Even in friendship, choose your sword; never cast your pearl blindly upon the world's roads

Now, Xing Yan was deliberately provoking a quarrel, ready to seize the chance to beat the heartless wretch before him-but he had never expected Hu Shi'an to be so utterly shameless. To curry favor with the supposed bandit, the fellow actually spoke with an ingratiating grin:

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry! Just hear me out-have you ever heard of the four leading beauties of Flower Moon House?"

At first, Xing Yan could make neither head nor tail of this. He had no idea what medicine Hu Shi'an was selling in his gourd, so he merely gave a vague "Mm," letting the matter pass for the moment.

Hearing what sounded like recognition of Flower Moon House's celebrated courtesans, Hu Shi'an immediately perked up:

"Heh! That's just what I wanted to tell Your Majesty-do you know that Lady Rui, the most renowned of the Four Beauties of Flower Moon House, is lying in the bed behind that screen right now?"

He paused, licked his lips, and offered his praises:

"Tsk, tsk! That soft skin, that tender flesh of hers... heh, heh... tonight's a fine night for pleasure. Why not enjoy her, my good hero? Then you won't have come all this way for nothing!"

Who would have thought that the moment such *** matters came up, Hu Shi'an's words would pour forth like a river, flowing without end? Worse still, his language was brazen and lewd-with his mouth running so freely, he showed not the slightest regard for the feelings of the woman behind the bed curtains.

"Master Hu?"

Before Hu Shi'an could finish, Lady Rui cried out from behind the screen. To Xing Yan's ears, there was even a trace of hesitation in her cry-

Presumably, Lady Rui had yet to grasp what was happening. She could only waver between shock and doubt, unable to understand why her ordinarily gentle, tender Master Hu would say such heartless things.

Could it merely have been a makeshift ploy to stall the bandit?

Compared with Lady Rui's startled cry, the "bandit" Xing Yan was momentarily struck dumb. Standing so close to Hu Shi'an, he could see every expression on the man's face. That groveling, fawning, frivolous look told him plainly that none of those words had been feigned.

Xing Yan stood speechless with astonishment because the kindhearted boy had never imagined that Hu Shi'an's shamelessness could reach such depths!

As the saying went, "One night as husband and wife brings a hundred days of affection." However false Hu Shi'an's dealings with Lady Rui might have been, they had still shared so many days of intimate passion, and she was devoted to him with all her heart. How could he, before matters had even reached a desperate pass, rush to offer the woman who had lain beside him for so long to a bandit, presenting her with both hands and not a moment's hesitation?

The candlelight flickered and swayed, and the room fell silent. In that wavering glow, Hu Shi'an's handsome, dashing face now looked utterly hideous to Xing Yan.

With the play unfolding in a way he had never anticipated, the "bandit" who had arrived with such menace began to waver...

But Xing Yan had a nimble mind. His thoughts raced like lightning, and after a brief moment of consideration, he found a way to adapt:

...Who knew this wretch could be so filthy! Still, it isn't entirely a bad thing. Why not take this chance to set my pole against the boat and push it along with the current?

I'll put on a little performance and let Lady Rui see his true face. Then she can break with him once and for all!

In a patch of shadow where Hu Shi'an could not see it, a mischievous smile crept onto the "bandit's" lips:

"Hmph! You filthy scoundrel, trying to fool me! With a disgusting wretch like you here, how could the woman in that bed possibly be Lady Rui?"

"Ah, Your Majesty! Every sentence I said... no, no, every word was true! If there's so much as half a lie, may I..."

"May I slaughter you with one stroke!"

To Hu Shi'an's considerable relief, just as he was recovering from his fright, the hero from Great Solitary Mountain withdrew the chilling iron sword from his neck as he spoke those terrifying words. It seemed his proposal had worked, successfully stirring lust in this ferocious bandit. Perhaps the man would spare him now?

Though his wishful abacus clattered thunderously in his mind, this supremely clever young gallant dared not move a muscle. Having just witnessed the bandit's thunderous methods, he feared that any sudden movement might cause a misunderstanding. That would be no laughing matter!

As he fretted over his prospects, the bandit spoke again:

"Heh, heh! I've long heard of those women at Flower Moon House! Only I've had so much work keeping me busy, I never had time to come savor their-er, never had time to come sleep with one!"

"Heh! Lady Rui's name has thundered in my ears, too! Tonight I'll give her a try and investigate whether her skin really is so soft and her flesh so tender. Heh-"

"Yow!"

Just as Xing Yan was trying his best to look as though he were drooling to match those lustful words, a startled cry suddenly escaped him!

The bandit, engrossed in his performance, had abruptly felt a blow to his backside-as though someone had just kicked him!

Startled, the boy hurriedly turned his head and looked around to see who had kicked him:

There was no one else nearby. He could only hear Lady Rui seemingly sobbing softly behind the screen.

Then he fixed his suspicious gaze on Young Master Hu Shi'an, standing diagonally ahead of him-but the fellow was trembling, not daring to make the slightest move.

It wasn't him either. First, this spineless creature would never have had the courage just then. Second, the angle was wrong, unless his leg could bend around corners like a snake.

Could I have imagined it?

Unable to find a reasonable explanation, Xing Yan began to suspect ghosts.

