Opportunity

Leaving Zhen Manor, Ding Songyan looked up at the blazing summer sun that still hung fierce in the sky. To go, or not to go? That "honored guest" at Zhen Manor claimed to excel in divination and calculated that between the beginning of the hour of the Rooster and the second quarter, an opportunity awaited him near the bathhouses on Hongxiu Street in Beili Ward. Who knew whether it was true or not... Checking it out wouldn't cost him anything anyway. At worst, he'd be laughed at tomorrow for actually falling for it. His skin was thick enough; he didn't care... With that mindset, Ding Songyan first went home to notify his younger sister, sparing them from searching all over for him later, and then turned toward Beili Ward. Though he had never been there, he had heard many people mention it. It was where the wasi entertainment quarters, singing houses, and brothels of Dingjiang Prefecture congregated. Wherever there were wasi, there were goulan theaters. Inside the goulan, all manner of variety arts were staged—zaju plays, puppet and shadow shows, storytelling, ballad singing, and more. Crowds flowed through them daily, and encircling the theaters were countless taverns, eateries, and gambling dens, with peddlers selling medicine, barbers giving trims, and diviners telling fortunes at every turn. In Ding Songyan's understanding, a wasi was essentially a commercial entertainment complex centered around theater performances. Once tired of wandering, one could find singing houses, brothels, and bathhouses nearby. A storyteller like him, whose fame was confined to the area around Duokang Temple, was not yet qualified to perform a session in a wasi. He could only be called an "itinerant performer." Asking for directions along the way, he arrived at Hongxiu Street. A casual glance showed a riot of vibrant colors competing for splendor everywhere, and even the air on the street seemed steeped in the scent of rouge and powder. As he strolled leisurely toward the bathhouse at the end of the street, he noticed that many of the singing houses were massive, intricate structures rising six or seven stories high. Standing on the top floor, one could likely see over the nearby northern wall and gaze out across the river. Behind these singing houses and brothels were usually multiple courtyards, from which the faint sounds of winding-water banquets and melodious pipes and strings drifted out. Unfortunately, it was still early. The colorful lanterns had not yet been lit, leaving them lacking a bit of their opulent glamour. "Nanfeng Brothel... Standing by the pavilion windows are actually men, some even dressed in bright red women's robes... Coming and going are women, but also men... You people of Great Zhao are certainly open-minded..." Ding Songyan curled his lip inwardly as he reached the only bathhouse on the street—Ganyue Guild. Bathhouses were public bathing establishments that charged a fee, named for the various fragrances, herbs, and flowers infused into the bathwater. Ding Songyan lingered in the shadows to the side of Ganyue Guild, idling away the time as he waited. It was still early before the hour of the Rooster. When standing grew tiresome, he squatted. When squatting wore him out, he paced back and forth along the street. When pacing grew annoying, he simply headed over to a roadside herb infusion stall. An herb infusion was boiled water steeped with flowers, herbs, and spices—a popular type of folk drink. The stall owner had set up a large cauldron, its boiling water bubbling away. "Perilla infusion, cardamom infusion, fragrant floral infusion for sale!" Seeing Ding Songyan approach, the vendor hastily cried out his wares. Ding Songyan pulled up a bench and sat down, asking with a smile, "In this scorching summer heat, why aren't you selling cold iced drinks instead of hot infusions?" "The singing houses, brothels, and bathhouses on Hongxiu Street all have their own iced drinks. How could I compete with them? Look at my face—does it look good?" The vendor pointed to his wrinkled, pitted face. "Not at all," Ding Songyan replied with utter honesty. "Exactly! If I had the coin, I'd go to Cuiliu Brothel to gaze upon beauties and have them serve me iced drinks, rather than stare at an old mug like mine." The vendor pointed toward Cuiliu Brothel opposite Ganyue Guild. It was one of the grandest singing houses on Hongxiu Street, a tiered wood-and-stone