Ignoring Meng Shuying's resistance, the bandits roughly shoved her deeper into the mountain stronghold, leading her to a building at the heart of the complex.
The large sign above the door once bore the characters "Tiger Hall," marking it as a place of significance within the bandit group. Most of the bandits were illiterate, unable to recognize even their own names. The sign was a symbol of pride for them, something that set their Tiger's Den apart from other bandit strongholds in the region.
Now, however, the sign lay in pieces on the ground, shattered and discarded. The sight of the broken sign filled the bandits with a mix of anger and sadness. But those emotions were quickly overshadowed by a deep fear as they noticed the body lying in front of the building.
The corpse was twisted in a horrifying expression of terror, his eyes wide open, and his face contorted in fear. His skin clung tightly to his bones, giving him the appearance of a skeleton draped in flesh.
The bandits shuddered at the sight, reminded of a similar incident from the previous winter when their leader had flayed the flesh from a snow mink, leaving only its fur intact.
One of the men, his face pale and his severed hand clutched against his chest, stood trembling by the door. Upon seeing the bandits dragging Meng Shuying closer, he quickly pushed the door open and shoved her inside.
The room was filled with the heavy scent of incense, and a woman, barely covered by a thin veil, lounged on a tiger pelt. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she took in Meng Shuying's handsome appearance.
She had an exotic look, her skin a warm bronze rather than the typical pale of the local women. Her large, almond-shaped eyes slanted upwards at the corners, her nose was high and straight, and her full lips curved in a sensuous smile. She looked like a wild cat, untamed and dangerous.
Meng Shuying strode into the room, her expression indifferent, unaffected by the woman's scant clothing and suggestive demeanor.
The woman motioned to the men outside, who hurriedly shut the door, leaving the two of them alone in the room thick with the scent of flowers.
The woman's gaze lingered boldly on Meng Shuying, drinking in her appearance. "It's been a long time since I've seen such a handsome young man," she purred.
She rose gracefully from the tiger pelt, her bare feet adorned with delicate chains that jingled softly as she moved. Laughing softly, she reached out as if to take Meng Shuying's arm.
But Meng Shuying sidestepped her, her expression cool. "Stay away from me."
The woman chuckled, unfazed. "Are all the scholars in the human world as stiff and proper as you?"
Meng Shuying's eyes flickered with a hint of derision. "I could ask you the same. Are all demon women as debauched as you?"
"Debauched, am I? Why don't you come closer and find out?" The woman pouted playfully, leaning in as if to kiss her. But before she could get close, a sword suddenly appeared, its tip pressed firmly against her forehead.
Meng Shuying had drawn a thin, flexible blade from her waist with lightning speed. The woman paused, a dangerous glint in her eye, but instead of backing away, she took a step forward, forcing the sword tip to prick her skin.
As the blade touched her, something flickered across her forehead, and suddenly the sword shattered into pieces.
Meng Shuying's eyes narrowed. The sword had been a simple one, purchased from a blacksmith, but it was still sharp enough. For it to break so easily...
Realizing that this woman was not to be underestimated, Meng Shuying's demeanor shifted. She was no longer dismissive but watched the woman with keen interest.
The woman, still smiling, gave a little curtsy. "I'm called Tian Fuling. And you are?"
Meng Shuying's expression grew more calculating, her smile faint. "Tian… That's a high surname among demons. What great family are you from?"
For a brief moment, Tian Fuling felt a chill run down her spine. Something in the young man's gaze made her uneasy, and she instinctively took a step back, her posture no longer as relaxed as before.
But it was too late.
Meng Shuying had already released her spiritual energy, locking onto Tian Fuling. With a thought, she summoned a spiritual sword from her storage bag. The sword flew from its sheath with blinding speed, and in the blink of an eye, Meng Shuying was at Tian Fuling's side, the blade pressed against her waist.
Tian Fuling's face drained of color. "You're a cultivator!"
Meng Shuying's voice was as cold as ice. "Your cultivation isn't bad. How could you be so blind? Or are all demons as foolish as you?"
The insult was too much. Tian Fuling, who prided herself on her cunning, was furious. It was true that she had let her guard down, but only because she hadn't expected to encounter a powerful cultivator so far from the heart of the cultivation world.
But now that she saw Meng Shuying's strength and the unyielding determination in her eyes, Tian Fuling knew she was in real danger. If she fell into this woman's hands, there would be no escape.
Quickly adopting a more pitiful demeanor, she softened her voice. "I didn't know you were a cultivator. My earlier behavior was disrespectful. I have no ill intentions toward you, truly. I just heard about a handsome man being brought in, and I couldn't resist taking a look."
"No ill intentions?" Meng Shuying sneered. "The man you murdered is still lying outside."
