Chapter Thirty: The Rogue Zhou Liang

Xiao Wenzi had hoped to take advantage of the night to find some low-level cultivators to feed on, but he was bitterly disappointed. In more than a dozen inns scattered throughout the city, not only was there not a single novice cultivator at the second tier, even the two men he had encountered during the day—Brother Zheng and his companion—had vanished without a trace.

Left with no option, Xiao Wenzi caught a ride heading for Nanshan City the following day and quietly returned to the outskirts. The incident where he ambushed Qiu Fu and was later hunted by Steward Xu had caused a stir only among the common rogue cultivators; with time, the matter faded, and no one was actively searching for the so-called "demon mosquito" anymore.

Keeping his distance from the carriage, Xiao Wenzi concealed himself in the grass outside the city, unnoticed by any soul. As night fell, he slipped into the city through the drainage channel, as deftly as ever, and began his search with utmost caution.

Nanshan City boasted nearly a million inhabitants, and unlike the towering buildings of his previous life, the structures here sprawled wide across the land. Though cultivators lived here, the best locations in terms of feng shui and terrain were occupied by the wealthy merchants and powerful families, much as in any mundane city.

The Zhou family was among the most prominent clans in Nanshan City. They numbered both mortals and cultivators among their ranks; more than one trained at the Falling Feather Sect, and their patriarch was a half-step Core Formation elder of the same. Though not the city's mightiest force, the Zhou family was not to be trifled with.

Among the younger generation were prodigies like Zhou Tong and Zhou Ru, though the family was not without its share of idle wastrels. The eldest son, Zhou Liang, possessed commendable spiritual roots, but his obsession with women and the indulgence of his elders had left him stagnating at the mid-second tier.

Today, Zhou Liang was taking yet another concubine—a mortal girl he had set his sights on days earlier. The girl had her own beloved, but their union had been torn apart by force. Now, dressed in scarlet wedding robes and bound hand and foot, she sat in the bridal chamber, weeping silently.

With a creak, the door swung open. Zhou Liang, reeking of wine, dismissed the maids and strode into the candlelit room.

"My little beauty," he sneered, "I know you don't want to be my fifteenth concubine. You're still thinking of that wretched boy. Let me tell you the truth—I’ve already had his legs broken. He’ll be nothing but a crippled beggar for the rest of his life. Come, once you enter the Zhou family, you’ll obey and serve me, or else..."

He approached the bed draped in red brocade, yanked off the girl's veil, and gazed at her tear-streaked, sorrowful face. Lust surged within him as he coldly barked his orders.

Zhou Liang had committed such acts countless times, and for the sake of the family's lineage, the elders turned a blind eye. He reached out and brushed his hand over the girl's delicate, tear-stained face.

To avoid the covetous gaze of Steward Xu, Xiao Wenzi had chosen a drainage channel far from the southern district’s marketplace. Emerging from the underground passage, he found himself before a grand, opulent mansion. Such sprawling estates, with servants and maids aplenty, were invariably entwined with cultivators—no clan could flourish in Nanshan City or claim such prime land otherwise.

Xiao Wenzi decided to search within, hoping to chance upon a novice cultivator. The familiar drainage channel would allow him to escape swiftly after his strike. He could easily handle a first or second tier cultivator, but if he met a higher-level adept, he risked capture, so he proceeded with utmost caution.

"Wait—there’s a woman crying and a man laughing lasciviously over there. Could this be one of those villainous scions abducting a maiden? Hold on, there’s a ripple of spiritual energy inside—is it...?"

Flitting through the mansion and courtyards, Xiao Wenzi found only ordinary maids and servants, not a single cultivator. Just as impatience began to creep in, faint sobs and sinister laughter echoed from the depths of a festively decorated courtyard.

He’d seen this scene countless times in dramas from his past life; no need to ask, he knew exactly what was unfolding—a villainous scion tormenting a maiden, a common occurrence in a world plagued by bandits. It was not his concern.

But then the man inside activated his spiritual power, piquing Xiao Wenzi’s interest—the fluctuation was weak, certainly not from a high-level cultivator. The elusive prey had appeared at last: a novice ripe for feeding.

He cared little for the girl’s plight; after all, he was now a mosquito, his circumstances dire beyond measure, with no mind for heroic rescues. But if the man’s cultivation fit the requirements for exchanging second tier system currency, that was another matter entirely. With this in mind, Xiao Wenzi wasted no time and flew towards the scene.

"You wretch, how dare you bite me! You’re asking for trouble!"

Inside the bridal chamber, Zhou Liang struck the girl in fury, his slap leaving her right cheek swollen and knocking her unconscious. Still enraged, he glared at the bloody bite marks on his wrist. With a violent tug, he ripped off the ropes binding the girl and began tearing at her scarlet wedding dress.

He had been careless; never expected the girl to bite him as his hand slid past her lips. Now, his wrist was bleeding, and he was determined to make her suffer, vengeful thoughts swirling in his mind.

"Well, sometimes luck is all about timing. He deserves this misfortune," thought Xiao Wenzi as he arrived at the bridal chamber just in time to see Zhou Liang ripping at the girl’s clothes, oblivious to any threat from behind.

Using his demon senses, Xiao Wenzi confirmed with delight that this lustful scion was indeed a second tier novice, with all his attention fixed on the girl. A sneak attack would easily incapacitate him.

Overjoyed, Xiao Wenzi quietly tore a hole in the window paper and crept closer to Zhou Liang.

Zhou Liang’s face was twisted with vengeful glee, but before he could climb onto the bed and indulge in his base desires, a faint whistling sound cut through the air.

He had no time to react; a sharp pain pierced his throat, and hot blood sprayed forth.

After nearly a month of cultivation and battles with bee swarms, Xiao Wenzi had not mastered his Wing Blade technique to perfection, but dealing with an unguarded, lust-crazed scion posed no challenge whatsoever.

Zhou Liang, in truth, was doomed—he could never have imagined being ambushed deep within the ancestral mansion, let alone by such a silent assailant.

His only reaction when his throat was stabbed was to clutch the wound, but blood continued to seep through his fingers. Zhou Liang tried to cry for help, but with a gaping wound in his throat, all he could muster were guttural, owl-like sounds. Soon, his body sagged and he collapsed to the floor.