Chapter 60 - 56: Listening to a Tune in the Pleasure House
Chapter 60: Chapter 56: Listening to a Tune in the Pleasure House
"My two old friends, the next time we meet, I will tell you of the changes that have swept this Great Zhou Dynasty..."
Brushing the fallen snow from the headstone, the young man whispered.
The first year of the Great Zhou Xuanlong Dynasty.
Winter.
Su Chen descended the mountain.
A swift horse galloped straight down from Cyan Mountain. Clad in a black robe, he headed directly for the Jinjiang River, fifty li north of the Great Zhou Imperial City.
Before returning to the Imperial Palace, he had one more thing to do.
The dilapidated house in the bamboo forest, Zhu Feng’s decisiveness... it had shaken him.
He just didn’t know.
Two years had passed, dynasties had changed, and the world had weathered countless vicissitudes. Was this child still in the Human World?
’Still, I feel like I’ve forgotten something.’
Su Chen was puzzled, but he didn’t dwell on it.
Because he had arrived at Jinjiang City.
The Jinjiang River ran through the entire city, its powerful current stretching for ten thousand li. Atop its raging waves were countless black-canopied boats and a continuous line of Painted Boats. Onboard were lutes, fine wine, and luminous cups. Beauties in thin gauze played music and danced gracefully amidst the wind and snow. It was like an Immortal Palace in the Human World—a playground of earthly delights, a den of indulgence like those on the banks of the Qinhuai River.
’Listening to music in a pleasure house... not a bad idea.’
Night.
Beneath a bright moon and starry sky, Su Chen’s figure streaked by like a flash of light. He ran across the water’s surface, against the surging, churning waves, heading for the largest, most palace-like Painted Boat on the river.
He didn’t know who it was.
But the last of Great Liang’s Imperial Blood, the Deposed Emperor’s heir, was on this Painted Boat.
’Wonderful!’
’Truly wonderful!’
’This dance is so fair... no, this dance is so big!’
The dazzling display was starting to overwhelm him.
As he searched, Su Chen found himself standing below the stage, his feet rooted to the spot.
Inside the palace-like Painted Boat, on a high stage, young maidens in thin gauze danced gracefully. Their figures were slender, yet curvaceously full.
Among them was one girl, dancing like a startled swan under the scattering moonlight. Even though she stood in the furthest corner, dressed in plain clothes, her delicate, stunning face and exquisite dancing skills still outshone all the other dancers, making them seem like stars next to a Bright Moon...
For a moment, Su Chen even forgot the purpose of his visit.
"What are you looking at! Get to work."
The Painted Boat’s Steward, making his rounds, noticed a group of servants in black, busily serving tea and water to the distinguished guests. But then he saw an anomaly in black, "admiring the flowers and moon" here.
"Is Miss Cyan Sparrow’s dance something a lowly servant like you is allowed to watch?"
"Now scram and get to work."
The Steward cursed, kicked Su Chen, and threw a tray and a rag at him, which Su Chen caught instinctively.
However, his gaze remained fixed on the "flowers and moonlight."
"You, over here."
"Wipe my table."
A young noble beckoned to Su Chen.
’He’s calling me?’
Su Chen looked around before jogging over to wipe the table. He’d never done this kind of work, even in the Imperial Palace.
Back in Great Liang, if anyone had dared to make him wipe a table, Zhang Gui or Xu Han would have probably already been investigating the offender’s entire clan for extermination.
"Marvelous!"
"Absolutely marvelous!"
"On my behalf, award Cyan Sparrow thirty Golden Flowers! HAHAHA! No matter how many times I watch, Cyan Sparrow is always so coolly alluring. I will have her first night..."
From a private room upstairs came the wild voice of a young man.
On the high stage, thirty lifelike, hollow-carved Golden Flowers were soon placed before the girl in plain clothes.
"Even the Marquis of Jiangling is here."
