Yueyang Tower prostitutes

"Two jade arms, a thousand pillows; half a vermilion lip, tasted by ten thousand guests."
This is the couplet on the gate of the "Two
Half Rooms" brothel in Yueyang. The horizontal inscription is the same as the golden plaque that reads "Two Half Rooms."
Two Half Rooms? Quite an alluring phrase!
Some say, "Two Half Rooms is a synonym for 'between two petals,' but to avoid being too conspicuous, they changed the two petals representing the girl's lips to 'two raised.'"
Others say, "Two Half Rooms means 'between two companions.' If a man feels his partner at home is not fresh enough or is bored, he can find a satisfactory companion at Two Half Rooms."
In short, Two Half Rooms attracted curiosity as soon as it opened.
With curiosity came exploration.
With exploration came discovery.
With discovery came enlightenment.
With enlightenment came fascination.
Ten days later, Two Half Rooms became famous for its beauty, because the girls there were young and beautiful, and included both slender and plump figures, for the choice of any gentleman.
The slender type of girl wouldn't be so thin as to be "flat-chested." "
Plump girls don't make men feel like they need to eat less and exercise more.
Besides being young and beautiful, the girls in the two halves are all passionate and energetic, and they can accommodate any strange moves a man might want.
Most importantly, they can make men feel like they're in heaven.
Therefore, the girls in the two halves attract men with their youth, beauty, passion, and action.
However, the price for this blissful experience is quite high—one thousand taels of gold!
This price scares away many men.
Because this price is at least twenty times higher than the market rate!
However, every day, discerning players still go to enjoy themselves.
Many of these players even 'determine' to play with all thirty girls in the two halves!"
The two rooms quickly became a haven of pleasure and a den of iniquity for the wealthy.
The day after the two rooms' one-month anniversary, shortly after the pink doors opened, thirty girls began their morning exercises. Two
pimps took the opportunity to go into the hall for tea and a break.
Soon, the sound of hooves approached, and they rushed towards the door.
However, upon seeing the approaching carriage, their expressions changed.
The man on the right immediately turned around and ran into the hall.
The carriage stopped abruptly, and a burly man in his thirties alighted and walked towards the door, followed by four other burly men who strode confidently.
The pimp immediately bowed and smiled obsequiously, "Greetings, Master Biao!"
"Hmm! Who's in charge here?"
A loud voice rang out, "I am Liang Youliang!" A lean,
middle-aged man in brocade robes strode out of the hall. The burly man in his thirties, seeing the man's light steps and the way his clothes moved without stirring up dust, immediately knew he was a skilled martial artist. He straightened his back, while the other four burly men glared arrogantly at Liang Youliang. Soon, Liang Youliang reached the door and bowed, saying, "What brings you here, Master Biao?" The burly man in his thirties said in a deep voice, "Is this the proper etiquette for guests?" Liang Youliang apologized and stepped aside with a solemn expression. The five burly men then entered with their heads held high. Two pimps immediately went into the hall to serve tea. Soon, Liang Youliang had invited them to sit down, saying, "Please have some tea!" The burly man in his thirties took a sip and nodded, "Tea, quite impressive!" "At the request of you gentlemen!" "I, Zeng Biao, have always been outspoken. Do you know whose dock this is?" Liang Youliang smiled and said, "Does Master Zeng recognize this?" As he spoke, he reached into his robes and took out an object. He casually pulled it open and immediately saw that it was a triangular flag. It, along with the flagpole and black cloth, was no bigger than the palm of his hand, but Zeng Biao was terrified as if he had seen a dinosaur. He looked at it carefully, immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness!" Liang Youliang smiled and said, "Master Zeng is knowledgeable and experienced, I admire you!" "I dare not accept such praise! Please call me by my name!" "Hey, please pass this on to your superior. I will not cause trouble." " Yes, sir! Excuse me for disturbing you, I'll take my leave!" "Xiao Long, see the guests out!" A pimp immediately answered and rose to see the guests out. Soon, Zeng Biao and his five companions had hurriedly left. Liang Youliang gently stroked the white skull and two crossed white bones embroidered on the black flag, smiled slightly, then rolled up the flag and went directly into the room. The two pimps stood tall and proud! In less than half an hour, Zeng Biao had already gotten out of his carriage in front of a manor. Two young men at the gate bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Brother Biao!" Zeng Biao nodded and hurriedly went inside, followed by four burly men. Soon, Zeng Biao was already in the hall, whispering to a middle-aged man, "Reporting to the master, a man named Liang Youliang is in charge of the two rooms. He carries the White Bone Command Flag." The middle-aged man's expression changed. His eyes flashed with a divine light, and he said in a deep voice, "Really?" "Yes! The man surnamed Liang is quite powerful." " Hmm! Did he make a move?" "No! The disciple immediately apologized, stating that he would not cause trouble." The middle-aged man immediately fell into thought. His surname was Zeng, and his given name was Jiaren. Ten years ago, he came to Yueyang alone to make his way in the world. Relying on a set of boxing techniques and his daring and ruthless fighting style, he actually managed to carve out a dock area within a year. His main source of income was ten boats. These ten boats set off to cruise the lake at irregular times during the day. In reality, the cabins were used as gambling dens. On the surface, he served everyone by taking a cut. In fact, he arranged for gamblers to cooperate with the bookmaker to cheat and make huge profits. Now, he had thirty boats. He had more than a thousand men under his command. He had indeed "increased his manpower" as his name suggested! He not only expanded his fleet... He also runs businesses in various sectors, and now owns over three hundred shops near the Leigutai historical site north of Yueyang. Leigutai is where King Zhuang of Chu once beat drums to boost morale during the Spring and Autumn Period. Because of its location nestled against the mountain overlooking the Yangtze River, its scenic beauty and strategic importance have always made it a popular tourist destination. Unexpectedly, two shops appeared near Leigutai and began profiting without even informing Zeng Jiaren. Zeng Jiaren remained inactive for a month, but seeing the shops' thriving business and the huge profits, he decided to start collecting "protection money." However, he was met with resistance. After a short thought, Zeng Jiaren said in a deep voice, "Disciples are strictly forbidden from approaching within thirty zhang of the two shops." “Yes, sir! ” Zeng Biao bowed and left. Zeng Jiaren cursed, “Damn it!” and went into the room sullenly. At this time, dozens of people were enjoying the scenery on the drum platform. On the left side of the stone steps, an old man sat like a ghost, with a table and a chair in front of him. A large white cloth was covered under the table, on which was written only a large character “卜” (bu).

His surname was Bu, and his given name was Bixian. In his youth, he had achieved the second-highest rank in the imperial examinations and was assigned to serve as the magistrate of Yueyang County. Unfortunately, he resigned after only one year.
He took office before the Dragon Boat Festival, but resigned on the very day of the festival a year later. This was because he had organized a dragon boat race on Dongting Lake, but the intense competition led to a brawl that resulted in deaths.
He resigned in disgrace, and the people of Yueyang mourned the loss of a good official.
Upon receiving the decree, he left without a trace.
Twenty years later, he surprisingly returned to Yueyang.
He made a living by setting up a fortune-telling stall at Leigutai.
Many people from Yueyang offered him jobs, but
he politely declined them all, choosing to make a living by hanging up his fortune.
Another twenty years passed in the blink of an eye, and he was still there, telling fortunes.
Thanks to the patronage of the people of Yueyang, he lived a comfortable life.
Just as Zeng Biao was hastily boarding a carriage on the left side of Leigutai, Bu Bixian couldn't help but glance at the carriage.
Soon, a young man in plain clothes came to the stall carrying a tea bag. He bowed and said, "Xianzai, it's been a while since I paid my respects to you!"
Bu Bixian smiled and said, "You don't come here unless you have something to say. Please sit down!"
"Alright! I'll sit down in front of the stall."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh.
Bu Bixian's eyes lit up and he immediately stared at him.
As soon as he sat down, he smiled and said, "Isn't that laughter jarring?"
"You'd better not laugh like that again!"
the young man said with a smile, "But it's quite chilling and disheartening!" "
Those who don't listen to the elders will suffer the consequences."
The young man whispered, "Have you ever heard anyone laugh like that, Xianzi?"
Bu Bixian glanced around and asked instead of answering, "Have you ever encountered someone who laughs like that?"
The young man smiled and said, "Yes!"
"What did the other person look like?"
"A fat and short man with a ruddy complexion, who seemed quite old!"
