Gu Cangyue was very satisfied with what had just happened. It was obvious that Long Qianli had struck first, then gotten beaten half to death because his skills were inferior. He had only gotten what he deserved. What pleased Gu Cangyue most was that he had not intervened himself. That way, even if they ended up wrangling verbally at Cangfeng Fortress, Ouyang Zhizun would have nothing to fear from that old dog.
Li Feng chuckled a few times, clapped his hands, and leisurely followed Gu Cangyue into Chunyi Tower. They seated themselves in the finest room on the second floor, one that overlooked the entire courtyard and most of the rear garden. The madam, whose face was covered in powder a full inch thick, came forward with a beaming smile, calling them "Chief Constable" and "Deputy Hall Master Li" with every breath as she greeted them warmly. Swallows and orioles immediately surrounded the two men, and the thick scent of rouge and powder made Li Feng tilt back his head and sneeze twice.
Gu Cangyue gave a strange laugh. "Brother, it seems this place doesn't suit you very well?"
Li Feng nodded miserably. "It can't be helped. I cultivate the Pure Boy Technique." This was the excuse Li Feng had reluctantly come up with to deal with A Zhu. Those who practiced the Pure Boy Technique could not lose their virginity, which spared him from excessively fierce harassment by Chunyi Tower's girls. For some reason, as the True Essence within his body deepened further, Li Feng had developed a feeling of revulsion toward these vulgar beauties.
"Of course, if there were beauties like Master's wife, I'd still charge forward without hesitation." Li Feng muttered to himself, grabbed the wine jug, and took a swig. The fine wine flowed down his throat, and a burning heat rose from his stomach. Li Feng praised it, "Good wine. This Chunyi Tower—damn, it truly deserves to be Suzhou Prefecture's finest money-burning den. It may not compare to the wines I've collected, but it's at least been aged for twenty years."
While Li Feng was praising the wine, Gu Cangyue finally managed to extricate himself from the entanglement of seven or eight women. Somewhat bedraggled, he wiped his face with his sleeve and said bitterly, "Brother, of all martial arts you could practice, why did you have to choose such a heretical one? The Pure Boy Technique... ah... Next time, I'd better bring Hall Master Li along. How could your elder brother here handle this alone?"
Li Feng merely smiled without answering. He scratched his chin, his attention already drawn to several people in the courtyard. Downstairs, seven or eight Chunyi Tower thugs had surrounded four or five men. Their leader was groveling and bowing as he said something, but the people being surrounded clearly did not appreciate it.
A middle-aged man just over thirty, with a pair of small mustaches, dignified features, and the air of someone long accustomed to giving orders, waved a large gold-sprinkled folding fan in his hand and barked loudly, "You bastards dare fight me for girls? Little Li, beat them hard." He drew out the last words, and his shrill voice pierced straight through Li Feng's eardrums, making even Li Feng jump.
Gu Cangyue approached the window and glanced outside. Lightly turning the thumb ring on his finger, he sneered, "These bastards start snatching girls the moment they drink too much. Hmph. Let them beat each other until their heads are bloody first, then your elder brother will go clean up the mess. Aren't they full of spirit and strength to make trouble? Throw every last one of them into jail for two days. They can pay their fines in full before they get the hell out."
Li Feng gave a few sly chuckles, his roguish eyes already fixed on the oval jade pendant hanging from the middle-aged man's waist. His heart gave a jolt. The pendant was lustrous throughout, gleaming under the lights with a faint sheen like goat's milk. It was clearly a supreme piece of Hetian Jade. The jade's quality was one thing, but what truly stirred Li Feng's Nascent Soul was the design carved upon it. It depicted a Flying Dragon baring its fangs and claws, with an Ink-colored Treasure Pearl shining brilliantly from within its mouth.
The laws of the Great Ming were exceptionally strict, imposing rigid regulations on the clothing of commoners. There were many colors they were forbidden to wear. Dragon and phoenix patterns in particular were reserved for the imperial household; anyone else who dared wear such decorations without permission would face the crime of extermination for their entire household. Therefore, Li Feng was certain that this middle-aged man had no small background.
