Chapter 24

The lights inside the pavilion were dim.

Luo Qingchen and Chen Ju first went outside for a round, then returned to the pavilion and made a patrol upstairs and downstairs. After finding nothing amiss, they chatted for a few moments.

"The Town Guard Bureau has been run ragged these past few days."

"It's not just our pavilion where a murder has occurred. There have been two murders elsewhere in town as well."

"Those people were all killed with their hearts ripped out. Their deaths were gruesome..."

Luo Qingchen looked at him. "Brother Chen, you've been in your room cultivating these past two days. Where did you hear all this?"

Chen Ju smiled. "I'm a night owl. I cultivate during the day and come out at night. I heard the news from Brother Wang, Brother Sun, and the others."

Luo Qingchen glanced at his right leg. He was about to probe further when Sun Ping came in from outside, frowning. "If you're on night patrol, don't chat. One of you take upstairs and the other downstairs. If something happens here again, we'll all be punished."

"Sure thing, Sister Sun!"

Chen Ju immediately answered with a wide smile, then said to Luo Qingchen, "Brother Luo, you take upstairs. I'll stay downstairs. If anything seems off, just shout."

Luo Qingchen nodded and went up the stairs.

Sun Ping watched him go, frowning as she muttered, "That kid looks like he couldn't withstand a gust of wind. If the monster shows up again, can he really handle it?"

Chen Ju also watched Luo Qingchen's retreating figure and smiled. "Don't underestimate him, Sister Sun. Anyone who survived the Blood Medicine contest and became a cultivator is no ordinary person."

Sun Ping gave a low snort and said nothing more.

Luo Qingchen went upstairs and carefully patrolled outside each private room.

Most of the rooms were quiet, even dark, as if there were no guests inside.

After making a few more rounds, he stopped at the corner of the corridor and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest while thinking things over.

From here, he could hear the sounds coming from each room. He could even hear a woman in the room at the very end of the corridor making exaggerated moans on purpose.

Before long, the woman's moans stopped.

Then the door opened, and the footsteps of two people came from the end of the corridor.

"You didn't bring money again?"

A woman's somewhat hoarse voice rang out.

Luo Qingchen opened his eyes, then suddenly heard a familiar voice. "Heh heh, my daughter's here. She's got money."

Their footsteps drew nearer, then stopped outside the first private room at the entrance to the corridor.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knock sounded.

Zhao Laosan's voice followed. "A-Yun, it's me. Open the door!"

There seemed to be no movement inside the room.

Zhao Laosan immediately pounded harder on the door, his voice rising. "A-Yun, I know you're in there. Open the door! If you don't, I'm going to start cursing!"

Only then did the door creak open.

Zhao Yun stood in the doorway, dressed in a thin dress, her face fearful.

Seeing her, Zhao Laosan immediately broke into a smile. "Daughter, I didn't bring any silver today. Pay for me."

Zhao Yun glanced at the two men, then lowered her head. "I don't have any silver either."

The smile vanished from Zhao Laosan's face in an instant. He snorted. "You don't have any silver? Who are you trying to fool? I made inquiries. A couple of days ago, you entertained two distinguished guests from up above and made a good deal of silver. Yesterday your brother came to ask you for some, and you lied to him, saying you had none. Now I've come in person, and you still dare say you have none?"

Zhao Yun kept her head lowered and said nothing.

Seeing her like this, Zhao Laosan's expression suddenly changed, as if he had thought of something. He snapped, "Did you lend the silver to that little bastard Luo Qingchen? That bastard even killed his own younger sister. He's heartless and ungrateful, and you dared lend him your silver?"

Zhao Yun raised her head, her lips trembling. "A-Chen would never hurt Xiao Yu. He..."

"Smack!"

Before she could finish, Zhao Laosan slapped her hard across the face. He glared and cursed, "You think you can defy me? You whore, ridden by a thousand men and fucked by ten thousand, you little bitch that even dogs have had—you dare talk back to me?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand, ready to slap her a few more times.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared behind him and struck him hard across the ear. Zhao Laosan's body lurched sideways, and he staggered off to the side.

Before he could fall, Luo Qingchen kicked him in the waist, sending him flying. He crashed onto the floor five meters away.

Zhao Laosan lay on the ground with his mouth open, screaming.

Sun Ping and Chen Ju had both come upstairs after hearing the commotion.

Sun Ping hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Zhao Laosan immediately tried to get his side of the story in first. "Manager Sun, your guard is beating a guest! He's beating a guest!"