Bu Bixian asked urgently, "Didn't he notice you?"
"Yes! I met him face to face!"
"How could he let you go?"
"I have a trick up my sleeve!" "Stop joking, tell me what happened!"
"Alright! Yesterday afternoon, while I was gathering herbs in the Dahong Mountains, I suddenly saw three people dressed as tourists moving branches and stones nearby, seemingly searching for something. "Suddenly,
I heard 'Ha ha! Ha!' laughter coming from the north, followed by someone screaming. Without saying a word, the three tourists used their lightness skills to rush north."
"I heard loud laughter and screams, followed by many tourists rushing north. Curious, I followed to see what was happening.
"As I passed the mountaintop, I saw a short, fat, red-faced old man laughing loudly, while the tourists screamed, coughed up blood, and collapsed.
"Just as I was about to make my escape, the short, fat old man suddenly lunged at me, his mouth open as if to laugh. I quickly laughed back at him!
"He paused, then couldn't laugh anymore. So I turned and rushed down the mountain, but he actually rushed over the mountaintop and desperately attacked my back."
He fell silent at this point.
Bu Bixian asked in a deep voice, "How did you escape this calamity?"
The young man smiled and said, "Fairy! What is 'Sumeru contained in a mustard seed'?"
"This… I have already explained it six times. You shouldn't have known its meaning the other day. " "
What's the harm?" "No!"
the young man said, "Forget it!" and immediately got up from his chair.
Bu Bixian said in a deep voice, "Go after you've finished explaining!"
"How about an exchange?"
"This..."
"Xianzai, you've watched me grow up. Although I'm cynical, I'm not a bad person at heart. I've treated Xianzai well. Please enlighten me!"
"This..." "
Xianzai, you've already explained the first fifteen sentences. Only this one sentence is left, but you've kept us in suspense six times. Are you going to imitate Zhuge Liang capturing Meng Huo seven times and releasing him eight times?" "
You really shouldn't know these four words right now." "
Why? Explain yourself!"
"You're nineteen this year, full of youthful vigor, it's not auspicious!"
"Here we go again! Fairy! How about a word reading?"
"Alright! Go ahead!" "Fen!"
"Anger?"
The young man then wrote the character "Fen" on the table with his finger.
Bu Bixian pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Indeed, it's not auspicious!" "Let's analyze it!"
"Fen means everyone has a knife, everyone is pointing a knife at you, that's ominous! Fen means everyone has a knife, others are stabbing you with knives, that's even more ominous! Fen means eight knives, you're being stabbed eight times, that's extremely ominous!"
The young man shook his head and said, "Stop talking nonsense, don't ask any more questions!"
The young man glanced around and suddenly wrote on the table with his finger: "I obtained a picture from one of the twenty-seven tourists, named 'Dragon's Belly'." Bu
Bixian's eyes suddenly brightened, and his whole body trembled.
The tendons in his right hand throbbed.
He immediately inhaled and whispered, "Go home and wait for me!"
The young man smiled and said, "So, you're willing to offer guidance, my little fairy?"
"Yes! Go back!"
The young man left the tea bag behind.
Bu Bixian then took a white cloth from the edge of the table and carefully wrapped his divination tube and writing implements. Soon after, he left ,
slightly stooped.
Yueyang
, strategically located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, has been a vital military stronghold since ancient times. Its well-developed water and land transportation makes it suitable for agriculture, commerce, industry, and tourism.
At the east gate of Yueyang lies the tomb of Lu Su, a famous figure from the Three Kingdoms period. Although his descendants have scattered, the tomb has been maintained by successive governments ,
making it a popular tourist destination .
South of Lu Su's tomb is a small herbal medicine shop with a sign that reads "Specializing in treating colds," which piques curiosity. This
is because most pharmacies exaggerate their claims to attract customers.
The shop is currently empty, but shelves on both sides are filled with... Bundles of herbs were scattered about, and on the only table in the shop, besides teaware, were loose strings of copper coins.
For the words "One coin per bundle" were written in large characters on the wall!
The henchmen in the two-room shop charged a thousand taels of gold for a single encounter with a man, while this shop charged only one coin per bundle of herbs—good heavens! What a stark contrast!
Soon, the young man entered the shop.
He added firewood and placed the pot on the stove.
Then, he washed the teaware and added fragrant tea.
The water in the pot was initially warm, but soon it boiled. He used the hot pot to brew the tea.
The aroma of the tea wafted through the air, and Bu Bixian had already entered the shop.
"You have good stamina, young man! Please take a seat!"
he said, already having poured two cups of tea.
Bu Bixian sat down, set down his eating utensils, and began to enjoy his tea.
A short while later, the young man lifted the corner of his robe and pulled down a thin thread.
He immediately pulled out a small, yellow object, about the size of a fingernail, from the lining of his robe.
He carefully unfolded it, revealing it to be a small piece of cloth.
He then handed it to Bu Bixian.
Bu Bixian took the cloth and squinted at it.
The cloth depicted mountains and water, with only the two characters "Dragon's Belly" visible.
Bu Bixian pondered as he looked at it, while the young man, seeing his earnestness, immediately sipped his tea and pondered silently.
After a long while, Bu Bixian sighed and said, "The wisdom of our ancestors is truly extraordinary."
He put down the cloth and whispered, "Since ancient times, Taoists have described the Yangtze River basin as resembling a dragon, with its head in Shanghai and its tail in Panzhihua."
"The Dragon's Belly is Yueyang?"
"You are truly clever!"
the young man said. "Since this picture hints at Yueyang, why are the twenty-seven people searching in Dahong Mountain?"
Bu Bixian said, "Look at the location of the two characters 'Dragon's Belly.'"
The young man took the cloth and lay down, immediately seeing the two characters written by the water's edge.
The young man was startled! He frowned and pondered, while Bu Bixian pondered confidently.
Soon, the young man asked, "Yueyang Tower?"
"Hehe! Genius, indeed!" The
young man's eyes lit up. "Shall we find the object by connecting Dahong Mountain and Yueyang Tower?"
"The direction is correct, but we should narrow down the search area."
The young man smiled wryly, "Fairy, please don't make me rack my brains anymore!"
"The homonym for Yueyang Tower is..."
Bu Bixian smiled but remained silent!
"Wow! Yueyang Gong!" "Shh! The walls have ears!"
"Yes! Yes! Fairy, your reputation is well-deserved!"
Bu Bixian smiled and said, "How did you escape this calamity?"
The young man said, "The short, fat old man just came down the mountain, and I heard a wailing sound..."
"Wh...what? He came too?"
"Who is he?"
"I'll tell you another day. Did the short, fat old man leave because of this?"
"Yes!" "Let's go! Let's go to Dahong Mountain!"
"Fairy! A mirage!"
"We'll talk about it then!" "Fairy, don't be a slacker!"
"Alright! I'll leave my things here for now!"
The young man placed the cloth roll in the inner room, and soon they left together.
Dahong Mountain is located north of Dongting Lake, and Yueyang is located northeast of Dongting Lake; the two are not far apart, and another section of the mountain is open for tourists to climb.
Around noon, the two arrived at the top of Dahong Mountain. They immediately saw a large rock shaped like a round gong, with the words "Yueyang Gong" carved on it.
Bu Bixian glanced around and began to look at and touch the rock.
Seeing this, the young man also looked at and touched the rock from the other side.
Half an hour later, both had circled the rock.
They still hadn't found anything, so the young man took out his cloth and looked again.
Bu Bixian had an idea and whispered, "Place the cloth on the rock!"
The young man placed the cloth on the rock, and Bu Bixian moved it around.
Another half hour passed, and he squatted beside the rock, saying, "I've got it!" The young man happily went forward to look.
Bu Bixian whispered, "This cloth is at least a hundred years old. Although the carvings on the stone surface have been weathered, they are still discernible. They resemble the landscape on the cloth, don't they?"
The young man looked at it for a while and then nodded, "It really does! Is the position of the two characters 'Dragon's Belly' on the cloth in this recess?" As he spoke, he pointed to the recess on the cloth.
"That's right! The cabinet button is here!" He said, pressing his fingertips into the recess.
He pressed and tapped with his fingertips for a while, and suddenly, with a "click!" a stone fell from the lower right side of the recess. The two immediately smelled a refreshing fragrance.
The young man was delighted and hurriedly lay down to look into the recess.
Bu Bixian also lay down to look, then immediately stood up and looked around.
Seeing that there was no one else around, he immediately lay down and reached into the recess.
