bookrebus Chapter 818 General Liu's Test
Chapter 818 General Liu's Test
Days passed, the music and dance of Zui Chun Fang continued unabated, and Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie gradually "integrated" into the life there. Lin Xiaoyan's "fiery and wild" nature became her trademark; the rough-and-tumble soldiers loved her indomitable spirit. She drank heartily and spoke without restraint, which allowed her to extract useful bits and pieces of information from those unbridled drunkards. Bai Jie's "talented and gentle" nature attracted another type of customer: the rebel advisors who considered themselves refined scholars, or mid-level officers like Deputy General Wang with some cultural background. They loved to have her play music and sing, and discuss "refined" matters. Bai Jie always managed to subtly guide the conversation and capture the key points.
However, the taller the tree, the more the wind blows. Their "outstanding" qualities gradually caught the attention of some more astute individuals.
First, there was Aunt Hong. This madam had been in the sex industry for decades; what kind of people hadn't she seen? At first, she thought these two women were just ordinary prostitutes trying to make a living—one skilled, the other beautiful. But as time went on, she discovered that these two were not so simple.
Beneath Bai Jie's "gentleness" always lay a sense of aloofness. Her clear eyes seemed to hold the vastness of the universe, suggesting she was no longer someone destined for subservience. While her musical skills were undoubtedly superb, the pieces she played sometimes possessed a profound and evocative quality, subtly conveying thoughts of war and patriotism—far from the decadent music of typical brothels. What made Aunt Hong even more suspicious was that Bai Jie, seemingly uninterested in the military affairs discussed by the officers, would always manage to entice them to elaborate with a perfectly chosen poem or allusion at a crucial moment, only to forget everything afterward and never inquire further.
Lin Xiaoyan's "fiery and wild" nature, however, went a bit too far. She could drink a lot, was unbeatable at drinking games, and once, a drunken junior officer tried to grope her. With a seemingly casual push, she sent him sprawling on his back, unable to get up for a long time. Her skills were far beyond those of an ordinary girl. Moreover, she was exceptionally familiar with every corner of the Drunken Spring Brothel. Sometimes, when one of the girls encountered a difficult customer, she would "coincidentally" appear, and with a few words, either using her fiery temper to subdue the situation or defusing the awkwardness with a few witty remarks, it seemed as if she was secretly protecting something, or perhaps observing something.
Aunt Hong saw it all and kept it in mind, but she remained outwardly calm. However, she seemed to be paying more attention to the two of them, and her eyes held a hint of scrutiny.
That day, Aunt Hong, under the pretext of checking the room's cleanliness, came to Bai Jie's room alone. The room was elegantly clean, just like Bai Jie herself. Aunt Hong looked around, her gaze landing on an inconspicuous orchid on the windowsill. The orchid's leaves were upright and graceful, definitely not an ordinary flower in the neighborhood.
"Miss Bai Ling, what a refined taste you have, keeping such a beautiful orchid." Aunt Hong said casually.
Bai Jie felt a slight chill in her heart. This orchid was something she had arranged to use to send a "safety" signal; the direction and number of leaves represented different meanings. She smiled gently and said, "Aunt Hong, you flatter me. I have loved flowers and plants since I was a child. I just happened to get this on the road and keep it to relieve my boredom."
Aunt Hong walked over to the orchid and gently touched the leaves with her finger. "Oh? This orchid seems to have some finesse; even the direction of its leaves shows a certain order. Unlike us rough folks, who grow flowers however we please." Her sharp gaze turned to Bai Jie.
Bai Jie's heart tightened, but she showed just the right amount of surprise and shyness on her face: "Aunt Hong is too kind. I don't know anything about the rules. Maybe it was just the wind. Please forgive me, Aunt Hong." She lowered her eyes, her fingers curling slightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.
Just as tensions were rising, a commotion and Lin Xiaoyan's angry shouts suddenly came from downstairs.
"You blind fool! How dare you touch my butt? You're asking for trouble!"
"You've gone too far! You dare to lay a hand on a bitch!" A rough male voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of tables and chairs colliding.
Aunt Hong frowned, cursing under her breath for being interrupted in her investigation of Bai Jie's identity. She gave Bai Jie a deep look, her gaze meaningful: "Miss, please continue with your business. I'll go downstairs and take a look." With that, she hurried downstairs.
Bai Jie breathed a sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat already forming on her back. What a close call! It was Xiaoyan! She immediately understood that Lin Xiaoyan had noticed the commotion upstairs and deliberately created the chaos to extricate herself.
