Chapter 36 Overlapping Shadows: Your business is my business

—That person…has no scar on their brow bone…that person isn’t Ah Jiu.

“You must have caught a chill.” Ajiu wrapped the cloak she had picked up around Guan Ye’s body. “The yin energy here is too heavy. Come on, I’ll take you back to the post station.”

“Ah Jiu…” Guan Ye’s teeth chattered, “I just… saw someone who looks like you.”

"You must have seen a ghost in the middle of the night." Ajiu wiped the sweat from Guan Ye's forehead with her sleeve.

Guan Ye shook her head fiercely, "Believe me, even if it's a ghost, it's a ghost that's coming for you. Ajiu, he looks a lot like you."

“Looks like this is a really eerie place.” Ajiu pulled Guan Ye up. This girl was usually nimble on her feet, but now she was as limp as a drunken man, unable to walk in a straight line. “You’ve only been here a short while and you’ve already been possessed by a ghost? Looks like you can’t do without me for even a moment.”

Ah Jiu simply carried Guan Ye on her back. She was light and agile, so the weight on her back wasn't too heavy. Guan Ye seemed genuinely frightened, and the strong-willed girl didn't struggle. She obediently lay on his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nervously rubbed her sweaty palms together. Strands of her hair swayed beside Ah Jiu's ears, exuding a tender, warm fragrance.

"Don't be afraid." This wasn't what Ajiu wanted to say, but he blurted it out without thinking.

"I want to go back to Canglang Island," Guan Ye murmured, resting her head on A Jiu's shoulder. "I'm afraid I can't do it."

“I’m here.” Ajiu stepped firmly, treading over the half-foot-high weeds, and pushed open the mottled vermilion gate, rescuing Guan Ye’s soul from her body. Suddenly, a wetness fell onto her neck. Ajiu frowned, turned her head and pressed her cheek against Guan Ye’s, “You’ve been crying.”

“We made a blood oath,” Ajiu comforted him. “We will stay together and never betray each other. Your business is my business. If you can’t do it, I will help you.”

“A-Jiu…” Guan Ye stopped crying. “Why did you board Hu Xian’s ship? Everyone has a story, you must have one too.”

“My story is boring and tedious, none of you would want to hear it.” Ajiu’s words contained a rare tenderness, as if afraid of startling the girl on her back. “I really enjoy listening to your stories, and I’d be happy to be a passerby in your stories.”

Guan Ye was amused by him and laughed. The night was deep, and the tallest lantern tower in Rongdu lit up. Countless lanterns twinkled and dazzled the eyes, like a silver river pouring down. The streets were ablaze with lights and silver flowers. Beautifully dressed women held colorful windmills and walked lightly with carefree smiles.

Ah Jiu stopped in front of the windmill stall, took out a copper coin and pressed it down, then picked out the fastest spinning one and handed it to Guan Ye with a "Here you go."

Guan Ye hesitated for a moment before taking it. The wind blew and the windmill turned, making a creaking sound that was quite pleasant. Guan Ye leaned against A Jiu's shoulder, whose shoulders were strong and thick. The windmill spun in a beautiful vortex, and Guan Ye suddenly felt no longer afraid.

"Your Highness, this must not happen again." Luo Yichen leaned close behind Mu Chenbi, glancing around warily. "I was startled when I saw a woman go in. If someone with ulterior motives wanted to harm Your Highness, I wouldn't have flown in."

"Why didn't you stop her?" The girl's name for him echoed in Mu Chenbi's ears. She called him: Ajiu.

"Your subordinate," Luo Yichen stammered, "that unarmed woman stared at the tattered sign of Tianhu Workshop for a long time, assuming she was just a stranger and would leave after a glance. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, she would slip inside? Your subordinate rushed in astray and saw her standing in the courtyard, dazed, showing no signs of harming Your Highness... and so, she... she..."

"Standing there in a daze?" Mu Chenbi seemed to be thinking. "It seems she really is from Xingguo Ward."