In fact, the pain of that "kick" had not deceived him-someone really had kicked him!

That kick had come courtesy of someone who had been hiding nearby all along. She was none other than the girl who had not come to pester Xing Yan for quite some time-Ling Yier!

The Lord of the Clouds' cherished granddaughter had never stopped brooding over the Jade Flute. Twice she had tried to reclaim it, and twice she had returned empty-handed. It was truly infuriating!

The first time, when they met unexpectedly, she had carelessly let that slippery boy grease his soles and escape. That was understandable-how could she have known he was such a rascal, or that he could run so fast? But the second time was rather embarrassing. She had come prepared, only for that lazy scamp to pull another shameless trick and send her fleeing in panic!

Twice she had returned with her feathers clipped. The slightest thought of it sent anger surging through her. Which of the other youngsters did not stand before her in fearful awe, trembling with apprehension? When had she ever suffered two such humiliations? Not only did that lazy scamp stubbornly keep her flute, he had even egged those courtesans on to-

Whenever she recalled the "terrifying" scene that night, the sheltered girl, raised from childhood in palaces of shell and jade, could not help breaking out in gooseflesh!

Hmph, hmph! If I don't avenge this grudge, I'm no... woman!

Filled with wounded indignation, the girl secretly resolved never to forget that boy's insolence for the rest of her life!

What especially angered little Ling Yier was her grandfather, who had always doted on her. When she could no longer resist telling him that the boy had the Jade Flute, his old face had reddened slightly at first. Moments later, however, he had returned to normal and merely hemmed and hawed. That would have been bad enough, but at the end, apparently still eager to say more, he had solemnly declared that the lazy scamp's deeds accorded secretly with the Heavenly Way, and that he shared a deep affinity with her precious Divine Snow. He had even urged her to part with the flute...

Hmph, hmph! Has Grandpa gone senile?

Her grandfather, who had never had the heart to go against her wishes, had become so infuriating after meeting that boy. Whenever she thought of it, Ling Yier's lips stuck out in an enormous pout!

"His behavior accords secretly with the Heavenly Way? It's nothing but stealing chickens, sneaking off with dogs, and kidnapping officials-all unlawful!"

After listening to her grandfather recount Xing Yan's exploits with dancing eyebrows and sparkling eyes, Ling Yier remained thoroughly unimpressed.

...Still, now that I think about it, those things do sound rather interesting!

Hmph! That idiot. If he did them with me, they'd certainly be much more fun!

...Is that girl with him really as pretty as Grandpa said?

Without her noticing it, all manner of thoughts had crowded into Ling Yier's mind over these past days. Her heart kept dwelling on everything to do with that lazy scamp.

Right! Whenever I have time these next few days, I'll keep an eye on him and see what other deeds he commits that accord secretly with the Heavenly Way!

As it happened, the girl knew quite a few spells. Last time, she had used one on Xing Yan called the Iceheart Knot. But the technique she had mastered best was the one that concealed her figure completely-Water Without a Trace.

Ever since learning Water Without a Trace from her grandfather, she had used it almost exclusively to play tricks on people. Of course she had! That had been her sole reason for pestering him to teach it to her! Hee!

These past few days, however, the little girl had decided to put it to some proper use. Whenever she had a little free time, Ling Yier slipped out and secretly watched the boy from nearby.

And sure enough, on only her second visit to Flower Moon House, she picked up Xing Yan's sheet of verse:

"Radiant beauty, clear and graceful"-hmph! Writing such amorous lines, he must be trying to please that Lady Rui, whose looks are only passable!

Believing she had uncovered his scheme, the girl paid still closer attention to Xing Yan's movements over the next two days, waiting to see what other jade-stealing, fragrance-pilfering escapades he would attempt.

But perhaps she had become too absorbed, for there was one thing she truly had forgotten:

She could simply have used the concealment of Water Without a Trace to retrieve her Jade Flute...

Fortunately, the boy was impatient too. He did not keep her waiting long before Ling Yier happened to notice Xing Yan's furtive movements that evening.

Eh? He's made himself look hideous. This doesn't look like stealing jade and pilfering fragrance-it looks more like robbing houses! Never mind. I'll follow him and see!

And so, with no idea what medicine Xing Yan was selling in his gourd, the little girl remained unusually quiet, standing invisibly nearby and watching events unfold. Only when that lazy scamp began spouting "filthy, lustful words" did the girl, blushing unseen in the shadows, finally lose control and give him a vicious kick!

The unlucky boy, however, knew nothing of the reason behind it and merely stood there suspecting ghosts:

An illusion? A trick of the senses? Or were those words of mine so outrageous that Heaven grew angry and punished me?

...Never mind! My conscience is clear in this business. The play must go on!

Seeing that her action had startled Xing Yan, Ling Yier inwardly grew wary and warned herself not to lose her composure again. What if the play stopped before it was finished? Hee!

Meanwhile, Brother Hu Shi'an, still standing nearby, had just been congratulating himself on the success of his scheme when the bandit's teasing words abruptly stopped. His heart instantly began beating like a drum.

Has this bandit changed his mind again? Instead of sleeping with Lady Rui, is he going to take my life?

At this perilous moment, the shameless wretch could only let his thoughts run wild, wavering between terror and doubt, with no idea what Xing Yan intended to do with him!