Downstairs, Lin Xiaoyan stood with her hands on her hips, confronting a rebellious low-ranking officer with a menacing expression. The officer, nearly knocked over by Lin Xiaoyan's shove, was enraged and about to retaliate. Lin Xiaoyan, however, showed no fear, her eyes fierce, ready to fight to the death: "What? You want to fight? Let me tell you, in this Drunken Spring Brothel, do you think you can tarnish my reputation? Aunt Hong! Aunt Hong! Come quick! This guy's being a scoundrel and trying to hit someone!"
Aunt Hong arrived and, seeing the scene, felt both headache and helplessness. She knew Lin Xiaoyan was not someone to be trifled with, and she knew these military officers were even more difficult to deal with. She quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Oh dear, Deputy General Li, please be magnanimous and don't take offense at our 'Yanzi'. She just has a fiery temper. 'Yanzi,' quickly apologize to Deputy General Li!"
Lin Xiaoyan retorted, "Why should I apologize? He laid a hand on me first!"
"You!" Lieutenant General Li's face turned ashen with anger.
Aunt Hong quickly pulled Li, the deputy general, aside, whispered a few words to him, and slipped him a purse. Only then did Li's expression soften slightly. He glared at Lin Xiaoyan, cursed, and led his men away.
The storm subsided. Aunt Hong pulled Lin Xiaoyan aside, her face darkening: "Yanzi! You're becoming more and more outrageous! Offending the military commander will not only ruin your career, but the entire Zuichunfang will be in trouble!"
Lin Xiaoyan lowered her head, as if she had suffered a great injustice, and her voice trembled as she said, "Aunt Hong, he hit me first... I... I just couldn't stand it..."
Seeing her like this, Aunt Hong's doubts dissipated somewhat, and she sighed, "Alright, alright, be more restrained in the future! Harmony is the most important thing." In the end, she was more willing to believe that this was just a wild girl who would get angry when she was wronged.
Lin Xiaoyan returned upstairs and gave Bai Jie a reassuring look. The two returned to their respective rooms, their eyes meeting, both seeing the gravity in each other's gazes. Aunt Hong was beginning to suspect something; they had to be even more careful.
An even greater crisis was about to unfold.
General Liu, the most capable intelligence chief under General Ma San, known as the "Smiling Tiger," suddenly visited Zui Chun Fang. He was said to be meticulous and ruthless, Ma San's right-hand man. He specifically requested that the "talented and versatile" Bai Ling and the "uniquely charming" Yan Zi accompany him.
This was undoubtedly a trap.
The atmosphere in the private room was oppressive. Commander Liu was around fifty years old, with a kind face and a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but his eyes were like those of a venomous snake, sending chills down one's spine. More importantly, the two women couldn't discern Commander Liu's cultivation level. On the surface, he appeared to be a martial artist at the Great Perfection of the Profound Realm, seemingly not having even entered the Earth Realm. However, at his age, this seemed unusual, though they couldn't quite put their finger on it.
"I've long heard that Miss Bailing's zither skills are unparalleled in Black Iron City, and Miss Yanzi has a straightforward and honest personality. Meeting you today, I can confirm that your reputations are well-deserved." General Liu held his wine cup with a beaming smile.
Bai Jie played the zither, while Lin Xiaoyan stood by pouring wine; both of them were fully focused.
After a few rounds of drinks, General Liu suddenly changed the subject and looked at Bai Jie: "Miss Bai Ling, judging from your accent, you are from Jiangnan? I wonder where exactly your hometown is? I have an old friend in Jiangnan, you might even know him."
This is a test! A thought flashed through Bai Jie's mind in an instant. She had already memorized the fabricated identity and background. She smiled slightly and said softly, "My hometown is a small town outside Suzhou in Jiangnan. It's very remote. General Liu's old friend must be an important person. I'm afraid I, a mere woman, have no chance to meet him."
"Oh? Outside Suzhou? Which town?" General Liu pressed, his smile unchanged, but his eyes growing sharper.
"Hibiscus Town," Bai Jie replied calmly; this was a place name they had prepared long ago.
General Liu pondered for a moment, seemingly recalling something, or perhaps trying to discern the truth in her words. "Hibiscus Town...that's an elegant name. Is their specialty a rice wine called 'Drunken Spring Breeze'?"
