More than three years have passed since Yan Liang sent Wang Lianhua back to this world. Sometimes when he thinks of that extraordinary encounter, he still feels as if it were a dream.
Wang Lianhua spent two years in that other world, only to return to find that he had only disappeared for a year. Fortunately, most of his subordinates were loyal and did not cause any major trouble. After returning, Wang Lianhua first made an example of some people to warn others, and then dealt with the questions from his friends Shen Lang and Zhu Qiqi before things settled down.
Two years have passed, and the martial arts world remains the same. Apart from the different characters, it's still full of fools.
His trip to the capital had two purposes: first, to see if his friend's eldest son could pass the imperial examination with top honors and fulfill his friend's wish; and second, to investigate the strange events that had recently occurred in the martial arts world.
When Wang Lianhua learned that Yan Liang had passed the imperial examination with the rank of Tan Hua, he suddenly decided to use the identity of Yu Ze to test Yan Liang when they went to Hongxiu Pavilion. When he mentioned that his surname was "Chi", he implied that he was testing Yan Liang. Yan Liang's subsequent actions all showed that he was indeed the Yan Liang from the original world.
The only person who could seamlessly act opposite him and still find ways to disgust him without batting an eye was Yan Liang.
Yan Liang sighed, "I knew it! Why does Yu Ze's smile look so creepy?"
Wang Lianhua retorted, "I was wondering why this third-ranked scholar looked so stupid."
Li Xunle hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Wang Lianhua and Yan Liang got along well, clearly indicating that Wang Lianhua was the old friend Yan Liang had mentioned earlier. This made him somewhat conflicted about his relationship with Yan Liang.
Brother Yan and Senior Wang are friends of the same generation, but Senior Wang is a good friend of his father, and the two are also friends of the same generation...
Then who was he, who was of the same generation as Brother Yan?
Li Xunle's inner turmoil was immediately apparent. Wang Lianhua thought to herself that this child was as serious as ever, and said to him, "Why worry about such a small matter? Friends are friends, what's the big deal about seniority?"
Li Xunle suddenly realized, but then he saw Wang Lianhua looking thoughtful after speaking. He turned to Yan Liang and said, "Since you consider my nephew to be of the same generation, then you are also my nephew."
Li Xunle: "...?"
Didn't Senior Wang say that we don't need to worry about seniority?
Yan Liang: "...What do you want to say?"
Wang Lianhua: "Call me uncle."
Yan Liang: "Why don't you go to sleep and have a dream? You can have anything in your dreams."
This long-awaited banter felt like a lifetime ago to the two of them—in fact, it really did feel like a lifetime ago to Yan Liang, as he hadn't seen Wang Lianhua for nearly thirty years.
Wang Lianhua had known that Yan Liang's identity was not simple even in another world. Now, reuniting with an old friend, though their appearances have changed, it is still the same familiar relationship.
—To say I'm unhappy would be a lie.
Yan Liang wouldn't speak, and Wang Lianhua wouldn't ask, just as he hadn't asked Dongfang Bubai why he took the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual, or why "Chi Xiuyuan" called himself Yan Liang. The two understood each other implicitly, and when explaining their acquaintance to Li Xunle, they only told half the story—
"When he was in trouble, I helped him out of his predicament."
Yan Liang remained unfazed.
Wang Lianhua couldn't help but glance at him, feeling a strange mix of emotions at his shamelessness, but she didn't deny it, since it was indeed Yan Liang who had brought him back here.
Li Xunle stopped asking questions and instead warmly invited Wang Lianhua to stay. He respected his teachers and elders, and although Wang Lianhua was of the same generation as his friend, she was his father's friend and still his elder.
Wang Lianhua readily agreed and thus settled down at the Li residence.
Yan Liang and Li Xunle went to work and came home as usual, and everything should have been harmonious and perfect. However, in the capital, a series of poignant stories began to unfold because of the play performed by Wang Lianhua and Yan Liang.
The newly crowned third-ranked scholar falls in love at first sight with Yuze, the most beautiful courtesan of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, but their relationship is not destined to be together, along with various modified versions of the story...
