Rouge Pool

The Grand Commander of Xun Kingdom is Quan Huang, the Quan Huang from the Prince of Lu faction, right? Because he competed with the Gu Family for merit, Gu Mo was dismissed and exiled, and Xie Mingchen eventually ambushed him. So, the whole family's marriage alliance means he married the eldest princess? Then he really is a confidant of the king.

"Hey! Someone's here to turn in a quest!" Li Fan shouted, descending from the sky and landing at the entrance of the Governor's Mansion. He put the carriage down on the ground, knocked on the window, and said, "Alright, stop fooling around, we've arrived."

Inside the car, Mrs. Zhou shakily pulled back the curtain, embracing the three young children who were crying loudly in fright, before she could even speak.

A group of guards rushed over from the gate, swords drawn and bows raised, and lined up to confront them, shouting, "How dare you! Who dares to trespass on the Governor's Mansion!"

Startled by the shouts of the guards, Madam Zhou cried out in fear, "Help! We've been robbed..."

Li Fan was so confused by the noise that he quickly handed in his task. "Hey, settle the money for me first. You're talking about a governor and a princess, so just give me a few tens of thousands of strings of cash. Don't be shy."

"Who's making such a racket at the gate!" The steward of the Governor's Mansion arrived shortly after and, upon seeing the scene, was immediately enraged. "Robbers? They've actually dared to extort money from the Governor's Mansion! Seize this scoundrel!"

"Here you are!"

Four Golden Core Realm guards immediately took the order, drew their swords, and rushed out to capture the man. The guards in front even drew their bows and nocked arrows, shooting them directly at the face of the bewildered Li Fan, trying to force him away from the carriage.

"???"

Li Fan was completely bewildered. With his right hand, he casually grabbed a handful of arrows, and with his left hand, he poked and prodded at four bodyguards with swords, knocking them down and kicking each of them until they coughed up blood and fell to the ground. Then, he flicked the arrows out, piercing through all the archers who were aiming at him and pinning them to the ground.

He darted forward again, leaping over the soldiers, grabbed the officer by the hair, dragged him out of the crowd, threw him under the vehicle, and slapped him so hard his jawbone and all his teeth were broken. Pointing at his nose, he cursed, "You son of a bitch! How dare you disrespect an elder!"

The entire room fell silent.

The foreman collapsed to the ground, his mouth full of broken teeth and bits of flesh, blood everywhere, his eyes glazed over, clearly suffering from a concussion. The guards dared not utter a word, much less point their swords at him.

"Are you kidding me?" This old man moved with lightning speed, leaving afterimages all around him. The four Golden Core cultivators who rushed forward were instantly brought to their knees. The arrows he threw back could pierce through seven layers of rhinoceros hide armor, pinning them to the gate. Was this even human? They were clearly at least Nascent Soul Stage cultivators; how could lowly soldiers like them, barely at the Foundation Establishment, possibly provoke him?

Li Fan glanced at everyone, pointed to Zhou beside him who was trembling and too scared to speak, and said, "I am a hermit from the South China Sea. I encountered your relative being robbed and returned him to you."

I never imagined your personal guards would be so arrogant, shooting at anyone they see and slashing at anyone they see. If I didn't have any skills, wouldn't I have died in vain at your hands! I'm only giving you a small punishment this time, but if you offend me again, I will execute you without mercy!

What are you all standing there for? Go and call your supervisor!

The guards couldn't help but glance at the foreman, who was convulsing at Li Fan's feet.

"Where did this fiend come from! How dare you cause trouble at the Governor's Mansion! You've got some nerve! Who do you think you are to dare discipline my guards!"

This alarmed the servants in the governor's mansion, and another Nascent Soul Stage general jumped out, appearing in the arena with eight Golden Core guards.

Li Fan had already detected these people, which is why he held back and offered a few words of explanation to give them a way out. But judging from their fierce appearance, he knew they were arrogant and ruthless soldiers raised by the whole family. They were used to bullying people in the capital, probably relying on the protection of the Grand Commander and the Princess. They wouldn't listen to reason unless he gave them a good beating.

So he sighed, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "You guys just need to be taught a lesson..."

"Oh, my benefactor! Please, have mercy! It's all a misunderstanding..." Zhou finally realized what had happened.

Li Fan frowned, looking at the pitiful orphan and widow, and patiently explained again, "I'll say it again, your relative was attacked by bandits, and I rescued him and brought him here..."

"Where did this poor relative come from, daring to curry favor with the Grand Commander!" The Nascent Soul Stage general laughed loudly. "Old dog! You dared to hurt my men! You'd better pay with a broken arm as an apology!"

