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"This..." Jinniang gave a bitter smile as she saw all the guests at the Jueshelou Pavilion looking in their direction in surprise.

"Aren't you ruining my business?" she pleaded softly, but Xu Dade was unmoved. The servants on both sides stepped forward and lifted the chairs from the table.

"Oh dear, my mahogany furniture..." Jinniang sighed inwardly. "You ungrateful little beggar, you deserve this calamity today, and you've even dragged me, Jinniang, into this mess..."

The little beggar, lying on the ground with his face covered, was unrecognizable, as if he were stunned. The chair he had raised high was about to smash down...

"Stop!" A white-robed scholar-like man strolled by casually, his hands behind his back.

Jinniang's mouth dropped open. Wasn't this the mysterious guest by the window?

He looked around, then recited slowly, as if reciting a poem: "In broad daylight, under the clear sky..."

"Hit him!" Xu Dade interrupted him impatiently.

"Huh..." The man was stunned, seemingly unable to believe that there was such a bully who was not cooperating with his chivalrous deeds, not even letting him finish his opening remarks.

"Which one should we hit?" The servant was stunned.

"Attack them both at once!"

"What?" The one who shouted was the man in white. "You're going to hit me too?"

Xu Dade ignored him; his servants were already in a fighting stance, ready to throw a punch...

A moment later... everyone opened their fingers covering their eyes, and the servant was already squatting on the ground, covering his nose, unable to even scream, with blood gushing from his nose.

Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that he was a skilled person.

Xu Dade flew into a rage: "All of you, get up here!"

The man in white nimbly dodged left and right, avoiding the servants, and rushed straight to Xu Dade, muttering as he did so: "You bully, you have no class at all. You just keep hitting and attacking. At least say something creative, like chopping me into mincemeat or shredding me into powder..."

"You..." Xu Dade stared dumbfounded at the face that had suddenly appeared in front of him, watching as the man reached out and grabbed at him.

"Miss Fang and Miss Cui are coming out!" A loud, coquettish cry from the madam suddenly rang out from inside the hall.

Everyone in the flower hall froze at the sound of that delicate cry—no, at the figure that the cry had drawn—and turned their heads in unison toward the open door to the courtesan's scepter on the second floor.

Two delicate, lithe feet in silk slippers stepped out, and the whole world seemed to melt.

Wearing a light red tube top, a short, narrow-sleeved blouse with gold trim in a light purple color, and a pomegranate-patterned skirt underneath, with a silver shawl draped over her shoulders, is Fang Yan Zui, a courtesan who has been in the entertainment industry for three years and is renowned as the top courtesan in Luoyang. The other woman, dressed in a light blue men's-style dress with bamboo accents on the hem and sleeves, and adorned only with a single bright red beauty mark on her cheek, is Cui Sheng Han, a courtesan who debuted a year ago. One is radiant, the other gentle; one is passionate, the other aloof; each possesses her own unique charm.

Fang Yanzui, who was used to seeing people's faces, saw Jinniang in an awkward situation and skillfully smoothed things over, saying, "Master Xu, this is your first time here, and I haven't even had a chance to properly serve you yet. Why are you arguing with Madam? Come, let me offer you a toast."

A slender, delicate hand picked up a translucent jade cup and presented it to Xu Dade. Even this notorious tyrant, immensely wealthy, had never seen such a soft-spoken, stunningly beautiful woman before, and he was momentarily stunned. He took the cup from the beauty's hand, composed himself, and then caught a glimpse of Cui Shenghan, whose beauty was incomparably refined after she had drunk herself into a cup of wine. He couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Let that cold beauty toast me, and I'll spare you this time."

Cui Sheng gave him a cold look and turned her head away.

Xu Dade's face immediately changed color: "You prostitute, you have some nerve!"

Cui Shenghan didn't even look at him, and slowly said, "A vulgar person like you is not worthy to speak to me."

"You..." Xu Dade was about to throw the jade cup in his hand in anger, but his arm suddenly became as if it were bound by an iron band and he could not move. Before he could react, he had already been sent flying out of the Jueshe Tower and landed heavily on the street.

“Miss Cui,” the man in white stared at Cui Shenghan and grinned with a dazzling smile, “I’ll go teach that scoundrel a lesson for you first. Please wait a moment.”

After saying this, he leaped out, and a pig-like scream echoed through the street as he walked away into the distance.

After a long pause, someone finally burst out laughing.

Jinniang covered her mouth and said, "My goodness, I never thought Xu Dade would be as light as a swallow one day."

A hint of unease flickered across Cui Shenghan's face, but she calmly took her seat in the western pavilion.

A cacophony of voices arose from the crowd.

"That guy's skills were really..."

"It's truly as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning."

"I've heard that something big has happened in the martial arts world recently. The young master in blue from Baili Prefecture has just passed through Luoyang and is on his way to Hebei to uphold justice..."

"No way? That person just now... was that the young man in blue?"

No one noticed that the dirty beggar on the ground slowly crawled out of the Exquisite Pavilion with cold eyes.

※ ※ ※

The little beggar weaved through several narrow alleys and slipped into an empty alley. Another person, scratching his head, rushed over eagerly upon seeing him enter.

"Wu'er...he didn't hurt you, did he?" It was also a little beggar.

