The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 337 Bait
The Western Xia people were far inferior to the Han people in Jiangnan in terms of both culture and aesthetics. Even their brothels exuded a crude atmosphere, and the rooms were not exquisitely decorated, at most just a little bit of decoration.

Chen He pulled Wu Chengyu to sit in the private room, grinning widely, his eyes glancing at Wu Chengyu every now and then, his lips twitching slightly, looking somewhat malicious.

Wu Chengyu could only wait and see, but he didn't sense any malice from Chen He; it seemed more like a prank.

After a moment's thought, he immediately understood Chen He's meaning. This guy had deliberately dragged him to the brothel, seemingly hoping to see him make a fool of himself.

According to his own information as Nie Tiegen, he cannot break his vow of celibacy because he practices special martial arts, but he is always unable to resist lust. He can only visit brothels to enjoy the scenery and satisfy his cravings while forcibly enduring them, which he finds quite enjoyable.

Chen He was a man of unconventional and mischievous ideas. While he certainly intended to continue testing Wu Chengyu, he also wanted to see Wu Chengyu make a fool of himself. It must be said that he was somewhat similar to his close friends in later generations who liked to tease him.

However, as the intelligence chief of Yangwu Guild and a confidant of Princess Yuzhu, he could not possibly be so shallow. Therefore, his trip to the brothel tonight would not be peaceful.

Despite these thoughts, Wu Chengyu continued to chat and laugh with Chen He on the surface. The two of them were scheming and pretending to be friendly, but no one knew what they were really thinking.

Before long, a madam brought over a group of girls, all dressed provocatively. Compared to the coy and veiled manner of the brothels in Jiangnan, which only made people itch with desire, the girls here seemed to be more voluptuous.

"Come on, Brother Nie, don't be shy. Take your pick. The princess will cover all expenses tonight."

When he said this, Chen He looked like a little mouse that had stolen some lamp oil, his eyes full of mischief.

According to Nie Tiegen's character, even if he can't actually fight, he must act like a seasoned womanizer and show no fear.

He sized up the girl in front of him and suddenly remembered Cui Nong, whom he had met before. He didn't frequent many brothels, but they all had a Cui Nong, which was a common name for brothel women in this era. He turned to the smiling madam and asked her a question.

Do you have a girl named Cui Nong here?

The madam looked at Chen He with some doubt, then bowed and replied, "Sir, all the girls in my Red Apricot Pavilion are good, but there really isn't one named Cui Nong."

Wu Chengyu inwardly lamented that his tradition of always encountering Cui Nong at brothels had been broken, and it seemed that his fate with Cui Nong had finally come to an end.

“Brother Nie, why are you looking for a girl named Cui Nong? If you are looking for someone, just leave it to me. As long as she is in my Xia Kingdom, I can find her.”

"Brother Chen, you're too kind. It's not that I'm looking for Cui Nong, but rather that Cui Nong is always looking for me. It's a bit of a pity that I haven't seen her here in Xia Country."

Chen He smiled, but he kept the name Cui Nong in mind. When he got back, he would definitely send people to find the woman named Cui Nong. This was a basic quality of an intelligence chief: to be suspicious.

However, he still spoke in a romantic tone: "Since there is no Miss Cui Nong, why don't you choose one from here, Brother Nie? The girls of my Xia Kingdom are passionate and unrestrained, and they will surely give you an unforgettable memory."

Wu Chengyu casually glanced around. This time, he finally didn't call for a change of group. He pointed to the second girl on the left in the row. She wasn't tall and was dressed rather conservatively among the group of women.

The main reason for choosing her is that she wears the least makeup among all the women, so she looks more innocent.

But she only looked innocent. As Wu Chengyu pointed at her, this girl, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen, became quite bold. Without hesitation, she walked to Wu Chengyu's side and sat down directly on his lap.

Wu Chengyu immediately moved the woman to a chair next to him, keeping a distance. This made Chen He even happier. He kept glancing at Wu Chengyu's lower body, trying to see if anything changed.

Wu Chengyu ignored him and turned to the woman, asking, "What's your name?"

“My lord, you may call me whatever you wish. I may even be called Cui Nong.”

"Forget it, I think you'd be better called Ru Hua, after all, every brothel should have a Ru Hua."

"Haha, Brother Nie is right, as beautiful as a flower, what a wonderful name," Chen He said with a laugh, as he pulled a girl into his lap and began to grope her. At the same time, he raised an eyebrow at Wu Chengyu, as if to say, "I can do it, but you can't."

Wu Chengyu could only pretend not to know, occasionally joking with Ruhua and exchanging toasts with Chen He, waiting quietly for the truth to be revealed tonight.

Sure enough, not long after, someone knocked on the door. The knocking was perfunctory, and before the people inside could react, the knocker casually pushed the door open and entered.

When Wu Chengyu looked up, he saw a typical Tangut man with a receding hairline and a row of small braids around his head. He was dressed very luxuriously and had an arrogant expression, definitely befitting a nobleman from Western Xia.

Chen He, who had just been all smiles, turned ashen-faced. He immediately stood up, nearly knocking the woman off him, then slammed his hand on the table and demanded an explanation.

