Volume 9 Extra 1. The Beginning of the Story: First Encounter in Luoyang (Part 1)
Luoyang.
At the crossroads, there was a young man holding a gray donkey in one hand and a sesame cake in the other, eating as he walked. He had a bag on his shoulder and a butcher knife with a bent blade on his waist.
It was unknown how long the man had been traveling, braving the wind and snow. A layer of frost had formed on his brows and eyelashes, making him look both shabby and destitute.
But when he left Chang'an, he was still wearing a brocade hat and a sable fur coat.
As a result, along the way, the tall horse turned into a stupid and stubborn donkey, and the gorgeous clothes were replaced by old and tattered clothes, which were even taken off the dead.
Oh, and a knife.
Before leaving, Li Muchan spent a lot of money to have someone make a top-quality sword, but now it's gone.
I've encountered robbers three times, and then there were big and small fights in the underworld, or I ran into someone selling himself to bury his father...
All in all, the silver in his bag was visibly decreasing along the way, and it was almost gone before he even left Guanlong.
Finally, when he was about to freeze to death on the road, Li Muchan caught a swindler. While the swindler was using the toilet, with the intention of robbing the rich to help the poor, he took the swindler's donkey and hurried to Luoyang.
In fact, Li Muchan doesn't care about fancy clothes, fine horses, brocade hats and sable furs. In this turbulent world, money is a real sword that can attract souls. It's enough to satisfy your desire. If you really want to show off in public, you may find it difficult to open your eyes after falling asleep one night.
A few days ago, he even slept with a knife under his pillow, for fear that he would unknowingly attract murderous intent and be targeted.
Compared to now, although it was shabby and disgusting, at least it could save lives and save a lot of trouble.
As soon as he entered Luoyang, Li Muchan immediately smiled, as if he had completely forgotten all the dangers on the road.
The world is full of ups and downs, and there are so many unfair things. If you get entangled in everything, you will get angry to death.
If you see injustice as justice, you will naturally have no worries.
The wind and frost were blowing in his face, and snow was flying all over the sky. Li Muchan was walking in Luoyang City when he suddenly heard a curse behind him.
"You damned little thief, how dare you steal your Taoist master's mount? I finally caught up with you, and I'll…"
The cursing sounded, panting heavily, like a broken gong.
Hearing this voice, Li Muchan shuddered suddenly, immediately loosened the reins, and rushed into the crowd, looking back at the crowd.
In the vast white snow, a middle-aged Taoist priest with disheveled hair and dirty face was chasing after him.
Seeing that the other party was agile, Li Muchan reached out and pinched the donkey's butt hard.
“Uh…”
Soon a high-pitched bray was heard, and the donkey ran away like crazy, disappearing out of sight in a flash.
"You fucking bastard!"
The Taoist cursed loudly, but the direction of his feet changed and he quickly chased after the donkey.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Muchan ran away and hid several streets in one breath.
Finally, he couldn't run anymore and hid under a roof.
The wind was strong and the snow was heavy, the sky and earth were vast, Li Muchan patted the falling snow on his shoulders, and as his mood gradually calmed down, the smile on his face also faded a lot.
"well!"
With a light sigh, he looked at the endless world in front of him, and there was a hint of frustration and confusion in his eyes.
During his journey, in addition to witnessing all kinds of injustice, Li Muchan also visited various martial arts sects and famous families along the way, but was either turned away or ridiculed and driven out.
These people are famous and have big appetites. They are either arrogant, have too many rules, or are hypocritical.
Not to mention the other underworld forces, such as bandits and various gangs.
These forces are simply as numerous as crucian carp crossing the river. One group dies today, and another group emerges tomorrow. They are living on the edge of a knife. There are few masters, only low-level people. And those who died are all his subordinates. If he goes in, he will probably end up with his head and body separated.
As for those martial arts legends and heroes, he had been to Baoding City and seen Li Garden, as well as the Shen Family Ancestral Hall which had become a ruin.
But what would happen if I went there? Would I be able to make friends with the people in that house?
That's too far-fetched.
Even if he could really make friends with him, with his insignificant abilities, he probably wouldn't survive for a few days.
You must know that the most dangerous people in this world are always those around heroes.
He didn't want to meet with a sudden disaster and die inexplicably.
“It’s difficult!”
As he thought about it, Li Muchan smiled bitterly, shook his head, and no longer had the high spirits he had earlier.
Perhaps because he was afraid that the swindler would catch up with him, he took a few breaths and then plunged into the snow again, choosing a narrow alley and going in.
Luoyang City is one of the most unusual dangerous places in the martial arts world. There are countless amazing martial arts families hidden in the city, and countless world-famous masters have emerged from it. Whether it is Sun Baifa, who was once ranked first in the weapon list with the "Tianji Stick", or Shangguan Jinhong, who was known as the "Dragon and Phoenix Double Rings", they all entered the martial arts world from then on, and then became powerful and invincible.
