Chapter 126 Bewitching the Heart

Chen Mu and Qi Huan held their breath and focused, slowly approaching the treasure cabinet pointed out by Liu Ziming.

The treasure cabinet occupied the entire wall and was divided into seven levels, each filled with jade ornaments and antiques; at first glance, it appeared flawless.

Counting to the seventh slot of the third row, they saw a wooden carving of a Pixiu, intricately crafted and lifelike.

Following Liu Ziming's instructions, he pressed it gently. With a soft click of the mechanism, Chen Mu steadied the wooden carving with both hands, turning it half a circle to the left, then half a circle to the right.

"Boom."

A dull sound of gears turning came from inside the treasure cabinet, and the wooden panel at the back slid open quietly, revealing a secret compartment only large enough for one hand to reach into.

The secret compartment was lined with bright yellow brocade, and a silk pouch was placed right in the center.

A flash of golden light appeared in Qi Huan's eyes, and just as he was about to step forward to retrieve it, Chen Mu suddenly raised his hand to stop him.

"Retreat!"

Before Qi Huan could react, Chen Mu let out a low shout and retreated rapidly.

Almost simultaneously, the wooden panels around the secret compartment suddenly sprang open, and several poisoned crossbow bolts shot out. If not for Chen Mu's prior vigilance, the two would likely have been turned into hedgehogs.

With a flash of cold light as he drew his sword, Chen Mu had his longsword in hand, cutting down all the crossbow bolts. Qi Huan also clapped his palms repeatedly, deflecting several arrows.

In no time, the crossbow bolts were spent, and the building returned to silence.

However, the crisis did not seem to be over.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Suddenly, a peal of laughter like silver bells came from all directions; it was charming and alluring, yet carried an indescribable eeriness as it echoed endlessly throughout the building.

"Who goes there?!"

Qi Huan shouted sternly, his hand already on the hilt of his blade.

"Two officers, breaking into an empty house in the middle of the night, is this the behavior of a gentleman?"

The voice was like an oriole singing in the valley, carrying a hint of reproach and a touch of provocation.

Before the voice faded, three slender figures appeared silently like ghosts from the corner of the stairs, behind the screen, and beside the pillars.

They were three women.

No, perhaps they could not be called humans.

The leader was draped in a pale pink gauze dress; she had a voluptuous figure, eyes brimming with flirtation, her chest partially exposed, and she held a round fan to lightly cover her crimson lips.

The woman on the left wore a water-green dress, her waist slender enough to be held in one's hand, her long hair draped loose, her eyes shifting with allure.

The woman on the right was dressed in plain white with a cold expression, but her eyes were soul-captivating, and she toyed with a lock of dark hair in her hand.

All three women were of superior beauty, looking like absolute stunners in the human world, yet they all possessed fox ears and fox tails, with faint Demonic Qi lingering around them.

"Fox demons."

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes slightly, his longsword pointing diagonally at the floor.

Qi Huan frowned tightly, slowly raising his palms as his Protective Aura surged around him.

"That old dog Xu Changze really is colluding with demons."

"Where is that old dog? Hiding and letting you beasts take the fall?"

The Woman in Pink, the leader, swayed her round fan gently and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Lord Xu is busy with myriad affairs; why would he have time to play with small fries like you? He specifically ordered us sisters to wait here for you."

The woman in green also licked her red lips, her gaze shifting between the two men, and she laughed infatuatedly.

"Oh my, both young gentlemen are so handsome and full of vitality; surely you must taste delicious."

As they spoke, their eyes shifted with innate allure. Qi Huan felt his heart stir, and illusions began to appear before his eyes. He hurriedly bit the tip of his tongue, only managing to wake up when the sharp pain struck.

At the same time, the woman in white lightly raised her slender hand, and a ball of pink mist flew from her fingertips, heading straight for the two men.

"No use talking more; take them down, and the Master will have rich rewards."

Before the words faded, the three women moved simultaneously.

They did not pounce directly but instead danced gracefully around the two men.

Their slender waists swayed, thin gauze fluttered, and their dance was eerily enchanting. As they danced, a faint, sweet fragrance permeated the air.

Qi Huan's expression changed.

"Hold your breath!"

But it was already too late; the sweet fragrance seeped into every pore. Qi Huan immediately felt his limbs go weak, and the scene before him began to distort.

