Orden des Roten Lotus

Kapitel 35

"Heh, there's another, more widely known way to say it: heartless, widowed, childless," Lan Qi chuckled.

"Huh?" Ning Lang was startled. "This...how can you say that?"

"Yes, that's a really vicious way to put it," Wei Xilai couldn't help but say.

"Hmm." Yuwen Luo cleared his throat. "Let me tell you what kind of person Li Sanjue is."

Ning Lang, Wei Xilai, and Wei Shan'er all turned their gazes toward Yuwen Luo, which made him feel somewhat smug.

"I heard that Li Sanjue grew up in Li Fang Pavilion since she was a child. She started working as a prostitute at the age of fourteen. She was exceptionally beautiful and had superb skills in playing the zither and dancing. She not only became the most beautiful courtesan in Huazhou City, but also because of her... um... what I mean, her skills were amazing..." Yuwen Luo mumbled somewhat embarrassedly, "Men flocked to her one after another, and her reputation quickly spread throughout the dynasty. People came in droves. Li Sanjue was not only beautiful, but also intelligent. Over the past ten years, not only did she own Li Fang Pavilion, but she also opened Li Fang Pavilions all over the provinces of the dynasty."

"Brother, didn't you just say she didn't know kung fu? Why are you saying she's good at it now?" Ning Lang interjected.

His question made Wei Shan'er blush, Wei Xilai chuckled, Lan Qi shook his head and sighed, Ming Er smiled with his eyes closed, and Yuwen Luo's face turned embarrassed, then red and annoyed, "Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking!"

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Ning Lang knew he had asked the wrong question again. But after thinking about it, he still couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. He could only scratch his head helplessly, stop talking, and listen quietly to what was to come.

"What kind of paradise is Qianbi Mountain?" Lan Qi couldn't help but sigh.

“There…” Ning Lang became excited when Lan Qi asked about Qianbi Mountain and wanted to explain the scenery on the mountain to him, but when he raised his head, he met Yuwen Luo’s terrifyingly bright eyes and immediately fell silent.

"Though the girls in brothels appear glamorous on the surface, they come and go, entertaining strangers and acquaintances alike. Deep down, who among them isn't filled with bitterness and helplessness? All they yearn for day and night is a good man and a place to call home. But Li Sanjue is different. Many men naturally admire her, but whether it's high-ranking officials, nobles, or wealthy merchants, she refuses everyone who tries to redeem her. Whether they want her as a concubine or a formal marriage, she rejects them all without hesitation. When someone asked her why, her answer truly astonished the world." Yuwen Luo's gaze swept over the people in the carriage. "Do you know what she said?"

"What did you say?" Ning Lang asked obediently.

"What did he say?" Wei Xilai craned his neck.

Although Wei Shan'er was too embarrassed to ask, her eyes were fixed on Yuwen Luo.

Lan Qi and Ming Er leisurely enjoyed their tea, paying no attention to anything else.

Yuwen Luo laughed, a very happy laugh, revealing two sharp canine teeth, which, combined with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, made him quite adorable.

“She actually said, ‘Even if I were to marry a king or nobleman, I would still have to use this body to serve and please a man. It would be better to be in this Li Fang Pavilion, where I can enjoy the company of a thousand men and ten thousand heroes. Why should I compromise my heart and spend all day and year with one man? It’s so tedious.’” Yuwen Luo read aloud.

"Huh?" Ning Lang stared wide-eyed.

Wei Xilai was speechless. "This...this woman...is she actually a prostitute who sleeps with men all over the world?"

Wei Shan'er blushed deeply, lowering her head and thinking to herself how shameless this woman could say such a despicable thing.

"Well done, Li San," Ming Er said calmly.

Lan Qi glanced at Ming Er, her emerald eyes curving slightly.

