Volume One: Menial Servant of Changshui County Chapter Nineteen: A Mistress Is Still a Mistress

A mistress is just a mistress; why bother putting it so delicately? Chen Xuanfeng’s eyes held a trace of contempt.

Having been exposed so directly by Chief Chen, Lu Jiuzhang felt somewhat embarrassed. Why say it so bluntly? Would it not be better if everyone were a bit more tactful? Yet, it seemed Chen Xuanfeng had long known about this affair. He had not implicated Miss Muyun, perhaps because he simply did not care. After all, she was just a courtesan from the House of Crimson Pleasure, posing no threat to him whatsoever.

...

Those who had come to see Lu Huaigu off on his final journey began to depart, one after another. Chen Xuanfeng also turned to leave, but just before he walked away, he remarked casually, “That woman is quite extraordinary—her martial arts have reached the ranked level.”

His voice was not loud, but it reached Lu Jiuzhang’s ears, leaving him utterly astonished! What did that mean? Had Miss Muyun also reached the ranked level? When did such a small place as Changshui County produce so many ranked experts? First the woman in black robes, now Miss Muyun.

Moreover, if Chen Xuanfeng could discern, at such a distance, that Miss Muyun’s martial arts had reached a ranked level, then when he had been so near to Lu Jiuzhang just now, had he also realized Lu Jiuzhang’s breakthrough?

A chilling thought crept through Lu Jiuzhang’s mind. If Chen Xuanfeng had indeed discovered it, why did he pretend to be unconcerned? And as for Miss Muyun, Lu Jiuzhang had truly believed her to be an ordinary woman of the dust, but now it seemed he had been mistaken.

Yet, for someone whose martial arts had reached the ranked level, life would certainly be far better than that of an ordinary person—why, then, would she end up in a pleasure house? Lu Jiuzhang’s thoughts kept returning to the woman in black whom he had seen the previous day. The image of Miss Muyun overlapped again and again with that mysterious figure.

It was highly likely they were the same person! Which meant it was Miss Muyun who had struck that day, saving Zhou Cheng, the Demon-Slaying Guard, and indirectly saving Lu Jiuzhang as well.

With this realization, Lu Jiuzhang’s thoughts became much clearer. But why would Miss Muyun save him? Was it simply because he was Lu Huaigu’s younger brother? What exactly was the relationship between Lu Huaigu and Miss Muyun? A secret affair? A transactional relationship?

Once, Lu Jiuzhang might have thought so, but after learning that Miss Muyun was a ranked martial artist, he dismissed that notion.

...

After the funeral, Lu Jiuzhang did not hurry home. Instead, he intended to pay a visit to the House of Crimson Pleasure. Only when he was nearly at the entrance did he recall that the house was not open for business during the day.

He had come to such places so seldom that he was unfamiliar with their hours of operation. If he visited a few more times, he supposed, he would know soon enough! Yes, a few more visits would do.

With this thought affirmed, Lu Jiuzhang turned and made his way home.

The street where the House of Crimson Pleasure was located was the busiest in all of Changshui County. There were not only brothels but also an establishment called the Pavilion of a Thousand Machines. Combining auction house and pawnshop, the Pavilion was the wealthiest business in the county. The profits of the House of Crimson Pleasure in a month likely could not compare to the Pavilion’s earnings from a single night’s auction.

It was no wonder that many coveted such a lucrative trade. Yet, rumor had it that the Pavilion’s true master was Prince Six, so few dared harbor ill intent.

The Pavilion of a Thousand Machines was a vast organization, its branches spread throughout the entire Grand Xia Empire. Each branch was a renowned local landmark.

As he passed by the Pavilion’s entrance, Lu Jiuzhang paused in thought, then stepped across the threshold.

The first floor of the Pavilion was the pawnshop; the auction hall was upstairs. By the counter stood an elderly man, fifty or sixty years of age. Seeing a customer enter, he hurried forward. The customer’s mourning attire gave him some discomfort, but business was business—what did it matter how one was dressed?

With that thought, the old man put on a smile. “May I ask, honored guest, are you here to buy something or to pawn something?”

“I’d like to pawn this,” Lu Jiuzhang replied, taking from his breast the dark green bead and handing it over.

The old man was taken aback, then examined the bead closely for a good while before finally saying, “This is a most sinister object, known as a Corpse Pearl. When a great demon slaughters a city, the miasma and resentment of hundreds or thousands of piled corpses are collected and forged into this! It can suppress many things.”

“I never expected such an item to appear in a small place like Changshui County!” the old man exclaimed, inadvertently revealing the bead’s origins.

Lu Jiuzhang was shocked as well; his adversaries had spared no expense—dispatching not only four monsters, but also employing such a wicked artifact.

“Half a tael of gold. If you wish to make a deal, our Pavilion can offer that price,” the old man said.

A tael of gold was equivalent to a thousand taels of silver—one hundred thousand copper coins! Half a tael was about five hundred taels of silver—a considerable sum, enough to buy more than a dozen lives.

“Forget it, I won’t sell it for now,” Lu Jiuzhang decided after some thought. His main purpose in coming here had been to learn what the object was.

“One tael of gold,” the old man pressed. “If you agree, I’ll pay a tael of gold for it!”

The thing itself was not especially valuable—just rare. Rumor had it that a certain eminent figure had a use for it, and the price he offered was high. If the old man could use this opportunity to establish a connection, he would profit greatly.

A tael of gold? Lu Jiuzhang nearly cursed aloud. The old fox! A moment ago it was half a tael; now the price had doubled.

“One tael is the highest I can go,” the old man quickly added, worried Lu Jiuzhang might try to bargain further.

“Never mind. I have the sense this is no ordinary thing—might as well keep it as a family heirloom.” Lu Jiuzhang shook his head. He would first investigate its origins and decide later.

Though a tael of gold was pocket change to the old man, for Lu Jiuzhang it was a fortune. He could certainly demand even more from this old fox, but money was not his priority. In his current predicament, money was only useful if he had somewhere to spend it. With his life in jeopardy, a few hundred taels of silver was manageable; thousands would be too much.

At that, the old man nearly cursed as well! It was one thing to enter the shop in mourning garb, but to pawn something and then back out halfway—was this some sort of joke?

“If there’s anything else you need, just say the word,” the old man offered.

“No, nothing,” Lu Jiuzhang replied with a shake of his head. Money moves the heart, indeed. If his demands were too high, the other party would surely refuse. Worse, it might provoke murderous intent—and then he would face a new threat.

“Give me a few days to think it over,” Lu Jiuzhang said. “Let me consider it properly.”

“Of course, honored guest. Take your time. Rest assured, our Pavilion’s price is always fair,” the old man replied.