Chapter 53

The silver moon hung in the sky, and the laughter within the Wu Wei Pavilion continued.

Several maids stood in the garden downstairs; hearing the silver-bell laughter occasionally drifting from above, they couldn't help but whisper to each other:

"What exactly is Young Master Xie doing? The Princess is laughing so happily."

"Perhaps he's telling dirty jokes. Didn't you see Young Master Xie speaking in hushed tones, as if he didn't want us to hear..."

"I really want to sneak a peek upstairs."

"Don't court death. If you see something you shouldn't, be careful the Princess might marry you off to the Butler Hou..."

Inside a residential house on the other side.

Xie Jinhuan silently flipped over the wall, confirmed no one had spotted his tracks, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He let Meiqiu return to the room to sleep first, then straightened his robes, quietly crossed the backyard wall, and arrived at the terrace.

Inside the sliding door, the lights were bright; he could hear the Longning Princess's distinctive mature female voice. From the laughter, it seemed she was being entertained very happily, and even carried a hint of shyness...

What is Ghost Wife doing?

Xie Jinhuan was completely bewildered, but as long as the Longning Princess hadn't noticed anything strange, it was fine. He stood quietly on the terrace; not a moment passed before the Ghost Wife's reminder sounded in his ear:

"Come in."

Xie Jinhuan said nothing more and quietly pulled open the sliding door to look.

Whoosh~

The room was filled with the scent of wine. Two empty wine pots sat on the carpet, but they were all concentrated on the Longning Princess's side; his position remained untouched.

The Princess, dressed in a home skirt, still sat before the Kong Que screen, leaning sideways against a soft pillow, her hand propping up her cheek. She didn't seem to be looking at anything specific, gazing at the air with a charming smile:

"Hehe~..."

Xie Jinhuan sat down opposite her, moving quietly, and words immediately reached his ears:

"Finish the wine, and just scatter the other things around."

Xie Jinhuan downed a pot of wine in one gulp. Although it made his scalp tingle, he gritted his teeth and endured it, then quietly scattered the wine vessels and gambling tools a bit.

The Longning Princess kept staring in his direction; after a moment, she seemed a bit dizzy, closed her eyes, and gently rubbed her temples:

"You rascal, your laughter is giving this Princess a headache~"

Xie Jinhuan knew the illusion had seamlessly dissolved; he put on an air of having had several rounds of wine:

"As long as the Princess is happy. It's getting late; shall I call the maids up to escort the Princess back to her room to rest?"

"Eh~"

The Longning Princess recovered for a moment, found the dizziness of the 'wine effect' had passed, then lifted her head again, her watery eyes gazing at Xie Jinhuan:

"It's not even past the Hour of Zi; how can we end so early... Wait, why did you suddenly become serious again?"

?

Wasn't I serious just now?

Xie Jinhuan wasn't clear on what Ghost Wife had done just now; at this moment, he could only go along with the conversation:

"I was afraid the maids would run up and see. Since the Princess hasn't had enough to drink, naturally I must continue to keep you company."

The Longning Princess nodded slightly, sat up a bit straighter to examine him closely, then raised an eyebrow:

"I still prefer your flirtatious demeanor from just now; recover that."

Flirtatious?!

Xie Jinhuan looked completely baffled.

Ye Hongshang, clearly knowing Xie Jinhuan would be confused, quietly appeared beside the Kong Que screen, arms crossed over her chest, quite displeased:

"You only killed three people, yet it took you nearly half an hour. Did you get lost? It wasn't easy for Sister to stall for so long; get wild again, don't let the cat out of the bag."

Get wild again?!

Xie Jinhuan had to find a target, scout the area, and avoid all gazes; returning in nearly half an hour was already lightning speed.

He knew Ghost Wife had expended considerable effort to delay things, but how was he supposed to get wild now?

Seeing Xie Jinhuan's hesitation, the Longning Princess said displeasedly:

"Just now you were so uninhibited, not treating this Princess's status as anything; why are you so restrained now? Why do I feel like you've changed into a different person?"

Because I actually did change into a different person!

Xie Jinhuan felt his image as a 'Righteous Xie Shaoxia' seemed to have completely collapsed; to avoid letting the cat out of the bag, he could only quietly seek help from Ghost Wife.

Ye Hongshang didn't act like a hands-off boss; she began teaching him on the spot how to get wild.

Xie Jinhuan looked up and saw the dazzlingly beautiful Great Succubus; her fiery red dress had transformed into a gauze gown revealing her small waist, and she still wore a veil. Then she swayed her waist and hips, her hands crossed over her chest, thrusting up and down, her plump waist moving with a captivating rhythm...

