Chapter 247: Ruined a Lifetime (Requesting Monthly Passes)

Two Wu Sheng held up Xiao Xiao Lou Fang, complaining, "He is a living, breathing man; how could we possibly keep watch over him?"

Master Liang let out a long sigh.

The backstage area was chaotic and shabby, with hardly any chairs to begin with.

Master Liang gave up the chair he was sitting on: "Let him sit down first."

Xu Yuan looked at Xiao Xiao Lou Fang with a displeased expression; this state was very much like something his father had once described to him.

The two Wu Sheng placed Xiao Xiao Lou Fang on the chair, and Song Lu couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did he eat?"

Master Liang said bitterly, "Afong."

Xu Yuan thought to himself, "As expected, it is that harmful thing!"

Song Lu was bewildered; what was this?

Fu Jingyu quietly told her that Afong, Fushou Gao, Yapian, Yantu, and so on were all the same thing.

Master Liang sighed deeply: "When he was at the height of his popularity back then, he suddenly stopped singing... all because he started smoking."

"Such a promising future, ruined completely!"

Master Liang glanced at Xu Yuan, then quickly averted his gaze, saying, "My lords, it is not that I, as a troupe master, am being harsh on an old member."

"For a performer who has lost his voice, or a Wu Sheng who has become disabled, the troupe provides for their old age; this is the rule of the trade."

"But my lords can go and inquire; how many actually manage to do this?"

"He has been addicted to this thing for ten years, stealing small amounts within the troupe and swindling people outside—I, the Liang Troupe, did not kick him out, still providing him with a meal... we have been as kind and righteous as possible!"

Xu Yuan could not help but feel ashamed inwardly.

Just now, he had jumped to conclusions and pinned the label of "heartless and unrighteous" on Master Liang.

But Xu Yuan was very puzzled: Xiao Xiao Lou Fang was already in this state; why did Zhang Laoya still want him to come find this person?

Xu Yuan asked, "Is it true that outside, it is rumored that after Xiao Xiao Lou Fang retired, he cultivated two famous performers for your Liang Troupe?"

Before Master Liang could answer, one Wu Sheng already replied indignantly, "That is something he said to the outside world himself! He took the credit for himself; with his fame, whatever he said, outsiders believed. If we tried to explain even a little, outsiders would think we were heartless, that since Xiao Xiao Lou Fang was no longer famous, we were even trying to steal this credit from him!"

The other Wu Sheng also said, "He used this fabricated credit to constantly demand money from the troupe master to buy Afong. If we didn't give it, he would go out and spread lies again, ruining the troupe's reputation."

Xu Yuan fell silent. He looked at Xiao Xiao Lou Fang again: "How long until he sobers up in this state?"

Song Lu said indignantly, "Bring cold water and pour it on him!"

Master Liang shook his head: "It's useless. Cold water cannot wake him from that thing; we can only wait for the drug's effect to wear off. I estimate... it will take another half an hour or so."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment: "I will take him away."

"Good." Master Liang agreed without hesitation.

Xu Yuan came out from the backstage, grabbed a young opera boy, and gave him twenty taels of silver: "Give twenty red ribbons to the performers on stage."

The opera boy took the silver and hurriedly asked, "May I ask your lordship's name..."

Master Liang snatched the silver back, intending to return it to Xu Yuan: "How dare we accept my lord's money."

Xu Yuan stuffed the silver back into the opera boy's hand, nodded to Master Liang, and said, "This official takes his leave."

The opera boy looked at the silver in his hand: "Mas- Master, this silver..."

Master Liang waved his hand: "Go distribute the red ribbons."

"Okay, hehe." The opera boy was happy; for every red ribbon distributed, he could keep one large copper coin.

Twenty large copper coins were truly a "huge sum" for a young opera boy.

He glanced once more at Xu Yuan's retreating back and couldn't help but think: These lords also seem... not so terrifying after all.

The two Wu Sheng were also watching Lord Xu depart.

One of them couldn't help but speak up: "Troupe Master, can this lord save Senior Fang?"

Xiao Xiao Lou Fang's original surname was "Fang".

Master Liang sighed: "Lord Xu... it seems he does not quite understand this Afong. Although his intentions are good, once addicted to this thing, anyone is ruined."

He shook his head: "Let's go back."

The two Wu Sheng felt regretful, but who could feel more regretful than Master Liang?

He had personally watched "Xiao Xiao Lou Fang" debut, become famous enough to light up half the sky in just half a year, and then rapidly fall from grace due to smoking Afong!

In the first few years, Master Liang tried every possible method to help him quit; he spent several hundred taels of silver, yet Xiao Xiao Lou Fang's addiction only grew stronger.

It is not easy for any opera troupe to produce a performer like "Xiao Xiao Lou Fang"!

And now, he is ruined like this.

Master Liang had once consulted a high expert, who explicitly told him: Even a seventh-rate Wu Xiu who uses this Afong would not be able to withstand it for three years.

Let alone Xiao Xiao Lou Fang, who is merely a Fa Xiu, whose body is only slightly stronger than an ordinary person's.

Xu Yuan brought the person back to the Nancheng Patrol Office and, without knocking, barged straight into Zhang Laoya's room.

He threw Xiao Lou Chun, who was still as soft as a noodle, directly onto Zhang Laoya's bed.

"Is this the answer I paid a huge price to buy from you?"

Zhang Laoya cried out, "Eh, eh, eh! Get this thing off my bed quickly, don't get it dirty!"

Xu Yuan told the others to leave first, closed the door, and said, "This deal of yours is not fair!"

Zhang Laoya went over himself, pulled Xiao Xiao Lou Fang off the bed, and threw him directly onto the floor.

"How is it unfair?" Zhang Laoya asked. "Let me ask you first; guess who sent those two people?"

Xu Yuan: "The Fu Family."

"Exactly. The Fu Family has always been ruthless in their attacks. I, this old man, can guarantee that those two people carry more than just a single Thread-Linking Technique."

"Only because your Lady's methods are unimaginable could she immobilize them all."

"But to preserve their lives and allow you to interrogate them for clues, relying solely on the methods of a Shen Xiu is not enough; a Shen Xiu can only resolve the Thread-Linking Technique."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, and it did make some sense.

"So this guy can help me?"

Xu Yuan pointed his toe at the small figure on the ground—this thing couldn't even be called a person.

Zhang Laoya sighed: "From Zhan City to Zhengzhou, there are always some people secretly setting traps to lure others into consuming this afurong."

Even now, ordinary people barely know its dangers; many still think it's a good medicine.

A single inhale eases all bodily pain and brings full-body relief.

You've never been to Beidu—if you had, you'd find even more such people there!"

Xu Yuan frowned deeply.

Zhang Laoya added: "Xiao Xiao Lou Fang's method demands complete immersion—this is why he can take on the entire karmic burden of others."

Xu Yuan still asked: "Can he still perform the method in this state?"

Zhang Laoya said: "You're a Dan Xiu—craft him a detox pill. That's your responsibility; whether you can do it or not has nothing to do with me."

"Detox pill?" Xu Yuan went straight to find Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng listened as Xu Yuan explained, then examined Xiao Xiao Lou Fang and said solemnly: "Only a Sixth-Grade detox pill will work."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then went first to the San Niang Society to seek medicine.

Though they had no Sixth-Grade pills, they had found ways to save Wang Sheng—surely they had methods to combine several pills to save Xiao Xiao Lou Fang too.

Xu Yuan knew he was being selfish.

Because the Hundred-Ailments Cabinet and the Measure-of-Heart Scale never take on such "jobs."

Only close family or friends may request medicine.

But… this was urgent.

(End of Chapter)