“The Pei family.” Luo Yichen suddenly realized, “I was wondering why a woman would sneak into the weapons shop at night. Since she’s from Xingguo Warehouse, it makes sense.”

“After tomorrow, it will be inconvenient for me to come here at any time.” Mu Chenbi suddenly turned around and saw a man carrying the girl who had just broken in out of Tianhu Fang. The girl hugged the man’s neck tightly and whispered in his ear. The man walked to the bustling stalls, picked out a pretty windmill and put it in the girl’s hand. The girl held the windmill high and spun it in the wind. Although Mu Chenbi could not see their expressions, she knew that the girl who received the gift must be very happy.

A-Jiu? Is he the A-Jiu the girl was talking about? The night was dark, and he could still mistake him like this? Mu Chenbi laughed as he thought about it. When he looked back, the two of them had already disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Mu Chenbi turned away sadly, forgetting to ask her if she had ever seen the Meteor Sword.

As night deepened, the lights on South Street gradually came on. Lanterns outside the blue brick walls flickered with an ambiguous red glow. The most eye-catching thing was the red-painted signboard of "Shi Ya Ge". The lanterns swayed in the wind, and the red glow made it particularly alluring.

"Shiya Pavilion?" Lou Cangyu stopped, sword in hand, and pointed to the three large characters on the plaque. As soon as he finished speaking, the melodious sound of silk and bamboo instruments rose up, the gate was pushed open from the inside, the courtyard was brightly lit, as bright as day, the curtains were hung high, guests came and went, and the sound of laughter was pleasant.

"Is this a restaurant?" Lou Cangyu hesitated, wanting to go in but then backing out. Being new to the place, everything was new and exciting to her. She had already seen so much on the way here and thought there would be few people on South Street, but it turned out that it was still early.

"A restaurant?" Feng Shisan laughed. "Lou Cangyu, there's a lot you haven't seen yet."

Lou Cangyu looked slightly embarrassed and was about to step inside when Ji Fang stopped him, saying, "I don't know where this place is. We've only just arrived, and it's already not good to sneak out like this. We don't want to cause any trouble."

"What trouble could we possibly cause?" Lou Cangyu feigned nonchalance. "We're just opening our doors to do business, what are you going to do with us?"

Xiao Ma glanced at the dignitaries dressed in brocade as they came and went, coughed, and said, "In here, taking too big a step might hurt your balls. Let's go somewhere else."

"I'm still going in." Lou Cangyu held his sword in one hand, his back ramrod straight. "Little Ma, didn't you bring money?"

“I don’t even have enough money to spend.” Xiao Ma and Feng Shisan exchanged a smile. “I’ve already told you it’s not suitable for us, but you just wouldn’t believe me. It’s good to go in and take a look, and put an end to your hopes.”

"Look, it's free, isn't it?" Ji Fang felt uneasy, yet couldn't suppress his curiosity.

Xiao Ma put his arm around his shoulder and said, "You might not be able to spend your money here. Just take a look."

The group entered the pavilion, where the atmosphere was even more lively. Guests sat around tables, drinking and laughing. Exquisitely made-up women, with their sleeves rolled up and wrists exposed, moved gracefully between the tables, wine jugs in hand, their eyes scanning the surroundings. When they saw three swordsmen in brocade robes enter, they scrutinized their handsome faces, their eyes filled with a seductive charm, but they did not invite them to sit down. It was as if they were used to impetuous and curious young men who would come in, make a brief appearance, and then leave the way they came.

Amidst the sounds of string and wind instruments and the clinking of cups, everyone noticed the unfamiliar swordsman, yet seemed oblivious to everything else. Lou Cangyu gasped, his mouth agape, his face brimming with barely concealed excitement. Ji Fang followed hesitantly behind him. The beautiful women, deliberately teasing the inexperienced young man, lightly brushed their water sleeves across his flushed face, withdrawing them just as he stared in disbelief, like butterfly wings gliding across him, enticing him into a dreamlike state.

