[Wuxia] The List of Peerless Beauties of the Jiangshan [Complete] - 11

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Chapter Eighteen Lady Anguo

"Reporting to the General, Minister Li Xinzhi is already waiting for us at Wangjing Bridge ahead!"

A personal attendant galloped up and reported to Li Fei.

Li Fei's face lit up with joy, and he nodded, saying to Ye Feng, "Brother Ye, let's go."

Ye Feng nodded with a smile, thinking to himself, "Why have I been seeing so many high-ranking officials lately?"

The group continued forward, and soon they saw a troop of men lined up ahead, solemnly welcoming Li Fei and his party. An elderly man, about sixty years old, dressed in the robes of a minister, stepped forward, smiling as he greeted them, followed by a group of attendants.

Li Fei also rode up to meet him, bowing to the elderly man and saying, "I am truly unworthy of such hospitality, Minister Li Xinzhi, coming out of the city to welcome me."

Minister Li Xinzhi replied, "Minister Li, you are too kind. You have traveled thousands of miles to the capital; it is you who have endured hardship."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while. Li Fei then introduced Ye Feng to Minister Li Xinzhi, saying he was a young friend he had recently met.

"Oh~"

Li Xinzhi sized Ye Feng up and down for a while, and frowned slightly when he saw that although Ye Feng was an outstanding figure, he was dressed like a commoner. However, he knew that his friend Li Fei was always fond of making friends, associating with all sorts of people, without any sense of hierarchy. Although he was a very conservative and etiquette-conscious person, since Ye Feng was someone Li Fei associated with, he still nodded politely to him.

Ye Feng was a little displeased, but he knew that the Great Yue Kingdom had a strict hierarchy, and Li Xinzhi was the Left Minister, belonging to a high-ranking family. It was already very kind of him to be treated this way; not everyone was as approachable as Li Fei. If he wanted Li Xinzhi to look at him differently, he would need to have a corresponding position of power.

Immediately, the group set off for Golden Moon City together, with Ye Feng and Li Po following behind Li Fei and Li Xinzhi. Along the way, Li Fei and Li Xinzhi kept talking. Ye Feng, possessing profound inner strength, though following far behind amidst the blizzard, could still faintly overhear their conversation:

"...Any progress on the Crown Prince's matter?"

"Alas...it's becoming increasingly perplexing, the Crown Prince...it's hard to say..."

"But now Lord Li has returned..."

Both fell silent, for they had arrived at Golden Moon City.

※※※

Because outsiders were not allowed to enter the capital except for the garrison troops, Li Fei only brought Li Po and a few close generals and several hundred personal guards. Of course, the twenty "Moon Guards" were with him, while the rest camped outside the city.

Ye Feng and his group entered through the Xinzheng Gate of Golden Moon City's outer city. Upon entering, Ye Feng was immediately struck by its prosperity, sighing inwardly, "This is the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom! It truly lives up to its reputation!"

As the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom, Golden Moon City was its political, economic, and cultural center, and also the largest and most prosperous city on the Floating Cloud Continent. Although the harsh winter had descended upon this bustling city, it couldn't dampen the street's hustle and bustle. With the year drawing to a close, lanterns adorned the city, filling it with a festive atmosphere.

Upon arriving at the inner city, Li Xinzhi said to Li Fei, "Lord Li has been away for many years, so I won't disturb your reunion with your wife any longer. I'll come to visit again tonight." The two bowed and parted.

Watching Li Xinzhi depart, Li Fei smiled at Ye Feng and said, "Brother Ye, my purpose in coming here is to pay my respects to Lord Li Huiwei, but Lord Li might not be at the post station right now, and it's almost noon. Why don't you come and rest at my place for a while?"

Ye Feng pondered for a moment, then said, "Very well, then I'll trouble the General."

※※※

Li Fei's residence was located in the southeast corner of the north of the city, a secluded and elegant place far from the hustle and bustle. Along the way, the streets were bustling with people and horses, and all the passersby, upon seeing Li Fei's banner, bowed respectfully to him, demonstrating Li Fei's prestige in the Great Yue Kingdom.

The further north they went, the fewer the pedestrians there were, and the more tranquil the environment became.

Before long, the group arrived at a magnificent mansion. The mansion had green tiles and red walls, exuding grandeur. Above the main gate was a gleaming golden plaque with the four large, golden characters "General's Mansion."

Ye Feng and Li Fei dismounted, and immediately heard a gust of wind from within the mansion: "The General is back!"

The armored guards and busy servants at the gate, seeing Li Fei, all showed excitement in their eyes, bowed respectfully, and said in unison, "General, you've worked hard."

Li Fei smiled and nodded, quickly entering the mansion, with Ye Feng and Li Po following closely behind.

Just as they entered the main hall, they heard light, hurried footsteps coming from the inner chambers.

Ye Feng recognized the footsteps as a woman's voice and wondered if it was General Li's wife, Lady Anguo. The thought of meeting Lady Anguo, rumored to possess unparalleled beauty, stirred a surge of heat within Ye Feng.

Suddenly, a chill ran through him as a stunningly beautiful young woman gracefully emerged from behind a screen.

She wore a pale green phoenix robe, her face free of makeup, a jade phoenix hairpin adorning her hair. Tall and elegant, her refined and ethereal气质 (qi zhi - a kind of refined elegance or charm) gave one a refreshing, breezy feeling. She appeared to be around thirty, the prime of a woman's life, and her breathtakingly beautiful face was like a blooming flower, captivating all who beheld her.

Ye Feng felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, inwardly exclaiming, "Heavens! How can such a captivating woman exist?" Looking around at Li Fei's other entourage in the hall, they were all dumbfounded, clearly stunned by the woman's beauty.

Upon seeing Li Fei, the woman's face lit up with immense joy. She said, "General, you're back!" Her voice was soft and beautiful, a delight to the ear.

Li Fei's face also showed excitement. He hurried forward, grasped the woman's hand, and said, "Madam."

The woman held Li Fei's hand tightly, carefully examining his face. She said, "General, you've lost weight."

Ye Feng thought, "This woman is indeed General Li's wife, Lady Anguo. She is indeed as the rumors say—a stunning beauty who can captivate all. Truly worthy of being called the most beautiful woman in the former Great Yue Kingdom, a figure on the list of beauties of the land."

He now understood how Li Yin felt when she first saw Lady Anguo. Such a stunning beauty—no wonder Li Yin was so shocked when she saw Lady Anguo. And wasn't he just as infatuated?

By calculation, Lady Anguo should be in her forties now, but no matter how you look at her, she couldn't be more than thirty-two or thirty-three. He truly wondered how she maintained her youthful appearance.

Moreover, Ye Feng always felt that her temperament was somewhat similar to Hua Yi's; both were equally dignified and serene, their every move graceful and captivating, even their appearances bore a resemblance. However, in terms of beauty, the two were evenly matched, though Lady Anguo possessed a more mature and alluring charm.

Lady Anguo and Li Fei exchanged glances for a moment, then Li Fei smiled and said, "Come, Madam, let me introduce you to a young friend I recently met."

Turning to Ye Feng, he said to Lady Anguo, "Madam, this is a young friend I met on the road, his name is Ye Feng." He

then said to Ye Feng, "Brother Ye, this is my wife."

Ye Feng quickly walked to her, immediately catching a whiff of a delicate fragrance, like that of winter plum blossoms, which invigorated him. He composed himself, performed the most solemn ceremony, and said, "Junior Ye Feng greets Lady Anguo."

Lady Anguo smiled and said, "Young Master Ye, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise." She

carefully examined Ye Feng for a while, then turned to Li Fei and smiled, "I don't know why, but when I see Young Master Ye, I always feel a strange sense of intimacy, as if he were one of our own family. It's really strange."

Li Fei exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Madam, you feel the same way? I thought I was the only one who felt this way. In fact, I felt the same way the first time I saw Brother Ye."

Ye Feng was also thrilled; in fact, he felt the same way. When he saw Li Fei and Madam Anguo, he always felt as if they were his closest relatives. Looking at the couple standing side by side, both possessing unparalleled elegance, he smiled and said, "Perhaps it's because we are destined to be together."

Li Fei and Madam Anguo laughed at the same time and said in unison, "Indeed." The other retainers of Li Fei in the hall also laughed.

Li Fei and Madam Anguo both looked at Ye Feng with smiles, but Madam Anguo's eyes showed more affection.

※※※

Madam Anguo invited Ye Feng to rest in a quaint little courtyard and assigned several attentive maids to serve him.

After Ye Feng had washed up, Li Fei and Madam Anguo entertained him in a flower hall and had lunch with him. Li Fei's close general, Li Po, was also present, showing Li Fei's high regard for him.

Lady Anguo's hospitality was impeccable, making Ye Feng and Li Po feel extremely comfortable.

After lunch, they were served tea in the hall. At this moment, a servant came to report that the Left Minister Yang Liuyu had come to visit.

"Oh, please come in quickly!"

Li Fei said excitedly.

Ye Feng thought that this Left Minister Yang Liuyu must have come about the Crown Prince's matter. Considering that they had something to discuss, it might be inappropriate for him to be present, and besides, he still needed to see Li Huiwei, so he bid farewell to Li Fei, saying that he had business to attend to and needed to visit the Yuyue Military Governor Li Huiwei at the post station.

Li Fei had already known the purpose of Ye Feng's visit to the capital, so he nodded with a smile and instructed a servant to take Ye Feng there and take good care of him. However, Ye Feng only wanted to travel alone, so he politely declined.

Lady Anguo's eyes held a hint of reluctance as she carefully instructed Ye Feng to visit the mansion often, and to remember that tomorrow night was New Year's Eve, so he must come to the mansion to celebrate the New Year. Ye Feng was more than happy to oblige.

※※※

The inn was located south of the "General's Mansion." It was about three li from Dongchunlou Street, then turning left onto Dongpai South Street, and then about two li to the right, which led to the Jinyue City Inn.

Ye Feng walked along the street, observing the scenery with great interest. Although it was the dead of winter, Jinyue City was still teeming with people, a continuous sea of people, displaying the prosperity of this premier city on the continent.

Turning a corner, Ye Feng suddenly paused, seeing an exceptionally crowded street ahead.

While every street in Jinyue City was teeming with people, this street was incredibly crowded! Men, women, old, young, rich, and poor, were densely packed, like ants, practically impossible to move. The clamor was like the Yellow River bursting its banks, vast and surging.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement, their eyes fixed on one direction, eagerly anticipating what was happening. Although the street was shrouded in snow, and the weather was bitterly cold, with temperatures nearing zero, and gusts of biting wind chilling everyone to the bone, the people on that street ignored their shivering bodies, their excitement undiminished.

Ye Feng couldn't help but think, "Wow, so many people, what are they doing?" Ye Feng, a lover of excitement, immediately squeezed into the street to ask someone nearby what was going on.

Just then, a commotion arose in the crowd, followed by a girl's shrill voice shouting, "Yang Dajia is here!"

