Upon hearing this, Chou Yu immediately placed his cup under his nose to sniff, dipped his little finger in the water to taste it, then drank the tea down with a smile, shaking his head at Mo Zi and winking. He propped his feet up on a nearby chair and suddenly spoke loudly, “Good tea! What tea is this fragrant? Did they mix in some girl’s rouge?”
Mo Zi understood from Zan Jin that there was a problem with the tea, but seeing Chou Yu drink it down steadily, she was a bit confused. She actually didn’t know that for an old hand in the jianghu like Chou Yu, drugging at this level was child’s play, but for her it would be quite effective.
“I’ve long heard that Cloud Leopard Xu Jiu was chivalrous and straightforward. Seeing him today, not only is he petty, but he’s also a cowardly rat who hides his head and conceals his tail, actually putting women’s powder in the tea. If you don’t find it disgusting, I still think it’s too fragrant—stinks to high heaven. Next time taste it yourself first, so people don’t laugh at your Leopard Gang being a bunch of rouge-wearing women.” Seeing the other party didn’t respond, Chou Yu cursed even more vigorously. “You thieving bird’s eggs, white-plastered blockheads—you only have ears but can’t hear? Think because I’m deaf and nose-blind, you can fart from your mouths? If you’ve got the guts, hold it in till you die. If you don’t come rolling in here and obediently drink down this foot-washing water, just watch how I’ll smear the Leopard Gang’s reputation and have the brotherhood on the road laugh you useless wastes to death!”
Mo Zi found it amusing, thinking Chou Yu must be enjoying this cursing session. Previously when running boats, although he had already submitted to her, he had more or less restrained his language because she was a young woman. Today being like this—did it mean he truly saw her as a man now? Ha!
“Damn it, clean up that bird mouth of yours for me. You dare curse the Leopard Gang? Tired of living?” With a bang, the door was kicked open.
A dozen or so men in tight-fitting clothes rushed in—uniformly black short jackets with red trim—eyebrows raised and eyes cold. They stood on both sides. A man wearing a sapphire brocade robe stood at the doorway with one arm around each of two women, his eyes lustfully staring non-stop at those two beauties. He aimed at one of their faces and planted a kiss.
The woman laughed continuously, pushing the man’s large face away, saying coquettishly, “Good Eighth Master, if you want to kiss, pick your timing. Someone’s cursing you—shouldn’t you deal with that matter first?”
Pleasure houses were places with the most disputes. Without some backing, one couldn’t open a place with the influence of Wu You Pavilion, where nobility and high officials all flocked. Naturally, as women of Wu You Pavilion, they were quite accustomed to seeing people glare angrily and curse loudly.
“Chun Ni, Chun Shang. Tonight, you’re not allowed to sit on anyone else’s lap—this Eighth Master wants you sisters to serve me together.” After kissing one, he smacked a kiss on the other.
A bout of delicate laughter, hairpins swaying in disarray. The one just kissed, Chun Shang, said, “Eighth Master has always been so imposing. Not to mention us two sisters—if you’re willing to give Mother more silver, calling two more sisters would be no difficulty at all. Tonight we guarantee Eighth Master will be completely comfortable, and only then will we sisters let you go.”
Blatant flirtation! One man battling four women? Mo Zi wasn’t being mean-spirited, but men who were too close to women absolutely lived short lives. Since ancient times, few emperors lived long—much of the reason was the disaster of three thousand in the harem.
Mo Zi focused her gaze on that Eighth Master—slightly plump build, not tall, face pale and swollen, eyes protruding and floating—a young adult man with a somewhat deficient complexion.
“Silver—this Eighth Master has plenty. I’m just afraid your Mother won’t be willing to let her delicate daughters all be monopolized by me for one night.” Eighth Master laughed wildly and arrogantly.
