Ch102 - Wind & moon

Both Xie Zhiwei and Maozi were subconsciously attracted to the ruckus. At the entrance of the alley, a luxuriously-dressed girl was riding a small white horse as she swaggered through the market. It was too crowded to move, so she got impatient and started waving her whip and making a fuss.

Although it was just waving it around with no killing intent, the crowd still shied from her movements. Soon enough, a middle-aged man hurried over and the girl’s attendants politely before retreating. Seeing him, the girl turned aside angrily. He had to coax her a few more times before the girl finally tossed the whip to him.

“Boring. It’s always annoying when we come back.”

Xie Zhiwei felt a headache as soon as he recognized the father and daughter pair. Their bad influence is still lingering around!

Maozi stared a bit longer at Yin Wushuang before he cried, “That’s…Commandery Princess Yin, ah.”

“You know her?” Xie Zhiwei looked askance at him.

“Of course,” Maozi cupped his chin without blinking. “There’s nobody in the capital city who doesn’t know Commandery Princess Yin. She’s notoriously spiteful…cough cough, though I don’t think it’s a big deal. She’s got balanced features and looks good holding a whip.”

Xie Zhiwei couldn’t help giving Maozi a mental thumbs up. Young man, your prospects look promising! If you can tame such an unreasonable, capricious, and childish woman one day, you’ll be a future stallion novel protagonist!

No, wait. Trying to NTR the hero’s harem is dangerous thinking! Even if the protagonist’s bent, his women shouldn’t be distributed by others without permission!

At last Yin Cangshan had convinced Yin Wushuang to get off her horse. She looked gloomy until her eyes caught sight of Fragrant Pavilion and lit up. She pointed at the silk flower on top of the building and said something inscrutable to Yin Cangshan. He looked at flower, then at the words “Fragrant Pavilion” over the door, and creased his brow while shaking his head. Yin Wushuang’s expression shifted before she snatched at the whip in his hands. Yin Cangshan looked helpless before telling the attendants a few words. Soon afterwards, the whole procession entered the alleyway.

Xie Zhiwei and Maozi exchanged looks while the latter scratched his head. “Xie zhenren, what’s going on?”

Xie Zhiwei was in a fog too. Was Yin Wushuang going to learn from the courtesans of Fragrant Pavilion? Haha, no way her father would be so calm if that was the case.

Soon afterwards, he heard an attendant announced, “My family’s commandery princess has her eye on the silk flower atop your building. Hurry and take it down, the king will reward you with 100 taels of silver.”

Hearing this, the crowds began to chatter in amazement. King Yin had plenty of wealth and property and gave generous offers. For a moment, everyone wished they were the owner of Fragrant Pavilion.

Maozi stood wringing his hands. “I sure wish I was that flower.”

Xie Zhiwei quietly shook his head as his heart dripped blood. If the protagonist hadn’t bent, all of King Yin’s properties would be his by now, to say nothing of these 100 taels! Sure enough, bending can ruin everything…

“Hold it,” Yin Cangshan called towards the owner of Fragrant Pavilion as he scurried out. “I’ll split this hundred taels in half. You get a portion while everyone else has the chance to get the other half.”

Hearing this, the crowd grew energized as everyone rubbed their hands. Someone couldn’t help exclaiming, “King Yin is really a great man. Speak, what’s this chance?”

Yin Wushuang found it fresh. “Father, I want to know too.”

Yin Cangshan gently patted his head and told the crowd, “If anyone present in the crowd can pick that silk flower and give it to the commandery princess, he or she will get the remaining 50 taels.”

Maozi gave a cry along with the crowd as his eyes lit up. In his eyes, Yin Cangshan had changed into a living pile of 50 taels. Xie Zhiwei just scoffed.

So cliche! He has to put on a show even when making his daughter happy! Thankfully the hero gets to use this kind of old fox, or else all the water would flow into other people’s fields.

Yin Wushuang clapped her hands. “Father, this is fun. I want to eat while I watch, I’m hungry.”