Like a raging storm in the ocean, the crowd instantly erupted, some straining on tiptoe, others pushing and shoving with all their might. Then came shouts of "Yang Yu, Yang Yu..." from ahead, initially uneven, gradually becoming rhythmic. Finally, countless people shouted together, creating a deafening roar!

The crowd's enthusiasm could only be described as frenzied.

Ye Feng was dumbfounded, thinking, "Yang Yu...? Isn't that the most famous courtesan of the Great Yue Kingdom who played the zither and flute with me by Jade Moon Lake? It's her... But this is too exaggerated..."

Before he could finish his thought, suddenly, the crowd surged towards Ye Feng again, the rolling flow of people like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing him. Ye Feng felt like he couldn't breathe, he struggled desperately, shouting, "Don't push, don't push..."

But his voice had no effect on the earth-shaking shouts. Ye Feng felt his bones cracking, a suffocating sensation washing over him. He roared, "Ah!..."

channeling the twelfth level of his "Spring Rain Manual," he forcefully flung aside dozens of people around him, men and women he couldn't tell were.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared before him, and an elegant carriage stood before him. Dozens of tall attendants desperately tried to restrain the countless frenzied, passionate men and women.

Ye Feng only felt a gaze, as brilliant as a star, linger on him for a moment from behind the curtain, before the carriage drifted away.

Then, countless frenzied men and women, shouting wildly, chased after the carriage, disappearing completely in a short time. Only a pile of discarded hats, shoes, handkerchiefs, and other items remained.

※※※

"Damn it, are you kidding me!"

Ye Feng calmed down and realized that one of his shoes had been knocked off, and he could barely keep the other on. He looked around and finally spotted his other shoe about three meters ahead.

He grumbled as he put on his shoes, but Yang Yu's incredibly charming face involuntarily surfaced in his mind. He recalled the scene of playing the zither and flute together with her by Jade Moon Lake, and a surge of warmth welled up in his heart.

Ye Feng had been so busy lately that he had long forgotten about that day, but now, the sight of the scene stirred his emotions, and he couldn't control himself.

He walked forward in a daze, and after an unknown amount of time, Ye Feng came to a noisy street he couldn't name. Suddenly, Ye Feng stopped, his gaze drawn to the signboard of a very large shop:

"Jade Tiger Cloth Shop?"

Looking at the four large golden characters in the same font as the signboard, Ye Feng pondered, "Why does this name feel so familiar?"

Suddenly, Ye Feng remembered—wasn't this the "Jade Tiger Cloth Shop" that Sister Ru had mentioned before, the one that had drastically increased the price of cloth for her? So this was it.

He carefully examined the shop's design. The exterior was grand, three stories high, with upturned eaves and an elegant air. The entrance was bustling with customers.

Before he knew it, he had wandered inside. His eyes lit up; the interior was spacious and tastefully decorated, with a full range of fabrics in various colors and patterns. The shop was packed with customers.

Ye Feng slowly looked around. The interior was divided into three main sections: the front counter, the second counter, and the upstairs. The front counter sold blue, indigo, and white cloth; the second counter sold mid- to high-end fabrics; and the upstairs sold silk, leather goods, and other high-end items.

The service was excellent. Whether the customer was wealthy or not, whether they bought a lot or a little, whether they spent a long time browsing or not, they were all warmly received. Ye Feng nodded in approval, thinking that the "Jade Tiger Cloth Shop" had achieved such a scale no accident.

Especially when Ye Feng entered the upstairs shop selling high-end goods such as silk and leather, several pretty female shop assistants first opened the door and greeted him with smiles. Then, an even more attractive female shop assistant came up to offer him a seat and tea, and then asked Ye Feng in a soft voice what he needed.

Ye Feng glanced around and saw that many customers and shop assistants were looking at him, clearly attracted by his charm. He smiled at her and said, "I'm thinking of buying some clothes. Do you have any good recommendations?"

Under Ye Feng's captivating gaze, the female shop assistant seemed slightly uncomfortable, but she maintained her friendly smile and said, "Judging from your accent, sir, you seem to be from out of town. May I ask if this is your first time visiting our shop?"

Ye Feng elegantly sipped his tea, which made the eyes of several female shop assistants light up. They nodded and smiled, "Indeed, this is my first time in Golden Moon City. I've only been here a few days, but I've already heard a folk song: 'Water source above my head, Jinzhu cloth beneath my feet, Jade Tiger cloth beneath my waist, and Northern Dollars around my waist. Jade Tiger Cloth Shop has such a reputation, so I've come to admire it!"

Actually, Ye Feng had only just arrived in Golden Moon City and had never heard this folk song before; Li Fei had told him about it.

The female shop assistants couldn't help but laugh at his witty remark, and the other customers in the shop also smiled. The even more attractive female shop assistant in front of him giggled uncontrollably, saying, "Sir, you're so funny!"

Then, a haughty expression appeared on her face as she continued, "Sir, you've come to the right place! Our Jade Tiger Cloth Shop is the largest cloth shop in the Great Yue Kingdom, with the most complete selection. We not only have our own handmade floral fabrics, blue cloth, and silks, but also the finest sable, silver fox, and beaver furs—rare furs that can't be bought anywhere else in the Great Yue Kingdom; only our Jade Tiger Cloth Shop has them."

"Oh~" Ye Feng said with great interest, "Since they're rare, show me."

※※※

"Coats made of fox, raccoon, and weasel fur are renowned for their beauty and warmth, often referred to as the 'Three Excellences of Fur.' Among them, sable fur is considered the best, offering the strongest insulation. In the freezing winter, wearing a raccoon fur coat will keep you feeling as warm as spring."

The attractive saleswoman was quite knowledgeable, speaking eloquently.

She led Ye Feng into a private, elegant room, taking down the only sable fur coat on the wall to show him: "Sir, you see, the fur is short, fine, soft, and lustrous. Wearing it will surely be warm and comfortable, and it will also make you feel noble, elegant, and graceful."

"It's very nice." Ye Feng gently stroked the fur with his fingers. The touch was soft and warm, like walking on snow without leaving a trace. He was a little reluctant to put it down, thinking, "Sister Yi will definitely like it!"

The female shop assistant looked at Ye Feng's expression and tentatively asked, "Is this for yourself, sir, or...?"

Ye Feng smiled and said, "It's for my wife."

The female shop assistant's face showed envy. "Sir, you're so thoughtful. Your wife will be very happy."

Ye Feng smiled slightly and asked her, "Anything else?"

The female shop assistant looked apologetic. "I'm very sorry, there's only this one."

But she added, "However, I can introduce you to others."

Finally, with the female shop assistant's introduction, Ye Feng bought a white fox fur coat for Yang Yi, a silver fox fur coat for Ru Qing, a white fox fur coat for Li Yin, a beaver fur coat for Lin Su, and a red fox fur coat for Sun Mei.

Finally, he thought, "One cannot be biased. Although Chun'er is a concubine, I must treat everyone equally." He

then bought three purple fox fur coats for Chun'er and her two daughters. This brought his total expenditure to four thousand taels of silver. Among them, the sable fur coat he bought for Hua Yi cost seven hundred taels of silver, while the mansion with a garden he bought in Yuyue City had only cost him nine hundred taels of silver, which shows how precious the sable fur coat was.

Four thousand taels of silver was no small sum, but fortunately, Ye Feng had five thousand taels of silver on him. This money was the operation fund that Li Yin had given Ye Feng and Lu Tianming, and it was all on Ye Feng.

Watching the silver notes being spent, Ye Feng felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking, "Spending public funds is so comfortable. No wonder so many people like to use public funds to eat, drink, and have fun." However, this operation had been a near-death experience, and in fact, this money could be said to have been earned with his life, so he didn't feel anything was amiss.

Upon receiving such a wealthy customer as Ye Feng, the shop assistant beamed with joy. Ye Feng knew the reason for her happiness; selling such expensive clothes meant she must have received a commission, and this sale alone would bring in at least several hundred taels of silver, almost her annual wages. No wonder she was so happy.

This also helped him understand why boutiques and restaurants so favored beautiful women as waitresses—under their eager gazes, a man felt embarrassed not to spend money.

Moreover, he felt a deeper sense of crisis: a lack of money. Supporting a family was no easy task, especially supporting so many women. A man could cheat and swindle, but he couldn't be without money.

※※※

The shop assistant smiled as she wrote the contract, while Ye Feng mentally calculated that since arriving in this strange world, he had earned seven thousand taels of silver, and had already spent nearly five thousand. Back in Jade Moon City, he needed to hold a wedding ceremony with Hua Yi, marry Yang Yi, and bring Chun'er and others into the family. This would cost a fortune, and if he didn't find a new source of income, he feared he wouldn't even be able to support his wife.

As he pondered this, he glanced around. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Through several private rooms, Ye Feng saw a young man in his twenties and a very beautiful girl, whose looks rivaled Yang Yi's, walking intimately out of a private room.

"Zhou Yun?"

Ye Feng recognized the young man as handsome, tall, and with a cold, sinister gaze—clearly his adversary, Zhou Yun.

Both he and the woman wore magnificent fox fur cloaks; the man was handsome, the woman beautiful, and together they seemed like a match made in heaven. Their appearance immediately attracted envious glances from everyone in the shop.

Ye Feng thought, "It's him. What's he doing here?"

He saw the female shop assistant write out a contract, two copies. Ye Feng asked her with a smile, "What's your name, young lady?"

The shop assistant blushed slightly and replied, "Thank you for asking, sir. My name is Zhao Xing."

Ye Feng nodded and said, "Does Miss Zhao Xing know that couple walking together over there?"

The shop assistant looked up and smiled, "Oh, that woman is our young mistress, and that man is her close friend. I heard they have a very good relationship and are already discussing marriage." There was a strong sense of envy in her tone.

"Oh~"

Ye Feng stroked his chin and asked again, "Have they known each other for a long time?"

Zhao Xing shook her head, glancing at Ye Feng strangely, seemingly surprised that he was asking this. However, she had a good impression of Ye Feng and said, "Not for very long, it seems like they've known each other for only the last two months."

"Just these last two months...?" Ye Feng thought to himself, "Sister Ru once said that her cooperation with this shop used to be very pleasant, but problems arose in these last two months. In addition, Zhou Yun once forced Sister Ru to marry him, could it be that Zhou Yun is behind this?"

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He had to hurry up and verify it. He took the contract from Zhao Xing and smiled, "Thank you."

Zhao Xing smiled and said, "Where does sir live? Our shop has someone deliver it to you."

Ye Feng smiled and said, "No need, I'll just call a carriage." He thought that these clothes could only be temporarily left at Li Fei's or Li Huiwei's house.

Zhao Xing packed the clothes together, making two large bags, and three bags containing the martial arts manuals that Ye Feng always carried with him. Zhao Xing said to Ye Feng, "Sir, I'll take it down with you."

Ye Feng was about to speak when he suddenly felt a sharp gaze directed at him. He thought to himself, "Zhou Yun saw me."