Having said that, he raised his precious sword and swung it down at his head!

The Governor's Mansion specifically assigned this Nascent Soul General to guard the house and courtyard. He was indeed a master who came from the battlefield. This slash was clearly a battlefield move, no fluff, just a direct, deadly strike! Gale Blade Aura! Raging Storm Force! Mixed with wind and thunder! Incomparably powerful!

Of course, this kind of battlefield technique doesn't rely on fancy tricks; it's all about raw skill. Even if the moves are crude and have some flaws, it doesn't matter. A strike is a strike, simple and straightforward. If you can't dodge it, you can't dodge it; if you can't withstand it, you can't withstand it.

But to put it another way, using this kind of move against opponents with overwhelming stats, off-the-charts agility, and whose weaknesses are obvious at a glance is just asking for trouble.

That's right, I'm talking about Li Fan.

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Oh, you still want to spare my life? Thank you, huh?"

Since the other party had offered up his skills to practice, Li Fan decided to use him as a practice target. So, he immediately unleashed the power of the Dalu Jing Tian Finger and unleashed a Heaven-Piercing Yang-style strike!

The six forms of Yin-Yang, Wind, Rain, Obscurity, and Brightness of the Heavenly Finger are not merely variations on the surface of the moves, but rather transformations of finger force. For example, the finger force of the Yang form is as powerful as the sun shining brightly in a clear sky, consuming the most internal Dao Breath —a deadly move for direct attack! When this move is unleashed, one can see the Divine Sense heavenly force shooting forth directly! A powerful pillar of energy, as radiant as the blazing sun, shatters all the blade's energy, striking the Nascent Soul General's heart meridian head-on!

That Nascent Soul General actually had a lot of experience in battlefield combat. The moment Li Fan pointed his finger, he knew something was wrong. This old man looked like he had weak true energy, and it was almost impossible to detect his true cultivation level. He seemed to have just reached the Nascent Soul Stage, but in fact, he was a cunning old fox pretending to be weak! The power that finger instantly unleashed was terrifyingly strong!

So he immediately roared and tried to dodge to the side! But it was all in vain!

The power of the Dalu Jing Tian Finger is like a sword of energy that can transmit force across a distance. So even though this Nascent Soul General was wearing strong armor and his muscles and flesh were connected, the power of the Heaven-Piercing Finger still penetrated through the outer defenses and struck the heart meridian in one blow!

Do you like an old man who ignores defense, deals true damage, exploits weaknesses, uses pressure point techniques to seal qi, and deals critical hits?

This Nascent Soul General probably didn't like it. With a single move, his internal energy was scattered, his blood and essence flowed backward, his meridians were sealed, and he collapsed to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, convulsing, his face covered in bruises, unable to utter a single word.

Li Fan held back. If he had been a little less skilled, he could have directly blasted the heart, or even a little less skilled, he could have scattered the Inner Landscape Nascent Soul Stage and crippled the cultivator, or even blasted the brainstem and turned the person into an idiot—all of these were possible. Now, he'd just inflict paralysis, severe internal bleeding, and after a hundred years of recovery, he'd probably be able to wield a knife again.

"Feeling good? What did you call me just now?" Li Fan asked with a smile to the half-dead Nascent Soul General sprawled on the ground.

"Old dog!" "Demon!" "Prepare to die!"

The eight Golden Core guards behind him still possessed some camaraderie and courage, yelling "Old dog, die!" and charging forward with their swords drawn. Not only did they not hesitate, but they also unleashed a combined attack, with the eight of them surrounding and attacking from all sides, hacking Li Fan to death on the spot!

"Show mercy!"

The people from the Governor's Mansion who came out later weren't asking these Golden Core cultivators to show mercy, but Li Fan did have to be a little lenient. He had just tested the Heavenly Yang Finger technique, using only the Jade Purity True Essence refined from the Return to Dust Yuqing Zhenyuan to unleash its power, which was equivalent to using only 20% of his strength. This Nascent Soul Stage warrior couldn't withstand it and was crippled. If he had tried to use it on Golden Core cultivators, he would have definitely caused their blood vessels to burst.

So Li Fan casually poked around, without using any real energy. They moved back and forth in the battle formation, subduing the eight people by striking their pressure points without killing them. Of course, without someone skilled in finger techniques to release the pressure points, they would never be able to wield a sword again.

Only after ensuring his safety did Li Fan turn to look at the group of people who had been alerted and come out of the mansion. The one who led the way in stopping the fight was a young man who had just reached the peak of Qi Refining but had not yet Foundation Establishment. Judging from his rather luxurious clothes and the guards surrounding him, he was probably the son of the Grand Commander. He was probably only ten years old, so it seemed that his parents were not at home.

