Guan Qingbo muttered to himself, So this guy was faking it all along; he showed his true colors in less than three sentences!

“I wondered what place it was; turns out it’s Spirit Mist Lake.” Guan Qingbo chuckled, gesturing expansively. “The past two days we’ve been here, we spent a solid day and a half hanging around that area.”

“Ah? You two are fellow enthusiasts as well, haha, truly, misery loves company!” Jun Moxie’s demeanor immediately grew warmer, adopting the air of one who had met a kindred spirit. “So, how was it? Lively, right? Those girls there, every single one of them, tsk tsk… intoxicating!”

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Guan Qingbo’s face, his cheeks flushing. “Actually, we weren't there seeking pleasure…”

“Brother!” He had barely spoken when Guan Qingyue, standing beside him, suddenly cut him off urgently, shooting his brother a warning glance.

Guan Qingbo laughed heartily, waving off the concern with abandon. “Qingyue, a man of integrity acts openly; there is nothing to hide. Besides, Young Master Jun is practically family, what's the harm in talking about it?”

Jun Moxie nodded repeatedly, “Exactly, exactly.” Yet, a sliver of suspicion took root in his mind: Are these two brothers at odds? Guan Qingbo is clearly trying to expose his younger brother’s secrets—what’s his game?

“To be frank with Young Master Jun, my second brother actually has a confidante there, at Spirit Mist Lake. Heh heh, this… she is in business.” Guan Qingbo’s choice of words, in business, was exquisitely layered; for a woman in a brothel, what business could she possibly be in? The business of the flesh, of course!

“I see!” Jun Moxie suddenly realized with dawning clarity. “Second Brother Guan is indeed quite the romantic figure, ha ha… This is the true color of our kind.”

Young Master Jun’s mind finally locked all the pieces together: the reason the assassination attempt was so perfectly timed, the fact that outsiders within the Jun family had been almost entirely purged, and yet his movements were known secrets within the family, allowing the enemy to catch him completely off guard—the problem stemmed from right here!

Truly, a thief from within the family is the hardest to guard against!

Undoubtedly, Guan Qingyue’s confidante must be that very girl, Yue’er! And it was precisely she who divulged Jun Moxie’s whereabouts, thus bringing about this assassination attempt!

As for whether Guan Qingyue was actively involved in the plot… Jun Moxie’s deduction was: most likely, yes! Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so flustered upon seeing him return unharmed.

Damn it, we treat you with all the kindness reserved for relatives, and you plot against me with some wench?! Jun Moxie cursed Guan Qingyue soundlessly.

But this was hardly the time to erupt. Moreover, judging by Guan Qingbo’s entire reaction, this incident seemed to be Guan Qingyue’s personal endeavor, unconnected to the main Guan family—perhaps even his father, Guan Dongliu, and Qingbo himself were unaware of it, otherwise, how would they dare attend this banquet now?

Young men are easily impulsive. When a beautiful woman begs him to do something, naturally, he agrees without a second thought, never considering the consequences or how severe they might be. If I had met my end, do you think your mere Guan family could handle the fallout? Ignorance is indeed fearless! Jun Moxie sighed internally.

While this was not the opportune moment for revenge, I certainly can’t let this brat off so easily! Isn't Yue’er his dream girl? Excellent! Excellent! I’ll heap praise upon your precious Yue’er until I choke the breath out of you!

“So, Second Young Master Guan has an acquaintance at Spirit Mist Lake, haha, my apologies for my ignorance. That place, Spirit Mist Lake, I frequent it often.” Jun Moxie lowered his voice with a sly smile. “If we’re talking acquaintances, I know far more people there than you do, Second Young Master.”

“Heh heh, Young Master Jun is a native of Tianxiang; naturally, you would be more familiar with the area than I.” Guan Qingyue managed a strained smile.

“That’s true! I’ve introduced many of the Qingguan women [high-class courtesans] to the joys of their craft myself.” Jun Moxie preened with self-satisfaction, his face lewd, boasting quietly. “For instance, Miss Yue’er of the Nishang Pavilion at Spirit Mist Lake. Heh heh, they say she is the foremost beauty of Spirit Mist Lake, but this young master here was her very first patron.”

Guan Qingbo’s heart instantly sank! He had been to Spirit Mist Lake with his brother before; how could he not know that his brother’s beloved was named Yue’er?

Could they be the same person?!

Guan Qingyue’s face instantly turned the color of iron! His eyes fixed on Jun Moxie like blades, and a low, guttural sound, not quite a laugh, rumbled in his throat. He slowly said, “Is that so? Young Master Jun isn’t just bragging, is he? Miss Yue’er is a Qingguan; how could she be so disrespectful of herself!”

“What? You don’t believe me? A woman of the pleasure quarters, practicing her trade—what does she know of self-respect? I have proof.” Jun Moxie played up his with exaggerated delight, leaning closer, and sneered wickedly. “Let me tell you, this Miss Yue’er has three red moles lined up on her back, truly tempting. Heh heh, and at night, that fair, tender skin, that soft waist, those fiery lips, and the area on her chest… truly wicked, wild, and tight—incredibly satisfying, tsk tsk. I spent several days in bed with her, intending to offer more silver, but she was deeply devoted to me and insisted she wouldn't sell her body, so I had to relent…”

Jun Moxie adopted the demeanor of a lecherous man still savoring the moment, his eyes glazed with recollection, almost drooling, his hands floating in the air as if caressing the smooth skin of that Miss Yue’er…

“Enough!” Guan Qingyue suddenly roared, leaping to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Jun Moxie with unyielding hatred, screaming viciously, “Jun Moxie! You scoundrel! You bastard! You are utterly shameless!”

