If Xue Qing had a personal space, she could simply reach out and pull out a bottle of whiskey, solving everything. Unfortunately, she doesn't have that, so she'll have to use her not-so-bright ingenuity to find a good bottle of wine as bait. There are many fine wines in the martial world, but to truly impress a strange man, nothing beats the "Drunken Spring of Qing Ping Le." Tong Chou loved this wine in his lifetime and often praised it to Xue Qing. If she could get a seasoned drinker like Tong Chou to sing its praises, attracting a strange man from Xuefeng shouldn't be a problem.
Liu Ying had been to Qing Ping Le once before and knew the way, so the responsibility of catching the carriage fell on his shoulders again.
"Qing'er, are you really going? Pavilion Master Xiao of Qilin Pavilion is also very good, so why don't you..." After Dongchou's death, Fang Yun only had Xue Qing as his junior sister, and he was very reluctant to let her take the risk.
"Don't worry, the fortune teller said my birth chart is very strong," Xue Qing replied. Blissful Peak is also within the Central Plains, so there shouldn't be any danger. Although the Linghu clan is eccentric, I haven't heard of them having the strange habit of killing indiscriminately.
"I know I can't change what you've decided. Take care of yourself," Fang Yun said reluctantly.
Xue Qing gave Fang Yun a hug. This middle-aged woman had a junior brother die every ten years, which was quite tragic.
As Lingyu drove towards Qingping Le, the two seemed no different from usual, yet strangeness lingered at times. Xue Qing was unaware of Liu Ying's thoughts; she only knew that she was always impulsive, yet bound by her inferiority complex, unable to move. She was no longer the Xue Qing he had always protected. It was like having an Adidas box containing an Adidas King. Perhaps she wasn't so bad; she could still be considered Nike. But she couldn't be sure whether Liu Ying would accept it gladly or return it.
At the inn, Liu Ying would still make Xue Qing's bed, brew tea, and set out the meal. Perhaps it was because the antidote was in her hands that he had to continue to please her. Thinking of this, Xue Qing even felt a little lost. Although she also wanted to show the same courage as the charming male lead, saying "If I can't have your heart, I'll have your body first," she felt even more empty inside when she thought about how the person on the bed would think about revenge after she had been taken advantage of.
After several days of travel, they arrived safely at Qingping Le. Qingping Le was surrounded by high red walls. Outside the walls lay a silent, snowy landscape, while inside, singing and dancing filled the air, laughter and chatter creating a scene of extravagant decadence. The madam, a shrewd woman, remembered Liuying from her previous encounter. This time, she simply told the two to wait in the elegant pavilion while she went to report to Qi Fengting.
Xue Qing opened the door a crack and listened to the laughter coming from outside. It was the dead of winter, yet they were still so energetic. The air was filled with an ambiguous fragrance and the stench of money. A beautiful woman's smile could easily cost a fortune.
"When you came last time...did you...find someone?" Xue Qing asked, as if talking to herself.
"No," Firefly answered definitively.
Xue Qing actually smiled happily. Ever since she ate meat for the first time after coming down from Shaoshi Mountain, had her happiness threshold been getting lower and lower? If Liu Ying became acquainted with any of the girls here, she couldn't guarantee that the bottle of poison in her bag wouldn't come in handy.
Upon receiving the news, Mu Lan and Qi Fengting rushed over. As soon as they entered the house, Mu Lan went straight to Liu Ying without saying a word: "Young Master Liu Ying, I've missed you so much!" The hem of her emerald green dress dragged on the ground, and if Liu Ying hadn't dodged quickly, she would have been caught in her arms.
Xue Qing's heart skipped a beat. Liu Ying didn't find a girl, he found a man?! Is this some kind of joke?! This world is unpredictable! You think you only need to guard against women? There are prostitutes! You think you only need to guard against humans? There are bestials!
"Let's talk this out, why resort to violence?" Xue Qing squeezed between the two to block them.
Mu Lan was indeed a beauty; her pretty face didn't look out of place against the slightly feminine emerald green robe. If she were dressed as a woman, no one would suspect her if she impersonated the most beautiful courtesan in Qing Ping Le. Xue Qing remembered that Qi Fengting was the steward of Qing Ping Le and guessed that Mu Lan was the owner of Qing Ping Le. She was somewhat surprised, thinking that the wealthy owner of Qing Ping Le would be a pot-bellied old man. Judging from Mu Lan's age, he was probably no more than thirty, and she couldn't possibly associate him with the world of prostitution.
Blocked by Xue Qing, Mu Lan finally noticed her: "Young Master Liu Ying, is this your maid?"
Xue Qing was about to retort when Qi Fengting stopped her, saying, "Master, you are being very rude. This young lady is carrying a sword; she must be Young Master Liuying's bodyguard."
She's not even as good as a maid! Does she look that strong and powerful?
“This is my martial aunt, Xue Qing from the Lingyu Sect,” Liu Ying said.
Mu Lan covered her mouth in surprise: "Is she Dong Chou's junior sister? I thought she would be older."
"I am the youngest disciple of our late master, and there is a significant age gap between me and my fellow disciples," Xue Qing explained.
Mu Lan had no intention of listening to Xue Qing at all, and instead pestered Liu Ying: "Young Master Liu Ying, you left in a hurry last time, why don't we go to the flower pavilion to catch up?"
“Master, you’ve only known each other for three days, how can you have any old acquaintances to reminisce about?” Qi Fengting said.
"Feelings cannot be measured by time. If there is such a thing as love at first sight, then why can't I say that I have deep feelings for Young Master Liu Ying after spending three days with him and seeing him so many times?" Mu Lan had his own twisted logic.
