Ye Qingyun sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, Junior Brother Xiao, go and come back soon! If you find that the Demonic Sect is becoming active again, don't forget to investigate!"
Xiao Yuhan nodded in agreement, and then led Bai Yao down the mountain, heading north.
...
The Qinhuai River area is known for its romantic scenery, and Yingyue City is located north of the Qinhuai River. It is called Yingyue City because there is a lake within the city. It is said that if you go boating on the lake at night, you will have the illusion that the Milky Way is reflected in the water.
The most famous place here is the brothel and theaters by Yingyue Lake, which remain brightly lit even late at night. Countless romantic scholars love to come here to play, indulging in poetry and painting, and showing off their refined tastes.
When people talk about the Qinhuai area, they often think of drizzling rain, rain pattering on lotus flowers, beautiful women weeping, small boats floating on the lake, the melodious sound of a pipa stirring up emotions, and a girl on the bow singing softly, perhaps humming a sad tune.
The Qinhuai Tower beside Yingyue Lake is the most famous place in the area. The top courtesan here is known as the Fairy of Qinhuai. Jiang Ruoning, whose musical skills are unparalleled, attracts countless young noblemen and princes to visit her. However, she only said one sentence: "I only seek a kindred spirit."
For this one sentence, Qinhuai Tower held a listening party, attracting countless famous actors and noblemen. And when Jiang Ruoning took out the Jade Water Pearl, it attracted even more people from the martial arts world who coveted it.
The spring rain was continuous, and there were few pedestrians on Yingyue City Street at night. However, it seemed that the drizzle could not dampen the spirits of the literati and poets who wanted to enjoy themselves. There were still quite a few people who came to Qinhuai Tower despite the rain.
These days, a middle-aged beggar always lies under the eaves in front of Qinhuai Tower to shelter from the rain, begging for wine from everyone he meets. Some people give him some money out of pity, and the beggar uses the money to buy wine, seemingly living a life of drunken stupor every moment.
Fearing it would affect their business, the thugs at Qinhuai Tower would often chase him away. If he didn't leave, he would inevitably get a beating. But the beggar never fought back. He would always shamelessly come here to beg for wine. If he could get drunk, he would go to the corner to sleep. If he couldn't get drunk, he would continue to beg for wine.
The madam of Qinhuai Tower couldn't do anything about him; a beggar wouldn't warrant being beaten to death, so she simply gave him some cheap wine from time to time to get rid of him.
Today, that crazy beggar once again blocked the front of Qinhuai Tower, lay down on the ground, and begged for wine.
The woman in green standing in front of him was none other than Jiang Ruoning, known as the Fairy of Qinhuai in this era. Unlike the vulgar beauties in the archway, this woman in green did not wear heavy makeup or exaggerated accessories, giving people a very dignified and elegant feeling. If people did not know that she was the top courtesan in this place, they would probably think that someone's young lady had wandered into the wrong place.
Jiang Ruoning was followed by a young maid holding an umbrella. Brothels and karaoke bars are two different things. Most of the girls here sell their art but not their bodies, so a woman like Jiang Ruoning is considered to have some status.
The little maid behind her saw the beggar blocking the road and wanted to call the thugs from Qinhuai Tower to drive him away, but Jiang Ruoning stopped her, saying, "The world is not easy, give him some money to get rid of him."
The young girl seemed somewhat displeased. "Miss, this man has been here for over half a month. He's clearly not very old, but he's been idly begging all day, all he does is beg for alcohol. He deserves it. With your status, why should you sympathize with someone like him?"
The woman in green shook her head. "We brothel girls and beggars are both from the lowest class. What status do we have? Let's get him some wine and food, and give him some money to send him away."
The young girl seemed a little unhappy, but she could only do as she was told. The girl in green looked at the beggar lying on the ground, dazed and confused, and sighed, "I wonder what difficulties you have encountered? If possible, find a job. After all, you have hands and feet, and it's cleaner than the money we brothel girls earn."
The beggar opened his drunken, dazed eyes and chuckled incoherently, "Hehehe...you're a nice girl, but do you know that living a life of drunken stupor is the true taste of life? Those who live soberly aren't as carefree as me."
The girl in green shook her head helplessly. She certainly wouldn't argue with a beggar. After seeing her maid bring him wine, food, and money, she slowly walked inside.
But after taking only a couple of steps, the beggar suddenly spoke up: "Miss, please wait. It's rare to meet a kind person like you. I don't want you to seek your own death. Here's my advice: leave Yingyue City."
Before the girl in green could speak, her maidservant quickly stepped forward, "Pah! You're asking for trouble! I'll give you a piece of advice: finish your meal, take the money, and leave. Don't show your face again, or I'll have someone beat you up!"
The beggar then picked up the wine jug and poured the wine into his gourd without saying another word.
The girl in green shook her head, not taking it seriously, and was about to leave when the beggar behind her spoke again.
"The evening rain falls softly, I sit alone on the Qinhuai Tower, the sound of the zither and lute echoes in my heart."
A desolate green shadow, a clear gaze amidst a turbid world, feigning sorrow in search of a kindred spirit.
It is a pure and clear wine in a jade pot, why should you willingly swallow its bitterness?
If I encounter a lovelorn soul next year, I'll indulge in a life of carefree indulgence and decadence.
The girl in green stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe that a beggar could say such a thing. She immediately turned around and asked, "Who exactly are you, sir?"
The beggar ignored her, filled his gourd with wine, grabbed his food, waved, and left with a flourish, laughing three times, "Hahaha... I am a wanderer of the martial world, a man who will never return... Take care, young lady, thank you for the wine!"
The young girl looked at the silver coins beside the food plate on the ground and asked curiously, "This beggar took the wine and food, why doesn't he want this silver coin? It's so strange... Miss, what did he mean by what he just said?"
The woman in green watched the figure disappear into the distance at the end of the long street, and laughed as if mocking herself, "I don't know if he was praising me or insulting me..."
The young girl carefully pondered the beggar's words. Having often accompanied Jiang Ruoning, she knew a bit about poetry. After a long while, she said, "Miss, I understand! He was talking about you! The first two lines say that you have such pure eyes and unparalleled musical skills, yet you are troubled by the lack of a soulmate. And the line 'Originally, it was like a piece of jade in a clear ice pot' is about you, right? It means that you are a person of noble character, yet you willingly choose to live in a brothel. But I don't quite understand the last line!"
"He's saying I'll eventually meet someone who understands me, and that's true freedom. Humph! This person, with all his knowledge, has also willingly fallen into begging. What right does he have to criticize me?"
The girl in green shook her head and then returned to the Qinhuai Tower.
However, the beggar's words just now startled the guards at the gate. They also began to wonder if this beggar, whom they often beat and chased away, might be some kind of reclusive master.
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