Chapter 206: Chapter 146: Water and Land_2
Translator: 549690339
Xu Yang smiled and went with her.
Upon arriving in the room, Caifeng habitually said, “I have some knowledge of music, so how about I play a piece on the zither to entertain the young master?”
Xu Yang shook his head, “I came to inquire about something from the lady.”
“Oh?”
Caifeng glanced at him, “Please feel free to ask, young master.”
Xu Yang smiled and said, “Is there a Water-Land Dharma Assembly being held in the city?”
“Indeed.”
Caifeng nodded her head and elaborated, “I heard that the Emperor’s new policies are showing great effectiveness, the nation is peaceful and the people secure, the rivers clear and the seas calm. Therefore, His Majesty issued a decree to invite the National Guardian Abbot to conduct a Water-Land Dharma Assembly, to dispel disasters, pray for blessings, protect the populace, and to aid in the suppression of southern rebellions…”
As she spoke, she suddenly stopped, gazing fixedly at Xu Yang.
Xu Yang looked back at her and smiled, “Does the lady have something to say?”
“I…”
Caifeng’s speech halted, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly extinguished like a snuffed out flame, “It is already a great fortune for me to meet the young master, I dare not yearn for more.”
Xu Yang smiled and abruptly asked, “Do you want me to save you?”
Caifeng stared at him, taken aback by his directness, and it took her a while to gather her wits before hurriedly saying, “Caifeng knows, the young master is extraordinary, surely a Spell Cultivator, but Caifeng is trapped in the bitter sea of the mortal world and does not wish to implicate the young master…”
Her words were filled with tears, half true, half false, and even she could not clearly discern if she was trying to use modesty to elicit sympathy or if she genuinely did not want to burden him by getting involved in this matter.
It must be the former, right? Otherwise, why would she have suddenly taken the initiative to invite him aboard her boat?
But could he really save her from this sea of suffering?
The owner of this Phoenix Perch Building was that person!
Even a Cultivator might not dare to provoke him, right?
Perhaps it was better not to involve others.
Her thoughts were in disarray, tangled and hard to unravel.
Seeing this, Xu Yang also remained silent.
As the atmosphere grew more intense…
“Bang!”
The door burst open, and a maid rushed in, panic-stricken, exclaiming, “Miss, it’s terrible, your mother has returned, and she’s heading this way! That person… Eh?”
She scanned the room, her gaze wandering in search of someone, but there was no trace of anyone’s presence, as if no one had been there at all.
Witnessing this, Caifeng, too, was startled, her complexion turning pale.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and another group of people entered the room, lead by a flamboyantly dressed madam and several brawny guards.
“Phoebe, I heard you had a guest. Where are they? Let Mama have a look, to make sure you haven’t been deceived by some stranger…”
The madam walked into the room, searching around.
Caifeng quickly snapped out of it and hurriedly said, “There’s nobody here, Mama, you’re just being paranoid.”
“Is that so?”
The madam looked at her suspiciously, searched the room once more to ensure there was nobody else there and then spoke, “Good, there’s nobody. Some distinguished guests have arrived and need your company. Go and freshen up.”
“Distinguished guests?”
Caifeng was startled and slightly panicked, “I thought that during the Water-Land Dharma Assembly…”
“If you don’t speak of it, and I don’t speak of it, who will know?”
The madam glared at her, “Enough, get ready. I’ll go and invite the guests over.”
Without waiting for her response, she turned and left.
Caifeng fell silent for a moment, then quietly began to apply her makeup.
Shortly after, a group of young men clad in splendid garments arrived in the room.
“Is this Miss Caifeng?”
“Indeed, a peerless beauty among mortals!”
“Third Hall… Brother Liang, tonight is your lucky night.”
“Ha ha ha!”
Laughter filled the air as several men took their seats.
Caifeng also played the lute to accompany them.
They toasted and drank, their spirits rising high, and it wasn’t long before they started discussing strategies and tactics.
