Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 166 Hongshan Guild Hall

Palaces and pavilions rise along the mountainside, with buildings arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion, and the lights shining brightly all night long.

From this place, which resembles a heavenly palace, one can see the entire city of Sanjiang Prefecture.

Since his transmigration, Lin Fan had never imagined that he would suddenly witness the prosperity of this world.

Lin Fan had no idea that he was so close to Sanjiang Prefecture.

Hongshan Guild Hall.

Aside from the knights leading their groom Chen Ergou to the servants' rest area, Duan Ye led a few incongruous individuals into this place called the Guild Hall.

Duan Ye's white robe was stained after several days of bandit suppression, but it couldn't hide his noble air.

Lin Fan, Dr. Lei, and the Niu Dadan couple were all dressed in coarse linen clothes, and having traveled a long way, they were far from neat and tidy.

Zhan Peng was dressed in black, carrying a sword, and exuded a murderous aura. However, under the lamplight, his hair was a mess, and his face was covered in mud, indicating that he had been living in the open for many days.

The middle-aged woman who appeared to be the female shopkeeper frowned slightly as she looked at the group of people.

The young maids standing nearby also looked over curiously.

The maids stood in two neat rows, and because of the cold weather, they were not wearing the thin veils that exposed their chests as some had expected. Instead, they wore short cloaks that were red on the outside and white on the inside, and small red sheepskin boots with cloud-patterned patterns.

The most striking detail is that, even without revealing a single inch of skin, a silk ribbon perfectly cinches her slender waist beneath the slightly baggy, adorable short cloak.

The young women, all with rosy cheeks, looked no more than 20 years old. Their natural age advantage meant that all they needed was a touch of red lipstick and a dash of eye makeup to exude an innate elegance.

But taking one out would be fine, but standing them neatly in two rows only makes them complement each other even more.

It's fortunate that Chen Ergou didn't come, otherwise he would have fainted on this narrow passage.

Not to mention that all the maids were looking in this direction with curiosity, and some of them were even whispering to each other.

Dr. Lei, of course, appreciated it generously.

In front of his wife, Niu Dadan could only stare at his toes.

Lin Fan looked around with a serious expression. He had no interest in looking at anything else. He was just looking at the structure of the houses and thinking about which way he should go if he wanted to escape by climbing over the wall.

The female shopkeeper quickly concealed her confusion and turned back to scold the girls who were whispering among themselves.

It wasn't because she was polite, but because no matter how absurd it was, Lord Duan was standing right there, so how could she put on airs?

The people, each emitting varying degrees of foul odor, were not immediately led to their seats for a meal; instead, they were each taken to a separate room.

A graceful young woman, carrying a dim yellow lantern, swayed her hips as she led Lin Fan up and down the stairs to a quiet room, where she opened the door for him.

You can see the beds and steaming water tanks inside from the doorway.

"Second Brother, would you like someone to help you bathe?" the girl asked in a high-pitched voice.

In Sanjiang Prefecture, it's a common custom for women to call their sweethearts "Second Brother." Lin Fan didn't understand this, but he didn't care.

Lin Fan glanced at her, a rare occurrence, and she followed his gaze with a slight smile.

"No need, I don't like having someone next to me when I shower."

After persuading his daughter to leave, Lin Fan began to undress and take a shower.

What else could he do? Would he take the opportunity to climb over the wall and escape?

No, Lin Fan had already decided to play along and see how things unfolded. After all, the thought of taking a hot shower was too tempting.

It had been over a month since Lin Fan had taken a proper bath since leaving Baishi County. This was extremely difficult for him to endure.

Moreover, he had considered that if Duan Ye and Zhan Peng really had some kind of scheme against him, and that the scheme had progressed to the point of knowing in advance that Doctor Lei and Zhan Peng were acquainted, then his current trick of escaping when they were alone would definitely not work.

Moreover, unlike in Xintai County, where the clear opponent was the Li family, everyone said that as long as the Li family's "heaven" was there, he couldn't escape, so his target was very clear.

So, is killing Duan Ye enough to settle things here? What if Duan Ye is just a decoy?

Moreover, Lin Fan can't even say he still harbors a sliver of hope. What if it's all true, and Duan Ye and Zhan Peng weren't lying? At least that's the emotion reflected in the Soul-Suppressing Pearl.

Holding his two knives, he "relaxed" and soaked in hot water, letting the Soul-Suppressing Pearl in his mouth keep watch for him.

Ah, if you hold it in your mouth for too long, saliva will drip down, but it's not a big problem in the bathtub.

