“Young… Young Master, what are you looking at?” Bai Hu also looked up, following his gaze.
The two of them remained frozen in a neck-craning posture, staring at the ceiling.
Leng Qingqing, the White Marten, and the others were equally puzzled. What were they looking at?
“How strange…” Leng Jing murmured. A crack had appeared in the floorboards above, and some sort of liquid seemed to be seeping through.
*Drip.*
A drop of fresh blood landed right by Leng Jing’s foot. He crouched down, examining the bloodstain for a moment before suddenly bolting toward the stairs. Based on his years of experience in the martial world, there was definitely a murder happening upstairs!
Bai Hu froze for a second before chasing after him. Bi Xuan and Leng Qingqing, naturally unwilling to be left behind, followed suit. The massive brothel was thrown into utter chaos by the group’s sudden movement.
Leng Jing reached the guest room directly above and kicked the door open, only to be stunned by the scene inside.
As it turned out, it wasn't exactly a murder scene.
On the carpet, a tall, wickedly handsome man was mounted atop a frail youth. Both were stark naked, their bodies locked together. The man was moving frantically against the youth, and the blood seeping through the floorboards was flowing from beneath the boy’s body. The carpet was already soaked a deep, visceral red. The youth cried out in agony, his pleas broken and weak: “Father… please… no…”
“Shut up! Why must you be my biological son?! Why?! You vile spawn! You slut!” the man roared. Then, noticing Leng Jing, he snarled, “Get out! Do you want me to gouge your eyes out?!”
Leng Jing stood there with a blank expression. Just as he was wondering what to say, the youth’s face began to turn a sickly shade of purple. He looked like he was at death's door.
“Don’t you dare sleep!” The man slapped the youth several times, but it was futile; the boy’s body was gradually growing stiff.
“Aaaaaah!” the man let out a deafening, anguished howl.
When Bai Hu arrived and saw the state of the room, he immediately began dragging Leng Jing away. “Young Master! Don’t look! You’ll be corrupted!”
As he dragged Leng Jing downstairs, a heart-wrenching wail echoed from the room: “Kai’er! Don’t die! I won’t allow you to die! Aaaaaah!”
After a long while, the man emerged from the room, draped loosely in a robe and cradling the youth’s corpse. He walked with a delirious smile, muttering, “Kai’er, Father won’t make you angry anymore. Let’s go to a place where there is no sorrow, alright? We’ll be together and never part again… never…”
He began a slow descent down the stairs.
The brothel girls and young male hosts, who had been hiding in terror, finally dared to peek out from their windows to watch the spectacle. This was why the brothel had been so eerily quiet today—the Master of Frost-Snow Villa had come to find his long-lost son who had fallen into the life of a male prostitute, and the encounter had ended in a human tragedy. No one dared to interfere, fearing they would become the next victims of the temperamental Villa Master.
Leng Jing and Bai Hu stood at the foot of the stairs, watching the man carry the body down. The man continued to repeat his mantra: “We’re going to a place with no people and no sorrow… where we can be happy… away from the pressures of the world…”
“Even if you reach such a place, the only thing you’ll do is continue to ravage him. Death is actually a release for him. Hmph, you lowly male monkey, you’d be better off finding a hole in the ground to vent your filthy urges,” Leng Jing suddenly interjected with a sneer.
His words made even Bai Hu shudder. Was the Young Master swearing? Had he heard correctly?
The grieving man snapped his head around, his eyes burning with a murderous fire. He freed one large hand and swung a powerful palm strike toward Leng Jing.
“Protect the Young Master!” Bi Xuan shouted. The Azure Dragon and White Tiger generals leaped forward simultaneously to block the blow.
And so, a typical martial arts skirmish finally broke out. The Villa Master, still clutching the corpse, fought fiercely against the two young men, while Leng Jing sat down to leisurely sip some tea.
Leng Qingqing also approached, keeping his bamboo hat low to maintain an air of mystery as he crept toward the arrogant "ugly little snake."
