Unwelcome Guests

"What are you talking about? I have no idea." Zhou Pan's expression swiftly returned to normal as he asked in an even tone. Yet the people present were all seasoned veterans of the jianghu; how could they fail to see that something was amiss? Within the contingent from the Taixing Livery, a young apprentice quietly asked his companion, "Senior Brother, what sort of gang is Anqing Hall?" "It isn't a gang," the senior apprentice replied with a slight chuckle, lowering his voice. "It was once the largest xianggong hall in Chang'an. Lu Gongyuan was its proprietor." "Oh..." Realization dawned upon the youth, and his expression turned strange as he looked toward Zhou Pan. A xianggong hall was, in plain terms, a male brothel. Men who harbored a penchant for male companionship and the cut sleeve had existed since antiquity, but the practice was most prominent in the imperial capital and Min Prefecture, earning them the reputations of the 'capital xianggong' and the 'contract brothers of Minzhong.' In the imperial capital, for instance, houses like Chunhui Hall and Jingyi Hall were widely renowned xianggong establishments. The young men inside were not only trained in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but were also required to be thoroughly versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. Looks were secondary; anyone who lacked sharp wits or elegance in speech would never do. Whenever the human traffickers of the Western Beggars' Gang or local brokers acquired young men of exceptional appearance and refined speech, they would sell them to these xianggong halls for prices even higher than those fetched by prospective courtesans. However, that was a peculiar vice of noble houses and wealthy clans. Ordinary folk—especially jianghu wanderers who drank bowls of liquor and gorged on meat—looked down on such matters. Hearing that Zhou Pan was linked to a xianggong hall, everyone's gazes shifted with subtle judgment. It seemed this Monkey Zhou truly had never fathered a child in all his years... Still, that was a private inclination. At most, they might crack a few jokes over drinks. How could it possibly have anything to do with Li Hu's death? Seeing that Zhou Pan refused to admit it, Li Yan narrowed his eyes. Suppressing his icy killing intent, he said in a deep voice, "There is no wall in this world that does not leak wind. Did you think you could keep this hidden forever? "Back then, my father took on a job to search for a kidnapped young master of a wealthy family. Many leads pointed straight to Anqing Hall, but he came up empty every time. "It was you who colluded with Lu Gongyuan, sending someone behind the scenes to tip him off and steering my father to a brothel in search of an informant—only to be murdered there. "Afterward, you hurried from Xianyang to Chang'an in a panic, cooperating with the authorities to raid Anqing Hall and hunt down Lu Gongyuan. Not long after, that very brothel caught fire for no apparent reason, and every working girl inside was burned to death. "Did you think that by silencing everyone, the dead would never bear witness against you?" At these words, everyone in the hall was visibly shaken. Old Man Zhang Yuanshang's face darkened, and he slammed his hand hard against the table. "Monkey Zhou, so there was such a story behind it! To think my brother Li's reputation was dragged through the mud, leaving him with no peace for ten whole years! "Damn it all, if you don't explain this clearly today, we're not done!" Even Gang Leader Han of the Canal Gang shook his head. "Zhou Pan, if that is truly how it happened, your methods were far too despicable. With so many lives on your hands, do you really think you can just bow out and retire in peace? No such luck." The others in the room were equally filled with righteous indignation. Li Yan stood tall in the center of the hall, the murderous intent in his eyes no longer concealed. All of this information had been secretly slipped to him by Guan Wanche moments ago. Although he did not know why Guan Wanche had refused to bring it to light himself, judging by Zhou Pan's reaction, it was almost certainly true. Recalling the bitter sorrow his grandfather had carried in his heart all these years, a fierce rage flared up in Li Yan's chest. He wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and sever Zhou Pan's wretched head on the spot. Faced with the crowd's interrogation, Zhou Pan remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. Shaking his head, he said, "All I can say is that I was following orders from the Chang'an Prefecture Commandant Bureau at the time to assist in capturing Lu Gongyuan. So much time has passed that I doubt the Commandant Bureau will hold it against me if I speak of it now." He glanced around at the onlookers. "Lu Gongyuan's xianggong hall, as well as that brothel, were both secret incense halls of the Maitreya Sect in Chang'an, covertly plotting rebellion." "What?" Shock rippled through everyone in the room. This was not something one could fabricate. Over a decade ago, when a severe drought struck Guanzhong, the Maitreya Sect seized the opportunity to stir up chaos and deceive the peasantry into rebellion. Not only did they butcher government officials, but they also coerced ordinary villagers and jianghu figures to join them. Whoever refused would see their entire village burned and slaughtered. Wanderers of the jianghu naturally harbored caution toward the imperial court. Yet the Maitreya Sect bewitched people with heretical doctrines, and the deaths they caused far outnumbered the court's toll. Zhou Pan sighed, turning to Li Yan with a shake of his head. "This matter touched upon court secrets, and I dare not say much more. I can only say your father was unlucky and stumbled headfirst into a nest of rebels!" "Save your evasions!" Li Yan sneered. "The Maitreya Sect is a separate matter. If you hadn't deliberately lured him in, how could my father have walked into an ambush?" Zhou Pan's patience appeared to wear thin. His expression turned grim as he shook his head. "That is simply how things were. Your father went to his own death; was I supposed to stand in his way? "Even if you drag this before the magistrate, it has nothing to do with me!" His words conceded the deed, yet his posture made it clear: *What can you possibly do to me?