Chapter 57: Listening to Music in the Brothel

“Two old friends, next time we meet, I shall be the one to tell you of the shifting tides of this Great Zhou Dynasty...”

Brushing the fallen snow from the tombstone, the youth whispered softly.

The first year of the Great Zhou Xuanlong Era.

Winter.

Su Chen had descended the mountain.

On a swift horse, he rode straight down the Green Mountains, clad in black robes, heading toward Jinjiang, fifty miles north of the Great Zhou Imperial City.

Before returning to the Imperial Palace.

He had one more matter to attend to.

The abandoned house in the bamboo forest and Chu Feng's decisiveness had left him shaken.

He only wondered.

After two years had passed, with the change of dynasties and the vicissitudes of all things, whether that child was still in this world.

“However, I feel as if I’ve forgotten something.”

Su Chen felt puzzled, but he did not dwell on it.

Because he had arrived at Jinjiang City.

A single Jinjiang River ran through the entire city, surging for ten thousand miles. Upon the raging waves, there were countless black-awning boats and continuous pleasure vessels. Onboard, there were pipa players, fine wine, and jade cups; there were beauties in thin gauze dancing amidst the wind and snow, playing music like a celestial palace—a veritable playground of earthly delights, a den of extravagance akin to the banks of the Qinhuai River.

“Listening to music in the pleasure quarters isn't a bad idea.”

Night.

Under a bright moon and starry sky.

Su Chen moved like a streak of flowing light, treading upon the river water, racing against the surging, backward-rolling waves toward the largest, palace-like pleasure vessel on the river.

Though he did not know who it was.

The last remaining imperial blood of the Great Liang—the offspring of the deposed Emperor—was aboard this vessel.

“Wonderful!”

“Truly wonderful!”

“This dance is so pure—no, this dance is so grand!”

The swirling flowers were enough to dazzle the eyes.

As he searched, Su Chen stood beneath the stage, his feet unable to move any further.

Inside the palace-like vessel, upon a high platform, young maidens dressed in thin gauze danced gracefully, their figures slender and their forms curvaceous.

Among them, one maiden danced like a startled swan under the scattered moonlight. Even standing in the furthest corner, dressed in plain clothes, her youthful, exquisite face and peerless dancing skills still outshone the other dancers, like the stars beside a bright moon...

For a moment, Su Chen even temporarily forgot his purpose.

“What are you looking at! Get to work.”

The manager of the vessel, after a patrol, suddenly spotted a group of servants in black busy serving tea and water to the nobles, while a single outlier in black was standing there "admiring the flowers and the moon."

“Do you think a mere servant like you is worthy of watching Lady Qingque’s dance?”

“Get lost and get to work!”

The manager cursed angrily and gave Su Chen a kick, throwing a tray and a rag at him. Su Chen caught them instinctively.

However, his gaze remained fixed upon the "flowers and moonlight."

“Come here.”

“Wipe this table for this young master.”

A noble youth beckoned to Su Chen.

“Calling me?”

Su Chen looked left and right, then jogged over to wipe the table. Truth be told, he had never done such work even in the Imperial Palace.

In the Great Liang, anyone who dared make him wipe a table, Zhang Gui or Han would likely already be investigating their entire clan.

“Exquisite!”

“Too exquisite!”

“I grant Qingque thirty golden flowers! Hahaha! No matter how many times I watch, Qingque remains so cold and moving. I am determined to win her top prize...”

From an upper-floor private box, the arrogant voice of a youth drifted down.

Soon, thirty exquisitely carved golden flowers were placed before the maiden in plain clothes on the high platform.

“Even the Marquis of Jiangling has come.”

“It seems Qingque has a master.”

In the main hall, the hearts of the noble guests, which had been stirring with intent, were instantly extinguished; none dared to harbor thoughts of claiming Qingque.

Thirty golden flowers.

It was merely three thousand taels of silver.

Anyone could afford it.

But no one dared to offend the Marquis of Jiangling.

“A mere thirty golden flowers and you want Qingque’s top prize? Everyone knows Qingque is the most beautiful songstress in Jinjiang City, trained for sixteen years, and makes her debut today...”

“This old man offers seventy golden flowers!”

A high-pitched, thin voice rang out in the hall. The crowd was horrified; following the sound, they saw a figure clad in blue robes.

“Who is so bold?”

“That is the Marquis of Jiangling! The most expensive person in all of Jinjiang City! Who is this person? Are they seeking death, daring to challenge the Marquis of Jiangling?”

Beside Su Chen, a genuine servant in black couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

“Why?”

“Is this Marquis of Jiangling very famous?” Su Chen asked.

“You don't even know the Marquis of Jiangling? The entire Jinjiang City is granted under his name. You know the Great Zhou's Longxuan Lord, right? He is... wait, who are you? How have I never seen you before?”

The servant stopped, looking at Su Chen suspiciously.

“Haha!”

“The weather is quite nice, I think I'll take a stroll nearby...”

Su Chen slipped away.

He remembered his purpose and prepared to continue his search.

Inside the vessel.

The Marquis of Jiangling and the blue-robed figure began bidding against each other.

“One hundred golden flowers...”

“This old man offers three hundred golden flowers!”

“Seven hundred!”

“Eunuch Yu, one should show mercy where possible. You are the Jinjiang Supervisor sent by the Palace; surely you should give this Marquis some face.”

“Besides, even if you win Qingque, you have no use for her...”

