Chapter 69: The Temple's Female Thug

The next day.

When Luo Zijun woke up, it was already noon.

The sunlight outside the window was brilliant.

A rich, medicinal fragrance suddenly drifted in from the small courtyard.

His heart was filled with doubt.

At this moment, he suddenly discovered something was wrong.

His clothes and trousers seemed to have been stripped off by someone!

Xiaohuan wouldn't be that bold!

There was only one answer...

His sister had taken the opportunity while Xiaohuan was getting up to open the door to come in and check on him!

"..."

Luo Zijun was speechless, then got dressed and got up.

He went to the small courtyard and found Xiaohuan squatting on the ground, holding a fan and fanning a stove.

Inside the stove, steam was rising, and the medicinal fragrance was overflowing.

"Xiaohuan, what are you brewing on the stove?"

Luo Zijun felt suspicious.

At this time, Luo Jiaorong came out of the kitchen and said, "Tonic, of course. You brought back so much medicine last night, wasn't it to be brewed and eaten?"

Luo Zijun opened his mouth: "That, Sister... how did you know that was tonic?"

Luo Jiaorong rolled her eyes at him and said, "It's written clearly on the medicine packets: for kidney deficiency, for kidney emptiness, for weak legs. Even if Sister hasn't read many books, surely I can recognize these few characters?"

"Ah???"

Luo Zijun hurriedly ran to the kitchen and grabbed those medicine packets to check.

At the very bottom of the medicine packets, he indeed discovered that line of very, very small characters: for kidney deficiency, for kidney emptiness, for weak legs, for a lecherous brat...

And this handwriting...

Despicable Senior Sister! Shameless Senior Sister!

"Alright, alright, Sister won't ask any more. Stay home, take your medicine, nourish your kidneys, and get some good rest. Don't run around everywhere."

After Luo Jiaorong finished speaking, she prepared to go out to attend to her business.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "Sister, listen to my explanation!"

"I won't listen to your sophistry."

Luo Jiaorong left directly.

Luo Zijun hurriedly chased after her to the door and said, "Sister, did you secretly strip off my clothes this morning?"

Luo Jiaorong turned her head, glared, and said, "What do you mean 'secretly'? Even if you were awake, I would have stripped them off openly! If you were ruined, how would I answer to our ancestors after I die? You were bitten like that by someone; naturally, I had to check clearly."

Luo Zijun: "..."

When he returned to the small courtyard, Xiaohuan looked at him with a flushed face and said timidly, "Young Master, this morning, Madam even... even looked at your... said she was checking if it was dead..."

Luo Zijun: "Ah???"

"Those strawberries, Madam also asked about them... Madam was very curious and asked this servant how they were made, so this servant taught her, and then this servant... this servant planted one on Young Master's belly... Madam praised Young Master, saying the little thing really has many tricks..."

"Ah!!!"

Lunch was warming in the kitchen.

After the master and servant finished their meal, they went into the room.

Xiaohuan knelt on the bed, sticking her bottom up while spreading a new bedsheet, and asked, "Does Young Master want to take a nap?"

Luo Zijun took all his silver and said, "I just got up, how could I still be sleepy? I'm going out to buy some things and will be back later."

Xiaohuan hurriedly said, "Young Master, Madam said to stay home and properly nourish your kidneys; you are not allowed to run around."

"Smack!"

Luo Zijun gave her upturned bottom a slap and walked out the door, saying, "I've already taken the medicine; I can nourish them just as well outside. Remember to keep your mouth shut next time; don't tell Sister everything, understand?"

Xiaohuan let out an "Oh," covered her backside, and blushed.

Luo Zijun left the house and wandered the streets, looking for the Martial Arts Hall his brother-in-law had mentioned.

As it turned out, he didn't know if he had found the wrong place, but after searching for the better part of the day, he hadn't even found one.

He had no choice but to ask passersby.

As it turned out, after asking several people, they all said they didn't know.

Strange.

Could a Martial Arts Hall really be hidden away?

The afternoon sun was beating down, and it was still very hot.

After walking for the better part of the day, he was now both tired and thirsty.

"I'll go have a cup of tea first, then go to the north of the city to take a look. If that really doesn't work, I'll just have to go back and ask my brother-in-law again."

