Chapter 78 "The Madman with the Blade" Liu Lang
Fireworks Lane in the rain is probably the most charming place in Shuzhou City.
It is slightly better than Kangning Street in the north of the city.
The once ordinary red lanterns and blue-lacquered wooden buildings, after being washed by the rain, looked as if they had been dressed in new clothes and had a new look.
It exudes a fresh and refined charm, both inside and out.
Amidst the faint scent of cosmetics, the unadorned courtesan saw her overnight guests off to the door, her eyes filled with longing for their return.
The warbling of birds carried far through the rain, their whispers revealing their reluctance to part.
However, it was clear that the dressed guests neither noticed nor cared.
Most of them left in a hurry without much hesitation.
Some even covered their heads with their sleeves, seemingly unwilling to let others see who they were.
However, there are exceptions.
Chen Yunfan is one of them.
Last night he slept in the most famous brothel in the red-light district, Chunyu Tower, and thus witnessed the difference between the brothels in Shuzhou and those in Jinling and Jiangnan Prefecture.
It has some exotic charm, and some Jiangnan charm.
It looks like a strange creature, but it actually has a unique charm.
Although the people in Chunyu Tower were all courtesans, and their skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were so-so, he played along for the sake of it and was neither happy nor disappointed.
If his brothers from the clan and his classmates from Jinling came here together, he would probably have a better time.
"Alone I sit in the Spring Rain Pavilion, with only two or three close friends."
Chen Yunfan was escorted out of Chunyu Tower by two courtesans, and he was inspired to write a poem.
There's no tonal pattern or parallelism, but you can still appreciate the artistic conception.
"Sir, your poem is excellent! May I leave a piece of your calligraphy?" the courtesan flattered.
Chen Yunfan straightened his robes, his smile vanished, and he waved before walking into the rain.
He needs to have calligraphy.
With his limited writing skills, whether it's poetry or calligraphy, he's far inferior to Chen Yi.
It would only make me look foolish if I brought it out, so I'll pass.
To be fair, the courtesan who was skilled in music last night sang that birthday song with quite a bit of flair.
"His ambition is as vast as a tiger's, as vast as a tiger's... How many Xiao Hous are there in the tens of millions of miles of the Great Wei Dynasty?"
"However, the old Marquis is truly getting old. Relying on decadent music to spread his fame in Shu Prefecture, he is somewhat past his prime, which is quite regrettable."
Chen Yunfan muttered to himself as he turned into a small alley outside Chunyu Tower, preparing to board the unremarkable carriage and quietly return to his temporary residence.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his voice, Chunying lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, calmly asking:
"Young master, did you enjoy yourself last night?"
Chen Yunfan, who had just caught sight of her, nearly choked on his own saliva. He coughed and walked to the carriage, glared at the driver, and replied:
"Whether you enjoyed it or not is another matter, but you probably didn't write back to complain, did you?"
Chunying shook her head. "Please forgive me, young master. I am but a lowly servant and dare not disobey Madam's orders."
Chen Yunfan asked dryly, "So the letter has already been sent?"
Chunying shook her head again, "No, it's still in the young master's study."
Chen Yunfan was overjoyed and pulled her into the carriage, saying, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go, let's head home."
After the two went inside, the coachman in the front seat expressionlessly cracked his whip and drove the carriage out of the alley.
I could faintly hear laughter and chatter behind me.
"Chunying, tomorrow is the day my son takes office. Do you think he should make a strong start?"
"Young master, you are new here, so you should be cautious and keep a low profile."
"Keep a low profile? It's the Shu Prefecture Administration that should be keeping a low profile."
"Left Envoy Liu Hong is bullying and oppressing people in Shu Prefecture because of the Liu family, and Right Envoy Yang Ye is old and frail. Who else is left?"
"Has the young master forgotten Xiao Dongchen of the Xiao family and Li Huaigu, the third-ranked scholar?"
"Them, hehe... are not even as good as Brother Yi, they just occupy a position."
