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“Young man, go and tell the coachman to move the carriage aside and let the wedding party pass first,” Wei Xilai said, turning to look at Yuwen Luo.

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo peeked at the road. "This road is quite wide. We can just walk on the side and we won't block the way."

"How can you be so ill-mannered, young man!" Wei Xilai glared with his yellowish, triangular eyes. "Don't you understand what bad luck is? Even high-ranking officials from the imperial court would stop their carriages and give way if they encountered a wedding procession on the road. That's proper etiquette! If you just bump into a wedding procession like this, it will bring bad luck to the couple, causing them to be discordant and their marriage to be unhappy. That would be a sin!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Yuwen Luo Ke had never been married and was unaware of these things.

"certainly!"

“But…” Yuwen Luo looked at Lan Qi. Based on his experience along the way, this coachman only listened to Lan Qi’s orders.

"What 'but'? Tell the driver to stop! Look how close we are!" Wei Xilai became anxious for them. "Hey, driver, quickly move the carriage to the side, lest you run into the wedding procession!"

…………

"Hey, you in the carriage, did you hear me?"

…………

"Hey, you're rushing to catch the train, why aren't you answering?"

…………

"Hey driver, stop the carriage!" After calling several times without getting a response, Wei Xilai got a little angry. He turned around and shouted, "How can you young people be so rude! Tell the driver to stop the carriage! You..." His voice suddenly stopped, and he stared blankly at the other side with his mouth agape.

The purple-robed young master opposite, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. With just one glance, Wei Xilai felt a chill run down his spine and was rendered speechless.

Those eyes were emerald green, as bright and distant as stars in the night sky, and as deep and mysterious as an ancient well at the village entrance, as if inhabited by a thousand-year-old demon that could suck him in at any moment.

"Stop the car," Lan Qi ordered.

The carriage stopped on the right, and the wedding procession approached with music and fanfare.

Lan Qi glanced at the bridal sedan chair, her green eyes darting around, and asked, "Second Young Master, what do you think of the bride's appearance?"

“Any woman is beautiful when she becomes a bride.” Ming Er twirled the teacup in his hand, looking at the bridal sedan chair coming towards him, and smiled.

"Is that so?" Lan Qi's lips curved into a faint smile. Then, she waved her jade fan, and a breeze blew out, opening the sedan curtain and lifting the veil to reveal the bride sitting demurely in her phoenix coronet and wedding gown. Although her features were somewhat blurred by the tassels, it was clear that the bride's delicate features were beautiful. "Hmm, indeed beautiful." The sedan curtain fell, and the bridal sedan slowly passed by.

The wedding procession had passed, and the carriages resumed their journey.

"Shall we spend the night in Juncheng tonight?" Yuwen Luo asked Lan Qi. "We'll arrive in Huazhou tomorrow, right? We'll see Seventh Young Master's master tomorrow, won't we?"

"Mm," Lan Qi replied.

"Lan... um, would it be alright if Uncle stayed at the same inn as us?" Ning Lang also asked Lan Qi, "They're out of money."

Lan Qi glanced at Ning Lang, then her gaze swept over the father and daughter opposite her, and she gave a faint reply, "Mm."

"Thank you... thank you, young master." Wei Xi could tell from the scene that the owner of the carriage was the most handsome yet most terrifying young master in purple across from him. He should at least express his gratitude for being taken in.

Lan Qi smiled slightly, glancing at him with her emerald eyes as an answer, then turned her gaze to Wei Shan'er and asked with a slight smile, "How old are you, young lady?"

"It's...seventeen," Wei Shan'er stammered, lowering her head and not daring to look at him.

"Yes, she's old enough to get married." Lan Qi nodded.

Wei Shan'er blushed upon hearing this, her eyes secretly glancing at Ning Lang. She had been captured by those bandits and was resigned to her fate, but unexpectedly, he appeared out of nowhere, wielding a silver spear and swiftly dispatching the bandits. He was truly incredibly brave; she wondered what he...

Wei Xilai chuckled, his eyes also turning to Ning Lang. This young man is good-looking, and even better-hearted. If only…

Lan Qi looked at them and still smiled, saying, "He's not married yet."

