Qiao Wei nodded, his voice suddenly changing—becoming deep and mournfully aged. His gaze too shifted, turning sharp, filled with a piercing light.
"Third Young Master, I wonder if you know of the Four Great Devils who once ruled the world—unmatched in power?" Qiao Wei asked.
The Third Young Master's smile faltered, and he replied solemnly, "The 'Four Great Devils'—Tian Mo Liuxing, the Heavenly Devil Liang Hanwei; Di Mo Wuqing, the Earth Devil Qi Dasheng; Suiyue Burao Ren, the Unyielding Years, Qiao Qitian; and Huànmó Zhēn Jūn, the Illusion Devil, Li Guding. These four were the strongest guardians and devils of the Demon Sect. Back then, the righteous forces of the Jianghu were forced into hiding, while the Demon Sect's influence spread across the empire, invincible and feared by all."
"My father, Qin Xiaoyao, fought Qiao Qitian, the Unyielding Years, in his youth—three hundred rounds—and they reached a stalemate. However, my father always said that in that fight, Qiao senior held back, never unleashing his ultimate technique, the 'Unyielding Years.' For that reason, my father held Qiao Qitian in high regard. He would often say that while righteousness and evil are fundamentally opposed, there are still remarkable heroes within the Demon Sect and despicable villains within the righteous. Heh, of course, I am one of the despicable villains of the righteous."
"But then, ten years ago, the Four Great Devils mysteriously disappeared. In one night, the Demon Sect shattered. The righteous forces seized the opportunity to purge the Demon Sect's branches across the empire, breaking their power, and leaving the righteous sects to dominate."
Qiao Wei nodded thoughtfully. "I never expected your father to hold such high regard for me."
The Third Young Master was startled, asking, "Could it be that you are…?"
Qiao Wei smiled faintly. "Indeed, I am one of the Four Great Devils—the Unyielding Years, Qiao Qitian. As for Uncle Li, he is the 'Illusion Devil' Li Guding. His 'Illusion Devil's Hand' might not be one of the Three Legendary Palms, but in truth, it is on par with them. It's just that since he hails from the Demon Sect, the people of the Jianghu don't consider his skills among the top. But in reality, there should be four legendary palms, and the 'Illusion Devil's Hand' is definitely one of them. Third Young Master, you've crossed hands with him before, and you must have felt its power, wouldn't you?"
The Third Young Master could no longer maintain his arrogance. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Qiao Wei and Li Guding. "I did not know of your esteemed identities, and I have been disrespectful. Please forgive me, especially you, Senior Qiao. My father always instructed me to show utmost respect and honor if I ever had the chance to meet you."
Qiao Wei chuckled, waving his hand. "Third Young Master, there's no need for such formality. I no longer go by the name 'Unyielding Years,' nor am I a member of the Demon Sect anymore. My name is now Qiao Wei. Why so formal? Besides, your temperament is quite to my liking. From now on, I am your servant, and once a servant, always a servant. You have shown me great favor, and I cannot accept such deference."
The Third Young Master immediately relaxed, grinning. "Well, if that's the case, then I'll call you 'Wei Ge' from now on! Damn, if it weren't for my old man telling me to do so, would I show you such courtesy? You old rascal, you kept this a secret from me! Damn, Wei Ge, I was wondering how you managed to dodge Qin Nier and Lian Zhou, but now I see—you're just too capable to be caught by them. As for Li Guding, haha, his name sounds like 'nicotine'—this old man must be a chain smoker. Here, have a cigarette, both of you."
The Third Young Master handed a cigarette to both Qiao Wei and Li Guding, lighting it up and taking a long puff. "You want fire? Get it yourself. Heh, what luck I have, picking up a servant like you, 'Unyielding Years' himself, and picking up a bandit leader like 'Illusion Devil' casually, hahaha..."
Qiao Wei and Li Guding exchanged glances. Qiao Wei now regretted his earlier comment about being a servant. He glanced at Li Guding, who looked ready to set fire to him with his gaze.