"It seems Cyan Sparrow has been claimed."
In the main hall, the stirring hearts of the many distinguished guests were instantly extinguished. None dared to think of touching Cyan Sparrow any longer.
Thirty Golden Flowers.
Only three thousand taels of silver.
Anyone could afford it.
But no one dared to cross the Marquis of Jiangling.
"A mere thirty Golden Flowers to claim Cyan Sparrow’s first night? Everyone knows Cyan Sparrow is the most beautiful singer in Jinjiang City. She was raised for sixteen years and makes her debut tonight..."
"We bid seventy Golden Flowers!"
A shrill voice rang out in the hall. The crowd, aghast, followed the sound and saw a figure in a Blue Robe.
"Who’s so bold?"
"That’s the Marquis of Jiangling! The most powerful man in all of Jinjiang City! Who is this person? Does he have a death wish, daring to challenge the Marquis of Jiangling?"
Beside Su Chen, a real servant in black couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.
"Why?"
"Is this Marquis of Jiangling very famous?"
Su Chen asked.
"You don’t even know the Marquis of Jiangling? The entire Jinjiang City was granted to him as a fief. You know the Great Zhou Longxuan Lord, right? He’s... Wait, who are you? I’ve never seen you before."
The servant stopped, looking at Su Chen suspiciously.
"Haha!"
"The weather is nice, I’ll just go take a look around over there..."
Su Chen slipped away.
He had remembered his purpose and was about to continue his search.
「Inside the Painted Boat.」
The Marquis of Jiangling and the man in the Blue Robe began their bidding war.
"One hundred Golden Flowers..."
"We bid three hundred Golden Flowers!"
"Seven hundred!"
"Eunuch Yum, ’when possible, one should forgive others.’ You’re the Jinjiang Supervisor sent from the palace. You should at least give me, this Marquis, some face."
"Besides, even if you win Cyan Sparrow, it’s not like you can... use her..."
In his private room, the Marquis of Jiangling was already grinding his teeth.
The Jinjiang Supervisor!
It was actually the Jinjiang Supervisor!
Another monumental figure!
The wealthy merchants and young nobles in the Painted Boat were all trembling as if chilled to the bone. They drank their tea nonstop, now not even daring to lift their heads.
"Hmph?!"
The Blue-robed Steward, who had been about to concede, had his expression twist in an instant. What was the difference between that and pointing at his nose and calling him a Castrated Dog with no balls?
What was the difference!
"One thousand!"
"We are winning this Cyan Sparrow today to offer her to my godfather in the Imperial Palace! What about it? What about it!"
The blue-robed Yum Zhong roared.
On the high stage, the young girl in plain clothes named Cyan Sparrow bit her lip and clutched the corner of her skirt. The unwillingness and humiliation in her eyes were nearly impossible to conceal.
But, even if she was unwilling, what could she do?
’If only I could practice cultivation.’
Unfortunately.
She was just the lowliest of singers, forbidden from cultivation. Standing here today, she was merely waiting to be sold for a good price.
"Two thousand Golden Flowers!"
"You stinking Castrated Dog!"
"You Great Liang Remnant!"
"I gave you an inch and you took a mile! My father is the Great Zhou Longxuan Lord, the Supreme First Grade powerhouse who single-handedly destroyed your Great Liang! If you keep competing with me, I’ll have your red-robed godfather in the palace exterminated too!"
The Marquis of Jiangling roared, throwing open the window and pointing at the blue-robed Yum Zhong’s nose as he cursed.
"You?!"
Yum Zhong was enraged.
He shot to his feet, his Gang Qi surging, ready to strike.
The hall instantly emptied as the crowd scattered to the corners, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
This was a dispute between the Jinjiang Supervisor and the Marquis of Jiangling, two monumental figures. They didn’t dare get involved.
’So he’s also a eunuch, and from Great Liang, no less. No wonder that robe looks so familiar. By the way, haven’t the eunuchs in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace changed their uniforms?’
