His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

Mo Sangyu's fingers, slightly cool, touched his heart, like a small cluster of ice crystals falling into a boiling oil pan.

Feng Xingyu's body tensed slightly for a moment.

In the darkness, the two faced each other in silence.

Time seemed to stretch out, and each breath became clearly countable.

In the end, Feng Xingyu made the first move.

He grasped her wrist, which was resting on his chest, with a light touch, just enough to prevent her from pulling away.

Then, he lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead very lightly and quickly.

Instantly separate.

It felt like a feather brushing past, or like being briefly branded by something scalding hot.

Mo Sangyu was stunned.

"Yes, madam."

He released her wrist, his voice carrying a hint of triumph, an almost imperceptible pleasure.

After saying that, he didn't linger. He turned around and walked back to the soft couch in the outer room, where he lay down again fully clothed.

The movements were natural, as if the almost offensive kiss had never happened.

Mo Sangyu was still standing in the same spot, a strange feeling lingering on his forehead.

She raised her hand and touched it.

"...He's gone mad."

She muttered a curse under her breath, unsure whether she was cursing him or herself for her momentary lapse in concentration.

She turned around, quickly walked back to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, crawled inside, and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

In the outer room, Feng Xingyu lay flat on the soft couch, his eyes behind the mask open in the darkness, gazing at the empty ceiling above, a tiny curve silently curving his lips.

Late at night.

Mo Sangyu barely slept anymore.

She had a vague feeling that, at some point, Feng Xingyu's attitude towards her seemed to have changed.

After spending so much time together, there was no hatred or conflict between them. In fact, she had helped him a lot. It was only natural and logical that their relationship became harmonious and that they trusted each other.

but……

Could it be that he's fallen for her?

Men like it, haha.

forget it.

What men like is better than money, power, and freedom.

Although she was helping him, wasn't she also doing what she wanted to do?

And Feng Xingyu just happened to give her this opportunity.

Mo Sangyu suppressed the jumbled thoughts in her mind, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

There are still important things to do when it gets light.

……

the next day.

Before dawn, noises came from the next room again.

It was someone from the shop who discovered the two bodies and quickly had them carried out.

Before long, law enforcement officers arrived and knocked on each door to inquire.

There was also a knock on Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu's door.

Feng Xingyu opened the door, but Mo Sangyu, who was inside, did not appear.

When law enforcement officers asked him if he had heard any noises or seen any suspicious people last night, he answered them all flawlessly.

Afterwards, the law enforcement officers checked the two men's identification tags, found nothing wrong, and left.

This was just a minor incident.

Breakfast was still delivered to the room by the waiter.

From last night until now, every time the waiter enters the room, his gaze sweeps back and forth between Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu.

His eyes held a hint of inquiry and curiosity.

When they checked in last night, everyone knew that Feng Xingyu was Mo Sangyu's servant. How could people not have doubts about a servant sharing a room with his wife?

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

The waiter set out the food but didn't leave immediately, wanting to observe how the servant and the lady interacted.

Mo Sangyu glanced at her coldly: "Want to stay and have something to eat?"

"Madam is too kind."

The waiter waved his hands repeatedly and said with a forced smile, "I'll be right there. Please enjoy your meal."

After saying that, he slowly left, turning back every few steps.

"Look what you've done."

"What's there to be afraid of? This is just what's on the surface."

Feng Xingyu sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and began to naturally serve her food: "This is not all bad. At least it proves that what we said when we entered the city was true. After entering the city, we have to do something under their watchful eyes. We can't just disappear completely."

Mo Sangyu thought about it carefully and felt that what he said made sense.

"it is good."

Seeing that he had already piled a lot of food into her bowl, she felt even more strongly that she needed to find an opportunity to have a serious talk with him about this.

"Let's eat, and then we'll go for a walk around."

"I suggest we split up."

"no."

Feng Xingyu refused without hesitation: "We must act together in everything."

"You really don't trust me at all?" Mo Sangyu put down her chopsticks and asked him, "Am I that useless in your eyes?"

"If you are useless, then there is no one useful in the world."

He patiently explained, "Back then, you injured your arm when you killed a seventh-rank martial artist. Now the city is full of seventh-rank and eighth-rank martial artists, and even a ninth-rank expert appeared last night. How can I be at ease?"

"..."

Row.

This man doesn't understand her enough; he doesn't know how formidable she is.

The last time I was injured was because I was trying to save Granny Yu.

Besides, at that time, her spiritual power had recovered to less than 20%, but now it's almost recovered to 40%. How can they be the same?

Let alone a seventh-rank martial artist, she wouldn't even consider that ninth-rank martial artist from last night a threat.

It should be understood that a hundred seventh-rank martial arts practitioners cannot defeat a single eighth-rank martial arts practitioner, and a thousand eighth-rank martial arts practitioners may not be able to defeat a single ninth-rank martial arts practitioner.

Once her spiritual power has recovered to 40%, she'll show him the power of a soul cultivator!

At this moment, Mo Sangyu did not refute him anymore.

The two quickly finished their meal, changed their clothes, and left the restaurant together.

This is a bustling area of ​​Youdu. Stepping out of the gate, you are greeted by a constant flow of people.

The bright sunshine streamed through the gaps in the tall buildings, illuminating the clean, tidy stone slabs of the street.

Unlike its dazzling extravagance at night, Youdu City during the day exudes a more orderly and prosperous atmosphere.

The streets were wide enough to accommodate several horse-drawn carriages side by side.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their colorful signs fluttering in the wind.