"Hmm?" Wei Shan'er and Wei Xilai looked at Lan Qi at the same time, then realized what was going on and were both overjoyed.

Upon seeing this, Yuwen Luo tensed up. He wondered what trick Lan Qi Shao was up to now.

Ming Er simply sipped his tea with a smile, his empty eyes occasionally glancing at the suave and charming Lan Qi.

The only one who was still unaware of the situation was Ning Lang, who was just staring blankly at Lan Qi, who was smiling very amiably at the moment.

"Young Master Ning, where is your home?" Wei Xilai asked Ning Lang. As he took off his worn-out shoes, he rubbed his feet. "Sigh, these past two weeks have been so tiring for this old man, my feet are almost broken. Luckily, I ran into you guys. Hiss... my feet, um, rubbing them makes them feel better."

The car was immediately filled with a strong, pungent odor.

Wei Shan'er tried to stop her father, but it was too late. She could only look at the most noble-looking young man in purple robes in the carriage with a mixture of fear and pleading.

“Lan... Lanzhou,” Ning Lang replied, his eyes wide as he stared at Wei Xilai, then nervously looked at Lan Qi, his hands involuntarily clenching, ready to save him at any moment.

Yuwen Luo stared at Wei Xilai in astonishment, then turned to look intently at Lan Qi. He couldn't stand Lie Chifeng's snoring, so this…this foot odor…he…he wouldn't have gone too far, would he?

Ming Er slowly put the pastry he had just put to his mouth back on the plate, turned his head to the side, and faced the window.

Lan Qi's gaze first fell on the filthy, unrecognizable cloth shoes, then moved to the pair of dark, thin, bony feet, and the equally dark and thin hands rubbing those feet. His gaze then moved upwards to the sallow face and tired eyes, which shone with a hint of joy. A grin revealed a set of yellowed and blackened teeth. "Lanzhou! It's a wonderful place! I've heard that one orchid there is worth a lifetime's worth of food. It's truly a prosperous place!"

Lan Qi's face was expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever. She leaned back against the soft cushion, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Ning Lang was surprised.

Yuwen Luo was surprised.

Ming Er turned to look at him, still with a gentle smile on his face.

The carriage moved slowly, its body swaying gently, like a childhood cradle, just right to help one fall asleep.

In a daze, many scenes from the past flashed before my eyes.

There are roads that never end, mountains that can never be climbed, torrents that rush down in an instant, and snow that falls endlessly, chilling to the bone… My chest aches again, my vision goes dark, and something feels tightly gripping my throat, making it hard to breathe… No, this is a dream, wake up! Wake up! This is a dream, wake up…

A lull in her throat, and her breathing became easier. Suddenly, she heard the sound of drums and music. Oh, it must be the wedding procession from before, not yet gone? Suddenly, a sea of red enveloped her. A woman in a red dress, and the honest-looking boy, also dressed in red but with a red veil over his head, appeared before her. She reached out to lift it, but the boy pulled the veil over his own head, saying, "I am a man, it is I who should marry you." She thought to herself, whether she marries or not, this honest boy will always listen to her; he will never turn his back and leave without looking back. So it doesn't matter, he can marry her. Then, swaying, she seemed to be sitting in a bridal sedan chair. The sedan chair stopped, and someone lifted the curtain. A very gentle and elegant voice called out, "My lady." Hmm? This voice doesn't seem to belong to the honest boy. She lifted the veil, and what she saw was…

Lan Qi suddenly sat up, knocking over a small table on the couch. The people in the carriage looked at him at the same time, only to see that he still had his eyes closed, but a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Seventh Young Master?" Ming Er called out tentatively.

Lan Qi opened her eyes and saw the face from her dream. She immediately raised her hand and slapped it.

"Bang!" A gust of wind swept through the car, whipping up everyone's clothes and causing the car to shake violently.

"Does Seventh Young Master want to test his martial arts skills?" Ming Er remained as gentle as ever. His left palm was held horizontally in front of his forehead, blocking Lan Qi's right palm. Just a moment ago, it was a life-or-death moment.

Looking at the gentle, smiling face before her, Lan Qi murmured two words, "Nightmare!"

