TL: Hua
Chapter 59: Playing a Role – Xiao Pei goes to Enzhou (2)
“What kind of place is Bai Mian Fang?”
Pei Xiting played with the bamboo snake in his hand. Across from him sat a young man, about twenty years old, with a slicked-back hairstyle and powdered face. Hearing the question, the powdered face smiled ambiguously, and Pei Xiting understood. “A brothel.”
The toy store has new business again, the man shouted and went out to greet the customers, who were a chubby boy. The man picked him up and swayed him twice, saying, “You rascal, you’ve gotten fatter again. What good stuff has your mother been feeding you lately?”
Yuan Fang stood behind Pei Xiting with his arms crossed, seizing the opportunity to say, “Weren’t you here to fight bandits?”
“Fight bandits?” Pei Xiting pointed to himself with his backhand, his gaze blank. “Me?”
According to Pei Xiting, he was a “little weakling.” Yuan Fang immediately revised his wording and said, “I think you definitely have a purpose.”
Pei Xiting hadn’t originally planned to come to Enzhou, only intending to use Mei Xiu as a variable to change Zong Rui’s fate. But after that night’s events, he felt like taking a walk, temporarily away from the Crown Prince, to seriously consider their relationship.
“Fighting bandits is the prince’s task; there’s no place for us to show our skills. But I heard that people have been going missing in Enzhou recently, mostly children.” Pei Xiting lowered his eyes. “I believe people who abduct and kidnap children should die a hundred times over on the spot. Since we’ve encountered this, we should also contribute our efforts and try to investigate.”
Though Pei Xiting’s tone was light, it contained a cold intensity, clearly expressing deep hatred. Yuan Fang glanced at his emotionless profile and said nothing.
A moment later, the man returned, leaning over the wooden counter. “Hey, are you an official?”
Pei Xiting looked up and smiled sweetly at the man, saying, “What kind of person do you think I am?”
The man sized Pei Xiting up and down, then smiled and said, “You look like a young master raised in wealth, but you’re smart and not easily fooled.”
Pei Xiting was noncommittal, pinching the small head of the bamboo snake. “Do you sell information here based on the buyer’s identity?”
“My dear sir, who in business wants trouble? Wouldn’t you agree?” The man looked at Pei Xiting, then at Yuan Fang, and sighed. “I know, today I have no choice but to sell; otherwise, this big brother… oh no, this master behind you, can make me die and revive instantly, reincarnating seven or eight times.”
“I’m here to do business with you, boss, clear pricing, and we’ll leave after the transaction, definitely no trouble for you.” Pei Xiting used the snake’s head to tap the boss’s hand and said indifferently, “Boss, you run a toy shop, and you’re especially enthusiastic and patient with young customers. You like children very much, don’t you? I guess you can’t be indifferent to those missing children, but you lack the ability, so you can only protect yourself.”
The man rubbed the back of his head, not answering, only saying, “This Bai Mian Fang is a brothel in the city. It’s been around for many years, but as far as I know, in the past six months, there have always been strangers coming and going from this Bai Mian Fang—I don’t mean customers, I mean those of unknown origin, who clearly aren’t ordinary people. They’re there to make deals.”
Pei Xiting understood. “You mean it’s a cover-up location?”
The man nodded and said, “Brothels and gambling dens are bustling with people, especially at night. All sorts of shady characters hide there, making it ideal for exchanging information and trading.”
Pei Xiting asked, “What kind of transactions?”
“Unrivaled power,” the man smiled mysteriously. “Anything you ask for.”
Pei Xiting said, “Oh? Can I become emperor?”
“…” The man said, “Big brother, don’t joke.”
“So it’s false advertising, just bluffing,” Pei Xiting scoffed, thoughtfully poking the snake’s head. Then he said, “Would direct transactions alert them?”
“Yes,” the man said. “So you need a referrer and a referral token.”
Pei Xiting rested his chin on his hand, looked at the man, and said, “Name your price.”
“I won’t do this business, nor can I, but I can sell you a path,” the man said, pointing outwards. “Those beggars on the street, go see which one in their den has the most shifty eyes—that’s him.”
With that, he extended his palm and said, “I won’t name a price for you; just give what you feel is right.”
