I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

Then... Yuan Mengli would always send Feng Hua to important areas like spirit stone mines to carry out missions.

Countless similar incidents occurred. In any case, Yuan Mengli maintained an excellent sense of propriety. Several times, Feng Hua wanted to lose her temper, but considering the cost of breaking through the two curse seals and the need to help Qin Rufeng find rare and precious treasures, she endured it.

She wanted to vent her anger but couldn't. Yuan Mengli's slow, insidious treatment of Feng Hua was like countless loose ropes that would snap at the slightest struggle, constantly tightening the noose around her and increasing her pressure.

Fortunately, this time we finally got something...

She came to find Qin Rufeng in high spirits. The moment she stepped into the room, she heard the sound of a zither… it was “The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate”!

"So she didn't forget!" Feng Hua was overjoyed and walked into the room.

The room was filled with the flickering red candlelight and the aroma of incense. A subtle fragrance wafted from the gilded incense burner, permeating the air like spring tides washing over bluestone.

Qin Rufeng sat upright before the table, her delicate hands gently caressing the three-foot-long zither. As she lowered her eyes to tune the strings, the gossamer-wing-like gauze dress on her shoulders seemed like a wisp of smoke, appearing and disappearing at any moment.

Qin Rufeng was wearing only a sheer, gossamer-like dress. Her graceful figure resembled the silhouette of distant mountains in the morning mist. The warm golden ripples of candlelight seeping onto the dress flowed slowly along the distinct peaks and valleys of her silhouette.

Full Moon Peak, shrouded in a thin mist; peach blossoms blush, dotting the landscape. Ice and snow, once a thousand years old, melt into water in a single day.

Qin Rufeng always seemed aloof in Feng Hua's eyes. She could sense that Rufeng's icy demeanor only melted towards her. Towards the two maids, she treated them like food. But towards her, it was a completely different story.

Feng Hua transformed into a small, colorful phoenix in the form of a falcon and flew to Qin Rufeng's shoulder. It spread its wings and covered her porcelain-like shoulder, its head nuzzling against her cheek and temples.

Then Feng Hua transformed back into human form and embraced Qin Rufeng from behind. Even with her fingers spread wide, she couldn't fully encircle him.

Qin Rufeng couldn't continue playing...

Taking advantage of the pause in the music, Feng Hua said, "I've found it!"

Qin Rufeng turned his head and asked, "What? A rare and precious treasure?"

Feng Hua clenched her fingers tightly, "Ding-a-ling~~"

"Hmm!"

"What's wrong? Don't stop, keep playing."

Qin Rufeng endured it, and the sound of the zither rose again as her fair hands swept across the strings.

As soon as the piece ended, Ru Feng turned to ask a question, only to be tackled to the ground by Feng Hua...

The next morning, Feng Hua handed the object to Qin Rufeng. It was a piece of black metal containing powerful spiritual energy.

"This is Heavenly Gang Profound Iron," Feng Hua said. "It's a rare and precious material with the attribute of metal spiritual root, which can help you break through."

Qin Rufeng was overjoyed to receive this item. With this, he now possessed rare materials of the metal, wood, and earth elements, making his acquisition of Shangguan Qingxue's Thousand-Year Tear virtually certain. Only the fire element remained.

Feng Hua was overjoyed and set off again to search for Ru Feng. However, she didn't return for a whole day and night...

Qin Rufeng did not get up and sleep all night, his clothes were cold and damp.

The next morning, Zeng Yuzhen, who always disliked Ru Feng, came to Ruyan Pavilion to deliver a message, asking Ru Feng to go with her to see the head of the workshop.

Qin Rufeng saw that Zeng Yuzhen was holding his own unlocking jade pendant. Wasn't that always in Feng Hua's possession?

Her heart skipped a beat... Oh no, something's happened to Feng Hua!

Chapter 159 You're too attached to appearances

Seeing Qin Rufeng's shocked and bewildered expression, Zeng Yuzhen revealed a smug smile. She sternly rebuked him, "What are you dawdling for? Didn't you understand? The sect leader wants to see you!"

Qin Rufeng quickly asked, "Where's Fenghua? Why didn't she come?"

Zeng Yuzhen's face darkened. "I'm here to relay the workshop master's orders and to take you there, not to answer your questions."

Qin Rufeng tried his best to remain calm, but he still felt a surge of anger rising in his chest and turning into a raging fire.

Indeed, three spirit fox flames lit up above her head... four!

Fueled by rage, Qin Rufeng's fox spirit, Xiang Liu Ba Zhou~ Wu! Ba Ling Si Ling, moved even closer, and a fourth tail grew from its back.

Immediately afterwards... a fifth spirit fire appeared, and a fifth tail grew out! Qin Rufeng's demon fox form actually advanced two levels at once.

It wasn't just that its tail grew longer and its nails became longer. Its entire aura changed.

Her brows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. Her expression was serene, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Her voice deepened, becoming more mature and magnetic. Her tone also became arrogant, "I disdain to contend with you. However, Xinping kindly inquires about the state of my friend Fenghua. Please tell me the truth and lest you anger me."