Yuwen Luo continued, "Someone tried to persuade her, saying that while she still has her beauty and men are happy, once her looks fade, no one will come to see her anymore. It would be better to find a home sooner rather than later. Even if she doesn't marry, why stay in this brothel? It only invites gossip and insults. Now that she has money, she should leave this filthy place and find a clean place to live out the rest of her life in peace." She retorted with a sneer, "My mother was a prostitute, so I was born a prostitute. Haven't I heard enough gossip and insults in my life?" "What? I'll just ignore that. Does it mean that once I've left this world and become a respectable woman, no one will look down on me anymore? Will they see me as a noble princess, a pure virgin? A prostitute will always be called a whore, so I'll just happily remain a prostitute. Every woman's youth fades with age; even if she marries and grows old and ugly, she'll still be discarded like trash. I'll live for today, enjoying pleasure and wealth. Even if I grow old and ugly, I won't be reduced to a discarded woman begging for a living."

Ning Lang and Wei Xilai were speechless again, while Wei Shan'er dared not raise her head.

Ming Er stroked his teacup and sighed leisurely, "The world is indeed full of extraordinary people."

Lan Qi chuckled, "Second Young Master, are you also smitten?"

“Such a beautiful woman, I eagerly await the meeting,” Ming Er replied with a smile.

"Then I will act as matchmaker for you. With a talent like Second Young Master, Li San will surely be pleased." Lan Qi closed her jade fan, and under the streetlights, her emerald eyes shone with light.

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at a bustling street and stopped in front of a three-story building. The building was magnificent, with vermilion railings and green doors. Crimson lanterns hung from the eaves, and in the night, the rows and layers resembled blooming red flowers, making the building exceptionally beautiful. A golden plaque hung high, with the three large black characters "Li Fang Ge" (离芳阁) strung across it, exuding a sense of unrestrained elegance.

"This is Li Fang Pavilion."

In front of the building, where people were coming and going, several people got off the carriage. Yuwen Luo looked around curiously, as this was his first time visiting a brothel.

“Yes.” Lan Qi glanced at Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang. Judging from their appearances, they were like blank sheets of paper, completely innocent. He thought that if their parents found out that he had taken them to a brothel… hehe, their reactions would be extremely interesting. “Follow me.” He waved his jade fan and stepped into the door first.

Ming Er smiled calmly and stepped inside. Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang exchanged a glance and followed him in. Wei Xilai followed behind, carrying the small box. He looked around the magnificent hall with curiosity. Wei Shan'er tugged at his father's sleeve, both curious and apprehensive, and followed closely behind.

Inside the hall, several tables were set up, where men and women, without exception, were drinking and laughing together. As soon as the group entered the hall, a woman of about forty years old came to greet them. She was dressed in red and purple, with painted eyebrows and lips, her gaudiness just right. Her face, which showed signs of age, wore a smile that was half warm and half polite.

"Oh my goodness! Did these two young masters come down from the heavens?" The woman exclaimed as soon as she saw Lan Qi and Ming Er, drawing countless eyes to the hall. Gasps and sighs rose and fell as everyone stared in astonishment.

Lan Qi closed her jade fan, looked at the woman, and asked, "Sister, is Li San here?"

"Oh dear, what bad luck! Li San has guests tonight." The woman sighed, then smiled and said, "Where are you gentlemen from? Do you know any girls? If not, I can introduce you. I dare not speak of other girls at Li Fang Pavilion, but we have plenty of understanding and kind girls."

"Is that so?" Lan Qi's green eyes flickered, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

The woman met those blue eyes and was suddenly startled, but then she was captivated by that smile and stood there speechless.

"Li San, I'm here." Lan Qi's voice rang out softly, yet it could be heard throughout the entire Li Fang Pavilion.

The sound startled the woman awake, and she blushed. She thought to herself that she had been a womanizer for decades and had seen all kinds of people, yet she had lost her composure like this. This man... he was clearly a man, yet he was so bewitching and seductive.

"You've finally decided to come see your great-aunt!" A woman's voice suddenly rang out, and a head popped out from the third floor. It was too far away to see the face clearly. "Come and see your great-aunt." As soon as the voice fell, a pale purple figure floated down from the height.

"Alright." Lan Qi touched the ground with her toes and leaped into the air. In an instant, she was in mid-air. She stretched out her right hand and caught the falling figure around the waist. With a wave of her jade fan in her left hand, she spun up and landed steadily on the second-floor railing.