"Nightmare?" Ming Er asked in confusion. "What kind of nightmare could have scared Seventh Young Master like this?" Seeing Lan Qi's stiff expression, he couldn't help but add a joke, "Did you dream that you married a shrew or a black bear?"

Lan Qi's eyes sharpened as she stared at that handsome, otherworldly face. "It's something even more terrifying than that!"

"Hmm?" Ming Er found his gaze strange, as if he were being skinned alive.

"How could I have such a dream?" Lan Qi murmured, letting out a long sigh, unable to believe it herself. She turned to face the window, refusing to look at Ming Er again.

The carriage was very quiet for the rest of the journey. Even Wei Xilai didn't dare to speak rashly. Although he couldn't see the trick of that palm strike, he could tell how powerful it was. Could an ordinary person make the carriage shake like it was in a gale with just one palm strike?

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), they entered Juncheng and checked into an inn. They booked six rooms, one for each person. The waiter delivered food and hot water to their respective rooms. They said "See you tomorrow" and went back to their rooms to rest. Nothing more was said that night.

On the second day of their journey, Wei Xilai was still as talkative as ever. The fear he had felt the day before had long since dissipated. He talked about everything under the sun, from east to west and north to south, and about everything under the sun. When he talked about his past, he was particularly animated, describing himself as a heroic and extraordinary man who had protected countless priceless treasures, wiped out countless bandits and robbers, and captivated countless beautiful women...

Wei Shan'er looked embarrassed.

Ning Lang was stunned.

Yuwen Luo shuddered at the thought. Although his martial arts skills were only third-rate, his ability to judge people was first-rate. Just by looking at Wei Xilai's skills, he knew he wasn't even a ninth-rate person. He claimed to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), but he probably just delivered messages or some worthless items. He couldn't be considered a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world) at all. Otherwise, how could he not recognize people like Ming Er and Lan Qi in front of him? Not to mention Ming Er, Lan Qi's unique blue eyes were the best identifier! However, he didn't interrupt, just listening to it as a joke to relieve his boredom.

Ming Er, with his gentle and refined smile, leisurely sipped tea and read books.

Lan Qi, however, was unusually quiet, sitting with her eyes closed the whole time, and did nothing to play any tricks on anyone. This made Yuwen Luo feel both nervous and expectant the whole way, which was quite tiring.

"Uncle Wei, what kind of bodyguard are you protecting? Where in Huazhou are you sending them?" Taking advantage of Wei Xilai's tea break, Yuwen Luo asked the question he had been wanting to ask but hadn't had a chance to.

"I don't know what this thing is either. It was entrusted to me by the richest young master of the Wu family. He wanted me to deliver it to a place called 'Li Fang Pavilion' in Huazhou." Wei Xilai finished his tea and put down his cup. "Young man, you have no idea how much effort I put into getting this shipment. Young Master Wu originally wanted to entrust it to the 'Tiger Might Escort Agency,' but the head of the agency said that Li Fang Pavilion was not a clean place and refused to guarantee it. Young Master Wu was so angry that he said he would smash the 'Tiger Might Escort Agency.' So I took this opportunity to ask a cousin who worked in the Wu family to intercede. After much pleading and even signing a written agreement, Young Master Wu finally agreed to guarantee it for me. Hehe, once this shipment is delivered, not only will our food supply for next year be secured, but Shan'er's dowry will also be taken care of."

"Tiger Might Escort Agency?" Yuwen Luo thought for a moment. "Is it the 'Tiger Might Escort Agency' in Yuezhou?"

"Hmm, what? You know about it too, young man?" Wei Xilai perked up again upon hearing this. "That's the biggest and most famous security escort agency in our area. I heard that their doors are covered in copper; they're really rich and powerful!"

"That explains it." Yuwen Luo nodded.