Calming down, Lin Fan continued to think, using the effects of the Soul-Suppressing Pearl. Although Lin Fan generally believed that 'thinking too much is useless,' what else could he do but use his brain to think about it?

Running away is pointless, and fighting doesn't mean you know who to fight.

After Lin Fan brushed off the layer of black mud from his body, he did indeed think of something.

Zhan Peng—or rather, Zhan Peng's first attack upon meeting him—kicked himself.

Keep in mind that Lin Fan hadn't activated the Soul-Suppressing Pearl at that time, and was completely unprepared for Zhan Peng's ghostly appearance. If Zhan Peng had attacked with a knife, he would most likely have been forced to restart the game without even realizing it.

Okay, let's confirm one thing: Zhan Peng doesn't want to kill me for the time being. Let's also tentatively confirm another thing: Zhan Peng and Duan Ye are in cahoots. This is highly likely. Or rather, it would be even better if they weren't in cahoots, but let's assume, in the worst-case scenario, that they are.

The rest was simple. They didn't want to die, and with that thought, Lin Fan relaxed a lot, giving him more room to maneuver.

As for what they wanted to do—whether they wanted to capture him alive or do something else—Lin Fan decided to follow their lead and wait for them to reveal their true intentions before making a move.

Splash. Lin Fan stood up from the bathtub, water droplets running down his skin, which was somewhat loose yet taut with muscles.

Lin Fan dried himself with a soft, large towel and picked up a brand-new set of clothes that were lying to the side.

This was Duan Ye's everyday clothes, and fortunately, his build was similar to Lin Fan's, so it fit him perfectly.

"It has such a nice texture, so soft and warm, I wonder what it's made of."

As Lin Fan dried his hair, he marveled at how well the Marquis was dressed. Completely dressed and equipped with his full gear, he gave the mechanical beast orders to follow him at a distance and not show itself.

Outside the door, the girl who had brought her there was still waiting, kneeling on the ground with a lantern, like a quiet and lovely little doll.

Seeing Lin Fan come out, she stepped forward with a smile and bowed, "Second Brother, you've kept me waiting."

Then, after looking Lin Fan up and down, she covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Clothes really do make the man. Second Brother looks so good in this outfit, it's quite captivating."

She wasn't just praising him blindly. Lin Fan was now tall and fit, stylish in clothes and well-endowed underneath. His face had a touch of weariness but was very capable, and his slightly damp long hair gave him a unique charm. He was in the stage of transitioning from a handsome middle-aged man to a handsome old man.

However, Lin Fan had already guessed what these girls did in their daily lives, and he completely ignored their emotionless, purely skillful teasing.

The young lady was used to the guests ignoring her flattery; after all, she had seen plenty of people who liked to put on airs. She bowed again before turning around and leading the way, swaying her hips.

After her slender waist was tied with a belt, her hips appeared exceptionally round. What was most problematic was that the guild hall was built against the mountain and had many stairs. Going downstairs was one thing, but going upstairs, the round sphere wrapped in silk was pointed directly at the guests' heads.

If you can't imagine it, you can look at what it looks like to walk in a cheongsam.

Unfortunately, with the daughter leading the way, the guests behind had no way to avoid her gaze. They were afraid that if the car braked suddenly, they would bump into someone's butt.

That's obvious. When the manager saw how many stairs made it inconvenient for guests to walk up and down the stairs, he thought of this floor. So he specially designed special skirts and trousers, and strictly examined a certain size when selecting maids, to prevent guests from complaining about the excessive number of stairs. This was a calculated move.

"Brother, why are you so late? Did you do something else while you were taking a bath?" Doctor Lei asked Lin Fan, who had just sat down, while eating a chicken leg in one hand with his mouth full of oil.

Lin Fan didn't explain, picked up the strange brass wine bottle in front of him and took a sip. "I'm late, so I'll punish myself with a cup of wine to apologize."

In fact, Lin Fanzhen only took one sip. He was not a drinker in either his past or present life. Relaxing is one thing, but getting himself drunk right away is another.

Dr. Lei didn't care about that and laughed, "I thought you would be so nervous that you wouldn't dare to eat or drink."

Lin Fan also broke off some chicken pieces from the table and took a small bite. "How could that be? Since it's already in Lord Duan's hands, there's no way I can get it out. Being nervous won't help."

As Lin Fan spoke, he looked at the other two people present. Duan Ye had changed his clothes, but they were not much different from before.

Zhan Peng donned his flying fish robe, a sword at his waist, and his long hair tied in a ponytail. He transformed from a filthy, wandering swordsman into a proper imperial henchman.