Inside the box, the Marquis of Jiangling was already gritting his teeth.

The Jinjiang Supervisor!

It was actually the Jinjiang Supervisor!

Another Great Break-Heaven expert!

The wealthy merchants and noble youths in the vessel all stood trembling, sipping tea incessantly, not even daring to lift their heads.

“Hmm?!”

The blue-robed manager, who had been prepared to yield, felt his face instantly contort. How was this any different from someone pointing at his nose and calling him a eunuch dog without balls?

What difference was there!

“One thousand!”

“This old man will win this Qingque today to present to my godfather in the Imperial Palace! So what? So what!”

The blue-robed Yu Zhong roared.

On the high platform, the maiden in plain clothes named Qingque bit her lip and gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, the resentment and humiliation in her eyes nearly impossible to hide.

But even if she was unwilling, what could she do?

If only she could practice cultivation.

Alas.

She was merely the lowest of songstresses, forbidden from cultivation; standing here today, she was only being prepared to be sold for a good price.

“Two thousand golden flowers!”

“Stinking eunuch!”

“Remnant of the Great Liang!”

“Did I give you too much face? My father is the Great Zhou's Longxuan Lord, the supreme First-Rank expert who wiped out your Great Liang with a single hand! If you try to snatch her from me again, I'll wipe out even your red-robed godfather in the palace!”

The Marquis of Jiangling roared, throwing open the window and pointing at Yu Zhong's nose to curse him.

“You?!”

Yu Zhong was livid.

He stood up, his Qi surging, ready to strike.

In the main hall, the crowd vanished instantly, retreating to the corners for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

This was a dispute between the Jinjiang Supervisor and the Marquis of Jiangling—two Great Break-Heaven experts. They did not dare to intervene.

“So he’s also a eunuch, and a remnant of the Great Liang at that. No wonder that robe looks so familiar. By the way, has the Great Zhou Imperial Palace not reformed its eunuch system?”

“Forget it, forget it.”

“There is a Second-Rank expert in the box, and you are only Third-Rank. You can't win. Forget it.”

Seeing that he was also a eunuch and a remnant of the Great Liang, Su Chen suddenly felt a sense of kinship and stepped forward to restrain the raging Yu Zhong.

“Get lost!”

Yu Zhong roared in fury, intending to strike this death-defying servant away. However, the pair of hands pressing on his shoulders were like iron mountains, pinning him motionless.

“You seek...”

Yu Zhong was enraged and mobilized his Qi to strike, but when he raised his eyes to see Su Chen's face, he was instantly struck as if by lightning, frozen like a startled chicken.

“What?”

“Do you know me?”

Su Chen narrowed his eyes. This kid did look somewhat familiar.

Had he seen him in the Library?

What was his name again?

...

...

On the other side.

Night.

The Imperial City.

The Great Zhou was engaged in massive construction, rebuilding the Great Zhou Imperial Palace upon the ruins of the Great Liang palace. Countless palaces and pavilions were being erected, and the original bottomless abyss was covered by a high tower, seventeen stories tall, piercing the clouds.

A pottery jar had been unearthed.

“Why is there a little turtle inside this?” a eunuch asked curiously.

The little turtle woke up in surprise.

*Whoosh—*

Had that powerful kin gone far away?

It poked its head out, ending its state of turtle-hibernation. Looking at this strange surroundings, it was stunned. Its four short legs scurried, crawling faster than a lion or a tiger, searching everywhere.

Nothing!

There was still nothing here.

Where had the good human brother gone?

Ah!

Did he run away?

He ran away!

The little turtle hasn't run yet!

He left the little turtle behind! The little turtle is still here!

The little turtle felt aggrieved, nearly moved to tears. It sniffed around everywhere, its ink-jade body moving like a streak of light as it shot into the sky, heading toward Jinjiang City.

“What demon is this?!”

A roar rang out.

A Great Zhou World-Suppressing expert glared with fury as he descended from the seventeen-story tower.

The little turtle glared back.

It swelled up against the wind!

Revealing a massive maw capable of devouring a First-Rank demon!

“This...”

“My apologies.”

The peak expert broke into a cold sweat and retreated into the seventeen-story tower at extreme speed.

At the very top of the tower.

The First-Rank experts who were studying the ten ancient coffins found in the abyss all looked up.

One First-Rank expert smiled compliantly.

“Prince Dilong, it seems you have become even stronger. That demon that popped up has likely been struck into soul-extinction by you.”

Soul-extinction?

It would be more accurate to say this King's soul was extinguished.

Dilong's smile was exceptionally forced as he changed the subject.

“How are those ancient coffins? Have you discovered anything?”

“It has been investigated.”

“These ancient coffins are over three hundred years old, likely from the end of the Great Yu Dynasty. Furthermore, the material they are made of is rare in the world; even a First-Rank expert can hardly damage them. They cannot be opened from the outside. We just don't know why they have been constantly leaking water these past few days...” a First-Rank expert reported.

At that moment.

One of the ancient coffins began to tremble.

*Hum!*

The coffin lid exploded.

An old, pale hand, still carrying ice crystals, pressed stiffly against the edge of the coffin. A chilling voice drifted out from within.

“The ice has melted, so of course it would leak water continuously.”

“What year of the Great Yu is it now?”

“And...”

“Has the... Immortal Descent... arrived?”

A raspy voice.

Spanning over three hundred years, a Great Yu Grandmaster had awakened.

(End of Chapter)