Peerless ( Meng Xi Shi )

Just as Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu were in the Linlang Guild's hall waiting for the Jade of Heaven's Lake to appear, the Spring Moon received an unusual guest.

The reason as to why the guest was strange was because he had shaved all his hair and held prayer beads in his hands. To say that he was a monk was not right, as he was wearing the usual clothes, yet it was also not correct to not call him a monk because his face looked like a well that had dried up. He did not look like he was here to entertain himself; instead, he looked like someone who came here to spread Buddist teachings.

The mistress of the place, Lady Xue, received a lot of guests in the past years, but this was the first time she had seen someone so strange. She heard that the guest has disregarded all propriety and busted himself inside, so she could only simply grab a hairpiece, yawn, and walk down the stairs with a few guards by her side.

When both gazes met, Lady Xue had to suppress her anger and switch to a smiling face.

"My Lord, in the Spring Moon, we do not receive guests during the day. If you want, you can come back in the evening."

Zhangsun Bodhi, "I heard there is a Lady Yunyun; whose dance has astounded half the city, I came here to see her."

Lady Xue covered her lips and laughed, "I fear that Lady Yunyun hasn't even woke up yet at this hour!"

If regular customers of the Spring Moon were here and witnessed how Lady Xue acted so aggressively towards a customer that did not know the rules, their jaws would have fallen out right away. However, to Lady Xue, she had interacted with many different people in the past, so Zhangsun Bodhi's handsomeness was enough for her to relieve her disgust, and put on a smile and welcoming façade.

Zhangsun Bodhi's eyebrows furrowed, "But I am only travelling past the City of Six Crafts, tonight I will be leaving. Can I not see her even once?"

He took out a pouch and gave it to Lady Xue.

Once Lady Xue opened it,she was stunned on the spot.

Inside the pouch were numerous large, round pearls from the Southern Sea, gleaming under the sunlight.

With Zhangsun Bodhi's handsome face added with this bag of pearls, let alone asking Lady Yunyun to accompany him, even if he had asked for Lady Xue herself, she would not have declined.

"My lord, please come this way. I will call for Yunyun at once!"

Zhangsun Bodhi nodded his head slightly, his gaze mildly moving to the house in front. With a light movement and a shadow, he swiftly disappeared.

If they wanted to avoid suspicion, of course, it was best if they came at night, but after much discussion with Qiao Xian, they still decided that it was more convenient to come in the morning. It would be easier to catch them off guard, and it might even lure the culprit out.

The Spring Moon's building was very complex, consisting of many turns and allies; it was as if it had hidden many mysteries inside. Zhangsun Bodhi walked behind Lady Xue, thinking that this was indeed a place that was easy to hide a person, especially when the one was skilled in martial arts. As long as one remained quiet, and hid behind flowers and trees, no one could find them.

"This is Yunyun's place. You may go up yourself, but she might not have woken up." Lady Xue laughed.

Although Yunyun was someone who sold both her skills and her body, she was not someone just anyone could have. It was only because Zhangsun Bodhi was simply too generous, taking out a bag of pearls like that. It was not only enough for one Yunyun, even if he wanted ten Yunyuns, it was also adequate.

After Lady Xue spoke, she turned and left. Zhangsun knocked on the door twice, and the door opened quickly afterwards. A young woman staring at him stood outside.

Zhangsun Bodhi, "I am here for Yunyun."

The young woman got angered, "You do not know the rules, do you? The lady does not accept guests during the day. Leave now, or I will call the guards."

Zhangsun, "It was Lady Xue who allowed me to come."

The young woman was stunned for a moment, her anger turning to sorrow, but after a moment, she peacefully said, "My lord, this way. Please take a seat, Yunyun has yet to wake up, but I will call for her now."

Zhangsun nodded, "Thank you."

The place was meticulously decorated. Among Zhangsun's surroundings, he could see there was a pot of lamei flowers in front of the window. He was thinking of how they were able to get blossoms during spring, so he got up to take a look only to realize it was silk flowers. Solely because it was presented remarkably well, did it seem to be real. Its colour was evenly spread out, and deeply attractive, it could pull off the look quite well.

"Do they look nice?" Behind him, the voice of a woman sounded.

"They do." Zhangsun Bodhi turned around, "Did you make this yourself?"

Yunyun smiled but did not reply. She was only wearing a thin outer robe that hung loosely on her body, looking leisurely and relaxed.

"It is good if it looks nice. Does it matter where it came from? My lord, why did you come here so stubbornly in the day, that even Lady Xue was unable to stop you?"

Zhangsun Bodhi said simply, "A bag of pearls."

Yunyun listened and understood immediately; she laughed, "No wonder she was willing to make you an exception."

After she spoke, she immediately held Zhangsun's hand and leaned close to him.

It did not matter that Lady Yunyun's dance was beautiful and alluring; many wealthy men willingly threw their money to her. Beautiful women were easy to get anywhere, but everyone tended to be in a hurry to act.

Yunyun knew this, so she did not imitate the other girls from other entertainment taverns.

However, Zhangsun Bodhi pushed her hand away.

"I want to see you dance."

Yunyun laughed, "My lord, are you feeling shy, so you wanted to see a dance instead? It is possible, but there are no instruments here, I can only let my maidservants play the lute."