Yuan Fang’s presence was truly effective. Pei Xiting smiled, took a banknote from his sleeve, and placed it on the man’s hand, saying, “This is the price for the information, and this one—”
He added another banknote and said, “I’d like to ask you to help me find someone.”
The man stared at the thousand taels of silver, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Who?”
“Zhang Dazhuang,” Pei Xiting said.
The man raised an eyebrow and tentatively said, “There’s a Zhang Dazhuang on Damang Mountain.”
“That’s him,” Pei Xiting said. “I want to make a deal with him. Could you connect us?”
The man hesitated, saying, “Five hundred taels just for a connection?”
“He’s a bandit; there’s a certain danger involved. I know you’re well-connected, but I won’t take advantage of you with this cheap offer.” Pei Xiting asked, “Deal or no deal?”
The man gripped the banknotes and said, “Deal!”
“As soon as possible. I’ll wait for your news. This is mine now,” Pei Xiting said, standing up and casually pocketing the small bamboo snake toy.
The two left the toy shop, walked out of the alley, and found the beggar’s den on the street.
Pei Xiting took a quick look, picked out a thin, large-eyed beggar, and subtly leaned back to Yuan Fang, whispering, “That’s him.”
“Looks like it,” Yuan Fang said. “How do you plan to ask?”
That was the main problem. The contact and the organization might have a cooperative or subordinate relationship, and spooking them wouldn’t be good. Pei Xiting walked around Yuan Fang with his hands on his hips, saying, “Hey, do you have any underworld slang that proves we’re ‘of the same path,’ lowers their guard, and builds rapport?”
“No need,” Yuan Fang said, stepping towards the beggar’s den. Pei Xiting quickly followed.
“Oh, you two gentlemen look like auspicious, wealthy folk. A spit from you is enough to fill us up.” The thin beggar held out his broken bowl, looking up eagerly at the two approaching men. “Gentlemen, I wish you promotion and prosperity; please be benevolent!”
Pei Xiting scanned the hungry, green-eyed beggars, took some silver fragments from Yuan Fang’s waist, and tossed them into one of the broken bowls. “It’s cold. Go get a bowl of noodles.”
The beggars collectively cried out, “Your generosity is like a Bodhisattva’s heart; may you be promoted and prosper!” They swarmed away quickly, leaving only the thin beggar still sitting on the steps.
The thin beggar grinned at the sight and said, “You two gentlemen are truly benevolent. Look at all the people coming and going; no one even glances at us, afraid of dirtying their eyes.”
“We are not benevolent, and you are certainly not a beggar,” Yuan Fang said. “I’ll get straight to the point: help me find someone.”
“If it’s any other favor, this humble one certainly can’t help, but finding people, this humble one is good at that. After all, I’ve begged for food from every household; I remember people,” the thin beggar said with a chuckle. “Who are you two gentlemen looking for? Where do they live?”
Yuan Fang knelt on one knee, beckoned the thin beggar closer, and then whispered, “Immortal Corridor.”
The thin beggar’s eyes flickered with shock. After realizing what was said, he continued to feign ignorance, smiling apologetically, “Forgive me, sir, which ‘Immortal Corridor’ is that? I’ve never heard of it!”
Yuan Fang ignored him and continued, “I want to claim a life, but ordinary assassins can’t succeed. I can only ask the Immortal Corridor to act and help me achieve my goal.”
Pei Xiting’s eyes darted, looking at the back of Yuan Fang’s head, deep in thought.
“Claim a life?” The thin beggar retreated two steps in fear, his eyes darting around. He chuckled, “You two gentlemen, this humble one is a law-abiding citizen. Stealing a bit of food and drink is one thing, but murder and robbery, this humble one wouldn’t dare—”
He stiffened, raising a hand to touch his suddenly stinging neck. His fingertip was stained crimson.
When had he been cut? He hadn’t noticed at all!
A silver glint flashed at Yuan Fang’s fingertips. The blade skillfully twirled a few times as he smiled faintly at the beggar. “Little brother, help me out.”
“…” The thin beggar was horrified. He said dryly, “Sir, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but this Immortal Corridor—the top assassin organization, unpredictable as gods and ghosts. If this humble one can easily find them, where would their reputation be placed?”