Naturally, if one is going to drink tea, it should be free.

Luo Zijun went straight to Bao'an Hall.

After entering the shop, he found that, for the first time ever, Senior Sister was not in the shop.

Master was guarding the shop alone, lying comfortably on a rocking chair, eyes closed and snoring; he didn't know how long he had been asleep.

Luo Zijun went over, poured several cups of tea, and drank them down in one gulp.

However, when he walked behind the counter to check the money in the cabinet, he discovered that there wasn't a single copper coin inside.

His heart skipped a beat.

Could it have been stolen?

If it really was stolen, when Senior Sister returns, she will probably give Master a real beating.

"Master!"

He shouted immediately.

Su Dafang was so startled he jumped up from his rocking chair, nearly falling flat on the ground.

After seeing clearly that it was him, he immediately said angrily, "What are you howling about, you brat?"

Luo Zijun said, "Where is the money? There isn't a single coin left in the cabinet; did a thief steal it all while you were asleep?"

Su Dafang clutched his chest and rolled his eyes: "I didn't earn any money today! Yesterday's was already hidden away by your Senior Sister."

Luo Zijun asked curiously, "Where did Senior Sister go?"

Su Dafang sat back down on the rocking chair and said, "She isn't feeling well, so she's sleeping at home."

"What is wrong with Senior Sister?"

Luo Zijun asked with concern.

Although he bickered and fought with Senior Sister every day, never giving an inch, he was still very concerned to hear that she was not feeling well.

Su Dafang closed his eyes and said indifferently, "A girl's ailment, it's nothing."

"Oh."

Luo Zijun understood.

Su Dafang opened his eyes again and said, "Why aren't you resting at home today? What are you running around for?"

Luo Zijun walked out from behind the counter, squatted down beside him, and asked, "Master, you have traveled far and wide and are very knowledgeable; you must have walked all over this Outer City. Do you know where there is a Martial Arts Hall?"

"A Martial Arts Hall?"

Su Dafang blinked: "What is a Martial Arts Hall for?" "For practicing martial arts, of course."

Master doesn't even know this?

Su Dafang looked at him in surprise and said, "You want to practice martial arts?"

Luo Zijun said, "I want to give it a try."

Su Dafang shook his head: "As your master, I advise you not to try. Martial arts are started from childhood; you are too late."

Luo Zijun was unconvinced: "But my brother-in-law said I have great talent for martial arts."

Su Dafang glanced at him and said, "I also said you have great talent for medicine, but so what? A person only has one pair of hands and two legs in this life, with only a few decades of life in a hurry; if you want to do everything, in the end, you won't do anything well."

"Study hard and don't think about those pointless things."

Luo Zijun remained silent.

Su Dafang looked at him again: "What, were you bullied by a female flower-picking thief outside the city, so you made a vow in your heart to practice martial arts and become strong?"

!

Luo Zijun said, "Yes."

Su Dafang said, "Disciple, your intention is correct, but your path is wrong. Practicing martial arts is not a matter of a day or two, nor is it that simple. Instead of wanting to practice martial arts to become strong, why not find a way to marry a wife with high martial arts skills to protect you? Wouldn't that save you from the hardship of practicing martial arts and allow you to save half a lifetime to do something else?"

Luo Zijun was stunned for a moment: "That makes sense... but, Master, isn't that being a kept man and eating soft rice?"

Su Dafang immediately rolled his eyes: "What is wrong with being a kept man and eating soft rice? I want to be one but can't. With your conditions, you are clearly destined to be a kept man. I advise you to prepare early and nourish your kidneys well, so you aren't looked down upon when you eventually become a kept man."

"..."

Seeing that he could not get any more information from Master, Luo Zijun had to stand up and say, "Master, you watch the shop alone; I still have things to do, so I'm leaving."

Su Dafang closed his eyes and ignored him further.

Luo Zijun went to the north of the city.

But after searching for a long time, he still could not find a Martial Arts Hall.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of Xu Xian.

Thinking of Xu Xian, he naturally thought of his younger sister, Xu Ziyin.

That young girl is clearly a martial artist; I wonder where she practices.

Should I go ask?

Forget it, she doesn't have a very good impression of him, and she might not tell him.