Looking up, he saw Zhou Yun staring at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes at first, then a sharp glint in them. He turned and whispered a few words in the girl's ear. The girl glanced at Ye Feng, and then the two of them walked towards him together.

Ye Feng remained calm, simply smiling as he watched them.

A moment later, Zhou Yun and the girl stood before Ye Feng.

Zhao Xing and the other female shop assistants all bowed to the girl, saying, "Young Master."

The girl nodded, her bright, beautiful eyes glancing at Ye Feng. Seeing him standing proudly, with an extremely captivating air about him, she was momentarily stunned. Then she turned her gaze away, smiling as she accepted the contract from Zhao Xing.

Zhou Yun, standing next to her, peeked over, then looked at Ye Feng. A look of surprise crossed her face, clearly puzzled by Ye Feng's improved appearance. She then said calmly, "Brother Ye, you've certainly spent a lot this time."

Ye Feng glanced at the girl and sighed, "Who told me to hear that folk song about 'Water flowing from the source of the river, stepping on the steps of a high-ranking official, wearing a jade tiger robe, and with a silver dollar around my waist'? Plus, the things here are so good, I couldn't help but spend money. Brother Zhou, are you asking because you want to treat me?"

The girl chuckled, and Zhao Xing and the other female shop assistants couldn't help but giggle, though they didn't dare to be unrestrained in front of their young master.

Zhou Yun's expression changed slightly, while the young girl giggled even more, turning to Zhou Yun and asking, "Young Master Zhou, is this gentleman your friend?"

Zhou Yun regained his composure and smiled, "That's right."

He reached out and put his arm around the girl's slender waist, whispering in her ear, "Ah Xiu, you don't know, this Brother Ye is quite famous in Jade Moon City. His first wife is not only the most beautiful woman in Jade Moon City, but she might even become the most beautiful woman in the Great Moon Kingdom or the continent. Countless people envy her. Even Commander Li Yin of Jade Moon City is infatuated with him and often summons him."

Under Zhou Yun's open intimacy, the young girl Ah Xiu blushed, feeling shy and playful. She lightly hit him, seemingly both angry and pleased, and said, "You're so annoying~ Doing this in front of so many people."

Hearing Zhou Yun's words, she was quite surprised, her beautiful eyes curiously looking Ye Feng up and down, and asked, "Really? Is Master Ye's wife really that beautiful?" Zhao Xing and the other women also looked at Ye Feng with curious eyes.

Zhou Yun was taken aback when he realized that Ah Xiu had misunderstood his words. Ye

Feng, on the other hand, was secretly furious, thinking, "Are you implying I'm Li Yin's gigolo?" Fortunately, Ah Xiu and the other girls hadn't understood his meaning. It seemed that in the future, when speaking ill of a woman about someone else, one should never bring up the appearance of another woman, otherwise it might be ineffective.

Moreover, looking at Ah Xiu's pure and beautiful appearance, yet seemingly deeply in love with Zhou Yun, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret—a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.

He smiled slightly and said, "Brother Zhou, aren't you also incredibly fortunate? You've spread your love affairs throughout Jade Moon City, and now you have Miss Ah Xiu by your side in Golden Moon City. It's equally enviable!"

Ah Xiu paused, involuntarily turning her gaze to Zhou Yun, her eyes filled with questioning and surprise.

Zhou Yun remained calm, saying indifferently, "It's common for a man to have three wives and four concubines. In the Great Yue Kingdom, a man with only one wife or concubine is considered incompetent. Brother Ye, you wouldn't be unaware of this, would you?" He

then lowered his head and softly asked Ah Xiu, "Ah Xiu, don't you think so?"

Ah Xiu lowered her head, giving a hesitant "Mmm.

" Ye Feng laughed heartily, "Brother Zhou's words truly express the sentiments of men!"

Suddenly, he focused his inner strength into his eyes, transforming it into spiritual power, which instantly pierced Zhou Yun's eyes like a cold light, aiming to control his mind and embarrass him on the spot. This was also the first time Ye Feng had used spiritual power.

Zhou Yun hadn't expected Ye Feng's sudden attack and was caught off guard. He was stunned for a moment, a look of confusion flashing across his face. Then, his eyes also burst forth with a chilling light, also spiritual power. In an instant, his eyes were sinister and cold, sending chills down one's spine!

The cold currents between their gazes clashed, and for a moment, the temperature upstairs seemed to drop considerably.

Ye Feng intensified his power, causing Zhou Yun to tremble slightly, a look of confusion returning to his face. Ye Feng, seeing his advantage, abruptly stopped his attack. Zhou Yun immediately regained his senses, letting out a sigh of relief, utterly astonished by Ye Feng's rapid increase in power.

However, Ye Feng was also shocked. Using his mental energy had depleted much of his internal energy, leaving him with no strength left. Moreover, it seemed Zhou Yun also possessed mental energy, and that it was naturally generated, requiring no internal energy conversion. To suppress him in terms of mental energy, he would likely need to fully absorb the spiritual energy within the *Evil Scripture Record*.

However, on the surface, Ye Feng appeared to be at a disadvantage against Zhou Yun, which greatly pleased him. The fear he felt after the duel at the Ziru Qingdian shop had vanished; now, regardless, they were on the same level.

And their earlier exchange of blows had only involved hidden force, unnoticed by others. However, seeing that Zhou Yun's expression seemed off, Ah Xiu asked with concern, "Zhou Lang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ye Feng, who was thinking about when to find another opportunity to spar with him using his Dragon Tiger Saber, smiled and said, "It's getting cold, you should wear more clothes."

He took the two packages from Zhao Xing's hands with a smile, then slung his own package containing martial arts manuals over his shoulder, nodded and smiled at Ah Xiu, and walked away without a trace, leaving Zhou Yun looking on with suspicion.

※※※

"This must be the Golden Moon City Inn!"

Before them was a large building with double-eaved roofs and tiles. Above the central gate hung a plaque with the four large characters "Great Moon Golden Tower." On either side of the gate stood a dozen or so guards. Several green official sedan chairs were also parked at the gate, with some sedan chair bearers in uniforms standing guard beside them.

Ye Feng inquired of a guard at the gate who appeared to be the leader, "Excuse me, sir, is this the Golden Moon City Inn?"

The guard, with a full beard, saw Ye Feng's luxurious attire and distinguished bearing, sensing he was someone with connections, and dared not be disrespectful, replying, "Indeed, this is the Golden Moon City Inn. May I ask what business you have, sir?"

Ye Feng was overjoyed; this "Great Moon Golden Pavilion" was indeed the Golden Moon City Inn, and Li Huiwei was inside. He smiled and said, "I have business to attend to with Lord Li Huiwei, the Military Governor of Jade Moon. May I inform him, sir?"

The guard sized Ye Feng up and down. Ye Feng smiled, took out a silver ingot, about ten taels, and whispered, "Just say you're from Jade Moon City."

The guard's eyes lit up, he pocketed the silver, and smiled, "That's easy, sir, please wait here." He turned and went into the inn.

A short while later, the guard returned with a tall, burly man in a tight-fitting outfit, carrying a long sword. Ye Feng recognized him as Li Mu, one of the four burly men who had protected Li Yin at the "Jiali Tower" in Yuyue City.

Li Mu paused for a moment upon seeing Ye Feng, then paused again when he saw Ye Feng carrying two large bags and a bundle on his back, but quickly smiled and said, "So it's Master Ye. Please come in."

※※※

This "Dayue Golden Tower" was a guesthouse specifically for high-ranking officials traveling to the capital on official business. Every item inside was exquisitely beautiful; ordinary officials were not entitled to reside there.

Li Mu led Ye Feng inside, where they were greeted by a breathtakingly beautiful scene of carved beams and painted rafters.

In a spacious and elegant courtyard within the guesthouse, Ye Feng finally met Li Yin's elder brother, Li Huiwei, the military governor of Yuyue.

Li Huiwei appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a composed demeanor and a shrewd air. He was tall and handsome, with piercing, hawk-like eyes that exuded authority. Dressed in official robes, a sable hat, and a jade belt, he radiated masculine charm.

Beside him stood three men dressed similarly to Li Mu; these were the same three burly men Ye Feng had seen protecting Li Yin at the "Beauty Pavilion" in Jade Moon City.

Ye Feng stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I am Ye Feng, paying my respects to Lord Li."

Li Huiwei smiled slightly, "Please rise."

His hawk-like eyes scrutinized Ye Feng from head to toe for a moment, a fleeting, ambiguous smile playing on his lips. He slowly said, "You are Ye Feng?"

He paced back and forth in the room, then turned and smiled, "Indeed, there is something that A-Yin has been thinking about." His voice was deep, resonant, and quite pleasant to the ear.

Ye Feng remained composed, but inwardly he wondered, "Are you praising me, or criticizing me?"

Li Huiwei chuckled again, saying, "Just kidding, Brother Ye, please don't take offense." He then added warmly, "I heard Brother Ye came all the way from Jade Moon City. Was your journey tiring?" Ye Feng

replied, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm fine."

Li Huiwei smiled and said, "Brother Ye, please have a seat." Ye Feng

sat down at the lower seat. Li Huiwei's gaze shifted to the two large bundles beside Ye Feng, and he asked, "What are these?"

"Oh," Ye Feng replied, "These are some clothes I bought for my wife at Jade Tiger Cloth Shop."

"Oh~ Hahahaha~~" Li Huiwei was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, saying, "I didn't expect Brother Ye to be so tender-hearted."

Ye Feng smiled and said, "Women need to be coaxed often for them to treat you well."

Li Huiwei laughed again.

After he finished laughing, Ye Feng whispered, "Sir, I have something to report."

Li Huiwei's expression turned serious, and he calmly said, "Speak." His eagle eyes flashed with a sharp light, exuding a dignified official air.

※※※

"Han Ye?" Li Huiwei pondered for a moment, then said to Li Mu beside him, "Amu, do you know anything about this organization?"

Li Mu said fearfully, "Sir, as far as I know, this is a very secretive assassin organization of the Demonic Sect. The members are elusive and extremely difficult to guard against. If it weren't for Brother Ye's reminder, we would very likely have fallen into their trap."

A cold glint flashed in Li Huiwei's eyes, and he suddenly turned to another burly man and shouted, "Ashui, I want all the detailed information about this organization."

Ashui responded loudly, "Yes, sir," and turned to leave.

Ye Feng sat calmly in his seat, watching Li Huiwei's actions, but in his heart he was calculating: According to the last instructions of the former leader of the Divine Sect, he was now the leader of the Divine Sect—although he had not yet gained the recognition of the others in the sect.

Naturally, this "Cold Night" organization was also one of his subordinates, and he certainly didn't want it to suffer any losses. However, he could use Li Huiwei's help to find out the specifics of this organization, thereby learning more about the details of the Divine Cult.

Li Huiwei turned to Ye Feng and laughed heartily, "Brother Ye, you've really had a hard time this time, coming from thousands of miles away. And just as Amu said, this intelligence is extremely important. Cold Night is so difficult to guard against; if it weren't for Brother Ye's reminder, our situation would indeed be dangerous."

