Flower Scattering Pavilion Su Mu (Part 1)

Chapter 37: Su Mu of the Flower Scattering Pavilion (Part 1)

Hong Yi quickly returned his soul to his body. That the maidservants knew martial arts and possessed tough, resilient bodies did not come as much of a surprise to him. "Huhu huhu!" With those words, the two maidservants bowed; one went out to run errands, while the other went to pour tea.

"The Southern Procurement Bureau is full of human traffickers who engage in illegal business, abandoning their conscience for the sake of wealth. Lady Zhao's maiden family is a prominent clan in the south; I wonder if there is a connection..." The four maidservants were named Zi Yu, Hong Yu, Huang Yu, and Lan Yu.

"My body is not yet strong enough; this breathing and exhaling technique cannot be practiced recklessly." Hong Yi was inwardly shocked. However, through his secret observations over the past few days, he had discerned the strength of these maidservants.

Upon realizing this, he was secretly startled. Between breaths, Hong Yi felt his blood and qi surging, nearly causing him to faint. Yawn. Thinking of the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist, Hong Yi stretched his back. Unintentionally, as he visualized the images from the manual, his body instinctively fell into the "Tiger Demon Stretches Waist" posture.

"This Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist cannot be practiced forcefully until the muscles, skin, and flesh are tempered to perfection." Hong Yi finally understood why the martial arts had to be learned step by step; bone refining involved the skin, membranes, and muscles. If the skin and flesh were not tempered to a state of toughness, practicing bone refining by force would cause severe damage to the body.

However, he was precisely trying to create this effect. He wanted to make Lady Zhao feel that he had someone supporting him from the shadows, so that she would not dare to do anything to him.

Hong Yi recognized this warrior; he was one of Luo Yun's followers. Hong Yi's mind drifted to the worst-case scenarios, and suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he called out toward the outside.

A sharp pain shot from his waist, as if he had sprained his back, twisted a tendon, or torn his skin—it was extremely uncomfortable. "These petty people are just like flies; they are truly annoying. But it also shows that they are not simple."

Hong Yi knew a little about the origins of the four maids—Zi, Hong, Huang, and Lan—they had been sent over by Lady Zhao's second son, Hong Kang. Moreover, the observant Hong Yi had discovered that his clothes and books often showed subtle signs of having been rummaged through. Fortunately, he was prepared; the Amitabha Sutra was kept hidden against his skin, and the dozens of volumes of the Martial Classic had already been memorized and burned. He had left nothing suspicious behind.

As long as he could drag this out for a month and pass the imperial examinations, he would be like a dragon entering the sea, free to soar as he pleased. Just then, another maidservant walked in from outside—it was Lan Yu—and following her was a tall, resolute-looking warrior.

Before his eyes was a vast whiteness, and his whole body felt as if it were being pricked by needles! It was as if he were in a sea of fire! He could not see anything at all. He was on the verge of having his soul scattered.

Hong Yi estimated that even though he had now reached the Martial Disciple realm with the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist, if a fight broke out, he could at most defeat two of them; if all four attacked at once, he would undoubtedly be defeated.

To Hong Yi, the smiles of the two maidservants did not seem genuine, yet he could not find a single flaw in them; they had clearly undergone very strict training. "With these annoying flies watching, it's hard to practice martial arts."

Hong Yi had not practiced any martial arts over the past few days; at most, he had secretly pondered them in his heart, occasionally moving his body. Hong Yi knew a thing or two about Lady Zhao's background, but not in great detail. He only knew that her family was a famous and prominent clan in the south, with three generations of grand secretaries in the imperial court. However, judging by the various clues, he feared it was not that simple.

His martial arts had reached the level of a Martial Disciple, and there was still the layer of tempering the membranes. Once that was completed, the muscles, skin, and flesh would be perfected, and he could then begin bone refining. These things were normal, but the matter regarding Nanny Zeng was not.

"Young Master Yi, the guards of Princess Zhennan have come to invite you. They say the Princess is holding a gathering at the Flower Scattering Pavilion and has invited Su Mu, the number one talented woman in Yujing. She invites you to come and discuss poetry and metaphysics."

Lady Zhao had assigned these four maidservants to serve Hong Yi—to pour tea, fetch water, wash his face and feet, and handle all the menial chores—but they had now become four powerful flies monitoring him.

