The entire sect is obsessed with love, but I'm the only one who's truly insane.

It was clearly the height of summer, yet the forbidden peach grove always seemed like a mild spring, with endless pink mist emanating from the peach trees, never withering and never bearing fruit.

Lin Du hung on the tree with a long face, refusing to come down. "Senior brother, that's enough. I'm really out of spiritual energy."

Hou Cang learned a line from Lin Du's poem: "I don't believe it."

Lin Du: ...

Her face was grave. "You deliberately exhausted my spiritual power so I couldn't learn from my master, didn't you!"

"I know all of Master's hand seals." Hou Cang avoided the topic.

Lin Du was even more confused. "But you can't learn your senior's mindset and overall perspective!"

Hou Cang remained noncommittal, then said, "Get down."

"Anyway, you can't cut down trees!" Lin Du resolutely refused to go down. It was only a rare opportunity for her seventh senior sister to go into seclusion, but now another ruthless training machine had appeared. Hou Cang was the only one in her life who could teach her to climb trees.

"Hey senior brother, how about you let me rest for a bit, and then tell me more about Fan Qiancheng?"

Hou Cang thought for a moment, "What's there to say?"

"Although we should despise the enemy strategically, we must take them seriously tactically. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle."

As Lin Du spoke, he suddenly leaned forward, "And senior brother, with your current strength, are you capable of defeating the Demon Lord?"

The afternoon sun of midsummer pierced through the not-so-lush branches of the peach grove, casting a clear shadow on that icy face.

"I'm not sure." Hou Cang paused. "I'm ranked thirteenth on the Chongxiao Ranking, so I probably can't beat him."

Seeing that Lin Du really didn't want to practice anymore, he simply explained to her the structure of the Demon Realm and the strength of the Demon Lord.

Demons revere strength, devouring their own kind and spiritual cultivators without any moral boundaries. Internal and external conflicts are extremely severe, creating chaos. There are no factions, only their own lairs. Lower-ranking demons, in order to survive, will attach themselves to higher-ranking demons and become their servants and subordinates.

Because of the chaotic infighting, demons die every day. The powerful devour the weak, and there are also those who join in the fun and pick up the scraps. Everyone is a mantis, everyone is a oriole, and there are always cicadas.

Lin Du stated, "A society without order and bottom lines cannot last long; it will always be mired in internal strife, which is why it is weak and vulnerable."

Although there is a devastating demonic tide every thousand years that causes immense losses to spiritual practice, even so, evil remains hidden and will never spread or grow stronger.

Each Demon Lord's reign was short-lived. Before Qianyu, the longest reign was only a little over a hundred years before he was killed and devoured by those who came to challenge him.

Qianyu has been in power for over three hundred years and is extremely strong. Although the Demon Realm is still in chaos, he has at least suppressed a group of covetous subordinates and newly emerging powerhouses.

Hearing this, Lin Du seemed thoughtful. "So Qianyu's position isn't entirely secure either, right?"

Hou Cang looked up at her, a rare hint of emotion flickering in his voice, "That's not what I meant, is it?"

He was clearly saying that Qianyu's strength was extremely high, far exceeding that of ordinary demons; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to remain in power for so long without being overthrown.

How come in Lin Du's mouth, Qian Yu has become a pitiful creature whose position is in jeopardy?

This junior sister has even wilder ideas than him.

Hou Cang was very worried and decided to remind his seemingly overconfident junior sister, "The Demon Lord is very dangerous. Even if you live another hundred years, you may not be his match."

"Who said I wanted to fight him one-on-one?" Lin Du raised his hand and pointed to his head. "Using your brain is enough."

"It's so boring to fight all the time."

She wants to drag the king, who grew up by devouring and plundering, down from the throne and devour him, by the millions of hands that once submitted to him.

Lin Du grinned, his canine teeth gleaming with a cold, white light, his eyes filled with malice. "After all, he seems to have a lot of free time, so how can we not cause him some trouble?"

Hou Cang was puzzled and greatly shocked, expressing concern for his junior sister's mental state.

"Senior brother, have you been to a brothel?" Lin Du calculated the time; a month had already passed. Perhaps it was time to go and investigate.

Hou Cang suddenly realized, "It must be your second senior brother who led you astray."

Cang Li was the first disciple accepted by Lin Tuan. Lin Tuan was busy with many affairs, so Cang Li was raised by a group of elders in the sect. They taught him everything, but in the end, he couldn't bear the burden and chose to cultivate the carefree path.

When Hou Cang arrives, Lin Tuan will have Cang Li teach Hou Cang normal human joy.

Cang Li turned around and took the half-grown child to the brothel, leaving a huge shadow on Hou Cang's young mind.

Hou Cang looked at his junior sister and earnestly reminded her, "Don't follow Cang Li's example, he's always being improper."

Lin Du: ?

"No, senior brother, you seem to have misunderstood." Lin Du said very sincerely, "I just wanted to inquire about some information."

"A respectable person wouldn't go to a brothel to gather information," Hou Cang said, declining Lin Du's invitation.

Lin Du sighed, "Then I'll be going now, Senior Brother."

Hou Cang: ...Something seems off, but I can't remember what it is.

Half an hour later, as dusk settled, Lin Du changed into a new outfit, adorned in brocade and adorned with dazzling ornaments. He took a magical artifact from Cang Li that could alter one's appearance, told Feng Chao, and prepared to leave.

