I am the villain in the book

Half an hour later, north of Linchuan City, by the Half-Moon River.

As the only river running through Linchuan City, the Half-Moon River could be said to support many trades in the city.

Naturally, this included brothels that showcased their talents and beauty by the water.

"Swish ~"

The river water gently rippled, wooden buildings lining the riverbank, their small windows tightly closed, and maids washing various colored and styled dresses on the stone steps by the river.

For brothels, early morning was undoubtedly a "low traffic period." Guests who had enjoyed the night emerged disheveled, and it was rare for anyone to come looking for fun so early.

Therefore, when Wei Changtian and Zhang San stood in front of a brothel called "Manxiang," the shop assistant sweeping the floor in front of the building was momentarily stunned.

"Two young masters, what is it you're looking for?"

"What else would we be doing here?"

Wei Changtian frowned, glancing at the shop assistant with dissatisfaction: "Is this your first day working in a place like this?"

"Ah! Two young masters, please come in!"

The shop assistant suddenly came back to his senses, dropping the broom in his hand and immediately putting on a smiling face: "I was just momentarily distracted. Please, two young masters, be generous and don't hold it against me."

"Two young masters, how would you like to play today? I'll immediately arrange for the girls"

"Pa!"

Entering the brothel, Wei Changtian casually tossed a money bag over, his expression unchanged: "Just arrange things according to the silver in here!"

"Yes!"

Hastily catching the money bag, the shop assistant, who worked at Manxiang Brothel all day, had long developed the skill of weighing silver in his hand. Therefore, he knew with just a touch that the bag contained two fifty-tael ingots.

A hundred taels at once, and unfamiliar faces. Who knew where these rich young masters came from.

"Young masters, please wait a moment! I'll go call the manager right away!"

And just like that, the shop assistant quickly ran off, and a maid immediately served fragrant tea to Wei Changtian and Zhang San.

Drinking tea and waiting for the madam, the two men had slightly different expressions.

Although Wei Changtian and Zhang San had both been frequent visitors to brothels, they had actually not been to these places of pleasure for a long time.

And as a married man with a wife, Zhang San had come to visit a brothel while his wife was away... It could be seen that Zhang San was somewhat inexplicably nervous at the moment, even a little embarrassed, which was not befitting of his experience.

As for Wei Changtian...

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Shaking his head and looking at the very familiar decorations around him, he took a sip of the fragrant and soft tea.

Wei Changtian's expression was as relaxed as could be, without the slightest hint of restraint.

To put it more exaggeratedly, it was like...

Coming home?

"What did you say?"

On the other side, just as Wei Changtian ran to the brothel early in the morning to accompany Zhang San for his "first time," Su Qi also heard this news from a scout.

Judging from the latter's astonished expression, he undoubtedly did not expect that Wei Changtian would still be in the mood to visit a brothel at this time.

"Really?! He really went to Manxiang Brothel?!"

"Sir, that's indeed the case."

The scout, dressed in coarse cloth, replied with his head lowered: "Along with that servant named Zhang San, the two of them entered Manxiang Brothel a quarter of an hour ago."

"..."

Clenching his fists tightly, Su Qi's face was extremely ugly at this moment.

Because Wei Changtian's actions clearly showed that he didn't take him seriously. Anyone would inevitably feel a sense of being looked down upon.

However, before Su Qi could suppress the anger in his heart, he heard another piece of bad news.

"Sir, there's another matter."

"According to the scouts in the inn, Yang Liu Shi and Xu Quan have not been seen today."

"The two of them should have secretly left last night, and their whereabouts are currently unknown"

"What?!"

His eyes widened suddenly, Su Qi gasped for breath and asked: "A bunch of good-for-nothings! Why didn't you notice them leaving last night?!"

"This"

The scout wanted to argue a bit, but after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately didn't dare to provoke Su Qi at this time, and simply lowered his head without saying a word.

Fortunately, Su Qi didn't vent for too long. After cursing a few times, he gradually calmed down.

He knew that this matter couldn't be blamed on his subordinates. After all, it was said that Yang Liu Shi was already at the second rank and was skilled in illusions. It would be easy to quietly leave without being noticed by those keeping watch.

It was just that Su Qi was too upset and confused, which was why he lost his composure.

It was understandable.

A total of five people from Wei Changtian's side entered the city. Now, two people were missing, and two people were visiting a brothel... When encountering such an enemy, anyone would inevitably be filled with anger.

"What about that woman named Li Zimu?"

Taking a deep breath, Su Qi seemed to have remembered something and suddenly asked the scout standing with his head lowered: "Where is she now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, this woman is still in the inn."

The scout quickly replied truthfully: "The brothers have not seen her leave!"

"Is that so..."

Su Qi's eyes lit up. After thinking for a moment, he didn't hesitate and immediately ordered in a deep voice:

"Prepare the carriage immediately!"

"..."

"My lord, is the pressure alright?"

Manxiang Brothel, in a boudoir on the third floor.

Just as Su Qi was rushing non-stop to the inn, preparing to "assault" Li Zimu, Wei Changtian was already lying on the bed, happily enjoying a beauty massage service.

He had given so much silver, but he didn't want to do that kind of thing... Faced with such a strange guest, the woman in yellow, who was quite pretty, didn't show the slightest bit of doubt. She just gently massaged Wei Changtian's shoulders and back as instructed, while also trying her best to find a topic to talk about, so as to avoid an awkward silence.

"My lord, you're not from Linchuan, are you?"

"But your temperament is so extraordinary, you must be a young master from a famous family."

"I just don't know what you're doing in Linchuan... You must have heard about Wei Yanluo's matter, right? It's said that he's currently staying in an inn in the city, causing panic."

"I hope the imperial court can eliminate this scourge for the people as soon as possible."

"..."

The gentle voice echoed in the room, seemingly mixed with some helplessness.

The warm and fragrant aroma lingered, and as the woman in yellow spoke, she suddenly heard a sentence—

"What about the character of your Prefect Su?"

"Uh"

Not expecting the guest to suddenly inquire about Su Qi's affairs, the woman in yellow was slightly stunned, then softly replied:

"Lord Su is a good person."

"Although I don't know where he's good, everyone says so, so it must be true."

"Is that so?"

The man's voice paused, then sounded again: "Has Wei Yanluo ever had any grudges with you?"

"My lord, you're joking. How could a humble woman of the dust have any grudges with a figure like Wei Yanluo?"

The woman in yellow looked puzzled: "My lord, why are you asking this?"

"It's nothing, it's just a little strange..."

Wei Changtian turned over and sat up from the bed with a smile.

"You clearly don't know Su Qi, nor do you know Wei Yanluo, so how can you be sure that the two of them are good or bad?"

"Oh, right, do you think I'm a good person?"

ps: The cold is getting better, and normal updates will resume tomorrow. I'm really sorry, I didn't expect to get sick suddenly.