Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 55 Drunken Red Pavilion

The Ye family's gate closed behind them.

Zhao Rong looked back at the tightly closed black lacquered wooden door. "Agreeing first and then going back on your word, there must be something fishy about this. I'll go back and find out more before making any plans."

"Okay," Lin Mu nodded, and the two parted ways.

Lin Mu did not leave immediately.

He walked along the wall of the Ye family compound for a while, estimating the location of the forging shop.

The courtyard wall turns a right angle to the east, and the hammering is loudest at this location. There is also more forging waste at the base of the wall than elsewhere, which makes a creaking sound when stepped on.

Ye Gang is inside the wall.

He looked up at the height of the courtyard wall, then at the row of wooden buildings across the alley.

If we could find a high vantage point, we might be able to see Ye Gang being tempered.

Since the Ye family is unwilling to help, we will have to find a solution ourselves.

Just as he was about to leap over the high wall to find out what was going on, a voice came from the alley entrance.

"Young Master Lin."

An elderly man in his fifties was standing at the entrance of the alley, wearing a slightly worn indigo robe. The material wasn't expensive, but it was clean and crisp.

A servant boy followed behind him, carrying a food box.

"I am Cui Youdao, and I manage some miscellaneous affairs in the Cui family."

He cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze passing over Lin Mu's shoulder and glancing at the tightly closed gate of the Ye family.

"Miss Mingyue returned to the manor yesterday and mentioned that Young Master Lin had won two consecutive matches at the martial arts arena."

"The head of the Cui family greatly appreciates this and has specially ordered me to make a trip."

"The Cui family wishes to invite Young Master Lin to be their retainer. The monthly salary is thirty taels of silver, and three Qi and Blood Pills per month."

"If Young Master Lin has any other needs, please feel free to discuss them."

Lin Mu frowned and looked back at the Ye family's courtyard wall.

"Has Young Master Lin agreed to the Ye family's offer of tribute?" Cui Youdao asked.

"No," Lin Mu said.

"I would like to ask the Ye family for help in crafting a demon blood weapon."

"The Ye family did not agree."

Upon hearing this, Cui Youdao breathed a long sigh of relief.

Yan Hua agreed to become a retainer of the Ye family, but hesitated to agree to the Cui family's offer. He was already under a lot of pressure because of this. If the Ye family beat him to it, he would definitely be punished.

"The materials used by the Ye family to forge demon blood weapons—the hides and flesh of demon beasts, and the demon blood used for quenching—were all provided by the Cui family."

"If Young Master Lin becomes a retainer of the Cui family, we can also mediate between them."

"Oh? You have demon beast hides and bones, and demon blood?" Lin Mu's eyes lit up.

"Of course there are; these sought-after items have always been controlled by the Cui family."

"But I became a retainer in the Zhao family."

"That's alright. As long as the Cui family is in trouble, Young Master Lin can lend a helping hand."

"Take Yan Hua of Changfeng Martial Arts School, for example. He receives offerings from several top families, such as the Yu family and the Ye family..."

"That's good." Lin Mu didn't have time to listen to how many families Yan Hua served as a retainer for.

He accepted the waist token offered by the Cui family, along with silver and Qi-blood pills, and hurriedly bid farewell to Cui Youdao.

He already had a detailed plan for forging the soldiers.

......

Around noon, Lin Mu pushed open the half-closed door of Zuihong Pavilion.

The lobby was empty, with tables and chairs set up on them, and peanut shells and sunflower seed shells left on the floor from last night.

The air still carried the lingering smells of overnight cosmetics and alcohol, a cloying combination.

An oil lamp was lit at the top of the stairs, its flame flickering in the draft, casting his shadow on the wall in varying lengths.

The madam came down the stairs, wearing a worn-out embroidered jacket and her hair casually tied in a bun.

It's clearly just starting out.

When she saw Lin Mu, she was taken aback at first, and then looked him up and down.

The man in the gray cloth short brown shirt is most likely broke.

"Sir," the madam yawned, covering her mouth and wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, "the girls aren't up yet. Why don't you come back this afternoon?"

"Let's take a look first."

Without saying a word, Lin Mu went straight to the third floor—the higher up, the better he could observe the forging process.

The madam quickly followed.

Guests arriving at this hour are either out-of-towners who don't know the rules, or they have other purposes.

But brothels don't discriminate in their customers.

She put on a smiling face, picked up the oil lamp from the table, and led Lin Mu upstairs, thinking she would first test the waters of the other party's wallet.

The third-floor corridor was very narrow, and the floorboards creaked when you stepped on them.