Upon seeing Qin Rufeng suddenly grow two tails and be surrounded by five foxfires, his demeanor also changing, Zeng Yuzhen couldn't help but feel intimidated and instinctively took half a step back.

But she quickly regained her arrogant expression and said with a sneer, "If you want to know, I can tell you."

“That freak has always been extremely rude! She doesn’t even respect the shop owner. The shop owner has been very accommodating to her, but she has taken advantage of the situation.”

"Nowadays, the only thing that the master has decided is to no longer tolerate her and has made her a complete beast of burden."

"And you... hehe, you'll end up the same way." Zeng Yuzhen's smile was already somewhat distorted. "A mere Foundation Establishment slave is no different from livestock."

"You should have been thrown into a spirit stone mine or the lowest-class brothel, to be used as a 'soft pot' for those slaves to vent their desires on. It was the brothel owner who honored you and saved you from dire straits."

"And yet you show no gratitude. You think you can act recklessly just because you're a little pretty! You're so arrogant! You think Qingyuefang can't tolerate you anymore?"

"Let me tell you, the brothel owner has given the order that from now on you are under my control. Your good days are over! From now on you are my dog, and you're going to suffer."

Zeng Yuzhen felt a sense of satisfaction after saying those harsh words, but she also noticed that Qin Rufeng was acting strangely.

Especially after it grew two tails, it was like a completely different person. Its emotions were like the calm before a summer afternoon storm, with immense energy hidden beneath the stillness. Golden, gentle sunlight peeked through the thick clouds on one side, while lightning flashed and thunder roared on the other. It looked rather frightening.

But Zeng Yuzhen insisted on giving it a try. She knew Qin Rufeng was nothing more than a Foundation Establishment stage slave. So what if she got angry?

Qin Rufeng's arrogance was so great that even the shop owner tolerated her, all because of that monster Feng Hua. Now that monster has been subdued, Qin Rufeng has lost her backer. No matter how high she jumps, it's nothing more than impotent rage.

If she dares to be so insolent, subdue her and pin her to the ground. Stomp on her fiercely!

After some mental preparation, Zeng Yuzhen finally regained her confidence.

However, at that moment, a "crack" was heard, and the fox mask on Qin Rufeng's face split open...

The mask shattered in two and fell to the ground, revealing a pair of bright, burning eyes filled with raging fury.

Then Qin Rufeng's five foxfires went out, and his tail, which had been spread out like a peacock's tail, retracted.

Zeng Yuzhen breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that Qin Rufeng had finally given in. After all, this prodigy was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his cultivation was inferior to hers, so he couldn't possibly fight against the sect leader.

In reality, Qin Rufeng completely controlled his anger, and his mind became exceptionally clear.

Now that I'm clear-headed, I definitely can't use the Spirit Fox Fire. Any method that attacks the soul is a trump card, and I must not reveal it before directly confronting Yuan Mengli.

However, if Zeng Yuzhen were to rely solely on the two ordinary foxfires that Ling Meng had recently cultivated, they probably wouldn't be able to burn her. After all, she was a Golden Core cultivator.

That leaves only one option...

Zeng Yuzhen had already sensed the danger and tried to use the jade pendant in her hand to stop Qin Rufeng's movements. However, the spell had no effect.

Of course, she had no idea that Qin Rufeng's tail contained a soul lamp. At this moment, her soul was inside the soul lamp, manipulating her body like a puppet.

In the blink of an eye, a deafening explosion was heard!

A jet-black lightning bolt, mixed with shimmering mercury-like light, burst forth from Qin Rufeng's fingertips, striking Zeng Yuzhen's crown chakra.

Zeng Yunzhen suddenly felt as if her internal organs, meridians, blood vessels, dantian energy, bones, muscles and muscles were all about to explode, as if they were about to burst out of her skin and body.

She immediately gathered her spiritual energy, guarding her dantian to prevent her body from exploding. However, the feeling of "implosion" and "shattering" was like throwing a lit firecracker into a cotton-padded coat; although it didn't catch fire, it still caused the cotton to fly everywhere.

Zeng Yuzhen bled from all seven orifices, and blue smoke rose from the top of her head...

"This is... Yin Lightning?" She looked at Qin Rufeng in horror. "You... how could you..."

Before Zeng Yuzhen could finish speaking, Qin Rufeng had already flashed behind her. With a swift and decisive motion, he drew his sword and severed her leg, forcing her to kneel. Then, his five fingers spread wide, his long fingernails like sharp claws digging into Zeng Yuzhen's crown, beginning to drain her spiritual energy…

"Demon... demon fox!" Zeng Yuzhen tried to resist, but felt as if her body had fallen apart and she was completely unable to move.

Soon, Qin Rufeng sucked her until her eyes rolled back, her tongue lolled out, and she could only exhale and not inhale.

Qin Rufeng let out a low laugh and exclaimed, "That's great!"

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Ruyan, stop!"

Qin Rufeng turned his head and saw that the person who came was Shangguan Qingxue.