Over the past few days, the Marquis Mansion had been undergoing major construction because Consort Yuan was about to arrive, but under the well-regulated management, everything remained orderly. The Osmanthus Chamber where Hong Yi lived was for guests; it was separated by several courtyards and shielded by an osmanthus forest, so even if the mansion were in an uproar, it remained very quiet.

"Hmm, Zi Yu, you have served well these past few days; this is a reward for you." After contemplating the Amitabha Buddha several times and grasping the state of mind where the original heart remains unmoved through a thousand lifetimes, Hong Yi finally repaired his damaged soul.

"Very well." The two fifteen or sixteen-year-old maidservants ran in nimbly, their eyes fixed on Hong Yi, responding with smiles on their faces. Hong Yi suspected that even if he got up to urinate in the middle of the night, these four maids would know and report it to the First Lady.

Breathing and exhaling, a large amount of energy rolled through him, driving the circulation of blood and qi. If the exterior of the body was not tough, the blood and qi could not circulate, and the internal and external could not be connected or coordinated. Practicing this way would do more harm than good.

"These maidservants were all bought from the Southern Procurement Bureau. It's not strange that they know martial arts and have tough bodies. But that Nanny Zeng by Lady Zhao's side—it's one thing that her martial arts are extraordinary, but she can actually project her soul out of her body. This is truly strange. What is Lady Zhao's background? I only know her family is a prominent southern clan with three generations of grand secretaries, but now it seems they are not an ordinary great family..."

"Let's see if I can apply the breathing and exhaling technique." Seeing the money on the table, a flash of surprise crossed the eyes of the two maids, but they did not step forward to take it. Zi Yu said, "The Lady has instructed that serving Young Master Yi is our duty. How could we dare to accept a reward? Young Master should take it back."

The south had procurement bureaus that specialized in buying young girls from poor families, training them to be clever, refined, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, before selling them to wealthy households or brothels.

"Zi Yu, pour me a cup of tea. Also, Huang Yu, my paper is finished; go to the Pine and Bamboo Studio and buy three rolls of that one-tael-per-roll fragrant bamboo paper. Also, buy some wine from the pharmacy, along with Suhexiang pills, dried ginseng, angelica, and cicada shells... buy these medicines."

He knew that his martial arts and Daoist techniques had reached a bottleneck. It would be very difficult to make further progress. Hong Yi sat in front of the large desk, his eyes flickering as he gave orders, acting quite imperious.

Oh! This was the red gold coin that Consort Yuan had gifted him that day—it was for exclusive use in the imperial palace.

"Martial arts must be learned step by step; one cannot be impatient for success. Let's try the soul." Hong Yi simply sat in silent meditation and visualization. Suddenly, his soul jumped out of his body.

Hong Yi looked at these two maids, his heart stirred, and he said a word to Zi Yu, the maid who was clearly older. He then took a red coin from the pouch at his waist and placed it on the table, waiting for Zi Yu to come and take it.

Hong Yi now had a small amount of wealth; ten red gold coins were worth two hundred taels of silver. Hong Xuanji had given him one hundred taels from the accounts, and Lady Zhao had given him another three hundred. All in all, after deducting his expenses for these days, he had over five hundred taels of silver on him.

The Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist was already memorized in his heart; he understood every move and stance as if they were carved into his mind. Hong Yi thought to himself, and the image of the first stance of the Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique, "Spirit Turtle Basking in the Sun," along with its key points, flashed through his mind. He arched his back, clasped his hands behind his head, and performed two short and three long breaths, focusing his intent on his heart and lungs. Only then did he realize the sun was directly overhead.

The four maidservants by Lady Zhao's side were all quite skilled; their movements were light and nimble, like cats. Every one of them had tempered their muscles to be flexible and tough. By Hong Yi's estimation, despite their slender figures, if they really fought, flipping over two or three strong men would be no problem at all.

Hong Kang was an official in the south; it was perfectly normal for him to send a dozen or so well-trained maids to serve Lady Zhao. Oh no! But Hong Yi could not feel a moment of peace, and the reason was those four maidservants. Hong Yi knew in his heart that this scene would surely reach Lady Zhao's ears within an hour.

"Red gold coin..."