Right at that moment, Murong Fu's ears twitched slightly as he caught the sound of something landing in the courtyard.
"Don't move. Take this wet towel and cover your nose and mouth!" Murong Fu whispered, abandoning his struggle. He no longer dodged the two pairs of soft hands resting on his waist, instead picking up a wet towel and pressing it against the faces of the two beauties.
Hearing this, the two beauties quickly turned their heads slightly and covered their noses and mouths with the wet towels.
Murong Fu then covered his own nose and mouth with a wet towel, quietly waiting for whoever was in the courtyard.
After landing outside the window, the figure looked around in all directions. Seeing no one, the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile.
Clad entirely in black with a bundle strapped to his back, this man was Daoist Zhangxu. Accustomed to acting alone, he never dared entrust his valuables to anyone else and always carried them with him.
He moistened a finger with saliva and gently traced circles on the window paper until it poked through. A tubular device was then thrust inside, and thin wisps of smoke drifted into the room as Daoist Zhangxu blew through it.
While blowing the aphrodisiac smoke, Daoist Zhangxu couldn't help but rub a certain unspeakable spot mentioned in this book.
He had been eyeing these two maidens for two days, and they truly seemed like celestial beings descending to earth.
Ever since Daoist Zhangxu had broken his vows, he had never laid eyes on such breathtaking women. Seeing the young maidens running about every day and growing increasingly frail, how could he bear to let such beauties be ruined by that consumptive invalid?
After a brief wait, accompanied by a soft creak, the door opened, and Daoist Zhangxu crept stealthily into the room.
"Hmm? What is that smell?" Although the air in the room was filled with his own smoke, it somehow felt off. His smoke had never smelled like this before—could it have gone bad? No matter, he would have to make a fresh batch next time.
Though Daoist Zhangxu spoke in a murmur, it managed to annoy the two beauties on the bed and amuse Murong Fu. Yet, not daring to laugh out loud, Murong Fu's body trembled slightly as he held it in.
The amusement vanished quickly, however, as four fingers on either side pinched the tender flesh at Murong Fu's waist and began to twist.
Outside the bed curtains, Daoist Zhangxu gently lifted the edge with his sword. By the moonlight, he saw three pairs of eyes staring straight at him, their noses and mouths still covered with towels.
There was annoyance and anger in the eyes of the two beauties, and pure hatred in the eyes of the man in the middle. Originally, the young man had diffused the awkward atmosphere, but now the two beauties felt awkward all over again, while Murong Fu felt a deeper agony in his waist and intensely cursed Daoist Zhangxu for running his mouth.
*Oh no!* Daoist Zhangxu thought to himself, realizing he had walked into a trap.
Before he could even blink, the man in the middle struck out with a palm. Accompanied by a fierce gale, the attack was already at his chest.
*Bang!* A single strike wounded Daoist Zhangxu.
Turning sharply, Daoist Zhangxu bolted in retreat, crashing through the window in a flash, while the man from the bed sprang out right after him.
In the moonlight, the man wore a white robe, clearly having prepared in advance—waiting for a rabbit by the stump.
"Who are you?" Although wounded, Daoist Zhangxu's injuries were not severe. Figuring he could still escape, he wanted to uncover Murong Fu's background so he could exact revenge later.
"Murong Fu of Gusu!" Murong Fu replied with a hint of mockery in his tone.
"Fine brat, I'll remember this! I will return this palm strike!" With a leap, Daoist Zhangxu executed his qinggong to flee.
Suddenly, he felt a heavy pressure on his shoulder. Before he knew it, Murong Fu had closed the distance, pressing both hands down onto his left shoulder.
Swinging the sword in his right hand, Daoist Zhangxu slashed toward Murong Fu while simultaneously throwing a punch with his left hand, executing a move known as "Black Tiger Steals the Heart"!
Unflustered, Murong Fu pressed down with his right hand, striking Daoist Zhangxu's left fist, and used the momentum to grab Daoist Zhangxu as he leaped backward.
With a single bound, he covered three zhang. Daoist Zhangxu was instantly thrown off balance. Though his right-hand sword had already swung out, he was forced to forcibly retract it to avoid striking himself.
Seeing Daoist Zhangxu withdraw his sword, Murong Fu quickly shot out his left foot and kicked him squarely in both legs.
In that single instant, Daoist Zhangxu knew he was in deep trouble. The damage to his legs was far worse than the earlier chest blow; he would no longer be able to use qinggong to escape.
Having kicked Daoist Zhangxu, Murong Fu retreated half a zhang, leaving the man room to maneuver.
The Murong Clan of Gusu was famed for returning the other's reed to the other's own basket—he wanted to see what skills this Daoist Zhangxu possessed. Since the fellow could not escape, this was the absolute best opportunity to test what he had learned.
As Daoist Zhangxu and Murong Fu leaped through the window one after the other, Gan Baobao and Qin Hongmian also moved to give chase.
Both Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao indeed sat up.
Spring had arrived, and all things were competing for growth. The warm, damp airflow brought life and vitality to the earth—spring bamboo shoots after a rain was the exact description for this season.
In this season, as the two women sat up, they couldn't help but associate themselves with the two instances of "What is that smell!" uttered by Murong Fu and Daoist Zhangxu, leaving them burning with shame and anger.
They both spat softly in disgust, then glanced at each other, filled with resentment. They didn't know whether to curse that little scoundrel for being too bold or to curse Daoist Zhangxu for showing up today and preventing them from playing the ostrich in bed.
Composing themselves, the two women stepped into the courtyard, only to find Murong Fu standing with his hands behind his back opposite the man in black. Deng Baichuan, Gongsun Qian, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo'e had already taken up positions on all four sides, blocking the masked man's escape routes.
"The two elder sisters can simply stand guard and watch; this lewd scoundrel will certainly not escape today." Murong Fu noticed the two of them emerging from the room.
The four retainers of the Murong Clan, however, were rather puzzled. Clearly, both women had been in the room with the Young Master, yet when the four of them arrived, they only saw the Young Master confronting the thief, while the two martial heroines arrived rather late.