Bai Jie's heart skipped a beat! She only knew the name Furong Town, but had no idea about "Drunken Spring Breeze" rice wine! This was a trap deliberately set by Commander Liu! Her mind raced, but her face remained calm with a perfectly appropriate hint of confusion: "Commander Liu, you flatter me. I've been away from home for many years, and I can't remember much about the town. I only remember that the rice wine from my hometown was indeed fragrant and mellow, but as for the name... I've forgotten it. Please forgive my ignorance, Commander Liu." She cleverly used "being away from home for many years" and "forgetting" to cover up her misunderstanding.
Lieutenant General Liu remained noncommittal, then turned to Lin Xiaoyan: "Miss Yanzi looks like a woman from the North, and she has a fiery temper. I wonder which school of martial arts she studied under? Her movements downstairs just now were quite swift."
The finger was pointed at Lin Xiaoyan! Lin Xiaoyan cursed the old fox inwardly, but a roguish smile appeared on her face: "General Liu, you really know how to joke. I'm just a country girl who learned a few farming tricks from my father; I'm not from any particular school. I was just desperate and swung around randomly. Please excuse my rudeness." She deliberately used "俺" (ǎn) instead of "我" (wǒ) to make it sound more vulgar.
"Oh? What does your father do? How could he be so skilled?" General Liu pressed closer.
“My dad…my dad was a hunter. Years ago, he encountered a tiger in the mountains. He survived only by sheer brute force and a few clumsy skills. When he came back, he taught me a few tricks to save my life.” Lin Xiaoyan said, scratching her head deliberately, looking simple and honest.
General Liu watched the two silently, the air in the private room seemingly frozen. Bai Jie's fingers lightly pressed on the strings; if General Liu took another step forward, she wouldn't hesitate to use the strings as a weapon. Lin Xiaoyan's hand also quietly moved to the dagger at her waist.
After a long while, General Liu suddenly burst into laughter: "These two young ladies are truly remarkable! One has forgotten the name of her hometown's wine, and the other is a hunter's daughter. Both are interesting, both are interesting! Come, let's drink, let's drink! I was presumptuous, I'll punish myself with a cup!" He picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, as if the probing had never happened.
Bai Jie and Lin Xiaoyan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly forced smiles and drinks, but the alarm bells in their hearts rang even more urgently. This Commander Liu was definitely an extremely dangerous person. Although he didn't react on the spot, he clearly didn't completely believe their story.
After seeing off Lieutenant General Liu, the two returned to their room, both looking somewhat pale.
"Have we been exposed?" Lin Xiaoyan asked in a low voice, a hint of murderous intent flashing in her eyes. "No, we have to strike first and take down General Liu and Aunt Hong..."
"No!" Bai Jie immediately stopped her. "We can't be sure yet! Lieutenant General Liu only suspects, he has no evidence. If we act now, it will only confirm our identities, and all our previous efforts will be in vain! As for Aunt Hong, she's just shrewd, she may not know our true purpose."
"What should we do? Lieutenant General Liu will definitely investigate our background!" Lin Xiaoyan said anxiously.
Bai Jie pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in her eyes: "We must speed up our operation! The appearance of Lieutenant General Liu indicates that Ma San's forces have become wary. We must obtain the core intelligence as soon as possible, and then find a way to evacuate!"
"What about Aunt Hong and Lieutenant General Liu..."
"We need to find a way to keep Aunt Hong calm. After all, she's a cunning old fox, and she'll see through our disguise if we're not careful. So, we need to keep acting like before and do our job properly. As long as we can convince Aunt Hong that we're just ordinary girls, all the problems will be solved." Bai Jie said, gently stroking her chin, a sly glint in her eyes.
However, when General Liu was mentioned, Bai Jie's expression suddenly turned serious: "But as for that General Liu... hehe, he's really a troublesome fellow! This guy is meticulous and cunning. If we're not careful, it'll be difficult to get any useful information from him. But no matter what, since we've already accepted this mission, we have to do our best to complete it! No matter how treacherous the road ahead, we absolutely cannot back down! Of course, if it really comes to the worst, we might have to take some risks..." As she said this, Bai Jie's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if she had made up her mind.
At this moment, the night grew deeper, and the bustling and vibrant Zuichunfang was devoid of its daytime vibrancy, replaced by a deathly silence. But who could have imagined that beneath this seemingly calm surface, a series of terrifying undercurrents were surging? Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie, these two women who seemed to dance on a knife's edge, were caught in an unprecedented crisis. They knew very well that in the days to come, any misstep in decision-making or action could plunge them into an abyss of destruction. But even so, for the sake of their sacred and inviolable mission, they had no other way out but to grit their teeth and bravely charge forward.