"Much more orderly than three years ago!"
Walking down the city's main street, Tian Hao mused aloud as he munched on a fried chive pancake he had just bought from a stall.
After escaping Guan Family Fort back then, he had headed straight for the Mount Hua Sect to seek a master, passing through this city on the way.
Public security here had been pretty poor back then. A bunch of thugs had nearly robbed him.
For the past three and a half years, he had stayed on Mount Hua cultivating, never once coming down. He had never expected the place to change so much in just over three years.
"That Western Depot Governor sent people to clean up the area for over a hundred li around. As the major city closest to our Mount Hua, this place received special attention."
Lao Denuo, also munching on a chive pancake, explained. He knew a little about these matters.
This was also the main reason their master and mistress had felt comfortable letting them leave the mountain. No one dared make trouble right under the Western Depot's nose. Doing so meant opposing the imperial court and the emperor himself. Even the Sun-Moon Demon Cult lacked that kind of nerve.
"Although the imperial court certainly has plenty of problems, it still guarantees the most basic order. If human civilization is to develop steadily, order is essential."
He felt a surge of emotion. As a new-era citizen with ideals, morality, education, and discipline, he had never lived through those war-torn years, but he had heard that in chaotic times, a human life was worth less than a dog's.
An age of chaos was far crueler than people imagined. Although the feudal system had many problems, it at least ensured society's most basic stability.
Of course, it also contained plenty of pitfalls. Those were limitations inherent in the feudal system itself, unless someone could break free of it and create an entirely new system. Some of the great figures in his previous life had managed just that.
Although the ultimate goal remained far away, progress had never stopped.
"If there's something you want to say, say it. My words still carry some weight with Master."
Glancing at the hesitant Lao Denuo, Tian Hao asked with a smile.
When Lao Denuo had followed him, he had understood the choice the man had made. Sure enough, it had been just as he expected.
"Zuo Lengchan once did me a great kindness. I want to repay him once, so neither of us owes the other anything afterward."
After a moment's hesitation, Lao Denuo finally braced himself and spoke.
He knew this might turn out badly, but Zuo Lengchan really had done him a great kindness back then. That was precisely why he had agreed to infiltrate the Mount Hua Sect and had spent more than a decade doing so without a word of complaint.
How many decades did a person have in a lifetime?
"Repaying kindness is a good thing. Master and the others are planning to obtain the Fuwei Armed Escort Agency's Bixie Sword Manual. When the time comes, copy it out and send it to Zuo Lengchan. Write him a few letters while you're at it, and keep him from bothering us."
Tian Hao did not refuse Lao Denuo's request. In fact, he was quite pleased. Someone who repaid kindness was far more reliable than an ungrateful petty scoundrel.
Besides, he had already intended to have Lao Denuo send something over as a pledge of allegiance to win Zuo Lengchan's trust. After all, the Mount Hua Sect was now publicly connected to Mount Hua Academy and had a bright future ahead.
He reckoned Zuo Lengchan had already begun wondering whether Lao Denuo was still a reliable spy. With the Bixie Sword Manual as a pledge of allegiance, he would surely win Zuo Lengchan's trust.
Then they could hoodwink him along the way and get him to turn his attention away from the Mount Hua Sect for a while.
Moreover, making Zuo Lengchan and the Mount Song Sect stronger would benefit them too. After all, the Mount Song Sect and Shaolin Temple were neighbors-and such close neighbors that they saw each other whether they looked up or down.
A stronger Mount Song Sect could also hold Shaolin Temple in check. Ideally, the two great sects would clash, letting him see whether Shaolin Temple had retained any means of countering the Sunflower Manual and the Bixie Sword Manual.
Although the Sunflower Manual had originally spread from Putian Shaolin Temple, the two Shaolin temples wore the same pair of trousers. He did not believe Northern Shaolin lacked a handwritten copy of the Sunflower Manual.
After all, in the original story, Shaolin Temple had explained the origins of the Bixie Sword Manual and the Sunflower Manual to Linghu Chong in detail.
Back then, Shaolin Temple had used the Sunflower Manual to dig a pit for the Mount Hua Sect. This time, they would use a Bixie Sword Manual to return the favor.
