Jiangnan, the Main Hall of the Fenyu Tower Headquarters
Dressed in full wedding attire, Dugu Hongjian glared grimly at the fourteen subordinates kneeling in front of him, their bodies trembling with fear.
Today was supposed to be his wedding day. His new clothes were already on, and guests had filled a hundred tables. But the bride had been snatched away—his pride had been utterly shattered.
"Let me get this straight," Dugu Hongjian narrowed his eyes, his voice slow and deliberate, "A kid named Qin Ren took Piaopiao, and the fourteen of you couldn't stop him? You couldn't even catch him?"
The fourteen men nodded repeatedly. The loudest one, who had called out to Qin Ren, explained, "Master, this boy's lightness skill is extraordinary. We don't even know how he snuck into the wedding carriage. He flew with Piaopiao in his arms for over forty paces before landing. We tried to catch up, but he ran faster than all of us combined... We couldn't keep up, even with fourteen of us."
"Idiot!" Dugu Hongjian slammed his hand down on the table, and the powerful blow shattered the finely crafted sandalwood table into dust. "You think speed can stack up like that? Damn it, I am Dugu Hongjian, the head of Fenyu Tower and the chief officer of the Jianghu Yamen! How did I end up with such worthless trash!"
The fourteen men trembled even more, their foreheads hitting the ground, repeatedly begging for mercy.
"Will killing Piaopiao get her back?" Dugu Hongjian sneered coldly, though his temper, as volatile as it was, was not without its cunning. He would not have become a major power in the martial world if he were stupid. "Have you figured out who this kid really is?"
"That boy said his name is Qin Ren, and his nickname is 'Lover'. We overheard the brothel's madam in Wuyun City mention him when we passed through the city. She said he paid a million taels for the head courtesan, Xiao Xiangyue, and killed Bu Ou, the Demon of the Bu family, along with the Four Kings."
Dugu Hongjian's eyes gleamed with interest. "He killed Bu Ou and the Four Kings...?" He pondered, "What's his connection to Xiaoyao Mountain Villa?"
"No connection," the subordinate answered, "The madam said Qin Ren isn't from a prominent family, and his martial arts aren't impressive either. He must have relied on tricks to kill Bu Ou and the Four Kings."
"Bu Ou is a fool, and the Four Kings are arrogant. If he only tricked them, Qin Ren isn't much of a threat." Dugu Hongjian's voice grew cold, "Send my orders—issue the Jianghu Assassination Order! Wait, no, issue the Jianghu Pursuit Order! Tell Ji Wuhua, one of the Four Great Captains of the Jianghu Yamen, to bring four gold captains, eight silver captains, and twelve bronze captains to track him down. You worthless fools will issue the order and mobilize experts from all factions. Let's see where that Qin Ren can run!"
After the fourteen subordinates left to carry out the order, Dugu Hongjian thought for a moment and then called out, "Come here!"
A servant in green entered, bowing. "Master, how may I serve?"
Dugu Hongjian smirked. "Tell the kitchen to prepare some noodles for me; I'm hungry. Also, release a pigeon to contact Ximen Wudi, the leader of the Demon Sect. Have him help me deal with this Qin Ren kid. If he can afford to spend a million taels to win over a brothel's top courtesan, his background must be quite rich. Have the Demon Sect work out a way to make sure the Jianghu Yamen doesn't catch him before we can get our hands on him. Damn it, if he thinks he can steal my bride, he doesn't know how many lives he has left!"
(Transition)
Qin Ren was unaware that Dugu Hongjian had already allied with the Demon Sect and was planning to harm him.
The Third Young Master of the Qin family, along with Liu Piaopiao and Xiao Xiangyue, were seated inside a carriage, heading towards Wanhuacheng. Qin Ren rested his head on Xiao Xiangyue's lap, his feet propped up on Liu Piaopiao's thighs, humming a little tune with a relaxed expression. Meanwhile, the two women exchanged glances, occasionally glaring at each other.
Though Qin Ren had introduced them to each other as soon as they got into the carriage, neither woman felt particularly pleased. Liu Piaopiao hadn't expected that Qin Ren already had such a beautiful woman before her, while Xiao Xiangyue feared that his attention might decrease now that he had another beauty.
Unable to hold back any longer, Xiao Xiangyue sighed and complained, "Is this how you behave as a flower thief? Every time you see a beautiful woman, you just take her into your bed? When have you ever heard of a flower thief surrounded by many women? A true carefree flower thief would take a woman and then leave without a second thought..."
Liu Piaopiao, quick to defend Qin Ren, shot back, "What do you mean by that? Qin Gege loves me! How could he play with someone's feelings and body like that? You're teaching him the wrong way!"
Xiao Xiangyue was at a loss for words, "He doesn't need me to teach him, does he? He's already a big bad guy! Piaopiao, you don't know, but his ambition is to become the ultimate flower thief, and the bodies of bad women are his greatest goal."