Chapter 33: The Beauty of Drunken Dream Pavilion

"Young Master, are you truly planning to leave me here all by myself?"

On the snow-capped mountain, Lu Ya gazed pitifully at the retreating back of Xiao Junwang, hoping he would change his mind and take her with him. This ridge, blanketed in perpetual snow and devoid of human presence, was bitterly cold. Compared to the former glory of the Mo household, it was a world of difference. If not for the presence of Young Master Xiao, she would never have endured such suffering in a place like this.

Now that Young Master Xiao was heading down the mountain to find the Young Miss, she knew that if she didn't stick close to him and find a chance to get intimate, she would have no opportunity once the Young Miss was found.

A plan formed in Lu Ya’s mind. She hurried forward a few steps and pretended to stumble into the snow.

"Oh! Young Master, Young Master, I’ve sprained my ankle..." Lu Ya’s voice was delicate and moving. She sat on the ground, wiping away tears and rubbing her leg. Seeing the shadow of Xiao Junwang turning back in the corner of her eye, she timed her look upward perfectly.

"Young Master, the Young Miss was very close to the Mistress! Perhaps the Young Miss has been in contact with her over these past two years? Why don't you take me down with you so I can ask the Mistress if she has any news of the Young Miss?"

Lu Ya played the part of a thoughtful and understanding servant, though her heart was filled with intense jealousy whenever she thought of Mo Liuli. From a young age, the Young Miss had enjoyed every luxury and indulgence. As if that weren't enough, she had also captured the heart of such an exceptional man as Young Master Xiao! That was what made her most envious. She wished the Young Miss would never return, so that Young Master Xiao would belong to her alone.

Upon hearing that there might be a lead on Mo Liuli, Xiao Junwang finally agreed to take her down the mountain.

He was accustomed to being alone—unfettered and carefree—and he felt truly uncomfortable having a clingy maid by his side. Moreover, whether intentional or not, Lu Ya always tried to rub up against him whenever she had the chance, which he found distasteful. Consequently, he had begun to keep his guard up around her.

If not for the fact that she was Mo Liuli’s maid and might be needed to care for her in the future, he would have chased her down the mountain long ago to fend for herself!

The location of the snow mountain was kept secret. When Lu Ya had arrived, Xiao Junwang had cast a spell to blind her, and as they left, it was the same; her vision was paralyzed by absolute darkness.

The darkness persisted for an hour before her sight gradually returned.

Xiao Junwang brought Lu Ya near the Feng residence, formerly the Mo residence. Looking at the bustling activity at the gates of the Feng estate, Xiao Junwang felt a sense of trance, momentarily recalling the scene from three years ago when he saw Mo Liuli practicing bitterly all by herself...

"Where did this wild girl pop out from? How dare she block the path of our Eldest Young Master! Are you tired of living?"

A servant with an air of arrogant wealth pointed at Lu Ya’s nose and cursed, reaching out to shove her. Lu Ya stood there trembling, her face pale, not daring to make a sound despite the insults. She had simply been lost in thought while looking at the Feng residence and hadn't realized she was standing in the middle of the road.

"Huh? Isn't this that delicate little beauty from the Drunken Dream Pavilion a few years back?" A youth standing behind the servant stepped forward, his expression lewd and sinister. As he spoke, his eyes scanned Lu Ya from head to toe with malicious intent.

"It seems the little beauty has been very lonely since leaving the Drunken Dream Pavilion. Your complexion isn't as radiant as it was that night. Is he unable to satisfy you? Why not come back to my estate with me? I guarantee I can satisfy you immediately!"

The youth leaned close to Lu Ya’s ear, blowing a breath of air, and lingered by her tender neck to sniff deeply, looking thoroughly satisfied.

The few servants, seeing their Young Master step out, dared not speak; they simply blocked the perimeter, surrounding their Young Master and Lu Ya.

Xiao Junwang felt nauseated just watching the youth’s frivolous behavior, and upon hearing the filthy, insulting words, his eyes flashed with coldness. He recited a few simple incantations and launched an attack.

Lu Ya, teased until her face was flushed, felt her heart pounding like a drum—a mix of sweetness and anxiety. So, it was true! Without the Young Miss there to overshadow her, her beauty could finally be discovered.

"Ah!"

Xiao Junwang’s incantation sent the Young Master of the Feng family sprawling face-first into the dirt. He was a pathetic sight, but he scrambled up instantly, his face flushed with rage as he glared at Xiao Junwang. "You hideous freak! How dare you ambush me! Men, chop him up and feed him to the dogs!"

As soon as the order was given, several secret guards emerged and charged at Xiao Junwang. Lu Ya was stunned, frozen in place. Seeing fists and feet flying toward her, a figure suddenly darted in and pulled her out of the fray.

"Have you a death wish?"

The one who pulled her away was Feng Wujiang, who had seen her once before in the garden. Today, there was an activity organized by students at the academy, and he was on his way there when he bumped into the very person he had been looking for right outside his gate.

He recognized the unique purple fox mask Xiao Junwang wore at a glance. His elder brother’s arrogance and self-importance certainly needed a lesson; as long as no lives were lost, he was happy to let them settle it.

Having recognized Xiao Junwang, he naturally recognized Lu Ya. Finding out that she was Mo Liuli’s personal maid was a pleasant surprise.

The Young Master of the Feng family's men were knocked to the ground by Xiao Junwang in just a few moves. Seeing his men fall, the Young Master, in a fit of rage, relied on his meager skills as a third-rank warrior and charged forward.

Xiao Junwang stood his ground, motionless, and grabbed the youth by the throat. He glared coldly. "If you don't want to be chopped up and fed to the dogs, keep your mouth clean!"

*Bang!* Amidst a swirl of dust, the Young Master of the Feng family was tossed ten miles away by Xiao Junwang. Those standing nearby could even hear the sound of bones cracking.

Feng Wujiang, whose mind had been entirely on Mo Liuli and trying to find information about her, only looked up at the loud noise. Hearing the scream and realizing it was his useless elder brother, he turned his gaze to the imposing, mountain-like figure of Xiao Junwang, completely dumbfounded.

That group of secret guards had been hired by his father at a great price! He hadn't expected them to be annihilated in under three seconds. Although his brother was incompetent, he was still a peak third-rank warrior and shouldn't have been tossed so easily, yet the facts were clear...

Feng Wujiang swallowed hard. No longer caring about trying to get close to Lu Ya, he rushed toward his brother to check on his injuries.

The remaining servants, who had only been putting on a show of power, were scared witless and scrambled away, disappearing without a trace.

Since the decline of the Mo family, the Feng family had risen to prominence, becoming incredibly powerful in the Huanlan region. In the main city, few dared to offend them. Now that their Young Master had been beaten right under their noses by someone so powerful, they had to flee immediately, taking their families with them. If they didn't, they would either be killed by Xiao Junwang or executed by the head of the Feng family!

Since death was the outcome either way, they chose to flee.

The servants fled as if they had seen a ghost, disappearing in an instant, even as Feng Wujiang, the Second Young Master of the Feng family, shouted in vain.