The thin beggar glanced warily at the blade at Yuan Fang’s fingertips, saying as if joking, “Sir, your silent killing technique is impressive. Have you considered doing it yourself?”
This was a test and a suspicion. Pei Xiting snorted at the remark. “Doing dangerous things ourselves? What’s the point of those who sell lives, then? We have money; why take risks?”
“But I truly can’t find the Immortal Corridor. How about this?” The thin beggar thought for a moment, then suggested, “I know a way. You can ask for anything—as long as you can afford the price.”
“Ask for anything?” Pei Xiting was clearly unconvinced. “Is that humanly possible?”
The thin beggar “eh-ed” and said mysteriously, “That’s why, it’s not human, it’s an immortal!”
“Immortal?” Pei Xiting was suspicious. “Are there really immortals in the world?”
The thin beggar said, “The world is vast, full of wonders!”
“That statement certainly makes sense. So, how is it ‘anything you ask for’?” Pei Xiting scoffed. “If you can’t explain it, then ‘immortal’ is a charlatan, and you’re his dog, colluding to swindle money!”
“Hey!” The thin beggar showed a “how dare you” expression, pointed behind him, and quickly said, “Just up ahead, there used to be two rival restaurants fighting for business. They both wished the other would go bankrupt soon. One day, the owner of Li Ji, blessed with deep fortune, met an immortal. He poured out his wish, and the immortal calculated with his fingers and pronounced: ‘Zhang Ji is dishonest in business and immoral as a person; disaster will surely strike.’ The next day, someone really died from Zhang Ji’s food, and they closed down for good.”
Poisoned, right? Pei Xiting pretended to be surprised and said, “So miraculous?”
“Indeed!” The thin beggar saw Pei Xiting’s expression soften, clapped his hands, and gave another example. “For instance, Old Master Xu in the north of the city was immensely wealthy, but sadly his descendants withered, with no one to inherit. For years, he took many concubines and invited many famous doctors but couldn’t have children. Then he received a miraculous elixir from the immortal, and two months later, his newly taken concubine actually showed signs of pregnancy!”
Probably Old Wang’s next door’s seed, right? Pei Xiting’s expression was aghast. “Is that true?!”
“Truer than real gold!” the thin beggar said. “Countless such instances keep happening. Otherwise, how could they be called immortal?”
Pei Xiting pondered for a moment, then reached out and pulled Yuan Fang up, intimately looping his arm through Yuan Fang’s. He said softly, “Brother Fang, that Immortal Corridor sounds terrifying; doing business with them is like playing with fire. Why don’t we go to this certain immortal first and ask for directions? If this immortal is truly so miraculous, we won’t need to search everywhere for the Immortal Corridor’s path.”
Yuan Fang’s mouth twitched, and he said indulgently, “…Whatever you say.”
The thin beggar had been wondering which young master could command such skill, surely of extraordinary origin, perhaps from Yejing. Seeing this, his eyebrows twitched. So, they weren’t master and servant but a couple!
He secretly glanced at Pei Xiting, thinking, So beautiful, with a small face, slender waist, and perky backside, and that soft, sweet voice. Could he be a male courtesan?
“Hey,” Pei Xiting’s eyes slanted towards the thin beggar. “How will you connect us?”
The thin beggar snapped back to attention, pulled out a wooden token from his chest, and handed it over with a chuckle. “Tonight, at Bai Mian Fang, you two gentlemen light a Hundred Flowers Lantern, and the immortal will descend.”
Yuan Fang took the token and said, “If the immortal can truly help me, you’ll be well rewarded later.”
The thin beggar smiled while watching the two walk away intimately. Then he immediately picked up his broken bowl and crutch and left.
—
The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. Thousands of lights glowed as Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang entered Bai Mian Fang.
It was a brothel, with embroidered doors, pearl curtains, silk wafting fragrance, pleasing music, and bustling crowds. Pei Xiting held Yuan Fang’s arm, disdainfully glaring at a drunkard who brushed past him. He muttered, “What kind of person is that, walking without looking?”
“Oh, young master, don’t be angry; this servant apologizes to you.” The madam wiggled her backside towards the two, sized them up, and said with a smile, “Such a perfectly matched pair, please come upstairs quickly.”
