Sun Chuanshan's Swelling Arrogance

Night had fallen, and most of Nan'an Commandery City had sunk into darkness and silence.

After a busy day, people returned home and retired early.

Yet there were also certain places where lights blazed brighter than daylight, with crowds flowing in and out amid clamor and revelry.

Welcome Spring Pavilion was a famous brothel in Nan'an Commandery City. Its ladies came in every shape and size, all blessed with exceptional beauty. Most were also skilled in poetry and music, their bearing wholly unlike the nightingales found elsewhere. Thus, they were greatly sought after by the powerful, wealthy, and noble within the city.

Many courtesans, after retiring, could even become concubines in the residences of young heirs from great families and find themselves a good home.

Inside a guest room on the second floor, large red lanterns mounted on bamboo poles bathed the room in crimson light. Behind a landscape screen, a young man with a broad forehead, large nose, and somewhat rat-faced features lounged with his robe open, drinking and making merry with five girls in wild abandon. From time to time, he let out unrestrained laughter.

This young man was Sun Chuanshan. Addicted to wine, women, and gambling, and devoted to pleasure, he was a regular patron of Spring Welcome Pavilion.

Not only that, he had rented a room there year-round and would come stay for several nights every now and then.

Though in the eyes of people like Meng Zhao, Sun Chuanshan was merely an incompetent mediocrity—neither valued by his family nor possessed of any real ability—

In the eyes of the ladies at Welcome Spring Pavilion, his status, position, and wealth made him someone who absolutely needed to be pleased.

Thus, it was plain to see that these girls bent over backward to cater to Sun Chuanshan.

Even when Sun Chuanshan treated them roughly, they had to force smiles onto their faces.

At this moment, after knocking, the madam entered in clothes of gaudy red and green. Seeing the scene of debauchery behind the screen, a trace of awkwardness and embarrassment appeared on her heavily powdered face. She first flashed Sun Chuanshan a flirtatious smile and said,

"Young Master Sun, I'm truly sorry. Miss Hanxiang, whom you requested, already has a guest tonight. How about I send Chuntao to keep you company for the night instead? What do you think?"

Hanxiang was a well-known lady of Spring Welcome Pavilion. Her looks were merely delicate, far less dazzling than those of some courtesans, but she possessed an ethereal air. Moreover, a fragrance like secluded orchids naturally wafted from her body, an exceedingly rare trait. She was therefore one of the establishment's prized attractions.

Sun Chuanshan was especially fond of Hanxiang, so whenever he came seeking pleasure, he would almost always insist on having her accompany him.

Under normal circumstances, Sun Chuanshan might simply have laughed and agreed to the madam's suggestion.

But today, he had done something momentous that he would never have dared to do before. Though he had not succeeded, the thrill in his heart and the hot blood in his body, which had yet to settle, made him several degrees more reckless.

The smile on Sun Chuanshan's face instantly vanished, turning to frost as anger surged within him.

He seized a girl by the hair and violently dragged her from his lap, tossing her aside without the slightest tenderness or pity.

Ignoring the pained, tearful look on the girl's face, he glared at the startled madam and roared,

"What? Which dog dared to compete with me for a woman? Is he tired of living?

Go tell him right now that Hanxiang must accompany me tonight. If he knows what's good for him, he'll hand her over.

I refuse to believe that, in all of Nan'an City, there's anyone who won't give the Sun Family face."

It had to be said that once a person became swollen with arrogance, they truly changed from what they had once been.

The madam had dealt with Sun Chuanshan for a long time. In her understanding, although this pampered young master did not have the best temperament, he usually kept a low profile and acted cautiously, partly due to his own circumstances.

She had never expected that this pampered young master would suddenly rise up today. Not only did he spout wild boasts, but there was a vicious, brutal air about him, as though he would start throwing fists if the other party did not comply.

