In wuxia novels, taverns were the places where news traveled fastest. They were full of all kinds of people, from every walk of life, and even the most powerful martial artists liked to come here to gather information.
Taverns also served as meeting places where people from all corners of the jianghu could gather. Without taverns, Qiao Feng and Duan Yu would never have sworn brotherhood, Guo Jing and Huang Rong might never have met, and Hu Fei would never have heard the story of the Blood Seal Stone from a diner...
To figure out where he was in the timeline, Hao Shuai walked into a tavern and took a seat by the window.
"Waiter, bring me two jin of cooked beef, a jar of your best Daughter Red, and a few side dishes." After ordering the famous hero's meal, Hao Shuai listened closely to the sounds around him.
Whether people in the Ming Dynasty could eat beef was not something Hao Shuai needed to worry about.
The tavern was crowded. Aside from a few merchants, there were also several men dressed like martial heroes.
They wore swords and carried knives, drank in great gulps, ate in great bites, and noisily boasted about their exploits.
Hao Shuai sat and listened for a while. A man in a bamboo hat claimed that his swift sword had killed countless people. With a single stroke, he could sever a man's head, and the head could still speak after it hit the ground.
Another man claimed his saber technique was powerful and forceful. Once, he'd come across a rampaging ox on the road and split it in two with a single slash, without getting a drop of blood on himself.
After listening for a while, Hao Shuai shook his head. They were all full of hot air, and not one of them had any useful news. It seemed he could only ask the jianghu's famous know-it-all—the waiter.
When the waiter brought over Hao Shuai's food and drink, Hao Shuai stopped him. "Waiter, have you heard of anything interesting happening in the jianghu lately?" he asked, tossing him a small gold nugget.
Hao Shuai had asked Jinguguji Narumi to melt down gold bricks and recast them into nuggets. She'd made a whole pile, which he kept in his space.
"Sir, nothing major has happened in the jianghu recently, just a few minor things," the waiter said eagerly after pocketing the nugget.
"If there's anything interesting, it's that the most famous courtesan at the city's biggest brothel, Si Shui Nian Hua, will be accepting a new companion tonight. You've got such a distinguished air and an impressive fortune—you might have a chance."
"Si Shui Nian Hua? Why does that sound so familiar? Never mind. I'll go see what the fuss is about tonight. If you come to ancient times and don't visit a brothel, it feels like you've wasted the trip. Besides, brothels are where a lot of jianghu business happens." After sending the waiter away, Hao Shuai muttered to himself.
After several rounds of drinks and a few dishes, Hao Shuai ate his fill. He listened to the heroes' glorious exploits for a while longer, then couldn't be bothered to go wandering around. Instead, he rented a fine room at the tavern, so he could experience an ancient version of a presidential suite.
At dusk, the city's lanterns began to glow.
The streets teemed with people, while vendors called out as they sold all kinds of snacks.
Dressed like a scholar, Hao Shuai headed toward Si Shui Nian Hua, taking in the ancient night market along the way. Of course, this was only possible in a novel. The real Ming Dynasty enforced a curfew; the streets wouldn't be this lively.
When Hao Shuai reached the entrance and looked up at the lavish three-story building, he decided Si Shui Nian Hua was probably the tallest and most luxurious place in Huayin County.
"Well, if it isn't you, sir! It's been ages since you last came. Come on in and have a seat—Ru Yan misses you so much!" A young woman spotted Hao Shuai standing at the entrance, grabbed him, and started pulling him inside.
At her words, Hao Shuai nearly spat blood. It was his first time here, so how could it have been ages since his last visit?
And weren't they supposed to say that sex workers had no heart? This one seemed pretty affectionate!
Inside the hall, an air of luxury filled the space. On the stage ahead, several beautiful women danced to elegant music, drawing everyone into the world of song and sensual delights.
Hao Shuai asked the young woman to arrange a table for him. After she brought him a few jugs of fine wine and several side dishes, he declined the girl she offered and drank by himself.
Just then, the dancers onstage hurried off, and a still-beautiful madam emerged, waving a fan. She announced in a spirited voice, "Everyone, the most formidable figure in the jianghu is Dongfang Bubai. And here at Si Shui Nian Hua, we have a Dongfang Bubai of our own!"
As soon as she finished speaking, red ribbons unfurled from the second floor, connecting all four sides.
