Chapter 27: Pleasures in Hexian Tower
The three men attacked with swords in hand at an extremely fast speed.
Xiao Mingyi's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward and grasped the girl's slender waist. Under her frightened gaze, he turned her behind his back, and the hem of her lotus-colored skirt drew a crescent-shaped arc in mid-air.
At the same time, he blocked one person's attack with his long sword and kicked him away with his leg, his movements clean and neat.
The dull thud of flesh hitting the ground made Song Lingyi's body tremble.
It must be said that although this bandit leader is a dog, he is quite skilled in martial arts. Those three villains couldn't even survive ten moves from him!
Xiao Mingyi sheathed his sword and lowered his head, his gaze roaming over the girl until he was sure she was unharmed. Then he said, "Something's wrong with this village. We need to leave quickly."
Having experienced life and death, Song Lingyi obeyed the bandit leader's orders without hesitation. She clung to his arm and asked, "Where are the others?"
"There are still a few bastards left in the backyard, but they can be dealt with quickly." Xiao Mingyi's voice was cold.
Go through the second courtyard gate.
The front yard, which was bustling with servants in the evening, was now dead silent.
Xiao Mingyi asked Song Lingyi to get into the carriage first and calmly instructed her, "Wait inside. There's a dagger in the side drawer. You can use it for self-defense later."
Song Lingyi, still startled, asked weakly, "Fifth Master, who are they?"
"The goods aren't lost, and the carriage is still there. They're not after money, are they? And the weapons they're using look familiar."
The hilt has a snake pattern, a pattern also found on the weapons used by the "official soldiers" encountered at Guanyin Temple and Qingshi Town. If they were soldiers, there's no reason to chase them this far, across state lines.
The sky was as dark as ink, and the all-encompassing rain swept down, landing on Xiao Mingyi's brocade robe and into Song Lingyi's eyes as clear as glass, melting into shimmering water light.
He narrowed his eyes and opened his thin lips slightly: "Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask."
“…”
Don’t ask then.
Song Lingyi curled her lips and tilted her head to look towards the gate of the second courtyard.
By then, Wang Chong and the others had already dealt with the remaining assassins and returned to the front yard. The assassination had been too sudden; if they hadn't been alert, they would have all been killed.
These were assassins sent by the Second Prince, Xiao Du, and were in cahoots with the group from Qingshi Town. They had communicated with the owner of this manor in advance, asking 'Mr. Chai' to keep an eye on the Crown Prince's whereabouts and notify them as soon as they had any news.
If it weren't for the rainstorm, these killers would not have been able to catch up.
Having lost several brothers tonight, the atmosphere among the bandits was a little heavy. Song Lingyi did not dare to ask any more questions and quietly returned to the carriage.
After a brief rest, the caravan continued its journey. It was approaching the hour of Yin, and the rain was gradually subsiding.
The girl lay on the cushion and fell into a deep sleep.
It wasn't until daybreak that the caravan arrived at the next town. The bandit leader ordered them to rest in the open space at the end of the town and set off again at 9:00 PM.
The morning market was bustling with activity. Noodle vendors opened their stalls, revealing the aroma of freshly baked buns. To thank the bandit leader for saving her life, Song Lingyi reluctantly bought a tray of meat buns and shared them with the bandits.
"Fifth Master." Song Lingyi called softly.
Xiao Mingyi raised his eyes and looked at the bun handed to him by the girl, but did not take it immediately.
"Didn't I tell you not to run around?"
Song Lingyi frowned and retorted in a low voice: "I just went to the street to buy buns, I didn't run around."
She turned her dark eyes slightly, as if hiding a seductive hook, and added in time: "I won't do that next time."
Xiao Mingyi took the bun, took a bite, and suddenly remembered the hairpin in his sleeve pocket. He subconsciously looked at the girl sitting next to him with her mouth full of greasy food.
“…”
Forget it, I'll pick a suitable time to give it to her.
…
At the time of Si, the team left the town and arrived at Yunhe Ferry, fifty miles away from Kyoto, in the afternoon of the next day.
Yunhe Ferry is one of the three major ferry crossings, close to Kyoto. Many wealthy merchants come and go, and a small city has gradually formed here, which is as prosperous as Yuanzhou City.
Because the other two teams would not meet up at Yunhe Ferry until tomorrow, the bandit leader ordered them to rest for a day at Yunhe Ferry.
The carriage rumbled through the streets. Song Lingyi leaned against the window and looked out, her dark eyes filled with joy.
A quarter of an hour later, the team stopped outside a building with carved railings and jade bricks.
When the waiter in the building saw the bandit leader, he immediately rushed in to report.
In a moment, a middle-aged woman dressed in gorgeous clothes and still charming came out, holding a round fan and twisting her slender waist, and greeted warmly: "I didn't know you were such a distinguished guest. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you."
Xiao Mingyi's eyes darkened slightly as he glanced in the direction of the carriage.
Song Lingyi had just gotten out of the carriage and was looking around curiously, not paying any attention to what the middle-aged woman was saying.
"Fifth Master, are we staying here tonight?"
She looked up at the building. She had been here for several months, but this was the first time she had seen such a magnificent building.
"Ouch~"
The middle-aged woman came over, fanning herself with a round ball. Her almond-shaped eyes carefully examined the girl's entire body. "What a pretty girl!"
Song Lingyi frowned slightly and shrank her shoulders uncomfortably.
The tone of voice this woman used was exactly the same as that of brothel madams in movies and TV dramas, which made her feel scared.
"Where is Kong Hansheng?" Xiao Mingyi asked in a deep voice.
The middle-aged woman curled her red lips and said, "In the building, please follow me."
As soon as she entered the building, Song Lingyi looked around with her eyes wide open, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
The building is magnificent, with glazed lanterns hanging high, and the overall atmosphere is luxurious and indulgent.
The melodious music of stringed instruments and bamboo pipes filled the ears, and the air was mixed with the scent of powder and incense.
The guests sat around the table drinking tea and chatting, while on the stage decorated with red silk, graceful dancers danced lightly, their long sleeves fluttering in the wind, like graceful dragons, which mesmerized the guests below.
Something is wrong, twenty percent wrong.
Song Lingyi narrowed her black eyes, glanced at the girls in the building who were wearing heavy makeup and gorgeous clothes, and tugged at the corner of Xuanfeng's clothes.
"Brother Xuanfeng."
"Ah?" Xuanfeng leaned closer to his ear.
"Is this the legendary brothel?"
The girl's eyes were so clear and bright that Xuanfeng felt a lump in his throat.
Bringing a little girl to a brothel is indeed not a good idea, but the Second Prince is eyeing them covetously outside, and Hexian Tower has acquaintances and confidants of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so it is the safest place to stay at the moment.
"Uh... well..."
"..." Song Lingyi's breathing was slightly choked.
It really is a brothel!
When I was in the mountain stronghold, I often heard the bandits chattering about the courtesans and famous prostitutes in brothels. They were a bunch of old perverts!
I thought there was something different about the bandit leader. Before they even arrived in Kyoto, he brought them to the brothel to have fun.
"rogue."
The girl stared at the bandit leader's back with resentment and couldn't help cursing.
"?" Xuanfeng was surprised.
The gangster refers to the boss?
Miss Ali seems to have misunderstood. Do you want an explanation?
"Actually... the boss doesn't come to the brothel often, he just has some acquaintances here."
It would have been fine if he hadn't explained, but once he did, the girl got even angrier.
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