Listening to Songs at the Pleasure House

"Here, take these ten taels of silver..."

"Oh, right, this time, for the slaying... Liu Jie provided comprehensive planning and support... the two of us get the major credit..."

Seeing that Xu Chunliang seemed a little dazed, Yu Ming reached out and rapped on the rough elm table, finally rousing him:

"Xu Chunliang? Xu Chunliang? Hey!"

Xu Chunliang looked up with a warm smile. "Captain, what are your orders?"

"Hmm..." Yu Ming was very pleased with Xu Chunliang's response. He flicked the piece of silver in front of him and continued, "The silver is yours, and the credit goes to the two of us. Any objections?"

Xu Chunliang shook his head, looking utterly serious. "Captain, there's no need to be so formal with me!"

He picked up the silver, placed it in Yu Ming's hand, and clasped his hand. "I only had the chance to kill that paper ghost courtesan because you looked after me and gave me an opportunity to gain experience, Captain! I can't thank you enough!"

"If I took the money too, I'd be out of line."

"How about this? You keep the ten taels and go listen to songs at a pleasure house with Brother Liu."

"Consider it a token of respect from me to you and Brother Liu."

Xu Chunliang kept his posture humble and his face full of flattery.

His colleagues, sitting scattered around the room, couldn't help feeling contempt.

"What a smooth little bootlicker," a tall, burly lesser flag officer muttered disdainfully to Shi Qin.

Shi Qin merely smiled and said nothing. A trace of worry appeared in his eyes as he looked at Xu Chunliang.

The other colleagues exchanged glances in twos and threes, their eyes showing their contempt for Xu Chunliang.

The pot calling the kettle black was one of the hardest habits for ordinary people to change, and one of the hardest for them to recognize in themselves.

Xu Chunliang paid no attention to the discussion behind his back and continued to look at Liu Jie and Yu Ming with a fawning expression.

Watching the copper coin bouncing on his fingers, Liu Jie stood up with a smile and said:

"Captain, it's rare for Little Liang to be so sincere. How about this? I'm in a good mood today, so there's no need for Little Liang to pay. It's my treat, and everyone's included. Xiaoxiang Tower—I'll treat the brothers to songs at the pleasure house~"

Thus, after half a day on duty, Yu Ming gave the order, and all their colleagues in the Demon-Slaying Bureau's Third Squad went out together, heading toward Fireworks Lane.

Of course, on everyone's attendance records, it was written in black and white that the Third Squad had deployed in full force,

to carry out an extremely covert investigation in Fireworks Lane.

Late at night, Fireworks Lane, Xiaoxiang Tower.

Wearing a fawning expression, Xu Chunliang carried a wine cup and toasted everyone he met, offering a few pleasant words along the way.

He was especially generous with his compliments to Yu Ming and Liu Jie, offering them an endless stream of auspicious wishes.

Liu Jie and Yu Ming were delighted. They patted Xu Chunliang on the shoulder and shouted that he was a good brother.

Before long, Xu Chunliang had drunk himself into a stupor and fallen asleep at the table.

Liu Jie was even kind enough to get Xu Chunliang a room and let him sleep there.

After the two Xiaoxiang Tower maids who had helped him there left...

Late at night,

everyone who had come to listen to songs was drunk.

Liu Jie and Yu Ming had their arms around each other's shoulders as the maids helped them into the room of the courtesan Pink Hydrangea.

During the night,

Liu Jie pushed aside Yu Ming's hairy thigh, which was resting on him, and Pink Hydrangea's delicate arm, which lay across his chest.

Completely naked and still dizzy, he got out of bed and made his way to the chamber pot.

He had drunk too much wine that night,

and he needed to take a leak.

"Fan City may be small, but it's pretty entertaining. I'll come again tomorrow."

Looking at his body, hardened by martial training, Liu Jie smiled smugly.

This was how a man should live: born into a powerful family and enjoying the wealth and comforts of the world.

He chuckled softly.

"When life is going well, you have to enjoy it to the fullest..."

Bang!

The back of his head went numb, and everything went black.

The next day, Xu Chunliang was awakened by a commotion at Xiaoxiang Tower.

He got out of bed looking bewildered, rubbing his temples as he nursed his hangover.

He walked out of the room.

"Can someone tell me what the hell happened?" a roar rang out.

Xu Chunliang recognized the voice of Jin Jun, the flag officer of the Demon-Slaying Bureau in Fan City.

Xu Chunliang laughed inwardly, but kept his expression unchanged as he hurried toward Jin Jun.

He saw his colleagues from the Demon-Slaying Bureau standing in a circle, each one dumbstruck as they stared blankly at the courtesan Pink Hydrangea's room.

Jin Jun's voice was coming from inside.

Looking bewildered, Xu Chunliang patted his colleague Zhou Dafu on the shoulder and asked quietly, "Brother Zhou, what happened?"

Zhou Dafu glanced at Xu Chunliang, then whispered:

"Last night, Liu Jie and Yu Ming stayed together in Pink Hydrangea's room. But when they woke up this morning, they found Liu Jie dead with his head smashed open in the chamber pot. Now Yu Ming is in deep trouble..."

"Tsk, tsk~"

"You probably didn't know, but Liu Jie was actually the flag officer's brother-in-law. Never mind whether Yu Ming can stay on as squad captain after this; I'm afraid he won't even keep his life."

Xu Chunliang nodded to show he understood,

then craned his neck to look into the room through a gap in the crowd.

Inside, Jin Jun held his long, ape-like right arm straight out, his palm as large as a cooking pot gripping the top of Yu Ming's skull.

Burning with rage, he said:

"Give me a reason not to kill you."

"I'll give you three breaths."

Yu Ming hurriedly said, "Liu Jie and I were lovers! I couldn't possibly have harmed him!"

Jin Jun rolled his eyes.

Bang!

He crushed the top of Yu Ming's skull, letting brain matter spill onto the floor like soft tofu.

Then he looked at the lovely head gripped in his left hand.

"What about you? Have anything to say to me?"

Seeing that the woman in his hand could only weep and beg for mercy, Jin Jun felt a surge of irritation.

He squeezed with his left hand, crushing Yu Linglong's head as well.

Then he walked out of the room, his gaze icy, and said coldly to Xu Chunliang and the others:

"All of you, get back to the Demon-Slaying Bureau. I'm going to question you one by one."

With that, he soared into the air and flew toward the Demon-Slaying Bureau's offices.

Everyone looked at one another and sighed. The cheer of their night at the brothel was gone, and they all hung their heads.

They made their way quickly toward the Demon-Slaying Bureau.

Xu Chunliang followed behind the others with his head lowered, the corners of his mouth secretly curling upward.

He knew he had passed.

Remembering Jin Jun's fierce punch the day before, Xu Chunliang felt a trace of hidden killing intent.

Liu Jie clearly had a powerful family behind him,

and Jin Jun was his superior.

So, whether by reason or sentiment, Jin Jun could not be allowed to live.

He had to find a chance...

to kill him.

But there was no need to rush. He would look for an opportunity.