The wall was covered with faded decorative paper, some of which had peeled off, revealing the mottled gray wall underneath.

The corridor was lined with rooms on both sides, the doors were tightly closed, and snoring could be heard coming from the nearest room.

At the end of the corridor was a window, through which light filtered in through the thin paper covering the window frame, casting dappled shadows on the corridor floor.

Lin Mu walked to the end of the corridor and glanced out the window.

This window faces the street to the east, where you can see the sign of Huang's Beef Shop and half of the eaves of a steamed bun shop, but not Ye's Forging Shop.

"This is Chunlan, she can play the pipa."

The madam pointed to the nearest room, "That's Xia He's room. She has a beautiful voice and her singing is superb."

"The big room around the corner belongs to Qiuju. It was booked by Master Zhang yesterday and she hasn't gotten up yet."

She walked and introduced the dishes, speaking very softly so as not to wake the girls, but her tone was practiced and enthusiastic, like a recipe she had memorized countless times.

"What kind of girl does the master like? Quiet? Lively? Or someone who knows how to get things done?"

Lin Mu noticed that the rooms were all facing the wrong direction, so he walked towards the west end of the corridor.

There is only one room at the west end.

"This is Su He's room."

Before he could finish speaking, the door opened.

A young woman came out carrying a washbasin. She was wearing a slightly worn blue cloth shirt, and her hair, which was still uncombed, hung down to her shoulders in a jet-black color, making her face look exceptionally fair.

She saw the madam pause slightly, then placed the washbasin by the door, stood by the door frame with her hands at her sides, and lowered her head.

"Oh dear, Su He, why don't you rest a little longer?" The madam's tone was somewhat reproachful.

"The Ye family is too noisy."

"They start knocking before dawn; I can't sleep."

Su He's voice was very soft.

Lin Mu glanced into the room while the two were talking.

The window was wide open, and the sound of pounding could be clearly heard.

Just as the madam was about to tell Su He to go back to her room to rest, Lin Mu spoke first.

"This is the one."

"This one?" The madam paused for a moment, then quickly waved her hand.

"Sir, the ladies don't serve customers at this time."

"Besides, Su He is a clumsy talker, doesn't know how to handle things, and is very dull."

"Why don't you take a look at Chunlan? Chunlan plays the pipa beautifully, and she's also very lively..."

Su He is clearly not very likable.

Lin Mu took out three pieces of silver from his sleeve pocket and placed them in the madam's hand.

The madam weighed it in her hand, and a smile instantly spread across her face.

"Three liang, stay for three days first," Lin Mu said.

"Oh, sir, you're such a generous man." The madam stuffed the loose silver into her bosom and winked at Su He.

"Su He, take good care of this master."

"Tea, fruit, and snacks, I'll have them brought up right away. Please let me know if you need anything."

As she spoke, she backed away, her steps light as she went downstairs.

Su He led Lin Mu into the house and closed the door.

She stood by the door, her hands clasped in front of her, biting her lip, waiting for the next move of this strange patron who wanted to indulge in debauchery in broad daylight.

Lin Mu walked directly to the window and opened it.

The hammers clanged, and the steam from the quenching process rose in the midday sun.

Ye Gang was standing in front of the forge, swinging his hammer up and down, each strike carrying a spinning force.

He pulled over a wooden chair and sat down, leaning against the window frame.

Seeing that the other party had not made a move for a long time, Su He quietly raised her eyes and took a curious look.

Lin Mu was staring blankly out the window.

So unique!

Su He didn't ask any further questions; it was acceptable for wealthy young men to have some eccentric habits.

Lin Mu was quite satisfied with her lack of trouble.

His gaze was fixed on the furnace fire in the blacksmith shop across the street.

Ye Gang swung the iron hammer in his hand seventy-three times.

He memorized every single one of the seventy-three blows, from its rise and fall to its spin and its finish.

As evening fell, the hammering stopped.

Ye Gang finished work.

But the pamphlet remained untouched.

Lin Mu withdrew his gaze and stood up.

Su He thought he was going to serve her, but Lin Mu suddenly asked, "Will you moan in bed?"

Su He was stunned for a moment, then blushed.

Although she was in a brothel, some things were hard to accept if spoken openly.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Call out louder at night. The louder you shout and the longer you shout, the bigger the reward will be."

Lin Mu fiddled with the broken silver in his hand.

He didn't want people to guess his true purpose for staying at the Drunken Red Mansion.

That night, he fell asleep to Su He's voice, which was first high-pitched and then hoarse.