Ye Feng smiled slightly.

Li Huiwei pondered for a moment, then asked with concern, "Brother Ye, besides targeting me, does this organization also intend to target my sister?"

Ye Feng thought to himself, "You seem quite concerned about Li Yin." He smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. This organization doesn't intend to target A-Yin. Although the Demonic Sect has sent people to deal with her, I think she can handle it. Besides, my companions went to Jade Moon City to inform her before I even came to Golden Moon City."

Hearing Ye Feng address Li Yin with the affectionate term "A-Yin," a strange look flashed in Li Huiwei's eyes. He gave Ye Feng a deep look, nodded, and said, "That's for the best." He

then smiled and said, "A-Yin wrote to me, saying that she has assigned you an important mission. How is it going?"

Ye Feng thought to himself, "Li Yin really respects you; she tells you everything." He then told him what he had learned about Wang Longqian and Xinfu City, and even how he dealt with Liu Yangao and the prefect of Xinfu City. However, he did not mention that he had been thrown off a cliff.

Li Huiwei was deeply moved. When he heard how Ye Feng dealt with Liu Yangao and the new prefect, he exchanged glances with Li Mu and the others. Finally, he sneered, "Wang Longqian and the new prefect have quite the audacity to plot a rebellion. Brother Ye, you've done well; you've rendered a great service this time."

Ye Feng bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your praise, sir."

Li Huiwei nodded, remained silent for a while, and looked at Ye Feng, saying, "I heard that Brother Ye came to the capital with General Li this time. Is that true?"

Ye Feng thought to himself, "Your informants are quite sharp." He nodded and said, "Yes."

Li Huiwei's eyes flashed, and he asked, "How did you come to know General Li, Brother Ye?"

Ye Feng then recounted how he had clashed with Li Fei's "Moon Guard" after missing his lodging, and how he had become acquainted with Li Fei.

Upon hearing that Ye Feng had actually managed to block the combined attack of Li Fei's "Moon Guardians," Li Huiwei was deeply moved. He looked at Ye Feng with renewed respect and said, "I never expected Brother Ye's skills to be so formidable. To be honest, even with the abilities of my four guards, we couldn't withstand the full force of General Li's 'Moon Guardians.' I never imagined Brother Ye could accomplish such a feat."

The three burly men accompanying Li Huiwei, including Li Mu, also looked at Ye Feng with eager anticipation, clearly wanting to test their skills against him.

Li Huiwei stopped them with a glance and said kindly to Ye Feng, "I never expected Brother Ye to be appreciated by General Li. You are truly blessed. By the way, Brother Ye, have you had any important matters recently?"

Ye Feng thought for a moment and smiled, "No, if you need me, I am willing to stay in Jin Yue City to lend you a hand."

Li Huiwei was taken aback, not expecting Ye Feng to be so straightforward. He then said happily, "That's excellent, that's excellent!"

Then, as if remembering something, he said, "By the way, some time ago, A Yin sent me a message by carrier pigeon from Yu Yue City, saying that she wanted me to investigate your sworn sister and the Yu Hu Cloth Shop in Jin Yue City. After my investigation, I have a general idea of what happened."

Ye Feng was surprised that Li Yin kept her word and said happily, "That's wonderful! May I ask what exactly happened?"

Li Huiwei was quite satisfied with Ye Feng's response and nodded, "This problem seems to involve a man named Zhou Yun."

"Zhou Yun?" Ye Feng thought coldly, "It really is him."

His anger surged, triggering the evil energy within his body from the "Evil Scripture Record," and a sharp, strange glint flashed in his eyes, making even someone like Li Huiwei feel a chill. He couldn't help but exchange glances with Li Mu and the other two beside him.

He coughed and continued, "Yu Hu Cloth Shop is the largest cloth shop in the Great Yue Kingdom. The owner is a wealthy merchant from the capital named Zhao Cuo. Zhao Cuo has a daughter named Zhao Xiu, who is eighteen years old and very beautiful."

At this point, Li Huiwei turned to Ye Feng and said, "Brother Ye, you must have seen this girl when you shopped at Yu Hu Cloth Shop, right?"

Ye Feng nodded and said, "I saw her. She's not bad looking."

Li Huiwei and the other two couldn't help but laugh. Li Huiwei said, "Brother Ye has a stunningly beautiful wife at home, so of course he wouldn't be interested in other women. However, although Zhao Xiu's appearance isn't exceptionally outstanding, she is still quite pretty, and she has a great talent for business, possessing a near-frightening intuition for commerce."

"She took over the Jade Tiger Cloth Shop at the age of sixteen, and in just two short years, she expanded the business all over the country. Oh, Brother Ye, as you know, there's a Jade Moon City with the largest cloth shop in the city, the Jade Yang Cloth Shop. The owner's name is Li Tan, but it's actually her business. Don't let her innocent and young appearance fool you; she's a top-tier businesswoman. In the capital, no one dares to underestimate her." Ye

Feng was also surprised, not expecting that Zhao Xiu, who looked so delicate and timid, was so capable in business.

"And Zhou Yun is the nephew of the current Vice Minister of Rites, who only appeared in public a few months ago."

Li Huiwei took a sip of tea and continued, "However, we have no information about his past. Since his appearance, he has done many sensational things and used various means to win over and absorb many forces. What's particularly noteworthy is his close relationship with the Second Prince."

Ye Feng pondered in silence, not expecting that this Zhou Yun was related to the current emperor's most favored Second Prince.

Li Huiwei glanced at Ye Feng and said, "As far as I know, Brother Ye's sworn sister's family is quite famous in the clothing industry, and they are extremely wealthy. It's not surprising that Zhou Yun would try to seduce your sworn sister to enhance his own power."

Ye Feng thought to himself, "You, Zhou Yun, using a handsome man to seduce me! How despicable!" He pondered for a while and then asked Li Huiwei, "Then what good plan do you have, Lord Li?"

Li Huiwei revealed a strange smile and said, "I've thought about it repeatedly. The one who tied the knot must untie it. The key to the problem now lies with this girl, Zhao Xiu. If..." If he could win her heart, the girl would naturally be completely devoted to her beloved. However, according to our information, Zhao Xiu and Zhou Yun are currently very close. Brother Ye, achieving your goal will be extremely difficult. But with your talent, it's not impossible. Of course, I will try my best to create opportunities for you.”

Ye Feng stared at Li Huiwei in astonishment for a long time, thinking, “This is the only way for now.”

However, recalling the scene he had just witnessed at the Jade Tiger Cloth Shop with Zhou Yun and Zhao Xiu, he felt no confidence whatsoever. Zhou Yun's appearance, family background, and martial arts skills were all top-notch. Especially considering Zhao Xiu's pure and innocent nature, it's possible that she and Zhou Yun were each other's first love. It would be difficult for him to interfere.

But for Sister Ru's sake, he could only try his best.

Li Huiwei, a shrewd man, could read Ye Feng's mind instantly. Satisfied, he said, "Brother Ye, you must be tired from your journey. Go and rest first. If you need anything, just ask Amu to take care of it. If you'd like to go for a walk, Amu can take you. There are many beautiful sights in Golden Moon City, worth exploring."

Ye Feng nodded.

Li Huiwei thought for a moment and added, "On the first night of the lunar month, the King will hold his annual Lantern Festival, a celebration for all. It will surely be very lively. Especially since Yang Yu, the most prominent woman in Great Moon, will perform her unique singing and dancing skills, it's not to be missed. Brother Ye, you can serve as my attendant then, and I'll show you around."

Ye Feng nodded happily.

※※※

This was an elegant room in the inn, located on the third floor, with a view of the street outside. A fire burned inside, making it warm and cozy.

However, Ye Feng had no desire to sleep. Gazing at the dazzling lights of Golden Moon City outside the window, his heart was filled with emotion.

He realized he'd been in this other world for half a year, and more had happened in those six months than in his twenty-odd years on Earth. Especially after receiving the mission from Li Yin, life had become even more intense and exciting. In this dog-eat-dog world, it was no easy feat to have survived this long.

And tomorrow was the Lunar New Year; he never imagined he'd spend his first New Year in this other world here.

He especially missed Hua Yi and the other women. How were they doing? Were they missing each other as much as he was? Would they save a seat for him at the New Year's Eve dinner?

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of Liu Yan again.

"Ah, Yan, my Yan."

He'd always kept Liu Yan's beautiful image deep in his heart, but in this instant, Ye Feng's emotions surged like a tidal wave: "Yan, are you alright?"

Ye Feng gazed blankly at the night view outside the window, lost in thought for a long, long time…

A gust of cold wind blew, abruptly pulling Ye Feng back to reality.

"The past is gone, let's look to the future!"

Ye Feng sighed, closed the window, and turned his gaze to the bundle of martial arts books on the bed. He had already read all these secret manuals on his way to Golden Moon City. Each one was indeed a treasure coveted by martial arts practitioners. Three of them, namely "Frost Finger," "Blazing Palm," and "Flowing Cloud Technique," particularly piqued Ye Feng's interest.

"Frost Finger" and "Blazing Palm" were both extremely ruthless techniques. "Frost Finger" could instantly freeze a person's blood into ice, causing their body to explode and die. "Blazing Palm" could burn a person to a crisp. "Flowing Cloud

Technique," on the other hand, was a light-body technique, characterized by its agile and graceful movements. It ranked first among all light-body techniques in the world and was extremely precious.

Ye Feng had never practiced light-body techniques before; he even had to use a grappling hook when he went to spy on Wang Long that night. If he had known "Flowing Cloud Technique" earlier, it would have been much easier.

Of these three techniques, Ye Feng had basically mastered "Frost Finger" and "Blazing Palm," as these two techniques were very easy to learn once one had sufficient internal energy. What he lacks now is practical experience. He should find someone to test his skills with sometime.

The "Flowing Cloud Technique," however, is far more complex, and Ye Feng can't learn it in a short time. He's practicing diligently every day, striving to master it as soon as possible.

Other martial arts, while also incredibly profound, don't currently hold much appeal for Ye Feng, because they're either fist and palm techniques, weapons, or things he's not interested in.

His fist and palm techniques, learned on Earth, are exceptionally good, and combined with his high internal energy, they're incredibly powerful. As for weapons, is there any sword technique more formidable than the Dragon Tiger Saber Technique?

However, just because he doesn't need them for now doesn't mean they aren't treasures in other people's eyes. For example, just give Sun Mei a few copies, and see how happy she is.

If he needs to recruit soldiers and expand his ranks in the future, these will be his capital. Even if he's short of money, he can sell one or two copies to someone who knows their value, enough to last him for several years.

Having finished his calculations, Ye Feng sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice breathing exercises. Some time ago, he absorbed a portion of the internal energy from Wang Longqian's henchman, Zhang Ning, and all of Liu Yangao's internal energy. However, he only fully absorbed a small amount of Wang Longqian's internal energy, and only a tiny fraction of Zhang Ning's and Liu Yangao's. The rest remained in his body. This was far too little.