Tian Fuling's expression didn't falter. "You misunderstand me. I'm just a weak woman—how could I possibly harm anyone?" As she spoke, she reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her gold bracelets jingling delicately with the movement.
Meng Shuying noticed the gold bells on her wrists and narrowed her eyes. There was something strange about them.
Tian Fuling noticed her interest and, with a playful smile, pressed her arms closer to her chest, trying to seem vulnerable.
Despite the provocative display, Meng Shuying remained unmoved. Instead, she pushed her sword forward, slicing through Tian Fuling's gauzy robe.
"If you come from a noble demon family, you must have some treasures on you. Hand them over, and I'll let you live."
Tian Fuling was taken aback. She had encountered countless men who desired her, but this was the first who seemed interested only in her possessions.
This man, it seemed, wanted her wealth, not her body.
She found it both amusing and intriguing.
Smiling, she opened her arms and swayed gracefully toward Meng Shuying, her movements languid and inviting. "As you can see, I have nothing on me. What treasures could I possibly offer?"
She twirled in front of Meng Shuying, letting the scent of her perfume fill the air. But Meng Shuying didn't flinch. Instead, she reached out and grabbed the hem of Tian Fuling's veil. "This fabric seems valuable enough."
Meng Shuying had already noticed that Tian Fuling's veil functioned like a storage pouch, with space-expanding properties. The golden bells and chains she wore also radiated a strong spiritual energy, marking them as anything but ordinary.
Tian Fuling feigned distress, covering her mouth with her hand as she giggled softly. "You're so heartless, taking the last thing I have left to wear. Could it be that you're just making an excuse to get me out of these clothes?"
She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Could it be that you're really after me?"
Meng Shuying's expression darkened. "This is your last warning. Stay away from me."
She disliked anyone getting too close to her, especially someone like Tian Fuling, who reeked of overpowering perfume. If that scent clung to her, who knew what her senior sister might think?
Annoyed, she gave Tian Fuling a sharp shove, just as the door to the room suddenly swung open.
Su Luowei stood in the doorway, with Xie Hanzhu and Wen Miaomiao behind her. All around them, the bodies of fallen bandits littered the ground.
After Meng Shuying had been taken away by the bandits, Su Luowei had been dragged to the bandit leader's quarters and told to bathe and change into new clothes. The woman leading the group, an older, crazed-looking crone, had thrown a set of sheer robes at her.
"You call these clothes? How do you expect to please my son in those rags?" the crone had sneered.
When Su Luowei ignored her, the woman's expression darkened. "I'm trying to help you, girl! If you don't please my son, you'll be tossed to the men outside. With a body like yours, do you think you could survive their attentions?"
Her tone was laced with venom, but Su Luowei remained calm, quietly observing the old woman.
After a long silence, she asked softly, "Is this something you do often?"
The old woman sneered. "You're just a girl—how could you understand my feelings? These boys have no parents; I raised them myself. They're closer to me than my own flesh and blood. Whatever they want, I make sure they get. So what if I have to force a few women? I'd die for them if I had to!"
Xie Hanzhu, never one to hold back, snapped, "Aren't you afraid of retribution for what you've done?"
Even the usually mild-mannered Wen Miaomiao frowned, her tone icy. "Harming innocent women—you'll never meet a good end."
The words seemed to strike a nerve. The crone's eyes went vacant for a moment before she suddenly began to weep, her tears quickly turning into a hysterical wail.
After a moment, she seemed to lose herself in a nightmare, staring blankly ahead. "Retribution… never meet a good end! My eldest son is dead—was that my punishment?"
Suddenly, her expression changed again, becoming twisted with rage. "No! It's not punishment. It's all because of you little sluts! If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have been seduced into such wickedness, and he'd still be alive!"
In her frenzy, the old woman grabbed a large knife and charged at Su Luowei and the others. The guards outside the room rushed in to restrain her, but in her madness, she lashed out at anyone nearby, even severing the arms of two of the other women.
The room descended into chaos, and Su Luowei, sensing the strong demonic energy nearby, sighed. "It's time to act."
Despite the number of bandits, they were nothing more than ants in the face of powerful cultivators. Su Luowei, Xie Hanzhu, and Wen Miaomiao swiftly dealt with them before following the trail of demonic energy.
Though she knew Meng Shuying was powerful, Su Luowei couldn't help but worry. What if this demon was too strong for her to handle alone?
But when she pushed open the door, she hadn't expected to find this scene.
An exotic girl, barely dressed, was pressed against Meng Shuying, her arm draped around Meng Shuying's shoulders.
And Meng Shuying's hand was still gripping the edge of the girl's sheer robe as if a slight tug would strip it away.
Both of them turned to look at the door simultaneously, caught in the act.
Meng Shuying hadn't anticipated her senior sister's sudden arrival, and in her panic, she forgot that she was still holding onto Tian Fuling's clothing.