Feng Xiu shook his head, unwilling to dwell on it any longer.
There was something wonderfully strange about the whole thing: a pure-hearted courtesan falling in love with an idle layabout like me?
No, I wasn't an ignorant wastrel anymore.
With Feng Shouzhuo's abilities and the Feng Clan's resources behind him, given time, he might well reach Blood Burning.
Feng Xiu sighed. "Let's leave it at that for now." Then he gave another order.
"Xiao Han, I'll leave Shou Zhuo in your hands. Ten days. Within ten days, I want to see him reach the super-complete peak of Body Refining, just a step away from Blood Burning!"
"As long as the training doesn't kill him, train him until he drops!"
With Zhou Gang's foundation of vital energy and blood, practicing martial arts would bring twice the results for half the effort. Otherwise, it would be a waste of his talent!
Whether he could endure the hardships of training was his own concern.
Han Che nodded and withdrew.
He couldn't help feeling that the Feng brothers were both monsters, each more extraordinary than the last. Feng Shouzhuo had somehow been handed a starting point beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Word of it would be enough to drive countless martial artists wild with envy. After all, a Body Refining expert was already a force to be reckoned with in the martial world.
Feng Xiu then looked at Uncle Zheng and asked, "Uncle Zheng, have you found the person I asked you to look for?"
"Reporting to the eldest young master, the person has arrived." Uncle Zheng nodded.
"This old servant asked around through several contacts and finally managed to invite a musician from Qing Province who can sing Record of Spirit Flowers. She's somewhat famous in Qing Province and sings in the old style of Taizhou, with clear words and a true pitch."
"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Zheng." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Feng Xiu's mouth.
Back when Feng Shouzhuo had still been lost in his foolish dreams and muttering, Feng Xiu had asked someone to write down his ravings.
But he had been dreaming of meeting Su Wantang, so what he said had naturally been a blunt declaration of love.
Feng Xiu had found a spare moment to read it and had nearly died of embarrassment.
Written down in full, it would have been nothing short of an erotic novel.
After they killed the fish-man, the Feng Clan's decision-makers had unanimously agreed to seek out Daoist Yellow Dragon again and see if they could learn anything from him.
Unfortunately, Daoist Yellow Dragon had left too quickly. They couldn't find him, and Yellow Flower Temple had vanished as well.
That left Taizhou, Record of Spirit Flowers, and the North Ridge Sect as their only leads.
"You flatter me, eldest young master." Uncle Zheng waved a hand, then sighed. "It's just that Taizhou is truly far away, and Cloud Province is remote. There aren't many people who can sing this piece to begin with."
"The musician spent nearly half a month on the road and only arrived in Qingyan yesterday."
Feng Xiu nodded. Cloud Province lay in the southwest, bordering Qing Province to the south and Jin Province and You Province to the north.
Taizhou lay far to the east of You Province. Even an ordinary merchant caravan would take two or three months to make the journey.
Finding someone like this really hadn't been easy.
"Where is she?"
"At the Brocade Cloud Pavilion in the south of the city," Uncle Zheng replied. "It's the largest opera house in town and won't attract attention. The eldest young master can go whenever he likes."
Feng Xiu glanced out the window. "We'll go now."
A short while later.
The carriage rattled over the blue-stone-paved streets of Green Rock City.
It hadn't gone far before it stopped in front of a three-story pavilion in the south of the city. A plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the three gilded characters Brocade Cloud Pavilion.
Several carriages stood at the entrance, all lavishly decorated and clearly belonging to wealthy households.
Feng Xiu got down and looked up. The Brocade Cloud Pavilion had sweeping eaves and interlocking brackets, and crimson lanterns hung between its vermilion pillars. Though it was still daytime, the place radiated wealth and refined elegance.
The two of them went inside.
A young attendant immediately came over. Uncle Zheng handed him a calling card.
The attendant lowered his head to look at it, his expression turning solemn. He quickly bowed and led the way.
They crossed the front hall and headed upstairs. At the landing, a young man came toward them.
He looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with a jade belt at his waist. His face was as fair as jade. When he saw Feng Xiu, his expression flickered with surprise, as if he hadn't expected to run into him here.
"Brother Wu, what a coincidence." Feng Xiu paused and smiled, clasping his hands.
