as her body remained incapable of moving at all, allowing that woman to gently caress her face before slowly pushing her hand into Yun'er's head as if plugging in. She pierced through the temple and lightly stirred inside.

With the woman's stirring motions, Yun'er's formerly bright eyes gradually turned captivating and bewitching. Her skin also slowly gained a fine alluring luster. Even faint tempting fragrances wafted through the air.

But the long-haired woman noticed amidst the despair in Yun'er's eyes, there still existed a trace of distressing despair.

"Stay alone for now and sober up. I'll have someone else handle that Song fellow," discovering something off, she swiftly retracted her hand with a cold snort before vanishing from the cabin.

Leaving only Yun'er solitary within the room as her tearful eyes clouded over.

............

Song Zhenguo brought Chen Jiaorong and Lusheng onboard the flower boat.

"Young Masters Song, Chen and Lu. Today is a wonderful day. Your programs have already been arranged so we were only waiting for your esteemed presence," the boat madam smilingly welcomed them the instant they boarded.

"Where's Yun'er?" Song Zhenguo asked with a smile.

"Still dressing up and making herself beautiful. Young Master Song must cherish her well later," the boat madam softly laughed.

"Of course, of course!" Unable to restrain his smile, Song Zhenguo led Lusheng and Chen Jiaorong into a prepared cabin.

After taking their seats, hazy moonlight filtered in through the window outside amidst the darkening night skies, spilling onto the window sill.

The boat madam did not leave either. After showing the three men in, she clapped twice and a stream of veiled maidens entered the room.

These women were all dressed in genuine two-piece lingerie. Bare upper bodies with only a thin veil covering between their legs. Moreover, the veil was semitransparent light green.

All of them possessed graceful figures and symmetrical bodies. Even with veils on, beautiful and exquisite features could be made out.

One of them carried a pipa into the room and slowly sat down before lightly plucking it.

Melodious music. All three men trembled as bodies already somewhat heated up from these women's alluring outfits turned even more fiery now.

The pipa sounds were extremely soft, akin to a lover gently whispering into one's ear. Strands of pleasing gentle music slowly streamed out, leaving the three men's expressions stunned and slightly intoxicated.

Very quickly, tray after tray of wine and dishes were served up, all purely items for nourishing yin and invigorating yang.

Song Zhenguo's complexion was flushed as he ceaselessly urged Lusheng and Chen Jiaorong to eat while laughing.

After two bites, Lusheng ate no more and simply sat there listening to the music.

In just this one dinner session lasting over an hour, the courtesans switched out three times as the three men drank quite merrily.

"Speaking of which, intimacy is normally prohibited on this flower boat but today's different from the past. The boat madam agreed that as long as I buy Yun'er's freedom tonight, we three can freely pick any beauty previously on board to accompany our night," Song Zhenguo said somewhat smugly.

"Really?" This was Chen Jiaorong's first time hearing of such a thing too. "This flower boat has never poached from brothels before." A look of astonishment crossed his face.

"That's why I'm so delighted! The beauties here aren't someone normal folk can touch. No need to stand on courtesy my two brothers. I have my little Yun'er now so other women don't catch my interest. You two can make your picks," Song Zhenguo laughed.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"How novel." Lusheng looked outside. The skies gradually darkened and he did not know how much time had passed aboard the boat. Passerby customers walking to and fro on deck also gradually decreased by a lot. Just a while ago, occasional chatter could still be heard but now it was virtually silent.

"Why don't we play tossing pots? It's Incense Pouch Festival today. Good pot tossing scores can earn extra complementary services," Song Zhenguo was very familiar with the rules here from his prolonged stays at this flower boat.

Lusheng did not object and Chen Jiaorong also agreed with a laugh.

The three men then had the boat's maidens bring over pot tossing materials and flower arrows. Song Zhenguo went first, grabbing an arrow to toss into the pot while Lusheng and Chen Jiaorong watched from the sides.

Whenever he scored, the girls would clap and tenderly laugh while cheering. Chen Jiaorong was already somewhat tipsily drunk. Reaching out an arm, he pulled over the most delicate girl, whispering intimacies as the atmosphere turned ambiguous.

The pot tossing method was throwing arrow shafts into a large vase-like pot to score. It was a prevalent little game popular with scholars, gentlemen and common folk alike, widely spread all over.

Lusheng estimated the time before casually asking a girl beside him, "You all don't close even this late?"

"That's right. We don't close," the girl smiled at him.

Watching her smile, Lusheng felt something was off but could not pinpoint what exactly. He contemplated briefly without clues and looked back towards Song Zhenguo.

The three men played for a period.

"It's gotten late so we should go wash up first before coming back to accompany you masters later," said one of the leading dancing girls with a smile.

"Go on," Song Zhenguo waved them away.

The line of beauties exited the cabin one by one with the final girl gently shutting the door. The room instantly turned silent.