Although his injuries from yesterday had eased, his Divine Soul was still damaged and not fully healed. Facing this kind of Demonic Technique, cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead, and his footing became unsteady.

"Chief Qi, hold your breath and focus!"

Chen Mu let out a low shout and slapped Qi Huan on the back, channeling his Protective Aura into him to help dispel the intoxicating fragrance.

But because Qi Huan's injuries had not healed, this slap instead caused his Qi and blood to churn. He felt a sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Oh my, oh my, why did this young gentleman hurt his own companion?"

The Woman in Pink giggled, and a short sword with a red glow appeared in her hand at some point.

"This officer, why not let me help you... find eternal release, how about that?"

As she spoke, she transformed into three afterimages and attacked Qi Huan from different directions.

The woman in green lunged straight at Chen Mu, her index fingernails growing rapidly and glinting with cold light.

Instead of retreating, Chen Mu advanced, his longsword striking straight towards the woman. The blade collided with her sharp claws, emitting a sound like clashing metal. The woman in green was knocked back two steps, a look of shock flashing in her eyes.

"Good swordsmanship!"

She immediately let out a sharp cry, and her figure changed again, actually splitting into three and surrounding Chen Mu.

The three figures attacked simultaneously, the wind from their claws fierce, sealing off all paths of retreat.

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed. Although this Clone technique was not as exquisite as the Divine Void Step, it was difficult to distinguish between real and fake, which was truly annoying. He decided not to bother distinguishing them and swept his longsword in a circle, the Sword Qi spreading rapidly in all directions.

"Pfft!"

The Clone on the left of the woman in green was instantly struck by the Sword Qi and vanished into a wisp of green smoke, but the two on the right and behind attacked simultaneously, their sharp claws aiming straight for Chen Mu's throat and back.

Chen Mu kicked his feet several times, pushing the Divine Void Step to its limit, barely dodging the two fatal blows, and backhanded his sword towards the figure on the right.

Intuition told him that this one was the real body.

The woman in green's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly retreated, but the blade had already arrived. A wound deep enough to see the bone appeared, but instead of the expected blood splashing everywhere, it turned into pink mist.

"Illusionary body?"

Chen Mu's heart immediately tightened.

Sure enough, after the woman in green was injured, she did not weaken but instead laughed even more coquettishly.

"Squad Leader Chen, you are so cruel; how could you deal such a heavy hand to me?"

Before her voice faded, her figure gradually blurred and finally disappeared.

The mist in the hall grew thicker, and one could no longer see scenes beyond three feet.

On the other side, Qi Huan was also caught in a bitter battle.

Two of the Woman in Pink's afterimages had been cut down by him, but her real body remained hidden in the mist, launching sneak attacks from time to time.

What was worse, the woman seemed able to see through his mental defenses, using illusions to target his weaknesses, and her bewitching voice kept drilling into his ears.

"Officer Qi, you're tired, aren't you? Wouldn't it be better to put down your blade and rest?"

"Look, isn't that your father in front? Scolding you again for being useless and unable to shoulder the responsibilities of the Family."

"Eh? You, a Prefecture Banner Officer, why are you not even worth as much as a small fry from the Demon Suppression Division?"

The illusionary sounds were like silk, entangling his mind.

Double images began to appear before Qi Huan's eyes; his father's figure, the pointing of surrounding people, and the tragic state of his deceased colleagues appeared alternately.

Although he bit the tip of his tongue to force himself to stay awake, his movements had become noticeably sluggish.

"Swish!"

The blade grazed his right arm. Qi Huan groaned and struck back with a palm, but only hit empty air.

This can't go on.

He was anxious, knowing he had to end the battle quickly.

So he took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his injuries, and slowly raised his palms. Five-colored halos flowed between his palms, like steaming clouds.

"Five Cloud Hands"!

This was one of Qi Huan's trump card techniques, drawing on the concept of the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements. His palm power combined both hardness and softness, with infinite variations.

Qi Huan calmed his mind to observe carefully, then suddenly shouted sternly.

"Found you!"

A flash of golden light appeared in Qi Huan's eyes, and he lunged fiercely towards the mist on the right. The real body of the Woman in Pink had just manifested there, about to launch another sneak attack.

"Break!"