Chapter 397: Lv Xiucai

Surrounded by his entourage, Lu Xiucai arrived at Drunken Immortal Restaurant, loudly ordering food and drink. Despite it still being morning, seven or eight substantial dishes were quickly served. As soon as the Diao Hua wine arrived, a quick-witted person immediately poured a drink for Lu Xiucai.

Lu Xiucai raised his bowl, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp, once again drawing cheers from those around him. He completely ignored the disdain and dissatisfaction of the other diners.

"Lord Lu has an immense capacity! Lord Lu is mighty!"

"Oh my, I don't have such a good tolerance for alcohol. Lord Lu, can you teach me how you developed yours?"

"That's nothing! Back when my master, Li Huowang, and I went to help the Qingqiu Emperor exorcise ghosts and catch demons, there was a jar of wine, this tall, and my Lord Lu just picked it up and downed the whole thing!"

"Lord Lu, tell us about how you and your master caught demons in Qingqiu!"

"Well, in Qingqiu, even though there weren't any evil spirits on the surface, the ground beneath was extremely dangerous. If I hadn't been there to watch over Master back then, he might not have made it!"

As he ate and drank, Lu Xiucai recounted stories of his time in Qingqiu. Most of these tales he had actually heard from Gou Wa, but he now cast himself as the protagonist.

Amidst the cheers, Lu Xiucai's face flushed slightly, and his tongue began to slur, but he still felt it wasn't enough. When he had eaten his fill, Lu Xiucai, still in high spirits, waved his hand again. "Let's go! To Rouge Alley! The bill is on me!"

At once, the cheers grew even louder, nearly raising the roof. Those around him became even more obsequious, practically treating Lu Xiucai like a revered father. This brought Lu Xiucai an unprecedented feeling of satisfaction.

By the time a content Lu Xiucai emerged from Rouge Alley, it was already midday. He wasn't hungry; a unique feature of Rouge Alley was that buying a girl came with complimentary donkey meat dumplings.

After a morning of indulgence, Lu Xiucai was tired. He ambled leisurely towards his lodging. Ordinarily, it would be difficult for someone like him to rent a house in Yinling City, but Lord Kui, with his vast connections, had found several guarantors.

The door creaked open. By the well in the courtyard sat a young woman in colorful clothes, diligently washing clothes with swift, efficient movements. She appeared very industrious. This woman, named Tao'er, had been bought by Lu Xiucai. She was of average appearance, small-hipped, and had been purchased cheaply. He had originally intended for her to be his wife, but after a few visits to Rouge Alley, Lu Xiucai no longer touched her. She lay on the bed like a log, utterly lacking the variety and allure of the courtesans from the brothels. Now, she was simply kept at home to wash clothes and cook, serving entirely as a maid.

Lu Xiucai flopped onto the bed and immediately began to snore. Tao'er paused her washing, picked up a wooden basin, ladled pre-heated water from the pot, and then used a facecloth to wipe Lu Xiucai's face and body. After wiping him, she bent down to remove his shoes and socks, preparing his feet for a soak. Once he was thoroughly cleaned, she covered Lu Xiucai with the quilt, taking care to cover the sides of the pillow with clothes to prevent any drafts.

As dusk settled outside, Lu Xiucai slowly awoke. He smelled the fragrant air, rolled out of bed, and sat at the table to begin his dinner. While Lu Xiucai ate, Tao'er was not permitted at the table; she had to wait until he finished before she could eat the leftovers. There were two dishes, a soup, and even fried eggs, all cooked with lard. Such a dinner would have been unimaginable to Lu Xiucai in the past, yet now, he found himself somewhat disdainful.

After a large gulp of winter melon soup, Lu Xiucai wiped his mouth with his sleeve and prepared to head to the casino to win money. He needed to go quickly, or he would be caught outside once the curfew began. Just as he passed Tao'er, Lu Xiucai suddenly spotted some blood on her trousers, and his face instantly contorted in extreme anger.

"Damn it! What's going on?! Who has the audacity to lay a hand on my Lord Lu's property?! I'll kill him!"

Tao'er subtly shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "No, it's just my monthly period; there was a bit too much, and it seeped through."

"What monthly period? I'm asking about the blood on your trousers! Don't talk to me about monthly periods!"

After Tao'er's hushed explanation, Lu Xiucai finally understood that women bleed every month. "So that's what it is. I remember when we were performing operas before, my sister-in-law would always have those mysterious few days. When I asked her, she even cursed me out."

Lu Xiucai patted his waist, pulled out some small silver pieces from the bottom of his pouch, and slipped them into Tao'er's hand before turning to leave. "Tomorrow night, buy me some meat. I don't want any more greens! I'm sick of eating vegetables; I'm annoyed just seeing them!"

Heading to the casino, besides Lu Xiucai, were other gamblers. Yinling City had a night curfew, but as long as one stayed inside the casino all night, the curfew didn't matter.

Upon arriving at Lord Kui's casino, Lu Xiucai pulled out the five copper coins Li Huowang had given him. He bounced them in his hand, a smug expression on his face, confident that with this skill, he would never starve. Just as he was about to head to his usual spot, Lord Kui, sporting a dragon tattoo across his shoulder, intercepted him. "Come, come, Lu Lang, no need to rush to make money just yet. I have something to discuss with you."

The two went to the small courtyard behind the casino, where a bronze hotpot was bubbling invitingly and slices of lamb were already prepared. Lu Xiucai sat down and began eating immediately, having not eaten enough at home. "Lord Kui, is something amiss? Speak your mind! You took me in back then; you are my benefactor, Lu Xiucai's benefactor!"

Kui Sanjin chuckled as he poured wine for Lu Xiucai. "Lu Lang, I hear you once followed a highly skilled master?"

"Of course! My master! Li Huowang! He's like a deity! He can reattach his own head after it's been chopped off! Any evil spirits or demons are only fit to be his appetizers!" Lu Xiucai thumped his chest so hard it echoed, making it sound as if he were talking about himself to anyone unaware.

"Then Lu Lang, having followed such a formidable master, must be formidable himself, right?"

"Hehehe," Lu Xiucai picked up a slice of lamb, blanched it in the hotpot, and popped it into his mouth. "I'm alright," he said proudly. "I'm about four-tenths as powerful as my master... no, six-tenths!"

"Excellent! It's true that heroes emerge from youth! My admiration, my admiration!"

Lu Xiucai smiled smugly. The fact that the renowned Lord Kui was treating him with such courtesy made him feel incredibly esteemed. He was already planning how he would brag to his brothers at the wine table the next day. He completely failed to notice that Kui Sanjin, seated opposite him, was feigning a troubled frown. "Lu Lang, I have a rather tricky problem on my hands. Would you be able to lend a hand?"

"It's about a brother of mine, someone I've shared life and death with. He seems to have encountered some ill fortune and been afflicted, turning him delirious. Neither monks nor Taoist priests have been able to help."

"If you, Lu Lang, can truly help me with this, then you'll take eighty percent of the earnings!"