Chapter 157: Trouble Arises from Covetousness

Although the Qingyuan Pavilion was a brothel, the private rooms were decorated with quite a bit of charm.

There were light gauze curtains, intricately carved window lattices, and the interior was furnished in a simple, elegant, and antique style, with calligraphy and paintings filling the walls and the fragrance of tea curling up from the table.

One side faced the street, where snow flew across Chang'an in the winter.

The other side faced inward; looking out through the window, one could see the rippling water vapor of the pond below, snow piled on the rockeries, and a theater pavilion situated in the center of the water, covered with blue tiles and featuring upturned eaves at the four corners.

In the pavilion, the sounds of the fish drum, cloud-shaped clappers, and banhu fiddle intertwined. A spirited old man played the erhu and sang: "This poor Daoist left home for Mount Zhongnan, raising my hands every day to contemplate the Dao, eating the rice of a thousand families with every mouthful, and chanting of the boundless Dharma with every sound..."

The lyrics were weathered and elegant; it was precisely the Daoist folk opera of Zhouzhi.

The name of the play was "Selling the Daoist Robe," which told the story of Han Yu's sixty-fourth birthday, when Han Han Xiangzi, who had already attained immortality, transformed into a Daoist boy and arrived in a disheveled state to offer birthday wishes, wanting to sell his Daoist robe as a treasure.

The playful banter was all meant to enlighten Han Yu.

Later, when the two recognized each other, Han Yu asked him when they would meet again.

Han Han Xiangzi laughed and said: "Unless it is that 'snow blocks the Blue Pass, the horse cannot advance.'"

Han Yu did not understand the meaning. Later, because he submitted a memorial against welcoming the Buddha's bone, he was demoted and traveled to the Blue Pass in the Qin Mountains, only to see a person coming from the wind and snow. It was Han Han Xiangzi, who laughed: "Do you still remember that poem?"

Han Yu sighed for a long time and recited: "A single memorial submitted to the Nine Heavens at dawn, by dusk demoted eight thousand li to Chaoyang. Wishing to remove harmful things for the wise Emperor, how could I cherish my remaining years in decay? Where is my home beyond the clouds in the Qin Mountains? Snow blocks the Blue Pass, the horse cannot advance. Knowing you have come from afar, you must have your reasons; it is good to collect my bones by the miasmic river."

This poem was called "Demoted to Blue Pass to Show My Grand-nephew Xiang."

Li Yan shook his head and listened carefully.

Although these Daoist folk operas were all small folk stories and mostly compiled by later generations, not true inside information of the Mystic Sects, they were profound in meaning.

Beside him, the uncle and nephew, Hei Dan, were both absent-minded.

One had a complex look in his eyes, as if recalling the past.

The other was full of curiosity, looking around at the decorations.

"Miss Zhao Wanfang is here!"

Following a shout from the waiter, the room door slowly opened, and a woman entered, swaying, her face covered by a round fan.

She was dressed in white, her figure graceful, the round fan covering her nose and below, revealing only her fair skin and charming eyes.

Gulp!

Beside him, Hei Dan's eyes went straight, and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

The young man's heart was just beginning to stir; where had he ever seen such a beauty?

The round fan half-covered her face, just like "holding a pipa half-hidden," making her appear even more alluring in her mystery.

Li Yan felt helpless and spread his hands: "I really have no money left."

This sentence was a real mood-killer.

He had only come to find someone, but the waiter and the madam were so eloquent that the three of them were ushered into this private room in a daze.

Zhao Zhao Wanfang, the top courtesan of Qingyuan Pavilion, would also come to serve them.

According to the waiter, this Zhao Zhao Wanfang was a descendant of the Great Song imperial family, possessing peerless beauty and profound knowledge; there were countless high-ranking officials and nobles in Changancheng who begged to visit but could not even see her.

Li Yan thought it was all nonsense.

But to find someone, he could only clarify things first.

Pfft!

Hearing Li Yan say he had no money, the top courtesan Zhao Zhao Wanfang let out a scoff, "Is Young Li Shi in such a hurry to leave?"

As she spoke, she shook the round fan lightly, revealing her exquisite face.

Beside him, Hei Dan's face turned red, and he lowered his head, not daring to look again.