He also wanted to see whether he could trade the Bixie Sword Manual for Zuo Lengchan's Ice True Qi internal power technique. Internal power techniques with attributes like that were rare and well worth studying.
"The Bixie Sword Manual?"
His pupils contracted sharply. Lao Denuo truly had not expected Tian Hao to promise such a generous gift.
"Quick, quick, quick! Dongfang Bubai is dancing again at Fleeting Years! Hurry over, or you'll miss it!"
Just then, a young man dressed in brocade ran into the restaurant beside them and shouted. Soon, a group of men in brocade hurried out and raced toward the end of the street.
"Dongfang Bubai?"
Tian Hao blinked in bewilderment, thinking he had misheard. Turning his head, he found Lao Denuo looking equally shocked.
Could this world's Aunt Dongfang be the real Aunt Dongfang?
Lost in thought, Tian Hao recalled a version of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer from his previous life. If it really was that Auntie Dongfang, he could reap a huge windfall this time.
After all, Dongfang Bubai was a peerless genius rarely seen in the world, as well as the foremost martial artist in the Southern Ming Kingdom. Rumor had it that she might very well have broken through to the innate realm.
Her innate attribute was bound to be astonishing. If he could download it...
At the thought of the possibilities, a keen light flickered in Tian Hao's starry eyes.
"Junior Brother, don't be fooled. I've heard of that place, Like Water Through the Years. It's a courtesan house. Although it's somewhat better than a brothel, it's still a place of painted pleasures, not somewhere respectable people should go. Besides, you wouldn't like that sort of place."
Noticing Tian Hao's unusual reaction, Lao Denuo offered a well-meaning warning.
He knew all too well that this junior brother was a straight man cast from black iron. He never softened his words or expression for any woman, treating everyone absolutely equally, male or female.
One only had to look at how their youngest junior sister had been put through the wringer over the past few months to understand. He surely would not like a courtesan house.
"Second Senior Brother, go buy some of the best clear varnish. Once you have it, come find me at Fleeting Years."
After giving that instruction, Tian Hao turned and headed back.
He had spotted a shop selling rouge and face powder earlier. Whether he could seize this chance to download the real Aunt Dongfang's innate attribute would depend on those cosmetics.
"Huh?"
Lao Denuo stood rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered. He had assumed Junior Brother Hao had no interest in such places, yet it turned out he really intended to go.
At the end of the day, he's still a man. Perhaps our youngest junior sister simply isn't to Junior Brother Hao's taste.
Coming back to his senses, Lao Denuo revealed a knowing smile that any man would understand, then turned down another street to buy clear varnish.
Although he had no idea what his junior brother wanted the varnish for, he was now merely a tool without feelings. All he needed to do was his own job.
After quickly buying what he needed at the cosmetics shop, Tian Hao ran toward Fleeting Years at the end of the street.
"A high-class establishment indeed. None of those vulgar, blatant antics."
Standing at the entrance to Fleeting Years, Tian Hao was quite satisfied with this ancient five-star karaoke lounge. There were none of those tacky scenes from television dramas, with girls standing at the door soliciting customers.
In ancient times, courtesan houses and brothels were two entirely different things. Brothels dealt purely in that sort of transaction, while courtesan houses conducted a chaste trade. To put it plainly, they sold their artistic talents, not their bodies. The famous courtesans throughout history had all been women from courtesan houses.
The girls in such establishments were extraordinarily talented, accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Spending money at a high-class establishment like this was hardly cheap. Ordinary people simply could not afford it.
Of course, courtesan houses were not exactly good places either. Any woman branded with that label was effectively considered a cut below others and would struggle to find a good future, especially once she grew old, her beauty faded, and life became even harder.
After he waited a while, Lao Denuo came running over using his lightness skill, a large jar cradled in his arms.
"Junior Brother Hao, here's the clear varnish you wanted. It's the best in the entire city."
Setting the large jar on the ground, Lao Denuo patted it. He had picked this one out specially.
"We don't need that much. Just fill this little bottle."
Taking out an empty porcelain bottle he had prepared beforehand, Tian Hao motioned for Lao Denuo to pour a little from the large jar into it.
This stuff would determine whether he could enjoy prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the real Aunt Dongfang. There was no room for carelessness.
Before you continue