Soon, he pulled out a bowl, which was half full of water. In the water was a mushroom-shaped object about half a foot tall, but the mushroom body was unusually thick and round.
It was so thick and round that a mushroom column the size of a ring finger was bent under its weight.
Bu Bixian said, "Hold it!" and handed the bowl to the young man. The young man
then reached into the hollow and pressed his arm against the bowl. He immediately felt that the surface of the bowl was soft and fine, so he grabbed a handful of soil.
He was astonished to find the soil was snow-white. He quickly picked a wild yu leaf and placed the soil on the leaf. Then, he knelt down and reached under the stone to grab another handful of soil.
This soil was still snow-white, so he placed it on the leaf.
Next, he grabbed another handful of soil.
This time, the soil was mixed in color, with a small area showing white. He left the white soil on the leaf and discarded the rest.
He picked up the stone that had fallen earlier and pressed it into the hollow.
He then used his fingertips to press and hold it in place.
Soon, there was a "click!" sound, and the fallen stone was now firmly in place.
Bu Bixian glanced around and whispered, "Is there a secluded place nearby?"
"There's a cave, rarely visited!"
"Let's go! Be careful not to spill the water in the bowl."
"Alright!" The two then each carried their bowl and yu leaves and set off.
Half an hour later, they passed a large group of wild yu and entered a cave. Finding the cave winding and turning, they walked directly to the end of the cave.
Bu Bixian put down the yu leaf and said, "Carefully place the bowl!" The young man smiled and said
, "I feel like I'm holding a deity in my hands!"
"It's more precious than a deity!" The young man placed the bowl down and smiled, "I didn't expect there to be something like this in the stone. What is so precious about it? Otherwise, why would someone leave a picture of it?" Bu Bixian smiled and picked up the bowl, saying, "Can you read?" "Convenient mushroom, Buddha 157, what does that mean?" "This mushroom is called Convenient Mushroom. The person who left this bowl was a Buddhist disciple. In Buddhism, the year of Shakyamuni Buddha's birth is used as the starting point, and 157 represents the era." "I see. When was Shakyamuni Buddha born?" " During the Zhou Dynasty, according to historical records, an official observed the stars at night and discovered a strange and colorful night sky over India, deducing that a great person would emerge from that place. Later, it was confirmed that Shakyamuni Buddha was born at that time. "At that time, in the Central Plains, Li Dan and Confucius were born one after another. These three founders of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism descended to earth one after another. This is a great blessing for later generations, but unfortunately, few people truly cherish it." "The young man asked, 'What sect are you, Immortal?' 'I haven't converted to any sect. However, I enjoy studying the cyclical nature of Yin and Yang, the waxing and waning of the universe. Never mind, enjoy this blessing for now, and we'll discuss it in detail later!' 'Alright!' Bu Bixian said seriously, 'The mushroom and the water in the bowl are yours, the soil is mine!' The young man hesitated, 'That's not right, respect for elders and the virtuous!' Bu Bixian smiled, 'I understand, I'm satisfied!' 'No!' 'You inhale, the meaning of "Sumeru containing a mustard seed" means expanding like Mount Sumeru, vast and magnificent, yet shrinking like a mustard seed. The key is to strengthen the Niwan point, guard the Qi Sea, and invigorate the Yang meridians.' 'Wow! I see! Thanks, Immortal!' 'Don't use this as a pretext for evil!' 'Relax! Can I discipline villains now?' 'The more the better!' 'Haha! Ha! Very good!'"

Bu Bixian frowned and said, "Don't laugh like that, lest you invite disaster!"
"What's the reason?"
"We'll talk about it another day. Listen, the mushroom is yang in nature. Peel a piece and eat it all. The water in the bowl is yin in nature. Drink it all, then immediately begin your practice."
"Yes!"
"You will feel unwell all over during this practice. Don't panic!"
"Good!" "The longer you meditate, the better!"
"Good!" "Let's begin!"
The young man peeled off a piece of mushroom, only to find it plump and juicy. He put it in his mouth and chewed, but after just one chew, it turned into a paste!
"It has no taste!"
"Eat quickly!" The young man ate the pieces one by one.
Soon, he broke the mushroom stem in two and put it in his mouth.
He immediately found it bitter and quickly swallowed it.
Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach, as if a firecracker had been lit. His expression changed, and sweat immediately poured down his forehead. Bu Bixian hurriedly said, "Quickly drink the water in the bowl."
The young man picked up the bowl and drank all the water in it.
Wow! It really works! His stomach immediately calmed down.
The water in the bowl seemed to extinguish firecrackers!
The young man breathed a sigh of relief.
Bu Bixian said, "Quickly practice!"
The young man had just taken a breath when his stomach churned.
It felt as if multiple armies were fighting inside him!
He hurriedly began practicing.
Suddenly, he broke out in a sweat and trembled.
Bu Bixian swallowed handfuls of white clay and looked at the young man.
This young man's surname was Chang, and his given name was Xiao. He was the owner of a small pharmacy. Although he was only nineteen years old, he was a household name in Yueyang City.
This was because he had adopted the style of "one penny for herbal medicine." His herbs not only specialized in treating colds, but were also effective after just one dose. For serious cases, at most three bundles of herbs were needed for a cure.
This extremely low price was not enough to cover the cost of "traffic workers,"
but he was happy with it.
Some people reminded him to keep the copper coins on the table safe to prevent theft.
He smiled dismissively, for he would never have considered such a small sum of money.
Six years ago, while gathering herbs in the Dabie Mountains, he stumbled upon a
winding cave. Curious, he continued deeper into the cave.
At the bottom, he found eight skeletons
and a wooden box.
Lifting the lid, he was astonished to find it overflowing with dazzling jewels.
Moreover, he discovered two thousand more box corners in a depression beside the box.
He quickly dug them out. Then,
he found forty more box corners, which he also unearthed.
Finally, he unearthed twelve wooden boxes, all filled with dazzling treasures. He was overjoyed and remained so for a long time.
He knew that these eight men must have died fighting for these treasures.
So, he first took a batch of treasures and herbs home.
At dusk, he brought braised meat and game, paper money, and incense to properly worship his eight "good brothers," then carefully buried the skeletons one by one.
Then, he wrapped the treasures in a large cloth and departed that very night.
He dared not sell his treasures in Yueyang; instead, he went directly to the major cities of Wuchang and Hankou in Hubei province, selling his treasures in smaller quantities each day at various silver shops.
On the third day, he realized the prices of the previous two days were too low!
So, he doubled the price in one go.
To his surprise, the buyer bought three treasures without hesitation.
He then went to another silver shop and doubled the price again.
The buyer still bought it immediately. So, he continued to raise prices.
A month later, he returned to his pharmacy with over three million taels of silver. However,
he found the pharmacy empty of herbs.
Excitedly, he went up the mountain to collect herbs.
Three days later, two shelves in the shop were filled with bundles of herbs.
He then took two more bags of treasures to Wuchang and Hankou to sell.
Practice makes perfect, and in less than twenty days, he returned with over five million taels of silver.
Seeing that there were still a large quantity of herbs on the shelves, he immediately took two more bags of treasures that very night.
This time, he took a boat to Chengdu to sell his treasures.
Within twenty days, he returned with over six million taels of silver; he was becoming increasingly shrewd!
At the beginning of the year, he finally sold all his treasures.
He also deposited over ninety million taels of silver notes in official banks in famous cities along the Yangtze River Three Gorges under Chang Kao's name, and another three hundred thousand taels in silver notes were secretly placed in pharmacies.
So why would he care about such a small sum?
He continued his practice until dawn, only then ceasing his sweating and trembling. Seeing this, Bu Bixian finally felt at ease enough to finish the remaining white mushroom.
He took a deep breath and began his practice.
Time seemed to stand still in the cave; three days passed in a flash. After Bu Bixian finished his practice, he smiled slightly, for his energy and spirit had returned to their youthful levels!
When he saw Chang Xiao, his smile deepened.
Chang Xiao's face was divided into red and white by the bridge of his nose; his right cheek was blood red, while his left was snow-white, indicating that he had absorbed more than fifty percent of the convenient mushroom.
Once the two colors were evenly mixed, Changxiao would have absorbed eighty percent of it!
Bu Bixian was cultivating such talent for the world; how could he not be happy? So, he took the bowl and quietly left.
He sealed the cave entrance and immediately saw a light rain falling outside. He smiled slightly and sat down at the cave entrance to examine the bowl.
