Chapter 110: Crossdressing - The First Step is Always the Hardest

"Is this really appropriate?" Ling Yuan's cherry lips parted slightly in shock, though her eyes betrayed a glimmer of excitement.

Qian Renxue ran her fingers along the delicate fabric of the flowing dress, its surface rippling like water under her touch. "What's inappropriate about it? Remember those outfits he made us wear? This is barely payback!" She folded the garment carefully. "He'll just have to endure this small sacrifice."

Ling Yuan covered her mouth with a sleeve, failing to suppress her giggles.

"If he resists," Qian Renxue added with a devious smirk, "just restrain him, Sister Ling Yuan. It's our turn to take charge."

Hiding the dress behind her back, she tiptoed to Lin Feng's room. Inside, they found him meditating with an unusually troubled expression—a rare sight that gave both women pause. What could possibly perplex someone who always seemed to have all the answers?

Settling beside him, Qian Renxue gently asked, "What's troubling you?"

Lin Feng massaged his temples. One particular problem weighed on his mind—Tang Hao.

Where was this likely Level 95 Super Douluo now? Wallowing in drunken misery in Holy Soul Village as in the original timeline, or waiting for some unknown opportunity? His theoretical works should have reached Notting City by now. As someone bound to his sect's legacy, how could Tang Hao ignore the shifting balance of power?

More likely, Lin Feng mused, the man remained drowning in alcohol and filth—the same man who in the original story had nearly made Tang San craft chamber pots for his convenience. Even across cities, the stench of liquor and unwashed flesh had reportedly trailed him.

The real challenge wasn't eliminating Tang Hao—that would be simple. The dilemma lay in doing so without revealing his foreknowledge. How to explain knowing Tang Hao's location without exposing his unusual insights?

An idea struck him. Apologies, esteemed Silver Dragon King, he thought wryly. Your mysterious behavior makes you the perfect scapegoat.

With a sigh, he finally answered, "I was considering the message from our elder in Sunset Forest."

Qian Renxue tilted her head. "She contacted you? What did she say?"

"She mentioned sensing a Douluo's aura in Notting City—a remote border town in Fasno Province. Strange for such power to hide in obscurity..." Lin Feng trailed off meaningfully.

Qian Renxue's hands clenched, her eyes flashing with long-buried fury. "You waited until we're nearly at Spirit Hall to tell me this?" Her voice turned sharp. "Were you afraid I'd charge straight there? Who else could it be but Tang Hao?"

In her memory, this was the man who had killed her father. The mere mention of his possible location made her blood boil.

She pinned Lin Feng to the bed, her golden eyes blazing. "You always treat me like some impulsive child! Detouring all the way back to Spirit Hall to gather reinforcements instead of trusting me to handle this rationally!" Her grip tightened. "I'll forgive you this time... on one condition."

With dramatic flourish, she produced the delicate dress.

"Before we go make Tang Hao pay, you're wearing this as penance for keeping secrets!"

Beneath her anger, Qian Renxue's mind worked coldly. Tang Hao's fate was already sealed—they'd return to Spirit Hall, inform her grandfather, and bring proper forces to bear. But this moment with Lin Feng was unpredictable, and she intended to seize it.

As Ling Yuan had wisely observed: crossdressing was a threshold—once crossed, there was no turning back.

Lin Feng's frantic head-shaking only strengthened her resolve. "You made us wear all those... those scandalous outfits!" she accused. "Black stockings, white stockings, that slit qipao! Refuse now, and you'll never see us in them again!"

This was outright blackmail! Not that he would succumb to such cheap tactics, of course. He took the dress with dignified resignation—purely to appease her anger, naturally.

As the silken fabric settled over his frame and he let his long hair flow freely, both women caught their breath. The transformation was... unexpectedly convincing.

"Next time you hide things," Qian Renxue threatened, barely containing her glee, "I'll make you wear this to have tea with that Yan fellow!"

Lin Feng stared at his reflection with mixed feelings. With some makeup, he could probably pass as a genuine beauty... Truly, the path of the trap was a dangerous one.