structure that seemed to rise seven stories high. "Customer, what would you like to drink?" After poking fun at himself, the vendor asked with a smile. Ding Songyan took down his purse. "Millet stalk infusion." It was the cheapest kind of infusion. The smile on the vendor's face gradually faded. Ladling boiling water into a bowl, he swished a bundle of rice straw pith through it seven or eight times, then tossed in a bit of coarse brown sugar. "Four copper coins," he said to Ding Songyan. Ding Songyan chuckled. "Outside Duokang Temple, it's only two coins a bowl." "This is Hongxiu Street," the vendor replied flatly. Having earned handsomely recently while spending very little, Ding Songyan did not haggle. He paid the four coins, took the bowl of millet stalk infusion, set it before him, and waited for it to cool down a bit. In the meantime, he turned slightly to keep a close eye on the front of Ganyue Guild and Cuiliu Brothel. Time drifted slowly by. Ding Songyan raised the bowl of millet stalk infusion, blew on it a few times, and took a sip. It carried a faint aroma of grain with a sweet aftertaste; it quenched thirst, though it did little to dispel the summer heat. Halfway through the drink, Ding Songyan noticed a commotion at the entrance of Cuiliu Brothel. In the blink of an eye, a figure was beaten out through the doorway and came tumbling to the ground. *My opportunity? He won't try to scam me, will he?* Ding Songyan had no desire to meddle, but considering the words of Zhen Manor's "honored guest," he set down his bowl, hurried over, and crouched down to help the man up. "Are you all right?" he asked as he supported him. The man wore a white scholar's robe with his hair disheveled. Sucking in cold air in pain, he shook his head and said, "I'm fine, I'm fine." When the man looked up, Ding Songyan was momentarily stunned. It was not because the man looked dashing or exceptionally distinguished, but because he had seen him before—at Zhen Manor! At that time, the main gates of Zhen Manor had been thrown wide open, and the eldest legitimate son had personally escorted this very man out with great reverence. Back then, this man wore a feather cloak and a high crown, trailed by four lovely maidservants and four bodyguards. He possessed a peculiar physical trait as well—unusually large ears resembling those of a hound. He had carried himself with immense grandeur, convincing Ding Songyan that he was of noble birth and possessed formidable martial prowess. Yet at this very moment, he had been beaten out of a brothel, bruised and battered with blood at the corner of his mouth, in utter disarray. After Ding Songyan helped him to his feet, the young master pulled out a cloth wrap and tied up his hair. The two large, yellowish-brown hound ears that had been pinned flat against his head beneath his hair sprang back into place with a soft snap, twitching slightly. *It really is him...* Ding Songyan had thought he might be mistaken, but now he was entirely certain. The plump, pale young master with puffy eyelids glanced at Ding Songyan and frowned suspiciously. "You know me?" As if realizing something, his expression began to sour. Ding Songyan hastily said, "I had the privilege of seeing you at Zhen Manor. At the time, you were exalted above the rest and likely didn't notice me. I had no idea you possessed such an elegant penchant for traveling in humble disguise like a dragon among minnows." The young master's expression softened. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he asked, "Are you from Zhen Manor?" "My maternal cousin is a concubine to the Zhen family's Second Lord." Ding Songyan, noting the change in the young master's demeanor, introduced his background first before feigning curiosity. "Young Master, did you dress like this without any attendants for fear that the people at Cuiliu Brothel might recognize your status?" The young master coughed twice. "The world values me solely for my status and cultivation realm. Today, I wished to set all that aside and see if, as an ordinary mortal, I could win the favor of Courtesan Leader Li through my own charm and eloquence alone. Who would have thought those snobs would judge a book by its cover and refuse to even give me a chance to meet her!" *Your only charm lies in your status and realm! Better not even speak of your 'charm and eloquence'... Never strip away your rank and power to test your personal allure, or you'll find you have none at all...