As Chen Yunfan spoke, he pulled back the carriage curtain and looked at the Fireworks Alley through the rain and mist.
His words were full of sarcasm and belittling, yet he spoke with such conviction that he probably genuinely believed Chen Yi was superior to the two political advisors and councilors.
Chunying said seriously, "Young Master, you shouldn't be so high-profile. It's easy to attract criticism from those people."
Chen Yunfan naturally understood what she meant, and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "They're all like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't be able to jump around for long."
Before Chunying could continue her persuasion, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face, and he waved his hand again:
"Come, come and see, isn't that Yi-di and the others?"
Chunying paused, then leaned closer to look into the distance, her gaze becoming strange. "Young Master, did Young Master Yi really come to the brothel?"
"It really is him, hahaha..."
Chen Yunfan's face lit up with joy, and he reached out to pat the front of the car. "Uncle Ma, stop, stop, stop. Let's see which brothel Yidi is going to."
Just as Chunying was about to offer some advice, the carriage slowly came to a stop by the roadside.
Chen Yunfan moved to the other side, pulled the curtain open a crack, pressed his entire face against it, revealing only one eye, and grinned as he peeked out.
"Yi Di already has such an extraordinary wife, yet he still comes to the brothel. He is truly... a role model for us all."
"Wow, they went to Chunyu Tower again. Tsk tsk tsk, they went there early in the morning, but there were only some not-so-enthusiastic courtesans left."
Chunying couldn't see him, but it wasn't hard to tell from his back that the young master Yi, who had married into the Xiao family, had probably gone to a brothel.
Which one did these two brothers learn from?
Their father, Chen Xuanji, the eldest patriarch of the Chen family, was not like that.
Even the Second Master Chen Xuandu was a great Confucian scholar who was strict with himself and never ventured into places outside of officialdom.
Why are both the young master and Young Master Yi so fond of the brothel?
Chunying doesn't understand at all.
In fact, Liu Si'er and Ge Laosan, who followed Chen Yi into Chunyu Tower, were also puzzled at this moment.
However, their focus is clearly different.
Ge Laosan felt that the courtesans at Chunyu Tower were too expensive, and that the Lihong Courtyard he had visited before was more affordable.
Liu Si'er, however, understood Chen Yi even less.
It wouldn't have been so bad if Xiao Jinghong hadn't returned earlier, since we didn't know her attitude.
But after the last birthday banquet, the two were inseparable, looking like a loving couple. Why is the fledgling acting like this?
Is he planning to spend his whole life at Jishi Pharmacy, just loafing around and waiting to die?
Or is it that he chose to humiliate himself in order to avoid suspicion?
Liu Si'er always felt that something was off about everything.
Regardless of their thoughts, Chen Yi had already led them into Chunyu Tower.
Although he was dressed in fine clothes and a jade belt, he did not have any of the Xiao family's identity markings; he could only be described as elegant and proper.
The madam who had just seen off a group of customers at the door was around thirty years old, dressed in bright colors, and could be considered voluptuous.
With a quick glance, her discerning eyes revealed that Chen Yi and his family must be well-off, which naturally made her overjoyed.
"No wonder the magpies are chirping so happily today; it turns out a distinguished guest has arrived."
Chen Yi glanced at her and shook his head, saying, "Coming here so early in the morning, I can't possibly patronize your business."
The madam was not disappointed and still smiled warmly: "Since you've come, sir, why don't you sit down and talk?"
Chen Yi shook his head again and said with a smile, "My wife at home is very strict, and I don't have any money when I go out. This time I'm only here to find someone."
"Who should I look for?"
Before Chen Yi could speak, a cry of alarm came from the private room on the second floor: "Quick, someone is unwilling to pay!"
The madam's expression changed slightly. She didn't bother to greet Chen Yi anymore and rushed upstairs in three steps.
The previous gentle tone was gone, replaced by a shrill voice: "Let's see who dares to owe Spring Rain Pavilion money on credit?"