The madam was thoroughly frightened. Those who opened their doors for business most hoped to make money through harmony. When gods and Buddhas fought, little ghosts like them might be the ones to suffer.

She hurriedly soothed him, saying,

"Young Master Sun, don't be hasty. I'll go speak to that person right away. I'm sure he'll give you this courtesy."

With that, she left the room quietly, her face full of misery.

Sun Chuanshan's anger had yet to subside. Seeing the girl whose hair he had viciously yanked sitting sprawled on the floor in dishevelment, her clothes in disarray as she sobbed, he gave a cruel smile. He walked over and kicked her, cursing as he did so,

"Cry, then! Keep crying! I came here to spend money, did I come here to listen to you wail at a funeral? I'll kick you to death."

Though Sun Chuanshan had no talent for martial arts, he had practiced some fistwork and internal cultivation. He was stronger than an ordinary person.

Furthermore, he was in the prime of his youth. That kick carried considerable force and immediately knocked the frail girl unconscious.

His sudden action gave the other women a great fright. Their faces drained of color as they trembled.

It was not as though they had never served Young Master Sun before. Seeing how lavishly he spent, many of their sisters had once competed for the chance.

But this man had never struck a woman before, much less with such vicious force, as though he intended to beat someone to death.

Had they known this would happen, they would certainly have stayed far away from him.

One round-faced girl, who was usually close to the beaten girl, hurriedly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sun Chuanshan's waist. Deliberately softening her voice, she coquettishly said,

"Young Master Sun, please calm down! Don't harm your health by getting angry over such a small matter. Let's keep drinking."

In truth, the round-faced girl was also quite frightened. Even as she held Sun Chuanshan, her body trembled faintly.

But she could see that Sun Chuanshan was entirely different from before today. He seemed exceptionally agitated, with no sense of restraint in his hands. He might truly beat someone to death, so she gathered her courage and tried to defuse the situation.

Interrupted by the round-faced girl, Sun Chuanshan's surging emotions subsided somewhat.

Still, when he saw the terrified expressions on the faces of the women in the room, his vanity and self-esteem received unprecedented satisfaction.

He gave a cold snort and pointed at the unconscious girl on the floor.

"Take her out. Tell Mama Wen that I don't want to see her again from now on. What bad luck."

With that, he pulled the round-faced girl into his arms and resumed his wanton revelry.

The other women secretly swallowed, then carefully carried the unconscious girl out of the room...

Elsewhere, Mama Wen, the madam, wore a miserable expression as she knocked on Hanxiang's door.

In the warmly and elegantly decorated room, she found two young men seated beside a wine table.

Hanxiang was sixteen years old. Though she lacked breathtaking beauty, she was delicate and refined, like a charming girl next door.

When Mama Wen entered, Hanxiang was shyly holding a wine pot and pouring wine for one of the men. Her gaze was so gentle it seemed ready to drip with water, as she looked at him with deep affection.

This man was clearly the master. He wore luxurious garments of exquisite fabric, and his brows and features were gentle and handsome.

Only, one of his hands seemed injured and was wrapped in gauze.

His other hand continuously held a string of jade-green Buddhist beads, turning them slowly, giving people a sense of calm.

Mama Wen was an experienced woman. One look at Hanxiang's eyes told her that the girl had already fallen in love. Unfortunately, it was destined to be an unrequited love with no outcome.

The other young man in the room had a festive round face and wore ordinary clothes. He was not as outstanding as the first.

Moreover, with Mama Wen's experienced eye for people, she could tell at once that the two shared a master-servant relationship.

Upon entering, Mama Wen first apologized, then addressed the man who was clearly the master.

"Young Master, one of Hanxiang's longtime patrons hopes that she can go over and drink with him. That guest is a young master of the Sun Family, with a powerful background beyond our ability to offend. Could you two perhaps yield her to him?

Our Spring Welcome Pavilion has other fine girls as well.

If you two young masters agree, I can make the decision to waive all expenses for tonight."