After finishing his flirtation and seeing the three seated people with unchanged expressions—one grinning while lifting the teapot and opening the lid; one smiling slightly with skin a bit darker but quite refined-looking; one laughing foolishly with round eyes as if he hadn’t understood anything said at all—his face immediately filled with rage. Feeling that the dignified Leopard Gang had been humiliated by three nameless nobodies, if he didn’t give them a lesson, he couldn’t account to his gang members.
So he snorted angrily, “Which one is Brother Mo?” Tong Qian Gao had said that Brother Mo had dark skin, a slim figure, and a greasy gleaming complexion. But he couldn’t see anyone oily among these three!
“That would be me.” With the other party being crude and rude, Mo Zi didn’t plan to casually show respect. She remained seated, not even cupping her hands. “Eighth Master Huo has such impressive airs, turning this pleasure ground cold and gloomy. I wonder if the other guests at Wu You Pavilion will complain to Mother that it’s too noisy?”
Chun Ni and Chun Shang cast surprised glances, thinking this youngster didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth, truly daring to confront the Leopard Gang’s leader. Looking more closely, he was even a pretty-faced young gentleman, and they immediately sent flirtatious glances his way. But how could they know the other party was a woman who would have no reaction at all to their feminine wiles?
“You’re Brother Mo?” A bit dark, yes, but not oily-faced. However, being able to speak his name Huo Ba right away—just as Tong Qian Gao said, a glib tongue.
“Precisely.” Today she used less powder and oil to see the actual effect—whether people would see through her female identity.
What kind of eyes did that bastard Tong Qian Gao have! Huo Ba spat. If that person were here, he’d definitely kick him downstairs. “So you’re the one who’s reneging on the debt to my Ninth Brother?”
Mo Zi curved her mouth into a crooked smile. Her face was paler now, but she couldn’t lose her street swagger. Besides, with Zan Jin and Chou Yu backing her up, she couldn’t show weakness from the start. “How can Eighth Master say such a thing? When did I owe Ninth Master a debt? I don’t even know about it myself. Is there an IOU?”
“Kid, stop playing dumb with me. The Lin family owes fifteen hundred taels of silver. You think you can renege with a few words? Lin Zhen Niang’s brother won’t repay the money, so Lin Zhen Niang must repay it. You want to play the hero, kid? Fine! Help her repay the silver, and I won’t say another word—you can walk. Otherwise—today don’t blame me for having to invite you to be a guest at my place.” Said nicely it was being a guest; said bluntly it was house arrest.
“Eighth Master Huo, it seems your subordinates didn’t explain things clearly to you. There was a problem with your IOU—you can’t blame me. Speaking of which, that Young Master Lin ran away early. With so many gang members, you can’t even catch one debt dodger but instead trouble a weak woman—wouldn’t that be quite shameful if word got out?” The difference between capability and incapability didn’t need her to explain again, right?
“Stop nitpicking with me. I’m not Ninth Brother—I don’t listen to you sour scholars spout this sour talk. Anyway, this money is owed by the Lin family. Not even a copper has been returned, so the Lin family must obediently repay it. Lin Dalang ran away, so Lin Zhen Niang will repay. Her method of repaying is also simple—either become my concubine, and this silver will be the betrothal gift which I’ll repay to Ninth Brother; or enter a brothel and be bedded by a thousand men, repaying one tael at a time. If you’re truly so kind-hearted you can’t bear to watch, you can also help her repay the money. But looking at you, I doubt you can even produce ten taels of silver.” Huo Ba assessed Mo Zi’s clothing—a crow-blue old robe, only a small pouch hanging at her waist—truly not a single valuable thing.
“Eighth Master Huo’s eyes are truly sharp. However, since this silver is owed by the Lin family to Ninth Master Xu, why are you asking me to repay the debt? You just said that if you take Zhen Niang as a concubine, this silver must still be repaid to Ninth Master. This shows that even between close brothers, accounts must be settled clearly. Today, it’s Ninth Master Xu who invited me here. Taking ten thousand steps back, he should be the one to discuss this matter with me. Yet Eighth Master tampered with the tea—this way of treating guests needs improvement.” Though Mo Zi’s mouth showed no mercy, in her heart she was crying disaster. Someone like her most feared encountering unreasonable people. If Huo Ba refused to go by what was written in black and white and forcefully coerced with martial power, her side was weak and outnumbered.