Sun Ping shot Luo Qingchen a stern look.

His expression unchanged, Luo Qingchen said, "I was standing by the corner just now. I heard this guest trying to get out without paying, and then saw him beating Miss Zhao, so I stepped in."

"Trying to get out without paying?"

Sun Ping's expression darkened at his words, and she looked at the bare-shouldered woman standing nearby.

The woman was named Qingmei. She was the one who had just attended to Zhao Laosan. When she saw Sun Ping looking at her, she nodded. "He only said he hadn't brought money after he was done. I followed him out to collect it, but I hadn't gotten it yet. Just now he went to ask A-Yun for money. When she said she didn't have any, he hit her."

Sun Ping saw the clear slap mark on Zhao Yun's face and flew into a rage. Pointing at Zhao Laosan, she cursed, "You old bastard! You come here to enjoy yourself without bringing money, and now you've even beaten one of my girls! Have you got a death wish?"

Zhao Laosan immediately clutched his waist and sat up, moving his face into the light. He looked pained. "Manager Sun, it's me, Zhao Laosan. I'm A-Yun's father!"

Sun Ping snapped, "You could be A-Yun's grandfather, and it still wouldn't matter! A-Yun is a girl at my Hundred Fragrance Pavilion. You've ruined her face—how's she supposed to receive guests? You old bastard, you've come here to enjoy yourself over and over without paying. If it weren't for A-Yun, I'd have broken your legs already! And now you've actually dared lay hands on one of my girls! Of all places, you had to hit her face? Are you deliberately trying to ruin my business?"

Hearing this, Zhao Laosan hurriedly apologized.

"Throw him out! Don't let that old bastard in here again!"

Sun Ping shouted furiously.

Chen Ju immediately walked over to Zhao Laosan, grabbed him by the nape, hauled him up, and dragged him downstairs.

Zhao Laosan glared venomously at Luo Qingchen.

Once Chen Ju had dragged Zhao Laosan out, Sun Ping turned to Zhao Yun, her expression dark. "I don't care what he is to you. From now on, you're not to see him while you're receiving guests. He already sold you. You're a girl at my Hundred Fragrance Pavilion now, and there's no need to keep fearing him."

Zhao Yun lowered her head, covered her cheek, and answered in a trembling voice, "Yes."

Sun Ping added in a low voice, "Also, remember to pay Qingmei the silver he owes her."

With that, she turned and went downstairs.

Only then did Zhao Yun look up at the woman beside her and plead, "Sister Qingmei, can I pay you back in a few days?"

Qingmei frowned at her words. "You really don't have any silver? What about the silver you earned that night? Did you really lend it to someone? Luo Qingchen... Huh?"

She suddenly turned to look at the young man nearby.

Only then did she realize that this new guard was probably named Luo Qingchen.

"All right, give it to me in a few days. Just don't forget."

Qingmei said no more. She gave the two of them a meaningful look, then turned and went back to her room.

The corridor fell quiet.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Yun spoke softly. "A-Chen, thank you for just now."

Luo Qingchen looked at her haggard face and the red slap mark on her cheek. "I should be the one thanking you. That silver... I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

Zhao Yun forced a faint smile. "It's all right. I'm not in a hurry."

Luo Qingchen hesitated, but still couldn't help asking, "A-Yun, your father..."

"I don't want to talk about him."

Zhao Yun cut him off and lowered her head. "A-Chen, you're busy. I'll go inside."

With that, she lowered her head and backed into the room, closing the door behind her.

Leaning against the door, she began to cry.

Luo Qingchen stood in the corridor for a while longer, then resumed his patrol.

Outside the window was night.

Inside, it was night too.

Outside the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, Zhao Laosan clutched his aching waist and cursed as he walked down the street.

"Luo Qingchen, you little bastard! Just you wait! Don't think that becoming a cultivator means I can't deal with you!"

"And that ungrateful little bitch who won't know what's good for her! If you don't give me the silver tomorrow, I'll tell everyone your dirty secret! Let's see which guest will dare sleep with you after that!"

Zhao Laosan's face twisted with rage as he ground his teeth.

A dark mass had appeared in the darkness up ahead, though no one knew when.

When he sensed something was wrong and lifted his head, all he saw was a gaping maw lined with fangs. It swept toward him, bringing endless darkness in its wake.

"Whoo—"

In the Black Forest beside the road, the sinister wind wailed and fallen leaves rustled.

After that, all was silent.