His situation was like a camel eating grass, storing it in its stomach, and then slowly digesting and absorbing it. He was the same; although he had absorbed the internal energy of those three men, he still needed to circulate his own internal energy to fully make it his own.

Although this process was slow, he would eventually achieve his goal. What troubled Ye Feng was that although he had possessed the miraculous spiritual energy of the "Evil Scripture Record" earlier, figuring out how to make it his own was a major headache for him. During this period, no matter what method he used, he simply couldn't convert the spiritual energy from the "Evil Scripture Record" into his own.

Converting internal energy into spiritual power requires an enormous amount of internal energy, and the spiritual power that can be used is only for some low-level purposes, such as temporarily confusing others' minds.

As for the highest-level aspects, such as reading other people's thoughts, transforming into any person one wants, or taking lives from a thousand miles away, those are simply out of the question.

However, haste makes waste, and Ye Feng knew best that training couldn't be rushed. Since he couldn't resolve the issue now, he'd wait until later. However, he could still use various methods to enhance his internal strength, such as the Absorption Technique and Yin-Yang Harmony. Thinking that he hadn't been with a woman for many days, he should find some to replenish his energy, especially women who were either extremely pure or extremely wicked and promiscuous.

Before he knew it, Ye Feng had fallen into a deep sleep.

Chapter Nineteen: The Famous Courtesan of Dayue

The next day was Lunar New Year's Eve, finally the New Year had arrived. On this day, Golden Moon City became a sea of joy, people dressed in festive attire, greeting each other, and everyone was happy.

However, Ye Feng didn't hear any firecrackers, perhaps gunpowder hadn't been invented yet! This made Ye Feng feel like something was missing.

That evening, Li Fei and Lady Anguo sent Li Po to invite Ye Feng, Li Huiwei, and others to their residence for New Year's Eve dinner.

Ye Feng and Li Huiwei naturally couldn't refuse, but as they walked down the street, Ye Feng noticed Li Huiwei carrying a large bag of gifts and realized he was empty-handed.

This was incredibly impolite! Fortunately, several diligent shops were still open, so Ye Feng quickly bought a sufficient amount of gifts from them, finally putting his mind at ease.

Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, Li Fei and Lady Anguo warmly welcomed Ye Feng and Li Huiwei. Both Li Fei and Lady Anguo were dressed casually; Li Fei appeared energetic and distinguished, while Lady Anguo exuded elegance and refinement.

After exchanging New Year's greetings, everyone sat together, making dumplings and chatting about everything under the sun, their laughter filling the air, clearly enjoying themselves immensely.

Ye Feng was an expert at making dumplings, and he quickly made a wide variety, including pork dumplings, mutton dumplings, three-delicacy dumplings, and spicy oil dumplings, which amazed everyone. In particular, Madam Anguo wanted to learn from Ye Feng, and he naturally didn't hold back.

As darkness fell, a series of clanging and banging sounds came from outside, startling Ye Feng, who wondered what was happening. He then saw Li Fei and Madam Anguo exchange a smile. Li Fei took out a gong, and Madam Anguo took out a drum, and the two of them began to bang and bang.

This sound from one side only intensified the clanging and banging outside. For a time, the sound of gongs rose and fell, and the entire Golden Moon City was immersed in joy.

Ye Feng then understood that this was probably a custom of Golden Moon City; although he didn't know its meaning, it was certainly related to good fortune.

Ye

Feng, Li Fei, Lady Anguo, Li Huiwei, Li Po, and others sat at one table, while other family retainers, servants, and maids from the Li household sat at several other tables nearby. Everyone ate together. The twenty "Moon Guards" also sat at a table.

This showed how approachable and friendly Li Fei and Lady Anguo were; they first made dumplings themselves, and then, without regard for rank, even allowed the servants to eat with them—perhaps only their family in the Great Yue Kingdom did this.

Ye Feng was fine, but Li Huiwei and Li Mu were quite surprised.

The dishes were very plentiful, and everyone chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Everyone loves dumplings, especially for New Year's Eve dinner,"

Ye Feng thought, feeling a warm glow as he ate the smooth, delicious dumplings and the sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, as if this were his home. It was clear that Li Huiwei was also very satisfied with the atmosphere. However, even as Ye Feng ate the most delicious food, he couldn't help but think of Hua Yi and the others.

After the meal, Lady Anguo distributed red envelopes to her servants and retainers, filling the mansion with joy.

After the servants dispersed, everyone gathered in the hall for tea and chatted about interesting things. It was clear that Li Fei and Li Huiwei were deliberately avoiding discussing state affairs. Ye Feng, observing their expressions, understood that Li Fei, having spent much time away from home and thus not wanting to spoil the festive occasion by discussing anything unpleasant.

The group chatted and laughed, even observing the traditional New Year's Eve vigil.

That evening, Ye Feng, Li Huiwei, and the others rested at the "General's Mansion."

※※※

The next day was New Year's Day. Before dawn, Li Fei and Li Huiwei changed into their court robes and, with their entourage, went to the palace to join the officials in offering New Year's greetings to the emperor.

Ye Feng, however, wandered the streets with Li Po, soaking up the festive atmosphere of the city. Lady Anguo had originally intended to go for a stroll, but the constant stream of people offering New Year's greetings early in the morning forced her to abandon the idea.

Around noon, Li Fei and Li Huiwei returned, but they immediately had to take Lady Anguo to the palace, explaining that the King was hosting a grand banquet for his officials at the Guang'en Hall, and all officials were required to bring their families.

Lady Anguo wanted to take Ye Feng along, but Li Fei objected, saying it violated court regulations, so Lady Anguo had to give up. Ye Feng was initially delighted at the prospect of enjoying the palace's exquisite cuisine, but Li Fei's words left him with a sense of regret. Li Huiwei, watching from the side, was quite surprised by Lady Anguo's high regard for Ye Feng.

Before leaving, Li Fei, Lady Anguo, and Li Huiwei instructed Ye Feng to remain at the residence in the evening, as they would return and take him to the palace's flower festival that evening. Knowing that Yang Yu would be performing, Ye Feng naturally agreed.

Finally, Li Fei, Lady Anguo, and Li Huiwei departed with twenty "Moon Guards" and guards including Li Mu.

Ye Feng also left the manor at the same time to stroll through the streets.

Around dusk, a while after Ye Feng returned, Li Fei, Lady Anguo, and Li Huiwei also returned. Lady Anguo appeared cheerful, while Li Fei and Li Huiwei seemed somewhat uncertain. Although their faces remained calm and composed, Ye Feng's sharp eyes detected the hidden worry within them.

Ye Feng pondered, "Could it be about the Crown Prince?"

Upon seeing Ye Feng, Lady Anguo smiled kindly and inquired whether he had gone out for a walk that afternoon. Ye Feng quickly stood up and respectfully replied that he had visited several scenic spots in the city that afternoon and had enjoyed himself very much.

Lady Anguo smiled and said, "That's good."

※※※

As night fell, everyone carefully dressed and headed to the palace for the gathering.

Before leaving, Li Huiwei specifically instructed Ye Feng to carry his weapon. Seeing Ye Feng's puzzled look, Li Huiwei said, "Every year during the lantern festival, there's a routine competition to add to the festivities. Brother Ye, you're quite skilled; perhaps tonight you can showcase your abilities and become famous!"

He then laughed heartily.

Ye Feng's heart stirred. He patted his "Dragon-Breaking Blade," glanced at Li Huiwei, and smiled slightly.

Meanwhile, Golden Moon City was already ablaze with vibrant colors, dazzling and captivating. The lantern mountains along the streets were varied in shape and form, enchanting visitors. The crowds watching the lanterns were bustling and noisy.

Although the weather was cold that night, with a biting north wind bringing a chill, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd.

However, the flow of people was all heading towards the back of the palace, because Yang Yu would be performing there that night. Along the way, he heard passersby discussing the matter, with Yang Yu's name being the most frequently mentioned. Ye Feng couldn't help but feel a strange sensation towards this top courtesan of the Great Yue Kingdom.

Of Ye Feng's group, Ye Feng, Li Fei, and Li Huiwei rode on horseback, while Lady Anguo sat in a carriage. Li Huiwei's men and Li Fei's twenty "Moon Guards" stood guard around them.

The large entourage attracted countless eyes, largely due to the presence of figures revered throughout the land. Ye Feng frequently saw ministers and officials approaching to greet Li Fei and Li Huiwei. Lady Anguo, seated in her carriage, was spared these social obligations.

Ye Feng, sitting in his carriage, looked around, captivated by the dazzling scenery of Jin Yue City. His striking appearance and refined demeanor garnered him the attention of numerous noble ladies, greatly pleasing him.

Upon entering the capital, the number of carriages and horses increasing, the road to the palace becoming a sea of people, mostly members of the royal family and high-ranking officials. This slowed the journey considerably.

Suddenly, Ye Feng exclaimed, "Eh!" In a fleeting glance, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of a familiar woman, speaking intimately with a man beside her.

"Lin Su?"

Ye Feng's heart skipped a beat. "Was it her?" He

looked around again, but she was nowhere to be seen in the surging crowd.

He quickly turned and looked around, searching. Li Huiwei, who was beside him, noticed his unusual movement and turned to ask, "Brother Ye, what's wrong?"

Ye Feng casually replied, "Oh, nothing, nothing."

He was stunned for a moment, wondering, "Was that her just now? Or did I see things?"

He remembered Hua Yi saying that Lin Su had come to Jin Yue City, and that familiar female figure must be Lin Su without a doubt. But if that woman was really Lin Su, then who was the man beside her?

※※※

When the group finally arrived at the East and West Imperial Rivers outside the Royal City, it had become the center of joy. The scene was magnificent, with rows of robes forming a continuous curtain. Noble ladies and court ladies vied for attention.

Tonight's Royal Palace Flower Festival was being held at the Plum Blossom Pavilion on the opposite bank of the Imperial River. Under the dazzling lights of the towering lanterns, the emerald-green Imperial River shimmered like countless scattered pearls, reflecting a golden glow.

The Plum Blossom Pavilion was exquisitely decorated, with nearly a hundred seats arranged on its top floor for members of the Great Yue Kingdom's royal family and high-ranking officials. The pavilion was already packed with people, all dressed in their finest attire.

Since tonight was a time for the king to celebrate with his people, ordinary citizens could also watch the performances from across the Imperial River. Furthermore, due to Yang Yu's performance, the banks of the river were thronged with tens of thousands of people.

When Ye Feng, Li Fei, Li Huiwei, and Lady Anguo appeared on the Plum Blossom Pavilion, they immediately attracted everyone's attention. Lady Anguo, in particular, captivated everyone who looked upon her.

Twenty years ago, Lady Anguo ranked first on the list of the most beautiful women in the land, her beauty unmatched throughout the country. Twenty years have passed, yet her unparalleled charm remains undiminished; instead, she possesses a more mature and alluring allure,

making her even more stunning. Especially after her marriage, Lady Anguo has maintained a low profile, spending most of her time at home, rarely seen by ordinary people. Many of the royal nobles present were her former suitors, and now, suddenly seeing this peerless beauty again, how could they not be captivated and unable to control themselves?