“Tong Qian Gao got one thing right—you kid can really talk. But it’s useless on me. Come! Give these three brats a beating. Don’t stop until they beg for mercy.” Sure enough, true hooligan style—when words don’t work, use fists.
Mo Zi suddenly very much wanted to ask a question, so she raised her voice: “Eighth Master, I want to know—was today’s banquet you borrowing Ninth Master Xu’s name?” If she definitely had to take a beating, she wanted to know who was responsible so that when she “took revenge” in the future, should she include this Cloud Leopard Xu Jiu or not?
“Ninth Brother does things timidly—how could he be as straightforward as me? I just borrowed Ninth Brother’s name, never thinking you’d actually dare to come. Serves you right to have bad luck tonight. Don’t worry, on Wu You Mother’s territory, I won’t cause any deaths—just venting some anger, that’s all. Oh right, you also have to hand over Lin Zhen Niang to me.” Can’t forget the person he most wanted to obtain.
As expected.
When Mo Zi saw Huo Ba appear, she guessed she’d been tricked. Lately she’d been doing rather well in her contests with Qiu Sanniang and had become complacent. Thinking that Xu Jiu had a decent reputation and that this was a public place, no matter how ugly things got it couldn’t be too bad. Perhaps because there was no good feast at an easy banquet, she’d brought Zan Jin. With Chou Yu added, she’d thought it was certain success. But she’d miscalculated that someone would impersonate him, and with superior numbers—if they all attacked together, four fists couldn’t match so many hands. In the end, her experience was insufficient, and her brain wasn’t that clever either!
Probably for convenience in fighting, Huo Ba had specially chosen a spacious private room. As soon as those thugs received orders, they immediately surrounded Mo Zi and the other two. One by one they cracked their knuckles, swinging their thick arms to strike.
This battle was unavoidable!
Before Mo Zi could think of a good countermeasure, Zan Jin lifted her onto the large round table while he and Chou Yu stood guard in front of it.
Chou Yu cursed loudly, “Huo Ba you turtle’s spawn, if you’ve got guts fight one-on-one—save your subordinates from missing arms and broken legs, and then you’ll have to support their whole families!”
A flash of jade-green light, and a subordinate of Huo Ba who was about to strike Zan Jin’s chest didn’t even grunt before falling motionless to the ground.
“Zan Jin, is he dead?” Mo Zi was startled.
Zan Jin pointed his sword at another head that was somewhat cowering. “No, I hit him with the sword sheath.” He kicked the man on the ground, hearing him groan. “Useless thing, he passed out.”
“You two just knock people out, don’t take lives.” Who knew if the Leopard Gang had backing in official circles?
Zan Jin and Chou Yu acknowledged Mo Zi and focused on the fight.
After watching for a while, Mo Zi felt relieved. Basically, Zan Jin knocked out one person per sword-sheath strike, his face showing an expression of dissatisfaction. Chou Yu was more ruthless—his hands specialized in breaking bones, either arms or legs. Bones cracked loudly while people wailed. Though she felt it was somewhat excessive, she couldn’t very well advise against it. Everyone’s martial arts style was different. What if she told him not to break people’s bones and he ended up getting beaten instead? What then?
Seeing the situation turning bad, Chun Ni and Chun Shang immediately shrieked and ran out.
Huo Ba hadn’t expected that the two Brother Mo brought would actually be experts. His eyeballs rolled, and while Zan Jin and Chou Yu were dealing with his subordinates, he let out a howl, stepped on a chair and leaped up, lunging toward Mo Zi who was watching the battle from atop the table.
As soon as he struck, his ten fingers formed eagle claws. Gathering more than ten years of martial power, they actually carried a killing aura.