Li Yan originally wanted to continue explaining, but a cold light flashed in his eyes. He leaned back, assumed a bold sitting posture, and laughed: "Why do I feel it's not me who is in a hurry... but rather that you, Miss, are a bit in a hurry?"

"Oh?"

Zhao Zhao Wanfang's eyes were filled with charm, as if a layer of mist had risen, ready to drip water at any moment. She twisted and swayed forward, "Look at what you're saying, it's still bright out, what would I be in a hurry for?"

As she spoke, her skirt flicked.

Whoosh!

A slender leg shot out coldly like a poisonous snake, fast as thunder, with a dagger at the tip of her shoe, stabbing straight at Li Yan's throat.

However, Li Yan was well-prepared. His left hand used a grappling technique to grab the opponent's ankle and push it away, while his right hand used a silk-entangling grappling technique to block the right palm attacking his eyes, twisting with the borrowed force.

Zhao Zhao Wanfang lost her balance and sat on his lap.

Just as she wanted to move, she discovered that Li Yan had already gripped her neck; his palm felt like steel, and a slight movement could snap her slender neck.

Both sides moved extremely fast; it was just a blink of an eye.

To the uncle and nephew Hei Dan beside them, it looked like the beauty first flirted, then spun around and lay in Li Yan's arms.

Well, in broad daylight...

Li Li Laogan hurriedly covered Hei Dan's eyes with his hand.

"Leg in the skirt?"

Li Yan had a smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold, "My meaning is, Miss, since you are in a hurry to take my life, you must first clarify the reason."

"Who are you working for? Whose errand are you running?"

The so-called "working for the Ge family" referred to the Ge Sect, which was the opposite of the Gua Sect; they were all from martial arts backgrounds, but relied on martial arts to commit murder, kidnapping, robbery, and other businesses, usually hired by others.

He asked himself if he had offended anyone in the brothel.

Then the greatest possibility was that she was a killer.

One couldn't practice this "leg in the skirt" kung fu without a lineage.

The uncle and nephew Hei Dan beside them were startled and just wanted to stand up and shout, but Li Yan signaled with his eyes, and they sat back down.

The situation was unclear, and he had to be careful of others.

At this moment, the top courtesan Zhao Zhao Wanfang had lost her previous charm, her eyes resolute, and a blade gradually extended from beneath the round fan in her hand.

Li Yan had an astonishing sense of smell; even with his eyes closed, he could perceive everything. How could he have fallen for the trick? He freed his other hand and gave a twist, causing the folding fan to drop instantly.

The patience in his eyes had vanished. "With so much gear, this must be a thief's den. It's just as well to wipe the whole nest out!"

"This has nothing to do with the others!"

Zhao Zhao Wanfang's expression shifted slightly, and she said in a low voice, "My grudge with you is personal. Even if you hadn't come knocking today, I would have waited for an opportunity to strike."

"I've fallen today. Kill me or carve me up as you please, but don't implicate anyone else!"

"A personal grudge?"

Li Yan was thoughtful. "Whom did I kill of yours? Tell me about it so I can keep count."

Since entering the martial world, he had lost count of how many people had died by his hand.

Although there were reasons for every strike, these people, after all, hadn't just popped out of a crack in a rock.

It was no surprise at all that someone would seek revenge.

Zhao Zhao Wanfang gritted her teeth. "It wasn't you—it was your father!"

"My father?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan felt a headache coming on. He frowned immediately. "Nonsense. You don't look very old; how could you possibly be connected to my father?"

"Hahaha..."

Zhao Zhao Wanfang gave a desolate laugh, her eyes filled with misery. "Back then, your father caused trouble at the Jin Cui Pavilion, which brought down the revenge of martial artists. My mother and my aunt were all buried in the sea of fire."

"Do you know how much I've suffered all these years? I stopped wanting to live long ago, but it's a pity I couldn't take you with me..."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "You are a survivor from back then?"

On this trip to Chang'an, he had naturally been investigating the events of that year. It was a pity that the Jin Cui Pavilion had been burned down, and the official yamen records stated that everyone had died.

He hadn't expected that one had actually been left behind...

Thinking of this, he whispered a few words into Zhao Zhao Wanfang's ear, then pushed her away and let her go.

Zhao Zhao Wanfang rolled with the momentum and picked up the folding fan from the ground. Holding it backhanded like a dagger in front of her, her eyes flickered with uncertainty. "What you said—is it true?"