For a moment, the men were mesmerized, the women envious, their expressions varied.

In the group, Li Fei and Li Huiwei walked at the front, Lady Anguo followed behind Li Fei, and the three brothers Ye Feng, Li Po, and Li Mu, as their important attendants, walked at the rear.

As for the other attendants, guards, and twenty "Moon Guards," they remained in the garden below Plum Blossom Pavilion. This was because, apart from royal ministers, their families, and specially distinguished warrior retainers, no one else was allowed to enter Plum Blossom Pavilion. Of course, they were received by special attendants.

Upon the arrival of Li Fei and Li Huiwei, their close officials immediately came forward to pay their respects, and greetings filled the air. Lady Anguo, highly respected among the noble ladies, was surrounded by a lively chorus of voices.

The sight of so many women broadened Ye Feng's horizons, and he couldn't help but marvel at the abundance of beauties in the capital. Moreover, this was his first time attending such a high-profile and luxurious event, and he was incredibly excited.

Suddenly, he heard a hearty laugh from ahead, followed by a man in a red brocade robe walking towards Li Fei and his entourage, followed by several attendants. This man appeared to be about sixty years old, tall and imposing, with a wide, hearty laugh that revealed his generous and forthright character.

He approached Li Fei and the others, and said with a low laugh, "General and Lord Li, you are late. The Crown Prince, the Left Chancellor, and I have been waiting for quite some time." He then bowed to Lady Anguo.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the three learned that this man was none other than Duke Liu, Zhao Jinquan, who was in charge of public works and held a very high position. He had always been on good terms with Li Fei and his group.

Duke Liu seemed to be an impatient man; after only a few words, he led Li Fei and his entourage to a group of royal nobles.

Ye Feng looked up and saw that the leader was a man in a brocade robe. Ye Feng thought this must be the Crown Prince. He appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, handsome, but pale and haggard, looking utterly weak and listless.

The more Ye Feng looked, the more uneasy he felt: "This is the Crown Prince? So disappointing!"

Several warriors surrounded him. A strikingly beautiful woman accompanied him; Ye Feng thought this might be the Crown Princess.

Several ministers also surrounded him. Ye Feng recognized one—the Left Chancellor, Li Xinzhi. Another was a man in a blue python robe, over fifty years old, with a solemn expression. Ye Feng guessed this man was Yang Liuyu, the Left Minister of Personnel. He'd heard Yang was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, wielding great power and influence; indeed, he seemed like a steady and shrewd man.

Li Fei and Li Huiwei stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your humble servants greet Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Lady Anguo, Ye Feng, and the others also bowed in unison .

A smile appeared on the Crown Prince's pale face as he softly said, "No need for such formalities, please rise."

The crowd thanked him.

Ye Feng stood up, thinking, "This man is indeed Crown Prince Li Zhiji."

Just then, there was another commotion at the entrance. Ye Feng and the others looked over.

They saw a handsome, spirited man, surrounded by a group of ministers, striding into the building. The Crown Prince's face twitched; the smile that had appeared on his face when he saw Li Fei and the others stiffened slightly.

Ye Feng's heart skipped a beat. "Second Prince Li Weiquan?" he thought.

Looking up, he saw that the Second Prince Li Weiquan was indeed as Li Fei had described—handsome and imposing, walking with a powerful stride, appearing to be between twenty-three and twenty-four.

He was surrounded by a large group of people. To his left was a sinister-looking old man, well over sixty, wearing a tall hat. His small eyes frequently narrowed, making them appear even smaller.

Ye Feng pondered for a while before realizing that this man was likely the current Grand Tutor, An Jingqu, the father of Consort An, the most favored concubine of the Great Yue King. Because of his favored daughter, An Jingqu was currently extremely powerful in the Great Yue Kingdom.

To his right was an old man between fifty-five and fifty-six, with a sharply defined face, but his eyes were deeply sunken, giving him an odd appearance. Ye Feng thought this man must be the Right Chancellor, Liu Zhenyi. In the Great Yue Kingdom, the Right Chancellor was a powerful figure who controlled all officials.

Behind him stood a man with piercing eyes, around forty-four or forty-five years old, calmly observing everyone in the building. Looking further, Ye Feng's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp, cold light. It turned out that the man behind this person was Zhou Yun. The one in front must be his uncle, the current Vice Minister of Rites.

Zhou Yun also noticed Ye Feng, his gaze sweeping over him coldly.

Their eyes met in mid-air, sparks flying.

※※※

The Second Prince, Li Weiquan, strode in, surrounded by a large group of ministers and attendants, his face beaming with pride. As soon as he entered the building, officials swarmed around him, vying to flatter and fawn over him. Even several princes fawned over him; in terms of sheer numbers, the Crown Prince paled in comparison.

The Second Prince's eyes darted around, then he turned his gaze towards the Crown Prince. After a pause, he led his entourage towards them.

The Crown Prince's expression immediately became unnatural, giving off a timid air.

Li Fei, Li Huiwei, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with sadness.

Ye Feng sighed inwardly, thinking, "Brother, cheer up! Seeing you like this is heartbreaking."

Because Li Fei and Li Huiwei were on the Crown Prince's side, Ye Feng, from his perspective, already considered himself one of them. Seeing the Crown Prince like this always made Ye Feng feel uncomfortable.

However, Ye Feng had already learned from Li Fei that the Crown Prince was inherently weak-willed and had never been favored by the Great Yue King. He was also frequently ostracized by the other princes, especially the Second Prince before him, and had long since lost his confidence. Furthermore, he had recently been embroiled in a series of serious crimes, including plotting rebellion, filial impiety, and cursing, which explained his generally timid and withdrawn demeanor.

As he pondered this, the Second Prince and his group approached the Crown Prince and his entourage.

Li Fei and the others bowed and said, "Your humble servants pay their respects to the Second Prince."

The Second Prince, Li Weiquan, nodded and smiled, "Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities."

He turned his gaze to the Crown Prince, smiled slightly, and said kindly, "Your Highness, you look quite unwell lately. Are you unwell?"

The Crown Prince forced a smile and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I'm fine."

The Second Prince's face was full of concern as he said, "I have several excellent imperial physicians in my household. Shall we have them come and examine Your Highness?"

The Crown Prince shook his head and said, "I'm really fine.

Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." The Second Prince nodded and said, "That's good, that's good." His concern and worry were evident in his words.

Due to Li Yin's intelligence, Ye Feng already had a preconceived notion about this Second Prince. However, seeing the Second Prince's actions just now, he couldn't help but admire him, thinking to himself, "Impressive, impressive, such a good actor. But in this continent, only people like him can get by."

Meanwhile, the officials around him were already praising the Second Prince's benevolence and filial piety, and the sounds of praise were endless.

The second prince, however, wore a humble expression, repeatedly saying he dared not accept such praise. He then warmly invited everyone to take their seats. His every gesture revealed complete control of the situation, demonstrating remarkable shrewdness. This made the crown prince's side appear even more neglected.

The officials took their seats.

At the top of the building was the seat of the Great Yue King, which was then arranged on both sides.

The crown prince, Li Fei, the Left Chancellor Li Xinzhi, the Minister of Works Yang Liuyu, Duke Liu Jinquan, and others sat on the left, while the second prince, the other princes, Grand Tutor An Jingqu, the Right Chancellor Liu Zhenjun, the Vice Minister of Rites, and others sat on the right. Other officials sat according to their rank and faction.

Just by looking at their seating arrangements, it was clear they were two irreconcilable factions.

Judging by their presence, the crown prince's faction was far inferior to the second prince's.

However, Li Fei, the crown prince's most renowned general and the only Supreme General in the Great Yue Kingdom, held immense prestige. Left Chancellor Li Xinzhi was in charge of military affairs, and Duke Liu Zhao Jinquan and Minister Yang Liuyu were all highly influential figures. Furthermore, Li Huiwei was one of the most important military governors of the Great Yue Kingdom, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops in the Jade Moon Prefecture. Therefore, the Crown Prince's faction was not to be underestimated.

After the initial commotion, everyone settled down and began whispering amongst themselves, mostly about Yang Yu.

Ye Feng sat behind Li Huiwei at a table reserved for important attendants. While talking to Li Po, he suddenly felt a cold glint in his eye. Instinctively, Ye Feng knew it was Zhou Yun, but ignored him and continued talking to Li Po.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a master of ceremonies emerged from the inner tower, announcing, "His Majesty has arrived!" The

moment the announcement was made, the officials in the Drunken Moon Tower and the tens of thousands of people along the Imperial River fell silent. Then,

the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the inner tower, followed by another round of footsteps.

Ye Feng thought, "The King of the Great Yue Kingdom is about to emerge." The thought of meeting the highest ruler of the Great Yue Kingdom soon made his heart pound wildly.

Footsteps sounded at the inner gate, and then the King of the Great Yue Kingdom strode out, surrounded by a group of burly imperial guards and concubines.

The officials upstairs and tens of thousands of people downstairs knelt on the ground, shouting in unison, "Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King!"

The sound shook the entire land! Ye Feng glanced at him and saw

that

the King of the Great Yue Kingdom was about forty years old, with a robust physique. He walked with his head held high, exuding the unique majesty of an emperor. However, his belly was high and protruding, making him appear overweight, and his face was puffy, clearly due to excessive indulgence in wine and women.

Beside him were two women who looked to be around thirty years old, both extremely beautiful and alluring. In terms of looks, both women were only slightly inferior to Hua Yi and Lady Anguo, yet each possessed their own unique charm.

One had a dignified and beautiful face, a tall and graceful figure, and an extremely captivating allure, exuding a sacred and inviolable demeanor and temperament unique

to queens. However, there was a deep loneliness and a hint of sorrow in her eyes, instantly evoking pity. Ye Feng thought to himself, "This woman must be the Queen of Dayue. She is indeed extremely charming, worthy of being listed among the beauties of the former kingdom. But she doesn't seem very happy. That's right, the King of Dayue has been favoring Consort An in recent years, and she has been neglected for many years. Coupled with her son's situation, it's natural that she can't be happy even if she wants to. Alas, how pitiful."

The other must be Consort An. She was known for her extreme lust and beauty, and upon seeing her, she was indeed an extremely alluring beauty, with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, her eyes watery and captivating. Her full, curvaceous figure possessed an intensely alluring, sensual charm that ignited lust in anyone who saw her, making them yearn to pin her down and ravish her.

Most importantly, while she was inherently seductive, her face held an air of unapproachable arrogance; every movement was composed and dignified, her demeanor reserved and aloof, making men even more itch with desire. Clearly, she understood the male psychology that the harder something was to obtain, the more precious it became.

Looking at the Queen and Consort An, Ye Feng suddenly had a thought: "If these two women became my concubines, I would gladly give up ten years of my life!" However, knowing this thought was unrealistic, he quickly suppressed it.