Pei Xiting smiled and exchanged a glance with Yuan Fang. They followed the madam upstairs and entered a private room.
This scene fell into Yu Shaoyun’s eyes. He moved away from the window, turned to look at the Crown Prince, who was reclining on a lounge chair, reading documents, and then hesitated before walking over, saying softly, “Master, Pei-wenshu…”
The Crown Prince’s finger paused.
“Pei-wenshu and Yuan Fang have arrived. They’re arm-in-arm, intimately posed, and,” Yu Shaoyun coughed, “Pei-wenshu’s way of walking is different from usual.”
The Crown Prince looked up. “What do you mean?”
“He’s wiggling,” Yu Shaoyun said, “much like that male courtesan who just left not long ago.”
“He and Yuan Fang are just putting on an act with fake identities,” the Crown Prince said, looking away. “Speak everything at once; don’t hesitate and cause misunderstandings.”
Although Yu Shaoyun didn’t understand which word caused what misunderstanding, he immediately assented and then said, “Pei-wenshu and his companion must have some objective in coming here. Perhaps it’s also about the cult’s immortal.”
“With Yuan Fang and Jie Zi around, there won’t be any major problems,” the Crown Prince said. “Let him do as he pleases.”
—
Meanwhile, the madam wiped the table with a cloth and asked, “What kind of wine would you two gentlemen like to drink?”
“A pot of Silverlight,” Pei Xiting said gracefully, sitting down and then pulling Yuan Fang to sit beside him.
The madam said “en” and lit the Hundred Flowers Lantern outside the door as she left.
Yuan Fang looked around, reached out to check the candle lamp on the table, confirmed there were no issues, and nodded to Pei Xiting.
Pei Xiting sighed, complaining, “My waist is aching from all that twisting.”
This immortal sought wealth and only helped the rich. But pretending to be a young master was troublesome for identity disguise and easily aroused suspicion. Pei Xiting thought it over and decided it was better to act as a “bunny boy,” with a backstory of being formerly pampered by a noble but running away with Yuan Fang with money in hand. This would make it harder for the “immortal” to investigate and would be safer.
“Looks quite convincing,” Yuan Fang teased.
Pei Xiting gave him a flirtatious look, about to speak, but Yuan Fang blinked, and he immediately shut up.
Xian Yin pushed open the door and saw Pei Xiting quickly lifting his head from Yuan Fang’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile. “Did I disturb you two?”
She placed the tray on the table. After sitting down, she gently flicked her sleeve, and the room door “slammed” shut.
“Your martial arts are extraordinary, miss,” Pei Xiting said, feigning surprise as he observed the woman sitting opposite him. “May I ask your esteemed name?”
Xian Yin poured a cup of wine and pushed it in front of Yuan Fang, saying, “This humble one is Xian Yin.”
“Xian Yin?” Pei Xiting pouted. “We want to see the immortal.”
Xian Yin giggled and said, “Isn’t she right here?”
Pei Xiting let out a “Ha!” with a look of dissatisfaction. “You? With all due respect, miss, you are indeed beautiful, but to say you’re an immortal? Not at all. Are you deliberately trying to deceive us?”
“Young master, please calm down. Since it’s an immortal, how can they casually meet mortals?” Xian Yin smiled faintly and then, surprisingly, spoke in a deep, resonant voice, “This humble one’s name is Xian Yin precisely because I can understand the voice of the immortal, thus humbly serving as an immortal envoy.”
Pei Xiting almost burst out laughing. He said, half-believing, half-skeptical, “Is Miss truly an immortal’s envoy?”
Xian Yin nodded. “Precisely. If you two have a request, feel free to tell me, and I will report it to the immortal.”
Pei Xiting looked at Yuan Fang, his eyes showing reliance, and whispered, “Brother Fang?”
“I want to ask the immortal to eliminate my enemy,” Yuan Fang said.
Xian Yin said, “Such a request is not uncommon. But may I ask, who is the young master’s enemy?”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Fang’s face showed sorrow. He pursed his lips and remained silent, leaving the stage for the performance. Pei Xiting reached out and supported his back, continuing the act, “The current Crown Prince.”
Xian Yin’s expression shifted slightly. “The Crown Prince?”