"My name is Quan Jun. My father is the Marquis of Qiantang and the Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs in Xunzhou. My family's subordinates are unruly and have offended many. I beg you, Master, to show mercy."

Having been outmatched and defeated in a single move, and with their young master forced to bow his head and beg for mercy, the guards dared not bark like old dogs and remained silent. Even though the Nascent Soul General was still convulsing on the ground, no one dared to come forward to help or provide first aid.

Li Fan sneered, stroking his beard, "No, no, I've experienced your family's arrogance. If I were to harm any of your servants, you can forget about leaving Xun Kingdom."

The young man quickly bowed, "It's all my fault for not managing my subordinates properly, spoiling them, and offending you, Master. I will definitely discipline them strictly, and if they bully others again, they will be punished according to military law!"

"Don't bother explaining to me. How you deal with your own troops is none of my business." Li Fan glanced sideways at the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator who was hidden beside the young man, and pointed...

Quan Jun was startled and a group of guards quickly retreated, some of them tripping on the threshold and falling flat on their faces.

Li Fan rolled his eyes, pointed to the oxcart next to him, and said, "... Those are the widow and youngest son of the Zhou Family. I ran into them on the way and brought them over. You can't say it more than three times. If I have to say it again, I'll really lose my temper."

Quan Jun wiped his sweat and hurriedly said, "The Zhou Family? Oh! The Zhou Family! Quick! Quickly, please come in and take care of us! It turns out it was all a misunderstanding! Thank you for your help, Master! Please come into my residence, Master, so I can host a banquet to welcome you and apologize..."

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Hmph, all that arrogance and obsequiousness, forget it! I won't bully a kid like you, just give me some money for the medicine."

"You're right, it was all a misunderstanding. My family was impolite. Come, bring a thousand taels of silver to apologize!"

Quan Jun was quite generous, though perhaps he was young and had no concept of money. With a wave of his hand, someone actually brought him a food box-like basket.

Inside were gold ingots favored by the Xun Kingdom. One tael of gold was worth ten strings of cash. The ingots were thin, imbued with Divine Hardness, and bore the official seal of the Xun Kingdom. Theoretically, they were gifts from the king to his subordinates and generals, and could only circulate within the Xun Kingdom. However, now that the Xun Kingdom was powerful and its silk could be used to trade with the Li Country, these gold ingots held their value relatively well, so merchants were happy to accept Xun Kingdom gold.

Inside this ladder-like cage, ten gold ingots were stacked together, and twenty stacks were laid out in a layer, five layers in total, which made exactly one thousand gold coins as a reward. Of course, now that the Divine Astral Coin are of such poor quality, this one thousand gold coins would probably be worth tens of thousands of strings of cash.

"Thank you so much for saving us, Master." Zhou also pulled her sons out of the carriage and kowtowed to Li Fan.

"Why didn't you just do this earlier? You'd better watch yourselves."

Judging from Quan Jun's appearance, he didn't seem to be faking it, and probably wouldn't make things difficult for these poor relatives. So he nodded, considering the task complete, and Li Fan took the thousand taels of gold and flew away.

Oh! Rouge Pool Rouge Pool! Cough cough cough!

Don't misunderstand, Li Fan just saw that it was getting late. Luo Feng's inside man was working in the northern palace, probably as a palace maid or eunuch, and it wasn't convenient to contact him now. He would contact him tomorrow.

Li Fan then headed straight to the shore of Crouching Dragon Pool, intending to find a passenger boat to stay overnight. Of course, cultivators can't stay overnight anywhere, and since he was here for a rare trip, he should at least broaden his horizons.

Li Fan was in a great mood. He blew the tune "Tonight I'll find someone to cough cough" as he flew through the air. He arrived at the riverbank at dusk, just as darkness was falling, and found a restaurant with a good view. He watched the flower boats coming and going on the river and rated the beautifully dressed courtesans on the boats.

The queen of flowers is the most beautiful of all flowers. The charm of Rouge Pool is quite different from that of the Golden Scale Palace in the South China Sea. Each flower shop and its pleasure boat has its own queen, which is placed on the top of the boat to attract celebrities and dignitaries.

To become the most beautiful courtesan, besides possessing stunning beauty, a graceful figure, and skills in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and dance, one must at least have a captivating talent to stand out in the fierce competition at Rouge Pool. Every year during the Ghost Festival, the boat houses would use a game similar to throwing gold flowers, where wealthy patrons would select the most beautiful courtesan of all!

The queen of the courtesans who dominates the entire Rouge Pool River will be honored with the title of 'Flower Dragon'!

