Chapter 196 - 181: Determination

After a night of dancing dragons and fishes, when Lu Wenchang awoke from his deep sleep and saw the beauty still sound asleep beside him, a flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes.

He had committed himself to a woman for a lifetime, something he wouldn’t have even dared to think of before.

Just then, Liu Yiyi seemed to be startled awake by his movements and opened her eyes, her icy gaze making Lu Wenchang feel a trace of unfamiliarity.

"You can leave now!" Her frosty gaze was like a cold wind in the dead of winter, and her words carried not a hint of emotion.

"Yiyi?" Lu Wenchang said, somewhat in disbelief.

"What, Great Young Master Lu really thought there was genuine affection in this brothel? It was all just an act for the occasion."

"You helped me out yesterday, and I spent the night with you. Isn’t that fair?"

Her icy words felt like knives continuously slicing through Lu Wenchang’s heart, leaving him utterly devastated.

He kept muttering to himself, "Impossible, it can’t be, this can’t be real."

"This is reality, Young Master Lu. You should wake up now."

Lu Wenchang, soul crushed, was driven out of the room, still disbelieving he turned back for a look, only to see the tightly closed doors and windows, with Liu Yiyi not even coming out to see him off.

Separated by a door, it seemed like two different worlds. Lu Wenchang had never felt the world to be so distant.

What he did not know was that on the other side of the door, Liu Yiyi was already in tears.

She had pushed the love of her life away with her own hands, using the coldest words to make this man feel utterly despondent, all because she knew that such was her fate.

The power of Qianjin Pavilion was not to be underestimated, and retrieving someone from there was extremely difficult. She could not bring ruin upon Lu Wenchang; he still had a bright future ahead and dreams to fulfill.

He was destined to be a person of high repute in this world, whereas she was fit only to wallow in the mire. Let him forget all about this.

She had already prepared poison in wine, planning to kill herself after Lu Wenchang left. To have one person who truly loved her was enough for her in this life.

Lu Wenchang was one of the few lights in her life, and she was willing to die embracing that glimmer.

As Lu Wenchang descended from the pavilion, bewildered, he saw Lin Fang and Feng Jiu enjoying themselves immensely.

Upon seeing him, Lin Fang greeted him with a smile, "Our bridegroom has awoken, ah? A night of fervor is worth a thousand gold, why not sleep a little longer?"

Lu Wenchang, however, bowed before Lin Fang and said, "Thank you, Brother Lin, for your assistance. This kindness will never be forgotten. If there is anything you need in the future, feel free to seek out Lu Something."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Not staying for breakfast?" Lin Fang asked with a smile.

"No, thank you. I need some time to think."

"Then you’d better hurry, or it might be too late for regrets," Lin Fang said with a smile, uttering a phrase that puzzled him.

In the room, Liu Yiyi watched the gradually receding figure of Lu Wenchang, her tears unstoppable now, instantly soaking her gown.

The maid beside her asked in puzzlement, "Sister, since he is in your heart, why did you speak those heartless words? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to soar through life with Young Master Lu?"

Liu Yiyi, however, gently shook her head and said, "You don’t understand; this is my fate, a destiny that was set right from the beginning."

She had never believed in fate before, but at that moment, she felt as if there truly was something called divine will manipulating the fate of mankind.

She couldn’t keep him by her side, because she knew all too well the exorbitant price Qianjin Pavilion would demand for her freedom.

It was a fortune that even a Monster could not accumulate in a lifetime, and if Lu Wenchang insisted, he would likely face only death.

After all, the Golden-Winged Dapeng that appeared last night was not of a benevolent kind.

Clutching a porcelain bottle tightly in her hand, it contained the poison she had prepared to take before her defiance was broken, intending to end it all, but Lu Wenchang’s arrival had interrupted her plans.

"Farewell!" Liu Yiyi looked up to take the poison, but then she heard a clear voice outside that was so familiar, so tremor-inducing, that her hand holding the poison wobbled.

"Lu Wenchang requests an audience with the Owner of Qianjin Pavilion!" Lu Wenchang was still wearing that washed-out, faded Confucian robe.

He stood quietly in the grand hall of Qianjin Pavilion, yet seemed as imposing as a mountain.

"Oh! Isn’t this the lucky lad from yesterday? What brings you to seek this Great King?" laughed the Golden-Winged Peng Bird, his tone laced with mockery.

Looking at the Golden-Winged Peng, Lu Wenchang’s face showed no fear; he said calmly, "I wish to buy Liu Yiyi’s freedom; how much would it cost?"

But the Golden-Winged Peng’s expression changed, "Are you joking with me? There’s no such rule of buying one’s freedom in Qianjin Building."

In Luzhou in the North, unlike Dongsheng Shenzhou, the women here, treated like slaves, cannot buy their freedom unless the owner consents.

"Rules are made by men, and I hope you would show mercy. Lu Wenchang is grateful," he said, bowing deeply to the Golden-Winged Peng.

However, the Golden-Winged Peng burst into laughter, "Are you sure your studies haven’t muddled your brain? Are you commanding this king?"

With that, he stared sharply at Lu Wenchang, his golden eyes filled with icy coldness.

"Lu Wenchang, you should leave. I told you it was all just an act; why bother persisting and humiliating yourself?" Liu Yiyi said coldly as she opened the window and looked at Lu Wenchang.

But Lu Wenchang chuckled softly, "Yiyi, leave this to me, I’ve got everything under control."

His words were still gentle and sincere, brimming with love.

That statement completely shattered Liu Yiyi’s defenses. She could no longer maintain her icy demeanor, and her tears flowed freely as she said mournfully, "Why did you come back? If you leave here, you will die."

But Lu Wenchang shook his head resolutely, "I will not leave unless I take you with me; if I can’t even save you, how can I talk about changing the world?"

"Alright, that’s bold! I haven’t seen a young man as brave as you in many years. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you when the time comes; I won’t let you die too miserably," applauded the Golden-Winged Peng from the side.

Yet anyone could sense the chilling intent to kill in his words; for the Golden-Winged Peng, maintaining the reputation of Qianjin Pavilion by killing a Monster wasn’t a tough decision.

The only thing he was wary of was Lin Fang, who was still eating and drinking lavishly nearby. If this man intervened, he feared he might not be able to withstand him. However, he noticed Lin Fang showed no sign of intervening, which secretly relieved the Golden-Winged Peng.