1 Such a beautiful 'lady'

A woman and a man sat down at a wooden table in front of Goose Inn, chatting heartily with each other. Surrounding them was the bustle of travelers and oxen carts rolling past on the road.

The man asked, "Don't you think that it's too quiet?"

The woman's head was lolling on her hand. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sigh…nothing interesting happens around here. Only the yearly festivals and going to work every day. Sometimes I wonder why we don't move to the city."

The two of them paused, glancing towards another lady sitting near the back of the inn, a few steps from the staircase. She wore a bamboo hat with a veil, but anyone could tell she was quite beautiful if they caught a glimpse of her dark eyelashes and limpid pupils gleaming silver.

In her lap was an erhu made from dark wood, and her white jade fingers were pulling the bow over the strings fluidly. A song that was adventurous like the Jianghu came forth, but it was also nostalgic and warming to the heart as a soldier misses their dear home.

It was a tune that would resonate with one's heart, and many unconsciously listened whether or not they intended to do so. When she drew the last note, clapping erupted, and the erhu player gained a sum of payment.

The man and woman both finished clapping, then the woman picked up the conversation from before.

"Isn't it good that our town is peaceful? No disease or thieves, just a little town where we can be at ease. A great and lavish life comes with an even greater struggle."

"In Wuhan, they have the best fireworks," said the man. "A Master of the Du Clan makes them, and in the air a dragon rolls over the stars. What do we have here? The most interesting thing are the street brats throwing rotten apples at the tax collector."

She laughed in return.

"Don't be too certain about that! Did you hear that an Elder in the Lushang Sect was murdered? They say his death was disgraceful." She started to whisper, "His whole body was dismembered, and that the culprit has fled East. The city Lushang Sect is in, then to the east of it…is our little town?"

"Ah, stop! No!" said the man. "I don't want that kind of excitement…"

"Hehe...they say the man who did it was a nobody at Lushang Sect. Someone who was a friend to the victim, then coldly betrayed him."

As they continued to tease each other, the Lady with the erhu placed her earnings into a pouch and went up the stairs to her room. Several wanted to have a word with her, but she was too cold and distant for anyone to feel as though that was welcome.

The erhu player slowly closed the door behind them, threw off their hat so it bounced against the wall, and pulled down their trousers. Pulling out an unmentionable thing, the 'fairy-like erhu player' took a leak in the chamber pot, then flopped onto the bed.

Perhaps they were not such a lovely 'lady' after all.

Lai Yiteng did not have much time to count his earnings before there was a polite knock at the door.

"Miss Lai, do you have a moment?"

Lai Yiteng rolled off the bed and smoothed the hair on the back of his head as he opened the door. It was the inn owner.

"Yes?" His voice was smooth and mellow, a little androgynous. Based on his appearance no one really would doubt anything so easily.

The inn owner was taking a lingering glance at the 'lady's' face now that it was without the veil.

"Since your ladyship has done such a good job playing for my guests, there is another place I can recommend if you still need some work."

"Thank you, please tell."

"So, there's a small place for courtesans called Pleasure of Jade in the next city. Usually, they hire a few performers offhand. I know the owner there, a good man, and a decent crowd gathers there."

"How much crowd?"

"If you are looking to make a lot it might not be a good match. The place can hold maybe about thirty guests, and it's mostly regular city folk who found a liking for a smaller establishment. It's just that if you're interested in a bigger place there with high-end folk, it will be harder to perform without prior renown."

"No, Pleasure of Jade is appropriate."

The inn keeper's face seemed to light up. "He'll be awed for sure! Then, shall I send a letter ahead and put in a good word for you?"

"Sure…." Lai Yiteng said slowly, "Thanks again. I will rest now."

The inn keeper was quite pleased when he left, but Lai Yiteng frowned after the door closed, sitting back down on his bed and pulling out a flour-dusted bun to nibble on.

Eventually, he could not help himself but to remove a long, thin dagger from under his dress and clean it with a rag. The hilt was a ruddy silver, a lotus center that became a twisting handle, like the roots in a pond. One of the petals was chipped.

Lai Yiteng was thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, he shouldn't have dismembered Gojun An.

Everyone was talking about it.

Now he was a wanted man throughout all of the country. It was so bad that he decided to cross-dress and pretend to be a wandering female musician just to avoid being caught.

No, never mind; If he went back time, he wouldn't change a thing! If he kept himself buried in the mud from his desires too long, soon the time he actually felt alive would be as fleeting as a summer cicada. He tucked the dagger back into the sheath strapped to his thigh.

...

The next day he arrived at Pleasure of Jade by late afternoon.

As per his previous innkeeper's word, the owner of the place seemed decent enough, almost as though he actually cared about the courtesans that worked his shop and served drinks. He had a benign smile and was more than willing to have Lai Yiteng perform that evening.

Lai Yiteng also asked who was supposed to come that night, and the owner told him he couldn't think of any important names in particular, the same as usual, and that everyone was usually quiet in appreciation of a good dance or song.

It all seemed promising.

But when dusk finally came around, Lai Yiteng stood at the top of the stairs as he endured loud, ear-grating laughter ring from below. Two customers were being as loud and obnoxious as barking dogs.

They looked like a couple of arrogant profligates with nothing better to do than deflower some women on their free evenings.

One of them had straight hair and skinny eyes, both his arms wrapped around a female server's shoulders. He whispered in her ear as he pet her body. When she blushed, he laughed and waved a fan over his face, downing another drink.

The other man was tall and lean, his hair had an unruly colic and both his eyes were as lazy as a dead pig's. He was drinking alcohol noisily like he was about to go to war, both his feet on the table in front of him, and also laughing at the mole on a lady's chin.

Lai Yiteng was not certain who was worse.

…he would call the first man the lecherous one, the second the boorish one.

The establishment owner came up the stairs, cupped a hand over his mouth and spoke to Lai Yiteng in a low tone.

"Due apologies! These two, I've never seen them before …however, it seems that the governor's Son has gone out to play tonight…and, um…" he clapped his hands together and rubbed them in pleading. "It's definitely one of them! Please do your best, Miss Lai, or it could be bad for all of us!"

Under his white veil, the eyebrow of Lai Yiteng was twitching fiercely in annoyance. Whether he did well and gained attention, or did poorly and got infamy, both were bad for a fugitive on the run.

Lai Yiteng curtly said, "Since you failed to keep your word, I must be on my way."

"No no no," the owner almost grabbed his sleeve, but saw the tall and near ghost-like figure of Lai Yiteng and held himself back out of fear. Still, he persisted. "But…but Miss, I've already promised fine entertainment. There's no time to find another with good reputation! I'll pay you double, no…triple, that's my word!"

Triple payment was really tempting, because then Lai Yiteng wouldn't need to show his face anywhere for a long while, something he needed the most right now. And, the dumb governor's son and some drunks wouldn't recognize his face anyway. It was those goons from Lushang Sect that he had to look out for.

Another bout of floor-shaking laughter erupted from the ground floor, and Lai Yiteng saw that the thin-eyed man had pulled a woman right into his lap to fondle her breasts.

"..." Lai Yiteng spoke without hiding the disgust in his tone. "Very well, but I get half the payment now."

The owner made a lopsided face, then ran up and down the stairs to hand Lai Yiteng his little fortune. "...yes yes yes, understandable, that's completely understandable."

Lai Yiteng asked, "So which one is the governor's son?" He wanted to be certain he stayed the farthest from that one.

The inn owner cut a sorry figure as he said, "So…about that…I don't actually know!"