Li Yan said in a low voice, "This matter is sensitive. If you want to live to find the murderer, don't make a scene. I'll come back tonight to talk to you in detail."

Zhao Zhao Wanfang's eyelids trembled. "Fine!"

Although she practiced martial arts, she was only at the peak of External Strength and had yet to step into Internal Strength. This time, it had been a desperate strike; she had wanted to rely on her beauty to seduce him and then land a slash when Li Yan was off guard.

The blade was coated in deadly poison; she had intended to die together with him.

But Li Yan's strength was clearly not something she could contend with, and the things he had mentioned had also raised her suspicions. The two of them going back and forth left Hei Dan completely confused.

One moment they were intimate,

The next they were brandishing blades.

Could this be the martial world?

Li Yan naturally didn't know what Hei Dan was thinking. He stared at Zhao Zhao Wanfang and said in a low voice, "We'll discuss this matter later. There is another thing I need to trouble you with, Miss."

After hearing the cause and effect, Zhao Zhao Wanfang fell silent for a moment. She turned and walked to the room door, her expression having returned to normal. She pulled the door open and said in a sweet voice, "Hu Dengzi, go and invite Master Bai over."

Zhao Zhao Wanfang had some status in this Qingyuan Pavilion, so the attendant hurried off to invite the person. Very soon, an old man came up with a face full of joy.

This old man was gaunt and thin, with a dog-skin plaster stuck to his neck, and the hem of his clothes was unraveled; clearly, he wasn't doing very well.

He had originally thought a wealthy patron wanted to watch a play, but upon seeing the people in the room, he froze for a moment. His eyes were complex, but he immediately squeezed out a smile. "Junior Feng Feng Shixiong Li, it's you. Long time no see."

"Bai Fa..."

Seeing the old man, Li Li Laogan had originally been somewhat excited, but upon hearing these words, his body trembled. He said in disbelief, "Is... is it you?"

"What is Junior Feng Feng Shixiong Li saying? I don't understand."

!.

A flash of panic crossed the old man's eyes, but he pretended to be confused.

"You old bastard!"

Li Li Laogan was instantly enraged. He lunged forward and grabbed the old man's clothes. "We were fellow disciples! I treated you well, so why did you harm me!"

Li Yan watched coldly from the sidelines and shook his head slightly.

As the saying goes, a thief has a guilty conscience; the old man had given himself away the moment he arrived.

Li Li Laogan had helped him in the past. Now that he had come knocking in his down-and-out state, the other party hadn't shown concern for what had happened recently, nor had he asked why they hadn't seen each other for so long. This only proved one thing:

He knew Li Li Laogan's situation, and he even knew the inside story.

Being torn at by Li Li Laogan, the old man didn't fight back. He was silent at first, but then he could no longer hold it together. With tears streaming down his face, he knelt on the ground. "Junior Feng Feng Shixiong, I've let you down..."

With snot and tears, he began to explain the reason.

It was still the trouble caused by gambling.

After their master passed away, their troupe's situation went from bad to worse. They couldn't survive locally, so they thought of the prosperity of Changancheng and figured they could always make a living there.

However, Changancheng was prosperous, and there were even more people with real skills.

The experts playing shadow puppetry here weren't just from Shanzhou.

Not to mention the Huayin Old Tune troupes, experts from Shu, Qilu, and all over gathered here, and they all had their unique specialties.

With their meager skills, they could only scrape by on the streets, hungry one meal and full the next. Later, it was only through connections that they managed to take root in this Qingyuan Pavilion.

Although they could eat, they couldn't save a single cent.

Plus, this Pingkang Ward was the liveliest place in Chang'an. Prosperity dazzled the eyes, and the young people in the troupe inevitably felt resentful in their hearts.

Why should others have big fish and meat while they were of lowly status!

Li Li Laogan had still had some wealth back then and was dressed luxuriously when he visited. Although he had meant well by helping them, it made those young people feel even more resentful. They goaded Master Bai into pleading for them to pass on the craft of making spirit leather.

Although Master Bai was also envious, he still had principles. Knowing that this was a heartless thing to do, he scolded those young people and didn't mention it again.

Not long after, those few people became addicted to gambling.

