"Then keep drinking. You can stop when you're drunk." Yu Rumeng tossed another jug of wine toward Yang Kai, but he didn't catch it, letting the jug smash to pieces on the floor.
Yu Rumeng paused in thought for a moment, then said, "Wait here."
With that, she spun around and flew out of the hall, off to do whatever it was she had in mind.
It wasn't long before a commotion erupted throughout the city — there was no need to guess that Yu Rumeng had been the cause.
Half an hour later, Yu Rumeng returned to the hall, flashing Yang Kai a faint smile. Then she turned toward the entrance and clapped her hands. "All of you, come in."
Yang Kai looked up and nearly gaped at what he saw.
A group of women shuffled in through the door, a mix of slender and voluptuous figures, all young and delicate. But unlike the painted and powdered girls of the Spring Breeze House, these women were clearly ordinary — respectable, decent folk.
Every face was pale with fear. Some still had tear tracks glistening on their cheeks. Yet under Yu Rumeng's oppressive will, they had no choice but to obey and step inside.
There were thirty or forty women in all. The youngest looked no more than thirteen or fourteen, while the oldest was perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six. At Yu Rumeng's direction, they lined up in a row before Yang Kai, standing timidly. A few risked a glance at him before quickly lowering their heads again.
What the hell is this? Yang Kai was thoroughly bewildered, though his expression betrayed nothing. He sat motionless, still wearing that same look of utter despair — a man who couldn't care less whether he lived or died.
Yu Rumeng pressed her lips into a smile and explained, "These are the finest-looking women in the city. Don't worry — every one of them is pure and untouched, unblemished in every way. See if any catch your eye."
Yang Kai sat perfectly still, like a wooden statue.
Yu Rumeng walked over to a teenage girl, led her by the hand in front of Yang Kai, and said, "What about this one? A bud about to bloom — a true beauty even at her tender age. Most men would be smitten. If I were a man, I'd be tempted too. A night spent together would surely be memorable."
The girl had already been terrified when Yu Rumeng dragged her here. Hearing those words only made her more frightened — she was on the verge of tears.
Seeing that Yang Kai still showed no reaction, Yu Rumeng waved the girl away. The teenager fled back to the line as though granted a reprieve. Immediately, Yu Rumeng summoned a young woman of seventeen or eighteen and launched into an enthusiastic pitch, presenting her to Yang Kai.
She cycled through several more women, but Yang Kai remained utterly indifferent.
Yu Rumeng pulled forward yet another — this one was twenty-four or twenty-five, her beauty among the finest of the group, her figure alluring curves. The woman trembled under Yu Rumeng's gaze as she declared, "This one's a good choice. She's already been married, but her husband apparently died of illness on the very wedding day, so she's a widow — still untouched, every bit intact. Interested?"
"Enough!" Yang Kai fixed Yu Rumeng with a frigid stare.
Yu Rumeng said, "Or you could simply take them all. That would work too."
"I said enough!"
Yu Rumeng sighed. "You want to drink yourself drunk because you need to vent the rage and frustration inside you. But how could ordinary wine ever get you drunk? For someone in your current state, wine and women are the same thing. If you can't get drunk the usual way, then perhaps women are the answer."
Yang Kai shook his head slowly. He grabbed a jug of wine from the table, rose to his feet, and staggered toward the exit.
Yu Rumeng turned and watched his retreating silhouette for a moment before hurrying after him.
Back in the hall, the dozens of women waited in trembling silence for a long while. Only after they were certain that strange pair would not be returning did they scramble for the door. Those who had survived their ordeal — especially the younger girls — could hold back no longer. They burst into tears.
For them, this night had been nothing short of a nightmare. Thank heavens that man had no intention of laying a finger on them. Otherwise, every last one of them would have lost her innocence tonight.
……
"Why are you following me?" In the barren wilderness, Yang Kai stared at Yu Rumeng with a cold, empty expression. "Sticking with me won't do you a shred of good."
Yu Rumeng offered a gentle smile. "I told you — you're my man. Wherever you go, I go. Don't even think about shaking me off."
"Do you even understand what situation I'm in right now?"
Yu Rumeng said, "After the battle at Tiger Roar City, your Qi Deviation and fall into demonic cultivation — that news has surely spread across the world by now. Right now, you're like a rat crossing the street, with everyone out to kill you."
"Then you know better than to be so stubborn. Release that Heart Seal technique and go your way. From now on, we owe each other nothing, and you won't be dragged down by my troubles." Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm not leaving!" Yu Rumeng stepped forward and looped her arm through his.
"What's the point?" Yang Kai shook his head again and again.