However, someone else joined the fray. The onlookers began to emerge from the shadows, including a young nobleman in fine silk. Fanning himself with a paper fan, he bowed to Leng Jing and said, “Your composure is truly remarkable, sir. To think you would dare to provoke the Master of Frost-Snow Villa. Seeing as you are guarded by two peerless warriors, could it be that you are the legendary ‘Saintly Young Master’ of the martial world?”
*What’s that?* The little snake’s mind whirred, and he nodded. “You flatter me,” he replied, effectively claiming the identity.
“Young Master, do not speak with mortals! You will be contaminated by their turbid qi…” The rabbit immortal, Xiao Liu, cast aside her disguise and stepped between the nobleman and Leng Jing.
The nobleman looked struck by realization. “Could this lady be the divine physician-maid by the Saintly Young Master’s side, known as the ‘Exquisite Jade-Stone Heart,’ Liu Xiaoyu? Truly, the Young Master’s retinue is a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. This lady is as beautiful as a fallen blossom, yet possesses such a valiant spirit!”
The little snake nodded. “Correct. She is Liu Xiaoyu, the little white rabbit.”
Xiao Liu’s face flushed bright red. After all, no man had ever spoken such sweet words to her before!
The White Marten and Leng Qingqing wiped sweat from their brows. The scene was a mess—how had everyone suddenly joined the martial arts world? *I want to join too!* Leng Qingqing thought, unwilling to be left out.
But no one paid him any attention. Not a single soul.
Ultimately, unable to secure a victory within three hundred moves, the prideful Master of Frost-Snow Villa clutched the corpse and sprinted out of the building. Only then did the farce end. Thanks to that talkative nobleman, Leng Jing’s fake identity spread like wildfire through the local martial circles. Rumors flew that the elusive Saintly Young Master had finally made his appearance in the world. Satisfied, Leng Jing found an inn to stay in and began planning his path to becoming the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
However, Bai Hu, Bi Xuan, and Xiao Liu followed him inside and began a relentless barrage of persuasion, trying to convince him to return to the Celestial Realm.
Leng Jing, however, had a plan. He summoned the three of them, closed the doors and windows, and began to preach his philosophy.
The author won't repeat the specific details, but you remember figures like Shakyamuni and Jesus, right? Everyone knows a bit about those theories of preaching and salvation. Leng Jing simply distilled those theories and claimed that he was willing to endure a heavenly tribulation to revitalize the martial world and save humanity. In the end, the stoic Bai Hu and Xiao Liu were moved to tears by his speech. Only Bi Xuan sighed and said, “Young Master, it is not impossible for you to stay in the mortal realm for a time. However, your status is unique and your body is precious. Please allow Bi Xuan and the others to stay by your side as protection.”
*The more people, the more prestige,* Leng Jing thought, and he agreed. Before nightfall, he treated everyone to a hotpot dinner at the inn.
While the others went out to buy ingredients, Leng Jing stood by the window with his hands behind his back, watching the sunset. A large white snake appeared behind him, flicking its tongue quite piteously.
“Jing-er, you’re so cold to Father! You won’t even spare me a glance!” Leng Qingqing complained.
“I’m not looking. You’re definitely tied in a knot.”
“I am not! I’m not knotted at all! Turn around and look at me!”
“I won’t!”
“You have to!”
The snake’s tail coiled around him, and the two began to scuffle. Eventually, Leng Qingqing dragged Leng Jing back to the bed and wrapped him up tight.
“Shh… listen. There’s something happening next door,” Leng Jing said, pressing his ear to the wall once they were on the bed.
“What is it?” The big white snake flicked its tongue and pressed its head against the wall too.
They could hear the faint sound of a man’s wailing from the next room, repeatedly crying out, “Kai’er! Kai’er!!”
Could it be the Master of Frost-Snow Villa? Leng Jing manifested a dragon claw and used a sharp fingertip to carve a tiny slit in the wall.
Sure enough, it was the Villa Master, weeping over the corpse. Not only that, he was still… [redacted] …the body.
This was a luxury inn, after all. Leng Jing used the bed curtain to hide the slit.
