An He Zhuan: Act Six – Chapter 1

Throughout the city, willows sway in green abundance,

Drifting freely against the spring wind…

“At the start of summer, drinking Autumn Dew White wine might seem out of season, but when distinguished guests come to Tianqi City, who can refuse a cup of Autumn Dew White?” A burly man in red clothing sat alone at a square table in the center of the Carved Tower Pavilion, swirling his wine pot while glancing at the man in the corner. “Wouldn’t you agree, young sir?”

The man in the corner had ordered only one pot of wine and a small dish of appetizers, with an oil-paper umbrella resting beside his table. In response to the red-clothed man’s question, he shook his head slightly. “Today isn’t the day Carved Tower Pavilion sells Autumn Dew White. What a pity.”

“I’m treating you! It’s just a mere pot of Autumn Dew White!” The red-clothed man raised his hand and threw the wine pot toward the man in the corner. The pot flew directly at him, seemingly about to strike. The man merely tilted his head slightly, his pupils narrowing, and the pot’s momentum suddenly slowed. With a raise of his hand, he caught it.

“We’re closing for today, honored guests please leave!” the waiter immediately rushed out and announced loudly.

The other patrons seemed familiar with such scenes and didn’t inquire further. They simply placed their silver on the tables and quickly departed.

“A chance encounter—this wine is precious. Thanks to brother’s kindness, I’ll have just one cup.” The man poured himself a drink, then with a wave of his hand, tossed the wine pot back.

“You call me brother?” The red-clothed man caught the wine pot and set it gently on the table. “Do you know who this handsome and graceful mysterious man is, who can drink Autumn Dew White here at any time?”

“General Lei Mengsha of the Northern Departure,” the man said gravely.

“You’re from the jianghu—you shouldn’t call me General. You should call me Lei Mengsha, the Abandoned Disciple of the Lei Clan, or the Burning Ink Prince among the Eight Princes of Northern Departure!” Lei Mengsha finished speaking and smiled crookedly. “Though sadly, I’m too old now for ‘Prince’ to be quite fitting. Wouldn’t you agree, Lord Puppet of Dark River, Su Muyu?”

Su Muyu lowered his head slightly. “As expected of Burning Ink… sir?”

“Hahaha! I dare not accept the title of ‘sir.’ Though I was born in the academy, I have little learning. I heard you once fought alongside my daughter—surely you two address each other as peers? Calling me uncle wouldn’t be unfair, would it?” Lei Mengsha laughed.

Su Muyu sighed helplessly. “Let’s stick with Burning Ink Prince. Though your daughter is already a Sword Immortal, General Lei still has a youthful spirit—the title ‘Prince’ still suits you.”

“Not bad. Tell me, what brings you to seek me out today?” Lei Mengsha took a drink. “Though Dark River isn’t exactly righteous, I hear you’re different. Some friends who participated in the battle against the Demon Sect speak highly of you. As long as you’re not asking me to help kill someone, I might be able to help. Though my time is limited—I’ll soon be leading troops to battle again.”

“Prince Burning Ink, you’re mistaken. I came to Carved Tower Pavilion merely to taste the wine here. I didn’t know you were present,” Su Muyu said calmly.

Lei Mengsha’s mouth twitched slightly. He took another drink. “Oh, is that so? Then I was presumptuous. So your visit to Tianqi City is…”

“Dark River has a new Patriarch. I’m no longer the Puppet. Coming to Tianqi City is merely revisiting old grounds,” Su Muyu replied.

Lei Mengsha narrowed his eyes slightly. “Revisiting old grounds? Has Sir Su been to Tianqi City before?”

“When I was very young, I came once with my father.” Su Muyu placed a piece of broken silver on the table. “Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Burning Ink, and for the chance to taste the renowned Autumn Dew White. The wine lives up to its reputation.” With that, Su Muyu picked up his paper umbrella and left the Carved Tower Pavilion.

Lei Mengsha caressed his wine cup, the smile gradually fading from his face. “Umbrella Ghost Su Muyu, what an extraordinary fellow.”

Su Muyu wandered through Tianqi City carrying his oil-paper umbrella. He entered the Thousand Gold Platform, the greatest gambling house in the world, and silently placed a thousand-tael note on “small” at the central gaming table.

“Young sir, you look unfamiliar. First time here?” asked a gaunt young man with sunken eyes beside him.

Su Muyu nodded. “I’ve long heard of Thousand Gold Platform’s reputation. Today I came to see it.”

“Just to see? And your first bet is a thousand taels of silver?” the man exclaimed. “Coming to slay the dragon on your first try?”

“What do you mean by slaying the dragon?” Su Muyu asked, puzzled.

“Look at the record board—it shows the sequence of results. Now it’s been ‘big’ eight times in a row. Betting on ‘small’ now is what we call slaying the dragon. Since the fifth round, people have been trying to slay the dragon, and they’ve all lost everything. In my opinion, you should—” the man advised in a low voice.

The house master coughed lightly. “All bets final?”

The man hurriedly said, “Listen to me, switch to ‘big’! All the dragon-slayers have died!”

“Let it stand,” Su Muyu said firmly.

“Ah… you might as well give that money to me…” the man sighed, shaking his head.

“Open!” The housemaster lifted the precious box, revealing three dice three, three, and two. “Eight points, small!”

The watching man was startled. “Brother, what incredible gambling fortune!”

“Thank you.” Su Muyu took two thousand tael notes from the table and turned to leave.

The man who had been watching stood dumbfounded, giving a thumbs up. “Knowing when to quit—that’s a master!”

In the elegant upper chamber, a corpulent man fanning himself watched Su Muyu leave below and said softly, “This person is unusual. Who is he?”

“We’ve been investigating his background since he entered, but there’s no answer yet,” the attendant beside him replied.

“Tu Er!” the man called out sharply.

A man who had been dozing nearby startled awake. “What is it? I was listening to music in my dream! Disturb my sweet dreams and I’ll beat you!”

“Your girl has already left and won’t return. Her husband is now the Lord of Snow Moon City. You’d better learn some skills and prepare to take over Thousand Gold Platform from me in the future.” The man said with a cold smile. “That man below—investigate his background.”

“It’s not even raining, yet he carries an umbrella? Strange fellow.” Tu Er glanced at the man below, yawned, and went downstairs.

Su Muyu walked out of Thousand Gold Platform, glancing back slightly before smiling and continuing toward his next destination. Half an hour later, Su Muyu stopped in front of a grand compound. Tu Er, who had been following him, was startled and cursed under his breath: “Just my luck, this guy’s going to—”

“The Academy.”