The reason why Li Muchan came here was to try his luck.
At the end of the narrow alley is a medium-sized neighborhood, full of bustling atmosphere and quite lively.
Li Muchan walked forward for a while with his head down, and suddenly saw a soy milk shop on the corner of the street. He immediately walked over .
The shop owner was a bald old man. Seeing how shabby he looked, I wanted to wave him away, but perhaps out of pity, I reached out and scooped up a bowl of hot soy milk, saying unhappily, "Drink outside and don't interfere with my business."
Finally, he added another piece of fried cake into the bowl and mumbled something to himself, but no one knew what he was saying.
Li Muchan didn't get angry. He rubbed his hands and took the soy milk with a grin, saying, "Thank you, boss. I wish you a prosperous business and great fortune!"
After saying that, he actually squatted on the stone steps beside him and started drinking in small sips with the snow falling all over the sky.
It was freezing cold and people were hurrying along the street.
Li Muchan was a slow drinker, and he drank neither fast nor slow. But when the soy milk in his bowl was about to be empty, he suddenly noticed that many men on the street were suddenly rushing in one direction, as if they were afraid that they would run too slowly.
Li Muchan looked curious and couldn't help asking, "Uncle, where are they going?"
The old man said unhappily, "Where else can we go? It must be Cuifang Tower."
Seeing Li Muchan's puzzled look, the old man kneaded the dough while explaining, "There's a very mysterious woman in that building. She's always looking for men in different ways. Calculating the days, it's time to change her partner today."
Li Muchan was amazed, "Is there such a thing?"
The old man chuckled and said, "Why? Do you want to try it too?"
Li Muchan quickly waved his hands, "Uncle, you are joking, right? With my appearance, anyone who sees me will hide away, let alone a woman."
The old man laughed hoarsely, not even looking up, and said in a strange tone, "Hey, don't say you're dressed poorly. Even if you were a beggar, you might still be able to have a good night with that woman."
Li Muchan was stunned. "Why?"
The old man's laughter became increasingly strange, with a hint of sorrow in it. "Because that woman has a rule: anyone who wants to enjoy sex with her must give her their most important possession in exchange. Only then can they prove their true love for her."
Li Muchan was even more confused after hearing this. "The most important thing?"
The old man paused in kneading the dough, raised his cold, dark eyes, and said with a playful smile, "That's right. Anyone who can satisfy her requirements will be able to enjoy seven days of drunken bliss at Cuifang Tower. It's said that such blissful days are beyond the reach of even gods."
Li Muchan drank the soy milk in the bowl in one gulp and asked in confusion, "I see quite a few people are there. Could it be that this request is so simple?"
The old man looked into the depths of the snow and said in a hoarse voice, "It's easy to say, but it's also difficult to say. The key lies in whether you are ruthless enough."
The snow was falling heavily, and more and more people were walking on the long street, all striding towards the west.
Li Muchan tightened his clothes and ate the fried cake while looking around. Suddenly he found that many people in the crowd were disabled. Some were blind in one eye, some were missing a finger, and some had no nose, no ears, or even a whole hand broken.
He seemed to realize something and swallowed hard. He turned his head and was about to ask, only to see that the old man's right hand was also missing three fingers, with the broken ends being even. The mutilated palm was truly shocking.
"Hey, hey," the old man's laughter became more shrill and sharper. "Do you know what the most important thing for swordsmen and knifemen is? It's the thumb."
Upon hearing this, Li Muchan looked carefully and indeed saw that most of the people on the street were those with severed fingers.
Some people not only lost the thumb of one hand, but also the thumb of the other hand.
If the thumb is cut off, most of the sword techniques and knife skills these people have learned will be wasted, and all they have learned in their lives will be wasted.
The old man continued, "Those with broken legs are either well-known martial arts masters or traveling escorts. The blind ones are painters. Those with broken tongues are either greedy gluttons or have beautiful voices. And those with scars all over their faces were usually handsome men..."
This person said a lot, and his tone became calmer as he spoke further.
But Li Muchan had already been horrified by what he had heard, and a chill ran down his spine. He murmured, "How could such a strange thing exist in this world? Just for a woman, he would be willing to pay such a price?"
The old man's face was expressionless by the end. "Oh, what's so strange about that? Don't you see how these people are all willing to go, scrambling to get there?"
Li Muchan's eyes flickered as he asked again, "Strange! Since most of them have lost their limbs and given up the most important things in their lives, why are they still trying so hard to get in?"