Sure enough, he saw a batch of fine seal characters engraved inside.
He examined and pondered them one by one.
At dusk, Bu Bixian smiled and thought, "This monk must be a master!" So, he took the bowl and entered the cave.
Soon, he saw that Changxiao's colors were still not evenly mixed, but the red was fading and the white had turned gray; the two colors were moving towards evenness!
So, he calmly descended the mountain!
After descending the mountain under the cover of night, he entered a medicine shop.
Seeing that there were still herbs in the shop, he went inside and took out his items.
Soon, he left with a smile. As soon as he returned home, he bathed and changed his clothes.
Then, he lit a candle and took the bowl to copy down the characters inside.
Then, he burned the treasure cloth.
Soon after, he fell into a peaceful sleep! The next morning, he went to the drum platform and moved the tables and chairs! Because he was going to train Chang Xiao! That evening, Bu Bixian carried a bag of braised food and two jugs of liquor into the cave. He put down his belongings and smiled as he went deeper into the cave. Soon
, he saw that Chang Xiao's complexion had become even; his fair skin with a rosy glow, paired with his long, flowing hair, gave him a handsome yet ethereal air. He leaned against the wall and watched him. Soon, judging from Chang Xiao's long, deep breathing, he realized that Chang Xiao had nearly sixty years of cultivation. So, smiling, he got up and walked out of the cave. Soon, he retrieved the braised food and liquor and began to eat and drink by himself. Not long after, Chang Xiao opened his eyes and said, "I'm starving!" "Heh! A wine-loving worm? Or a starving worm!"

"Haha! You understand me best, Xianzai!" He then stepped forward, took the pot, and removed the clay seal.
The two then ate braised food and drank wine.
Soon, Chang Xiao smiled and said, "Fairy, thank you!"
"Your power has increased greatly, hasn't it?"
"Yes! Golden light is rolling around, I'm full of energy!"
"This is the reward for selling herbs cheaply every day!" "Fairy
, you also believe in the Buddhist theory of cause and effect?" Bu Bixian smiled and said, "That's right! Doing more good deeds makes me feel more at ease!"
"Fairy! You look great!"
"Hehe! My gray hair has turned black!"
"Wow! Really! That soil is so effective?"
"Yes! It absorbs the energy of the mountains and rivers and the light from the mushrooms!"
"I see, I feel more at ease now!"
"Hehe! I'm already quite old, how can I waste such a precious thing as mushrooms? You must be thinking of something like a turtle eating barley, right?"
"Haha! You said that, I didn't!"
"Hehe! Very good! Go and gather some herbs to take back to your shop later!"
"How long have I been practicing?"
"Eight nights and seven days!
" "Wow! That long? There must be no herbs left on the shop?"
"Hmm! I've already packed up!" Chang Xiao asked in surprise, "Why?"
"You've already eaten the convenient mushrooms!"
"Xianzi has been waiting for them all this time?"
"That's right! After I resigned from my official post years ago, I happened to meet an old Taoist priest. He taught me martial arts and deduced that there were convenient mushrooms in this place, so I returned to the city to secretly search for them."
"You've been searching for over twenty years?"
"That's right! You've obtained this treasure with ease, so don't waste this gift from heaven." "
Don't worry! The herb-gathering boy won't turn bad!"
"Hehe! Interesting!" The two continued eating.
After a long while, they finally left the cave.
The bright moon hung high, and the two gathered herbs on the mountain.
In less than half an hour, they each carried two large bundles of herbs down the mountain.
The city guards greeted them with smiles and made way for them.
After Changxiao gave them a brief greeting, the two immediately entered the city. Soon, they returned to the pharmacy.
Sure enough, the shelves were empty, but there was a large pile of copper coins on the table.
The two immediately began organizing the herbs in the shop overnight.
Before dawn, Bu Bixian had already left with a smile.
Changxiao then went to the well to bathe and change his clothes.
Not long after dawn, he left with a smile. Soon, he entered the canteen to eat.
He immediately saw the shopkeeper and said, "Ah Xiao, what have you been busy with these past few days? I haven't seen you!"
"The old habit! Playing." "You're so carefree, you can play whenever you want!"
"That's the advantage of being a bachelor, unlike you who's tied down by this family!"
The shopkeeper said with a wry smile, "There's nothing I can do, my family of six depends on me!" "Why didn't your wife come out to help today?"
"She went back to her parents' home, and my father-in-law is sick again!"
"Sick? How could that be? He's always been in good health!"
The shopkeeper said with a wry smile, "He was made sick by my precious brother-in-law!"
"Gambling again?" "Huh? How do you know about this?" "
At the beginning of last month, I saw him gambling with more than twenty people in a cave in Dahong Mountain." “
Damn it!” Chang Xiao asked, “What happened to him?”
“He committed suicide by drowning himself in the lake the night before last!” “Wow! Why would he do something like that?”
“The creditors were pressing him too hard!” “What a pity!”
“I’m in trouble! I have to raise eight thousand taels for him!”
“Huh? How could that be? When a person dies, the debts are gone. What debts are there?”
“He borrowed thirty thousand taels from a miser, and with interest, it’s already over fifty thousand taels!”
“Wow! You fool, how could he borrow from a high-interest lender?”
“Yes! My father-in-law asked his three sons-in-law for help, how could I refuse?”
Chang Xiao said, “Is it only eight thousand taels?”
“That’s enough to give me a headache!” Chang Xiao then took out a box from his pocket.
Soon, he stepped forward and handed a silver note to the shopkeeper, saying, “Use this to tide you over, don’t tell anyone.” "Saying this, he returned to his seat with a smile to eat.
The shopkeeper was taken aback when he saw the 30,000 taels of silver notes!
After a while, he whispered, "Ah Xiao, is this too much?"
"It's alright, just so your brother-in-law's funeral won't be too meager."
"But, I don't know when I'll be able to repay this money?"
"Brother Sanba, I'm not short of money, take your time!"
"Ah Xiao, thank you!" As he spoke, he went forward and cut a plate of white-cut chicken.
Chang Xiao laughed, "Be careful not to lose money!" "I won't!"
Chang Xiao smiled and took the money.
After a while, he left a piece of silver and left with a smile.
The shopkeeper thanked him repeatedly. As soon as
Chang Xiao returned to the shop, he saw Bu Bixian sitting at the table drinking tea and said, "Eight people have already come to get herbs." As he spoke, he pointed to the copper coins on the table.
Chang Xiao said, "Recently, the weather has been unpredictable, with sudden rain and heat, which is why poor people are weak and prone to illness."
"That's right! There are indeed many people in Yueyang City who worry about their three meals a day." “
Yes! Yueyang may seem glamorous on the surface, but many people live in darkness.”
“That’s right! You seem to want to help them?”
“Why do you say that, Fairy?”
“Your eyes have already revealed this!”
Chang Xiao said in a low voice, “Fairy, I received a windfall two years ago. I plan to help others, but it is inconvenient for me to show my face. Why don’t you give me some pointers, Fairy?” "
Bu Bixian smiled and said, 'How about I handle this?'
'Alright! That's great!' He handed over the box in his bosom.
Inside were nine 30,000-tael silver notes, along with some gold and silver. Bu Bixian smiled and said, 'Let's buy a boat, hire people to fish, and sell the fish first!'
'Okay! Wait a moment!' Chang Xiao quickly left.
Soon after, he dug out a batch of deposit slips from under the woodshed.
'Xianzai! You arrange it!'
Bu Bixian's expression changed when he saw the first deposit slip containing 5 million taels of silver. But as he looked further, he saw that each deposit slip was worth 5 million taels of silver.
He couldn't help but tremble.
Looking at the shop names and depositor names, he was even more shocked!
Soon, he gasped and said, 'Truly impressive!'
'You have full authority!' 'Alright!' He put away the silver notes.
Chang Xiao handed over the seal and said, 'You handle it, sir!'
Bu Bixian said, 'You can collect it yourself!'"
“Alright! Fairy, could you run a bank? I want to take down that miser.”
Bu Bixian said with a smile, “Sure! That guy makes too much dirty money!”
“Yes! Strange! He actually has a beautiful daughter.”
Bu Bixian said in a low voice, “Tie Dan was an abandoned baby, and she was raised by Tie Ji.”
"Is this true?"
"Yes! Zhe, there's a set of moves engraved inside the bowl containing the mushrooms. I'll teach you!"
Chang Xiao exclaimed happily, "Really?"