Upon hearing this, Duan Ye raised his cup in apology, saying, "Brother Fan, what are you saying? I would never dare to dream of having all the heroes in the world at my disposal."

Lin Fan thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but I won't dwell on it."

After taking a small sip of wine and eating a small bite of meat, Lin Fan held the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, sensing for any unusual sensations within his body. It wasn't that relaxing a little meant becoming completely unguarded; at the very least, he needed to know exactly where things would go wrong if something did happen.

The four of them did not sit around a table, but rather each had a small table in front of them, sat on the floor, and each had a portion of food. So, in front of Lin Fan was a whole roasted chicken.

The room was brightly lit with lamps burning in all four corners, making it as bright as day. A mountain spring even flowed directly through the room, and there was a small basin nearby where one could draw water directly from the spring.

When Lin Fan first arrived, he thought it was a bit 'Japanese,' but later he found it somewhat amusing, since many historical dramas about the Qin and Han dynasties depicted people eating on the ground like this. It would be more accurate to say it had a 'classical' feel.

After Duan Ye apologized, he raised his glass and said, "Now that Brother Lin is here, let's officially begin. Today is a welcome dinner for all of you brothers."

Lin Fan glanced at the nearly empty roast chicken in front of Doctor Lei and realized that they had been waiting for him to start the meal! After all, Duan Ye and Zhan Peng's roast chickens were completely untouched. Seriously, Doctor Lei was really taking him for granted.

After the pleasantries were over, Lin Fan ate another piece of chicken.

I have to say, it smelled amazing. The chicken, coated with seasoning, was probably roasted over fruitwood and served directly, still warm and juicy.

In the real world, it certainly wouldn't seem like anything special, but in the Great Qian Dynasty, I've never tasted anything so delicious.

If Lin Fan didn't restrain himself at this moment, he would definitely have gnawed the chicken bones clean, just like Doctor Lei. There's no way around it; it's human nature.

Lin Fan glanced at it and saw that although Zhan Peng had been holding back, he had already eaten half of it as soon as the meal started.

Duan Ye wasn't much better; he picked up the whole thing and started gnawing on it. To be fair, when people are hungry, they really are all the same.

Lin Fan ignored everything, relaxed, and picked up the roast chicken to eat. The roast chicken was salty and fragrant, and he couldn't help but drink the wine from the strange copper wine vessel next to him.

The wine seemed to have a low alcohol content and a fruity aroma, like a beverage—delicious and thirst-quenching.

Each of the four men was accompanied by the woman who had led them to their room at the beginning. The four women remained silent, but when they saw that the wine cups were low, they would take a copper pot from the side and refill them.

After finishing a roast chicken, Lin Fan was already a little tipsy. Only then did he belatedly realize that the drug hadn't been added, but at this rate, he might really pass out. Could this be a conspiracy?

Duan Ye had eaten most of the chicken before he suddenly remembered that he wasn't there to just eat. He raised his wine cup and toasted everyone again before saying, "Doctor Lei and Brother Fan may not know, but this place was originally a royal palace. However, it has been abandoned for a long time. I took the initiative to rent it out to make some money. Now it is open at sunset and closes at sunrise. It is also a place where celebrities from all over Sanjiang Prefecture gather."

Lin Fan didn't lament the extravagance of the wealthy and powerful. He simply felt that as long as those in power didn't exploit him unjustly, it was actually a good thing for them to spend money legally. Nightly revelry was better than daily oppression.

As for things like the background of the maids here, they are definitely not clean behind the scenes. However, as Lin Fan said before, even if he can't bear to look at these things, he will try his best not to look.

Duan Ye raised the wine vessel in his hand. "This wine vessel is made of bronze, with animal-shaped handles and three legs. Doesn't it have a rather antique style?"

It was said to be bronze, but it wasn't the kind of bronze Lin Fan had imagined, covered in verdigris, the kind that would make you feel like you were poisoned if you used it to drink alcohol. Instead, it was a bright yellow like gold.

A thought flashed through Lin Fan's mind: if this color is verdigris, isn't it like the Qin and Han dynasty antiques he owns in museums?

Lin Fan didn't say anything.

Zhan Peng interrupted, saying, "My lord, we are all people of the martial world; we don't understand what you're saying."

Duan Ye chuckled and nodded, instantly enlivening the atmosphere.

After finishing a roast chicken, Dr. Lei started talking non-stop. He was clearly drunk.

(Damn, I submitted it at the last minute again. I really need to reflect on this.)