In just three days, the story, which started as a simple tale of "the third-ranked scholar having no money to redeem the courtesan," was transformed into a tragic tale of "the third-ranked scholar and the courtesan being childhood sweethearts. Yuze was kidnapped and sold into the Red Sleeve Pavilion when she was young. Now, the old lovers meet again and recognize each other at first glance, but they cannot be together because of the difference in their social status." Not to mention, there were many other heavily modified versions in between.
The latest version that Yan Liang heard was both melodramatic and vulgar, sweet and heartbreaking, enough to make anyone who heard it feel sad and anyone who saw it cry—however, in reality, only a few people who were present at the time had actually seen it—so Yan Liang was very puzzled as to how the people of the capital had expanded a story that could be summarized in one sentence into a long serialized novel.
"I was wrong," Yan Liang sighed deeply. "In terms of vulgarity, you can't compare to the people of the capital."
Wang Lianhua ignored him.
Li Xunle smiled wryly to the side, while also hesitating because of the place they were going to.
The three of them were heading to Hongxiu Pavilion to visit the young lady Yuze.
The story of the third-ranked scholar and the most beautiful courtesan is so well-known that it has seriously affected the life of the girl named Yuze. Many people want to see Yuze's beauty and see what kind of beauty could catch the eye of the third-ranked scholar.
Wang Lianhua had nothing better to do, so he decided to go and watch the excitement. Today, taking advantage of Yan Liang and Li Xunle's return home, he dragged the two of them to Hongxiu Pavilion.
The three of them stood in front of the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Passersby looked at the protagonists of the recently touching story in the capital with ambiguity and excitement. Yan Liang and Wang Lianhua remained calm, but Li Xunle stood frozen in place, his ears turning red.
Yan Liang and Wang Lianhua exchanged a knowing glance, then reached out and pulled Li Xunle inside.
Li Xunle was caught off guard: ...? ?!
When the madam of Hongxiu Pavilion saw Yan Liang, her eyes lit up, and she greeted him with an intimate and enthusiastic smile, saying, "Does the young scholar wish to see Miss Yuze?"
Yan Liang remained calm in the face of the madam's enthusiasm and nodded, saying, "Yes, thank you for your trouble."
"Not at all, I should be thanking you!"
The madam quickly declined and personally led the three to Yuze's room on the second floor.
The love story between the third-ranked scholar and the most beautiful courtesan has attracted many people, and the business of the Red Sleeve Pavilion has been booming these days. In the eyes of the madam, Yan Liang is a god of wealth sent from heaven, which is why she treats him with such passion.
The three entered the room, and the madam closed the door behind them and quietly left the place.
The real Yuze girl sat gracefully behind the zither, her features exquisite, and her flamboyant red dress exuded a cool and aloof air.
She was completely different from the "Yuze Girl" that Wang Lianhua was dressed up as. The real person was as proud as a plum blossom, while "Wang Yuze" was as shy as an apricot blossom.
Yan Liang couldn't help but glance at Wang Lianhua. Wang Lianhua sensed the meaning in that look, which was roughly—
Look at you, you've ruined someone's image.
After the three sat down, Miss Yuze stepped forward to pour them wine, her demeanor dignified, a stark contrast to Wang Yuze's blushing after "accidentally" touching Yan Liang's finger.
So Yan Liang glanced at Wang Lianhua again.
"Speak your mind."
Wang Lianhua couldn't hold back any longer.
"How exactly did you manage to portray such a cool and aloof beauty as a shy and demure lady?"
Yan Liang asked him quietly.
Wang Lianhua: "..."
A cool and aloof beauty?
Oh.
Miss Yuze chuckled and said, "You flatter me, Scholar Yan."
When she doesn't smile, she's like a winter plum blossom, yet her voice is delicate and charming; when she smiles, she's as vibrant and dazzling as a peony.
The aloofness and beauty she possessed did not seem strange at all; it was as if she were born that way.
Yan Liang was speechless. Miss Yuze was indeed stunning.
Wang Lianhua smiled smugly.
After the joke, Wang Lianhua asked Yuze about her recent situation.
Wang Lianhua saved Yuze's life, and the two had been in secret contact. Otherwise, Yuze would not have lent his identity to Wang Lianhua to trick Yan Liang.