Chen Yi looked up but did not follow.
Liu Si'er hesitated, not paying attention to the fool upstairs, but wondering who the fledgling had found.
Ge Laosan couldn't resist going forward to take a look.
But before he could make a move, a person rushed out of the private room upstairs.
The man was fairly good-looking, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a strong build. He was wearing a blue robe and had a long knife hanging at his waist.
As soon as he rushed out, he jumped straight down from the second floor.
As he ran outside, he laughed loudly, "I've traveled all over the country, frequented brothels and taverns, and never paid a penny."
The madam, however, had no intention of letting him go. She followed him out and shouted at the surrounding pimps, "Stop him for me!"
In an instant, the tranquility of Chunyu Tower was gone, replaced by a lively scene of chasing and playing.
Hearing the commotion, the guests who hadn't returned home all night came running out, disheveled.
The beautiful women dressed in brightly colored clothes also ran out to watch the commotion below.
No one paid any attention to Chen Yi and his two companions who were watching the show from the sidelines.
Not long after, the man in blue with the sword ran to the door, but instead of rushing out, he turned back and grinned:
"It's worth mentioning that the girls at your Spring Rain Pavilion are really radiant."
"If anyone comes to bully me next time, you are allowed to mention my name—I never change my name or surname, I am Liu Lang!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the pimps grabbed stools and rushed over.
He hurriedly ran away, shouting as he ran, "Remember to mention my name; people in the martial arts world give me face."
The madam, still furious, retorted, "You poor wretch, what right do you have?!"
This caused a burst of laughter in the Chunyu Tower.
The guests naturally looked down on it, thinking that if you don't have money, why come to Chunyu Tower?
The courtesans covered their mouths and laughed, probably finding it interesting and novel. Having stayed at Chunyu Tower for a long time, they rarely saw guests like this.
Chen Yi glanced at the prompt he had received, then waved to Liu Si'er and Ge Laosan, "Let's go, it looks like we won't be able to find anyone today."
[Witness the legendary swordsman Liu Lang bidding farewell to his concubine. Reward: Great Spear Stance Skill upgraded from Profound Rank to Earth Rank, +60 Fortune.]
[Comment: The arrival of a person brings a commotion, and the scene becomes imposing. Upon first meeting a martial arts master, without even throwing a punch or kick, one is likely filled with fear.]
"?"
Chen Yi thought to himself that he was clearly just watching the show, so why should he be afraid?
We can't exactly ask him to help Chunyu Tower stop Liu Lang, can we?
The name "Knife Maniac" is widely known.
Thinking it over, Chen Yi looked at Liu Si'er and Ge Laosan behind him and asked, "Have you heard of the name Liu Lang?"
Liu Si'er and Ge Laosan exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "Never heard of it."
Chen Yi said "Oh", "Then I've heard it all now, it's truly legendary."
On the other side.
Chen Yunfan, who was just about to watch the fun, also saw Liu Lang running out, and the smile on his face froze.
Then he made way for Chunying and asked, "Look who's that?"
Chunying looked closely, her eyes immediately filled with confusion and bewilderment: "Why, why is he in Shu Prefecture?"
Chen Yunfan was certain of his answer, but his gaze fell on Chen Yi, who was standing behind Liu Lang. "I want to know too."
Liu Lang, also known as "The Madman of the Blade" or "The Madman of the Northern Desert Blade".
Traveling thousands of miles to Shu Prefecture, it doesn't seem like a good thing at all.
Especially since Chen Yi is here...
He pondered for a moment.
As Chen Yunfan gestured for the carriage to move forward, he asked, "Brother Huaigu's wedding is in a few days. Please prepare a small gift for me."
Chunying responded with a "yes," then asked with some surprise, "Didn't you look down on him before, young master?"
"Now that I've taken a liking to him, he's still a third-ranked scholar, so let's just consider him a fool who's only two levels below me."
"Young master, you shouldn't say such things in front of him..."
(End of this chapter)
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