Chapter 495
The master of Blood Refining Hall chuckled, "This item was an unexpected find of mine. It is said to be crafted from the essence of the Nine Yang, perfect for nourishing yin and strengthening yang."
"Alright, you all can go now," Young Master Song said quietly as he tucked it away.
The master of Blood Refining Hall nodded and then exchanged a knowing glance with Luo Yexian.
"We're leaving now..."
Luo Yexian gazed longingly at the two rows of young ladies brought in by Hua Nongying, reluctant to part with the scene.
Wasn’t this enough? They could easily set up two tables for mahjong.
Upon hearing Young Master Song's command of "keep them all," the door slammed shut with a decisive thud.
As they descended the stairs, the master of Blood Refining Hall's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Only then will the scene in Tianren City on the day of its emergence truly be lively; only in the chaos can one fish in troubled waters... If the people from Yin Yang Hall still can't blend in... even the esteemed leader can't say I didn't do my job."
"Ke ke ke..."
Luo Yexian chimed in with laughter.
Old Luo had always been good at living off others, just like when he was with Han Zhen back in the day during the meetings of the Demon Cult's upper echelons. Whenever the National Master spoke of plans, he merely played the role of the atmosphere booster.
After all, he couldn't fathom what the National Master was up to; laughing was enough.
The master of Blood Refining Hall felt that Luo Yexian truly understood him.
It seemed that even before the plan was set in motion, it was already halfway to success.
As they passed the counter, he tossed a glass bead and said, "Take good care of the young master we brought; he is a deity in your midst, so don’t neglect him."
"Sir, we treat all our guests equally."
"Heh, as long as you know what I mean."
The master of Blood Refining Hall felt that everything was understood without words.
No matter who the owner here was, could they really run a proper business? That would be a disaster for him.
Opening a business isn’t just for fun, is it?
...
Moments later.
Li Mo, Xie Xuan, and Zhong Zhenyue entered.
"Boss, I told you we’re running a legitimate business, but the guest from the Fragrant Pavilion doesn’t seem to believe it."
"By the time I chased after him, he was nowhere to be found."
The female shopkeeper, once a courtesan at Fengyue Xiaozhu, had earlier been a merchant's daughter.
After her family got into trouble, she was sent to the Ministry of Rites' brothel and eventually ended up here.
"Then let’s return it to the guest of Fragrant Pavilion."
Li Mo didn’t even glance at the bead but instead surveyed the shop's business.
To be honest, it looked a bit desolate.
He wasn’t surprised by this phenomenon; after all, his place was quite legitimate, and it was normal for most people to avoid it, resulting in poor business.
"Old Zhong, why are you putting the bead in your pocket?"
"Huh? Ouch... what’s going on? This bead seems to have jumped into my arms."
Zhong Zhenyue pouted and placed the glass bead back on the counter, muttering, "I thought once we opened, we’d be rolling in money. Who knew even the salaries would have to come from Brother Li's pocket..."
"Not everyone can wash their feet eight times a day like Brother Xie, and just for that."
"Then why are you opening this shop, Brother Li?"
Zhong Zhenyue didn’t quite understand.
In fact, it wasn’t just him; anyone would find it hard to comprehend.
"Just foot massages seem a bit monotonous... Let’s add some more services later, step by step. Once we have more people, business will naturally improve."
Li Mo had no intention of making money.
But it was necessary to liven things up a bit.
Xie Xuan cleared his throat and asked, "What about number 88?"
The female shopkeeper sighed, "Miss Nongying has also gone to Fragrant Pavilion, and... she’s now the manager there."
"How come I didn’t know?" Xie Xuan was taken aback.
Zhong Zhenyue coughed lightly, "I agreed; she offered quite a bit..."
"???"
"....."
Li Mo was momentarily speechless.
One person came every day, insisting on having a technician wash his feet eight times.
Another preferred to slip money to the owner just to stay at Fengyue Xiaozhu.
It was hard to judge.
Upon reflection, the latter was even stranger. Li Mo had torn up all the contracts of the girls and even provided some money for those who wanted to leave.
It was understandable that most chose to stay, as some girls couldn’t survive outside. But Hua Nongying was different; a beauty on the Hundred Flowers List, how could she have nowhere to go?