Night fell, and the servants returned with the ingredients. Everyone gathered for hotpot. By the hour of the Rooster, the daytime heat had turned into a torrential downpour. The Leng Group remained unmoved, continuing their feast. They had even bought the fruit wine and noodles that Leng Qingqing loved so much, making for a very lively atmosphere.
Eating with many people is livelier than eating alone, and eating with subordinates is much more relaxing than eating with superiors.
Only now did Leng Jing feel like he truly had his own power base. Feeling a bit bold from the wine, he stood up heroically to propose a toast: “Everyone, please follow me to sweep away the darkness of the Three Realms and establish an ideal world of benevolence and virtue!”
The room went dead silent.
Then, they began a drinking contest. Leng Jing was dragged back to the bedroom by Leng Qingqing to sleep, while Leng Qingqing scurried back to join the heavy drinking.
Xiao Liu, the white rabbit, ran into the bedroom clutching a change of clothes. She served Leng Jing as he took a hot bath, even preparing his slippers and bed. Once he was finished, she brought him tea and began massaging his back as he sat on the bed.
*The rabbit is much more sensible than the marten!* Leng Jing nodded with the satisfaction of a wealthy landlord.
“Actually, Young Master, there’s a reason Lord Bi Xuan stayed behind to accompany you. Don’t tell him I told you!” the rabbit whispered.
“What reason?” Leng Jing leaned back against the cushions, enjoying the massage.
“Actually, the Demon Realm has been making moves against the Celestial Realm lately. They’ve even sent spies to the Ends of the Heaven and Sea. Lord Bi Xuan was afraid they might target you, so he used this opportunity to let you hide in the mortal realm for a while. You absolutely must not say I told you!” The rabbit’s defining trait was her big mouth.
“I know, I know,” Leng Jing waved her off, signaling for her to leave.
“Then… can I go join the drinking contest too?” The rabbit’s eyes sparkled as she pleaded.
“Go ahead,” Leng Jing said.
The rabbit dashed out happily, and soon the sounds of shouting and drinking games drifted in from outside.
*Lowbrow tastes,* Leng Jing thought. He then uncovered the slit in the wall and began peeking at the room next door.
He was just curious, that was all!
By now, the Villa Master next door had stopped desecrating the corpse and was instead conferring with an elderly guest.
Leng Jing pressed his ear to the wall and heard the Villa Master pleading, “I beg of you! Divine Physician Wu! Please save Kai’er!”
The old man sighed. “This old man does not have the skill to bring the dead back to life… however… perhaps there is a place that can…”
“Really? Where?” the Villa Master asked in pleasant surprise.
“It is… the Wanxiang Pavilion. Yes, the Wanxiang Pavilion. I have heard of instances where they revived people who had been dead for seven days. The Wanxiang Pavilion is a medical sanctuary; rumors say their medical skills are the best under heaven. Someone of my level isn't even fit to carry their shoes. It’s a pity I am so old, otherwise, I would certainly visit to seek knowledge.”
A Wanxiang Pavilion that could revive the dead? Leng Jing found the idea quite intriguing.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 霜雪山庄 | Frost-Snow Villa | A martial arts sect/location. |
| 凯儿 | Kai'er | The son of the Frost-Snow Villa Master. |
| 圣公子 | Saintly Young Master | A legendary figure in the martial world; Leng Jing's fake identity. |
| 玲珑玉磐心 | Exquisite Jade-Stone Heart | The martial world title given to the rabbit maid, Liu Xiaoyu. |
| 柳小玉 | Liu Xiaoyu | The name of the white rabbit immortal. |
| 万象楼 | Wanxiang Pavilion | Literally "Pavilion of Myriad Phenomena"; a legendary medical clinic. |
| 邬神医 | Divine Physician Wu | An elderly doctor mentioned in the chapter. |
| 酉时 | Hour of the Rooster | 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. |
| 天涯海 | Ends of the Heaven and Sea | A location in the Celestial Realm, likely Leng Jing's home. |
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