Chapter 42: My Downfall Through Wine and Women

Chapter 42: My Downfall Through Wine and Women

For five consecutive days, Su Chen refrained from action, choosing instead to shadow Chu Ming from the shadows.

Chu Ming, ever the paranoid schemer, moved with meticulous caution. His daily routine never strayed beyond two locations: his home and the Fragrant Blossom House. Even during rare outings, he traveled with armed guards who flanked him like a living shield, despite the mere street’s distance between his estate and the pleasure house.

Su Chen noted two guards among them who radiated formidable auras—likely Lianli Perfection martial cultivators. Chu Ming’s habits were equally guarded. He rarely dined outside, opting to eat either at home or the Fragrant Blossom House, where he’d test his meals with a silver-tipped poison needle before taking a few cautious bites.

Su Chen had encountered many cunning adversaries, but Chu Ming’s calculated prudence was unprecedented. Five days of surveillance yielded little opportunity. Yet the man’s disciplined routine harbored one predictable flaw: his lecherous nature.

Each night, without fail, Chu Ming arrived at the Fragrant Blossom House for carnal pleasures, returning only at dawn.

As twilight bathed the town in amber hues, the Fragrant Blossom House stirred to life. Su Chen had already secured a corner booth, ordering the company of three courtesans to blend in. His eyes, however, remained fixed on the entrance.

When Chu Ming finally entered, his guards in tow, the house erupted in familiar greetings. The courtesans swarmed him like moths to flame. He selected two with practiced ease, ascending the stairs amid their giggles.

Su Chen waited until Chu Ming’s meal concluded. Then, feigning drunkenness, he dragged a dazed courtesan into the adjacent room, knocked her unconscious, and settled in.

Through the thin walls, Chu Ming’s feast unfolded.

“Master Chu, why no wine tonight?”

“Overindulgence left me weakened. I must abstain.”

Gasps of mock dismay followed.

“Worry not—only wine. I’d never abandon you lovely ladies,” Chu Ming chuckled.

The lewd banter made Su Chen’s skin crawl. He silenced the stirring courtesan with another strike, then resumed studying an ancient medical manual. Hours later, as the house echoed with nocturnal symphonies, he checked the hallway. Chu Ming’s guards snored like lumberjacks.

Su Chen dusted them with Dreamweaver Powder, then flooded Chu Ming’s room with the same. Minutes later, he slipped inside.

The stench of debauchery hit him first—clothes strewn across the floor. As he closed the door, a shadow lunged from behind.

He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding Chu Ming’s strike. Their eyes locked—Chu Ming’s cold with calculation.

“Poison won’t work on me,” Chu Ming sneered. “You’re the first fool to try such a crude formula. Did you think I survived this long by stupidity?”

Su Chen’s silence was answer enough.

Chu Ming’s palm lashed out, colliding with Su Chen’s block in a thunderclap. The impact sent Chu Ming staggering backward, his arms trembling.

“Who sent you?” Chu Ming demanded. “Name your grievance—I’ll compensate.”

No reply. Su Chen advanced again.

Footsteps echoed outside. Chu Ming smirked. “My men come. Surrender now.”

Su Chen pressed forward, undeterred. Chu Ming recoiled, then flung a handful of lime powder. The room erupted in a blinding cloud.

“Die!” Chu Ming roared, striking from the haze.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end