* Ding Songyan kept the grumbling to himself, instead saying aloud, "Young Master, I can understand traveling in humble disguise. But when those snobs turned violent, why did you tolerate them instead of teaching them a small lesson?" The young master fell silent for a moment before replying, "Since I chose to go incognito, I cannot give up halfway. Wouldn't that be like an actor breaking character on stage?" As he spoke, he agitated the cut on the corner of his mouth and hissed involuntarily in pain. *You take your role far too seriously...* Ding Songyan's expression grew slightly stiff. "Meeting like this is destiny. I'll treat you to some wine." The young master flicked his sleeve and strode out toward the street, affecting an air of nonchalance. *Is my opportunity supposed to lie with him?* Ding Songyan could not tell the exact time, so he followed the distinguished young master out of Hongxiu Street and found a tavern nearby. The young master was just about to shout to the waiter, "Bring your best wine and food!" when he suddenly remembered his current guise. Lowering his voice, he corrected himself, "Bring four appetizers, and... and a jar of wine. Just whatever wine you like, nothing too expensive." After taking their seats by the window, the young master whispered to Ding Songyan, "I don't know what ordinary wines are called here, so I had to let them decide." "Understood." Ding Songyan, well versed in such worldly matters, turned over the teacups and poured water for them both, asking, "Might I know how to address you, Young Master?" "Ren Youyang." Having spoken his name, the young master straightened his back, wearing an expression that implied everyone in the world ought to know him. This only accentuated his battered, swollen face. Seeing Ding Songyan show no reaction, he asked in astonishment, "You've never heard of me?" "Never," Ding Songyan replied, shaking his head. Ren Youyang prompted him, "Have you never flipped through the Register of Orchids Under Heaven? Nor seen the Orchid Newcomer Ranks, which lists only young experts under thirty?" *All right, say no more. I get it—you're listed on the Orchid Newcomer Ranks, and the Register of Orchids Under Heaven has assessed your rank... But look at you right now, beaten into a pig's head...* Instead of answering "never" again, Ding Songyan adopted a face of utter shock. "Young Master Ren is actually on the Orchid Newcomer Ranks?" Ren Youyang beamed. The smile pulled at his bruised cheeks, drawing another soft wince and making his canine ears twitch. "I barely squeezed in, right at the very bottom," he said, picking up the teacup to sip plain water. Having heard plenty about the martial world lately, Ding Songyan offered praise without missing a beat: "The Orchid Newcomer Ranks only list a hundred people. For Young Master Ren to secure a spot is already proof that you are an exemplar among the realm's youthful heroes, a young knight-errant of renown in the jianghu." To avoid agitating the injuries on his face, Ren Youyang only smiled faintly. "Drop all this 'Young Master' and 'humble self' talk. Just call me Brother Ren or Brother Youyang. I'm twenty-four, and you look younger than me, so I'll call you Worthy Brother. "And what is your name, Worthy Brother?" Somewhat surprised, Ding Songyan gave his full name. *Isn't he getting familiar a bit too quickly?* Sensing his bewilderment, Ren Youyang pointed at himself and chuckled. "That's just how I am. If our temperaments align, strangers become old friends at first meeting. You happened to run into me just now and helped me up—that in itself is destiny. "Life is short; one ought to live freely and without restraint." *That "honored guest" at Zhen Manor really was spot on... Befriending someone of distinguished background like Ren Youyang truly counts as an opportunity...* Ding Songyan smiled and said, "Brother Youyang, then I won't stand on ceremony." As they chatted, the appetizers were brought out one by one. Ding Songyan took the opportunity to ask, "Brother Youyang, do you hail from a martial sect, or are you a scion of a prominent clan?" Ren Youyang tilted his chin slightly with pride. "I am a true disciple of the Zhenling Sect." *The Zhenling Sect? One of the Six Sects in Great Zhao's 'Six Sects and Four Schools'...* Ding Songyan's smile grew all the more warm and genial.