“All right,” Yin Cangshan looked around slightly and saw the inn where Xie Zhiwei was perched at the windows with a grin. “Let’s sit right next door. But you can’t eat their food. If it’s unclean…”

“I know already!” Yin Wushuang said impatiently and lifted her feet to enter the inn.

Yin Cangshan went to order his subordinates, “Go upstairs and check thoroughly, don’t let any miscreants mix in. The commandery princess’s safety is more important than anything else.”

Xie Zhiwei’s heart clenched.

Both Yin Cangshan and Yin Wushuang had seen him before, so it didn’t matter whether he wore a mask or not. If he couldn’t extricate himself, it’d be troublesome again.

Maozi scooted over and remarked, “Xie zhenren, I want to snatch that silk flower too. Since you’re divine, can you help me win, ah?”

“Stick out your hand,” Xie Zhiwei said.

Maozi quickly did as he was told and Xie Zhiwei channeled a bit of spiritual energy into his palm. “Go on. Within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, getting that silk flower will be no problem.”

“Xie zhenren, you’re absolutely godly! I feel energized all over!” Maozi excitedly clenched his fingers in surprise. “Xie zhenren, won’t you come watch the show?”

The sound of the searchers were getting closer, so Xie Zhiwei just coughed. “I’ll go find Old Du.” A gust of wind later had the windows wide open and no person in sight.

“Find Old Du?” Maozi was confused. “But Old Du is in Fragrant Pavilion ah, Xie zhenren…”

—

Fragrant Pavilion was full of people tonight despite being a place where most wouldn’t show their face. As it took center stage, even its courtesans stopped receiving customers to watch the flower-snatchinig competition, only to be scolded by the proprietress.

“Don’t forget your origins, ladies! Hurry and use this chance to get more customers inside!”

A few females pouted and went to touch up their make-up, only to see something refreshing happening in the back as well. A circle of ladies were looking through the doorway of a small room as they chattered nonstop.

“Incredible, look at what he’s wearing. He’s a daoist, right?”

“And rather handsome, just like an immortal, tch.”

“Let me see! Aiya, what great skin. All of you out of my way, he’s mine tonight!”

“What do you mean he’s yours? Weren’t you going to the restroom? You might as well check whether you’re a worthy match for him.”

“Who are you talking about, you little slut?”

“I’m talking about you, so what?!”

The girls grew more and more unpleasant and were on the verge of tearing each other apart, but Xie Zhiwei remained sitting inside the room and looking at the scenery. He neither spoke a single word or even made eye contact with any of them.

Yet he was heartbroken inside.

From the moment he stepped over the threshold of Fragrant Pavilion, the piercing screech of the System had shocked him to the core.

“Warning! Warning! Warning! Visiting a brothel is seriously incompatible with Xie Zhiwei’s behavior. Unfortunately, you will be deducted half a star of Presence Points.”

Trashy System! He was almost at five stars and worked so hard to earn the last half-star! How could they deduct it just like that? How many more scenes did he have to steal to get it back ah?!

Moreover, the entire capital city was under martial law. Faceless himself was leading a team to capture him, so how could he dare to flee? A brothel was a perfect place of refuge under the circumstances. Xie Zhiwei felt it was necessary to consult with Gallant Outlaw to replace his half-star. But business came first.

Amidst the arguments outside, someone suddenly bellowed, “What’s with all the racket, where is he?”

Before the girls replied, the door opened and Old Du appeared with his face littered with rouge and an unkempt girl hanging off his arms. He rubbed his alcohol-tinged eyes. “It really is you ah, Xie zhenren. What did you find me for…oh, I understand, hahaha.”

Like hell you do.

Xie Zhiwei remained staring at the table in front of him. “I’ll wait until you’re not drunk anymore before we talk…” I’m afraid the trashy System will count me OOC if I look too much at things I shouldn’t…

“Wait…” Old Du burped, sending a stench of alcohol in the air. “Just sitting and waiting isn’t appropriate, ah. Someone, come…”

The proprietress appeared with a wave of her handkerchief. “Sir, what would you like?”