"Tangwu Guangzhen, what are you doing here? You are not welcome here." Wu Chengyu's eyes were fixed on Chen He. This guy seemed very annoyed by this uninvited guest, and he could not see any flaws. However, Wu Chengyu's intuition told him that Chen He did not seem surprised by this person who suddenly barged in.

“You, surnamed Chen, are just a Han Chinese. If it weren’t for Princess Yuzhu’s support, you would still be a slave. How could you be qualified to speak to me?”

After saying this, Tang Wuguang completely ignored Chen He. He truly didn't take Chen He seriously and instead turned to stare at Wu Chengyu.

"I suppose you are Nie Feng. I heard that you took a palm strike from Princess Yuzhu and were able to visit brothels in just two days. It seems that your martial arts skills are indeed quite accomplished."

"Today, I, your humble servant, will bestow upon you wealth and honor. If you leave the Yangwu Guild now and serve His Highness the Crown Prince at my Ronghua Guild, I guarantee you a lifetime of riches and honor. But if you remain obstinate, once my Crown Prince ascends the throne, there will be no place for you in this world."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and immediately a servant came in carrying a tray full of gold, at least two hundred taels.

"Well, as long as you nod, this will be your first gift from the Crown Prince. You will be rewarded even more for your future merits. For someone of Han Chinese descent like you, the Crown Prince is willing to give you a chance. Why don't you kneel down and thank him right now?"

It turns out he was a poacher. His appearance wasn't surprising, as it's said that the two top-tier retainers of Yangwu Guild were poached with gold and silver.

The fact that he fought against Wu Qianyu and Princess Yuzhu at Yangwu Guild Hall must have been known to outsiders long ago.

It's not surprising that the information was leaked. It's perfectly normal for Yangwu Guild to have spies from the other two guilds, and similarly, those two guilds definitely have spies from Yangwu Guild.

With the tournament just days away, the sudden appearance of a new expert at Yangwu Martial Arts Hall will undoubtedly alert other martial arts halls, who will likely try to take action against them, using both threats and inducements. This is not surprising at all.

Unexpectedly, Wu Chengyu now had a slight doubt. He suddenly felt that Chen He's decision to take him to the brothel tonight was definitely intentional. Seeing him make a fool of himself was just a small personal expectation. The real purpose was to make him appear in the sight of the other two major brothels.

If it were truly for self-protection, one should stay in the guild hall. With Princess Yuzhu in charge, no one would dare to cause trouble inside.

Only if I come out will the two major institutions take action, so Chen He's goal is to get me out, and I seem to have become bait.

Seeing Wu Chengyu remain silent, a hint of displeasure flashed in Tangwu Guangzhen's eyes. This man had always been proud of his noble status and looked down on the Han people. In his opinion, Wu Chengyu should have bowed down after he finished speaking.

Wu Chengyu turned his gaze to Tangwu Guangzhen, and then sensed Chen He's condition, noticing that the guy's heartbeat suddenly accelerated the moment he turned his head.

Wu Chengyu thought to himself, "This guy isn't entirely in control either. The premise of using me as bait is whether Wu Chengyu will take someone else's bait."

If Wu Chengyu nods now, accepts the gold, and turns to leave with Tangwu Guangzhen, Chen He will be unable to stop him. If he tries to steal a chicken but loses his rice instead, he will be punished by Princess Yuzhu when he returns. This guy's plan is also risky.

However, Wu Chengyu would definitely not leave Yangwu Hall, as this was related to whether he could obtain the martial arts inheritance of Xiaoyao Sect. At the same time, he did not want to remain in such a passive position, especially given Chen He's ill intentions towards him.

"This is Lord Tangwu. This gold is truly tempting. If I just nod, the gold will be mine."

Upon hearing this, Chen He's heart raced again, almost leaping out of his throat, while Tang Wuguang's expression softened slightly. He suddenly realized that Wu Chengyu was still sensible.

"Brother Nie, what's wrong?"

"Brother Chen, why are you so surprised? You have treated me well since I arrived at Yangwu Guild Hall, but this is gold! With gold, I could have maids scrubbing my body every day. Besides, Brother Chen, you brought me out today to give me a choice, didn't you?"

"Thank you very much, Brother Chen. I'll leave it to you to put in a good word for me with the princess. You can't escape responsibility anyway, can you?"

After speaking, Wu Chengyu ignored Chen He's pale face, walked up to Tangwu Guangzhen, nodded heavily, took a tray of gold, and turned back to his seat.

First, he slipped a gold ingot into the clothes of the woman next to him, then picked up a wine cup and gestured for Chen He to drink with him.

Tangwu Guangzhen, however, was very impatient and said to Wu Chengyu as if he were ordering a servant, "Why are you still drinking? Come with me."

"You said that if I nodded, the gold would be mine. Now I've nodded and I've got the gold. It's your turn to leave. I never said I wanted to go to any Ronghua Club with you."

Upon hearing this, Chen He finally let out a long sigh of relief, while Tang Wuguang was truly enraged.

(End of this chapter)