The old man said in a deep voice , "That's because they've honed a new skill, using it to try to get closer to her. And the more severely imperfect these men are, the more the woman likes them. Only when they're so unreserved will Ah Xian believe these men truly love her and are willing to give everything for her."
Li Muchan fell silent.
The old man laughed non-stop, "Haha, buried in the Hundred Flowers Forest outside Luoyang City are many poor souls who were almost chopped into sticks. They were all carried out from Cuifang Tower."
Li Muchan's mouth was dry after hearing this. He looked at the figures with missing limbs in the snow and said in a hoarse voice, "Is it worth it?"
Hearing this, the old man let out a strange smile. He stared intently at his right palm with a dark expression as he whispered, "It's worth it. You've never been there, so you naturally don't know what it means to live a life of drunkenness and dreams, or to experience ecstasy and death. In this ever-changing world, countless people live from day to day, on the brink of death. As long as they're alive, they naturally enjoy themselves to the fullest. Only then can they feel truly alive."
After saying this, the man laughed strangely a few times, put out the fire, closed the shop, and followed those people to the west.
Li Muchan was stunned in the wind and snow, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
He never thought that there would be such a strange thing in the world.
What kind of captivating appearance did this mysterious woman have that could attract so many men to be willing to risk their lives for her and be willing to lose their hands and feet to be her slaves?
After wiping the ointment from the corner of his mouth, Li Muchan's eyes moved and he simply followed.
The wind and snow are strong and the whole city is covered with frost.
After walking a short distance, Li Muchan suddenly stopped, his eyes wide open, looking at the scene in front of him.
But in the heavy snow, there stood a green building with green windows and blue tiles, bright colors, and a vague outline illuminated by the lanterns hanging high on the four corners.
And in the white snow curtain, there were mutilated human figures everywhere.
Li Muchan struggled to squeeze forward and finally saw the sign of Cuifanglou.
The door of this building was wide open. At this time of year, there were still many prostitutes standing at the door. They were all wearing heavy makeup, with their shoulders half exposed, their breasts half covered, and their faces covered with rouge and powder. They were waving to attract customers and welcoming them with sweet smiles.
It’s so cold.
The cold wind was biting. As soon as it blew past, these women shivered all at once. Their originally pretty faces turned pale and blue in the blink of an eye. There was no trace of blood on their lips. Coupled with the goose bumps that appeared, they looked extremely creepy.
There was another person in front of the door. He was fat, with a waist like a bucket, a pair of big, wide-open eyes, and a thick layer of powder on his face, as white as wall paint. The powder kept falling down as he made faces.
It was the madam of Cuifanglou, Mama Liu.
That's not all. There were four other pimps beside Mother Liu. Not only were their faces as white as paper, but they all wore black hats and black clothes. They were tall and thin, and the words "Fu", "Lu", "Shou" and "Xi" were embroidered on their clothes. They stood upright, which made everyone's eyelids twitch and they kept backing away.
"Stand back, why are you pushing so hard? I've seen people in a hurry to get rich, but I've never seen anyone in a hurry to be reborn."
Unexpectedly, although Mother Liu looks scary, her voice is surprisingly nice.
"Come on, carry that man out."
As they were talking, a man wrapped in a quilt was carried out of Cuifang Tower.
"hiss!"
As soon as this person came out, the expressions of everyone waiting outside the building changed.
But why?
It turned out that this man's seven orifices were all destroyed, his eyes were blind, his tongue was cut off, his ears were gone, and his nose was missing. He was already dead.
But the dead man still had a smile of extreme enjoyment on his face, as if he was willing to be slaughtered.
When Li Muchan saw this scene, he was just shocked at first, but when he saw the obsessed looks of the people around him, he couldn't help but feel horrified.
Could it be that he has been bewitched by some evil spell?
It is rumored that there is an extraordinary charm skill in the world. Those who practice it are all women, and those who fall into it are all at the mercy of the women. It is extremely evil.
He was muttering to himself when he saw Mother Liu step aside and said with a smile, "Everyone, if that's the case, please come in!"
In an instant, people outside the building rushed in and squeezed into Cuifang Building.
Li Muchan stood there stupidly, gasping in amazement and standing on tiptoe to look inside.
But the Cuifang Tower was bustling with activity, and people were actually competing to see who was more miserable. Some planned to dig out their eyes, some planned to cut off their hands. It was just like bidding, the highest bidder won, and it was a matter of seeing who was more miserable.
Suddenly, a pungent fragrance blew over, "Sir, why don't you come in and sit down?"
Mother Liu had come close to him without him knowing, her pair of black eyes rolling around in her eye sockets, looking him up and down.
Li Muchan shuddered and said with a wry smile, "You can actually be interested in me with my looks?"
