New and dark light years

Chapter 239 Noblemen
Xiangjun.

After nearly ten days of riding at high speed, even though Li Lin was only a semi-cultivator, he now smelled a bit sour and foul.

After arriving in Xiang County, Li Lin found an inn to stay in.

I had a nice, relaxing shower.

Then I paid and checked out of the room.

The reason is simple: there are too many江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world or江湖义气, a code of honor

Although Li Lin was dressed as a scholar, he still attracted a lot of attention when he entered the inn.

He didn't want to get into conflict with other martial arts figures so soon, so he left.

As an 'official,' and a wealthy and powerful one at that, his advantages became immediately apparent.

He went to the broker again and bought a small house with a courtyard.

They even bought a thirteen-year-old maid to help with housework.

After all, he came here to seize opportunities, not to truly live a life.

Don't let too many trivial matters affect your mind and judgment.

The house has two bedrooms, a living room, a small courtyard, and a sweet well.

Because of this sweet well, the house is quite expensive.

But Li Lin took it down very easily.

After all... he really is quite rich.

About one-sixth of the money he obtained from Kongji Temple ended up in his pocket.

Then Jiang Jili also received one-sixth; he was responsible for balancing the accounts, so he was entitled to this much.

The county magistrate and the county commandant together accounted for one-third of the total.

Then, the Southern Route Army, the Yulin Township Army, and the county government officials together accounted for one-third of the total.

The last third was handed over to the Jin County government.

It's fair to say that the money obtained from raiding Kongji Temple made everyone in the Yulin County government extremely wealthy.

The price of this small courtyard house is not even a drop in the ocean compared to Li Lin's 'one-sixth'.

Buying it was a piece of cake.

The maid was named Xiaoping. She was dark-skinned and thin, like a bamboo pole. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't be able to tell that she was a girl.

She was sitting on the doorstep, holding a bowl of rice, and digging it up with all her might.

Li Lin stayed in the room, made some small paper figures, and threw them into a dark corner.

He didn't let the little paper doll run around; he just kept an eye on the house.

After all, his nickname "Paper Prince" was widely known in the martial arts world.

The sight of a moving paper figure almost immediately brings him to mind.

He doesn't want his identity to be revealed so soon.

After making a few paper figures, Li Lin said to Xiao Ping, "Rest well after dinner. I'm going out for a walk."

Xiaoping nodded gently, then retreated to the side somewhat self-consciously, not daring to get too close.

Li Lin seemed too 'wealthy', at least that's how she perceived it.

After leaving the house, Li Lin walked down the street, fanning himself with a paper fan.

Xiangjun has always been a prosperous place, and Xiangcheng, as the center, is naturally no exception.

In terms of commercial prosperity alone, it is even more prosperous than Jin County.

At least in this city, there are several more streets that never sleep.

The winding river flows through the center of Xiangcheng, with a continuous stream of painted boats on both sides of the river.

The lights were so bright that it was as if it were daytime.

Li Lin looked around and boarded the largest pleasure boat.

Then he was surrounded by a group of beautiful women and led upstairs.

The customers around them looked on with great envy.

Although prostitution is a business, in the pleasure boats, the women value talent most, then looks, and lastly money.

In other words... the experience for the wealthy here is very poor.

At least ordinary people and the vast majority of martial arts practitioners are not even qualified to board this largest painted boat in Xiangcheng.

Lanyue Tower.

Li Lin sat at the table, not in a hurry to eat, nor did he touch the beautiful women around him. He simply said, "Let's listen to a little tune first."

"Would you prefer some soothing music or a more sensual tune, young master?" a lively woman asked.

This immediately drew laughter from the women around them. "Everyone, give us a verse!"

"Good Le!"

A woman carrying a pipa came over and sat down next to Li Lin.

She smiled and then began to pluck the strings with her fingers.

The sound was clearly urgent, but the music was surprisingly soothing.

Li Lin didn't understand the pipa or music theory, but he could still hear the serene and distant feeling in the piece.

After the woman finished playing, Li Lin nodded slightly: "You played well, you deserve a reward."

So Li Lin brazenly stuffed a silver note into the other man's upper garment.

If this action is performed by an overweight person or someone who is not good-looking, it will only make them look like a greasy, lewd man.

But when Li Lin does it, coupled with a gaze devoid of any lust, that becomes 'fun'.

The woman who was given the silver notes wasn't angry; she just giggled.

The women around them were actually quite envious.

Then another woman came over carrying a qin (a seven-stringed zither) and placed it on the table.

She pushed aside one of her 'sisters' and said, 'My turn.'

This is now a erotic song.

The woman plucked the strings of her zither, and a melodious sound flowed through her as she began to sing softly:

Spring is in full bloom in the small courtyard, and the flowers are about to fall.
I'm too lazy to adorn myself with hair ornaments, too lazy to comb my black hair.

Alone I lean against the vermilion railing, gazing into the distance, my eyes lost in the clouds and mountains, a thousand miles away.

Old handkerchiefs, new marks, and old tears upon old ones.
Counting down the days until my return, I am always thwarted by the east wind.

Swallows chirped softly on the painted beams, while a lonely figure lay awake in the cold quilt. (The erotic poem failed to pass censorship, so I can only upload the normal version.)

Although the lyrics were erotic, when this woman sang them, her voice was sweet and clear, her eyes sparkled with a captivating charm, and she was clearly a woman of great allure.

Li Lin listened and nodded.

After the woman finished singing, he also said, "That was also very good."

After saying that, he stuffed another silver note into the other person's... pocket.

The woman laughed heartily, not minding Li Lin's advances at all. Instead, she covered half her face with her sleeve, half shy and embarrassed, and asked, "Would you be willing to spend the night with me, sir?"

Li Lin smiled and said, "It's not the right time yet..."

Then he changed the subject and said, "I'm new to Xiangcheng. For some reason, there are a lot more martial arts people here. They look fierce and menacing, which makes me a little scared."

Li Lin's words immediately resonated with the women.

They started talking all at once.

"That's right, those martial arts practitioners have all come to Xiangcheng from other places."

"I heard they're here to steal treasure."

"What treasure?"

"Huaxi County, didn't something happen there a while ago? I heard that Chazi went there, and there's some kind of magical treasure about to be born."

"Huaxi County is just to our west, only half an hour away."

"Yes, there are even more martial arts practitioners in Huaxi County. I heard that the inns there are all full, so many people stay in the county town."

“Young master, stay away from those people. If those bumpkins were to scratch your face with a sharp weapon, we sisters would be heartbroken.”

…………

These women, one after another, revealed a great deal of information.

Li Lin secretly made a mental note of it.

Therefore, if you want to get information, you don't necessarily have to go to the waiter at an inn or restaurant; you can do it at a brothel.

As long as you have money.

Li Lin chatted with the women for a while longer, drank a few sips of wine, and then decided to leave.

We couldn't get any useful information from here, so we were thinking of trying another pleasure boat.

Just then, a slightly plump man walked over, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "This young master looks unfamiliar; I've never seen him in the city before. Where did you come from?"

The other person looked like a wealthy man, but Li Lin could tell that he walked very steadily and took larger steps than the average person.

He must be a martial arts practitioner, someone who has trained in the martial arts world.

Li Lin feigned annoyance at being disturbed: "Why should I tell you?"

The man smiled and said, "Young master, you have an elegant demeanor and an extraordinary appearance. You are clearly of noble birth. I cannot help but want to get to know you."

(End of this chapter)