A young man who appeared to be just over twenty darted out from beside the middle-aged man. In an extremely shrill voice, he cried, "Right away, Master. Just watch how I deal with them." As soon as he finished, his body suddenly split into two images. Like a slender willow bending in the wind, he struck out with nine exceedingly soft and feminine palm attacks. From the fluctuations in the world's spiritual energy, Li Feng could sense that the temperature in the area had dropped considerably with the young man's palm strikes.
Li Feng clicked his tongue. "Good heavens, is this fellow a woman or something? How can he cultivate such Extreme Yin and Cold palm force? Damn, what a venomous palm technique. Luckily, this brat's cultivation is an utter mess. Otherwise, if he had reached my level, one palm strike would freeze someone into an ice block. How could a full-grown man cultivate such martial arts? Unless the brat is a eunuch?" Li Feng cast a peculiar glance between the young man's waist and abdomen, but naturally saw nothing.
Among the three men opposite the young man, a pampered young master with an arrogant face and a powdered, oily complexion sneered. "Take this." He also thrust out a palm, meeting Little Li's palm strike head-on.
With a soft puff, Little Li staggered back five or six feet and shrieked, "What a formidable bastard! Master, this brat looks just like a Rabbit Lord, but his claws have a bit of strength to them, heh heh." As he spoke, he gently kneaded his hands, his left palm held loosely before his chest while his right was hidden eerily behind his back.
The young master shuddered all over. He felt a blast of frigid energy follow the meridians in his hand straight into his internal organs, and the misery of it was beyond description. Enraged, he shrieked, "He dared insult me? Kill him! Kill him! Kill him... Kill his master too!" Behind him, two middle-aged men who were clearly twin brothers charged out without a word. Four crimson palms struck out, whipping up a scorching gale.
Little Li screamed, "Crimson Spirit Palm! Master, dodge!" He sent out a mass of palm shadows to meet the two men's attacks. The middle-aged man behind him cried out in a flustered rage, "Outrageous, outrageous! You actually dare..." He seemed to realize something and quickly clamped his mouth shut. Retreating several steps, he looked toward Little Li with some concern.
With a tremendous bang, Little Li spat out a clump of black blood. His body was struck three inches off the ground and sent flying backward. The young master shouted excitedly, "Kill that little bastard! Castrate that bastard for this young master! He dares fight me for girls? Does he not know who I am?" As he shouted, the two middle-aged men kicked away Chunyi Tower's thugs one by one, then lunged forward with savage grins.
Li Feng's slick voice rang out. "Oh my, oh my. Who is this little brat? How come I don't know you? Fly for me." Li Feng lashed a kick into the young master's backside. The tremendous force made him howl miserably as he clutched his butt and flew more than thirty feet into the air. He landed in an incomparably pathetic heap fifty feet away, nearly smashing his head open against a decorative rockery. Li Feng gave an evil grin, spread his hands, and sinisterly pressed them toward the backs of the two middle-aged men, who had not yet turned around.
Hearing the vicious wind behind them, the pores all over the two middle-aged men using the Crimson Spirit Palm went numb. They spun around urgently, but Li Feng was simply too fast. Moreover, it was a pure sneak attack. His two palms struck solidly between their chests and abdomens, sending them reeling back seventeen or eighteen steps with blood spraying from their mouths before they collapsed to the ground.
Little Li shakily climbed to his feet. Looking at his master's face, full of fury, he hurried over and clasped his hands toward Li Feng with habitual humility. Bending at the waist, he said, "Brother, we truly must thank you. Had you not acted in time, our master might truly have suffered at their hands. We really have you to thank for stepping in when you saw injustice."
The middle-aged man slowly approached, fanning himself. He gritted his teeth tightly and said coldly, "Little Li, what are you babbling about? Go report this to the authorities. These three bastards actually dared murder people in broad daylight. Is there no law left?... Mm, mm." His fan snapped shut. He rested it on Little Li's shoulder and pushed him aside, then smiled as he appraised Li Feng. With great flair, he stroked his mustache with his left thumb and nodded. "Little brother, your martial arts are quite good—far more useful than my Little Li's. Mm. Follow me from now on, and I guarantee you glory, wealth, and more food and drink than you can ever finish."