Everyone downstairs looked up at the two people standing side by side on the railing.

The woman chuckled as she looked at the crowd below, then turned to Lan Qi and said, "Take this lady down with you."

"Okay." Lan Qi nodded, her emerald eyes sparkling with a smile. "How about flying together as a pair?"

"That's great!" the woman clapped her hands and laughed.

Before the laughter subsided, I felt myself soaring into the air, flying horizontally along the railing. Lanterns swayed before my eyes, and I couldn't resist reaching out to grab one. I felt my body gently swaying, truly flying. I reached out and tugged, and the colorful ribbons scattered. A gust of wind came towards me, and the lanterns swayed and the ribbons danced.

"Hahaha..." The woman couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The crowd downstairs craned their necks to look, and saw two people in flowing purple robes, one holding a glass lantern in his right hand and the other holding a white jade fan in his left, slowly descending from mid-air. Seven-colored ribbons fluttered behind them, just like two people flying together in the sky, a sight of breathtaking beauty that made them dazzled and mesmerized.

"Is it fun?"

"This is so much fun!"

With a soft laugh, the two finally landed lightly. To everyone's astonishment, the woman in purple robes with a beautiful face was stunning; they seemed a match made in heaven. Chapter 44, Section 15: The Beauty of Departure (Part 2)

Updated: [2008-11-28 14:07:17.0]

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"Is this a friend that Seventh Young Master brought?" Li San asked, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

The hall was brightly lit, as bright as day, but the woman shone even brighter than the lights. She wore a pale purple dress, adorned with gold and jade ornaments, and was radiantly beautiful. But what shone most brightly were her eyes, as clear as an autumn lake yet containing the gentle waves of spring. Even the most beautiful flowers could not compare to the charm she possessed in that fleeting glance.

Having already witnessed the unparalleled beauty of the two most beautiful women in the martial arts world, Ming Er, Yuwen Luo, and Ning Lang still couldn't help but feel amazed by Li San. Judging from her appearance, she was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. In terms of looks alone, she was not as bright and elegant as Qiu Hengbo, nor as delicate and beautiful as Hua Fushu. But once you looked at her, you would feel that she was more charming than Qiu Hengbo and more graceful than Hua Fushu.

“Third Miss Li, I am Ming Huayan.” Ming Er bowed politely.

"So it's Young Master Ming." Li San's eyes lit up even more. She stepped closer, looked him up and down, and smiled, "Indeed, you are exceptionally handsome, like a fairy descending from heaven. I like you very much." After saying that, she turned her gaze to Yuwen Luo.

"Third Miss Li, I am Yuwen Luo. My cousin often talks about you to me," Yuwen Luo quickly introduced himself.

"Oh, it's the young master of the Yuwen family." Li San nodded, then looked at Ning Lang.

"I am Ning Lang," Ning Lang said, his face flushed. The Third Miss's gaze and everything in Li Fang Pavilion made him extremely uncomfortable.

“Ning Lang…a good name, he lives up to his name.” Li San praised, glancing only at the Wei father and daughter before turning back to Lan Qi. “It’s rare that Seventh Young Master would bring a friend.”

"I've missed you terribly since I haven't seen you in so long," Lan Qi said with a smile, fanning himself. "But Li San, you've been too busy."

Upon hearing this, Li San leaned against Lan Qi as if her body had no bones, saying, "Now that Seventh Young Master is here, even if it were the Emperor, I wouldn't serve him."

"Haha...that's a good girl." Lan Qiyu gently lifted Li San's chin with her fan. "It's been a while since I last saw you, Li San has become even more charming."

"That's because I'm happy to see Seventh Young Master," Li San said with a smile and affection in his eyes.

The two exchanged a few jokes, which everyone found pleasing to the eye, but Ning Lang was left bewildered and unable to quite grasp the feeling.

"Young lady, upstairs..." The woman approached and pointed to the third floor with some concern.

"Go up and tell Young Master Li that I have a distinguished guest tonight and cannot drink with him. We will make it up to him another day," Li San said with a wave of his hand.

