A General Among Dwarves, A Virgin Among Prostitutes

One after another, the women put on their most earnest displays, but Straw Bag Strategist remained unmoved.

He had eaten refined grain in the county seat; he had no taste for this coarse husk from the countryside.

"Next!"

Master Cao's face was expressionless.

The madam flicked her handkerchief.

"Oh my, sir, your standards are truly high. The next one is sure to satisfy you!"

Though the girls pulled out every trick they had, they were nothing but commonplace rouge and powder. Straw Bag Strategist's face grew darker and darker.

"Is this all Hanshan Town has to offer?"

"That one with the bucket waist was bad enough!"

"That one is even older than this old man—what do you mean by this?"

The awkwardness on the madam's face vanished in a flash.

"Oh my, sir, a little place like Hanshan Town simply cannot compare to a big city."

"When you're out and about, why not make do? Once the candle is blown out, pretty and ugly are all the same. Strip away the skin and it's just a lump of flesh!"

Hearing this, Master Cao's face darkened even further. He gave a cold snort and pointed casually.

"This one, this one, and those two stay. The rest of you, get the hell out!"

"Alas, picking a general from among dwarfs, seeking a virgin among prostitutes—this old man has it too hard!" The strategist stroked his beard and sighed.

"Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

The madam beamed like a chrysanthemum, swept up the silver from the table, and scurried away with the girls who had not been chosen.

She ran off in such a hurry and with such delight, as if afraid this lord might change his mind.

"Hmph, what are you so smug about? Even if you begged this old lady to stay, I wouldn't want to!"

One of the unchosen girls swayed her hips as she followed the madam away.

Master Cao sat there with a dark old face, turning things over in his mind as though unable to decide.

"With goods like these, I wonder if they can successfully seduce him."

Qinglang seemed to see through his thoughts. He lowered his head and said softly:

"Master Strategist, this humble one has a few items that may ease the worries in your heart."

"Oh? What might they be?" Master Bao asked curiously.

Qinglang rummaged around in his robes, took out several porcelain bottles, and handed them to Master Cao Bao.

Master Cao Bao took the bottles and looked at them, his eyes widening round.

"Fervent Woman's Desire Paste!"

"Stone Woman's Spreading Legs Powder!"

"Macho Man's Weak Legs Incense!"

Overjoyed, he stroked his long beard, a knowing smile appearing on his face.

"Gang Leader Qinglang, you actually possess such fine things! With these items, why fear that brat Ning Chuan won't take the bait!"

Over at Hanshan Inn, Ning Chuan had just come downstairs when he saw two middle-aged men walking toward him.

One was fat and the other thin, and their every movement carried a sharp, fierce aura.

When they reached Ning Chuan, the lean man revealed a warm smile, cupped his fists, and spoke with great courtesy:

"Lord Ning, greetings!"

"You two know me?"

Ning Chuan looked utterly baffled. He did not remember having any dealings with these two.

"I am Qinglang, the unworthy leader of the Green Wolf Gang in Qingshan County. This is Heihu, leader of the Black Tiger Gang." The leader of the Green Wolf Gang, and this is Heihu, leader of the Black Tiger Gang.

Qinglang enthusiastically introduced them to Ning Chuan.

The burly man beside him, Heihu, seemed rather indifferent toward Ning Chuan. A flash of disdain crossed his face. He perfunctorily cupped his fists and said nothing.

"Oh, never heard of you. What do you two want with me?"

"My master heard that you were passing through Hanshan Town, Lord Ning. He has prepared a modest feast and specially ordered the two of us to invite you to a banquet for a chat," Qinglang said.

"Who is your master?"

"Master Cao Bao, the strategist of the County Yamen!" Qinglang replied respectfully.

The County Yamen's strategist, Straw Bag?

Ning Chuan immediately thought of the arrest warrant.

Then he thought of the mysterious person who had been sending him things along the way. It seemed that person was this Straw Bag Strategist.

Ever since he had transmigrated here, the only people he had offended were Three Tiger Mountain. He had nothing whatsoever to do with the County Yamen.

Yet the County Yamen wanted him, which meant there was some sort of connection between the County Yamen and Three Tiger Mountain.

Along the way, Straw Bag Strategist had kept sending him this and that. He must have failed to kill him before, then seen that Ning Chuan had some strength and turned around to try recruiting him, hoping to make him one of his lackeys and have him do all sorts of wicked deeds for him.

One could imagine that if this recruitment failed, he would surely start screaming for Ning Chuan's blood again!

Am I someone you can just mold and squeeze however you please?