“This place…” Ji Fang’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “Is it the brothel mentioned in the book…?”

"Ji Fang, you're quite something. You even know about brothels. You didn't waste your time studying for the young master's books." Feng Shisan, clearly the most knowledgeable among them, casually looked around, his expression calm and composed. "What a pity, it's not."

“No?” Ji Fang blinked. “This is the place described in the book.”

"You two have been stuck on the island for too long," Xiao Ma chuckled, leaning closer. "The young master's books mention brothels and entertainment venues; are all these elegant places outside just like that?"

Lou Cangyu took a few steps back. "What exactly is that?"

Seeing that he wanted to hear, Xiao Ma deliberately refused to say anything, pointing to the table in the middle and saying, "You'll find out in a moment."

Lou Cangyu looked around and looked up to see that Shiya Pavilion also had a second-floor private room, separated by a screen. In the center was a square table covered with a velvet carpet, where one person sat upright and four people stood around on both sides, with fine wine and delicacies piled up.

"What are you looking at?" Ji Fang followed Lou Cangyu's gaze. "That person has quite the imposing manner."

Although the beaded curtain was half-drawn, they could still see the person sitting upright. The person was about the same age as them, a young man dressed in a white satin robe embroidered with gold thread. He was tall and straight, and his every move exuded nobility. Perhaps feeling bored by the crowd, the young man picked up a folding fan from the table and gently waved it, revealing an air of refined scholarliness. His thin lips were slightly pursed, giving off an unapproachable indifference.

“They must be nobles from Rongdu,” Xiao Ma affirmed. “How could we possibly be worthy of their attention?” He glanced at Lou Cangyu, who was staring intently at him, and tapped him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. “You can only stare with your eyes wide open; you can only look on, never reach them.”

"Let's go." Seeing that it was getting late, Feng Shisan urged, "Manager Pei will remember us when he's done with his work. There's plenty of time, we'll come again next time."

"It seems you two aren't much better than Cangyu and me." Ji Fang suddenly felt bored. "You can't really explain yourselves either. Cangyu, let's go."

Feng Shisan couldn't stand being questioned, and even though Ji Fang was like that, he still insisted on saying, "This is Shi Yage."

“I can read.” Lou Cangyu raised his eyebrows.

"Shiyage is the largest guild hall in Rongdu, with the best wine and food in the Great Jin Dynasty, the most beautiful maidens, the most intelligent male prostitutes, and the most exquisite skills. From the powerful and wealthy to the merchants, everyone is keen to come here to make friends. If you want to do something big in Rongdu, you have to come to Shiyage." Xiao Ma's eyes lingered. "Maybe the person you just saw was a young master from a prominent family in Rongdu."

The group turned around and saw that Lou Cangyu was still standing there. Xiao Ma snapped his fingers at him and said, "Hey, this isn't the place for us, at least not yet. Let's go back to the post station. It's only our first day here, so let's not anger the keeper."

Lou Cangyu left dejectedly, glancing back at the bright red lanterns outside the wall as he went. The young man in the private room looked even younger than himself. Lou Cangyu imitated the young master's fanning motion, and it seemed as if a gentle breeze was actually blowing on his face. Lou Cangyu looked up and felt it, and his steps became much lighter.

"How do you two know everything?" Ji Fang couldn't hide his excitement. "Shi Yage, have you two been here before?"

"Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right?" Feng Shisan said smugly. "Once you stay in Rongdu for a while, you'll see for yourself. Xingguofang is going to do big business, and sooner or later they'll come to Shiyage to hold a banquet. Let's just wait and enjoy the feast."

Ji Fang's dark eyes gleamed as he turned to look for Lou Cangyu. He saw Lou Cangyu holding a sword in his left hand and empty-handed in his right, gesturing with a fan and enjoying himself. It was quite comical. Ji Fang smacked his lips. Although he hadn't even had a sip of water, he could still taste the alcohol in his saliva.