"Yes! Listen carefully." Bu Bixian then took out the slip of paper and explained it word by word.
Chang Xiao's martial arts skills all came from Bu Bixian's teachings, so after several hours of detailed explanation, Chang Xiao nodded repeatedly in understanding.
Then, Bu Bixian said, "This set of moves focuses on internal energy, with footwork as a secondary element. Although it's primarily defensive, it can absorb external force at any time."
Chang Xiao asked, "Won't it cause injury?"
"With your current skill level, even if you get injured, it will be beneficial. Although the opponent's palm strike will injure you temporarily, you will absorb it. Don't panic!"
"Wow! There's such an internal energy!"
"Suffering a loss is a gain!" He couldn't help but chuckle.
Soon after, he left happily, and Chang Xiao dug out all his savings and set off again.
Chapter Two: Pavilions and Mist in Yueyang
In the afternoon, Chang Xiao returned to Yueyang City with a smile.
Soon, as he approached the pharmacy, he noticed a new sign hanging at the secondhand clothing shop next door, bearing the large characters "Emergency Notice." Below
these were four smaller red characters: "Only Allowing Deposits, Not Accepting Returns."
He was startled!
Peeking inside, he saw the door was immediately locked, and a red paper with the large gold characters "Opening on an Auspicious Day" pasted on it. He recognized the handwriting as belonging to Bu Bixian.
He returned to the pharmacy with a smile. He
found only thirty-odd bundles of herbs on the shelf and a considerable amount of copper coins on the table. He immediately buried two packets of silver notes under the woodshed.
Then he went up the mountain to gather herbs.
His purpose in this trip was to quickly and secretly withdraw the silver deposits held in various cities along the Three Gorges, so he used his light-footed skills to travel day and night and acted with extreme caution.
He was pleasantly surprised to find that he had gained nearly five million in interest income.
Therefore, he resolved to establish a silver exchange.
In less than an hour, he had brought back two large bundles of herbs.
He immediately began arranging them in front of his shop. Before sunset, Bu Bixian approached with a smile and helped him put the herbs on the shelves.
Not long after, Chang Xiao had already gone into his room to wash away the sweat and grime.
When he returned to the shop, he found that Bu Bixian had prepared four dishes, a pot of rice, and a pot of wine. So, as soon as he sat down, the two of them began to enjoy their meal.
Less than half an hour later, the two finished their meal, and Bu Bixian said with a smile, "Currently, 1,800 people are fishing on 30 boats, business is quite good."
"Great! Is the silver shop ready?"
"Yes! I have hired six people, and they can start work at any time."
"Great! When will you open?"
"Tomorrow is an auspicious day, so let's open early!"
"Good!" Bu Bixian said with a smile, "I will speak as an agent to all parties. The buyers are wealthy families in the capital, and I have already reserved more than 300 shops."
"Wow! More than 300,000 taels can do so much business?"
"Hehe! My old face is quite useful."
"Impressive, the sellers are..."
"They are all small shops, they have been wanting to get rid of them for a long time!" "
Everyone is happy!"
"That's right! I will definitely revive these shops!"
"Don't rush, my ambition is not to make money."
"I understand, I have my own plans." Then, Chang Xiao invited him into the woodshed.
Soon, he saw the two large bags of large-denomination silver notes and his expression changed.
"You can handle everything, sir!"
"Haha! I've always regarded money as dirt, yet now I'm busy with it, how laughable."
"You're helping the poor, sir, that's accumulating good karma!"
"Alright! How's your technique coming along?" "
I'm getting into the swing of things!" "Very good! Focus on practicing!"
Soon, he had taken away thirty million taels of silver notes.
Early the next morning, he led three middle-aged men and three young men into the bank. Chang Xiao, upon seeing the six men, smiled with relief and went forward to congratulate them.
Because this owner was always honest and diligent! So, he returned to his room to practice his techniques with peace of mind.
Bu Bixian instructed the six men for a short while, then lit firecrackers outside the door.
He tore down the red paper on the door, and the emergency bank officially opened.
First, he led five men to the Yueyang bank to exchange for thirty thousand one-thousand-tael silver notes. Upon their return to the bank, he left behind one middle-aged man and two young men.
In addition, he left ten million taels of silver notes. Then, he distributed the silver notes to the other four men.
Soon, the five men had gone to the various shops they had secured to conduct their transactions.
Within a day, news of Bu Bixian's acquisition of properties and establishment of silver shops for wealthy families in Yueyang spread throughout the city. However, many secretly gloated.
This was because the shops he had purchased were small and located in remote areas,
and because people looked down on emergency silver shops.
From the following day, almost the entire poor families in and around the city mobilized to help demolish the buildings in the shops. Bu Bixian had already ordered the merger of neighboring small shops.
Furthermore, he bought houses near the shops to expand his operations.
In addition, he sent people to directly negotiate with large wholesalers from other regions.
These people purchased goods in bulk with cash.
As a result, the prices of all goods decreased by 10%, especially building materials for constructing houses, which saw a 20% price reduction.
Bu Bixian's connections were truly extensive; these goods were bought up by the poor and city dwellers within three days of entering the city, and the prices of all items dropped by 10%!
Since the shops were still under construction, these goods were traded on the streets.
Amidst the disdain of other merchants, they quickly sold out the goods.
Upon settling the accounts, Bu Bixian was astonished to find a profit of over 10%.
He then ordered more goods in large quantities and lowered the prices.
Two months later, the shops opened one after another! After these two months of promotion, the shops had established a solid foundation!
In particular, the fifty-seven restaurants, despite their poor locations, attracted over 80% of their customers daily due to their high-quality, low-priced, friendly, and hygienic service!
Bu Bixian then added one hundred boats for fishing and fish sales.
Furthermore, he bought six horse-drawn carriages to establish a carriage company for transporting passengers and goods.
He had already provided employment for over 13,000 poor people!
He not only doubled their monthly wages but also lent money to a thousand people in need.
On this day, at his command, the poor tore down their old houses and, together with the workers, built brand new homes. Everyone was overjoyed!
On this day, nearly thirty months after its opening, the Emergency Bank finally received a group of three people who came to borrow money, desperately needing to pay off gambling debts!
Previously, they had land and shops to mortgage, but the official banks refused to help them because of their gambling addiction. They had no choice but to borrow from the notorious moneylender, Iron Rooster.
Iron Rooster was a notorious moneylender in Yueyang City. His rule was that loans required collateral, and he not only undervalued the collateral but also only lent 30%.
The interest rate was 30 taels of interest per month on a loan of 1,000 taels.
Driven by the compounding interest, the three men came to test the waters!
To their surprise, in less than half an hour, each had borrowed 50,000 taels.
The Emergency Bank not only lent them money at 60% of the collateral, but also charged only ten taels of interest per thousand taels per month! The three were overjoyed and hurriedly left.
Soon after, they redeemed a batch of collateral from the Ironclad Bank.
They then rushed back to the Emergency Bank to borrow money.
This time, Bu Bixian and Achaoli each lent them 200,000 taels.
They eagerly went to the Ironclad Bank to settle the principal and interest!
Relieved, they returned the collateral to the Emergency Bank.
They happily told their relatives and friends about it.
The next morning, twenty people came to borrow money.
After inquiring about each one, Bu Bixian had them draw up IOUs and provide large sums of money.
That day, the Emergency Bank had already lent out over eight million taels.
One hundred and two hundred people benefited.
For three consecutive days, the Emergency Bank was bustling with people.
Seeing this, Chang Xiao also stepped forward to assist.
In these three days, over thirty million taels of silver have been lent out!
The Emergency Bank's financial strength is truly astounding!
Those who borrowed from the miserly man all disappeared within ten days!
The Emergency Bank has benefited over two thousand people!
However, the Emergency Bank now only has a little over three million taels of silver left!
Therefore, Bu Bixian stopped expanding his shops and acquiring property.
He then inspected all the shops, fields, carts, and boats.
He collected a considerable amount of silver notes every day!
After another five days, the bank only had six thousand taels left!
That night, he and Chang Xiao secretly discussed the matter, and the two made their preparations.
Late at night, they set off, dressed in tight-fitting clothes and wearing masks!
In less than half an hour, they had infiltrated Zeng Jiaren's residence.
They immediately saw two gatekeepers dozing off by the doorposts.
They easily subdued them.
They scaled the wall and approached Zeng Jiaren's window.
Chang Xiao lightly pressed the window bolt, then used his internal energy to break it.
