Drunken Spring House

Late at night.

A group of Masked Black-clothed assailants quietly left the Prefect's Mansion.

Led by He Zhi, they split into three groups and headed for three different places.

He Zhi chose a pawnshop.

As a Second-rate expert with extensive experience handling cases in the Imperial City Department, He Zhi was remarkably skilled when it came to thievery.

Slipping through doors and picking locks, he handled everything with ease. In less than half a quarter-hour, he had stolen a pile of goods, then left behind a note.

"Grand Thief was here. Borrowing your treasures for a while."

This was precisely the note discovered when the Luminous Pearl had been stolen.

Ye Kang ordered everyone to impersonate the thief using exactly the same methods.

Sure enough, on the Second Day.

The grievance drum outside the yamen began pounding furiously.

More than a dozen people gathered before the yamen, their indignation running high.

"Prefect! Uphold justice for us!"

"This commoner's pawnshop was robbed! Countless items were stolen, worth a fortune!"

Such a huge disturbance instantly set the whole city buzzing, and everyone began paying attention to the matter.

The Prefect was also at his wits' end. Why had the thief who stole the Luminous Pearl started robbing ordinary commoners?

They wanted him, the Prefect, to catch the culprit—but how was he supposed to catch anyone?

Meanwhile, at an inn somewhere in Jiangping City, a White-robed Young Master heard the news and was so furious his mouth twisted crooked.

"Who exactly is it? So shameless as to dare steal my name!"

Inside the Prefect's Mansion, He Zhi was speechless as he listened to the report from his subordinates.

"Commander Ye, that pawnshop owner exaggerated far too much. This subordinate clearly only took a few things, worth no more than five hundred taels at most, yet he claimed he lost a thousand taels of gold!"

Zhou Ying could not help covering her mouth and laughing. "He was probably guarding the store while stealing from it himself, then pinned all the losses on Lord He."

"Utterly shameless! Even a thief should not be wronged like this!"

Ye Kang pushed a cup of tea toward him.

"Alright, alright. Lord He, calm down. Tonight, keep increasing the effort. The stranger the things you steal, the better."

He Zhi accepted the tea and drained it in one gulp, then went out to give instructions to his brothers.

Ye Kang also pondered for a moment before looking toward Prefect Zhou.

"Prefect, are there any courtesans in this city?"

"Pfft!"

Prefect Zhou sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

Zhou Ying's face reddened as she cursed him for being shameless.

Ye Kang hurriedly explained, "Please do not misunderstand. I merely wish to pour another bucket of oil onto that thief's fire and humiliate him viciously. I have absolutely no other intentions."

Prefect Zhou coughed. "Well, of course there are. Follow the street outside the gate westward, and you will find a Drunken Spring House. But this Prefect has never been there, so I do not know the details."

"Understood, understood. The Prefect is upright and self-disciplined, a model for our generation."

The two exchanged glances and smiled, each seeing a trace of tacit understanding in the other's eyes.

Not long afterward.

Ye Kang had already changed into a set of plain black clothes and arrived outside Drunken Spring House.

Unlike the brothels and entertainment districts of the imperial capital, Drunken Spring House was filled with every stereotypical feature imaginable. One glance was enough to tell it was a brothel.

The moment Ye Kang entered, a Female Boss warmly came over to greet him.

"Oh my, Young Master, what a rare guest. Is this your first time here?"

Ye Kang flicked open his folding fan and spoke with elegant poise. "Which one of your ladies is the top courtesan?"

The boss's eyes lit up, and she immediately led Ye Kang upstairs.

"So Young Master has come for Qiu Niang. You truly have fine taste. Our Qiu Niang is known as Jiangping's Number One Courtesan! But Young Master should know that our Qiu Niang sells her art, not herself."

Ye Kang nodded and followed the Innkeeper to the Second Floor.

They arrived at a large private room filled with fragrance. A curtain divided the room, and behind it sat a woman with a slender waist, holding a pipa.

"Young Master, please be seated. Qiu Niang greets you."

"No need for such ceremony. This Young Master loves music and has come especially to seek a song from you, miss."