’Forget it, forget it.’
’There’s a Second Grade in the private room, and you’re only a Third Grade. You can’t beat him. Forget it, forget it.’
Seeing that he was also a eunuch, and a Great Liang Remnant at that, Su Chen felt a sense of kinship and went over to restrain the rampaging Yum Zhong.
"Get lost!"
Yum Zhong raged, wanting to send this reckless servant flying. However, the hands on his shoulders pressed down on him like an iron mountain, leaving him unable to move a muscle.
"You’re looking for..."
Yum Zhong flared up, channeling his Gang Qi and preparing to act. But when he looked up and saw Su Chen’s face, he was struck dumb as if by a Thunder Devourer, frozen like a wooden chicken.
"What?"
"Do you know me?"
Su Chen narrowed his eyes. ’This kid does look a little familiar.’
’I think I saw him in the Library Pavilion?’
’What was his name again?’
...
...
「Meanwhile.」
Night.
The Imperial City.
The Great Zhou had undertaken massive construction projects, rebuilding the Great Zhou Imperial Palace on the ruins of the Great Liang Imperial Palace. They erected countless palaces and pavilions. The original Bottomless Abyss was now covered by a Heaven-Reaching, seventeen-story high tower.
An earthenware pot was dug up.
"Why is there a little turtle in here?"
A eunuch asked in confusion.
The Little Turtle awoke with a start.
WHOOSH—
’Has that powerful member of my kind gone far away?’
It poked its head out, ending its turtle-like hibernation. It stared at the unfamiliar surroundings, stunned. Its four short legs scrambled, crawling faster than a lion or tiger as it searched everywhere.
He’s not here!
He’s still not here.
Where did my best buddy Human Race brother go?
Ah!
He ran off?
He ran off!
The Little Turtle hasn’t run off yet!
He left the Little Turtle behind! The Little Turtle is still here!
The Little Turtle, aggrieved, was on the verge of tears. It sniffed around everywhere, and then its ink-jade body shot into the sky like a streak of light, heading in the direction of Jinjiang City.
"What Demon is this?"
A roar rang out.
A world-suppressing Powerhouse of the Great Zhou, his eyes glaring with rage, descended from the seventeen-story tower.
The Little Turtle glared back.
It expanded in the wind!
Revealing a giant mouth that could swallow a First-Grade Demon Fiend!
"This..."
"My apologies for the disturbance."
This Peak powerhouse broke out in a cold sweat and retreated back into the seventeen-story tower with extreme speed.
「On the highest floor of the tower.」
The various First Grade powerhouses, who were studying the ten Ancient Coffins found in the Abyss, all looked over.
One of the First Grades smiled and offered a compliment.
"Prince Emperor Long, it seems you’ve grown stronger. That Demon that just appeared has likely had its Divine Soul obliterated by you."
’Divine Soul obliterated?’
’More like *my* Divine Soul was almost obliterated.’
Emperor Long’s smile was exceptionally stiff as he changed the subject.
"How are things with these Ancient Coffins? Have you found anything?"
"We have."
"These Ancient Coffins are over three hundred years old, likely from the end of the Great Yu Dynasty. The material they are made of is rare in this world; even a First Grade would have difficulty scratching them. They cannot be opened from the outside at all. We just don’t know why they’ve been seeping water these past few days..."
A First Grade reported.
Just then.
One of the Ancient Coffins began to tremble.
BUZZ!
The coffin lid exploded open.
An old, pale hand, still covered in ice crystals, stiffly pressed down on the edge of the coffin. A chilling voice emerged from within.
"The ice has melted. Isn’t it natural for it to seep water?"
"What year of the Great Yu is it now?"
"And..."
"Has the Immortal Arrival... come?"
A hoarse voice spoke.
Spanning over three hundred years, a Grandmaster from the Great Yu had awakened.