Zhangsun Bodhi, "I am not shy, neither am I pretending to be a gentleman. I truly just want to see you dance."

His expression was pale, and neither was he smiling, the way he spoke was almost convincing.

"Do you remember this golden hairpiece?" Zhangsun Bodhi took out an ornament from his sleeves and gave it to her.

At first, Yunyun looked confused, but then the colour returned to her face as she remembered something.

"Are you that… from the western ally…"

Zhangsun nodded his head, "Eight years ago, a young man wandered the streets nigh starvation, and it practically claimed his life. It was you who gave him a golden hairpiece and allowed him to pawn it for money. Later that, he strived hard in life, with enough money, he purchased this hairpiece back and carried it on him at all times, only to return it to you. To draw an end to the kindness that you began."

Yunyun stared at the golden hairpiece for a long time, tears slowly filling her eyes. In the end, they fell onto Zhangsun Bodhi's palms.

"Eight years. You are already a man, and I have grown old."

Zhangsun, "If you are willing, I can redeem you from this place."

Yunyun wiped her tears and shook her head, "I enjoy days like this, to be able to perform before many eyes on the stage. You need not be worried about me. You can keep this hairpiece as a form of a memoir. What dance would you like to see? I will dance for you."

After that brief conversation, Lady Yunyun's attitude towards Zhangsun Bodhi changed. She acted incredibly familiar with him, no longer awkward and distant like she was before.

Zhangsun looked at her intently before putting the golden hairpiece back into his sleeves.

"Then, please dance 'Zui Dong Feng'."

Within the Linlang Guild's stall, practically no one managed to sit still. The quiet atmosphere was heated up at once. A few people stretched their necks to look at the waitress' hands that were holding the jade, round and beautiful and perfect.

There was no need for the Linlang staff to introduce the item. Whoever held knowledge of gemstones would know that this was a valuable piece of treasure.

"The Jade of Heaven's Lake looks like that?" Pei Jingzhe could not stop himself but speak.

They had tried to estimate the facts before. It was very likely that the Jade of Heaven's Lake would appear in the Linlang Guild's auction event, but no one thought that it would come in such a glorified manner. If the Jiejian Bureau came out now and took the jade away, would not the other party's schemes fall apart right then and there?

"Could this be a fake?" Pei Jingzhe thought of this possibility.

Since the Linlang Guild took it out, it would be too late for them to keep it. Regardless of whether it was the real one or a fake one, they could only determine it if they owned it.

"This item's origins are unknown. The Linlang Guild would not bestow upon a conclusion. So, the starting price of the item will be set to five guan, whoever wants to bid for a higher price, please help yourselves."

The middle-aged man's voice rang throughout the halls. Someone shouted six guans, and the prices kept building. Not long after, it became fifty guans, and the crowd was still in the heat of the moment. The prices kept rising, until it was impossible to predict that it would end any time soon. Even Lin Wei who had been silent also joined the bid and straightaway shouted a whole one-hundred guans before someone pushed the price higher.

Pei Jingzhe could not help but ask Feng Xiao, "My lord, what should we—"

With a jade like that, even if it was not the Jade of Heaven's Lake, it would still draw commendable attention from the crowd. Adding to the fact that news of the Jade of Heaven's Lake being lost was spread throughout the place, many people who kept close to winds knew of it. It was because of this reason that this jade now looked familiar to more people when compared to the few items before it.

Feng Xiao, "Wait for a little while."

That waiting lasted until the price finally reached three thousand and two hundred silver taels. Seeing that the bidders had begun to slow down now, under Feng Xiao's orders, Pei Jingzhe shouted five thousand silver taels, added with the price of ten pearls from the Southern sea.

The place immediately quietened down.

Everyone stared in Pei Jingzhe's direction.

Cui Buqu pulled the brim of his robe loose around his neck, moving away slightly sideways avoiding the gazes of everyone.

Feng Xiao purposely moved closer to him, "You're no little lady, why be so shy? Are you not willing to see this?"

Cui Buqu answered coldly, "For you to grab attention like that, I fear that if I am seen with you, even if someone murdered me in my sleep tonight I would not even know what happened."

...

Feng Xiao laughed, extending a hand to put it on his waist and said in a suggestive voice, "Then you can share a bed with me. I guarantee you will sleep soundly until the next sunrise!"

Cui Buqu rose to his feet. Raising a hand, at the blinding speed of thunder, he slapped Feng Xiao across the face. It all happened in the blink of an eye that even Feng Xiao himself, who was unparalleled in martial arts, could not respond to it. He wobbled a little before finally taking a step back.

"You shameless, despicable, unscrupulous lecher! After taking my sister, you would not even let me run free? I even left for the City of Six Crafts, yet you refuse to cease pursuit. Has this world become lawless?!"

Under the eyes of everyone, Cui Buqu looked terrified, the fact that his face was pale made him look even more convincing. It made them think of bamboo amidst of snow, brittle yet refusing to break.

Feng Xiao: '....'

Never in his life would he have thought that Cui Buqu kept holding it in, refusing to speak; only to wait until he was under the eyes of the public. The way everyone looked at Feng Xiao changed immediately.

Feng Xiao thought to himself, that this time, he really did play himself.