The man was Wu Xuan, the third son of the Wu Clan, one of Green Rock City's long-established families.
The Wu Clan ran more than half of the city's pleasure houses, including the Fragrant Flower House.
Seeing Feng Xiu, Wu Xuan gave him a warm smile. "Brother Feng, it's been many days. I heard you invited an immortal to the Sweet Dew Grand Festival and prayed for a great rain. You've done a great service for the people. I admire you."
"You're too kind, Brother Wu. That was all Daoist Yellow Dragon's doing. I just ran a few errands."
After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Xuan's gaze shifted. He spoke with a hint of hesitation.
"Brother Feng, some time ago, I heard that people from the Zhou Family Escort Team caused a scene at the Fragrant Flower House. I've been meaning to ask you about it. Did the Fragrant Flower House do something to offend the Feng Clan?"
"Please forgive us, Brother Wu. It's a long story. My good-for-nothing younger brother fell under the spell of a courtesan,
and Uncle Zhou was just being protective when he took people to look for her. We only found out afterward that she had already run off. We caused you trouble, Brother Wu. I'll come by in person to apologize another day."
Wu Xuan hurriedly waved his hands. "You're too kind, Brother Feng. Places like that are full of all sorts of people. It's only natural for trouble to crop up.
"Since the woman ran off, let's leave it at that. It's just..." He paused, then continued gently, "Chief Escort Zhou made quite a scene that day. He broke several tables and injured a few servants.
"I can bear those losses, but I'm worried people outside will talk. They might say our families are at odds and that there's been a falling-out."
Feng Xiu was surprised. In an instant, he understood what Wu Xuan was getting at. He answered seriously, "Don't worry, Brother Wu. The Feng Clan will cover the losses in full. I'll have someone deliver the money."
Wu Xuan smiled and cupped his hands. "As expected, Brother Feng is straightforward."
As he spoke, he pulled an exquisitely made invitation from his sleeve. Feng Xiu glanced down and saw the four characters Heyang Elegant Banquet.
"Since there's been a misunderstanding, we've cleared the air. Brother Feng, I hope to see you at the Elegant Banquet another day. I won't keep you any longer."
Feng Xiu accepted the invitation and nodded slightly. "You're too kind, Brother Wu."
Wu Xuan had put on a very gracious display. After saying his piece, he went back downstairs and left.
"A shame he isn't the Wu Clan's eldest son. With his abilities, he might well have been able to take charge of the family."
Watching him leave, Feng Xiu sighed inwardly and couldn't help shaking his head.
Not every great family was as simple as the Feng Clan. Feng Ao was strong and healthy, overseeing the family's overall strategy, with Feng Xiu as his heir and right-hand man.
Besides, Feng Shouzhuo posed no threat to Feng Xiu's position.
There were no concubines or rival branches fighting over power. Normally, Feng Shouzhuo should have been handling some of the family's external affairs, just like Wu Xuan.
But a man who didn't even know how much the farms produced or how many acres the family owned was hardly someone you could count on to run a business.
After his thoughts stalled for a moment, Feng Xiu continued upstairs.
Earlier, Zhou Gang and Feng Ao had investigated together and ruled out the possibility that the Wu Clan knew anything.
In terms of strength, the Wu Clan didn't fear the Feng Clan. But Feng Ao had been making a big impression lately, and the Feng Clan's reputation was rising fast.
Antagonizing a powerful family on the rise for no reason wouldn't be a wise move. In private, the Wu Clan had even sent Feng Xiu several internal reward vouchers.
In the private room.
A stick of aloeswood incense smoldered, sending up thin curls of smoke.
Feng Xiu took his seat and looked through the beaded curtain toward the stage. A table, a stool, a glass lamp, and behind the curtain sat a woman in a yellow dress.
He looked away and signaled for her to get ready. After Uncle Zheng informed her, he walked over to the woman.
Feng Xiu then picked up the invitation Wu Xuan had given him.
He opened it and skimmed the contents. The wording was earnest throughout. It was an invitation for Feng Xiu to attend the Heyang Elegant Banquet seven days later.
Young Master Heyang was a nobleman's son from the previous dynasty. He made friends like Mengchang, was humble, and had read widely. He was something of a banner for the world of aristocratic families.
The Wu Clan was hosting the banquet under his name. There was no need to guess: the guests would mostly be young people from the city's great families.
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