While on Mount Hua, my mind is at peace!

Chapter 23 First Visit to the Fusang Association

Leaving the Lin family's old residence in Xiangyang Lane, not only Lin Zhennan but also Yue Feng felt much more relaxed. Therefore, when Lin Zhennan invited Yue Feng to his home, Yue Feng accepted without much hesitation.

Lin Zhennan was overjoyed, but fearing that the house was not clean and prepared properly, he asked Lin Pingzhi to accompany Yue Feng slowly, while he went home alone first.

Yue Feng followed Lin Pingzhi as they strolled slowly through Fuzhou City, listening to his introductions of the various scenic spots and historical sites along the way, which made him quite entertained.

As Yue Feng passed an alleyway, he glanced casually into the alley and saw four Japanese ronin with long swords at their waists, guarding the entrance to an inconspicuous courtyard. He frowned, stopped, and asked Lin Pingzhi, "Who are those people? What are they doing guarding there?"

Lin Pingzhi followed Yue Feng's gaze, glanced at the group of ronin, spat on the ground beside him, and said resentfully, "They're from the Fusang Association. My father said we absolutely mustn't mess with them. Mr. Yue, let's go."

Yue Feng remained motionless and asked calmly, "Oh? Why not?"

Lin Pingzhi said, "I don't know the specific details either, but I've heard that the Fusang Society has a good relationship with the government and also has dealings with the Six Doors. My family has business with both the government and the Six Doors, so I guess that's why we don't dare to provoke them."

Yue Feng said, "I'll go take a look. You wait for me here." Without waiting for Lin Pingzhi's reply, he slowly walked into the alley. Lin Pingzhi hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and quickly followed behind Yue Feng.

"Mr. Yue, whatever you want to do, count me in."

Yue Feng smiled slightly and arrived at the entrance of the small courtyard. A wandering swordsman had already spotted him and stepped forward, angrily shouting, "Who are you! Get out of the way!"

Yue Feng heard that the man was clearly speaking Chinese, but his accent was strange and incoherent. He shook his head, too lazy to pay attention, and walked straight inside. The four ronin, seeing that he ignored them, became furious, drew their Japanese swords, and began to slash at him.

Yue Feng acted as if he hadn't seen him. Lin Pingzhi, who was following behind him, was startled and quickly drew his longsword, using his family's Seventy-Two Styles of Evil-Repelling Sword Technique to parry the longswords of the four ronin.

The two exchanged blows, clanging and banging for several rounds. Lin Pingzhi realized that his opponent's swordsmanship was poor, relying solely on the advantage of his weapon. However, his own longsword was a superior piece crafted by a skilled artisan, so he was not afraid.

Yue Feng passed through the courtyard gate, glanced back, and seeing that Lin Pingzhi was more than capable of protecting himself, he paid him no further attention. He crossed the courtyard and arrived at the main room, where he saw a wooden door on the ground, wide open, through which bursts of firelight shone.

Yue Feng looked around to make sure no one was there, then stepped through the wooden door on the ground.

Beneath the wooden gate was a long stone staircase, at the end of which stood an extremely luxurious gambling den. Many high-ranking officials and nobles were gambling enthusiastically at the tables, while numerous beautifully dressed women of all kinds flitted among the tables like butterflies.

Yue Feng stood at the bottom of the stone steps and watched for a moment. Two wandering men noticed him and came over to ask, "Who are you? Do you have a travel permit?"

Yue Feng nodded: "Yes." With a flash of sword light, two ronin were stabbed in the throat and died instantly. He acted so fast that he made no sound. The people in the gambling den were completely unaware of what had happened and continued gambling and whoring with great enthusiasm.

[Accessibility +10]

Yue Feng dealt with the two passersby who were checking his travel permit, and then walked further in without being questioned. He looked at each gambling table in turn and continued walking when suddenly a man emerged from the shadows and blocked his path.

"This road is blocked, please turn back, guest."

Upon hearing the man's accent, Yue Feng realized he was Han Chinese. His gaze turned cold, and he asked softly, "As a Han Chinese, why are you acting as a dog for the Japanese? Who do you think you are?"

The man chuckled and said, "Just trying to make a living. If I could find work anywhere else, even a dog wouldn't come here."

Yue Feng paused for a moment, and his hand, which had already gripped the hilt of the sword, loosened slightly.

"Have you ever killed any Han Chinese?"

"No. I've been working here as a bodyguard. You're the only Han Chinese who dares to come here."

Yue Feng nodded.

"How much silver do you receive from the Fusang Association each month?"

"Two ounces."

"I'll give you twelve taels; come work for me."

"Alright!" the man cheered, then said, "My humble name is Chen Ji, Chen as in 'east of the ear,' and Ji as in 'uncle of brothers.' From now on, I am your servant, sir. May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

Yue Feng said, "My name is Yue Feng, Yue as in mountain and Feng as in breeze. Chen Ji, I see you have a knife tucked into your waistband. How's your swordsmanship?"

Chen Ji chuckled, glanced down at the sheathless single-edged sword at his waist, and said, "So-so, it's passable."

"Very good." Yue Feng nodded and pointed upwards. "There's a friend of mine at the entrance of this courtyard. Go help him and make sure he doesn't get hurt."

Chen Ji responded and turned to leave. After a few steps, he turned back and said, "Master, I must remind you: it's very dangerous behind here. If you insist on going, remember to be wary of women. Remember, remember."

Yue Feng waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly, and Chen Ji left with a grin. Yue Feng stood still, thought for a moment, and then took another step to explore further inside.

The area Chen Ji was guarding was likely the office area for the gambling den's staff. At this moment, the area was eerily quiet, without a sound. Yue Feng moved as if he were in an empty room, walked to the door of a room, smelled a faint sandalwood incense, and, piqued by curiosity, pushed open the door.

Behind the door was a study, empty of anyone. Yue Feng thought he might find some of the Fusang Society's account books there, so he began searching the bookshelves. As he searched, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a tattered bamboo scroll.

He unfolded the bamboo slip and saw the words "The Secret to Breaking Evil and Revealing Righteousness" written in small seal script at the beginning. He had studied with Yue Buqun since he was a child, so he recognized this script.

He skimmed through the bamboo slips, learning that this mental technique was used to remove mental demons, evil desires, and other obstacles during practice. A vague idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

Before he could even process the thought, the air in front of him suddenly turned into an ambiguous pink, followed by a melodious tune. A rich fragrance instantly enveloped him, as if countless flowers were blooming simultaneously in the small room.

None of these changes made Yue Feng feel uncomfortable in the slightest; on the contrary, he felt as if he were floating on clouds, almost like an immortal. Just as he was in a daze, the door creaked open, and nine stunningly beautiful women, completely naked, filed in and pressed themselves against him without reservation.

Yue Feng was young and inexperienced, and had never even dreamed of such a scene, let alone one so realistic and perfect. He was completely captivated and about to take action when a man's voice suddenly emerged from somewhere deep within his heart:

"...Remember to be wary of women. Remember, remember."