Soon, the two men sneaked into the room.
They found it filled with the smell of wine, the table littered with cups and plates, and Zeng Jiaren fast asleep, embracing a young boy. There was even trace of a virgin's blood on the sheets.
Bu Bixian knew what had happened and was filled with rage.
He struck Zeng Jiaren dead with a single blow.
He then knocked out his henchmen and, together with Chang Xiao, searched the room.
Soon, they found bundles of silver notes hidden in the secret compartments of three wardrobes, which they unceremoniously wrapped in Zeng Jiaren's scholar's robe. They
left calmly shortly after.
Upon returning to the pharmacy, they buried four large bundles of silver notes.
They rested peacefully.
Before dawn, someone discovered Zeng Jiaren was dead.
Zeng Biao, upon receiving the news, rushed into the room and opened the wardrobe.
He immediately saw that all the silver notes inside were gone.
He trembled with rage! These silver notes represented their savings from years of gambling fraud!
They had worked for nothing!
Soon, he woke his henchmen and questioned them.
The henchman knew nothing, only crying and begging for mercy in a panic.
Zeng Biao immediately drove her away.
Soon after, he checked the window bolts and summoned everyone.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, over a thousand people had assembled. After announcing the unfortunate news, Zeng Biao publicly executed the two gatekeepers.
He angrily ordered a search for the culprit.
Everyone busied themselves in a panic.
The entire city of Yueyang was in turmoil.
After nightfall, everyone returned with their heads down, submitting blank reports.
Zeng Biao cursed them in anger. After a long while, he finally ordered a re-examination the next day.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and left.
Sixteen men were immediately dispatched to patrol inside and outside the mansion.
Before dawn, the earth was shrouded in darkness. After a day and night of tension, the patrolmen inside and outside the Zeng mansion walked listlessly.
Zeng Biao, who had been on edge for most of the night, was sleeping soundly at this time!
Chang Xiao disguised himself and approached the Zeng mansion at this moment.
He waited for a while and then slipped in.
Soon, he arrived outside Zeng Biao's room, using his hidden strength to break the window bolt.
However, as soon as he gently pushed the window open,
he heard a strange noise. He immediately saw a rope hanging from the window, with a bell attached to it, and he couldn't help but smile.
So, he slowly moved the window inch by inch.
After a long while, he finally sneaked into the room.
He immediately saw three ropes strung inside, each with a bell attached, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
So, he carefully slipped forward.
Soon, as soon as he reached the bedside, he saw a sword on the edge of the bed and another inside, but Zeng Biao was fast asleep. So, he pressed his hands on his mouth and then his chest.
Zeng Biao shuddered slightly and went to the underworld.
Chang Xiao then carefully withdrew from the room.
Then, he used the flowers and trees as cover to leave.
Before dawn, he had returned to the pharmacy.
He changed into cloth clothes and then took the knife and rope and left.
Soon, he swaggered out of the city!
The four soldiers couldn't help but chatter about Chang Xiaolian's charitable act of selling herbal medicine.
Before dawn, the Zeng residence was filled with the ringing of bells and cries of alarm.
The news of Zeng Biao's death immediately shocked his men.
Many feared they would be the next target.
Soon, everyone fled! However, many remained, unwilling to leave the gambling den on the boat.
Late at night, Magistrate Qiu and his wife were sound asleep in the county office. Chang Kao, disguised, approached their bedside, first knocking them unconscious before carefully searching the room and study.
Half an hour later, he found a considerable amount of silver notes in the bookcase.
He unceremoniously wrapped them up.
Then, he left a note in Magistrate Qiu's room.
He left with a smile!
A gentle night breeze carried the note fluttering on the wall, reading:
"If you continue to be greedy, I will take your life; if you continue to tolerate gambling on the boat, I will take your life!"
Not long after dawn, the officials were astonished that their magistrate hadn't appeared.
Soon after, the clerk knocked on the door. However, there was no response, so the clerk sent men to break down the door.
They found Magistrate Qiu and his wife still fast asleep. The clerk, upon seeing the note, was horrified.
He then summoned Constable Zhou to release the pressure points.
Magistrate Qiu awoke, startled to see everyone around him.
The clerk whispered something to him, and Magistrate Qiu glanced at the note, his expression changing drastically.
Soon after, he rushed into the study.
Sure enough, his hard-earned savings had vanished.
He was both angry and afraid! Seeing this, the clerk stepped forward and whispered, "Sir, this matter must be related to the deaths of Zeng Jiaren and Zeng Biao. Perhaps we should order them to restrain themselves."
"Immediately ban gambling on the boats."
"Yes, sir!" Soon after, Constable Zhou led his constables to Zeng's residence to investigate the case and secretly inform them of the matter.
Six hundred soldiers also boarded boats an hour later to patrol the various boats on Dongting Lake.
Zeng Jiaren's men scattered like birds and beasts!
The gambling dens that had plagued Yueyang for years temporarily vanished!
The boats were then sold cheaply by Zeng Jiaren's men to Bu Bixian, who then hired six thousand young men to officially operate the lake tour business.
He innovatively tried out boat fishing and fresh fish tasting activities.
Within ten days, he received an enthusiastic response.
So, he hired more workers to help grill and cook fish on the boats.
Within a month, Bu Bixian hired five thousand people to operate five hundred medium-sized boats for tourists to tour the lake, fish, and grill and steam fish, because the tourists loved it.
These pleasure boats and fishing boats earned large sums of gold and silver for the emergency bank every day.
Bu Bixian mixed these banknotes with those from the various shops, along with banknotes obtained from Zeng Jiaren and Magistrate Qiu, and then lent them out in batches to those in need.
After two successful sneak attacks, Chang Xiao became even more confident.
He became even more enthusiastic about practicing martial arts!
Strangely, after the poor people improved their living conditions and increased their income, they all seemed to be much healthier, and the herbal medicine business of Yiwen Pharmacy was worse than ever before!
Chang Xiao was happy to concentrate even more on practicing his moves.
He found that the footwork he had learned from the customers who borrowed money was becoming more and more wonderful! His internal energy was also circulating like a bead, and he practiced even more diligently!
That morning, Bu Bixian learned from the conversation of the customers who borrowed money that the girls in the two rooms were very charming and that people were actually queuing up every day to have fun.
So, he secretly kept it in mind.
That night, he disguised himself and sneaked into the two rooms alone.
But he found that it was dark inside and out, as if it had been closed.
Unaware that the two rooms only operated during the day, he had no proof! Soon, he heard breathing sounds in the front yard.
He cautiously approached.
Shortly after, he peeked through a crack in the window and saw a young girl practicing on a couch.
He observed for a while, then carefully moved closer.
After more than an hour, he not only discovered twenty young girls practicing in their rooms, but also a middle-aged man practicing; the middle-aged man's skill was so great that he immediately left.
He was filled with curiosity about the two rooms!
Three days later, he heard people talking about how alluring the girls in the two rooms were, so he smiled and invited the two men inside to inquire further about their experiences.
He even asked them to describe the pleasure they felt during climax.
The two men unanimously described feeling a tingling sensation and a blissful state.
Bu Bixian thought, "These women are absorbing yang energy to replenish yin, how terrifying!"
So, that night, he sneaked into the two rooms again.
This time, he noticed a faint light in the middle-aged man's room. So, he cautiously approached.
Soon, he discovered a young girl lying naked on top of the middle-aged man, their bodies joined together, their lips pressed tightly together—a truly passionate scene.
He noticed the henchman's body trembling
slightly, while the middle-aged man's abdomen heaved in and out.
Bu Bixian thought to himself, "Is this man absorbing yin energy? So that's it. He uses women to absorb yang energy, then absorbs yin energy to strengthen his power. Terrifying! Who is this man?"
He then quietly left.
The next day, he began brewing medicine in the kitchen! He meticulously prepared batches of medicinal decoction according to ancient recipes, then mixed them and put them into the furnace.
He devoted himself to refining the medicine for over a month, finally producing more than a hundred pills.
That very night, he pushed the pills up the mountain. He held his breath as
he ground the pills into powder, batch by batch.
That night, he had refined all the pills into a fine powder.
He knew from his dazed state that the powder was very effective, because he had eaten the white clay at the bottom of the mushroom jar, so he should have been immune to poison!
The next night, he went to the mass grave and saw more than three hundred people gambling among the graves.
So, he sprinkled the powder from an upwind spot.
