Chapter 43: Co-opting

Hai hour.

The moon was bright, stars sparse, and Qinghe was shrouded in darkness.

In ancient times, people had little entertainment, and by this hour, many households had already extinguished their lamps and gone to sleep.

The few places still lit were limited to just a handful.

The Jiaofangsi was one of them.

“In ancient customs and cultural systems, the goulan held the lowest status—it was merely a brothel, catering to common folk, a form of physical labor with low profits.”

“The qinglou was far more upscale; only wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials could enter, and only at this level did the notion of ‘selling art, not body’ emerge.”

“But if you speak of the pinnacle of disdain, it was unquestionably the Jiaofangsi.”

Li Rui mentally assessed.

Old Li had really come up in the world—he could actually come to the Jiaofangsi.

The Jiaofangsi had long shed the vulgar tastes of ordinary qinglou; its patrons included wealthy gentlemen who spent a thousand taels just to hear a single melody.

Thirty taels—and you didn’t even touch the girl’s ass.

“Refined. Truly refined.”

But Li Rui preferred the vulgar.

At this moment.

A crisp, jade-bead-like melody reached his ears; faintly visible behind the screen was a graceful silhouette, nothing more.

He glanced at Wu Tu beside him.

Wu Tu shifted his buttocks again and again, as if nails had been driven into the soft couch—he clearly couldn’t sit still.

The piece ended.

Wu Tu happily raised his cup: “Miss Chunnuan’s qin is the finest in Qinghe—no one dares claim second. I’m just a crude man who doesn’t know how to appreciate it, but Vice-Commander Zhang surely understands the meaning in Miss Chunnuan’s music.”

A thin, middle-aged man, around forty, smiled and waved his hand: “I’m only here to enjoy the sound—not an expert—but tonight’s ‘Bodhisattva Man’ was truly lingering, and her qin skills have improved again.”

The middle-aged man was Zhang Yang, one of the Four Vice-Commanders of the Tian Di Alliance.

Li Rui’s heart stirred.

Wu Tu was a seasoned veteran—he’d flattered perfectly.

The safest way to praise someone is to belittle yourself and elevate them.

Especially when it concerns what they value most.

Serving a superior requires catering to their tastes.

Vice-Commander Zhang had long been known for feigning refinement, which was why Wu Tu had specifically chosen the Jiaofangsi over an ordinary qinglou.

The Jiaofangsi was no simple place for chasing flowers and seeking pleasure.

The qingguan here had once been daughters of wealthy families, rigorously trained since childhood in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—their elegance could not be compared to the common girls of qinglou.

Of course, it was also truly expensive.

Zhang Yang took a satisfied sip of wine: “Brother Li, this season’s plum wine is the finest—drink more.”

He prided himself on being a connoisseur of food and drink.

Li Rui smiled on his face, but inwardly scoffed.

“This Vice-Commander Zhang clearly came from a gang background—where did he get all these refined tastes?”

Zhao Wei, by contrast, perfectly embodied the rough-and-tumble aura of a man from the underworld.

The women in the room had changed several times, offering quantity over quality, welcoming all comers.

Zhang Yang waved his hand.

Wu Tu signaled to the woman behind the screen; she picked up her qin and withdrew slowly.

Soon, only the three of them remained in the room.

Li Rui straightened his back.

The real business was about to begin.

Zhang Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly, a half-smile on his face as he looked at Li Rui: “Brother Li, you’ve got real skill—quietly disposing of Ying Liu without a sound. Truly admirable.”

Li Rui shook his head: “Ying Liu died on duty.”

Zhang Yang chuckled.

As if he believed every word.

Li Rui knew explanations were useless—Tianyi Hall had lost two men in succession, both his rivals; it was obvious to everyone he was behind it.

“Vice-Commander Zhang, did you call me here for a reason?”

Zhang Yang chuckled: “I know your abilities, Brother Li, and I’ve long wished to befriend you—that’s why I asked Wu younger brother to arrange this meeting.”

On the surface, Li Rui was Zhao Wei’s man.

But who he truly belonged to wasn’t determined by appearances—it was about hidden ties.

Zhang Yang was clearly trying to recruit Li Rui.

“Brother Li, the Commander thought you were too old, so he assigned you light duties—but I know your worth. You’re wasted in Tianyi Hall. Come to my Wenwu Hall as Grand Patron—rank equal to a Hall Master. What do you say?”

Wu Tu’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Yang to offer such a high price to win Li Rui over.

Wenwu Hall was no Tianyi Hall.

It held high rank and heavy power—a top-tier post, coveted by many.

Even though Grand Patron was slightly below Hall Master, it far surpassed Vice Hall Master and was more than ten times superior to the Tianyi Hall Master.

Li Rui was also startled.

Zhang Yang was truly making a heavy investment.

But then Zhang Yang changed tone: “Brother Li, you know a Hall Master must be approved by the Commander. If you can rank within the top eight in next month’s assessment, I’ll make sure you get the Grand Patron position, no matter what.”

Li Rui understood.

No wonder Zhang Yang had been so quick—he’d been waiting for this.

Neither side was foolish; no one would hand over such a vital position to an incompetent man.

Zhang Yang was using the upcoming assessment to test Li Rui’s true strength.

The assessment was the best way.

All those ranked above “8” were Hall Masters—if Li Rui could reach that level, he’d likely earn a Hall Master position himself.

But Zhang Yang had pushed further, offering the extremely central role of Grand Patron in Wenwu Hall.

Zhang Yang: “I’m certain Brother Li’s strength will earn him a high rank in the assessment.”

He genuinely hoped Li Rui had real ability.

They were desperately short on people.

The Alliance Master had broken through, and the internal situation had shifted dramatically.

Vice-Commanders were all on edge; at the eighth rank, rapid power growth was impossible—even talented martial artists needed over a decade to pass the Bronze Bone threshold.

So the fastest way was to cultivate strength.

All four Vice-Commanders of the Qinghe branch had done the same.

Otherwise, how could they compete with the ruthless outsiders? When that happened, not only would the surrounding counties of Qinghe be targeted, but even officials from Anning Prefecture would come sniffing.

Li Rui chuckled: “I’m just an old man—what can I do? Those are the young ones’ affairs.”

Zhang Yang didn’t press further.

Though he favored Li Rui, a ranked martial artist wasn’t worth his repeated efforts to persuade.

Everyone had their own path.

If Li Rui joined him, fine; if not, no matter.

As Li Rui himself said, he was already seventy—by ancient standards, he had few years left, so Zhang Yang wasn’t willing to waste time or resources on him.

He merely valued Li Rui’s immediate combat power, which was why he’d offered the Grand Patron position.

In a few years, when Li Rui’s lifespan ran out, he could replace him with his own loyalist.

Either way, he wouldn’t lose.

Zhang Yang’s calculations were sharp indeed.

(End of Chapter)