The market offers a wide variety of goods, including silk fabrics, gold and silver artifacts, jade and spices, medicinal herbs, and dried goods from both the north and south of China.

The pedestrians walking on the street are dressed in various styles.

These people are clearly from different countries, some here to do business, some to buy things, and some to genuinely enjoy the scenery...

Of course, there are some ill-intentioned people among them, wandering around the city with their own agendas.

For example, Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu.

The two mingled in the crowd, seemingly strolling casually, but in reality, they were keeping a close eye on their surroundings and listening carefully to everything around them.

Every so often, you can see guards in uniform red armor; they are law enforcers responsible for maintaining order in the city.

They patrolled the streets in groups of three or five, their steps synchronized, their sharp eyes scanning the crowd.

Meanwhile, the spies in the shadows were constantly monitoring everything that happened in the city. The two of them had been wandering around for quite some time and had already felt themselves being watched by different auras several times.

However, these were just routine scans, not targeted or to detect any wrongdoing on their part.

Mo Sangyu wore a simple dress with a matching cloak over it. Her face was unadorned, but her outstanding appearance and unique temperament still attracted a lot of attention.

She didn't care at all, looking around the stall with great interest, touching the fabric, and occasionally even buying some snacks from the food stalls, completely like a "lady" who was visiting the city for the first time and found everything new and exciting.

Feng Xingyu followed half a step behind her, wearing a mask and a neat outfit. He was tall and had an equally eye-catching presence.

He didn't say much, just waited quietly when Mo Sangyu stopped, keeping an eye on his surroundings, dutifully playing the role of a servant.

The gazes that occasionally fell on Mo Sangyu seemed to hold an inexplicable focus compared to before.

Soon, the two passed by an impressive building.

There were warriors guarding the entrance, and the plaque had three gilded characters that read "Baizhen Pavilion". The guests coming and going were all rich and noble, so it must be a high-end auction house or treasure shop.

"Want to go in and take a look?" Feng Xingyu asked.

"I'm not going."

Mo Sangyu shook his head.

They didn't have much time. The area of ​​Youdu City was larger than they had imagined. To fully grasp the hidden defenses, they had to traverse the entire area.

The two continued on their way.

Leaving the bustling commercial street, in the distance, several majestic buildings stand.

As soon as they got a little closer, they could clearly feel the gazes that were secretly fixed on them becoming much stronger.

This is a warning; you must not continue to trespass.

It seems.

That should be the city lord's mansion.

The two stopped in time, turned around, and walked in another direction.

"Judging from the aura just now, how many people were there, and what was their strength?"

After moving a distance away, the shadowy gaze disappeared.

Feng Xingyu, carrying his sword, walked beside Mo Sangyu and asked as if they were having a casual chat.

Mo Sangyu replied softly, "About a dozen or so. The most powerful one is a ninth-rank, and his aura is very similar to the person from last night. Unfortunately, the time he spent there was too short to be 100% certain."

"It's him."

Feng Xingyu said, "No second Rank 9 has been discovered yet."

"Um."

Among those who cultivate martial arts to the ninth rank, there are only a handful who are truly renowned throughout the entire Nine Provinces Continent.

Even if there are hidden ninth-rank masters in Youdu City, it's impossible for them to be as numerous as seventh or eighth-rank masters.

Even so, the strength of this place is already quite terrifying.

Probably everyone except Feng Xingyu would think that Mo Sangyu's idea was just wishful thinking and a pipe dream.

"Madam, are you thirsty? There's a tea stall up ahead."

After walking for more than an hour, Feng Xingyu asked in a low voice at the opportune moment.

Mo Sangyu nodded, and the two walked towards a tea stall not far away, which had a canopy and a few simple tables and chairs.

I had just sat down and ordered two bowls of tea when the sound of a few traveling merchants chatting drifted over from the next table.

"Have you heard? Two people died last night in room number two of the 'Tian' section at the Yunkelai Restaurant."

"Huh? How did he die? Did someone get killed?"

"Hey, I heard it's like... being caught in the act, with blood everywhere. They only found out this morning, and the enforcement team came and sealed off that floor for a long time."

"Who was it that caught them cheating, and was so ruthless?"

"Who would dare to speak carelessly? Someone who could sneak into Yunke to commit murder, and whose investigation by the law enforcement team has yielded no results after so long... who do you think it could be?"

"That must be someone with real power in the city. Outsiders probably wouldn't dare to kill someone here."

"In my opinion, it's not that law enforcement can't find out, it's that they never even intended to investigate..."

"Shh, you can't say things like that, or you'll get yourself into trouble."

After chatting for a while, the group glanced around nervously and quickly changed the subject.

These people were clearly frequent visitors to Youdu City and had a certain understanding of the city. They were well aware that their words and actions were under the control of the City Lord's Mansion.

"Let's go."

After finishing their tea, Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu exchanged a knowing glance before getting up to continue their "stroll".

According to the map given by Gu Jinzhi, at their pace, they had only explored about a third of the area in a whole day.

at night.

Mo Sangyu changed his plans.

During the day, they operate under the watchful eyes of those sentries, but there are some restricted areas that are inaccessible, so they can only operate at night.

But this is risky because it requires avoiding all eyes and ears, which is not an easy task.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Feng Xingyu calmly and rationally analyzed: "If we are discovered, and we alert the enemy, the city will definitely be under martial law, which will make the subsequent plans more difficult."

Do you think I act impulsively?