Amidst the clamor, a clear and melodious bell sound suddenly echoed from downstairs.
Following it came the captivating notes of a pipa, like a dream entering a spring breeze.
Liu Shinian hastily stood up and rushed to the balcony to look down.
On the circular platform below, several veiled women in white were seated.
Each woman cradled a red pipa, their fingers plucking the strings with deep emotion.
Liu Shinian shook his head slightly, a look of disappointment on his face.
We also walked over and peered down.
The marketplace below was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going in an endless stream.
"Is there a special performance today?" A Li asked curiously.
"No, this is simply arranged for the enjoyment of the distinguished guests of Qianji Hall. It's a musical interlude," Liu Shinian said slowly, having seen such scenes many times before.
"Shall we go down for a stroll?" Ada inquired.
"Then let's go down."
Thus, the four of us ambled downstairs.
Meanwhile, in the corridor of the highest floor, two figures stood: Jin Yulan and Zhang Tianshi.
Jin Yulan gazed down at the lively group below and asked curiously, "Tianshi, is that young girl your friend?"
"Yes."
"Could you tell me how you met?"
"It wasn't much, really. We met in Beishendu at the Tai Shen Palace. It was a fated encounter."
"She's so eager to find you; it must be for something very important, isn't it?"
"Young Master Jin's foresight is indeed remarkable. This matter cannot escape your keen observation. She merely wishes for my help in finding her way home."
Jin Yulan had already guessed as much and added, "I've heard that when Tianshi was young, he befriended a highly enlightened monk. He received great kindness from him, and even ate human flesh. What did that taste like?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianshi burst into laughter. "Hahaha, why do you say that, Young Master Jin? It's merely the baseless fabrication of idle tongues. I have always been a vegetarian and never consumed meat."
Rumors are just rumors. Whether Zhang Tianshi had indeed eaten flesh or drunk blood remained unknown to outsiders. However, what was certain was that Zhang Tianshi and that enlightened monk had certainly known each other. Legend had it that the monk was a traveler from the mortal realm, possessing boundless magical power. It was indeed wise for Muye to seek Zhang Tianshi's assistance.
"Haha, true, there's truth and falsehood in rumors. Today, there's also a gathering. After this meal, we'll all be departing tomorrow."
"Yes, it seems we'll be delayed for a while longer."
"No matter. Rest assured, I will secretly protect Liu Muye for you."
"I am much obliged, Young Master."
"Let's head down. There are people waiting for us below."
"Alright, let's go."
At this moment, the group wandering through the marketplace caught a glimpse of Shui Fang and Ying Lu drinking under a willow tree.
Around them, several beautiful women dressed in silk were gathered.
Each woman held a round, embroidered fan.
With every sip the two men took, the women beside them would gasp in admiration, exclaiming with worshipful voices.
"Young Master Shui Fang is truly remarkable."
"Young Master Ying Lu is also so impressive."
Liu Shinian looked on with indignation, a surge of resentment rising within him. He thought to himself, how could he, a peerless handsome man, renowned throughout Nanhai City as a devoted lover, be less popular than these two newcomers? With a touch of unfairness, he led us to inquire.
"Two esteemed gentlemen, what a refined gathering."
Upon hearing the voices, the two turned their heads and saw it was the Muye party.
"Young Master Liu, you've arrived. Care for a drink?" Shui Fang generously invited him.
Liu Shinian pointed to the women beside them, his brow furrowed in confusion, and asked, "Why are you all so popular?"
Ying Lu chuckled, "I'm not sure myself. Shui Fang and I were just here having a bit of wine and relaxing, and soon enough, a crowd gathered."
Liu Shinian sighed and turned to the girls, "Hey, I'm this handsome, why aren't you pursuing me? Why are you all flocking to these two?"
One of the delicate-faced girls smiled and replied, "We've heard that Young Master Liu is the most devoted lover in Nanhai City. Since he's a devoted lover, he should see things through to the end. How could we, without reason, commit such a deed that harms others?"
Liu Shinian stood there, stunned by this explanation, feeling as if he had turned to stone. He hadn't expected that the title he prided himself on would become the very reason for his lack of female admirers.
Liu Shinian immediately declared, "I'm no longer the most devoted lover in Nanhai City. I want to be a dashing and charming handsome man, so, all of you, come over." He shamelessly spread his arms, his face filled with anticipation.
The sisters chuckled and teased him, "Young Master Liu is quite the joker. Since Young Master Liu has other matters to discuss with these two gentlemen, we won't intrude. We'll take our leave."
"Hey! Don't go! Don't go!" Liu Shinian still wanted to grab one or two of them to salvage some dignity.
I pulled him back with great exasperation, saying, "Alright, alright, save yourself some face. Don't let everyone know you're a scoundrel."
