Chapter 1
Yongcheng, the capital of Chengzhou.
The grand doors of Hongxiu Zhao were thrown open. Countless sleeves fluttered through the air as young women waved their delicate hands, enticing passing male customers inside.
Inside the Xuan Room on the second floor of Hongxiu Zhao.
āSir, have another drink.ā
As she spoke, the woman’s sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing a slender, fair arm.
The man sitting beside her wore the attire of a foreign kingdomāclearly an envoy from abroad.
He reached out and wrapped an arm around her slim waist, then buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath.
āWomen of the Central Plains really are wonderful.ā
As he spoke, he leaned over and planted a loud kiss on her cheek.
The woman smiled sweetly and gently pushed his face away.
āDon’t be so impatient, sir. You haven’t even finished my wine yet.ā
The man caressed her cheek and drained the cup in one gulp.
āBeauty, are all women of the Central Plains as soft and fragrant as you?ā
āJust looking at you makes my heart race and my mind wander.ā
Pressed against her body, his large hand kneaded her waist repeatedly while the smell of alcohol spilled from his mouth onto her neck.
āCome back to Nanliu with me. I’ll take you as my concubine.ā
His voice grew quieter and quieter untilā
Bang!
He collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.
The woman immediately withdrew her hand and looked at him with disgust.
Squatting down, she retrieved a wax-sealed pill hidden securely at his waist. Afterward, she slipped an identical-looking wax pill back into its place.
Once finished, she rose to her feet and glanced down at the man lying on the floor.
Remembering the foul alcohol-laced breath that had been sprayed all over her neck moments ago, she rubbed at the spot vigorously.
No matter how much she scrubbed, it still felt disgusting.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
Bang!
She kicked the self-proclaimed prince two meters across the room, sending him crashing into several pieces of furniture.
Turning around, she opened the door.
The moment she stepped outside, three servants hurried over.
āBoss, how did it go?ā
The woman pointed toward the room.
When she spoke, however, the voice that emerged was unmistakably male.
āWe got the item. You threeāgo beat him into a pig’s head.ā
The three servants immediately burst out laughing.
The next second, they met their boss’s deathly glare.
One look was enough to make them freeze.
Straightening up instantly, they answered in unison,
āYes, sir! We won’t fail the mission!ā
After speaking, the three entered the room.
Within moments, a series of crashes and thumps echoed from inside.
Hearing the commotion, the “woman” finally took a deep breath.
Much better.
He rolled the wax pill between his fingers and then headed toward another room, closing the door behind him.
Inside, he stood beside a bathing tub.
Without even bothering to remove his clothes, he spread his arms and released a burst of internal energy.
Rip!
The pink gauzy garments shattered into pieces.
Beneath the thin fabric was no delicate beauty with jade-like skin.
Instead, there were countless scars and a clearly defined set of eight-pack abs.
The fair skin and slim waist were real enough.
After all, the owner of that body had spent years training in the Shadow Guard camp. Besides mastering martial arts, Shen Yin had also developed the broad shoulders and narrow waist that many people admired.
As for his pale complexion, that simply came from spending too much time hidden in the shadows and rarely seeing sunlight.
Shen Yin sank into the hot water and leaned comfortably against the edge of the tub.
Picking up a ladle, he poured hot water over his head and wiped away the makeup covering his face, revealing his true appearance.
His long brows slanted sharply toward his temples.
Beneath them were peach-blossom eyes that naturally seemed affectionate.
Dark circles lingered underneath, making it obvious he hadn’t rested well.
Yet those very signs of exhaustion lent him a strangely decadent and world-weary charm.
Below that were a high nose bridge and thin lipsāfeatures that completed an exceptionally handsome face.
Without the makeup, he became even more difficult to look away from.
A quarter of an hour later, Shen Yin finally felt that the spot on his neck contaminated by the Nanliu envoy was somewhat clean again.
Water splashed throughout the room as he rose from the tub and casually stepped over its edge.
Walking to the bed, he picked up his black Shadow Guard uniform and dressed himself.
Then he circulated his internal energy.
Within moments, his still-damp hair became completely dry.
Shen Yin gathered his long black hair and secured it with a silver crown reserved for the top ten Shadow Guards of the camp.
When he finally stepped out of the room, the three servants from earlier had already changed into black Shadow Guard uniforms as well.
āBoss.ā
Shen Yin raised an eyebrow.
āFinished?ā
Shadow Seven nodded.
āDon’t worry, Boss. I beat him into such a pig’s head that the swelling won’t go down for at least seven days.ā