I'd like to see exactly what this Master Cao Bao is up to!

At once, he cupped his fists and said, "Then please wait a moment, you two."

Ning Chuan returned upstairs, found Shopkeeper Li and Zhang Dashan, and entrusted Ning Dagou and Xiao Hua to their care.

Following Green Wolf and Black Tiger to Hanshan Restaurant, Ning Chuan watched as Green Wolf eagerly pushed open the private room's door for him. Master Cao Bao came out to greet him.

"Hahahaha... Young friend Ning Chuan, please, please come in!"

Master Cao Bao stepped forward and patted Ning Chuan on the shoulder.

Ning Chuan swayed aside, leaving Cao Bao's large hand hanging in midair. The smile on Cao Bao's face immediately froze.

A trace of displeasure flashed across Cao Bao's face before he promptly slapped his forehead.

"Oh, how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself!"

"I am Cao Bao, nominally a strategist at the County Yamen. Entrusted by His Excellency County Magistrate Han Zhang, I have come to discuss an important matter with young friend Ning Chuan. Please, please!"

As Straw Bag Strategist spoke, he had already pulled Ning Chuan into the private room.

Strategist, Straw Bag, County Magistrate... Han Zhang?

They were hunting me down just a few days ago, and now they want to recruit me?

Let's see what medicine you bastards are selling in that gourd of yours!

The moment Ning Chuan stepped into the private room, two women seized his arms and pulled him toward a seat.

"Sir, allow us sisters to serve you during your meal!"

The two women wore gaudy makeup, and the stench of cheap cosmetics rushed straight into Ning Chuan's nostrils, making him feel nauseated.

Looking closely, both women had the delicate, modest air of girls from respectable families. They were neither especially pretty nor especially ugly.

"Get the hell away from me!"

Ning Chuan furrowed his brow, his gaze sharp as he coldly uttered those words.

These bargain-bin goods that cost a little over a hundred and could be found everywhere were nowhere near enough to tempt Ning Chuan.

Is this supposed to test a cadre? Who are you looking down on?

If it had been the native Ning Chuan of this world, he might very well have failed to restrain himself.

But Ning Chuan, who had seen the world in another life, felt nothing but disgust. Not the slightest desire stirred within him.

Feeling the chill in Ning Chuan's gaze, the two women's scalps tingled. They hastily withdrew their hands and did not dare act presumptuously again.

Over by Straw Bag Strategist's side, Green Wolf and Black Tiger stood behind him.

A woman clung to each of his arms.

One was a sturdy village wife, with curled hair, large yellow teeth, and a bucket waist!

The other had upturned nostrils with curly hairs sticking out of them. At first glance, it looked as though she had two tufts of fur stuffed into her nose.

The two women rubbed themselves hard against the strategist's arms, while Straw Bag Strategist's expression remained perfectly calm.

"Holy shit!"

That old bastard Straw Bag Strategist really doesn't discriminate between hot and cold! And he even looks like he's enjoying it!

Seeing Ning Chuan looking over, he raised his wine cup and put on an exceptionally amiable expression.

"Ha ha, young friend Ning Chuan, please don't take offense. Hanshan Town is a small place with humble conditions. I hope you will be understanding!"

"Once we reach the county seat, I'll find you several real beauties. I guarantee they'll make you forget the way home."

"Come, let me toast you and welcome you properly."

Having said that, Straw Bag Strategist drained his cup in one gulp, though inwardly he sneered.

Keep pretending, brat. Once that drugged wine is in your belly, even if you see a pillar, you'll be dying to punch a few holes into it!

Ning Chuan grabbed a wine pot. Glug, glug, glug... He drained the entire pot in one breath.

Seeing this, Straw Bag Strategist was overjoyed and lowered his estimation of Ning Chuan by several degrees.

Reckless, brainless, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, completely without guard. People like this are much easier to recruit!

The strong liquor slid down Ning Chuan's throat, setting his stomach ablaze. A current of heat split off from his stomach and shot straight toward three inches below his navel.

In an instant, his tent stood high, and his face flushed bright red.

Oh, so there really is something wrong with it. It's a potent aphrodisiac. So they want to seduce me with sex!

Ning Chuan secretly found it amusing and quickly circulated his blood and qi according to the method of Thirteen Great Protectors' Horizontal Training.

His immense blood and qi surged, instantly snuffing out the drug's effects, and he gradually returned to normal.

Bang!

Ning Chuan slammed the wine pot onto the table, splashing vegetable soup all over Straw Bag Strategist's face across from him.

"I've drunk the wine. Now speak, Straw Bag Strategist. What do you want?"