Damn it!

Did I just dance that damn thing?!

Isn't this just a strip-tease dancer?!

Xie Jinhuan thought the Great Ye Succubus danced very beautifully; he could start private lessons at home next time, but he hadn't learned this stuff.

Noticing the Princess waiting expectantly, Xie Jinhuan, to cover his tracks and prevent the landlady from suspecting anything, had no choice but to start performing tricks:

"I was just dancing for fun; dancing continuously is boring. How about I play a piece for the Princess?"

"Oh?"

The Longning Princess examined him with interest: "You can play music too? How many hidden talents do you actually have?"

Xie Jinhuan knew far too many things; seeing this, he said no more, went out to fetch Duoduo's pipa, sat on a stool, and slightly tested the tone:

"Since childhood, I have studied diligently and practiced hard; I know a little of every instrument. Although I cannot be called a master, I am passable. The pipa played by women emphasizes crispness and roundness, like flowing water. But when a man plays the pipa, he must project the momentum of the Four Heavenly Kings..."

"Dang, dang-dang—"

As he spoke, Xie Jinhuan swept the strings of the pipa a few times, progressing step by step. Hidden within the pipa's sound was killing intent, giving a sense of danger everywhere; even his eyes revealed sharp edge!

The Longning Princess was startled by that fierce, killing-intent-filled gaze; seeing that Xie Jinhuan truly knew how to play, she couldn't help but say in surprise:

"Good, good—your talent like this, not becoming a concubine, is truly a waste of resources."

"Your Highness flatters me."

Xie Jinhuan's lifelong skill, though his ambition was to crush the local natives, had effectively amounted to *The Concubine's Self-Cultivation*. Because he had to please the Miss, he couldn't play pieces with too much killing intent; instead, he thought to change it, letting his five fingers lightly pluck:

"Ding dong~ ding ding dong…"

The pipa softly hummed like a whisper, gentle yet tinged with three parts sorrow.

Princess Changning listened intently for a moment, her eyes surprised:

"You play Su Baiyu's *Pipa Yin* from the previous dynasty well—but this piece is too refined, boring. Do you have anything more vulgar?"

More vulgar?

Seeing his landlady insisted he loosen up, and not wanting to be exposed, Xie Jinhuan had no choice—he switched to fingers flying:

"Dang dang dang~ dang dang…"

The melody was lively, with strong rhythm.

Princess Changning blinked, tilting her head:

"What piece is this?"

Xie Jinhuan raised an eyebrow slightly, looking smug:

"Da Qian Electric Sound! Like it?"

"Huh?!"

Princess Changning was electrified by this sudden gaze, her eyes wide with wonder as she listened.

Though she felt Xie Jinhuan's vibe was still different from before, this learned, wild performance of his was far more interesting than his earlier effeminate flattery.

"Good, good—this piece I've never heard before, quite interesting. But what does 'Electric Sound' mean?"

Electric Sound naturally requires electricity.

Xie Jinhuan felt the pipa wasn't "hot" enough; suddenly inspired, he channeled his entire Qi, and blue-white electric arcs sparked from his fingertips—the melody instantly transformed into:

"Zi dang zi dang zizizizi~…"

Honestly, it actually had some feeling—the lights flickered dimly and brightly, though still lacking color.

Princess Changning, witnessing this collapse of ritual and music, this reversal of heaven's order, gazed in awe:

"You're truly a genius. If the Imperial Academy's music masters saw this, they'd probably spit blood three sheng and cry, 'What is this disgrace!'"

"Just for private fun—I'd never dare play like this in public."

Holding the "electric pipa," Xie Jinhuan sensed the mood was right, but he still needed a dancing partner—he turned his eyes toward the peerlessly beautiful young princess:

"Shall I teach Your Highness to dance?"

Princess Changning had already seen Xie Jinhuan's dancing earlier; she hesitated:

"That one again?"

"That one's boring. I'll teach you something prettier."

As he spoke, Xie Jinhuan stood up, left hand holding the pipa, right hand tapping the beat, beginning instruction:

"Dang dang dang…"

"Come on, follow the rhythm—rise on your toes, spin twice, lift your waist, thrust your hips—yes… loosen up, don't be shy…"

"Eh…"

Princess Changning was used to running wild with her ladies, but she'd never seen nightclub seductress dancing; trying Xie Jinhuan's moves, her face flushed red as she muttered:

"You're so lewd~ What even is this nonsense?"

Didn't you tell me to be lewd?