Gu Cangyue, behind Li Feng, found this laughable. Who did this man think he was, to dare make such guarantees? More than that, he felt this middle-aged man was no good at all. Li Feng had just saved him, yet he had not said a single word of thanks. Was he even human? Most detestable of all, he wanted to recruit someone as his servant the moment they met. Was that not outrageously arrogant? Gu Cangyue was already sneering, ready to enjoy the show of how Li Feng would toy with this middle-aged man.
Yet Li Feng wore a contemplative expression. Slowly, he said, "Sorry for the trouble of your kind intentions, heh heh. Glory and wealth are certainly things I want. But I have some matters here that I can't let go of. Brother, I appreciate your goodwill."
The middle-aged man frowned, his face dark and sinister. He sneered, "What, do you think I'm not qualified to invite you? Hmph. What future could you have in Suzhou Prefecture? I only made the offer because your skills are quite good, and I happen to lack a capable guard at my side... Hmph." He lowered his head and pondered for a while before suddenly saying, "Very well. Every man has his own ambition; I won't force you. But I... ahem, how about I hire you as my personal guard? Once we return to my residence, the benefits will not be lacking."
Having said that, the middle-aged man snorted at Little Li and berated him in a low voice, "I thought your martial arts were impressive, but you can't even beat a few lowly louts. Practice more when we get back. Don't keep disgracing us men... What is it? Why haven't you reported this to the authorities and had those three louts beaten to death?"
Gu Cangyue could no longer hold himself back and walked over. Shaking his head with a sigh, he said, "Brother, I am Gu Cangyue, the mere Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture. This was only a drunken brawl. If it truly reaches the authorities, both sides will look rather ugly. Why not let things end here? We can go upstairs and drink a warming cup of wine, and everyone can have a good time together. Wouldn't that be better?" Gu Cangyue leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Those martial artists are all exceedingly fierce. If you truly drive them into a corner, I'm afraid even Gu here might not be able to handle it."
Gu Cangyue was beginning to catch on. Judging from this middle-aged man's imperious manner, his background had to be considerable. Perhaps Li Feng had noticed some clue, which was why he was deliberately putting on airs.
The middle-aged man reluctantly shot a glare at the three people Li Feng had knocked down, then nodded and shouted, "Little Li, throw them all out. Hmph." Afterward, he gave Gu Cangyue a long look and said, "Of course, of course... May I know this little brother's esteemed surname and given name? You two seem to be together, so come upstairs for a drink with me... Hey, you old fool! Bring me your most popular girls, or I'll have someone burn your brothel to the ground."
Li Feng frowned slightly and, together with Gu Cangyue, accompanied this hot-tempered and overbearing middle-aged man upstairs. Meanwhile, before everyone's eyes, Little Li gave the two middle-aged men on the ground a sinister smile and slapped each of their stomachs. After tossing down an ingot of gold, he swayed his head and strutted upstairs. His shrill voice left behind the words, "Deal with this as you see fit. You don't want to bring trouble upon your brothel, so it depends on how you handle it... Hmph hmph. You three bandits, listen well. If you want revenge, have the guts to find us in Yanjing... Your lord here is called Little Li. Remember it."
Chunyi Tower's thugs and guards swiftly surrounded them. Since the middle-aged man had connected himself with Gu Cangyue and Li Feng, what reservations did they still have? The gold had fallen into their pockets. They hauled up the three men and threw them out the back door, then dumped several buckets of cold water over their heads. The thugs laughed and returned inside, shutting the courtyard gates. Only the young master, staring at his two subordinates who were too weak to move, roared in a furious rage, "Just wait! You dare treat this young master like this? I... I... our Netherworld Palace will not let you off!"
Inside Chunyi Tower, the middle-aged man chatted casually with Gu Cangyue. Li Feng lounged crookedly beside them, his restless fingers twisting and turning over the arm of a woman playing the pipa, causing her to repeatedly produce strings of notes that were nearly noise. Little Li stood behind the middle-aged man as silently as a ghost, as though the internal injuries he had suffered just now had not affected him at all. It was clear he had undergone extremely harsh training. Standing there so casually, anyone who burst through the doors or windows intending to harm the middle-aged man would have to face his full-force attack.