The Great Yue King took his seat at the head of the table, with the Queen and Consort An flanking him, followed by other concubines, and a group of burly imperial guards protecting him on either side.

After taking his seat, the Great Yue King declared in a booming voice, "Rise, my lords!"

The crowd responded with a shout of "Thank you, Your Majesty!" and returned to their seats. Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of people along the Imperial River became even more animated, constantly discussing the Drunken Moon Pavilion.

After the maids finished pouring the wine, the King of Great Yue laughed heartily, raised his cup, and declared loudly, "Tonight is the Spring Festival, and I have decided to celebrate with all my ministers and the people. Please, all of you, do not stand on ceremony; let us revel in our joy! Tonight, we will not leave until we are drunk!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Second Prince stood up with a broad smile and said, "Since my father's reign, our Great Yue Kingdom has enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the people live in peace and contentment. My father's benevolence, kindness, and wisdom are universally praised. Here, on behalf of all the people of the world, I offer my father a toast to express my deepest respect."

He then drank it all in one gulp.

The officials immediately echoed, and the hall resounded with praise.

The Great Yue King nodded repeatedly, beaming with delight.

The Crown Prince also stood up, intending to say something, but the Great Yue King suddenly raised his cup and declared, "My lords, let us drink another cup to him!"

The Second Prince's side immediately responded, raising their cups in unison. Those seated on the Crown Prince's side had no choice but to follow suit.

The Crown Prince stood frozen for a long while before slowly sitting down, his expression extremely awkward.

Everyone could see that the Great Yue King's open expression of dislike for the Crown Prince meant he was in danger.

The Second Prince's side exchanged knowing smiles, while the Crown Prince's side was filled with gloom.

Consort An, standing beside the Great Yue King, glanced seductively at the Queen, a triumphant look in her eyes. The Queen, meanwhile, looked at the Crown Prince, her brows furrowing slightly, a hint of indescribable sorrow flashing in her eyes.

※※※

What followed was a series of song and dance performances to entertain the guests. Everyone clapped and cheered, quickly pushing the banquet atmosphere to a climax.

The crowd along the Imperial River downstairs pointed and gestured excitedly.

After the dance ended, an official announced, "Next, please welcome Ms. Yang Yu to perform for us."

A sudden silence fell over the upper and lower floors, followed by another thunderous shout.

A man along the Imperial River called out, "Yang Yu!"

Like a catalyst, the shouts of "Yang Yu! Yang Yu!" filled the air, eventually reaching tens of thousands who joined in.

The cry of "Yang Yu!" resounded through the night sky!

The shouts along the Imperial River infected everyone inside the Drunken Moon Pavilion; men and women alike flushed and visibly excited. Many even responded by raising their arms in response.

Ye Feng's heart pounded. He hadn't expected Yang Yu to be so popular. He felt an even greater anticipation for this charming woman he had only met once before.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour of pipa music erupted from the inner building, so urgent it was like rain pelting pear blossoms. It instantly gripped everyone's hearts, leaving them breathless.

The shouts around them ceased abruptly.

Just as Ye Feng's heart pounded wildly, the pipa music abruptly slowed, followed by the harmonious sounds of bells and zithers, like spring blossoms, a warm current flowing through his body, making him feel comforted.

Then, a group of beautiful dancers emerged from the inner building, dancing and singing. They all carried pipas, their movements captivating.

Suddenly, a heavenly voice rang out from among the women, and then the dancers dispersed, revealing a graceful and stunningly beautiful woman—Yang Yu!

Ye Feng's heart pounded, completely forgetting everything else, his mind filled with Yang Yu's mesmerizing, captivating eyes!

※※※

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yang Yu stood there gracefully, her face still bare, yet this did not diminish her captivating charm. Her eyes, like mist and smoke, were like two clear, deep pools, or two flowing pearls, containing boundless allure and charm.

Every glance and gesture stole the souls of every man present.

Her singing voice was delicate and sweet, so gentle yet so seductive, sending a shiver down one's spine. Coupled with her flawless figure and expressions, she mesmerized everyone, drawing them into a dreamlike and mysterious world. Everyone was utterly captivated by Yang Yu

's enchanting charm. Whether it was the officials in the Drunken Moon Pavilion or the tens of thousands of people along the Imperial River, everyone held their breath, not daring to utter a sound, for fear of disturbing Yang Yu.

Her singing was tender and poignant, like a lover's whisper, or a stream flowing through a valley.

The pipa's sound was melodious and lingering, the bass strings resonating loudly, the treble strings whispering softly. It was the dead of night, and no one was around; what else could it be but a private conversation?

Ye Feng listened intently, then suddenly snapped back to reality.

※※※

Since mastering the ninth level of the "Spring Rain Score" and learning the "Evil Scripture Record," Ye Feng's self-control had grown stronger day by day. Another important reason that

brought him back to his senses was the strange yet familiar feeling he got from Yang Yu's singing.

Why?

Ye Feng had been in this strange world for quite some time, and he enjoyed listening to music, having listened to many songs. He had some understanding of their melodies. The music of this world felt closer to the music of the Tang and Song dynasties in China, characterized by its softness and smoothness.

But the song Yang Yu sang today was quite different from what he usually heard.

Her enunciation was clear, with a touch of "perfect pronunciation," and her gestures and movements were somewhat similar to those of Peking Opera, which Ye Feng enjoyed.

But there was something quite different. Peking Opera emphasizes "the melody following the words, the words leading the melody, clear and resonant pronunciation, and expressive delivery," placing many delicate demands on lyrics and phonetics.

Yang Yu, however, clearly only possessed a rudimentary form of Peking Opera in terms of rhythm, pronunciation, and melody; her singing was primarily soft and smooth. She was far from the most basic requirement of Peking Opera: "clear and resonant pronunciation." Not to mention the details of her movements and expressions. Although her captivating charm masked these shortcomings, wouldn't overcoming these issues make her even more attractive?

However, Ye Feng thought back. The civilization of this world was vastly different from his original world, and many new things might only be emerging. Peking Opera was a household name in his original world, but in this world, it might only be in its infancy.

Ye Feng's heart warmed again. He hadn't expected to encounter his favorite music in this world. He wondered if he could one day exchange ideas with Yang Yu. But after their duet on the flute and zither by Jade Moon Lake, did she still remember him?

A thunderous applause and shouts jolted Ye Feng from his deep thoughts; Yang Yu's song had ended.

However, the crowd remained incredibly enthusiastic, with shouts of "Yang Yu, one more song!" echoing everywhere.

The Second Prince stood up, raised his hands, and gestured for silence around him; only then did the crowd gradually quiet down.

Li Po, standing beside Ye Feng, whispered in his ear, "It's said that wherever Yang Dajia performs, she only sings one song per performance. Even when performing for Your Majesty, she's no exception."

Ye Feng couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly, thinking, "What an air of grandeur."

Meanwhile, the Great Yue King gave the Second Prince an approving look, then praised the graceful Yang Yu, saying, "This music should only exist in heaven; how often can one hear it on

earth? As the ancients said, 'Hearing such music for three months makes one forget the taste of meat,' nothing surpasses this." Yang Yu's eyes sparkled, and she smiled gently, a smile that captivated everyone. She lowered her head, revealing her slender, swan-like neck, and softly said, "Your Majesty flatters me." Her voice was delicate and captivating, with a mesmerizing magnetic quality, incredibly sexy and alluring.

A look of intoxication flashed in the eyes of the Great Moon King. He laughed heartily and said, "No need for such modesty, Lady Yang. These are my sincere words." He

then smiled and said, "I've heard that this piece is a new genre created by Lady Yang. Is that true?"

Yang Yu replied softly, "Your Majesty is wise. This piece is indeed a new genre created by me, named 'Moon Melody.' However, it is the result of the collective wisdom and efforts of many people, not solely my own work."

Ye Feng couldn't help but nod secretly, thinking that Yang Yu was indeed upright and straightforward, saying what she meant.

Ye Feng knew that creating a new genre was generally impossible for one person alone; it required absorbing the essence of predecessors and pooling collective wisdom.

The origins of Peking Opera can be traced back to the four Anhui opera troupes—Sanqing, Sixi, Chuntai, and Hechun—that performed in southern China during the Qianlong era. These troupes migrated to Beijing and collaborated with Han opera performers from Hubei. Through mutual influence, they absorbed elements of Kunqu and Qinqiang operas, as well as folk tunes, gradually merging and evolving into Peking Opera.

Yang Yu's explanation sparked lively discussion among the crowd, who all expressed their approval. Clearly, they understood Ye Feng's earlier point.

The Great Yue King nodded repeatedly with a smile, showing great appreciation for Yang Yu's answer. He said with delight, "Your Excellency Yang's gratitude for others' kindness without seeking credit is truly admirable. Please take your seat, Your Excellency Yang."

The Second Prince rose with a smile and personally led Yang Yu to an empty seat next to him.

Yang Yu gracefully curtsied and whispered, "Thank you, Second Prince," before sitting down with captivating charm.

The Second Prince waited until Yang Yu was seated before taking his own seat, displaying remarkable poise. The women present all stared, their eyes gleaming.

All the men's gazes were fixed on the Second Prince, filled with envy and jealousy, yet no one dared say a word.

Ye Feng sighed inwardly, thinking, "What a pity I'm not sitting here."

He couldn't help but glance at Yang Yu, just in time to meet her sweeping gaze.

She first showed surprise, then her bright eyes lit up, a captivating smile playing on her lips as she nodded to Ye Feng.

Instantly, Ye Feng felt tens of thousands of eyes fall upon him. These gazes held a range of emotions: surprise, envy, jealousy, and even murderous intent.

Ye Feng cursed inwardly, "A bunch of bastards!" Maintaining his composure, he returned the smile.

Yang Yu's smile widened slightly, her alluring eyes glancing at Ye Feng before she looked away.

Ye Feng felt even more murderous gazes upon him.

Li Fei, who was in front, turned around and asked with a hint of surprise, "Brother Ye, do you know Lady Yang?"

Ye Feng nodded and said, "We met once."

Lady Anguo also turned around and smiled at Ye Feng. Li Huiwei, who was in front, turned around and gave Ye Feng a strange look.

Ye Feng also noticed that the King of Dayue, the Queen, and Consort An had also glanced at him, seemingly noticing him.

The Second Prince glanced at Ye Feng, but his face remained smiling, and he even started talking to Yang Yu with a smile.

Yang Yu responded politely, occasionally chuckling, her captivating charm making all the men present lose their senses.

※※※

The next event was a martial arts competition. In the Floating Cloud Continent, martial arts were extremely popular, and competitions were an essential part of banquets.

The second prince laughed heartily, drawing all eyes to him, before standing up and calmly addressing the King of Dayue: "Father, our Dayue is a nation founded on martial prowess, and martial arts competitions are a national tradition. Today, in celebration of this grand event, I wish to send my men to accept the challenge, to add to the festivities."

Grand Tutor An Jingqu and Right Chancellor Liu Zhencheng were the first to echo this sentiment, followed by cheers and applause from all the officials.