A woman dressed in a blue palace gown and wearing a golden phoenix crown grasped one of the red ribbons and began to dance gracefully across the silks.
"How beautiful! How gorgeous!" the madam cried.
"Wonderful! Wonderful..."
The crowd burst into one cheer after another, their applause never ending.
"Now, I wonder which lucky gentleman will become her companion tonight?" the madam called excitedly.
The woman in blue swiftly flew down from the second floor, took a man by the hand, then flew back upstairs. After that, she disappeared. Seeing that the beauty had left, the onlookers drifted away in twos and threes, and before long, the hall was noisy again.
From the moment Hao Shuai saw the courtesan's face, he'd been completely dumbstruck.
"How could it be her? If she's Dongfang Bubai, then what does that make Linghu Chong...?" Hao Shuai hurriedly looked around. In the corridor, he spotted two men carrying precious swords. One wore a pale yellow top and brown trousers, and had the face of an old cadre from a Huo series.
Damn!
He'd clearly connected to the novel Smiling, Proud Wanderer. How had it turned into the Yu Zheng version? Had Yu Zheng's influence on him been so strong that his brain had unconsciously connected to that version instead?
If this was Yu Zheng's Smiling, Proud Wanderer, should he run for it?
After all, the level of martial arts in Yu Zheng's version was hard to gauge!
Just think of the Five Great Sword Sects, whose sword energy filled the sky. Just think of Yue Lingshan and Linghu Chong flying down a cliff on Mount Hua with nothing but an umbrella. And, even more outrageously, Linghu Chong actually flew on a crane...
For crying out loud!
They'd even brought in a crane! Even a xianxia series wouldn't dare to pull that! This was supposed to be a wuxia series!
Judging by what the story showed, it was already nearly on par with Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
Hao Shuai felt the world's deep malice toward him. He really wanted to find somewhere private and go back, but he couldn't bring himself to give up.
This was Great Cult Master Chen! Back then, Hao Shuai had been utterly captivated by the great leader Dongfang.
Dongfang Bai was the ultimate mature beauty, with a queenly air about her.
A woman like that, if he could win her over, would give a man an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.
Hao Shuai had originally planned to join the Mount Hua Sect and learn the basics of martial arts. Now he'd changed his mind. He decided to join the Sun Moon Holy Cult and find a way to become Number One Under Heaven.
As for safety?
If things got dangerous, he'd just run away!
As Hao Shuai wondered how to become Number One Under Heaven, he heard someone speak in a strong Sichuan accent.
"Madam!"
"Yes, sir! I'm coming!" The madam hurried over.
"We've been here for ages, and we haven't seen a single pretty girl. You took my money and didn't spend it on them? Believe me, I'll tear your place apart!"
Hao Shuai looked over, thinking these two had to be the famous Yu Renhao and Luo Renjie of the Four Talents of Qingcheng.
Just as Luo Renjie continued down the path of courting death, Dongfang Bai came downstairs.
She wore a gold-embroidered gown and a golden hairpin. Her jade-like face was framed by slender willow-leaf brows, a delicate nose and lips, and bewitching eyes. A gold ornament adorned the center of her forehead, complementing her bright red lips. She was a peerlessly enchanting beauty.
The people around her watched in silence as she descended the stairs one step at a time. They didn't dare disturb her; their eyes were glazed with fascination, all of them lost in her peerless grace.
Just then, Luo Renjie shoved the madam aside and lunged at the Goddess. Hao Shuai felt as if Luo Renjie already had one foot in his grave. He'd even dared to flirt with Dongfang Bubai.
Dongfang Bai sidestepped him with ease and said coolly, "Never mind. I'm tired today. Perhaps we'll meet another time." Then she turned and left.
Luo Renjie flew into a rage and immediately chased after her with Yu Renhao.
Seeing this, Hao Shuai tossed a gold nugget onto the table and followed them out. As he passed Linghu Chong, he used his telekinesis to drag over a nearby chair and smash it into Lu Hou'er's leg.
Lu Hou'er suddenly cried out, crouching down to clutch his leg. Linghu Chong hurried over to check on him and forgot all about chasing the Cult Master Dongfang.
Not wanting Linghu Chong to get in his way as he played the hero and saved the beauty, Hao Shuai could only apologize to Lu Hou'er in his heart.
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