Enemy or friend, it's hard to tell what's truly in their hearts.

Late at night, Jiang Yi quietly left the tent and went to a secluded corner. A figure appeared behind Jiang Yi, kneeling on one knee. "Young Master," the figure said, "that Tang Siyuan's original name was Shen Muchen. He was the deposed crown prince. It's said that someone secretly accused him of colluding with foreign powers and plotting to assassinate the emperor and usurp the throne. The current emperor, in a fit of anger, deposed his own son. After the deposition, there were rumors in the palace that the crown prince was not his biological son." Jiang Yi listened with great interest, and when he heard the last sentence, his eyes were full of amusement: "This is getting more and more interesting."

Hidden in the crowd, Jiang Yi silently observed Xu Zixie and Shen Muchen's every word. He could understand what Xu Zixie whispered in Shen Muchen's ear, "That face really makes you want to lock him up and conquer him..."

Xu Zixie left, and the onlookers gradually left as the protagonist departed, leaving only Jiang Yi and Shen Muchen, who was still kneeling on the spot. Shen Muchen recalled Xu Zixie's words and wished she could kill him. He was disgusting to her, and she was so blind back then. Jiang Yi looked at Shen Muchen's appearance, stepped forward, and bent down to hug Shen Muchen. Shen Muchen came back to her senses.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yi stared blankly for a moment, looking at his unfinished actions, frozen in place. "What's wrong with me?" Before he could finish his question, Shen Muchen's voice came from beside him, and he hurriedly explained, "Nothing, I saw you kneeling here, and you didn't look well, so I thought I'd hug you to cheer you up. I overstepped my bounds." At this point, the atmosphere became a little awkward, and Jiang Yi quickly changed the subject, "What were you thinking about just now?"

"I was just thinking, why can a person change so much? Never mind, there's no point in saying more. I don't think you'd be interested in listening anyway. Go ahead and do your work. I want to be alone for a while." Shen Muchen didn't want to say anything more to Jiang Yi. After all, they had only known each other for a short time, and it was hard to tell whether she was friend or foe. More importantly, this was a matter between him and Xu Zixie, and he didn't want to involve anyone else.

Jiang Yi didn't say anything more and quietly left. "How could I be completely uninterested in your affairs? I'm very interested. Even if you didn't tell me, I would slowly find out..."

Night fell, and all was quiet. On the city tower, Xu Zixie sat, the wind whistling all around him, but it seemed to have no effect on his thoughts. He poured himself a drink and murmured the name of Shen Muchen.

That spring was warm. Homeless, he met his boy. The light in the boy's eyes at that time was something he had never been able to reach before. His light was warm, instantly illuminating his darkest heart. He said he would protect the boy. Now, the boy's eyes no longer held that light. He was tired of the intrigue and backstabbing in the palace. He longed to see the life he envied, he longed to live the life of an ordinary person. Looking at the boy before him, he saw that the light he once yearned for was gone, like the sun being obscured by clouds, its warm radiance gone. He couldn't make his boy happy...

"Ha, I really envy this relationship. It's a pity that you no longer have the right to see him. He's just my little toy now. He'll never know who you are. He'll only ever remember me!" Xu Zixie looked at the memories she had left behind with disdain.

Feelings are utterly useless. Just like that madman, all he took was a little something, yet in the end he didn't hesitate to blow up the divine realm. Even so, he will only become a monster that everyone fears in that endless abyss. It's really laughable to think about it!

"Looks like a certain little mouse can't hold back anymore and wants to eat alone..." Xu Zixie took a sip of tea, watching the show. He saw Li Rongliang sneak into Shen Muchen's tent, a hint of malice in his eyes. "Heh, he's quite fair-skinned and tender-looking, but it's a pity he's a man. However, there's a place that's quite suitable for him~" The tent was lit with sleeping incense, and Shen Muchen was still fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up. Li Rongliang continued, "You've been exiled to the army, yet you still dream of being a superior person again. I'll make sure you can't be a superior person with a clean conscience anymore."

Although it's a frontier region, there are still brothels. Li Rongliang's goal is to sell Shen Muchen to them. The most popular and best place here is Baoyue Tower. It has both girls and men who look like Shen Muchen. Once you go in, you might not be able to come out with a clear conscience.

Xu Zixie, observing Li Rongliang's actions, had no intention of saving Shen Muchen. He wanted his possession to remain dependent on him forever, and as long as he hadn't lost interest, this incident would serve as a lesson for Shen Muchen, making him understand that the only one truly capable of saving him was himself…

Li Rongliang carried Shen Muchen smoothly to Baoyue Tower. The manager of Baoyue Tower, upon seeing Shen Muchen's face, was instantly filled with greed. That face was truly stunning; it would surely bring considerable profit. Looking at Li Rongliang's ordinary face, he smiled even more amiably, "The person you brought this time is truly excellent. Whichever girl you like, take your pick..."

The steward led Shen Muchen down to prepare for tonight's grand feast. They were sure to make a fortune tonight; his face truly resembled that of a god of wealth descended to earth. Shen Muchen was awakened by the commotion. He stared in shock at the scene before him. Everyone's gaze towards him was like that of a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of delicious meat. He glanced at his clothes; they were clearly not his usual attire. In fact, what he was wearing couldn't even be called clothes; he was even imprisoned in a golden cage. The lust in people's eyes filled him with utter disgust and hatred. Outside, smoke and fire raged, while these people only thought of extravagance and debauchery!

With a loud shout, "Whoever bids the highest will have this beauty tonight...", the guests below the stage were extremely excited. Everyone wanted to own the beauty locked in the cage. The starting bids kept getting higher and higher. Shen Muchen looked around at everything. He never thought that one day he would become an item in a brothel and be auctioned off.

The noise gradually subsided. A wealthy man offered 78,000 taels of silver. Although the beauty was tempting, no one offered a higher price. With the fall of the gavel, Shen Muchen was unsurprisingly won by the wealthy man. According to the rules, Shen Muchen belonged to that wealthy man tonight. Although the wealthy man was not fat and big-eared, the lust in his eyes was hard to hide. Shen Muchen was disgusted and did not want to look at him.

The wealthy merchant thought: "A beauty is indeed a beauty; it's normal for her to have a temper. Anyway, tonight belongs to me." Even with his eyes closed, Shen Muchen could feel the other man's gaze roaming over him. Looking at the beauty, a sudden surge of sadistic feeling rose within the merchant. He imagined she would be even more stunning. He ordered his men to prepare the tools; after all, the night was long, he could take his time.

The subordinate quickly prepared the necessary items. "Since the beauty has kept her eyes closed, I'll blindfold her." As soon as the words were spoken, a veil was placed over Shen Muchen's eyes. She could see silhouettes, but not faces; her vision was extremely blurry. The person, seemingly holding something, struck Shen Muchen directly. Shen Muchen felt a burning pain where she was hit. Before she could react, another blow struck. Shen Muchen seemed to realize that the object in his hand resembled a soft leather whip; with each strike, a gust of wind... The sound of the whip cracking against Shen Muchen's skin grew clearer, while the blows stung her body with a dense, throbbing pain. She gritted her teeth, trying to stifle any sound. Seeing her reaction, the wealthy man showed no mercy. The whip lashed out, the resounding crack echoing through the room. Shen Muchen's thin, airy dress was now completely bare, revealing the red welts on her fair skin. The wealthy man, seeing these marks, grew increasingly satisfied; they were his handiwork…