Qingxue grabbed Qin Rufeng's wrist and kicked Zeng Yuzhen away. Qin Rufeng, unwilling to hurt Qingxue, reluctantly stopped.

Shangguan Qingxue said, "You've really gotten yourself into trouble! Since that's the case, you might as well just run away!"

"Escape? Why would I want to escape?" Qin Rufeng said nonchalantly.

Shangguan Qingxue frowned. She looked Qin Rufeng up and down, then suddenly slapped him across the face.

Qin Rufeng froze for a moment, then covered his face and said, "Sister Qingxue? What... what happened to me?"

"Sister, you're too attached to appearances."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Qin Rufeng was completely bewildered.

Shangguan Qingxue said urgently, "Let's not talk about this now! Let's escape Qingyuefang first."

"No, I can't leave." Qin Rufeng shook his head. "I can't abandon Fenghua."

Shangguan Qingxue raised her hand to strike again, but Qin Rufeng quickly shrank back, saying, "I'm not being unreasonable."

"I don't think Yuan Mengli would want to kill me. She just wants to use Feng Hua to force me to agree to something. I... should go find her."

Chapter 160: Should the First Time Be So Abstract?

"Ruyan, how could you..." Shangguan Qingxue really didn't expect that Qin Rufeng would be even more composed than her at this moment.

So Qingxue calmed down and thought for a moment before saying, "That makes sense. I know you're determined to break with the shop owner, and escaping now would be extremely difficult."

"Given Yuan Mengli's character, she probably took precautions long ago."

"In that case, let's go see her first. We'll act according to the situation and not be forceful. We should compromise first to buy time and then figure out a solution."

As she spoke, Shangguan Qingxue raised her hand and waved it. More than a dozen thorny white roses had already stuck into Zeng Yuzhen's body.

Zeng Yuzhen convulsed again. The white roses quickly turned into pink roses, and then into bright red.

Then the blood-red petals scattered in the wind like dandelions. Zeng Yuzhen was already deathly pale, all color drained from her body.

Qin Rufeng exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Qingxue, what's wrong with you...?"

"Stop talking and just behave like a puppet for a while." Shangguan Qingxue then picked up the jade pendant on Zeng Yuzhen's body and cast a spell.

“Since we have to face the brothel owner, let’s go together. I’ll take you there.”

Qingxue's attitude was resolute, it seemed she was determined to take charge of this matter. Qin Rufeng was quite gratified, so he stopped resisting and took the initiative to retract the Soul-Binding Silk.

Shangguan Qingxue attacked Zeng Yuzhen to pin the blame on her. Then she told Xia Jinghong and Li Qingshi to stay in Ruyan Pavilion and not to make any rash moves. She put Qin Rufeng in a sedan chair and had Zizhu and Jinlan lead him to see the head of the workshop.

Upon seeing Yuan Mengli, Qin Rufeng almost couldn't hold back.

Yuan Mengli sat regally on a mahogany chair, legs crossed, a smug look on her face. Feng Hua stood beside her, his eyes vacant, a chain collar around his neck. The chain was held by Yuan Mengli's hand.

Qin Rufeng noticed that the two curse marks on Yuan Mengli's hands had disappeared...

When Yuan Mengli saw Qin Rufeng being carried in by Shangguan Qingxue and two maids, she was not too surprised.

But she put on a convincing performance, feigning surprise as she asked, "What's wrong?"

Shangguan Qingxue immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness...

Yuan Mengli then pretended to help Qingxue up and asked what had happened.

Shangguan Qingxue said, "Zeng Yuzhen used the brothel owner's orders to make things difficult for and humiliate Ruyan. Ruyan, with her fiery temper, fought with Yuzhen."

"I saw Ru Feng was at a disadvantage, so I stepped in to help... but I ended up seriously injuring Yu Zhen. I have now ordered Bai Ju and Qing Mei to take her to get treatment."

"I dare not disobey the orders of the sect leader, so Zizhu Jinlan and I will bring Ruyan over first."

"I was too harsh. I don't know how Yuzhen is doing... It's all my fault. Please punish me, Master."

Shangguan Qingxue took all the blame upon herself. Qin Rufeng was about to defend her when Yuan Mengli interrupted, saying, "No need to say anything, I understand everything."

"Qingxue, untie Ruyan first. I had someone bring Ruyan here, not tie her up. This shackle is to protect Ruyan, not to bind her."

Qin Rufeng's curse has been broken...

Yuan Mengli smiled, seemingly waiting for Ru Feng's fury. That way, she could command Feng Hua to stop Ru Feng and deliver a devastating blow to her heart.

But Qin Rufeng didn't do that. Instead, he calmly asked, "Master, what happened to Fenghua?"

Yuan Mengli was slightly surprised, then nodded and smiled, saying, "Ruyan, you are indeed extraordinary."

"You're very smart. I don't like beating around the bush with smart people."

“You know I want you to entertain customers, and I also know you’re thinking about escaping Qingyuefang.”

"You don't want to be forced, and you don't want to be controlled or bound by others."