Young Master Lin's Ancestors Wouldn't Dare Talk to Me Like That

Chen Changan and Xuan Wudao could both tell that Xian'er, the brothel's top courtesan, was no ordinary person.

She was a cultivator, though her cultivation was nothing special.

Even so, there was no reason she should have ended up here.

Xian'er was clearly taken aback when she saw Chen Changan. She'd heard that two eccentric rich men had arrived, dressed like beggars.

But with Chen Changan's looks, clothes, and bearing, how could anyone possibly mistake him for a beggar?

"You can play the zither?"

Chen Changan asked, noticing the instrument in Xian'er's arms.

"Dear guest, our Xian'er sells her art, not her body."

Another woman chimed in teasingly. Xuan Wudao frowned and shot her an displeased look.

Who was Xuan Wudao? How could these brothel girls possibly withstand his imposing presence?

A single glance was enough to scare them into silence. They realized that these guests were no ordinary people, and that they absolutely mustn't offend them.

"Then this humble girl will have to make a fool of herself."

Xian'er saw that Chen Changan and his companion didn't seem like the lecherous men who usually visited, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

She went to one side and set down her zither. Her slender fingers gently brushed the strings, and soon the instrument's sweet, lilting music filled Chen Changan and Xuan Wudao's ears.

The melody was gentle and lingering, tugging at the heartstrings, yet there was a faint sorrow woven through it.

Xian'er had tried her best to hide that feeling, but Chen Changan and Xuan Wudao still picked up on it.

The two exchanged a glance. This young woman had a story to tell.

"This humble girl's zither skills are nothing special. Please forgive me, honored guests."

Woof, woof, woof!

"Oh, sorry. Three guests."

Da Huang barked twice in displeasure, and Xian'er found it rather amusing.

It was the first time she'd heard of anyone bringing a dog to a brothel, let alone finding a few girls for the dog.

"Flowers turn toward the sun, and people must keep moving forward."

"Don't grieve over the past. Just hope to smile through the years ahead."

"People... shouldn't live in the past."

Chen Changan's words made Xian'er tremble from head to toe. She hadn't expected him to see through her.

"Old Chen, you've got some skills. You know about this stuff too?"

"I used to go to brothels, and those pretentious scholars always pissed me off. Damn, they were such posers. I couldn't even do that."

Chen Changan gave Xuan Wudao a helpless look. What had this bastard been doing all these years?

"You can't?" Chen Changan asked.

"No. What's the point of knowing this stuff? Does it improve your cultivation? Make you cultivate faster?" Xuan Wudao said disdainfully.

"No, but... it can give you a little more wisdom."

"Bah. What would I want that for? I believe in letting strength do the talking." Xuan Wudao didn't care.

"It would help. If you had even a little wisdom, you wouldn't have spent all these years not knowing whether beggars need to bathe."

"You..."

Xuan Wudao's eyes widened, but he couldn't think of a comeback. When it came to brains, he really was rather straightforward.

"Gu Xian'er!"

"Gu Xian'er, where are you?"

"I know you're here! Come out and face me!"

Suddenly, a man's furious roar rang out from outside. At the sound of his voice, Gu Xian'er's expression changed.

"Ah, looks like I can't stay here either."

"Please forgive me, honored guests. We were fated to meet today. Consider the song I just played a gift from this humble girl."

"Honored guests, this humble girl will take her leave."

With that, Gu Xian'er turned and started to leave.

Chen Changan was taken aback.

She ran, he chased; he chased, she ran?

What a ridiculously melodramatic scene.

"Da Huang, have you ever seen this kind of thing?" Chen Changan asked.

Da Huang shook his head repeatedly. He'd traveled far and wide, but he'd never come across anything like this.

"Miss Xian'er, please wait."

"Running away won't solve anything."

"Can you keep hiding forever?"

"Why not sit down and talk openly? Maybe the problem will resolve itself. What do you think?" Chen Changan stopped Gu Xian'er as she was about to leave.

"Thank you for your kindness, young master. But some people and some things just can't be reasoned with." Gu Xian'er shook her head.

"How can you know without trying?"

As they spoke, the private room door was kicked open, and a young man rushed in from outside, making straight for Gu Xian'er.

"Xian'er, it's really you!"

"I heard someone had seen you here, so I rushed over."

"Xian'er, please don't leave again. I beg you, stop avoiding me, all right?"

Seeing the man charge toward her, Gu Xian'er immediately stepped back several paces, putting distance between them.

"Xian'er, you..."

The way Gu Xian'er reacted clearly wounded him. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Young Master Lin, why do you keep hounding me?"

"Do you really have to see me die before you'll leave?"

"You and I can never be together. You should understand that."

Gu Xian'er's gaze was resolute, and her tone even more so. There wasn't the slightest room for reconciliation.

"No, that's not true. There must be a way."

"I've already thought it through. I can..."

"Enough!"

Before Young Master Lin could finish, Gu Xian'er cut him off.

"Your Lin Family slaughtered my entire Gu Family. Do you really think we can just pretend it never happened?"

"I, Gu Xian'er, don't have the power to take revenge on your Lin Family. I endured it."

"Why do you still insist on hounding me?"

"Lin Ruoheng, don't push me too far!"

Huh?

So this was a blood feud over an entire family?

Could it get any more melodramatic?

A tragic romance!

"Hey, kid. You slaughtered her whole family, and you still come here to pester her?"

"You should've thought of that before. Why come crawling here now?"

"How do you even have the nerve to show your face? If I were you, I wouldn't dare face this young lady either," Xuan Wudao sneered from the side.

At his words, Lin Ruoheng's expression changed. He turned furiously toward Xuan Wudao.

"What are you, and what does this have to do with you?"

"If you don't want to die, get out of here!"

"You even let Xian'er serve you, and I haven't come after you for it yet."

"Keep running your mouth, and I'll make sure you die without a place to be buried!" Lin Ruoheng roared.

Die without a place to be buried?

"How amusing. Truly amusing."

"It's been a long time since anyone talked to me like that."

"Kid, today I really feel like having some fun with you!" Xuan Wudao said with a cold laugh.

"That's enough. He's just a junior. Why bother stooping to his level?"

Chen Changan raised a hand to stop Xuan Wudao from unleashing his power. He looked at Lin Ruoheng and asked, "Are you from the Lin Family of Langya?"

"Hmph. At least you know something. Since you know I'm from the Lin Family, you should understand that you're no match for us." Lin Ruoheng snorted and looked at Chen Changan with disdain.

No match for them?

"Is Lin Xiangliu still alive?"

At those words, Lin Ruoheng's heart jolted.

Lin Xiangliu?

Had he heard that right?

Had this man just mentioned Lin Xiangliu?

"You... you have some nerve, daring to speak my Lin Family's ancestor's name!"

"No one in all of Langya would dare be so insolent!" Lin Ruoheng roared angrily.

"From that, I take it he's still alive."

"Kid, if you want to know how much nerve I have, ask Lin Xiangliu yourself."

"Or have him come here and see me!"