In the innermost house, it was decorated with lanterns and streamers, bustling with activity. There was a room there. Inside the room, a woman was sitting upright in front of a bronze mirror.
Her hands and feet were bound by ropes made of spiritual power. Only a special incantation could undo this kind of restraint.
On the woman's face was a delicate makeup. In her beautiful eyes, there was not a single ripple. Her heart was dead. In this world, what could possibly arouse her desire to live?
She had been lingering on for a few months just to find out the whereabouts of Brother Zheng. Unfortunately, she was trapped. Not to mention finding Brother Zheng, even getting out was an extremely extravagant hope. This small Jiangning City had trapped her tightly. It made Lin Miner feel more suffocated than a well - guarded dungeon.
Now, she was like a commodity. Her whole body was bound, and she couldn't move. She could only huddle there helplessly, like a rare beast, waiting for people to gawk at her. How ironic! If she really had to marry this Master Lu tonight, Lin Miner swore that she would rather die than lose her last bit of innocence.
The night wind blew gently. The big red lanterns hanging on the eaves swayed back and forth. The candle shadows also danced accordingly. The room was deathly silent, while outside the room, it was extremely lively.
The protagonist of tonight's event was sitting high on the main seat in the front hall, accepting people's words of gratitude. Moreover, flattering words kept ringing out.
"Master, we're all very curious. What kind of woman is she that's worth you throwing such a grand banquet and being so proud of?"
Master Lu's face was shiny. He let out a loud laugh. That smile, illuminated by the candlelight, was so greasy and disgusting. But he himself didn't seem to notice. He said bluntly, "I've been craving this beauty for a long time but just couldn't get her. You don't understand. Women who throw themselves at you without any competition are just fallen flowers. It's different from the beauty I've got this time. That young man Yang Hun almost fell out with me over her."
Master Lu beamed with a big smile, and the people below flattered him. Yang Hun was a seventh - rank spiritual herbalist with a very high rank. They naturally respected him. However, in the Nine States Continent, alchemists were far rarer than spiritual herbalists. Moreover, an alchemist of Master Lu's rank was a rare existence even in the whole Cangwu Kingdom.
In the front hall, they were chatting and laughing, and their words were all vulgar and obscene.
Outside the courtyard, Zhao Shuning and Luo Qiu had already mingled among the crowd.
"Xiao Qiu, you stay here and guard. If there's any news, send it to me immediately. I'll go and search this manor carefully."
"Okay."
Zhao Shuning's consideration was reasonable. Generally, highly capable alchemists would set up an array in their residences. This array was quite strange. With Zhao Shuning and Luo Qiu's current abilities, it wouldn't pose much of a threat to them. However, if they started fighting right away and Master Lu was cornered and desperate enough to self - detonate and fully activate this array, although they could retreat safely, Lin Miner hidden in this manor would surely be doomed.
Zhao Shuning left the bustling front courtyard and began to explore the Nine Dragon Manor slowly.
I have to say that this Master Lu must have extorted a great deal of people's fat and cream. This small manor was actually built to the scale of a mansion that only a right prime minister could own.
The exploration took quite a long time. The manor was too big, and there were many guards. Zhao Shuning stood out too much among the crowd, so she could only wait for the right moment and then search the rooms one by one.
If Lin Miner were an alchemist or a spiritual herbalist, they wouldn't have to go through so much trouble. Unfortunately, since childhood, her mother had been a delicate person without spiritual roots, let alone the ability to practice.
Zhao Shuning rummaged through all the rooms near the edge of the manor, but still didn't see her mother's figure. So she narrowed the search area.
Zhao Shuning passed through the bamboo garden in the outer courtyard. Before she reached the quiet room in front, she felt a thick protective shield appear in front of her. She was startled. She reached out her hand. The spiritual power contained in this protective shield was truly powerful.
So, was there some extraordinary figure locked up in this room? No wonder there wasn't a single guard here. Master Lu could be so lax. Presumably, it was because he had great confidence in his spiritual power and thought that no one in this small Jiangning City could break through his protective shield.
Moreover, there was Master Lu's spiritual power in this protective shield. If a powerful person really tried to force their way in, even if he was far away in the front hall, he would immediately sense it.
Originally, this protective shield formed by spiritual power was set up by Master Lu to prevent Yang Hun from stealing the woman, but he didn't expect that Yang Hun didn't come, but Zhao Shuning arrived first.
Zhao Shuning secretly placed her hands on the protective shield. Cracks began to appear on it slowly. However, it wasn't enough. Zhao Shuning had to send a secret message to Luo Qiu who was in the front hall.
"Xiao Qiu."
"Miss? What's wrong?"
"Think of a way. I've found a place and want to go in and take a look. But Master Lu has set up a spiritual - power protective shield here. I'm afraid of alarming the enemy. When I break this thing later, he'll sense it and I won't be able to act."
"Miss, I understand."
"Okay."
Luo Qiu added, "Give me a moment. After a moment, Miss, you can take action. I'll do my best to attract this man's attention here so that he won't have the energy to notice the commotion on your side."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Luo Qiu gave a charming smile. Was it hard work? She only felt that being able to stay by her sister's side and do things for her was her greatest happiness.
In the past, she disdained to do such things and didn't need to. But now, it was different.
In the front hall, the men in Taoist robes were chatting merrily. From outside, someone started to clap their hands. Then, a string of pleasant laughter came. The voice was charming. Just by hearing that laughter, they felt their bodies go weak involuntarily. Everyone's eyes involuntarily looked outside.
"Master, did you invite a woman?"
Master Lu was also very confused. Among his friends, there were no women. Even if there were, they had basically been taken into his manor by him. But this laughter was indeed that of a woman.
"Who is it?"
"I'm Qiuqiu. I'm here to present a congratulatory gift to the master."
After she finished speaking, what first came into everyone's view were a pair of extremely long and fair legs. Above the legs was a cyan gauze. As the woman walked, her long legs were faintly visible. There was also a string of bells hanging on her ankles. The bells jingled in the wind, matching the woman's swaying figure. She was so enchantingly seductive that she seemed to bewitch the world.