Li Feng poured down another large cup of wine and said quietly, "That brat is quite loyal. Too bad his cultivation is a little lacking. I'd bet a single coin that once he gets back to the inn, he'll cough up blood and collapse. Damn, still forcing himself to hold on. Fine, keep holding on... He's not my son, so why should I care?" Li Feng simply propped both legs on the Grand Tutor's Chair beside him, rested his right hand on the table to support his body, and lazily looked at the middle-aged man who called himself Zhao Xi.
Zhao Xi sensed Li Feng's gaze and could not help turning around. Smiling, he said, "Little Brother Li, I am serious. I know quite a few high officials in the imperial court. Isn't wealth and glory what you seek? Fame, fortune, wealth, and honor—all will be within easy reach if you follow me. Heh heh, you are so young, yet you possess such fine martial arts. It truly exceeds expectations... What do you say? Consider it. I, Zhao Xi, never speak empty words. What I promise, I will definitely deliver. A mere Golden Dragon Gang cannot contain a great bodhisattva like you." Zhao Xi looked at Li Feng, his face full of anticipation.
Li Feng fell silent for a while. After pondering for a long time, he finally nodded slowly. "Fine. Zhao, you put it so well, so why shouldn't I agree? But I, Li Feng, am not someone who can be ordered around casually. Mm, if you want me to work for you, I should at least be allowed to make a few demands, right?"
Little Li cried sharply, "Insolence! You dare..."
Zhao Xi abruptly glared at Little Li, frightening him into taking a hurried step back. Zhao Xi looked at Li Feng with a smile and nodded. "Naturally. If I hire you as a subordinate, say how much silver you want and what sort of official position you desire."
Li Feng grabbed the roasted suckling pig's head and bit down on its snout. He shook his head from side to side for quite a while before tearing off a piece of meat. After chewing it in large mouthfuls and swallowing it, he said, "Ah, first, I like money. As for the money, you can decide on an amount that will satisfy me. Second, I like romance, moonlit pleasures, and having fun—that is what matters most—so there must be plenty of entertaining things. Third, I don't like doing respectable business, and respectable business doesn't suit me anyway, so just don't send me to do any messy major affairs. I'll add any other requirements later. How about it?"
Zhao Xi was delighted and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! I... your lord here also loves romance, moonlit pleasures, poetry and songs, drinking and making merry. Those are the finest things in life. As long as you follow me, there will always be more than enough enjoyment. As for major affairs, heh heh, what major affairs could I possibly have? You only need to accompany Little Li and me on a trip to Hangzhou first, then we can head back. If we hurry, we can still make it back to Yanjing for the New Year."
Gu Cangyue cautiously glanced at Zhao Xi, then secretly looked at Li Feng. Doubt immediately rose in his heart. Zhao Xi was nothing but a profligate who lingered in pleasure houses and brothels, so why was Li Feng so interested in him? Was it truly for wealth and glory? But if so, would not his own plan to recruit Li Feng come to nothing?
However, Gu Cangyue quickly felt relieved. All the better. Once you, Li Feng, leave Suzhou Prefecture, who else here can be my rival? The Golden Dragon Gang can only become my dependent, and all of Suzhou Prefecture will become my domain alone... Mm, as a real man, why should I share with others? That's that. Li Feng leaving is also a good thing... Don't blame your elder brother for being too heartless. You are simply too hard to read. If you enter Cangfeng Fortress, perhaps your status will rise above mine. Wouldn't I then be sewing a wedding dress for someone else?
Having thought it through, Gu Cangyue immediately became cheerful, raising the wine jug again and again to offer drinks. Zhao Xi had already rolled into the arms of a popular courtesan, his hands roaming wildly over her body. As for Li Feng, he drank while spouting nonsense as though he were drunk. Yet his eyes remained cool and clear as water. Whenever the edge of his gaze swept over Gu Cangyue, Gu Cangyue could not help but shudder with cold.
The night deepened...
Before you continue