Since Xie Jinhuan could no longer pretend to be a righteous hero, he was now utterly unreserved—his gaze open and bold, beginning to coach his landlady:

"Learned this on the mountain with my master. Don't worry—there's no one else here. Come on, follow the beat… yes, very smart—faster, twist your waist more, yes yes, you're learning fast…"

Princess Changning's commanding aura was completely subdued; now she was shy, twisting a few steps, blushing so hard she wanted to punch this irreverent Young Master.

But Xie Jinhuan's gaze and manner held no flirtation—he praised her without a trace of sycophantic deference, like a close friend. Encouraging her, she slowly loosened up, gradually learning his movements…

Meanwhile, Ye Hongshang stood aside, surprised to see Xie Jinhuan truly let loose—his expression clearly said:

"Oh my~ He really can be wild. So good at pleasing girls? Don't tell me he never had a romantic sister before…"

Look at those little eyes—who's really the succubus here?

But Ye Hongshang wasn't a rigid ghost; after listening a while, she too began dancing along—her movements bold and dynamic, her gaze seductive, her body like a plump, boneless, supple serpent…

Holy shit…

Xie Jinhuan's eyes lit up—if not for fear of exposure, he'd have given her a thumbs-up.

But just as the two and the ghost were getting into the groove, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the alley behind, faintly accompanied by Yang Dabiao's shouts:

"Jinhuan? Jinhuan?!"

Xie Jinhuan's pipa notes halted—he knew the tavern incident had been exposed. He turned and slid open the door, scanning the buildings behind:

"Big Yang?"

"Hey? You're still drinking?"

"Yeah…"

"Who was playing the pipa just now? The windows flickered on and off like they were having a seizure…"

"Uh…"

Princess Changning pulled on her wide-sleeved outer robe and stepped onto the balcony, glancing out with mild annoyance:

"What is it?"

Yang Dabiao had just leapt onto the wall; seeing the princess appear, he startled and quickly bowed from afar:

"Your Highness, a major case has broken out on East Street. The Chi Lin Guard's Hundred-Commander Zhou He and two attendants were killed—all with a single throat-cut strike."

Princess Changning frowned and instinctively glanced at Xie Jinhuan beside her.

But since dusk, Xie Jinhuan had been drinking with her the whole time, having a blast; he had motive but absolutely no opportunity. She lowered her voice and asked:

"When did the person die?"

"At most two quarters of an hour ago."

"Who struck the blow?"

"Not yet determined. The thief possesses extraordinary martial skill; the marks suggest a left-hander who wields a blade well. I couldn't discern much, so I wanted Jinhuan to come over and take a look."

The Red Scale Guard are the Son of Heaven's claws, fangs, and eyes. Zhou He and others were ordered to Dan Yang to assist in investigating the Li family case, yet they were assassinated by an unknown thief. If blown up, this matter could be tied to treason.

Princess Changning knew full well this was a hot potato; whoever got tangled in it would suffer. She spoke displeased:

"Does the government office have no one? Relying on an outsider like Xie Jinhuan for everything—what use are you lot? Go fetch my lord Tie to take a look."

"Yes!"

Yang Dabiao dared not speak another word and quickly leaped down from the wall.

Hearing such news, Princess Changning lost all desire to drink:

"I heard you stayed up all night at the government office yesterday. It's late; go back and rest properly. Tomorrow at the Peony Pool, if you make this Princess lose, not only will the Martial Dao Divine Canon be gone, but you'll have to play music and dance to entertain at Wu Wei Pavilion every day from now on!"

Xie Jinhuan actually didn't mind messing around with his landlady, but for public appearances, he had to maintain the image of a righteous young hero. He whispered a reminder:

"That was just fooling around just now. If it gets out, people will laugh. Only the Princess needs to know about this..."

"Rest assured. This Princess isn't ignorant of worldly affairs. If your skills get out, from now on, whenever I see you, I'll have to queue behind the wealthy ladies."

"?"

Xie Jinhuan felt his image was completely ruined. He bowed and took his leave, flipping back into his own courtyard.

Princess Changning watched from the terrace. When Xie Jinhuan disappeared beneath the eaves, she still poked her head out for a peek, thinking to herself: Knows so much. No wonder Linghu Qingmo follows his butt around all day...

After calming down slightly, Princess Changning rubbed her brow and returned to her chambers:

"Duoduo, what wine did you serve today?"

"Apricot Blossom Spring. Is there a problem?"

"The kick is stronger than usual."

"Perhaps it's not the wine that intoxicates, but the person intoxicates themselves. If it were just me and Young Master Xie alone, I'd probably be down after three cups."

"Hmph~ you little hussy..."

——

Begging for monthly tickets or 2~

(End of this chapter)