Xue Qing felt something was wrong. This was definitely a tragedy. Mu Lan clearly had ulterior motives towards Liu Ying. She had only ever read about homoeroticism in novels before, but now it was laid bare in front of her, which almost frightened her. Fortunately, she was very determined. No matter if it was digging a tunnel or a trench, no matter if it was a man, a woman, or a cross-dresser, as long as that hand touched Liu Ying, he was her class enemy.
"This young master, whose name I haven't yet told you, my nephew and I have important business to discuss with you. We'll leave as soon as we're done, so let's skip the reminiscing for now," Xue Qing said to Mu Lan.
Qi Fengting sensed the displeasure in Xue Qing's words, put away the paper fan in his hand, and apologized to Xue Qing, saying, "We were impolite. I am Qi Fengting, the head steward of Qingping Le, and this is my master, Mu Lan. I hope Miss Xue will forgive our rudeness."
Xue Qing still had a deep impression of Qi Fengting, having witnessed his cunning scheme to poach her boyfriend. His rooster-headed image was deeply etched in her mind. The name Mu Lan reminded her of Hua Mulan, who took her father's place in the army. Could he really be a woman disguised as a man? Judging from Mu Lan's appearance, it was entirely possible, but then she saw his chest... well, never mind, she'd spare his life.
Liu Ying didn't want to waste any more time with Mu Lan and said directly, "We came here to ask Young Master Mu for a jar of Zui Huai Chun. We hope that Young Master Mu will part with a jar for the sake of our late master."
“Hey, Young Master Liuying, why do you say that?” Mu Lan leaned closer to Liuying again: “You have much more influence than your master.”
"I don't care whose face it is, Mr. Mu, hurry up and bring out the wine." Xue Qing was eager to leave.
"Gentlemen, it's really unfortunate, we've already finished all the Zui Huai Chun we brewed last time," Qi Fengting said apologetically.
Xue Qing was dumbfounded: "Huh? What do we do then!"
"The master is brewing new wine, which will be finished in the next few days. Why don't you two wait here for a few days?" Qi Fengting said.
“That’s wonderful. I can catch up with Young Master Liuying more often.” Mu Lan smiled.
Xue Qing felt her heart beating erratically, but there was nothing she could do but wait. She just had to be careful, in case Mu Lan pulled any sneaky tricks. Qing Ping Le was supposed to be in the Central Plains, and even including the desert wilderness, it was the place with the most beautiful women, a veritable treasure trove of beauties from all over. And the master of this place actually preferred men! Don't blame Xue Qing for being naive and innocent; this world was just too lewd and violent!
In order to wait for the newly brewed "Drunken Spring," the two apprentices stayed at Qingping Le. Surprisingly, this brothel had private rooms, and it was the only one of its kind. The farther away from the front courtyard, the better, as many drunk customers there would attack any female they saw. Just to be on the safe side, Xue Qing borrowed a set of clothes from Liu Ying. Drunk customers don't have good eyesight and sometimes they can tell the gender by clothing.
Mu Lan wasn't joking; he really did invite Liu Ying to the flower pavilion to reminisce. The two sat facing each other across a stone table, with a large, smiling face beside them. Xue Qing insisted on coming along; how could she let Liu Ying meet the big bad wolf alone? Mu Lan's gaze towards Liu Ying was actually quite indifferent, devoid of any affection, and Xue Qing even felt it wasn't exactly liking, yet he just liked to pester her. Xue Qing couldn't figure out what was wrong with him.
In Qing Ping Le, Xue Qing had another person she was interested in, the other protagonist of the farce in Changsheng Town—Miss Yi Chun. Miss Yi Chun's selling point was her musical talent, not just her looks. Her clients were of higher class, and she lived a more comfortable life, unlike other girls who frequently sold their smiles from morning till night. Xue Qing learned that Yi Chun was currently without clients, so she had her maid lead her to her boudoir for a visit. Yi Chun, having been in Qing Ping Le for a long time without contact with the outside world, was naturally delighted to see Xue Qing.
Xue Qing told Yi Chun about the current situation at Li Chun Courtyard, suggesting she ask about her life at Qing Ping Le. Understanding Qing Ping Le through Yi Chun's words was a good way to learn about it, as Yi Chun wasn't good at lying and her words were always truthful, allowing Xue Qing to see the real life at Qing Ping Le. Upon seeing Yi Chun, it was natural to ask her to play a piece. Beside the incense burner, the woman gracefully played the zither. Xue Qing's gaze was drawn to Yi Chun's instrument; it was quite eye-catching. Unlike ordinary zithers made of wood, this one was made of jade, its translucent surface seemingly rippling with water, creating waves as the strings resonated. The character "霜" (frost) was engraved on the upper left corner of the zither.
Author's Note: ╭(╯3╰)╮ Thank you WS for the free ticket! Here's a little skit about the game prizes:
It had just snowed outside the window, leaving a thick layer of white. Mu Lan was taking a nap in a rocking chair next to the charcoal brazier when a maid quietly pushed open the door and whispered to Qi Fengting at the door for a while.
"What's wrong?" Mu Lan asked, still with her eyes closed.
“Dongchou is dead,” Qi Fengting replied.
Mu Lan opened her eyes, stood up while holding onto the armrest of the rocking chair: "Will things develop as he said?"
"It seems so. His junior sister has already set off for Blissful Peak," Qi Fengting said.
"Ling Shu, is your calamity about to reappear?"
Without anyone accompanying her, Mu Lan put on her clothes and went to a secluded place. The surrounding area was covered in white snow and there was no one in sight. Half of a tombstone was visible on the thick snow. Mu Lan walked over and dug away the snow covering the tombstone. Four words were neatly engraved on the tombstone: Tomb of my beloved wife Su Xiu.