"Alright, let these two juniors sit down," the Third Young Master continued. "Li Xiaoye, right? Take off your face mask and wig. That ghostly appearance is making me sick."
The Third Young Master immediately resumed his domineering attitude, showing no respect for his demon sect predecessors.
In truth, the Third Young Master hadn't taken Qiao Wei and Li Guding's identities seriously. To him, no matter who they were before, they were now his loyal subordinates—his Wei Ge and Li Guding, the "old rascal." Both of them had led him astray, teaching him the ways of manipulating both the body and emotions.
The Third Young Master considered himself the true seducer, fooling both body and heart. His actions had led him down a path of indulgence, and he had no regard for the former identities of Qiao Wei and Li Guding.
Li Xiaoye shot a resentful glance at the Third Young Master, then glanced at Li Guding for approval. When he nodded, she reluctantly began peeling off her face mask.
As soon as a corner of the mask came off, revealing skin as smooth as jade, the Third Young Master's eyes immediately lit up with desire.
Once the mask was fully removed, along with the wig, the Third Young Master let out a wild wolfish howl.
Before him stood a woman with a delicate, baby-faced look—a beauty whose charm was beyond words. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous, almost otherworldly light, and her short, bobbed hair set her apart from the typical long-haired women of the Daqin Empire.
Short hair on women was rare, but it had a certain uniqueness to it. The Third Young Master felt a sense of familiarity and intrigue. In his previous world, short-haired women were not uncommon, but here, in the Daqin Empire, he had never seen another like her. A sense of longing surged within him.
"Mmm, this one is good," the Third Young Master mused inwardly, "Mischievous, yet unique. With her around, I won't be bored. Her beauty is captivating at first sight, but her personality makes her manageable. She won't cause trouble like those fabled femme fatales. Keeping her by my side will be... interesting."
Li Xiaoye noticed the way the Third Young Master looked at her and felt repulsed. Having witnessed how he treated Du Xiaoyan, she couldn't bring herself to feel any affection for this debauched playboy. But, fear of his terrifying "Shura Demon Eyes" made her keep her head lowered and sit beside Li Guding.
Yan Ge'er, who had long harbored feelings for Li Xiaoye, seethed with anger at the blatant way the Third Young Master ogled her. His fury boiled over. "What a lecherous bastard! I've heard rumors about Qin's Third Young Master being a devil of lust, but seeing it with my own eyes is even worse than I imagined!"
The Third Young Master turned his gaze to Yan Ge'er, a mocking smile forming on his lips. "What did you say?"
Yan Ge'er retorted, "I think you know exactly what I said!"
Li Guding, sensing the tension, quickly intervened. "Yan Ge'er, you have no place here. Sit down immediately!"
Yan Ge'er, still fuming, sat back down, glaring at the Third Young Master.
The Third Young Master, irritated by Yan Ge'er's persistent defiance, let his "Shura Demon Eyes" flare up, his eyes turning into chilling pools of malice.
Yan Ge'er, unable to resist the pull of the gaze, saw in his mind's eye a frozen plain, blood-soaked earth, mountains of bones, and the image of the Third Young Master—hair standing on end, hands raised to the blood-red sky, laughing maniacally.
Yan Ge'er's face drained of color. He broke out into a cold sweat, trembling uncontrollably, before toppling off his seat, crashing to the ground.
The Third Young Master sneered. "Cowardly scum, how dare you speak against me?"
Qiao Wei, who had been watching with amusement, chimed in, "Old Li, your disciple seems to be lacking in more than just skill. He's got no guts, either!"
Li Guding awkwardly scratched his head. "Well, I haven't really passed on the true arts to him... Without proper skills, of course, he's no match for Third Young Master's gaze."
Qiao Wei laughed. "Old Li, anyone who's scared by the Shura Demon Eyes will never amount to anything. Yan Ge'er's cowardice is even worse than Li Xiaoye's. At least she wasn't knocked out by Third Young Master."
Li Guding sighed. "Yan Ge'er, go. Head to the account room and take ten thousand taels of silver—enough for the rest of your life."
"Master, you..." Yan Ge'er