Perhaps she would even mock him a few times.

Better to go home and ask my brother-in-law.

Brother-in-law has worked at the yamen for so many years and has likely run all over the Outer City; he should know.

He returned to the south of the city.

It was still early, so he first went to the bookstore to see if there were any good books.

The book he wrote should not be out so quickly.

Let me first understand the best-selling books here before deciding what to write next.

"What book is the Young Master looking for?"

Seeing him wearing a Confucian robe and possessing an elegant temperament, the shop assistant immediately came over to ask, recognizing him as a scholar.

Luo Zijun said, "I'll take a look at whichever ones are the best-selling books."

The shop assistant smiled upon hearing this, led him to the innermost bookshelf, and pointed to the top row: "Young Master, look, these are all the recent best-sellers; they sell particularly well. Every time we restock, they sell out in less than three days."

"Oh?"

Luo Zijun was very curious and casually picked one up to browse.

"Young Master, take your time."

The shop assistant tactfully stepped away.

Luo Zijun flipped through a few pages and thought to himself, truly brilliant!

Damn, they're all naked women!

He put it back on the shelf, picked up another, and looked closely; the book title was written in bold, sweeping calligraphy: "Seventy-Two Bed Techniques".

Speechless.

Are these all bestsellers?

Are scholars these days really this vulgar, this neglectful of their proper work?

He changed to another one again.

He flipped it open to find the first page actually depicted a pair of lifelike, fair, and tender young girl's jade feet!

He looked at the title again: "Jade Foot Illustrations Five".

"..."

What is even going on? Can a few feet be sold for money? And it's a bestseller at that?

Where are the brains of these scholars?

Where is the moral integrity of these scholars?

How could this kind of book possibly be a bestseller?

Luo Zijun didn't quite believe it, feeling that there must be some other secret hidden inside.

So he lowered his head and began to flip through it.

"Waiter, how come this book is only number five? Where are the first, second, third, and fourth ones?"

The shop assistant didn't even come over, yet he knew which book he was asking about, and replied with a smile: "The first, second, third, and fourth ones came out early; they sold out long ago and won't be printed again. This fifth volume is the most exquisite and best-looking one."

"What's so good about looking at feet?"

Luo Zijun put it back on the shelf and went to look at other books.

There were a few novels on the shelf.

After a rough flip through, they were all written too crudely and bluntly; the romance hadn't even warmed up before they started fighting.

Seen in this light, his "Golden Lotus" and other books would definitely sell like crazy.

After watching for a while longer, he went over to pay and left.

The assistant handed him the book and said with a smile: "Young Master, come back in a few days; the sixth volume should be out soon."

"I have a friend who likes this; I'm buying it for him."

Luo Zijun offered an explanation, stuffed the book into his chest, and walked away quickly.

He returned home.

His brother-in-law had actually already returned and was chopping wood in the small courtyard.

"The yamen has recently increased patrols, and there are martial artists from the Inner City out hunting, so we can relax a bit. That big tiger probably sensed the situation wasn't right and has already run off."

"By the way, Zijun, did you go to Hanshan Temple yesterday?"

"It's a good thing you didn't go today; I heard the news that Hanshan Temple was burned down by a fire today, and the Abbot and some monks inside were beaten up."

Luo Zijun asked in surprise: "Who did it?"

Li Zhengshan swung his axe and said: "They haven't caught them yet. It's said to be a masked woman; she must have had a grudge against the temple. I heard that woman went to the temple and beat every monk she saw, sparing neither the old nor the young. Several tourists who went to offer incense were also beaten until their heads were bleeding; it was miserable."

Luo Jiaorong quickly poked her head out from the kitchen and said: "Zijun, don't go there again next time; that place is dangerous. It must be that those monks often swindle tourists out of incense money, and someone couldn't take it anymore and sought revenge."

Hearing this, Luo Zijun felt a secret thrill in his heart.

That Hanshan Temple was indeed a place that harbored filth and corruption, otherwise how could he have fallen into their trap? Not only did they swindle incense money, they even swindled his kidney essence, damn it!

He had been drained five times in one night.

What kind of flower-picking thief would have such guts?

I wonder which heroine it was, ridding the people of a scourge.

If I ever meet her, I must thank her.

(End of chapter)