Volume One: Menial Worker of Changshui County Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Arrest at the Crimson Joy Pavilion

Should I use Yuan Wufeng’s name?
Why is that?
Lu Jiuzhang was puzzled.
But since Chen Xuanfeng had said so, Lu Jiuzhang decided to follow his advice.
If there’s an advantage to be had, only a fool would pass it up!
Lu Jiuzhang then continued to immerse himself in his cultivation until the end of his shift, at which point he finally left.
As soon as he walked out of the Demon Slaying Bureau, he spotted Wang Yunshan waiting at the entrance from a distance.
“Brother Wang!”
Lu Jiuzhang greeted him with a cupped fist.
“Brother Lu, you’re finally out! Come on, you promised me just a few days ago you’d take me to the Red Delight House for some fun,” Wang Yunshan said, grabbing Lu Jiuzhang and preparing to leave.
“Brother Wang, did you find an excuse today?”
Lu Jiuzhang was curious.
Wang Yunshan had probably used up all the plausible excuses in the past.
What did he come up with this time?
“I did! I told my wife that you were badly injured while we were hunting demons, so I’m going to visit you,” Wang Yunshan replied.
Seriously!
How did he manage to make Lu Jiuzhang ‘badly injured’ again?
Wang Yunshan would say anything just to get to the Red Delight House.
“Ahem… Brother Wang, I have important matters tonight, so I won’t be able to accompany you,” Lu Jiuzhang said solemnly. “Didn't you owe me one tael of silver before? How about this—I’ll let it go, consider it my treat. What do you think?”
“Well…”
Wang Yunshan paused, calculating carefully.
Saving a tael of silver was a gain.
Going to the Red Delight House alone today was perfectly acceptable!
“Hahaha, Brother Lu, it’s settled then!”
Wang Yunshan laughed heartily, patting Lu Jiuzhang on the shoulder, then happily ran off toward the Red Delight House.
Lu Jiuzhang could only shake his head, smiling.
This Brother Wang really did live life with flair!
He himself could never be so carefree, only envy it from afar.
…
As the sun set, Lu Jiuzhang walked home alone.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long, making him seem a bit lonely.
When he reached his door and was about to enter, a voice came from the right, “Lu Jiuzhang, where’s that Wang Yunshan?”
Lu Jiuzhang’s heart leapt, and he quickly turned to look.

That could only be Wang Yunshan’s wife.
Oh no, oh no!
She’d tracked him down!
Lu Jiuzhang said, “Sister-in-law, Brother Wang should be heading home. Why don’t you wait for him there?”
Lu Jiuzhang hoped to persuade her to go home first, then inform Wang Yunshan so he could hurry back.
It wasn’t that Lu Jiuzhang wanted to help Wang Yunshan deceive his own wife; he just thought that if she found out, their marriage would suffer.
Better to break ten temples than ruin one marriage.
Once she went home, Lu Jiuzhang would quickly notify Wang Yunshan. When Wang Yunshan arrived, a brief explanation might avoid any domestic strife!
“Don’t try to dodge the question!”
With her almond-shaped eyes flashing, Wang Yunshan’s wife glared, “Do you think I don’t know where he’s gone? Hmph!”
With that, she marched straight toward the Red Delight House.
Oh no, oh no!
Lu Jiuzhang started praying for Wang Yunshan.
If she caught him red-handed, there’d surely be a fight!
Lu Jiuzhang planned to wait until she left, then take a shortcut to the Demon Slaying Bureau and warn Wang Yunshan to withdraw.
Just as he was locking his door, Wang Yunshan’s wife turned and called, “Lu Jiuzhang, you’re coming with me!”
“Sister-in-law, you must be joking. How would I know where Brother Wang is? How could I accompany you?”
“Besides, I need to train!”
Lu Jiuzhang smiled awkwardly.
“You call me sister-in-law, so do my words not count for you?” Wang Yunshan’s wife snapped.
Fine, fine!
Lu Jiuzhang sighed deeply.
If fate brings trouble, there’s no avoiding it!
He braced himself and joined her on the road.
If a fight broke out, at least he could help break it up!
…
The Red Delight House wasn’t too far from Lu Jiuzhang’s home, though not particularly close either.
Changshui County was a small place; even walking from east to west took barely an hour.
The Red Delight House was right at the center, on the busiest street—a walk of no more than twenty minutes.
All the way, Lu Jiuzhang hoped for luck.
If Wang Yunshan got distracted by dice games or card tables on the street, and delayed a while, how fortunate that would be!
But hope was only hope.
When they reached the entrance of the Red Delight House, Wang Yunshan’s wife strode in, hands on her hips, furious.

At that moment, Wang Yunshan hadn’t yet gone to the back to find a girl for the night; he was on the balcony, drinking with a young woman.
The two sat together, whispering sweet nothings, completely at ease.
“Master Wang, you promised to buy my freedom, but it’s been ages. When will you actually do it?”
The girl in gauzy robes leaned lightly against Wang Yunshan’s chest, coyly complaining.
“Sweetheart, soon, soon! Things have been hectic lately—just the demon hunt a few days ago, we went to the Three Virtues Manor. That’s the most remote spot in Changshui County.”
“There’s an old forest up front; guess what? Every hundred meters, there was a demon corpse. At first…”
Wang Yunshan began recounting the tale.
He took all of Lu Jiuzhang and Zhou Cheng’s bravery and credited it to himself.
He described his battles with the demons, how cunning they were.
Not only did the girl in his arms listen, entranced, but even the people nearby perked up their ears, absorbed in his words.
When he reached the perilous parts, some even felt anxious for Wang Yunshan.
Suddenly, as he spoke, Wang Yunshan sensed something amiss.
Why did his back feel so cold?
The atmosphere around him seemed strange!
Wang Yunshan turned around, and in the next instant, he was stunned. He hurriedly pushed the girl away, “What are you doing? Why are you sitting on my lap?”
Wang Yunshan tried to shift the blame, then rushed to his wife’s side. “Wife, I was only here for a drink, telling stories of my demon-slaying days.”
“You old fool, do you think I’m easy to bully?”
His wife was furious, grabbing his ear.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
Wang Yunshan cried out.
“Let’s see how I deal with you!”
She seized a nearby stool, ready for battle.
Seeing this scene, Lu Jiuzhang naturally stepped forward to intervene.
“Master Lu, what’s going on? What’s happened to Master Wang?”
The madam was baffled and asked Lu Jiuzhang.
“Master Lu? So you’re a regular here too!” Wang Yunshan’s wife sneered. “Birds of a feather, plotting to deceive me? Wang Yunshan, who gave you the courage?”
Now it had truly blown up!
No explanation could fix it.
“Sister-in-law, how about discussing this at home? There are so many people here.” Lu Jiuzhang tried to persuade her.
“Ha, discuss at home? You dare to sneak around but can’t bear to let me scold you in public?” Wang Yunshan’s wife was clearly enraged, and couldn’t care less, dragging Wang Yunshan by the ear to the door of the Red Delight House.
With so many people coming and going, a crowd quickly gathered to watch the spectacle.