The three men sat on the low couch. Before them was a messy array of all kinds of dishes and wines. Two whole ceramic jars of alcohol were placed at the sides.

"Drank quite a lot tonight," Chen Jiaorong shook his head.

"Don't delay proper business," Song Zhenguo laughed. "Need the restroom?"

"I'll go splash some water on my face."

Lusheng shook his head and exited the cabin.

A gloomy darkness loomed outside. Right outside the cabin was the boat's middle hall. All the cabin doors were tightly shut without sight of any girls entering or exiting. Lusheng's head was also muddled from the drinks so he walked towards the bathroom area.

After relieving himself in the bathroom and splashing some water to sober up quite a bit, he came back out. Only walking out a few steps, he suddenly froze.

On the floor outside the bathroom shone a stretch of light from the great hall. But its color differed somewhat from what he remembered.

"Didn't that light seem yellow just now?" Lusheng narrowed his eyes staring at the crimson glow on the ground.

All was perfectly silent outside without the slightest sound. Even the slapping sounds of water against the hull could no longer be heard.

Lusheng lowered his head to carefully look at the red light below his feet. Lightly raising his leg, he walked out from the bathroom back into the great hall.

The spacious hall was perfectly noiseless. The previously hanging yellow lanterns had been switched out for red lanterns at some point, dying the entire hall in this shade.

Lusheng walked to the guardrail and peered down. His current level was the second floor. Below was the first floor but still no people could be seen. The few girls and patrons he saw before entering the bathroom had vanished without exception, leaving only cold gusts of wind blowing past.

Lusheng's brows slightly creased as he swiftly strode towards the cabins.

Reaching the cabin, he pushed the door open and entered but Chen Jiaorong was also not inside, likely gone to the bathroom too while Song Zhenguo still had not returned, possibly at the bathroom as well.

He had just walked past the corner when Lusheng's gaze suddenly hardened. Shockingly, two large red lanterns were hung up inside the cabin.

The two red lanterns tranquilly dangled above their previous dining area. He did not know when they were put up by someone.

The opened room door gave off whistling drafts. Perfectly noiseless inside, Lusheng looked at the lanterns before sweeping his eyes around the room.

"Brother Song? Brother Chen?"

He called out twice but no one responded.

His mind instantly recalled that bizarre ghost ship Red Mansion he encountered previously as his eyes swiftly hardened.

Sitting at the seats, Lusheng placed both hands on his knees. Silently waiting for Song Zhenguo and Chen Jiaorong to return. If they really went to the bathroom like he deduced, they would certainly come back to this room.

After waiting for a spell, faint shuffling footsteps suddenly sounded from the room entrance.

Those footsteps slowly drew near before quickly stopping right around the corner outside Lusheng's line of sight.

"Brother Song?" Lusheng slowly stood up and tried calling out.

That person remained motionless around the corner without responding.

Lusheng narrowed his eyes, one hand resting on the knife hilt behind his waist. This small forearm-length dagger was specially prepared for self-defense, concealed at his rear waist beneath his robes without clear outlines.

He slowly walked towards the entrance, softening his footsteps.

But right as Lusheng stood up earlier, an ethereal ghastly white silhouette noiselessly materialized behind his back. An indistinct white figure dressed in long flowing robes soundlessly stretched a clawed hand towards the back of Lusheng's head.

Ka cha ka cha....

Suddenly, Lusheng extended a hand to rub against the wooden wall's edges, scraping and leaving a faint hand print.

The sharp sound alerted that white-robed being as its claws swiftly retracted. Peering at the wooden wall, it discovered the sound was just coincidental noise. Turning back, it stretched its claws again, grasping at the back of Lusheng's head once more.

Only this time, what it saw was Lusheng's spun around visage with a pair of astoundingly bright eyes directly meeting its own.

"What are you doing?" The corners of Lusheng's mouth pulled back, baring a set of teeth that sent chills down one's spine.

The white-robed being panickedly retreated with a shriek, instantly melding into the wall behind it.

Boom!!!!

In a split second, a black silhouette fiercely smashed against the wall with silver blade radiance relentlessly hacking the wall like surging rapids.

It was Lusheng!!

Without a second word, his overhead chop pulverized the wall like tofu as tremendous strength and explosive force allowed this single slash to smash through as if cutting beancurd while madly pouncing at that white-robed being.

The white-robed being was badly frightened and frantically floated into the next cabin over, once again vanishing into the second wall.

Boom!!

"Die!!!"

Amidst the intense sounds of the shattered wall surprisingly came an earth-shaking bellow. Lusheng relentlessly pursued without letting up, his slash once again smashing apart the wall as he pounced at the white-robed being.

His whole body's meridians and veins faintly protruded all over his skin's surface. Blood essence surged and roiled within his body, seemingly inflating his entire being. His current physique was a whole size larger compared to before, akin to a miniature giant.

Gripped in his hand, that sword compared to his stature was like clutching a small tree branch. The blade's thickness was not even a third of his forearm's.