That night, in a bar in Jiangnan City, Great Qin, frantic music throbbed, and countless young men and women indulged themselves on the dance floor.
In a corner of the bar, a young man in a white suit sat quietly on a sofa.
He had fair skin, elegant demeanor, and a face that made countless girls swoon. He was like a single bright light in the entire bar, drawing the furtive glances of many young women.
The man gracefully held his wine glass, and the table before him was filled with the bar's most expensive liquors.
Beside the man's booth, four bodyguards in suits stood guard.
Young, wealthy, and of noble status – this was how many in the bar perceived the man, and such individuals were highly attractive to the beauties in the establishment.
During his stay, many beautifully dressed women approached him, but they were all stopped by the bodyguards beside him.
Those who were rejected showed no displeasure. Instead, they left the man a smile they thought was very charming. However, within their hearts, a sense of endless regret blossomed, as if they had lost something most precious.
"Young Master, it's time to leave. This place is too beneath your status," one of the bodyguards whispered into the man's ear, his tone respectful.
The man frowned slightly, glancing at the group of women constantly giving him flirtatious looks. He felt a wave of annoyance and disgust.
"Fine, I was being too fanciful, thinking I might encounter one or two exceptional individuals. I didn't expect them all to be mere painted faces!" Shen Shaolong said faintly, his tone laced with impatience.
He was the son of the current Sect Master of the Shen Sect, a man of noble status. It had been over three months since Great Qin unified more than half of the cities in Yanzhou, and all these cities had regained the vitality they possessed before the great changes.
Shen Shaolong himself was a dissolute young master who enjoyed playing and womanizing, so he often sneaked into Great Qin territory to amuse himself.
After all, he had exhausted all the cities under the Shen Sect's rule; they held no novelty for him.
Moreover, now that Great Qin had restored order, many women no longer had to fear danger due to their beauty. Consequently, within Great Qin, the attire and appearances of women were quite remarkable.
Since entering Great Qin, Shen Shaolong had traveled through several cities, encountering and charming many exceptional young women.
The only regret was that this was not Shen Sect territory. These women could not be taken away, nor could he indulge too excessively.
With this thought, Shen Shaolong shook his head slightly, preparing to rise and leave.
Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze fixed on the bar entrance.
"Tsk, tsk, what an unexpected surprise."
Shen Shaolong muttered to himself, a glint flashing in his eyes. He then sat back down. Prey had appeared, and he was not leaving.
Seeing Shen Shaolong's action and then looking at the woman who had just appeared at the bar entrance, the four bodyguards understood. They knew their young master intended to play for a while longer and did not urge him further.
At the bar entrance stood a plainly dressed woman, clearly a first-timer in such a place. She was anxiously looking at the men and women on the dance floor, seemingly searching for someone.
If Li Xiaotian were present, he would certainly recognize this woman. She was Zhang Xiaoduo, Ye Qingmei's college roommate.
Back when Li Xiaotian had first returned to Jiangnan, Ye Qingmei had attended a class reunion. During that time, Zhang Xiaoduo had defended Ye Qingmei on multiple occasions. Later, their families had also dined together a few times. However, after the great changes in the world, they had lost contact.
Although Zhang Xiaoduo's beauty was not exceptional, she far surpassed the made-up beauties in the bar, those adorned with excessive makeup.
The moment she appeared, the men who were hunting for beauties in the bar brightened, and one by one, they casually moved closer.
"Beautiful lady, first time here? Haven't seen you before. What would you like to drink? My treat."
"Little sister, would you do me the honor of having a drink? You look like you're searching for someone. Who are you looking for? I know this place well, I can help you find them."
Men crowded around her, each speaking one after another, their lewd gazes unmasked.
Zhang Xiaoduo was quite anxious initially, but upon witnessing this scene, her wariness immediately spiked, and she felt a pang of regret for her impulsiveness.
She had come to find her husband, Zhang Senma. Their daughter was ill and urgently needed money. Her recently received wages had been snatched by her husband yesterday, who then came here to carouse.
Now, the hospital awaited payment. Through various means, she learned that Zhang Sen was here enjoying himself, so she had come to look for him.
"Sorry, I don't drink, and I don't need any help." Zhang Xiaoduo said, then moved onto the dance floor to search for Zhang Sen.
At this moment, she felt numb towards her husband. She had once had a happy family, but after the great changes in the world, their family had encountered dangers multiple times. Gradually, her husband, Zhang Senma, had changed.
First, he abandoned her and their daughter to escape alone. Then, because she lacked cultivation talent, he took his frustrations out on them. Finally, he completely gave up, degenerating entirely.
Before Great Qin took over Jiangnan, Zhang Xiaoduo was the one who worked tirelessly to earn money to support Zhang Senma and their daughter. Moreover, most of the money was snatched by Zhang Senma for his own carousing.
Originally, Zhang Xiaoduo could have left with her daughter, but in a world of chaos, where else could they go? Although Zhang Senma had degenerated, he was still a man, and could at least be of some use in difficult times.
Now that Great Qin had taken over Jiangnan and order had been restored, Zhang Xiaoduo had planned to save some money and leave. But before she could act, their daughter fell ill, and her money was again stolen by Zhang Senma.
"Zhang Senma, you scoundrel!!! Where exactly are you?! That's your daughter's life-saving money!!!"
After circling the dance floor without finding Zhang Senma, the pent-up emotions within Zhang Xiaoduo instantly erupted. She cursed loudly, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.
However, the bar was already noisy, and her voice was quickly drowned out.
"Madam, our Young Master would like to invite you for a drink."
At this moment, a voice sounded in Zhang Xiaoduo's ear.
It was one of Shen Shaolong's bodyguards. The man stood before Zhang Xiaoduo, slightly turning his body to allow her to see Shen Shaolong in the distance.
Zhang Xiaoduo glanced over. Shen Shaolong in the distance offered a gentlemanly smile. However, at this moment, Zhang Xiaoduo had no mind for other things and said with a cold face.
"Sorry, I have urgent matters, and I don't drink!"
Saying this, she prepared to turn and leave.
But the bodyguard directly blocked her path.
"Madam, I advise you to think carefully before answering. I can tell you something: our Young Master is of noble status, and you appear to be in trouble, don't you? As long as you accompany our Young Master well tonight, all your troubles will be resolved."
The bodyguard spoke unhurriedly, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance.
Zhang Xiaoduo frowned slightly. She could tell Shen Shaolong was not ordinary, but his aura made her feel somewhat repulsed. Moreover, she had no desire to trouble others with her own affairs.