This time, Huang Rang was going to find another person.
She made her way down the mountain and entered an ancient residence. This was a merchant residence, inside which were displayed many elixirs, weapons, immortal herbs, and so on. Because there were so many varieties, there were four separate counters just for the shopkeepers.
Seeing her arrive, all four shopkeepers came forward to greet her.
Huang Rang’s smile was gentle and proper. She asked softly, “Elder Brother Xie isn’t here?”
The Elder Brother Xie she referred to was named Xie Yuanshu. Speaking of this Xie Yuanshu, his background was quite significant—he was Xie Lingbi’s biological son. Now he was at the outer gate, responsible for managing some of Yuhu Xuanzong’s businesses.
Although it was the first immortal sect, the disciples of Yuhu Xuanzong naturally weren’t people who didn’t partake of worldly food. Inside and outside the sect, top to bottom, every expense was enormous. Naturally, they also needed some businesses to support the establishment.
So Yuhu Xuanzong had branch merchants in many places. This merchant residence at present was at the foot of Yuhu Xuanzong’s mountain and did excellent business. Although the court’s Si Tianjian also had similar goods, the same items, when stamped with Yuhu Xuanzong’s mark, would command incomparable prices.
—The common people naturally trusted more these earthly immortals who universally practiced cultivation.
Xie Yuanshu was responsible for managing this place, which should have been a lucrative position.
But Xie Lingbi personally appointed four shopkeepers. As if afraid of making things difficult for Xie Hongchen, he restricted Xie Yuanshu’s authority very severely. Over these years, Xie Yuanshu, because of his love of wine and women, had caused many scandalous incidents.
Xie Lingbi thus looked down on him even more, and the father-son relationship was very tense. Instead, it was Xie Hongchen who, for Xie Lingbi’s sake, would help cover up slightly for Xie Yuanshu.
When Huang Rang asked about Xie Yuanshu, all the shopkeepers showed troubled expressions. The head shopkeeper said, “The eldest young master is in the inner room. This humble one will announce Madam immediately.”
In broad daylight, what was Young Master Xie doing hiding in the inner room? Though he didn’t say, Huang Rang had already guessed somewhat. She smiled and shook her head, saying, “Elder Brother Xie is not an outsider. I’ll go in and find him myself.” She carried the food box all the way into the inner room.
Inside this merchant residence was another hidden world. Before Huang Rang even entered, she smelled a fragrance of rouge and powder. Through the pearl curtain, women’s flirtatious voices faintly transmitted from inside.
Huang Rang lifted the curtain and entered. She saw three women surrounding Xie Yuanshu, competing to have him drink from their own cups of wine.
So the three each displayed their abilities. Some had wine in cups, some had wine in cherry-small mouths. And the more excessive one—wine poured directly down from her neck, instantly wetting her gauze clothing as thin as cicada wings.
As soon as Huang Rang entered, all three women became somewhat embarrassed. Xie Yuanshu coughed lightly, immediately stood up, and sent the three aside.
He casually straightened his lapels and said respectfully, “Sister-in-law, how did you come over?”
Xie Hongchen was younger than him in years. If you counted it out, wasn’t Huang Rang his sister-in-law? In front of Huang Rang, Xie Yuanshu had always been relatively proper—he was always causing trouble. If not for Xie Hongchen smoothing things over for him, he’d probably have been beaten to death by Xie Lingbi long ago.
Xie Hongchen knew his habits, so he also controlled him very strictly. So much so that although Xie Yuanshu detested Xie Hongchen, he didn’t dare be presumptuous in front of Huang Rang.
Huang Rang sat down at the table’s edge, opened the food box, and said, “Today I had leisure, so I came to see elder brother. Oh my, why is elder brother standing? Please sit quickly.”
Her body was very fragrant. Xie Yuanshu caught the scent. He sat down across from Huang Rang and waved his hand to have the three women beside him withdraw. After the people left, Huang Rang handed him chopsticks. “Today the wind is cool, and I also couldn’t walk fast. By the time the pastries got here, they’d all cooled down.”
Huang Rang’s words carried a sigh. Xie Yuanshu hurriedly took the chopsticks, first ate a piece, then said, “Delicious, delicious. Sister-in-law’s skill—cold or hot, it’s all delicious.” Having said this, he laughed sarcastically again. “I’m naturally not like the sect master—I don’t have his finicky mouth.”
He mentioned Xie Hongchen. Huang Rang’s expression darkened and she didn’t respond, but instead lifted the pot and poured him a cup of wine.
Xie Yuanshu wasn’t very surprised. Huang Rang was always this considerate. Even knowing that he and Xie Lingbi were at odds, ordinarily she still treated him extremely well. So comparatively speaking, Xie Yuanshu and Huang Rang actually got along harmoniously. He said, “Today sister-in-law’s brows are furrowed with worry. What has happened? Had a conflict with the sect master?”
Huang Rang’s eyes showed sorrow as she said, “Elder brother, it’s not as if you don’t understand him. Today I merely said something casually and already angered him again.”