Yuze first complained about how many people bothered her just to see what kind of woman could win the heart of the third-ranked scholar. Seeing that Wang Lianhua was just smiling, she changed the subject and got down to business.
In recent years, Wang Lianhua has no longer been active in the martial arts world openly, but he still keeps a close eye on its developments in secret.
Since the beginning of last summer, people have been dying mysteriously in the martial arts world. Although most of them are evildoers in the martial arts world, some have also been implicated.
Wang Lianhua was always very idle, so idle that he wanted to see what kind of person this "acting on behalf of Heaven" was, so he got involved in investigating the matter—although the investigation was sporadic and inconsistent.
His men gathered information, and all the clues pointed to the capital and Miao territory.
Yuze spends most of his time in the capital, and the Red Sleeve Pavilion is a place where all sorts of people mingle, with a lot of complicated information. However, there is always some useful intelligence mixed in with the falsehoods.
When Yuze shared the information he had gathered with Wang Lianhua, Yan Liang and Li Xunle were playing chess nearby.
Wang Lianhua brought them here without intending to avoid them, but Li Xunle was very responsible and insisted on not listening to anything improper. Seeing that he was bored, Yan Liang pulled him to start playing chess.
If someone were to come to this house and see the two main characters, who are famous throughout the capital, each doing their own thing, they would probably be very disappointed.
Wang Lianhua pondered the information provided by Yuze. Nothing major had happened in the capital these past few days; the only major event was the romantic escapades of the third-ranked scholar, who had become famous throughout the capital.
Seeing Wang Lianhua lost in thought, Yuze paused in his act of pouring her wine, then resumed his usual demeanor.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard a loud, undisguised noise coming straight towards the room from the hallway.
Wang Lianhua composed himself, his brows furrowing slightly.
The door was pushed open forcefully, and the person who pushed it opened it and stood beside the door. Then another person slowly walked into the room.
The man was dressed in a flying fish robe, with slightly raised eyebrows, a fair complexion, and an aura of menace. He looked down at the four people sitting on the ground.
Although Yan Liang did not recognize him, he recognized his clothes.
The man looked around the room and then carefully examined the four people. When he saw Wang Lianhua sitting opposite Miss Yuze, while Yan Liang was playing chess with Li Xunle, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Scholar Li and Scholar Yan... what a fine time they are together."
He smiled slightly, his voice hoarse.
Yan Liang wanted to be modest and say "not at all," but his survival instinct and the current situation prevented him from doing so.
The man glanced at him, then ordered his men to search the room thoroughly. After searching for a while without finding anything, they all returned to his side.
"I apologize for disturbing you. Please make yourselves at home."
Before leaving, he glanced at the four people, offered a half-hearted apology, and then led his group away in a grand procession.
After the man left, the madam of Hongxiu Pavilion rushed into the room to comfort the distinguished guests, but after seeing the scene in the room, she was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She rambled on about the identity of the man and then said some nice words to persuade the guests to stay. Miss Yuze smiled and responded.
The man just now was Yu Huatian, the head of the Western Depot, who is now quite favored by the emperor.
Yan Liang had naturally heard of the famous eunuch of the Western Depot and couldn't help but wonder why he had come to the Red Sleeve Pavilion. The madam explained that the extensive search was necessary to investigate the criminals.
The perpetrator?
Yan Liang overheard some of Wang Lianhua and Miss Yuze's conversation and couldn't help but look at Wang Lianhua. She narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly thinking the same thing as him.
Perhaps the Western Depot, having learned of this, will not send news of this place of pleasure.
Author's Note: I want to try writing a plot... [facepalm]
If any idiotic scenes appear later, please be gentle with me (I will try my best not to write idiotic plots).
Also, Green JJ's internet is so clunky! Even with my great internet connection, posting this took ten minutes (probably more) to get out. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2020-02-16 20:22:43 and 2020-02-17 23:01:30!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Yu Zi Cheng Shuo 1;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Zhaoming Qiansheng (4 bottles); Mengjun (2 bottles); caught a live little angel; and Shanglan (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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