Hou Cang stood at the entrance of the main hall with a dark face.

Lin Du was startled. "Senior brother?"

"My master told me to keep an eye on you and not let you do anything reckless."

Lin Du: ...

"Then, senior brother, why don't you use a magic artifact to cover your face? Although probably no one will recognize your face now."

Hou Cang hummed in agreement, raised his hand and hung up a Thousand Faces Pearl, changing his appearance.

After the changes were finished, he slowly asked, "Why did you change your face? You're really not going to do anything bad, are you?"

Lin Du remained silent. "Senior brother, what bad things could I possibly do?"

What bad things could she possibly do!

Hou Cang shook his head, "I don't know, but your smile is never a good thing."

Lin Du: ?

Beaded curtains and embroidered doors, green smoke and vermilion fire, fragrant curtains swaying in the breeze as flowers drift into the building.

When Lin Du and Hou Cang arrived, the venue was already bustling with activity.

The two were led to a seating area and settled down. Lin Du then focused on eating snacks, and after finishing the snacks, he cracked open peanuts. Only after finishing the peanuts did he put the food down.

"So what exactly are you here to find out?" Hou Cang couldn't help but ask, seeing her eyes fixed on the girl on the platform, only looking away when a man tried to seduce her. "They've already had three song and dance performances!"

"No rush." ​​Lin Du casually sniffed the wine, picked it up and put it down again. "Be patient. Aren't these fairy sisters pretty?"

Hou Cang frowned. "Be normal."

"Okay." Lin Du glanced around, but still didn't see Hu You appear, and frowned slightly.

That shouldn't be the case. He's in charge, and he'll go to toast distinguished guests when they enter the private room.

Lin Du was just about to cause some trouble when he reached out and touched the plate. He found that there were only sunflower seeds left, so he decided to take them with him, otherwise it would be bad if they spilled when he caused trouble later.

Suddenly, the music on stage became urgent, and someone descended from the high platform stepping on flower petals. Illusory golden and silver butterflies fluttered around, creating a magnificent scene in the room.

"Miss Zhiling's flower-throwing selection of her consort begins today!"

As expected, the courtesan's entrance was always a grand affair. Before Lin Du could figure out how to cause trouble, a crystal-clear ice flower landed on her table.

Hou Cang: ...Is it too late for him to drag his junior sister out now?

The guests looked over and saw only an ordinary, thin young man, and were all greatly disappointed.

Seeing this, Lin Du quickly realized what was happening. "But I don't have any money! Does anyone want this flower? I'll sell it to you!"

Before anyone could reply, a maid came over and said, "The young lady said that she only wants to hear one song, so there's no charge."

Lin Du glanced back at his senior brother, whose expression was strange and stiff, then looked at the girl who was about to go upstairs. The girl's eyes were bright and her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful and aloof, yet she also had an indescribable sense of fragility. "That's fine too."

Hou Cang sneered.

This junior sister is no longer a good match, really.

Inside, the cool fragrance carried a unique refreshing scent, completely different from the sweet and warm floral aroma outside.

Lin Du entered the room, and the maids all withdrew, leaving only Zhi Ling, who was diligently tuning the pipa.

She walked around the room, her gaze falling on the display cabinets. Like someone who had never seen the world, she looked at each item one by one, occasionally touching them.

As Zhiling tuned her instrument, she also glanced at the man in blue, feeling inexplicably unsure. She tentatively asked, "Does our esteemed guest like hibiscus jade?"

There is no hibiscus jade on the multi-treasure cabinet.

Lin Du's fingertips landed on a jade ornament, then he pulled out the Cold Moon Spirit from his sleeve, forcing it to transform into a mirage, a world of music, and slapped it against the object. He then turned around, "Alright, the spying artifact has been fooled. Where's the fox?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhiling's eyes. "The manager has left. He said he's gone to work in the core of the branch."

How did you recognize me?

"The manager said that if someone comes in and doesn't drink but only eats, and after finishing the food they want to take away even the sunflower seeds, or if they inexplicably cause trouble and call for the manager, then that's probably someone who's coming to see him."

Lin Du: ...As expected of Fox You.

"Does he have a message for me?"

"The steward said that they have managed to find some clues and have indeed found some sources of information in Fanqian City, but they have not yet found the person you mentioned who suddenly appeared. However, the subordinates of Demon Lord Qianyu are all scheming and not of one mind. They will try to send you a list when the time comes."

Lin Du nodded, thinking it would be strange if they were of one mind.

"Could you pass on a message for me?"

"It's worth a try." Zhi Ling looked at Lin Du's hands, which were casually placed on the shelf. He was an ordinary-looking man, but his hands were exceptionally beautiful.

He was tall and slender, with thin calluses on his skin, which didn't look like they were from holding swords or knives, but rather from holding a pen. He probably wasn't a fighter.

"Tell Fox You to try to convey to the Demon Realm that the Demon Lord is not in the Demon Realm and is trapped and unable to show himself."

Lin Du added, "Don't worry, this is real news."

Zhiling paused for a moment, then nodded seriously, "I will, but it might not be in time."

"No rush," Lin Du smiled.

The pieces need to be laid out slowly; this is only the second step.