Hearing these words, Xie Yuanshu was actually curious. “Sister-in-law usually always knows his mind. What did you say today that actually displeased him?”
Huang Rang sighed and said, “Last time when elder brother had relations with a woman, that girl became pregnant…”
“Why are you bringing up this matter again?” Xie Yuanshu immediately became very panicked. “Didn’t that matter pass long ago?”
Huang Rang could truly bring up his shameful matters at her fingertips, like counting family treasures. “I also advised him this way. But he said elder brother forced that woman to miscarry and coldly watched her bleed without saving her—utterly inhumane. He absolutely must report it to Old Ancestor.”
“How can he do this?!” Xie Yuanshu stood up fiercely and angrily said, “Didn’t I compensate Zhen’er’s maternal family, and they also agreed not to pursue it anymore!”
Huang Rang’s voice was helpless. “Elder brother knows his character. I merely advised him a couple of sentences, and he… immediately reprimanded me harshly with severity. Elder brother, I’ve served him for a hundred years. Though we’re called husband and wife, what difference is there really from a servant maid? Called at a summons, dismissed with a wave. Slightly displeasing, and he can scold at will.”
As she spoke, tears fell. Truly tears like pearls, her countenance absolutely beautiful.
Xie Yuanshu sighed deeply. After a long while he said, “Am I not the same? Over many years, though I carry the title of Xie Lingbi’s son, when have things ever gone my way?” Having said this, he raised his wine cup and drank another cup. “In all of Yuhu Xuanzong, the old ancestor is Xie Lingbi, the sect master is Xie Hongchen. What does it have to do with me?! I was banished to the outer gate. Even watching over a shop requires four shopkeepers!”
He laughed in extreme anger and gulped down another cup. “What the hell am I anyway?”
Huang Rang also accompanied him in drinking a cup. She drank slowly—one cup of hers was already enough to accompany Xie Yuanshu through finishing an entire pot of wine.
This wine was brewed fragrant. Because Xie Hongchen didn’t particularly like sweetness, it only had a sweet aftertaste in the mouth. Xie Yuanshu drank until his heart raced and his spirit swayed. Looking again at the beautiful Huang Rang before him with furrowed moth-like brows—truly soul-stirring in every way.
His lustful courage suddenly arose. He slowly grasped Huang Rang’s fingertips. Seeing she didn’t avoid him, his heart filled with wild joy even more as he said, “We’re both pitiful people.”
Huang Rang slowly withdrew her hand, turned to draw out a silk handkerchief, lightly pressed her eyes, and after a long while sighed softly, “My entire life has been buried at Qilu Terrace.”
Xie Yuanshu’s wine energy surged upward. Suddenly he had a bit of courage. He suddenly asked in a small voice, “Doesn’t sister-in-law want to defy heaven and change fate?”
Huang Rang’s eyes were red-rimmed, tears trembling on the verge of falling. “My fate in this life is already fixed. How can it be changed?”
Xie Yuanshu suddenly drew near her and said, “If I became the sect master of this Yuhu Xuanzong, I absolutely wouldn’t coldly leave a beauty to guard an empty room alone. Wouldn’t sister-in-law’s fate then be changed?”
Huang Rang seemed startled and hurriedly said, “Elder brother mustn’t speak nonsense. Xie Hongchen’s cultivation—how could elder brother… take him down?” She deliberately provoked him. Sure enough, Xie Yuanshu grew angrier and fiercely threw the wine cup to the ground. “I refuse to believe I can’t compare to a mere Xie Hongchen! Back then if not for father being biased, he’s an outsider—what qualification does he have to lead the immortal sect?!”
Broken porcelain shards scattered everywhere. Huang Rang was startled into shrinking into a ball.
Xie Yuanshu turned his head. A drunken beauty startled—like a helpless little rabbit, like a bright pearl cast into darkness, like all beautiful things in the world.
He surged forward fiercely, grasped Huang Rang’s wrist in one motion, and said, “As long as you trust me, I’ll change your fate for you!”
Huang Rang gazed at his eyes. The beauty’s eyes brimmed with tears. Xie Yuanshu felt as if infinite power had been injected into him. He gripped Huang Rang’s wrist even tighter, forcing her to draw near himself. “Believe me!”
Huang Rang gazed at this twisted face and gently nodded her head.
Xie Yuanshu was wildly ecstatic, his lustful heart arising again. He drew near Huang Rang and said, “When I succeed, I will definitely marry you as my wife. Huang Rang, you will forever be Yuhu Xuanzong’s sect mistress.” He reached out his hand, almost obsessively wanting to touch Huang Rang’s face. “Though Xie Hongchen isn’t a decent thing, his eye for women is truly excellent. Only a beauty like you deserves to be Yuhu Xuanzong’s sect mistress…”
Huang Rang’s eyes lowered. The beauty’s sorrow was hazy as mist. She said softly, “Shulang, you mustn’t betray me.”