“Serve him the same way you served me, hiccup. Remember to find an elegant type for this gentleman, a really, really elegant one. Don’t get him any vulgar ones with too much makeup…hiccup…”

In the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Xie Zhiwei was left sitting in an decorous private room on the second floor, a single candle highlighting his lone shadow. Sounds of laughter and conversation came from downstairs while cheers floated in from the window as the flower-snatching competition went on. Xie Zhiwei was in no mood for any of that and said to the folding screen, “Miss, I’m only waiting for someone. I don’t need to be served.”

The girl behind the screen asked daintily, “Does sir daoist find my beauty lacking?”

“…it’s not that.” Enough already, sister. Sure, hiding your face and holding a qin is fun at first, but why are you hiding behind the folding screen now? If you want me to scorn you, you have to give me a chance to do so first, right? I don’t even know what you look like!

“If that’s the case, shall I play the qin for sir daoist behind the folding screen?”

“Yes,” Xie Zhiwei couldn’t help asking, “But why from behind the screen?”

The girl only took a deep breath. “Because…this way is more elegant.”

Not showing your face is elegance? What kind of sophistry is this?

Xie Zhiwei was still brooding over his lost Presence Points and now felt addicted to act again in order to recover them. He subconsciously stood up and said, “I don’t understand anything about elegance, but a place of wind and moon like this has no relation to the term. Since maiden refuses to show your face, you must be a pure and noble person. How did you fall to such depths?”

There was silence from behind the screen before the female spoke again. “I used to be the daughter of an official’s family, but was implicated after my father was convicted of a crime, thus…hnngh…”

She seemed to cry out in pain, alarming Xie Zhiwei. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” the girl replied quickly. “It’s useless talking about such things, sir daoist should just listen to me play.”

Xie Zhiwei felt that the girl was speaking strangely, but it was awkward to call her out. Instead, he intoned, “Go ahead.”

At his words, the qin tinkled two or three times before a melody floated out like flowing water. The chaotic noise around them fluttered away beneath its notes. Currently it was twilight, so the dull, faint light coming through the windows seemed to echo the sound of the qin. Although Xie Zhiwei was tone-deaf, he could still get an inkling of the meaning behind the piece.

This qin rather resembled a certain person.

Ignoring its tone and appearance, there was an isolated, lonely melancholy in its song. It was akin to the solitary figure in white robes he’d dreamed about earlier, who felt like he could abandon everything in the world at any time.

Xie Zhiwei felt amiss again. How come my thoughts wander even when I’m listening to music? This is a girl playing the qin. She has nothing to do with Mu He. It’s crazy that I could connect the two!

He gave a long exhale and picked up the wine on the table before draining the cup—and then nearly spat it all out because it tasted so awful.

It’s neither sour nor sweet, but even has a fishy smell. Old Du that bastard even said this was top-tier wine, what a lie!

But it was too late, he’d already swallowed the contents. Xie Zhiwei creased his brows as the spicy and sweet flavors mixed together with the fishiness in his throat. He rose soundlessly beneath the sound of the qin and went to open the other window. Cool wind hit his face, clearing some of the alcoholic haze.

This side of Fragrant Pavilion faced a more remote area away from the official roads. In the distance, people passed by each other on a footbridge, carrying lanterns that glowed like floating stars in the sky. Xie Zhiwei felt that the scene looked rather familiar.

A breeze blew past the row of willows on the other side of the bridge, and a few withered leaves drifted down from their branches.

Xie Zhiwei’s pupils shrank.

This is wrong. Didn’t I dream about this same exact bridge earlier today?

—

Translator’s Note: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Those with sharp eyes might’ve noticed I’ve already started on my next danmei project, Pretty State Preceptor Saves the Planet. Updates for that will be very sporadic until I finish translating this novel.

I don’t want to give too much spoilers away, but it’s set in ancient China and features a salted fish/sickly beauty “male consort” shou with a System and the black-bellied, slightly yandere emperor gong he’s stuck with in the palace.

There are no harem fights but a touch of horror instead, and the ultimate antagonist is…out of this world, haha. It’s a short read at only 68 chapters. Feel free to camp if you’re interested!

(Fun fact: the MC is another guy with the surname Xie!)

The Chinese commenters: