Chapter 33: 033: Old Mr. Chu

The sound of a motorcycle bell gradually approached.

Having finished her inquiries, Shen Tang came running back, feigning mystery. "Why didn't Yuanliang ask me? Aren't you curious about news regarding that person?"

Qi Shan remained composed, speaking words that made one's fists clench with frustration. "Youli is not the type to hold her tongue."

Shen Tang: "..."

She daily felt the urge to jump up and perform brain surgery on Qi Shan.

"It is truly a rarity that someone with a mouth like yours has managed to live this long in peace," Shen Tang teased. Qi Shan didn't even blink, so she had to continue, "According to the butcher at the meat shop, that old gentleman is a 'local celebrity' in the surrounding area, and his family name is 'Chu'."

Qi Shan asked, "Which character is it?"

There were many surnames with the same pronunciation.

Shen Tang had specifically inquired with the butcher and replied, "It should be the 'Chu' from 'taking clothes and hats to store them' (取衣冠而褚之)—the 'Chu' used for storing clothes."

Hearing it was this specific 'Chu', Qi Shan's brow furrowed imperceptibly, though Shen Tang, standing two steps behind him, failed to notice.

"Chu... this surname is rare in both the State of Xin and the State of Geng."

Shen Tang asked, "In which country is it common?"

Qi Shan shook his head, avoiding the question, and shifted the topic. "Aside from the surname, did you find out anything else?"

Shen Tang said, "The butcher also said that this Old Gentleman Chu was a slave sold cheaply at the market five years ago; there were over thirty slaves sent then. He also heard that there were originally over two hundred slaves intended to be sold elsewhere, but a plague broke out halfway through, leaving only this many survivors, so they could only be sold locally in Xiaocheng. Because they had been exposed to the plague, the price of the slaves was extremely low..."

Qi Shan asked, "Five years ago? Are you certain of the timing?"

Shen Tang recalled the butcher's words carefully. "The butcher wasn't entirely sure either; it might have been five years and a few months... Old Gentleman Chu was bought by the Yuehua Pavilion as a 'bonus' item in a package, and has been there ever since. I even made a special effort to find out what the Yuehua Pavilion is..."

Before she could finish, Qi Shan said, "It is a brothel."

Shen Tang paused, looking at Qi Shan's back with a strange expression, muttering to herself, "How do you know so clearly?"

What kind of place was a brothel?

A place where both men and women went to seek pleasure.

Qi Shan did not answer directly. Instead, he turned his head and spoke in a tone used for instructing a child, "Youli is not yet at an age to understand such things."

Shen Tang: "..."

She gave him a mental middle finger.

*Your elder sister has been an adult for eight hundred years, thank you!*

Qi Shan: "What does this gentleman do at the Yuehua Pavilion?"

Shen Tang said with a look of bewilderment, "He must be a laborer in the kitchen. Old Gentleman Chu is at an advanced age; he has no strength and cannot do heavy work. At most, he helps with chores like washing dishes, scrubbing bowls, or delivering vegetables. At his age, what else do you think he could do?"

Qi Shan: "..."

He would bet three coins that Young Master Shen was definitely mistaken.

Furthermore—

Qi Shan said in a flat tone, "This person is somewhat peculiar, full of contradictions. From our previous game of Go, it was evident that his attainments in 'Literary Heart and Martial Soul' are not low; at the very least, he is not below mine. This Xiaocheng truly is a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It is quite interesting."

Shen Tang was astonished. "Not below you?"

"Perhaps even above."

Shen Tang was confused. "If he possesses such talent, even if he fell into the wretched state of being bought by a brothel, he wouldn't be relegated to doing so much menial labor in the kitchen, would he? If he wanted to live a better life, it shouldn't be difficult, but looking at his clothes, it doesn't seem so."

Even as a slave, he was a slave with a specialized skill.

Qi Shan lowered his eyes and let out a cold laugh.

"Who knows what he is thinking? However, speaking of the surname 'Chu' reminds me of an old case."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's gossiping soul was awakened, and she instantly became energized—following the usual pattern, this so-called "old case" was likely inextricably linked to Old Gentleman Chu.

Even if he wasn't the person involved, he would be a relative of the party.

It was all a trope!

"What old case?"

Qi Shan smiled and said, "Among the hundred nations of the world, there are intermarriages everywhere. A few years ago, the State of Xin was powerful, and the surrounding small nations followed its lead, even offering their royal princesses to the Xin Imperial Harem. One of those princesses who became a concubine was surnamed 'Chu'."

"Oh, oh, and then?"

Qi Shan continued telling the story. "This 'Chu' princess from another nation gained the favor of the King of Xin immediately upon entering the harem. Her popularity was unmatched for a time; even the highly favored 'Lady' Zheng Qiao had to yield to her brilliance. It was said that this favored concubine was well-read, magnanimous, and kind. Before long, she became pregnant, showing great potential to become the Empress. However, in her fifth month of pregnancy, she suffered a miscarriage and died a mysterious death."

Shen Tang listened intently to every word, fearing she might miss a key point.

"I bet there is nothing simple behind this matter."

Qi Shan nodded. "Naturally, it is not simple. Rumors swirled in the streets; some said the favored concubine had an affair with a guard and was discovered by the King, while others rumored that the fetus in her womb actually belonged to Zheng Qiao. Shortly after this, Zheng Qiao returned to her home country, and the State of Xin launched a military campaign to destroy the concubine's former nation. It is said that during the conquest, the King of Xin secretly ordered a massacre of the city, tormenting the royals and nobles of that small nation... Judging by the King of Xin's attitude, those street rumors might hold some truth. Of course, it is also possible that Zheng Qiao used trickery to murder and frame the concubine in order to facilitate her return home."

Shen Tang: "..."

Was this the legendary "what goes around comes around"?

The State of Xin had once committed the acts of destroying a nation and massacring a city, tormenting a royal family and showing no dignity to prisoners of war. Now, it was Zheng Qiao's turn to destroy the State of Xin, not only copying Xin's previous tactics but also adding a new twist: forcing the princesses of the Xin royal family to surrender *naked*.

This was truly "the student surpassing the master."

Shen Tang speculated, "Does Yuanliang mean that Old Gentleman Chu might be a member of that small nation's royal family?"

"It is hard to say. It could be, or it might not be." The largest surname in that destroyed small nation was "Chu." The scope was too wide to determine his identity for certain, but he certainly held a grudge against the State of Xin.

Qi Shan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, temporarily suppressing the complex emotions churning in his chest. "Let us not speak of this for now. Young Master Shen, let us first settle into our lodgings; we can take the rest slowly."

They would have to spend the next period of time in Xiaocheng.

Shen Tang shrugged indifferently. "Everything is up to Yuanliang."

Being in an unfamiliar place, she could only rely on this "guide NPC."

Qi Shan led Shen Tang to a small, secluded residence.

Though small, the house was fully equipped, with every detail reflecting the owner's meticulous care. The owners were an elderly farming couple, appearing to be in their fifties. As soon as they appeared, the old woman greeted them with a smile and led Shen Tang to her room.

The room was adjacent to the courtyard; opening the wooden door revealed a courtyard well, and Qi Shan was staying in the next room. Once the elderly couple left, she asked, "Do you know these two, Yuanliang?"

The interaction between the elderly couple and Qi Shan suggested familiarity, as if they were old acquaintances.

Qi Shan said, "I do. It has been about five or six years..."

Shen Tang's brow arched.

She wasn't sure if she was being paranoid, but she found herself strangely preoccupied with the phrase "five or six years."