Unexpectedly, Mama Liu smiled and said, "Hehe, young master, you're joking. Although you look shabby and your clothes are shabby, you are a handsome man. There is a unique aura between your eyebrows and eyes. Your skin is delicate and your fingers are not calloused. You are definitely not one of those common people."
Li Muchan looked at Mother Liu in surprise, having never expected her to have such remarkable discernment. He immediately shook his sleeves, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "Yes, I am Li Muchan, the renowned hero known throughout the land and feared throughout the thirteen provinces."
After hearing this, Mother Liu was stunned at first, then frowned and thought hard, her eyes kept changing, but no matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't remember when such a figure appeared in the world.
"Li Muchan? How come I've never heard of her?"
Li Muchan smiled shyly and said, "Hehe, this isn't just me entering the martial arts world, I haven't made a name for myself yet."
Mother Liu's cheeks trembled, and she turned and walked away. "What a damn thing! He's actually a fool."
Li Muchan kept smiling as he looked at the group of people in the building who were trying their best to show how miserable they were. He was hesitating whether to go in when he suddenly heard a laugh from the side.
“Chuckle…”
The laughter was as crisp as the ringing of silver bells, innocent and very pleasant to the ear.
Li Muchan turned his head and saw a petite figure, even dirtier than him, grinning foolishly at him in the flying snow. He was holding a clay doll in his hand, and his pair of shiny black eyes were blinking.
After looking at each other, the man seemed a little stupid. He hugged the clay doll tightly in his arms, hummed an unknown little tune, turned around and ran away.
But as he was looking at her, Li Muchan's nostrils suddenly twitched a few times, and then his face turned green.
"Oh my god... vomit!"
It turned out that a terrible stench had drifted in the cold wind at some point, and it was extremely smelly.
Not only Li Muchan, but everyone else in the building was also suffocated and cursed loudly, covering their mouths and noses tightly.
Turning his head, he saw a lame old man outside the door driving a very old carriage, carrying corpses.
The man's age was unknown. He was hunchbacked and bald, with a pale and lifeless face, sunken cheeks, and a skinny body. Standing in the cold wind, he looked like a dried corpse that had crawled out of a grave from a distance. His appearance was withered and terrifying.
When everyone in the building took a quick look, their scalps tingled and they retreated in horror.
The lame old man, however, was not in a hurry but grinned calmly, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, and smiled strangely, wanting to come in and join in the fun.
Seeing this, Mama Liu quickly scolded, "So it's you, the crippled corpse collector! Get out of here! If you run slower, I'll definitely break your other leg too!"
The lame old man asked doubtfully, "Didn't they say that anyone can come into Cuifang Tower today?"
Mother Liu's cheeks twitched, and she said angrily, "You old ghost, you're going to be buried soon, and you're still thinking about women. Don't die in your bed then, get out of here."
The lame old man smiled lewdly and said, "There's a saying that goes, 'To die beneath a peony flower is to be a romantic ghost.' I'm going to die anyway, so it's no big deal to enjoy myself a little before I die. Besides, I don't necessarily look for women just to do that kind of thing. Having them massage my shoulders and legs, or rubbing my back in the bath are also enjoyable. It's just the right way to loosen up my old bones."
Having said this in one breath, the old cripple added with a joking smile: "Besides, I'm willing to sacrifice even my life, so what else can I be reluctant to give up?"
Mother Liu sneered, "Who cares about your miserable life?"
"etc."
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door.
Li Muchan strode in with a smile on his face.
"Hehe, if that's the case, then I can also sacrifice my life ."
Mother Liu was about to speak when a soft and charming voice came from upstairs, "How do you want to give it up?"
Li Muchan reached into his leggings and pulled out a stack of banknotes. He said slowly, "I have 50,000 taels of silver and 10,000 taels of gold. They represent my entire fortune and my life. If I squander them all at Cuifang Tower, would that count as giving up my life?"
Mother Liu's eyes lit up, a smile spread across her face as she hurriedly said, "Yes, of course it counts... The young master is truly extraordinary!"
Li Muchan smiled a little strangely, then squinted his eyes and looked towards the second floor, wondering what this person looked like.
The voice from upstairs rang out again, "Sir, please come upstairs for a moment!"
Li Muchan smiled and responded, "No problem."
Everyone downstairs sighed when they heard this.
"That's right!" Just as Li Muchan was about to go upstairs, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned his head to look at the old cripple, pondered for a moment, and then smiled and said, "This old ghost is quite a wonderful person. I'll cover all his expenses. Let him enjoy himself in Cuifang Tower and leave whenever he wants."
The lame old man smiled happily, "Thank you, sir!"
Li Muchan took a deep breath and turned to go upstairs.
He wanted to see who this mysterious woman was who had captivated everyone and driven countless people crazy.