Dreaming of getting rich overnight, they instead lost everything and owed a huge debt to the gambling den.

Things having reached this point, they hardened their hearts and conspired together, wanting to cheat to win the money back.

What kind of place was a gambling den? It was full of experts. They were exposed on the spot, and in the middle of the night, the men were tied up, and Master Bai was told to bring silver to redeem them.

Otherwise, they could wait to collect the corpses the next day.

Master Bai had no money, so he begged bitterly.

Those young people were afraid, so they shouted loudly for the people at the gambling den to go find Li Li Laogan for the money to pay the debt.

One of them even let the secret slip, revealing the source of Li Li Laogan's craft.

This caught the attention of the people at the gambling den. One of the leaders immediately said the debt could be cleared, but they had to write down the cause and effect of this matter one by one.

They returned by luck, each of them terrified.

Not long after, news of Li Li Laogan's trouble arrived...

"Bring those few up here!"

Hearing this, Zhao Zhao Wanfang was also filled with disgust.

Very soon, those young people were all brought over. Perhaps because their characters were tainted, they all looked like thieves.

Seeing Li Li Laogan, they knew immediately that the matter had been exposed.

"Old Man Li, it has nothing to do with me! It was all his idea..."

"Fart! Wasn't it you who said it first?"

One of them even stiffened his neck and shouted, "Damn it, what are we afraid of? Back then, this old thing provoked unclean things and even sucked my father's vital energy. This matter isn't over yet!"

"And, our troupe's downfall must be because this old dog brought trouble and ruined our luck. He still has to pay us money!"

"That's right, pay up!"

Those few brats seemed to have gained courage and stood up together to curse.

"Pay your mother's ball!"

Hei Dan was already furious and lunged forward to beat them.

He had practiced fist fighting since he was a child, and although he hadn't mastered it, he was more than enough to deal with these brats. He immediately beat them until they were howling like ghosts.

"Sigh~"

Things having reached this point, Master Bai was also filled with regret. He opened his mouth, wanting to plead for mercy, but only let out a sigh and lowered his head, saying nothing more.

"Hei Dan, stop!"

Li Li Laogan shouted, stopping Hei Dan.

Looking at this chaotic scene, he was also filled with complex emotions and sighed, "Why must you all be like this?"

"That craft requires a spiritual root to be learned; otherwise, disaster will surely follow. I didn't even dare to pass it on to my own nephew, let alone you all."

"Even if one of you had a spiritual root, I would have passed on this art without Bai Fa having to say anything..."

"You all go. From this day forward, our bond is severed!"

At this moment, Zhao Zhao Wanfang spoke up again, coldly saying, "Master Bai, although people in the martial world are full of tricks, there is a taboo: a villain who returns evil for good is unwelcome everywhere."

"The winds of the martial world are strong. You can no longer stay in this Changancheng..."

"Wait!"

Li Yan said in a low voice, "First, make it clear: which gambling den is it, and what is the name of the person who tricked you?"

Master Bai, who was to the side, was already filled with shame and spoke directly, "It is the Jin Bao Gambling Den. The person who tricked us was a young scholar."

"We don't know him, but we heard someone nearby call him Third Feng Feng Shixiong."

"Jin Bao Gambling Den?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, lost in thought.

There was also a Jin Bao Gambling Den in Xianyang City, rumored to have connections with a certain noble in Chang'an. These two places probably had a connection...

"Let's go. We're going to the Jin Bao Gambling Den to find someone."

"Master Bai, I'll have to trouble you to follow us and help identify them."

Li Yan nodded slightly toward Zhao Zhao Wanfang, then took Hei Dan, his nephew, and Master Bai toward the Jin Bao Gambling Den.

Just as they left, the attendant brought several men to beat the young people out, and along with the shadow puppetry troupe's gear, they were thrown out as well.

Master Bai let out a sigh and didn't look back.

Those young people were panicked and ran away as fast as they could.

Amidst the falling snow, the shadow puppetry troupe's boxes shattered, and various small leather puppets were scattered all over the ground. They were soon scrambled for and trampled into a mess.

A beggar picked up the leather puppet of Lord Captain Guan, danced and gestured, pinched his voice, and winked at the beggar next to him. "Hey, you lot, look who I am!"

"Hahaha..."

The beggars tapped their broken bowls and laughed out loud...

(End of chapter)