Chapter 18: Please Hear My Defense

“Mm!”
Qin Lang didn’t speak, only smiled and nodded gently.
It was as if he was telling the other, “You guessed right—it really does belong to that person.”
A sharp intake of breath—
Seeing him nod, Hua Manlou gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Qin Lang, his mind unable to recover from the shock.
Though Qin Lang hadn’t named anyone, the other party had referenced an incident from a month ago.
He said his guess was correct, that the person killed by Qin Lang more than a month ago—wasn’t that Liu An, Prince of Pingnan?
Now understanding the origin of this card, Hua Manlou said nothing more...

They had just entered an elegant private room on the second floor when Xiao He immediately arranged for the finest tea, then turned to fetch the white cloth from Nanyuan herself.
After finishing his tea, Qin Lang smiled calmly. “Brother Hua, would you also like a few new outfits? Don’t worry, I’ll pay for everything.”
Hua Manlou’s eyes lit up, narrowing to slits as he stared intently at Qin Lang. “Are you serious? Brother Qin, don’t trick your elder brother now.”
Qin Lang’s expression darkened, a line of ink across his face, inwardly at a loss for words.
He didn’t trust the other, nor did the other trust him—in the end, neither of them believed the other.
But thinking about it, he realized it was his own fault for distrusting first, so how could the other trust him?
“Brother Hua, I mean it. As long as you choose, I’ll pay. All expenses are on me,” Qin Lang declared, patting his chest with a solemn vow.
Receiving this reply, Hua Manlou immediately stood, left the room, and called over a maid.
A young woman with short black hair, dressed in a striking cheongsam, arrived and smiled at Hua Manlou. “Sir, what may I do for you?”
Knowing Qin Lang would foot the bill, Hua Manlou made no pretense. “Bring me your ten finest bolts of cloth from Qifeng Pavilion.”
Though a little puzzled, the maid smiled and replied, “Yes, sir. Please wait a moment; I’ll fetch the fabrics for you right away.”
After instructing her, Hua Manlou closed the door and walked back inside with a broad, delighted smile.
It was his first time enjoying the pleasure of spending someone else’s fortune so freely.

...

On the top floor of Qifeng Pavilion, in a fragrant, delicately decorated room awash in rose hues and alluring scents, Xiao He was now kneeling before a young woman.
She was fair-skinned and beautiful, her features picturesque, lips red as cherries, her arched brows exuding a seductive air. Her straight black hair and red cheongsam only heightened her allure...

Her long, shapely legs and voluptuous figure, lying languid on a comfortable chaise, seemed to test and erode any man’s will.
After listening to Xiao He’s report, the woman’s brows furrowed in suspicion. “Is what you say true? Does that young man truly carry Prince Liu An of Pingnan’s black gold card?”
“It’s true, miss. That black gold card belonged to Prince Liu An, but for some reason, its bearer has now changed to that young man,” Xiao He nodded softly.
“Could it really be him?” she murmured, then asked, “Did you catch that young man’s name?”
“He is called Qin Lang.”
“Hmm!” The woman’s face stiffened at this answer, her heart whispering, “Qin Lang? Could he be the executioner who killed Prince Liu An of Pingnan?”
Though the news had been sealed and strictly forbidden from spreading, she had learned of it through her own channels.
Prince Liu An, who had conspired with the demon race, had been executed, and the one who carried out the verdict was none other than the Thousand-Slayer—Qin Lang.
This man was peculiar; with the body of a mere mortal and a terrifying will, he had slain over a thousand Immortal criminals...
After a long silence, the woman looked at Xiao He. “Take the Nanyuan white cloth to him, and have the best tailor measure him for custom attire as well.”
“Yes, miss!”
“How could he appear here? Does the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty intend to use bait? Why would the dynasty risk such a man for such a scheme?”
After Xiao He left, the woman murmured to herself, doubts swirling in her mind and a strong desire to know the truth.
She had wanted to meet Qin Lang, to see for herself what kind of man this Thousand-Slayer was.
But after some thought, she decided against it.
The time was not yet ripe, and she did not know his true purpose here. It was best to avoid contact, lest she bring unnecessary trouble upon herself.

...

At three quarters past noon, Qin Lang and Hua Manlou returned, beaming as if buoyed by some stroke of luck.
But no sooner had they arrived than they saw Liu Man, his face dark as charcoal and eyes glinting with cold anger.
Beneath the pavilion, Liu Man radiated his displeasure, while Su Momo observed the scene with silent amusement, her gaze mocking as it fell on Qin Lang and Hua Manlou.
Exchanging a glance, the two men instantly felt the weight of embarrassment. They had promised to return after breakfast, but had delayed until this late hour.
Yet it was not entirely their fault—they had not intended for things to unfold this way.
Their plan had been to return after breakfast, but somehow, they found themselves wandering into Qifeng Pavilion instead.

Clearing his throat, Qin Lang walked forward, his face full of awkwardness. “Brother Liu, hear me out while I try to explain...”
Liu Man: “...”
Wang Zimo: “...”
Hua Manlou: “...”
Su Momo: “...”
All four widened their eyes in disbelief at Qin Lang’s words.
None of them had expected Qin Lang to be so unpredictable—his words left them stunned.
Realizing his mistake, Qin Lang’s embarrassment deepened.
“Ahem, ahem~”
He coughed twice and forced a smile, correcting himself. “Heh, Brother Liu, you mustn’t blame us for being late. We were delayed preparing for tonight’s plan.”
“Oh?” Liu Man’s face was impassive, a half-smile playing at his lips as he looked at Qin Lang. “Then tell us—what plans were you making? Will your preparations benefit us?”
“There’s hope~”
Seeing that Liu Man seemed interested in his explanation—or rather, in his excuse—Qin Lang’s eyes lit up. “Brother Liu, actually, Hua and I meant to return after breakfast, but when we got back, I realized I had no clean clothes to wear to visit Misty Rain Pavilion. So I went with Brother Hua to get some custom clothes made...”
Thanks to Qin Lang’s silver tongue, and with Hua Manlou backing him up, Liu Man finally chose to believe them both.
Seeing how Qin Lang could talk his way out of anything, persuading Liu Man with mere words, Su Momo felt a sudden, inexplicable irritation, though she could do nothing about it.
Qin Lang was crucial to this mission; she couldn’t lay a hand on him, or she’d risk grievous punishment—even execution.
After hearing Qin Lang’s explanation, Liu Man said coldly, “Since that’s the case, rest up and be ready for action tonight.”
“Yes!”

...

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