Jun Moxie instantly feigned shock and stumbled backward, completely at a loss.

This sudden, explosive roar stunned the entire assembly!

The Jun and Guan families were nominally connected through marriage, genuine relatives. With the in-laws present, Old Master Jun Zhantian naturally had to attend personally. Both family heads were present; Guan Dongliu was respectfully conversing with Old Master Jun, who smiled broadly, radiating the contentment of an elder. Guan Rushan and Jun Wuyi sat nearby, smiling, occasionally interjecting a remark that drew laughter—the scene was one of perfect harmony.

Yet, at this precise moment, the Second Young Master of the Guan family exploded in fury in this exceedingly solemn setting! And he was hurling curses at the only young master of the Jun family, Jun Moxie, his reaction violently impulsive, revealing a rage so immense it seemed he held a deep-seated grudge of patricide and spousal theft against Jun Moxie. How could this not leave the key figures of both families utterly dumbfounded?

The powerful shout from the Second Young Master Guan achieved an effect that even a master of the Divine Profound realm could not: Old Master Jun, Jun Wuyi, Guan Dongliu, Guan Rushan, Guan Qinghan, and the servant Old Pang attending nearby, as well as the busy Jun family staff moving about the hall, all froze…

Setting aside the servants’ reactions, consider Old Master Jun and Jun Wuyi—these two men had carved their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood; what scenes had they not witnessed? Yet, they were stunned into silence by the shout of this young upstart—truly unprecedented!

It could be said that this thunderous, world-shattering shout was enough to bring eternal satisfaction to the Second Young Master Guan’s entire existence!

Guan Qingyue trembled violently, his eyes seeming ready to spew fire, glaring murderously at Jun Moxie. A powerful killing intent radiated from him, and with extremely slow, trembling fingers, his right hand suddenly gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist with a snap.

“Evil spawn! Are you mad?!” Guan Dongliu finally snapped out of his daze, roaring back sharply. He simply could not comprehend why his two sons, usually so level-headed, would suddenly lose control at the Jun residence! Even if the sky were falling, one should never strike at the Jun family’s only heir, Jun Moxie, in their own home—was this courting death?

Guan Dongliu was unaware of the immense psychological impact Jun Moxie’s words had on Guan Qingyue!

Guan Qingyue had known Yue’er for three years and fell for her at first sight. But Yue’er maintained a careful distance—neither close nor far. Guan Qingyue pursued her with obsessive devotion, trying every tactic, nearly driven to madness. For Guan Qingyue, Yue’er was the center of his existence, the goddess of his heart! He absolutely could not tolerate anyone defiling her.

Not even a single word!

But one day, Guan Qingyue received a handkerchief from Yue’er, embroidered with the two characters: Take care! After that, Yue’er vanished from his life as if she had evaporated.

Guan Qingyue fell into deep despair, only recently managing a difficult recovery. While traveling to Tianxiang City recently, he unexpectedly learned news of the number one beauty of Spirit Mist Lake in Tianxiang City. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that it was his beloved. Upon arriving, he immediately went to see her. It was indeed Yue’er, bringing him unexpected joy!

And when Yue’er heard that Guan Qingyue had come to Tianxiang City with his father, she tearfully told him that the Third Young Master of the Jun family, Jun Moxie, often harassed her and that she could no longer tolerate it, so she intended to teach Jun Moxie a lesson. Guan Qingyue, without considering anything else, readily agreed.

At that moment, having leaked Jun Moxie’s whereabouts to Yue’er, he felt an immense sense of fulfillment: I finally did something for Yue’er! But when he saw Jun Moxie return unharmed, his heart seized with worry for Yue’er—what happened to her? Was she wronged? Was she hurt?

Thinking of this, Guan Qingyue naturally held no affection for Jun Moxie; he felt resentment, mingled with a sense of guilt. After all, he was the one who exposed Jun Moxie’s movements. Now that he stood before him, how could he not feel uneasy?

But he never expected that Jun Moxie would then become "instant friends" with him and his brother, discussing his own romantic exploits! And the very first name he mentioned was Yue’er! Furthermore, he boasted gleefully that he was Yue’er’s first man!

For any man, this is the greatest insult! Even more so, if his goddess hadn't even granted him the honor of holding her hand, yet someone else already had… What angered him most was that this person didn't even cherish her; he shamelessly used his goddess as capital for his boasting…

If forbearance has its limits, then this is beyond bearing?!

Guan Qingyue felt his chest might explode from sheer rage!

What an unspeakable humiliation!!

May has passed. Sisters and brothers, with your strength, you have brought me infinite glory! First place on the Monthly Ticket Chart for a new book! This is the first number one ranking Feng Ling has achieved on Qidian! May 2010 will be the greatest source of pride in my life! Thank you all!

And my personal history, like the turning of the May page, will now be sealed! Do not comfort me, do not pity me! From this day forward, I will do my utmost to share joy and laughter, walking this path together with my brothers and sisters!

If you do not betray me, I will not betray you! At the absolute summit, who will accompany me to view the scenery?! Only my brothers! Only my sisters!

Let us go wild one last time! Use your monthly tickets to ignite my passion! Strive on!