Wu'er reached out and touched her slapped cheek: "It's alright."

"That's good." The other person breathed a sigh of relief.

"What about you, son? Have you gotten yours yet?" It turns out that the purpose of this whole charade was to get the money pouch bulging at Xu Dade's waist.

"No need to ask, I, Shui You'er, am a legendary thief!" he said smugly.

"A legendary thief? You think you can be a master thief?" A cold laugh suddenly broke through from behind.

Wu'er suddenly turned around and cautiously stared at the uninvited guest who was strolling leisurely towards him.

It was the white-clad man from the Peerless Beauty Pavilion!

"What are you up to?" Wu'er stared at him coldly.

"What could I possibly be after?" he chuckled. "The saying goes, 'whoever sees it gets a share.' I saw it, so I'll take half." He had already seen through the trick these two beggars were playing, but he didn't expose them, simply because... the beggar who was using the self-inflicted injury ploy had such a calm look in his eyes, so calm that he felt there was so much hidden behind that calm gaze.

“You…” Shui You’er was about to rush forward angrily, but Wu’er stopped her.

This person possesses extraordinary skills and is not someone to be trifled with... Wu'er thought to himself.

"Give him half."

"What?"

The man in white raised his eyebrows in surprise, then laughed and said, "Good, that's straightforward! Just for that, I'll use half the money to treat you to another visit to the Beauty Pavilion. How about it? Consider it making friends."

"It's still the sheep that pays the bill..." Shui You'er muttered discontentedly.

The man in white smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "My name is Bai Can."

Wu'er hesitated for a moment: "Shui Wu'er."

※ ※ ※

Having witnessed Bai Can's skills, the waiter at Jueshelou didn't dare to argue with him and could only let him bring in two ragged beggars.

As soon as they took their seats, the madam announced, "Next up is our Miss Cui Shenghan, who will perform a song called 'Cicada Enters Autumn'."

A clear and melodious zither tune drifted over, startling everyone present. In an instant, the noisy Jueshe Tower became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Bai Can was startled, his gaze becoming long and drawn out, piercing through the bamboo curtain of the western pavilion.

"Brother Bai, you're doomed. You've fallen for her." Shui You'er sighed while gnawing on a chicken leg.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Bai Can laughed and scolded, but there was no smile in his eyes.

“I agree with… what You’er said.” Shui Wu’er stuck out her tongue innocently.

Meanwhile, the waiter brought over two silver ingots, his tongue trembling: "Sir...sir, my Miss Cui has sent word that one ingot is for this young man to calm his nerves and relieve his pain, and the other is for this young master as a fee for his thugs. We'll call it even..." Miss Cui is cold-hearted, yet he has to bear the consequences of angering this martial arts master. What a miserable life.

Shui You'er chuckled, while Shui Wu'er sighed softly, "So it turns out the falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless."

Bai Can grabbed the silver and picked up the soup bowl with a blank expression.

A few loud laughs interrupted from the side: "Kid, when it comes to womanizing, you're still too green."

It turned out to be an old man with gray hair and beard sitting at the next table.

Bai Can retorted irritably, "Then wouldn't you be considered an indecent old man?"

The old man, however, was not offended: "That's right, I am an old lecher."

Bai Can spat and ignored him.

Seeing that he was listless, Shui Wu'er kindly advised him, "Brother Bai, don't be sad. In my opinion, Miss Cui must have feelings for you, otherwise she wouldn't have used two ingots of silver to attract your attention."

"Is this really true?" His peach blossom eyes immediately lit up.

"A young woman's thoughts are nothing more than saying one thing and meaning another, Brother Bai, please don't worry."

"Oh, Brother Wu'er, you're just the way I like you! I wish we could become sworn brothers right here and now!" He jumped up from the stool like a monkey, overjoyed.

"Brother Bai..."

"Don't call me Brother Bai, it sounds too formal. Just call me Lao Bai from now on!"

Shui Wu'er couldn't help but chuckle, her guard lowering considerably. This person was truly innocent and straightforward.

String vibration

Bai Can was naturally cheerful, wealthy, and extravagant, while Shui You'er loved to play. The two hit it off immediately, acting like two mischievous children. Bai Can was also eager to learn from Shui You'er, and the three of them spent several days at the Jueshe Tower. What was even more commendable was that Bai Can completely disregarded the difference in their social status, only hoping to make friends from all over the world. He was willing to be persistent and even clingy. After several days of being pestered by him, Shui You'er had no choice but to resign herself to admitting that he was a huge leech.

However, on the fourth day, something terrible happened.

"Jinniang! Jinniang!" Dafu tumbled and crawled into the Jueshe Tower, falling flat on his face. When he looked up, he saw the gold-embroidered hem of the matriarch's skirt.

"What's all the fuss about? Are you even going to do business?" Jinniang handed him a bowl of tea and delicately spat out the melon seed shells from her mouth.

"No...no..." Dafu swallowed a mouthful of hot tea, then scalded himself and cried out. After a long while, he finally got to the point.

"Grandpa Xu... was found dead yesterday... stabbed to death behind their rockery. When they found him, his body was already rotting!"

Jinniang was startled: "Which Master Xu?"

"And...and another one, the one who came here to cause trouble the other day..."

"Xu Dade?"

"Ah... um!"