Ye Kang laughed heartily, then sat down and began eating fruit.

Qiu Niang drew back the curtain and sat facing Ye Kang.

Before his eyes was an exceptionally beautiful woman, bright-eyed and white-toothed, her fragrant shoulders half-concealed, tenderness filling her brows and eyes.

Ye Kang stared a little dazedly. At that moment, Qiu Niang slowly began plucking the pipa.

Lightly plucking, slowly twisting, brushing then picking; first "Rainbow Garment," then "Six Yao."

Ye Kang listened with great enjoyment.

No wonder the ancients loved going to brothels to listen to music. Who would not like this?

After listening for a while, Ye Kang began chatting with Qiu Niang as well.

He learned that Qiu Niang had elderly parents at home, a disabled younger brother, and debts weighing upon her. Unable to survive, she had fallen into courtesanship. She was pitiable indeed.

Had Ye Kang not possessed enough self-control, he might truly have pulled out silver on the spot to redeem her freedom.

Just as Ye Kang was about to get down to business, a burst of commotion suddenly rose from downstairs.

Ye Kang opened the window and leaned out to look below.

He saw several young Martial Artists swagger into the building.

The leader had his upper body bare, revealing bronze-colored, knotted muscles. A beast hide was wrapped around his waist, and he looked brimming with wild savagery.

"Which one is Qiu Niang? This old man heard she's the prettiest woman in the city. This old man has come to patronize her business, hahaha!"

The enormous commotion drew everyone's attention.

Someone immediately recognized him.

"That is Luan Chong of the Giant Wolf Gang, who ascended the Sword Discussion Platform yesterday!"

"Someone from the Giant Wolf Gang—those people kill without blinking. I heard he's even a Second-rate Martial Artist. We should keep quiet, lest we offend him."

"Alas, Qiu Niang has caught the attention of these jianghu people. Disaster is bound to befall her."

With all five senses fully alert, Ye Kang keenly caught these murmurs.

At that moment, the Innkeeper hurriedly approached with a smile. "Isn't this Young Master Luan? What a rare guest. Qiu Niang is entertaining someone right now. Why not choose another girl?"

"Get lost! This old man came specifically for Qiu Niang. Damn it, this old man fights mother bears in the mountains every day. I've long wanted to come taste Qiu Niang. Get out of my way!"

"You can't, Young Master Luan! Qiu Niang sells art, not herself!"

Smack!

With a crisp crack, Luan Chong slapped the Innkeeper flying, knocking out half the teeth in her mouth.

At the sight, all the Guards of Drunken Spring House retreated half a step. Not one dared step forward.

All the guests and Girls trembled from head to toe and lowered their heads in fear.

Many clenched their fists, yet they were helpless.

That was simply how the world was.

Martial Artists relied on their bigger fists to bully ordinary people. It happened everywhere and was nothing new.

Luan Chong looked at the Innkeeper vomiting blood and grinned viciously. "Bullshit, selling art and not herself. Isn't it just money? This old man has plenty. Today, this old man came especially to try this rookie!"

"Senior Brother is right!"

Luan Chong's Junior Brothers shouted in unison.

Then Luan Chong seized the Innkeeper by the neck.

"I'll give you one Last Time. Where is she?"

The Innkeeper could not speak. Trembling, she could only point toward the Second Floor.

Luan Chong casually tossed her aside, then leaped up to the Second Floor in a single bound, where he happened to see Ye Kang watching the show.

"What are you looking at? Why haven't you gotten lost yet?"

He then looked toward Qiu Niang, who was curled up in the corner behind Ye Kang and shivering uncontrollably. His eyes instantly went straight.

"As expected, a beauty. I've decided—I'm taking you back to the Giant Wolf Gang to be my concubine."

He walked forward, only to suddenly discover that Ye Kang had ignored his warning and was calmly biting into an apple instead.

He flew into a rage at once.

What was this?

He was a man of the Giant Wolf Gang, yet this Fellow did not take him seriously at all. Clearly, he was looking down on the Giant Wolf Gang!

Luan Chong immediately decided to cripple the Fellow before him.

He would give him a taste of Giant Wolf Gang shock.