* Seeing that the killing intent in Li Yan's eyes had not abated in the slightest, Zhou Pan tilted his chin upward, his gaze turning sinister. "If you feel aggrieved, you may step forward today and demand justice from me yourself." "Bullshit!" Old Man Zhang roared in fury, slowly rising to his feet. "Monkey Zhou, playing shameless and bullying a junior, are you? Come on, then—I'll demand that justice on his behalf!" *Boom!* Right at that moment, a massive crash echoed from outside the main hall. Several disciples came tumbling backward into the room, rolling across the floor with blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. Scrambling backward on all fours, they cried out, "Master, someone's breaking in!" The abrupt intrusion shattered the tense standoff. Everyone turned to look. Outside, the disciples of the Zhou Martial Arts School were being hurled through the doorway as if struck by a ferocious beast, crashing into the courtyard one after another with unending shrieks of agony. Shortly after, two figures stepped slowly through the courtyard gate. The one in front was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in ordinary coarse black cloth. More than half of his face was covered in horrific, charred burn scars. He was short and stocky, hefting a guduo mace in his hand. A guduo mace was a bludgeon akin to a hammer, featuring a small iron ball mounted atop a long shaft. In the Tang dynasty, it had served as an implement of corporal punishment before later becoming a ceremonial honor weapon, popularly called the 'golden melon' or 'guazhun.' Depending on the head's shape, they were divided into garlic-bulb maces and caltrop maces. The massive pairs of war hammers wielded by generals in stage plays were merely paper-and-cloth props. On an actual battlefield, apart from those born with superhuman strength or martial grandmasters, few could ever wield such weapons; swinging them required far too much stamina, and even if one could swing them, one could never sustain a prolonged fight. Thus, real war hammers featured relatively modest striking heads. A weapon like the guduo mace was even smaller, yet delivered devastating concussive force while remaining easy to conceal, making it a popular choice across the jianghu. A single blow from an ordinary man could crack solid bluestone. Behind him walked a middle-aged man in a green cloak. He held a tiger-brace bell in his right hand and hoisted a tall streamer in his left that read, 'Practicing Medicine to Deliver the World.' He had the typical appearance of a Skin Branch itinerant physician. His features were plain, his temples streaked with gray, and his steps were unhurried and leisurely, as though he were merely strolling through a garden—clearly present only to hold the line. Old Man Zhang's pupils contracted slightly. He slowly seated himself again and sneered, "Monkey Zhou, it seems your wronged parties aren't limited to just one." Zhou Pan's face turned thoroughly unsightly. In a deep voice, he demanded, "Who are you people, and what business do you have barging into my residence?" The scarred youth twirled the mace in his hand, mocking in a raspy voice, "Oh? Weren't you washing your hands in a golden basin? "What, once you've settled things with the jianghu gangs, mud-legged commoners like us aren't allowed to come knocking for an explanation?" Zhou Pan frowned with perplexity. "I recall no feud between us." "Of course you don't." The youth's laugh sounded like an evil ghost's screech as he cast a glance across the assembled crowd. "You jianghu folk run amok with your martial prowess, bullying the weak while fearing the strong. When you offend your peers in the jianghu, you call it an honorable grudge. But when common folk die at your hands, it doesn't matter in the least, does it?" Zhou Pan narrowed his triangular eyes. "If you want an explanation, you must state your case clearly." The youth laughed like a night owl. "Ten years ago, in Bazi Village outside Chang'an, several of your disciples barged into my home under the pretext of hunting down rebels. "Seeing how pretty my elder sister was, they had wicked designs on her and violated her. When my parents tried to stop them, they were beaten to death on the spot! Afterward, your disciples set fire to the house and claimed it was a rebel hideout! Who would have thought that a ghost like me could survive?" At these words, everyone understood, shaking their heads in disgust. Monkey Zhou had always been lax with his disciples, indulging and shielding their misdeeds. They had committed plenty of wickedness throughout Xianyang, so hearing of such an atrocity came as no surprise. Zhou Pan fell silent for a beat. "I truly knew nothing of this. In grievances there are perpetrators and in debts there are debtors. You should seek them out; why come looking for me?" The youth chuckled chillingly. "Don't worry, they are already dead. I skinned them alive with my own hands—and I didn't spare a single member of their families either. Tsk, tsk... Whole households of human skins steeped in bitter resentment fetched a handsome price! "And now, I've come knocking so you can accompany them on their way!" Hearing this, everyone exchanged horrified glances. Avenging oneself by exterminating entire households in such a bloody manner went far beyond what jianghu rules could resolve; the authorities were bound to step in. Sure enough, Guan Wanche stood up and waved his hand. The constables behind him instantly unslung their crossbows and barked, "Cease at once and come with us, or you will be executed on the spot!" "Executed on the spot?" The youth's scarred face twisted into a manic, hideous sneer. "You imperial dogs... Truly, this entire world is full of demons, and the very heavens are pitch-black. All of you deserve death!" The moment those words were spoken, the faces of everyone present changed drastically. Those words carried the unmistakable stench of open rebellion... Meanwhile, Li Yan stood with a solemn expression, his eyes fixed on the older man standing in the rear. From that man, he caught a familiar scent. It was the cockscomb snake he had encountered before!