Soon, everyone collapsed, and he couldn't help but laugh!
Then, he took a cloth bag and transferred all the silver notes.
He washed his hands and feet and rested with a smile.
Early the next morning, he handed this windfall to six servants.
He then returned to his room to "refine steel" and make a "crane-beak pot."
The crane-beak pot was an essential tool for underworld figures to "cast sleeping potions." The sleeping potion was placed in the belly of a crane, and the user blew into the blowpipe at the tail of the belly, and the sleeping smoke would fly out from the beak.
Six days later, he had completed his work.
So, that afternoon, he told Chang Kao about the horrors of the two halves of the room.
Chang Xiao couldn't help but ask, "So you're doing this with the two halves of the room?"
"Hmm! Wanting both gold and essence, it's terrifying!"
"Kill him!" "Of course! But we must make use of him."
He then revealed his plan!
Chang Xiao smiled and said, "Great!" "You'd better prepare!"
"Okay!" Bu Bixian smiled and returned to the silver shop.
That night, between the hours of Chou and Yin, the earth was silent. Bu Bixian and his companion calmly sneaked into the two halves of the room and carefully approached the middle-aged man's room.
This middle-aged man was Liang Youliang. For the past seven days, he had been practicing his cultivation every night, absorbing the yin energy of four women. Tonight, he had absorbed the yin energy of four women again. Now, he was sleeping soundly.
Bu Bixian moistened his fingertip with saliva and then broke the paper window.
Soon, he slowly blew in the powder, and before long, smoke began to rise from the room.
Liang Youliang's breathing also became heavy.
Bu Bixian listened for a long time before confirming that the other man had been drugged.
So, they covered him with a wet towel and then broke the window bolt.
As soon as he opened the window, the two men stepped back, letting most of the powder drift away before entering the room.
Chang Xiao then went forward and applied pressure to Liang Youliang's "Black Sweet Acupoint."
He immediately noticed that the man was completely naked!
So, he first took the man away, while Bu Bixian carefully searched for valuables.
Half an hour later, he had dug out three large bags of silver notes from under the cabinet. He happily took them out and carefully put the cabinet back in its original place.
Then, he carried away the three large bags of silver notes.
Worried about taking the remaining powder back to the blacksmith's shop, he first buried the silver notes in the backyard of the shop. Then, he carefully wet his entire body with well water and rinsed himself repeatedly.
After a long time, he returned to his room naked and put on his clothes.
Soon, he slipped into the pharmacy.
Soon after, he saw Chang Xiao on the bed pressing the middle-aged man's "Qimen" and "Qihai" acupoints, his muscles trembling slightly.
He understood that Chang Xiao had successfully absorbed the man's power.
So he went back to the backyard and dug out three large bags of silver notes.
He then scattered them on the ground to let the night wind dry them,
as he was worried that the notes would be stained with cinnabar powder. Before dawn, he collected the notes.
He then lit the three cloths.
He returned to Chang Xiao's room and saw that Chang Xiao had already stopped practicing his internal energy.
Chang Xiao's body seemed to be shrouded in morning mist. Bu Bixian was secretly delighted and said, "Wonderful! His power has increased dramatically!"
So, he happily returned to his room to wash up. Not long after dawn, six servants arrived, and he accompanied them out for a meal.
After the meal, as soon as he returned to the silver shop, he saw Chang Xiao nodding to him at the pharmacy. So, he smiled and went up to him, saying, "Let's have some tea and chat!"
"Okay!" As soon as the two went inside, Chang Xiao whispered, "I'll bury him under the woodshed for now."
"We'll deal with him tonight. You should practice your internal energy quickly."
"Okay!" Bu Bixian smiled and returned to the silver shop to rest.
In less than half an hour, he left with a smile.
As he approached the vicinity of the two rooms, he saw six people entering the gate. Three of them lowered their heads when they saw Bu Bixian, and Bu Bixian pretended not to see them and continued on his way.
Because these three had just borrowed money from the emergency bank a while ago!
Seeing that both rooms were open as usual, Bu Bixian went straight back to the bank to rest.
He deduced that the women were still unaware of the middle-aged man's death.
The longer it dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for Bu Bixian!
Around noon, one of the pimps knocked on the door, saying, "Master, please have your meal!"
However, there was no response from inside. The pimp paused for a moment, then went around to the window.
Soon, he saw the paper window was open, and there seemed to be a strange smell inside.
Seeing that his master was not in the room, he went to tell the other pimp.
The two whispered for a while before having their meal.
After the meal, they summoned the two women to discuss the matter.
Soon, they arrived at the window. The two women, smelling the lingering odor in the room, said in a low voice, "Something's happened!"
She immediately rushed into the room and opened the door. Soon, she summoned the other women to analyze the situation.
Since the drug and Liang Youliang's clothes were still there, they deduced that he had been robbed or even murdered. Therefore, they further discussed their countermeasures.
Finally, they decided to leave the room as it was, deciding to remain unchanged in the face of any eventuality.
Since their youth, they had only ever been close to Liang Youliang, and they knew he had other superiors or elders, but they didn't know who.
Therefore, they decided to wait for that person.
That afternoon, they entertained the men as usual.
At dusk, they saw off their patrons
and bathed and ate as before.
After dinner, they discussed their night patrol.
Half an hour later, two henchmen were already patrolling back and forth inside the walls.
The other twenty-eight girls continued their duties as usual.
An hour later, two more girls took over.
At the turn of the hour, Bu Bixian sneaked close to the outside of the two halves of the wall and heard two people walking. He listened for a short while and confirmed that someone was already patrolling.
Seeing that someone was patrolling
, he carefully left.
Soon after, he threw Liang Youliang into the river to feed the fish!
Liang Youliang's body was bound with a large stone and quickly sank into the river.
Bu Bixian returned to his bank to rest, feeling at ease.
The next day, he spent his days strolling the streets and inspecting various properties.
Three days later, he discovered another gambling den.
That night, he sneaked into the mountain god temple on Dabie Mountain and indeed saw flickering candlelight and the sound of dice clattering in the woods. He then returned to his pharmacy and summoned Chang Xiao.
Soon, they were scattering drugs upwind.
A night wind blew, and five or six hundred people fell.
They then carried bags to collect their loot.
In less than half an hour, they returned laden with spoils.
Bu Bixian whispered, "Force Magistrate Qiu to arrest them!"
"Good!" Chang Xiao then wrote in the same handwriting as before:
"Quickly go to the back of the mountain god temple on Dahong Mountain and destroy the gambling den."
He smiled slightly and used his internal energy to dry the writing through the paper.
He folded the paper and calmly left.
Soon after, he saw a yamen runner dozing in front of the gate.
He immediately focused his energy and flicked out a crumpled piece of paper.
With a snap, the paper ball struck the yamen runner's right leg, causing him to scream like a pig being slaughtered. Two other men rushed over with guns.
Soon, the three men opened the paper ball.
Just as they saw its contents, Constable Zhou arrived.
Upon seeing the handwriting and contents, he was horrified.
He took the paper ball inside to report.
Magistrate Qiu, upon seeing the paper ball, immediately recognized the handwriting.
He was both angry and afraid.
After a brief discussion, the two decided to send troops.
The yamen was quickly assembled. Soon,
Constable Zhou led one hundred imperial guards and three hundred soldiers.
At dawn, they indeed found a large number of people lying beside the gambling tables. Constable Zhou immediately ordered people to urinate to wake them, and water jets sprayed out.
The people, who had rushed up the mountain overnight, were furious.
Constable Zhou quickly discovered that all the valuables were gone.
He was secretly annoyed by the man's ruthlessness.
Soon, the gambling den staff and gamblers awoke.
Head Constable Zhou immediately shouted, "Take them away!"
The men, dejected, were led away.
The next morning, as soon as they were brought to the yamen, Head Constable Zhou ordered them to kneel.
He then went inside to report to Magistrate Qiu.
The two discussed the matter briefly, and Magistrate Qiu came out and berated them.
Soon after, he ordered them to sign, and the prisoners obediently pressed their fingers and signed!
Half an hour later, five or six hundred men had packed the prison to capacity!
Before long, people came to "visit," but Magistrate Qiu refused to see them.
That afternoon, these five or six hundred men were taken out to sweep the streets!
At dusk, a middle-aged man arrived at the yamen with a somber expression. Soon, his clerk, smiling, accompanied him inside. The man looked around with a serious expression.
