Meanwhile, Zu An’s party of three got situated. A maid quickly came with food and drink. They weren’t in one of the private rooms, but it was still a fine spot. It was easy to see that Gao Ying had put a lot of care into this matter.
But that only made Yi Zhibing seem even more hateful. Scarlet Invitation had clearly prepared all of the spots according to the invitation, and yet he had sent people to stop them outside.
“Brother Zu, I’ll drink this toast to you first! What happened today was really embarrassing,” Gao Ying said, ashamed.
“Don’t worry about it. It happened because someone was causing trouble behind the scenes.” Zu An drained his alcohol in one gulp.
As they chatted, the atmosphere unwittingly became more carefree and passionate. They talked about all kinds of things. Eventually, they talked about Bi Ziang from before.
“That guy? He was born to be a protagonist.” Gao Ying and Pei You both sighed at the same time.
Zu An was stunned. What the hell? This was the first time he had ever heard anyone described that way. If Bi Ziang is the protagonist, then what am I?
Gao Ying seemed to have guessed at what Zu An was thinking when he saw his shocked expression. He explained with a smile, “In the past, the Bi clan’s madam dreamed about a Qilin, and she subsequently got pregnant. Everyone in the capital knew that the Bi clan had produced a Qilin-like son before he was even born.”
Zu An asked, “Then what if his dad was cucked by a Qilin?”
Gao Ying was speechless. Even though such a phrase didn’t exist in this world, it didn’t stop him from knowing what Zu An was talking about.
Pei You resisted the urge to laugh and said, “Brother Zu, it’s alright if you say these things in private with us, but it would cause a huge uproar if it spread outside! Bi Ziang has always been rather prideful. He might fall out with you if he hears that.”
Zu An nodded and asked, “Is that the only reason why he’s known as someone born to be a protagonist?”
“Of course not,” Gao Ying continued. “The day he was born, multicolored brilliance filled the skies, and a sweet scent filled the air. According to what the servants of the Bi clan said, the entire Bi clan was filled with a different aroma.”
Zu An cursed inwardly. Why does it sound like the appearance of a freaking succubus? But out of consideration for the pair’s delicate hearts, he decided not to say that out loud.
Pei You couldn’t help but add, “Sir Bi had to enter the wilderness to quell beasts when he was still young. He was brought along on a trip. During that trip, he wandered off due to a subordinate’s carelessness. The Bi clan entered a frenzy as they searched for him, but they never found him, so they thought that he had died. After all, the wilderness is filled with all sorts of beasts. Even a sixth ranked expert would be in great danger in such a place.
“But who could have thought that after three days, Bi Ziang would return on his own? He was even riding on a Zouyu[1].”
“Zouyu?” Zu An asked, stunned.
Pei You explained, “It’s a legendary auspicious beast. It has a tiger body and a lion’s head, nd white fur with black stripes. Its tail is as long as its body, and it can travel ten thousand li in a single day. It’s rumored to be benevolent in nature, a creature who isn’t even willing to trample on grass. It doesn’t eat anything that didn’t die of natural causes. That’s why those of the world mark it as the symbol of benevolence and righteousness.”
Zu An recalled similar descriptions of the Zouyu from his past world. But the description made it sound like a white tiger!
“Then, that Zouyu became his mount, the auspicious beast recognizing Bi Ziang as its master. That actually created quite the disturbance.” Pei You was full of envy as he described the matter. He really wished that the main character could be him.
“He is indeed a bit different from everyone else,” Zu An thought to himself. Did the Bi clan prepare this entire story? But aren’t they scared of the emperor’s interference if they go that far with their campaign?
“That’s not all,” Gao Ying said. “One time, he went out on a trip, but then he unintentionally fell off a cliff. Not only did he not die, he even obtained an ancient inheritance, the ‘World Creation Sword’. It’s a technique that even the libationer has praised in the past.”
Zu An thought to himself, This kid really does seem like a light novel’s protagonist! Other people would perish completely after falling off of a cliff, but if the main character fell off, not only would they encounter treasures and secret techniques, they might even run into beauties.
When he was still a middle school brat, he had believed all of those light novels’ nonsense, that cliffs meant opportunities. But of course, as an intellectually sound person, he would never jump off a cliff. Of course, he could still make a detour around the cliff to check if there were any secret manuals.
The heavens didn’t disappoint. One time, he had found a booklet beneath a cliff, and he had vaguely made out the words ‘Nine Yang’ on the cover. He had been overjoyed at the time! He had thought that he found the legendary ‘Nine Yang Divine Art’, but only when he picked it up did he see the words ‘Nine Yang Soymilk Machine Manufacturer Manual’.
He never trusted those stupid cliff opportunity stories again after that experience. And yet today, there was actually a lucky bastard who had gotten him all worked up and jealous again.
“Also, also! I heard that whenever he leaves, he always finds money on the ground.” Pei You was feeling more and more aggrieved the more he spoke. Finding money on the ground was every person’s dream, right? One could go to the brothels every day without worrying about money!
“What the hell? Screw that guy! How much money has he found then, after all these years?” Even Zu An was getting jealous.