“That Li Liuxian really doesn’t act like a filial son. Jiangnan, with all its romantic charm, what has he turned it into?”
“Exactly, he won’t even allow brothels to operate. All the women have entered his academy, and he enjoys all the beautiful women in the world by himself, without giving others the chance to even take a glance!”
“Hmph, I don’t think he will be able to leap about for much longer. Everyone knows that the southern rebels gain their strength from the North City Three Demons. The Abbot’s all-seeing eye reaches heaven, and he’s already seen through the demons’ true forms. They pretend to be three, but in reality, they are one devil, deceiving the world and stealing honor while being hollow inside.”
“In the past, the Abbot schemed to provoke their rebellion. That North City Old Demon, not recognizing his fate, openly defied the imperial decree, murdered a prince, and even raised a rebel banner, declaring himself emperor. He is indeed courting death.”
“Emperors are revered, connected to all the people. That North City Old Demon self-proclaimed as king will surely be shackled by the karma of millions. It would be good enough if his cultivation does not regress, yet he dreams of further progress?”
“This time, the Emperor has exhausted the nation’s resources, and all sides have generously donated to support the Abbot in holding the Water-Land Dharma Assembly. With the vast Buddhist Law’s blessings, we will move south to clean up the rebels and surely slay that North City Old Demon.”
The men continued to toast and drink merrily.
But Caifeng seemed somewhat distracted and, in a lapse of attention, snapped a string of her lute and cut her finger.
“Miss!”
As the lute’s music crashed, fresh blood spilled. The maid Xiaodie’s face changed, and she hurriedly took out a handkerchief to bandage her up.
The banqueting men also noticed the commotion and, seeing Caifeng’s delicate demeanor, their eyes lit up. They all turned their attention to the central figure and said teasingly, “Brother Liang, Caifeng is still a brothel girl who must wait until the end of the Dharma Assembly before leaving the Phoenix Perch Building. We can’t break the rules, so why not forget about tonight?”
Although the words seemed to advise, they were, in fact, veiled with sharp criticism and insinuation.
“Hmph!”
As expected, upon hearing this, the finely dressed young master sneered, “What rules? They are just set by my second brother. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, and that will settle it. Tonight, I have invited everyone here, so the rest of you may leave.”
With that, he stood up and staggered toward Caifeng.
“This… Young master, you mustn’t!”
Caifeng’s face changed, and she quickly propped herself up, trying to flee with Xiaodie’s help.
“You, why are you running!”
The young master, his face flushed with drunkenness, was seized by anger when his grab fell short. He immediately kicked over the lute stand in a furious outburst.
Caifeng backed away in terror, only to bump into someone.
Someone who hadn’t been seen earlier!
“Young master…”
Seeing the person reappearing before her, Caifeng was lost in shock, uncertain if it was real or a fantasy.
Xu Yang smiled, “As a person, sometimes you don’t have to think too much.”
“Young master…”
Caifeng looked at him, unsure of what to say.
Meanwhile, the other men snapped back to attention. “Who are you, daring to come here to cause trouble, seeking death…”
“Pu!”
A sword silenced their angry words.
The men stood frozen, faces filled with disbelief.
Then blood splattered, and heads flew off. In an instant, the room was filled with a horror that reeked of blood.
Xu Yang paid them no mind, pointing a finger at Caifeng’s forehead, then casually tossed a cloud of mist toward her, “Go.”
Only then did Caifeng snap out of her daze. She looked at him, then at the cloud in front of her, a mix of surprise and joy, and said repeatedly, “Thank you, young master, thank you!”
Xu Yang shook his head, turned away, and looked out toward the capital, “How many can escape such a great calamity?”
After speaking, he didn’t wait for their reaction, his sword’s light shooting up, straight into the heart of the capital.
Although his hopes were slim, some things still had to be attempted; regardless of the outcome, efforts must be exhausted to be free of regrets.