This man was Zhang Yongquan, another powerful figure from Yueyang. Seeing that Magistrate Qiu was not in the yamen, he stopped and said in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this? Is the fee too low?"
"Please see!" the clerk said, handing over the note.
Zhang Yongquan scoffed, "Is it an imperial edict?"
"Master Zhang, we agreed it wouldn't exceed ten tables!"
"Forgive my oversight, I'll improve next time. Release them!" He handed over an envelope.
The clerk quickly pocketed it and said with a forced smile, "They'll be released before dark!"
Zhang Yongquan immediately left, and the clerk went into his study.
Soon, the two men smiled as they looked at the three ten-thousand-tael silver notes!
Shortly after, someone went out to recall the street sweepers.
Magistrate Qiu appeared and gave them a lecture, and soon everyone had hurriedly left!
Bu Bixian also returned to the silver shop with a smile!
That evening, Bu Bixian sneaked to the outskirts of Zhang Yongquan's manor.
Seeing that it was guarded both inside and out, he immediately returned to the bank.
The next morning, he indeed saw twelve gamblers trying to borrow money.
He refused them, citing inconvenience.
The twelve men left with bitter faces!
They had already lost a lot of money gambling, and yesterday they had finally managed to borrow money to pay off their losses, only to have their banknotes lost and be forced to sweep the streets.
They were desperate to find another way! Soon, more gamblers came trying to borrow money!
Bu Bixian refused them all! That day, 181 gamblers were turned away!
Late at night, Bu Bixian and Chang Xiao disguised themselves and arrived near Zhang's residence. Soon, the two slipped over the wall and carefully advanced.
After a while, they spotted two men pacing back and forth outside a window.
They immediately deduced that Zhang Yongquan was sleeping there.
So, Bu Bixian moved to an upwind spot and sprinkled powder. Soon, the two men began to sway, and Chang Xiao rushed forward to support them.
He laid them on the ground and casually applied the "Black Sweet Acupoint."
He gently pushed open the paper window and saw a man and a woman fast asleep on the bed.
Bu Bixian immediately sprinkled some powder into the room.
Soon, they heard heavy breathing.
Reassured, they entered the room. First, Bu Bixian killed Zhang Yongquan and his wife.
Soon, they found a large amount of silver notes in the inner room's cabinet.
They immediately wrapped them in the cabinet's robe.
Soon after, they carefully left along the same route. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had calmly departed.
Not long after, the replacements found the two people on the ground outside the window.
Soon, they also noticed a strange smell in the room.
Someone immediately reported this to Zhang Yongquan's son.
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Hu rushed in.
Soon, he found his parents dead and was furious. He went into the inner room and found that all the silver notes were missing.
He trembled with rage! Soon after, he ordered a search that night.
He sat in the hall, gritting his teeth!
Half an hour later, two young men, seeing the two halves of the room, stopped to discuss something.
Soon, they entered, intending to peep at the women's spring scenery!
But before long, they were killed by the two girls. One of them shouted, "Help!"
Eighteen men from nearby immediately rushed over, and more than two hundred men from further away also rushed over.
Soon, the group was fighting against the thirty girls.
The girls had strong internal strength and their moves were ruthless and fast, and the lecherous men died one after another.
Not long after, Zhang Hu arrived with more than five hundred men. Seeing the battle, he immediately thought, "Damn! These girls must have gotten quite a few. Why don't I go with the flow?"
So, he immediately led his men into the battlefield, and the two sides immediately engaged in fierce fighting.
Although the women were strong, Zhang Hu's men arrived one after another, and before dawn, they were all brutally murdered. Soon, Zhang Hu was left with only two hundred or so men!
He immediately ordered, "Search!" Suddenly, he heard the sound of bamboo whistles and the shout, "Don't move!"
Zhang Hu cursed under his breath, "You bastards!" He waved his hand and led his men to the rear.
Soon, they had hurriedly left.
Then, Constable Zhou led a large group of soldiers and yamen runners inside.
He glanced at them quickly and immediately shouted, "Take the wounded away!" "Yes!"
A group of men immediately stepped forward and escorted away eighty wounded people.
Soon after, Magistrate Qiu and his clerk arrived in a carriage with a group of men. As soon as
the two entered, they whispered to Constable Zhou.
Soon after, Magistrate Qiu ordered the bodies to be transported and the houses searched, and everyone began to busy themselves.
At dawn, the three men left with beaming smiles!
They had found a considerable amount of gold notes in Thirty Girl's room!
After daybreak, Constable Zhou led his men to escort the eighty wounded men back to the Zhang residence. Although Zhang Hu was secretly furious, he still thanked them with a smile.
That night, he had lost both his wife and his army!
Young and impetuous, he became increasingly resentful!
Encouraged by his men, he decided to take drastic measures!
He sent men to keep an eye on Constable Zhou.
Five days later, while patrolling the outskirts of the city, Constable Zhou was suddenly attacked by over a hundred masked men. He and three constables fought back with swords and shouts.
Soon, they were killed by a hail of swords.
The group of men hurriedly left with the bodies of eight of their companions.
Within an hour, the bodies of Constable Zhou and his two companions were transported back to the yamen. Based on witness testimonies, Magistrate Qiu and his comrades deduced that Zhang Hu was responsible.
They were alarmed! After a brief discussion, they decided to take the initiative.
So, they mobilized three hundred constables and six hundred soldiers, who arrived at Zhang's residence in a grand procession, immediately surrounding it with bows and spears.
Soon, the steward came out to greet them, stating that Zhang Hu was still hungover.
Magistrate Qiu led eight men into the room to check, and indeed saw Zhang Hu struggling to sit up.
Magistrate Qiu, steeling his resolve, immediately shouted, "Seize him!"
The steward immediately engaged Zhang Hu in fierce resistance.
Magistrate Qiu hurriedly retreated outside the room, shouting, "Capture all the criminals!"
The crowd immediately roared and rushed in.
Zhang's men immediately drew their swords to meet the attack.
Soon, Zhang Hu charged out and pursued Magistrate Qiu and his advisor.
He killed three soldiers and then proceeded to kill the advisor.
In the nick of time, eight soldiers arrived.
Magistrate Qiu hastily left the scene, and soon returned outside the gate shouting for battle!
The Zhang residence erupted in a deafening roar of fighting.
The soldiers, outnumbered and using their spears in coordinated charges, suffered numerous wounds, but Zhang's army also suffered heavy casualties.
Feigning drunkenness, Zhang Hu found himself surrounded. After fighting for more than half an hour, he died from exhaustion, greatly boosting the morale of the government troops.
Magistrate Qiu shouted, "Zhang Hu is dead! Those who surrender will be spared!"
The remaining 120 men immediately threw down their swords, covered their heads, and prepared to surrender. "
But the soldiers immediately brandished their spears and stabbed repeatedly.
They were seeking revenge for their comrades or loved ones!
Magistrate Qiu, seeing this, looked into the distance.
He was happy to feign ignorance! Soon, the 120 men were killed.
Magistrate Qiu then ordered the aftermath to be handled properly, and he hurriedly returned to his office to report to the governors of the two lakes regions!
In this battle, the government troops suffered over 500 casualties, a heavy price indeed!
The government troops had previously reaped the benefits in the two halves of the city, and today they were slaughtering people at Zhang's residence. This scene immediately enraged the remaining underworld figures in Yueyang.
That very night, around 1:00 AM, over 500 masked men stormed into the county government office, killing indiscriminately. Screams and fierce fighting erupted within the office.
Magistrate Qiu and his wife, terrified, led their children and valuables, hastily fleeing to the back of the office.
But as soon as they opened the back door, two swords pierced through.
Then, two masked men hacked their way in. Soon after, they were sent to their deaths."
Two masked men grabbed the valuables and hurried away. But as they approached the street corner, a cloud of powder was thrown at them.
They cried out, then lost consciousness.
Two strangers appeared from around the corner, and the masked men struck with their palms.
With two loud thuds, the two masked men collapsed, vomiting blood. The two strangers grabbed the valuables and left immediately.
Soon, they had vanished into the Dahong Mountains.
They removed their masks, revealing themselves to be Bu Bixian and Chang Xiao.
The two exchanged a knowing smile and gazed down the mountain.
After a long while, confirming they were not being followed, they descended.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they were back in their quarters resting.
By this time, all the county officials and soldiers were dead. The remaining three hundred-odd masked men, along with their wounded and injured companions, quickly fled and soon disappeared.
The people of Yueyang were restless all night.

[The End]

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