Chapter Sixty: You Shameless Rogue, Preying on Innocence

All along the way, the owner of the white shadow seemed oblivious to the tail quietly following behind. Their qinggong was evenly matched; Luo Changning kept a steady two hundred paces between them, trailing from afar.

At last, the white figure stopped before the gates of a grand residence.

The white shadow carefully surveyed the wall by the gate, then, gathering strength, leapt lightly onto the roof of one of the smaller courtyards.

Concealed in the darkness, Luo Changning watched as the white figure furtively lifted a roof tile, peered inside for a while, then flipped back down again.

The white shadow fiddled with the main door for a moment, and the entrance quietly opened. He stepped inside.

Seeing the door close again, Luo Changning hurried forward, poked a small hole in the window paper with his finger, and began to observe the scene inside.

His senses had already awakened, so even in the darkness of night he could see clearly, unhindered.

The white shadow, it seemed, was merely a martial artist of the acquired realm, which explained why Luo Changning’s pursuit had gone unnoticed.

Peering through the tiny hole, Luo Changning discerned at once that the room was unmistakably the boudoir of a young woman.

The white figure slowly approached the large bed at the back, lifted the bed curtains, and pressed himself onto the figure beneath.

At that moment, Luo Changning finally realized the nature of the intruder—a flower thief, just as described in old plays!

Just as he was about to intervene, Luo Changning suddenly found himself unable to move.

At some unknown moment, a shadow had silently approached from behind and sealed his acupoints. He had not sensed a thing, completely unaware that someone had come so close.

What terrifying skill!

Worse still, the newcomer had sealed Luo Changning’s mute acupoint as well, making it impossible for him to speak a word. All he could do was blink at the person, his eyes full of wariness and questions.

Blinking: Who are you? Why have you sealed my acupoints? Could you be in league with the flower thief inside?

The culprit, who had sealed Luo Changning’s acupoints, remained silent, merely gripping his collar and dragging him away from the residence.

The biting chill of the autumn night wind whipped across his cheeks. Luo Changning could only sigh inwardly: Was this karma? Had he known, he might have been kinder to that little underling at Mount Tianmen...

In a secluded alley, Luo Changning stubbornly held the youth’s gaze, confusion written all over his face.

The person who had sealed his acupoints and dragged him to this remote alley was clearly a youth.

He appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, his hair neatly brushed without a strand out of place—a state wholly at odds with what one would expect at such an hour.

The youth’s lips were red, his teeth white, his nose delicately shaped. His almond eyes were long and narrow, filled with a subtle, enchanting charm.

Luo Changning found himself sighing inwardly: What a handsome young man. But for what purpose has he seized me?

There was an air of gentle beauty to the youth’s features, yet within that gentleness was a righteous, unyielding spirit. His eyes were clear, utterly unlike those of a villain—certainly with no connection to the “flower thief.” Clearly, he was not the white shadow’s accomplice.

Only then did Luo Changning realize he was still clad in night-walker’s garb, his face blackened and masked, having just been crouched suspiciously at the window of a young woman’s chamber. No wonder he had been misunderstood.

Understanding the cause, Luo Changning blinked urgently.

Perhaps sensing the anxiety in his eyes, the beautiful, androgynous youth finally released Luo Changning’s mute acupoint.

In a gentle voice, as warm and clear as fine jade and as fragrant as orchids blooming in a secluded valley, the youth asked, “Who are you, and what business brings you to the Bai residence at this hour?”

Hearing the youth’s voice, Luo Changning was momentarily stunned, staring at him in a daze, a tingling, itchy sensation spreading through his heart.

After a while, Luo Changning cleared his throat and replied, “You have misunderstood me. I was only pursuing a thief, which is how I ended up at the Bai residence. I saw that scoundrel sneak into the house, so I poked a hole in the window to see what was happening inside. Who could have guessed you’d seal my acupoints and drag me out here to shiver in the cold…”

Sure enough, upon hearing his explanation, the youth’s expression changed instantly. Twisting his body, he dashed back in the direction of the Bai residence.

“Hey! If you’re leaving, at least unseal my acupoints! How unfair!”

Left alone in the chilly, deserted alley, Luo Changning could only grumble inwardly—he still needed to hurry back to Mount Tianmen to find his aunt!

He had no choice but to wait for the acupoint seal to fade on its own, his martial prowess no match for the youth’s, unable to force it open.

Meanwhile, he pondered: The Bai residence belonged to the magistrate of Qingyang County. He had attended Magistrate Bai’s birthday banquet before, yet had never seen such a person in the Bai household.

As he thought this, the youth’s narrow, clear eyes appeared in his mind once more. For reasons he could not explain, a strange emotion quietly spread within Luo Changning—elusive, indefinable, yet ever-present.

Perhaps it was because those eyes were simply too clear…

Setting aside the odd feeling, Luo Changning came to this conclusion in the end.