And she even paid to stay...
It couldn’t be because of him, could it?
Bang—
At that moment, a loud crash echoed from within Fragrant Pavilion, accompanied by shouts.
"Is there a commotion with the guests?"
The female shopkeeper froze, clutching her account book.
"Close the door, let’s—"
Li Mo remembered that his master wasn’t around, so he cleared his throat, "Let’s go check it out."
As they ascended the stairs, the sounds grew clearer.
It sounded like someone was saying:
"I just ate a Nine Yang Pill, and you tell me this place serves vegetarian dishes?"
"Do you take me for a fool? Do you think this is a property in the imperial city?"
"Hmph, shout all you want; even if you scream your lungs out, no one dares to stop me..."
Bang—
With a swift kick, Li Mo burst through the door, much to Zhong Zhenyue's dismay.
He saw Young Master Song, flushed and impatiently loosening his belt, while a woman seemed frozen in place, kneeling at his feet.
That woman was Hua Nongying; veins bulged on her neck as she struggled to break free, but she couldn’t move an inch, not even close her mouth.
As her eyes darted around, they landed on Li Mo, and a tear finally fell from the corner of her eye.
"Which bastard is this?"
Young Master Song turned around in fury.
He had long desired Hua Nongying, but previously, the backing here was the Fourth Prince, or more accurately, the Crown Prince, so he had to hold back. Now that the arrow was on the string, he had to release it, only to find someone kicking down his door.
Li Mo’s gaze dropped, and suddenly, he felt a twinge of pity.
"Tsk..."
"???"
---
Chapter 557: A Gentleman Uses Words, Not Fists
Young Master Song had never experienced such a humiliating disgrace in his life.
Was this proper?
Not in the slightest.
He quickly pulled up his belt and shouted, "Where are the people outside? Are they just sitting around doing nothing?"
He was referring to the bodyguards he had brought.
"Even if you scream your head off, they won’t come," Li Mo shook his head.
"Boss."
The young ladies who had been hiding nearby all rushed to stand behind him.
Young Master Song was taken aback; this sounded somewhat familiar, but he maintained a stern face and said, "Do you know who I, Song, am, to be doing business here?"
Hua Nongying was still pinned in place, but upon hearing this, she glanced at Li Mo, her expression complex.
"We don’t do needlework here; please leave."
Li Mo had already seen through the situation with his divine insight and stood his ground.
Young Master Song was initially surprised, then quickly turned red, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
He recognized who had come; it was the renowned Qianlong No. 1, the Divine Hammer Little Overlord.
After all, that day the map of the nation had covered the entire city; it was hard not to notice.
He glared at Li Mo and spat, "Is Qianlong No. 1 really that impressive? What good is it? In the imperial city, it’s all about status and background..."
"Adoptive father, what’s going on?"
Zhong Zhenyue stepped in, dragging a fainted bodyguard behind him, laughing, "These scoundrels claim to be from the Song Minister’s residence. Can I believe that? The Song Minister oversees the laws of Dayu; would he come here to wash feet? Is that proper... oh?"
He looked at Young Master Song in surprise and blurted out, "Song Qian?"
"??"
Young Master Song shrank back, taking two steps back.
"Who dares to be a stumbling block on my journey of a thousand miles?"
Xie Xuan also stepped in, spitting out a mouthful of grass roots, looking like a wild dog ready to hunt.
"Alright, alright... we’re leaving!"
Young Master Song’s expression changed.
He said nothing, pulled up his pants, and quickly bypassed the others, his pace quickening as if he were being chased by ghosts.
"Huh?"
Watching the retreating figure, who seemed to wish he had two more legs, Li Mo was stunned.
Wait, he thought the classic moment of showing off and slapping faces was about to happen.
I haven’t even started yet; how did it end?
"What just happened?" Li Mo looked at the two in confusion.
Zhong Zhenyue scratched his head, "Oh, I was a bit clueless when I was younger..."
It was well-known that the King of Southern Jiang was a military god, the last remaining divine general of Dayu, always stationed at the border.
This led to Zhong Zhenyue lacking paternal love during his childhood, especially the kind that came from a landslide...
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