Liu Shinian grumbled in dissatisfaction, "See? You're exposing my flaws again."
I found it both amusing and helpless.
Ying Lu asked A Li and Ada, "Young Master A Li, Young Master Ada, would you like a couple of drinks?"
A Li waved his hand, "I don't drink yet."
Ada grinned, "I can have a little."
Shui Fang poured him a cup of wine and handed it over. Ada took the wine and downed it in one gulp. Instantly, his face turned red, and he stuck out his tongue, jumping back from the heat.
"So spicy, so spicy! What kind of wine is this? Why is it so fiery?"
Shui Fang burst into laughter. "Hahaha, we usually drink too much of other wines. When we came to Qianji Hall, we wanted to try the strongest wine here, so we ordered a few bottles of Qinglusi."
"What! Qinglusi!" Ada heard the name and regretted his decision. He kept fanning his tongue with his hand.
Ying Lu asked me, "Muye, would you like a cup too?"
I hastily refused, "No, no, I don't drink either."
Liu Shinian stated, "Drinking is my forte. I've had Qinglusi no less than a hundred times. Today is perfect, I can try it again."
Shui Fang poured him a cup and handed it over. Liu Shinian drank it down without any change in his expression, as if he were drinking water.
Ada exclaimed enviously, "Big Brother, you're amazing! Don't you feel anything?"
"Hmm, it has a slightly sweet sensation."
Ying Lu laughed heartily, finding a kindred spirit. He invited him, "Young Master Liu, if you don't mind, please sit down and have a few drinks with us."
Liu Shinian didn't stand on ceremony, plopped down, and called out to the side, "Shopkeeper, bring a few bottles of the finest Qinglusi."
"Coming right up!"
The small roadside stall, resembling a cart, located by the willow tree, responded. The owner bent down and took out several bottles of Qinglusi from his cart cabinet, bringing them over.
Liu Shinian suggested, "Drinking from small cups isn't satisfying. Why don't we drink from the bottle?"
The other two agreed. They clinked their bottles and drank.
The three of us stood by like bodyguards.
Seeing us standing uncomfortably, the shopkeeper took out three small stools from under his cart and offered them to us. "Gentlemen, young lady, standing must be tiring. Please, have a seat."
I took the stool and thanked him, "Thank you, boss."
A Li and Ada also thanked him, "Thank you, boss."
Then, the three of us sat side-by-side under the willow tree, watching the people come and go. Meanwhile, Liu Shinian and the other two drank heartily.
If this were by a lake or a river, it would have been a different kind of scenery. However, the passing pedestrians, like flowing water, seemed to engulf us.
"You're all here?" A clear and pleasant voice rang out.
We looked up and saw that the person who had arrived was none other than Jin Yulan. Accompanying him was Zhang Tianshi.
We all hastily stood up. "Boss Jin, Tianshi."
Jin Yulan fanned himself and smiled gently, "No need to be nervous. We were just passing by and happened to see you. Qingfeng willow trees, three men drinking wine, truly elegant, elegant."
Liu Shinian, with a stern face, retorted, "Stop with the pleasantries. Coming for a few drinks?"
Jin Yulan looked at Liu Shinian, finding him to be a coarse and uncultured fellow. He sighed slightly and slowly walked to the table of the three. He took a gentle sniff and said, "This is Qinglusi. Aren't you afraid of a headache drinking such potent wine?"
Ying Lu replied, "We've all drunk too much ordinary wine. Now, we treat this wine as water, so we don't care if it's strong or not."
Zhang Tianshi chuckled, "Drinking like this, you won't be able to appreciate the true flavor of the wine." With that, he snatched the wine bottle from Liu Shinian's hand and took a large gulp.
Liu Shinian was speechless, "You fellow, why do you always snatch other people's things?"
"Good wine." Zhang Tianshi took a large mouthful and returned it to Liu Shinian.
Liu Shinian picked up another unopened bottle from the table and offered it to Jin Yulan, saying, "You're so clean, you don't like sharing a bottle. This one is unopened, a treat for you."
Jin Yulan laughed heartily, took the bottle, but didn't drink it. He just smiled and asked, "Are you giving this to me?"
"Yes, it's for you," Liu Shinian replied without hesitation.
"This is the first time you've been so generous. I must treasure it."
Liu Shinian was quite speechless and advised him, "If you want to drink it, drink it now. What are you saving it for?"
Jin Yulan, however, insisted, "Since you said you're giving it to me, I'll treasure it well."
Liu Shinian was utterly speechless and waved his hand, "Fine, if you want to treasure it, then treasure it."
I looked at Zhang Tianshi, wanting to say something but hesitating. Tianshi glanced at me, turned his head, and put his finger to his lips, signaling me to remain silent. I thought he must have his reasons, so I nodded slightly and remained quiet. Zhang Tianshi smiled slightly and turned his head away again.