“Precisely, the Crown Prince,” Pei Xiting said, looking at Yuan Fang with heartfelt pain. He said in a deep voice, “The Crown Prince and my brother Fang have a blood feud! We wish we could eliminate him quickly! However, the Crown Prince holds high power, and he is surrounded by experts. Brother Fang cannot succeed alone, which is why we wanted to hire assassins from the Immortal Corridor.”
Xian Yin subtly observed Pei Xiting’s expression, seeing his eyes slightly red, filled with heartache and hatred, and not seeming fake. She then slightly turned her gaze to Yuan Fang and said, “May I ask, young master, what is your origin?”
This was a request to verify Yuan Fang’s background. Pei Xiting’s mind quickly raced. His hand under the table secretly pinched Yuan Fang’s thigh, intending to write a character.
Yuan Fang naturally reached out and caught Pei Xiting’s restless hand. He looked up at Xian Yin and said in a deep voice, “Southwest, Lingxi Mountain Manor.”
Xian Yin said in surprise, “You are from the Chen family?”
Yuan Fang said nothing, abruptly extended two fingers, and instantly, the candle flame in the lampshade broke into two, extinguishing with a “whoosh.”
“This is the ‘Lingxi Point’ of Lingxi Mountain Manor.” Xian Yin’s tense jaw gradually relaxed. “Six years ago, one hundred and twenty lives from Lingxi Mountain Manor were lost at the hands of the Crown Prince. Only the young disciple of the manor master escaped because he was not in the manor at the time, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.”
Yuan Fang said, “I am Chen Shi’an.”
“So that’s how it is,” Xian Yin sighed. “The Crown Prince framed his brothers, poisoned his father, and annihilated entire families. Who knows how many people’s blood is on his hands. He is truly a tyrannical ruler! However, the Crown Prince is still the Crown Prince; his life force is very strong.”
“No matter how strong his life is, he is still human,” Pei Xiting gritted his teeth. “Aren’t you an immortal? Can’t you do anything about a mortal?”
Xian Yin frowned, shook her head, and said, “Protected by a true dragon, he is naturally different from mortals.”
“Is the Crown Prince really a true dragon?” Pei Xiting frowned. “Even the immortal envoy says the Crown Prince’s position is illegitimate. Then he cannot be the son of a true dragon. He is an evil dragon; no, he is a venomous snake! Immortals possess unparalleled power and benevolent hearts. Can they not eliminate this venomous snake for the sake of the common people and the welfare of the nation?!”
Yuan Fang: “…”
Pei Xiting was greatly agitated and continued to elaborate, “We are few in number and can only beg the immortal. If the immortal is willing to help, we will not hesitate to spend all our family’s wealth!”
Saying this, he took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and said, “This is a deposit. We humbly ask the immortal envoy to present a tribute for us so that the immortal hears our plea!”
Yuan Fang looked at the stack of banknotes with a bleeding heart.
“The immortal is compassionate and cares for the nation and its people,” Xian Yin said, looking away. She gently closed her eyes, made a strange gesture with her hand, remained silent for a moment, and then opened her eyes. “I have heard the immortal’s decree. This matter is not trivial and requires careful discussion.”
“But—”
Yuan Fang pressed Pei Xiting’s shoulder and said, “After years of hatred, I’m no longer in a hurry for just a day or two. Since the immortal has spoken, it’s fine for us to wait a little longer.”
Pei Xiting pursed his lips, his chest heaving, but finally obediently said, “I’ll listen to Brother Fang.”
Xian Yin smiled at the sight and said, “Please wait a little longer. When the immortal’s decree is issued, I will hang a hundred-flower lantern outside this window.”
“Good,” Yuan Fang nodded.
Xian Yin stood up and gracefully departed.
The door opened and closed. Yuan Fang looked at Pei Xiting, who let out a long sigh and whispered, “Brother Fang, do you think this immortal can really help us?”
“I don’t know,” Yuan Fang shook his head. “But at this point, as long as there’s hope, I have to try.”
Pei Xiting leaned weakly on Yuan Fang’s shoulder and said, “Through fire and water, I’ll be with you.”
Yuan Fang said coldly, “Get lost.”
