Twenty li away from Jiangning City.
Here, it seemed to be a paradise on earth.
Birds were singing sweetly, flowers were exuding fragrance, willows provided ample shade, and petals were fluttering in the breeze. It was a breathtaking sight.
At the end of the willow grove.
There was a manor.
On the manor, there were three large characters inscribed: Nine - Dragon Manor.
At first hearing, one would think that the name was truly grand and imposing. One would assume that the person living in the manor must be a man of noble character, ready to draw his sword to help those in need when seeing injustice.
However, this was only what naive outsiders would think upon hearing the name.
All the people in Jiangning City knew that there lived a Master Lu in the Nine - Dragon Manor.
This Master Lu was a highly - ranked alchemist. He looked a bit rough, but he loved to pretend to be a celestial - like Taoist. However, these were just appearances.
Many people had seen that he was in cahoots with Yang Hun, the governor of Jiangning City. In the dead of night, Yang Hun had sent many beautiful women into the Nine - Dragon Manor.
Master Lu pretended to be aloof from worldly desires and not interested in women.
In fact, the crimes he had committed were not much less than those of Yang Hun.
As evening approached, the sky outside the Nine - Dragon Manor gradually darkened.
But inside the manor, colorful lanterns were hanging high, presenting a lively scene.
Looking further inside, the place that should have been a place for quiet cultivation was filled with endless laughter and the sounds of musical instruments.
People were clinking glasses, singing loudly, and some were even spouting vulgar words.
For example, in the courtyard, a young man in a blue robe seemed to be drunk. He said to everyone with a smile, "Have you heard? The beauty sent by the governor this time is truly unparalleled. Her figure, her looks, are simply amazing. Most importantly, she has a strong and chaste character. Just think, Master Lu is in for a great night of pleasure tonight."
"I've heard about it for a long time."
"However, it's really surprising that Governor Yang didn't keep such a beauty for himself but gave her away."
"Hey - brother, you don't know this, do you?"
As the man in black said this, many people turned their heads to listen attentively.
It seemed that this man in black knew a lot.
Seeing that he had piqued everyone's curiosity, the man whispered, "I heard that this woman was the one that Governor Yang spent a great deal of effort to rob from the main road a few months ago."
"Ah?"
"I've heard something about this."
"However, it's said that Governor Yang doted on this woman very much. After she returned to his mansion, she fell seriously ill. When she was almost well enough to serve him, she suddenly got another serious illness, which made it impossible for Governor Yang to get close to her several times."
"You can see but not touch."
"That's right -"
"But guess what Governor Yang's reaction was when he saw this situation?"
"He must have hated this woman so much that he wanted to kill her, right?"
The man shook his head.
More and more people leaned in to listen to the gossip. Their curiosity was fully aroused.
"Think about it. Governor Yang has great power in Jiangning City. There's no way a woman he takes a fancy to can escape. He has absolute power, and the women around him usually can't wait to serve him to get more rewards."
"So, brother, what do you mean?"
"This woman is chaste and strong - willed, which is very fresh to Governor Yang. For a man, what gives him the most sense of accomplishment? Of course, it's conquest. Governor Yang has everything he wants. He tried every means, but the woman always claimed to be ill. She somehow managed to get pustules all over her body, which made it impossible for Governor Yang to touch her."
"Ah?"
"No wonder. I was just wondering why Governor Yang cherished this woman so much but sent her to the Nine - Dragon Manor."
"That's because he reached an agreement with Master Lu."
"What agreement?"
"Don't forget that Master Lu is an alchemist. So when he first saw this woman, he immediately saw that she had taken pills refined by an alchemist, which caused all these diseases. This disease is difficult for others to cure, but it's a piece of cake for Master Lu."
"So?"
"So Master Lu prescribed three doses of medicine and forced the woman to drink them. Sure enough, after taking the three doses of medicine, most of the problems on the woman's body disappeared after a few days."
"Master Lu saw that the woman was very beautiful and not the kind of person who would easily yield. After a while, he developed other feelings for her. So, after that, he didn't prescribe any more medicine for the woman."
"Governor Yang must not have agreed?"
"Of course not."
"So after several rounds, the two of them reached an agreement. That is, Master Lu is responsible for curing the woman, but he can keep the woman with him for three days."
"Can Governor Yang accept this?"
At this point, the man glanced around and lowered his voice even more, "There's nothing unacceptable. Maybe you don't know that when this woman was robbed, there was a man with her. It's said that the man was her husband. Well, she's already a married woman. Do you think Governor Yang would care about such a small thing?"
Anyway, it's the same whether she accompanies one person or two.
In the end, this beauty would still be his.
So Yang Hun agreed.
When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter.
"Brother, it's just that Governor Yang has something to do in Jiangning City tonight and can't come. If he were here, let's see who would dare to say such gossip."
Those people were laughing so hard that they were almost lying on the ground.
Although they were wearing Taoist robes, what they were discussing was so vulgar.
They were not ashamed but rather proud of it.
It seemed that the Nine - Dragon Manor had done this kind of public discussion of such things more than once.
"Well, the woman's illness has been completely cured. Today is the first night for Master Lu and the woman."
"No wonder Master Lu is so happy and even invited us all. Maybe later, we can also take a good look at what kind of woman she is and what kind of beauty she has that has made the two adults fight for her like this."
"Her beauty is only above average, but the most important thing is her character. She doesn't flatter or fawn. That's exactly what Master Lu and Governor Yang like about her, which is why they can't wait to possess her."
"Hahaha -"
"Indulgent."
"Truly indulgent -"
"Brother, although you're a bit older, you're still full of energy. Your indulgence is well - known."
"Be modest, be modest, haha - My old wives at home can't compare with the women in Master Lu's manor."
These people were discussing with great enthusiasm.
But they didn't notice that in the corner, there were two pairs of cold eyes watching their every move.
Their vulgar words also clearly reached the ears of the two people.