Seeing that the conversation had reached a natural pause, Jin Yulan said to the group, "You all continue drinking. Zhang Tianshi and I have other matters to attend to, so we'll be going now."
"Alright, Boss Jin, Tianshi, safe travels." Shui Fang and Ying Lu said in unison.
I, Ada, and A Li also chimed in, "Boss Jin, Tianshi, safe travels."
Only Liu Shinian looked indifferent. "Hurry up and leave, you're disturbing my drinking."
Jin Yulan smiled helplessly and said, "Well then, everyone, until next time. We're off."
"Alright, see you next time."
With that, Jin Yulan left with Zhang Tianshi.
It's unclear how long the three of them drank. Eventually, they all felt a bit tired. They strolled through the marketplace for a while longer and then parted ways as night fell. Afterward, the four of us returned to our lodging.
We went to bed unusually early that day, and Liu Shinian was no longer bothersome. As dawn broke, a red paper crane arrived on the breeze, landing directly on my face. I felt a slight tickle on my cheek and touched it with my hand. It felt like something somewhat stiff. I opened my eyes slightly and saw it was a red paper crane. Curious, I unfolded it. It read:
Wait for me in Nanhai City. This journey, I will accompany other masters to investigate the matter of the Myriad Ghost King. If nothing unexpected occurs, I will return in a few days.
Zhang Tianshi.
So, this was a letter from Master Zhang. I quietly tucked the letter away and shook Liu Shinian and A Li awake. Once they were awake, we left Qianji Hall and came out onto the street. As soon as we hit the street, we encountered Ada. Liu Shinian's eyes lit up. He opened his arms and rushed forward, exclaiming with joy, "Ada, I can't believe I'm seeing you again! I'm so happy."
Seeing Liu Shinian happy, Ada was also happy and said with a simple smile, "Big Brother, I've actually been waiting here for you."
"Waiting for us? That's great, Ada." Liu Shinian patted Ada's shoulder. He then looked at A Li with a dejected expression. "A Li, after leaving Qianji Hall, I don't know where to go. Sigh, what are your plans?"
"I came to accompany Muye. I'll see what Muye plans to do."
I took out Zhang Tianshi's letter and showed it to them. "Since Tianshi asked us to wait for him here, we'll have to stay for now. What about you, Shinian?"
He waved his hand and put his arm around Ada's shoulder, "It doesn't matter where I go. Since you're all here, I'll stay too. The only problem is where to stay."
His hint was too obvious. Ada smiled sheepishly and said, "If you don't mind, you can stay with me. I'm staying at the inn just ahead."
Liu Shinian was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately said, "Is that alright? However, we also like playing together. Then, we gratefully accept. Ada, you're truly wonderful. If there's an opportunity, I'll definitely pass on my talents to you."
"Big Brother, you're too kind."
"I assume everyone hasn't had breakfast yet. What would you like to eat? My treat." Ada said generously.
Seeing that Ada had offered, Liu Shinian was about to say something flowery and expensive. I quickly interrupted him, "Buns, buns are fine. Liu Shinian loves them the most. At least twenty buns a day."
He glared at me fiercely, baring his teeth. I ignored him, pretending not to see. Looking around, I spotted a bun shop not far away. I pulled them along and headed there. We ordered several baskets of buns. After eating for a while, Liu Shinian said he had a stomachache and needed to go to the restroom. Seeing his coy demeanor, I knew something was up and teased, "You can go right here."
He gave a wry smile and then smirked mischievously, "You want to peek?"
"Pah, I'm not interested."
"Then I'm going to the privy. A Li and Ada, come with me."
"You go if you need to, why drag them along?"
"Or how about you come too?" As he said this, he reached out to me.
I looked at him with disdain and said, "Hurry back."
"Okay." With that, he grabbed them and ran off quickly.
Watching Liu Shinian's retreating back, I didn't feel the urge to go myself. Instead, it was as if something good was happening, and he was rushing to see it. Thinking this, I realized something was wrong and quickly chased after them. To my surprise, Liu Shinian, with Ada and A Li, took many turns and disappeared in no time. I became somewhat angry, squatting on the street, unsure of what to do. However, given his personality, if he could abandon me, it meant he recognized my abilities. Thinking this, I could guess where he would go. One was Ada's inn, and the other was Qingfang Tower. The inn was unlikely. There was only one place to go, and that was Qingfang Tower. How could my damned brain be so smart? Thinking this, I couldn't help but smile. I stood up and asked passersby how to get to Qingfang Tower. As expected, my deduction was correct. He had taken a roundabout route to shake me off. This time, it was perfect. Just as I caught up, he entered Qingfang Tower.