"Yes." The woman accepted the order and went upstairs.

"Seventh Young Master, my aunt has a lot of 'Rouge Intoxication' treasured. How about we drink until we drop tonight?" Li San said, linking arms with Lan Qi.

"Okay," Lan Qi replied with a smile.

"Please, the three of you." Li San glanced at Ming, Ning, and Yuwen again.

"Wait a minute," Wei Xilai called out as the group was about to leave.

"Hmm?" Li San turned around.

"Oh, I remember now." Lan Qiyu clapped her hands and said, "This head镖师 Wei was entrusted by someone to deliver something to you."

"Sending something to your aunt?" Li San shifted his gaze and took another look at the Wei father and daughter.

"Excuse me... are you the 'Three Wonders Lady'?" Wei Xilai asked cautiously.

“Exactly.” Li Sanliu raised an eyebrow.

"That's wonderful." Wei Xilai quickly handed over the small box that he had been clutching tightly to his chest. "This was sent by the old man at the request of Young Master Wu. Please keep it safe, young lady."

"Young Master Wu?" Li San took it with great confusion.

“Yes, it’s the eldest son of the Wu family, who’s the richest family in our area,” Wei Xilai said, wiping the sweat from his palms.

"You guys?" Li San tilted her head, raised an eyebrow and smiled, her charm overflowing. "Head镖师 Wei, you'd better be clear. I know at least a hundred or a thousand Wu Dashaos. How would I know which one you're talking about?"

"Uh?" Wei Xilai was taken aback, then said awkwardly, "It's Wu Songpu, the eldest young master of the Wu family in Yuezhou."

After thinking for a moment, Li San suddenly realized and said, "So you're talking about that young master Wu. I understand now." As she spoke, she opened the small box. As soon as she opened it, her eyes were filled with surprise. The box was divided into many small compartments, each containing gold, silver, agate, pearls and jade ornaments. In the largest compartment, however, was a fully formed goblin. All the guests and girls in the room looked over, and they were all surprised and envious.

“You’re quite thoughtful,” Lan Qi said with a smile, pointing with her jade fan at the goblin. “This thing is probably over a hundred years old. It’s good for black hair and beauty, and it’s a favorite of girls.”

Li San showed no joy, and said indifferently, "I have so many of these things that I don't know where to put them. Why would he bother to send them here?" He took the goblin and said, "Qian'er, you can have this."

"Alright, thank you." A beautiful woman came over and took the goblin. Her watery eyes, full of spring-like lust, swept over Lan Qi and Ming Er. "After you two young masters and Third Sister have finished your gathering, would you like to come and see me?" Without waiting for a reply, she giggled and turned to leave.

“These things…” Li San glanced at the gold and jade in the box, casually covered it, and handed it to Wei Xilai. “Here you go, it’s tiring for me to carry.” After saying that, he clapped his hands, then took Lan Qi’s arm and walked towards the back garden. “Seventh Young Master, let’s go have a drink.”

"Ah!" Wei Xilai behind him was stunned. He looked at the box in his hand and then looked up at Li San walking away in disbelief, completely at a loss for words.

"Take care, Uncle." Ming Er smiled calmly and followed him away.

"Uncle, we'll take our leave now. Take care." Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang clasped their hands in greeting to Wei Xilai and followed Ming Er away.

"Ning..." By the time Wei Shan'er realized what was happening and tried to call out to Ning Lang, he had already gone far away. She could only watch his back disappear behind the hall without ever looking back.

"Shan'er, is this a dream?" Wei Xilai asked, still holding the box in a daze.

Indeed, a chance encounter can change one's life overnight.

In the early morning, I opened the window and sunlight streamed in, illuminating the garden full of golden chrysanthemums. A few small white butterflies fluttered among the flowers, and a gentle breeze made the flowers and butterflies sway and dance. I put down my cup, leaned against the bamboo couch by the window, closed my eyes, and listened to the beautiful woman behind me gently playing the strings of a zither. The music was simple, without any melody, yet it was exceptionally relaxing.