“Okay,” Pei Xiting immediately straightened his head, looked back at the door, and whispered, “I barely put any effort into my acting. I almost couldn’t control my laugh a few times. Isn’t this just tricking fools?”
“Then you’re quite good at it.” Yuan Fang said. “Why did you mention the Crown Prince?”
“They dare to kidnap people, which shows that they have not taken the laws to heart. They engage in this kind of evil cult and even raise the banner of immortals. Most likely, they are not under the control of the court and want to be something more powerful than a true Son of Heaven. In short, they won’t be supporters of the court. Therefore, when I mentioned the Crown Prince, even if they won’t accept this deal, they won’t suspect us,” Pei Xiting rubbed his chin. “Now, I have a theory.”
Yuan Fang asked, “What?”
“When I was passionately acting just now, did you notice Xian Yin’s expression?” Pei Xiting said. “There was a momentary flash of killing intent in her eyes. Perhaps she really is an enemy of the Crown Prince.”
“That’s not unusual,” Yuan Fang said. “The Crown Prince has countless enemies.”
Pei Xiting scratched his head and said, “Hey, what was that Lingxi Mountain Manor?”
“It was a force in the Southwest. Everyone in the manor was a beast, committing all sorts of atrocities like burning, killing, and looting. Later, the Crown Prince organized the extermination of the family. It’s all in the past,” Yuan Fang said.
“Then how could you—” Pei Xiting extended two fingers and pointed at the lampshade. “Whoosh!”
Yuan Fang almost imperceptibly smiled and said, “Because I really am Chen Shi’an.”
Pei Xiting’s eyes widened. “The Crown Prince killed your whole family?”
Yuan Fang squinted. “Guess?”
“…” Pei Xiting hugged himself with his arms crossed, his eyes darting. “I get it, you infiltrated the enemy’s lair, working from the inside?”
Yuan Fang said nothing, tacitly confirming it.
“So, in that case,” Pei Xiting said, “what is the relationship between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Immortal Corridor?”
Yuan Fang said, “The Immortal Corridor does not belong to the court, but the Crown Prince and the Immortal Corridor’s master are friends. Back then, during an internal conflict within the Immortal Corridor, the Crown Prince lent a hand to the current master, so they are still allies.”
“Wow,” Pei Xiting exclaimed. “His Royal Highness really didn’t waste his time wandering outside all those years.”
Yuan Fang said, “Isn’t that right?”
“Then, is your ‘creditor’ that master? Did you betray the Immortal Corridor or run away secretly after making a mistake?” Pei Xiting was a bit worried. “What if he comes knocking one day? How will I protect you?”
Yuan Fang almost laughed out loud and said, “I’d thank the heavens if you managed to seize the opportunity and run away without looking back.” Pei Xiting, the little weakling, couldn’t refute. He angrily slammed the table and stood up. “Retreat!”
The two intimately left Bai Mian Fang. Afterward, Yu Shaoyun received Jie Zi’s flying letter and turned to present it to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes and scanned the letter, his gaze lingering on words like “Brother Fang,” “evil dragon,” “venomous snake,” and “protect.” Yu Shaoyun, standing beside him, said dryly, “Pei-wenshu is so good at bluffing, haha.”
“In his words, this is: ‘fighting magic with magic,'” the Crown Prince said. “He wants to lure the snake out of its hole. But the money he has isn’t enough. Have Heying find a time to give him the bank’s jade token, but don’t mention me.”
Yu Shaoyun responded.
The door gently opened, and a guard entered, offering a blood jade token. “Master, Corridor Master Fu invites you.”
“Why is Corridor Master Fu suddenly here?” Yu Shaoyun took the jade token.
The Crown Prince was still looking at his flying letter, not lifting his eyes. “No time.”
“Corridor Master Fu ordered a lamb hotpot at the lamb restaurant and is waiting for you to pay. And Pei-wenshu just went into that same lamb restaurant, Corridor Master Fu said…”
“Said what?” the Crown Prince asked.
The guard cleared his throat. “Corridor Master Fu said: ‘If His Highness the Crown Prince is stingy with a few small coins, I’ll ask the future Crown Princess to pay for me.'”
“…” The Crown Prince reached out, took the jade token from Yu Shaoyun, and expressionlessly crushed it into pieces.
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