“The most ridiculous part is that everyone he doesn’t get along with suffers all sorts of accidents. Some end up stepping into shit, some on banana peels; some get hit on the head by a flower pot. Some of them even choke halfway to death while drinking water…” Gao Ying spoke about all sorts of absurd events one after another. In the end, he said with a sigh, “Eventually, people got scared. They all felt that he was someone blessed by the world, and no one dared to offend him anymore.”
Pei You said worriedly, “You treated him a bit rudely just now, so who knows if something unlucky will happen.”
Gao Ying said, “But you didn’t offend him too badly. Even if there is a bit of misfortune, it shouldn’t be a danger to your life.”
Zu An wanted to curse out loud when he saw how worried these two were. This is absolutely ridiculous! How can Zhao Han allow such an absurd existence to continue existing in the capital? Of course, he didn’t believe those things. He decided to change the topic. “By the way, he mentioned Shi Kun, Gu Xing, and those others earlier. Was his relationship with them good?”
Gao Ying explained, “It was because of the rumors around his luck that more and more people gradually gathered around him. Among them, there were eighteen individuals whose backgrounds and abilities were the most prominent. They would often gather in Bi Ziang’s private garden, so they were known as the Eighteen Garden Friends. Shi Kun and the Gu clan’s brothers were among those members.
“Of course, Shi Kun was near the front of the ranking, while the Gu clan brothers were close to the bottom.”
Zu An thought to himself, No wonder that Shi Kun was so crazily arrogant in Brightmoon City. So he learned it from Bi Ziang! The two of them did share a lot of similarities, so it was no wonder they had become such good friends. As for Gu Heng and Gu Xing, heh. It was obvious just what kind of people were in Bi Ziang’s circle of friends.
Suddenly, a zither melody filled the air. The clamoring hall immediately quieted down. Those present all looked toward the pavilion at the center of the second floor. However, there were layers of curtains and pearl beads in the way. They could vaguely make out a silhouette, but they couldn’t see the person’s face at all.
“Lady Nan Xun is playing her zither!” Pei You was so excited that he stood up.
“This is truly a melody from the heavens.” Gao Ying also craned his neck toward the second floor.
Zu An was the only one who remained indifferent. He had so many stunning beauties at his side, and all of them were courtesan queens too. The Devil Sect’s Saintess Qiu Honglei had also pulled off this ‘sell arts, not body’ appeal. Wasn’t she much better than the other courtesan queens who tried to do the same thing?
As for the zither music, it really wasn’t anything special. He had heard all types of Chinese, Japanese, and Western music before. With so many outstanding classics, the bar had already been raised high. Just the zither alone seemed a bit too bland and didn’t do much for him.
The reason he had come here was to look for a way to bring down Yu Nan. But he still hadn’t thought of any good plans.
Meanwhile, another beautiful figure carefully examined the situation from a second floor room. When she saw how worked up all of the men present were, her red lips curved into a mocking smirk. “Hmph, men!”
But she quickly noticed the unfazed Zu An. The other men were all raising their heads and looking around, but he just continued to sit in place while drinking leisurely. Judging from his expression, it almost seemed as if he found the zither music somewhat boring.
“Interesting.” The girl giggled. She pointed toward him and asked, “Who is that?”
“Replying to master, that’s Green Hat Viscount Zu An, a rising star from the Eastern Palace. He currently holds the post of the crown prince’s chamberlain, as well as the Armed Escort Division Commander,” a maid replied after taking a look.
“Green Hat Viscount?” The girl frowned. “Why are the noble titles of humans so strange-sounding?”
She gave Zu An a look. There was a strange expression on her face as she mused, “Zu An? Why does this name sound familiar? Who was little sister Snow talking about the other day again?”
…
As the song ended, enthusiastic applause echoed through the room. All of them strived to be the first to praise Nan Xun’s performance and stand out.
“Lady Nan Xun’s zither skills are exceptional! Her music truly is resoundingly beautiful!” came a more reserved comment. The others’ words only grew more and more passionate.
“After listening to Lady Nan Xun’s music, my entire soul feels as if it has been purified and elevated!”
“Lady Nan Xun’s dao must have been focused on the zither! If your focus were cultivation, your achievements might have been even higher. As long as Lady Nan Xun is willing, this young master is willing to personally teach you, and I’ll give you everything I have!”
…
Zu An sneered. Your soul was cleansed by just a song from a brothel? Then just how dirty was your soul?
Also, that kid who said you’d teach her cultivation personally, it’s embarrassing for me to even talk about you. Would it even be cultivation, or did you just want to touch her?
And the one who said you’d give her everything, what would you even give her? Other people pass on their teachings, but you probably just want to pass on your sauce…
Pei You also hollered out a few sentences before turning around with a look of excitement. “Brother Zu, what do you think?”
“Nothing special. A brothel should be like a brothel, right?” Zu An said. Afterward, he shouted loudly, “We came to look for pleasure, not to listen to music. Lady Nan Xun, turn up the excitement here a bit!”
1. Zouyu ☜