Zheng Huwei, the head镖师 (chief镖师) of the Tiger Might Escort Agency, had some connections with the Yuwen family, so Yuwen Luo knew a bit about the situation. Although Zheng Huwei had more than ten daughters, he only had one son, whom he cherished from a young age, carefully nurturing him and placing high hopes on him. However, after his first escort mission after coming of age, this young master Zheng became infatuated with a courtesan, abandoning his family business and future prospects, only wanting to spend every day with the beauty. This infuriated Zheng Huwei, who hated his son for being useless and even more so for the bewitching woman who had bewitched him. He beat, scolded, made a scene, and cried, using every means at his disposal, until a stalemate was reached. The young master Zheng lived in the beauty's boudoir, and the Zheng family refused to acknowledge the existence of such a son. This Li Fang Pavilion is the most famous brothel in Huazhou, no, it should be said to be the most famous brothel in the entire dynasty. It is full of beauties who are both beautiful and talented. Even princes and nobles flock to it. If you ask Zheng Huwei to send something to this place, isn't that just adding fuel to the fire? You'll be lucky if you don't get burned.

Lan Qi, who had been sitting quietly with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Her deep blue eyes made Wei Xilai's heart skip a beat, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, not daring to utter another sound.

"Li Fang Pavilion..." Lan Qi rested his chin on one hand, "I remembered that there is an old friend there, so let's go there for a visit."

"Li Fang Pavilion?" The only one who didn't know about Li Fang Pavilion was Ning's younger brother. "What kind of place is that?"

Lan Qi laughed, the kind of laugh that sent chills down Ning Lang's spine. "Li Fang Pavilion is the most beautiful place in the world; every man who goes there feels as if he has entered a paradise."

"Oh?" Ning Lang looked at Lan Qi with suspicion. He no longer dared to believe his words so easily.

"Don't believe me?" Lan Qi was no stranger to understanding the expression on Ning Lang's face. "If you don't believe me, you can ask the Second Young Master."

Ning Lang immediately turned his attention to Ming Er.

Ming Er thought for a moment and said, "In some respects, that's true."

"Who are you going to give this to?" Lan Qi asked, her eyes flashing as she looked at Wei Xilai.

"Ah... to... to someone called 'Lady Sanjue'." Wei Xilai didn't expect Lan Qi to ask him a question, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. For some reason, he was very afraid of this young man in purple clothes and green eyes.

"The Three Absolutes Lady?" Lan Qi laughed again, a laugh that sent shivers down Wei Xilai's spine. He couldn't help but shift his body slightly, pulling his daughter closer. Wei Shan'er gripped her father's hand tightly, looking warily and fearfully at the purple-clad young man whose smile was both beautiful and sinister. She was equally afraid of him. "So you're here to deliver something to her? That's on the way. I'll take you." Chapter 43, Part 15: The Beauty of Departure (Part 1)

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

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When we entered Huazhou City, it was the time for the lanterns to be lit. Even so, the city was still bustling with people, and shops lined both sides of the street. Bright lanterns hung under the eaves of the shops, illuminating the prosperity and liveliness of Huazhou City.

Wei Xilai and Wei Shan'er craned their necks and peered out the window, looking along the road and marveling at how Huazhou truly deserved to be the most prosperous state in the dynasty.

"Yuwen Luo, have you been to Li Fang Pavilion?" Lan Qi asked, waving her jade fan.

"I've heard of her, but I've never been there," Yuwen Luo replied, his mind racing as his eyes lit up. "Seventh Young Master, who is this 'Three Absolute Ladies'?"

"There are seventy-five Li Fang Pavilions in all the states of the dynasty, and she is the proprietress of all of them." Lan Qi's green eyes revealed a hint of a smile. "The three wonders of Li Fang Pavilion are known to few in the world."

"Oh, Li Sanjue, I know her!" Yuwen Luo suddenly clapped his hands and said excitedly, "My cousin really likes her and often talks about her to me."

"Oh?" Lan Qi smiled.

“However, my cousins all call her Li San, never ‘Sanjue Niangzi,’ no wonder I didn’t know that earlier,” Yuwen Luo added. “My cousins say she’s a remarkable woman of the world, and they admire her greatly!”

"Is that so?" Lan Qi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Brother, is Li San's martial arts very high?" Ning Lang asked. In his opinion, someone who could be so admired by the Yuwen family must be a master of unparalleled martial arts. Moreover, the name 'San Jue' (Three Absolutes) easily evokes the image of three unparalleled martial arts.

“She doesn’t know martial arts.” Yuwen Luo shook his head and said, “The Three Perfections refer to her beauty, dance, and music.”