That sounds pretty catchy...

In short, Li Fan arrived in winter, and the most lively part of the Ghost Festival lantern festival had already passed. Li Fan asked a broker and learned that the 'Flower Dragon' selected on Rouge Pool was Gu Mei from the Hengbo Pavilion.

She was not only exceptionally talented and beautiful, skilled in poetry and painting, but also proficient in music. Her demeanor was dignified and elegant, her bearing outstanding, and her personality bold and unrestrained. Scholars all knew of her talent and called her "Mei Sheng." Now she was at the height of her fame, and the noble families of Xun Kingdom would invite Mei Sheng to play a piece on the zither at their literary banquets. If Mei Sheng was absent, it would be considered a great pity.

It's a pity Li Fan n't be able to see Mei Sheng's charm today. It's said that Prince of Lu chartered a boat from the Hengbo Pavilion tonight to host a banquet for his close friends, probably to celebrate the deaths of many important officials on the Crown Prince's side. So only one child was left in the family; his parents probably went to the banquet too.

As Teacher Li was looking around, giving scores and evaluations, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, a vague sense of something calling to him.

Something on Rouge Pool was calling to him?

Li Fan frowned, sensing that this matter was not simple. So he did some calculations with his fingers and looked at the Si Nan. Hey, it really was true! There was a flower boat that had just passed by on the river that was connected to him!

Li Fan was overjoyed and, out of curiosity, decided to answer the call of fate and go to find out what was going on. He excitedly leaped down the river and quickly ran to the ship.

There was no one to greet or receive guests on the ship. The plaque above the pavilion read "Peony Pavilion," and the upper three floors were decorated with red lanterns, wafting a unique floral fragrance that lifted Li Fan's spirits and made him even happier.

Oh ho ho, playing this mysterious game, interesting, very interesting.

So he smiled and took the compass Si Nan, then rushed into the ship to find out which maid had the fate of sharing the ship with him.

"Oh, this is the one! Hehehe, cough cough cough!"

Seeing that the Si Nan had pointed in the right direction, Li Fan straightened his clothes, stroked his beard, struck a dashing pose, and pushed open the door. He saw that lying on the bed was...

"Holy crap! It's you again!"

"Ah..." Yang Si'an with embarrassment, looked up but didn't recognize the person in front of her. "This old gentleman, who are you...?"

"Hey? What's wrong with you? Did someone use your sexual energy to kill you?"

Although he was extremely annoyed, Li Fan could tell something was wrong just by looking at Yang Sheng's expression.

Mingming had helped Yang Sheng recover from most of his injuries, but now the scholar was pale, listless, and barely clinging to life. Moreover, the jade pendant and pills she had given him when they parted were all gone; the scholar was now stripped naked, as if he'd been robbed. Hmph, a love triangle indeed...

"Sir, please don't talk nonsense. I'm fine. Please leave, I need to rest." Yang Sheng looked tired and waved to Guanmen.

"You say you're fine? I think you've taken up six of the twelve two-hour periods: Shen-Zi-Xu, Wei-Yin-Hai!"

Li Fan grabbed Yang Sheng's pulse and felt it. He immediately understood and sneered, "Heh! The yang pulse is slippery and deep, while the yin pulse is thin and hidden, sometimes large and sometimes small, sometimes rapid and sometimes weak. This indicates insufficient vital energy and deficiency of the heart and kidneys. I ask you, have you been having sex with a ghost recently?"

Yang Sheng's face suddenly changed color, as if he had thought of something, but then his face flushed an unusual pink, and he angrily shouted, "What! Who are you?! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get out of here!"

Li Fan understood immediately and, too lazy to waste words, tapped Yang Sheng's forehead to knock him unconscious. He then tossed Yang Sheng onto the bed, opened his eyelids, and looked into his eye sockets. He could see that Yang Sheng's pupils were moving rapidly, his vision blurred by a faint pink light, and breath was emanating from his mouth and nose. There was no doubt about it; he had been bewitched by a magical mist.

Li Fan stood up, turned around, walked to the door next door, and kicked it open. Sure enough, there was another scholar lying inside. This one was in an even worse state, pale and emaciated, just skin and bones, with a smile on his face, his body already rotting. Sigh, it seems Yang Sheng is still considered to have good genes; he's only exhausted, but he hasn't died yet.

Upon further scanning with Divine Sense, it was indeed found that the three-story ship contained no flower fairies, only rotten wood residue from the depleted cultivation.

Haha, how interesting! This Rouge Pool is bustling with people, yet it's actually teeming with deceitful ghost ships that steal people's yang energy.