HBWMA -Chapter 278 Collapse of Ritual and Music! Moral Decay?

“Creeak—”

The door of one of the small dark rooms was pushed open first. The staff inside stepped forward and said a few words to Shen Zhi. Shen Zhi immediately turned and walked back into the courtyard, bending slightly to pour a cup of hot tea for Shen Zhuang.

“Old master, Young Master A-Ling has finished. He’s now taking a bath.”

Shen Zhuang was reclining on a bamboo chair with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and glanced at Shen Zhi.

“Who did you say?”

It wasn’t strange that he was surprised—during previous matches, Shen Guiling had never lost. How could it be over in just fifteen minutes this time?

Shen Zhi lowered his head and leaned in to whisper a few words. Shen Zhuang’s expression subtly shifted.

“So completely defeated?”

He waved a hand.

“Don’t spread this. These kids are still green. It’ll hurt their pride.”

“Yes.”

Shen Zhuang picked up his teacup and looked toward the other two rooms. Now only Lanxi and Qingyu were left.

At this moment, Shen Lanxi sat upright on the sofa, his breathing slightly uneven.

In his desires, there wasn’t much bizarre distortion.

A summer lotus pond shimmered with golden ripples. He sat under a window reading a book.

“Plop—”

A koi fish flicked its tail through the lotus leaves. Water splashed too high, and a drop landed on the pages.

Just as he was about to stand, a phantom suddenly appeared behind him and embraced him. Shen Lanxi’s expression remained calm as he grabbed the hands on his shoulder and flung the illusion away.

Then another figure slid into his lap—more precisely, not a person, but a graceful silhouette of light. It wrapped its arms around his neck as if wanting to read with him.

Shen Lanxi closed the book, stood up, and pushed the figure to the ground.

He only took one step forward before another graceful form fell and clung to his waist. This time it was not light—it was a faceless, beautiful female body.

His steps paused slightly.

The earlier phantoms and light-shadows reappeared all at once. One hugged him from behind, another wrapped around his neck in front. The illusions gradually solidified into enchanting, alluring women.

“……”

He rubbed his temple and kicked away the woman kneeling at his feet. Then he stepped back, grabbed the figure in front by the neck, and it dissolved in his palm.

Only one remained.

Shen Lanxi returned to the couch-like bed, as before, grabbing the wrist of the woman behind him and dragging her forward. The moment she fell into his arms, he locked her throat.

Just as he was about to apply force—

The woman suddenly gained a face.

A pair of teary, trembling peach-blossom eyes filled with fear and struggle.

“!”

BOOM—

The elegant strings of restraint were snapped apart by forbidden desire. Ritual and order collapsed.

Shen Lanxi threw her away like something burning hot, stood up in panic—but the scenery shifted. The woman reappeared in front of him.

Her brows, her eyes, every expression… as if she had truly come alive.

“Why are you running?”

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him down onto the couch, falling with him. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and sat on him.

“What are you afraid of? Rules are dead. People are alive. Do you want rules, or do you want a person?”

He didn’t answer. His gaze remained cold as he looked at her.

She smiled—still as mischievous and dangerous as ever—leaning closer to his lips.

Shen Lanxi’s eyes darkened slightly. He turned his head aside, and her kiss landed at the corner of his mouth.

Clearly dissatisfied, she grabbed his face and forced him back. Foreheads pressed together, eyes locked.

“Shen Lanxi, you don’t even dare face your own desires—what makes you think you can compete with others?”

His gaze lifted.

The restraint in him finally loosened. His palm gripped her waist, pulling her tightly into his arms, and he flipped her over beneath him.

The world spun violently.

The word “Calm” hanging on the wall was torn apart by space and time—splitting in two.

It became:

“Strive”

BOOM—

“……”

The young man on the sofa slowly opened his eyes. A faint, fragmented glow lingered in his gaze, and the rims of his eyes were slightly red.

The remnants of passion had not yet faded. For him, that pleasure felt like a catastrophic disaster. Facing it in such a clear-headed state was truly embarrassing.

Shen Lanxi lowered his head. After a long silence, he removed the patch from his temple and turned toward the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Shen Zhi received the message and hurried into the courtyard.

“Old master, Young Master Lanxi has also finished.”

Shen Zhuang sat up. “That fast? Lanxi too?”

Shen Zhi replied, “Young Master Lanxi held on for an extra three minutes.”

Shen Zhuang hissed. “Was the dosage too strong?”

Shen Zhi didn’t dare respond. He lowered his head and reported what had happened in the room. Shen Zhuang immediately widened his eyes.

“How is he just as useless as A-Ling?”

Although it was normal to be inexperienced in matters of intimacy, if all of them were like this, it was simply too disappointing!

Shen Zhuang stood up, looking complicated as he glanced toward the third room.

“Did that kid Qingyu secretly take lessons? Why is he performing so well this time?”

“An illusion. This is all an illusion.”

Shen Qingyu gripped the armrests of the reclining chair tightly, reason and desire each weighing heavily on opposite ends of the scale.

Inside a room at the Gu Residence.

A woman in revealing clothing kept pressing against him. He didn’t know why he couldn’t resist, and the desire in his lower body was easily provoked.

Shen Qingyu felt utterly defeated and lay flat on the bed in a “big” shape.

It’s just desire anyway. Isn’t it enough to just release it? He wasn’t some enlightened monk—why suppress human instincts?

The woman slowly climbed onto him. The torment felt like the final friction before a match ignites.

Unable to endure the discomfort, Shen Qingyu directly pulled off his belt, undid the first button of his shirt, lifted the hem, and grabbed the woman’s neck forcefully, saying, “*”

The woman responded obediently (auto-censored), tilting her head with a smile. Suddenly—her sharp fox-like eyes transformed into starry peach blossom eyes.

“!”

Disaster!

That single change startled him so much he went from “big” to “wide awake.”

Shen Qingyu jumped off the bed in panic, frantically pulling up his pants. Just as he fastened the last button, the “woman” suddenly hugged him from behind.

It was over, it was over!

Was he losing reason? Losing morals?! He only wanted release, not to become a beast!

The person behind him held tighter and tighter. Shen Qingyu turned his head. It was still that face.

Gritting his teeth, he kicked her off the bed.

“Don’t even think about it. I’m someone you’ll never get!”

The peach-eyed woman let out a soft whimper and stood up, starting to take off her clothes again.

Shen Qingyu’s temples throbbed violently. She took one piece off, he put one back on. She removed another, he put another back on. In the end, frustrated, she yanked hard and tore off all her clothes.

Reacting quickly, Shen Qingyu pulled down the curtains and wrapped her up layer upon layer until she was tightly bundled like a rice dumpling.

Panting, he looked down at himself and muttered, “Hope this doesn’t mess me up.”

The “curtain dumpling” spoke softly, pleading:

“Brother Qingyu, let me go.”

Shen Qingyu snapped, “Get lost!”

“You’ll feel uncomfortable like this. I can help you.”

Shen Qingyu glanced down at her. “Fine. Change your face. Then I’ll fight you for three hundred rounds.”

“But… you clearly like me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be able to see me.”

A dark light flickered in Shen Qingyu’s eyes. He grabbed her chin tightly, his fingers gradually tightening.

“So this is why you’re taking advantage of my feelings and doing whatever you want?”