The other nobles and beautiful women in the banquet also cheered, and even the tens of thousands of people along the imperial riverbank erupted in applause. Watching the martial arts competitions before the banquet at Zuiyue Tower was an annual anticipation for them.

Excitement flashed in the eyes of the Great Yue King, who laughed heartily, "As my son wishes."

The Second Prince called out, "Thank you, Father."

Turning to the Crown Prince, he smiled and said, "Brother, today is a grand occasion. Would you be willing to send someone out to instruct my incompetent subordinates, to add to the festivities?"

The hall fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on the Crown Prince. Even Yang Yu looked in that direction with her beautiful eyes.

The Second Prince's words were a blatant challenge to the Crown Prince, openly bullying him under the guise of instruction. With everyone watching, if the Crown Prince refused, he would never be able to hold his head high again in the Great Yue Kingdom.

Li Fei, the Left Minister, and others all looked at the Crown Prince, their eyes filled with eagerness to fight.

A flash of resentment crossed the Crown Prince's eyes, but he smiled and said, "Since my brother says so, how could I dare refuse?"

※※※

The martial arts competition began.

In the first match, the Second Prince sent out a fighter named Dou Jun, while the Crown Prince sent out a burly man named Leng Dan.

Both wielded swords, displaying ruthless and agile skills.

As soon as they unleashed their attacks, a chilling aura filled the space.

Using his ninth move, Leng Dan sidestepped and struck Dou Jun's left arm, winning the first round.

The Crown Prince's side erupted in a deafening cheer, feeling immensely triumphant. On the Second Prince's side, everyone looked grim, except for the Second Prince himself, who remained calm and smiling.

In the second round, the Second Prince spoke a few words to a warrior beside him. The warrior rose to his feet and strode forward with an air of authority.

Seeing the warrior's imposing figure, composed demeanor, and hawk-like glint in his eyes, everyone knew he was a formidable opponent, and they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Li Mu, standing beside Ye Feng, whispered in his ear, "This is Sun Huyun, the most skilled swordsman by the Second Prince's side. His swordsmanship is renowned for its sharpness and speed, and he has yet to meet his match."

Ye Feng nodded. Just by observing Sun Huyun's composed demeanor and his remarkably strong and steady right hand, he knew that Sun Huyun's swordsmanship was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Li Fei, and Li Huiwei whispered among themselves, recalling Leng Dan, while a warrior named Wang Ding from the Crown Prince's side was ordered to fight.

Everyone inside and below the building knew that Wang Ding was the most outstanding warrior by the Crown Prince's side. Seeing Wang Ding's tall stature, resolute gaze, and expert demeanor, it seemed he and Sun Huyun were evenly matched. This was going to be a good show! The crowd erupted in deafening cheers, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Wang Ding and Sun Huyun entered the open space in the center of the building and first respectfully bowed to the Great Yue King. Then, simultaneously drawing their longswords and pointing them at each other, they said in unison, "Please instruct us!"

Suddenly, the swords blazed brightly, and the two attacked at the same time!

※※※

"Ah! Ah~"

The shouts and cries of the crowd were deafening. Whether it was the officials in the Drunken Moon Pavilion or the tens of thousands of people along the Imperial River, everyone was completely absorbed, cheering for their favorite side.

The fight between Wang Ding and Sun Huyun had reached a fever pitch, the clanging of their swords resounding like a torrential downpour. Both sides were attacking desperately, seemingly evenly matched.

However, after several dozen moves, martial arts experts like Ye Feng and Li Huiwei on the Crown Prince's side noticed Wang Ding's weakness. In terms of swordsmanship, Wang Ding and Sun Huyun were evenly matched, but Wang Ding was inferior to Sun Huyun in terms of stamina. After the previous frenzied attack, he had exhausted a great deal of his strength, while Sun Huyun seemed completely unfazed.

The Second Prince also smiled, clearly having seen the key difference.

As expected, after Wang Ding launched several more attacks, Sun Huyun's sword light suddenly intensified, becoming twice as strong as before. Wang Ding was startled, and his sword strike faltered. With this shift in power, Sun Huyun attacked even more relentlessly, like a storm.

Wang Ding was forced to retreat steadily, letting out a scream as Sun Huyun slashed a large gash from his right arm to his chest. His sword fell to the ground, and he staggered backward.

A deafening cheer erupted from the Second Prince's side, while the Crown Prince's men showed expressions of defeat.

Wang Ding was helped out to have his injuries treated, but Sun Huyun's face remained expressionless as he calmly asked, "Who else dares to come up and fight?"

He called out several times, but no one from the Crown Prince's side dared to answer. The Crown Prince's warriors had already lost heart after the previous contest.

Li Fei frowned. Although his twenty "Moon Guards" provided impeccable protection as a whole, they couldn't handle each other alone; he couldn't send them all at once. Li Po, on the other hand, was only skilled in battlefield combat and was quite inept at one-on-one duels.

The four Li brothers under Li Huiwei were in the same situation. Although he himself was confident of defeating Sun Huyun, he couldn't participate because it was inappropriate for his status.

On the Crown Prince's side, although the Left Chancellor Li Xinzhi, the Minister of Works Yang Liuyu, and the Duke of Liu Zhao Jinquan had many skilled fighters, none of them were confident of defeating Sun Huyun.

Seeing that no one from the Crown Prince's side had stepped forward for so long, the Second Prince's side erupted in cheers again, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt as they looked at the Crown Prince's side.

Zhou Yun, sitting behind the Vice Minister of Rites next to the Crown Prince, also glanced at Ye Feng with a cold smile.

The Great Yue King frowned and looked at the Crown Prince. Ye Feng, who had been hesitant about whether his appearance was appropriate, felt a surge of excitement upon seeing this and abruptly stood up. Instantly

, all eyes were on Ye Feng. Ye Feng laughed heartily, cupped his hands, and loudly proclaimed to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, please grant me, Ye Feng, permission to fight!" The Crown Prince glanced at Ye Feng, recognizing him as someone close to Li Fei or Li Huiwei, but seeing Ye Feng's composed demeanor and imposing presence, enough to rival Sun Huyun, he happily said, "Granted your request!" A cheer erupted from the Crown Prince's side, cheering for Ye Feng, while the others in the building, seeing another good show about to begin, cheered even more enthusiastically. The Second Prince's group stared intently at Ye Feng, many whispering amongst themselves, inquiring about this person they had never seen before. Ye Feng, his heart filled with pride, strode to the center of the building. He was confident he could defeat Sun Huyun. During their earlier duel, Ye Feng had clearly seen that while Sun Huyun possessed exceptional strength and internal energy, and his swordsmanship was extremely sharp, his own "Dragon Tiger Saber" was more than capable of restraining him. This thought triggered the evil spiritual energy within his body, causing his eyes to flash with a chilling light. He instantly transformed, his handsome face now radiating an extremely domineering masculine aura! A thunderous cheer erupted from the Crown Prince's side, clearly sensing Ye Feng's unwavering confidence. The noble ladies gazed at Ye Feng with infatuated eyes, clearly enamored with this handsome and imposing man. Beauty loves heroism—it's an ironclad rule. Even Yang Yu looked at Ye Feng with surprise. Sun Huyun sensed Ye Feng's aura, his expression turning serious. He knew he had met a formidable opponent! The two men looked at each other and bowed in unison, saying, "Please enlighten us." The duel began! The crowd upstairs and downstairs fell silent, holding their breath and watching intently. Sun Huyun's face turned cold and fierce, his body slightly bowed forward, his longsword pointing at Ye Feng! Ye Feng, however, remained as still as a mountain, his eyes flashing with the sharp light of a hawk. He slowly drew his "Dragon Breaker" sword and faced Sun Huyun. Instantly, a chilling aura spread outwards, instilling fear in everyone! The arena fell silent, everyone gripped by the tense atmosphere before the storm! Suddenly, Sun Huyun roared, charging forward like lightning, his longsword whistling through the air, thrusting relentlessly towards Ye Feng's chest. This sword strike was chillingly sharp, ruthless beyond compare, truly showcasing the essence of Sun Huyun's swordsmanship. Ye Feng roared, and the Dragon Tiger Saber came again. Amidst Ye Feng's thunderous roar, a dazzling light flashed before everyone's eyes, like smoke billowing from the void, seemingly intent on devouring everything, or perhaps shredding everything in the world to dust! The blade's edge, accompanied by a chilling whistling sound, caused the robes of those seated around to flutter wildly. Like lightning, it arrived before Sun Huyun, reaching his face in the blink of an eye. Sun Huyun, never expecting such fast and fierce swordsmanship, was greatly alarmed and hastily changed his move, blocking with his longsword at his face. "Clang!" The clear, resonant sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the Drunken Moon Pavilion. Sun Huyun swayed several times, taking two steps back. His arm was numb and bleeding from the tiger's mouth of his right hand; he barely managed to keep his longsword from falling from his grasp. Everyone at the table was dumbfounded; who had ever seen such terrifying swordsmanship? The Crown Prince was stunned for a moment before erupting into thunderous cheers, the shouts of encouragement for Ye Feng deafening. As Sun Huyun was gripped by terror, Ye Feng struck his longsword with lightning speed. Sun Huyun's body trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. He staggered back several steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The Crown Prince roared and screamed wildly, cheering for Ye Feng with frenzied fervor. Amidst the thunderous shouts of the crowd, Ye Feng pressed his advantage, performing another somersault. "Dragon Breaker" transformed into a dazzling, cold light, slashing at Sun Huyun's skull like a terrifying nightmare. The chilling force of the blade made Sun Huyun's hair whip wildly. Left with no other choice, Sun Huyun raised his sword to parry. With a loud clang, his sword was cleaved in two, and Sun Huyun, his face ashen, stumbled back several steps before finally losing his footing and falling to the ground. The Crown Prince's side erupted in cheers. The Second Prince's side, however, were all ashen-faced, never expecting Ye Feng to be so powerful. The tens of thousands of people in the Drunken Moon Pavilion and along the Imperial River roared with excitement. They couldn't believe Ye Feng had defeated the capital's number one swordsman with just three strikes. Tonight's battle had instantly made him famous. Needless to say, the women looked at Ye Feng with rapt attention, even Yang Yu's gaze held a strange quality. The Great Moon King and Queen nodded and smiled, only Consort An's gaze towards Ye Feng was filled with icy coldness. The Second Prince, for the first time, scrutinized Ye Feng with a more attentive gaze. The Crown Prince, Li Fei, and the others exchanged smiles; Ye Feng's performance had greatly boosted their morale. After the shouts subsided and Sun Huyun was helped away, Ye Feng calmly asked, "Who else wants to challenge me?" All eyes turned to the Second Prince, but there was no sound from that side. After a long silence, a man's voice rang out: "Your Highness, please allow me, Zhou Yun, to step forward and request a fight!" Ye Feng looked over and met Zhou Yun's cold gaze. Then, the Crown Prince's joyful voice rang out: "Very well, as you wish." Suddenly, another battle between Ye Feng and Zhou Yun was upon them!

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