Under the gaze of almost everyone in the hall, Fang Jie slowly walked up the stairs. Those who frequented Hongxiuzhao knew that the true helmsman, Aunt Xi, hadn't seen any guests for a long time. It was said that this woman had recently been frequently leaving Hongxiuzhao by carriage to visit Qingfeng Temple and discuss Taoism with Master Xiao.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Master Xiao was a deity.
The fact that the owner of a dance hall could have such a close relationship with Master Xiao made people even more puzzled about this woman named Xi Huamei. However, recalling Prince Yi's deep bow at the opening of Hongxiuzhao, people weren't surprised anymore. Therefore, a rather malicious story began to circulate throughout Chang'an… the gist of which was that this woman possessed formidable seductive skills and had slept with all the high-ranking officials and nobles in Chang'an.
For example, why would so many nobles patronize Hongxiuzhao?
Finding the source of this rumor wasn't difficult; any intelligent person could smell the sourness in the words. Since the opening of Hongxiuzhao, the brothel business in Chang'an plummeted. Those once-wealthy, slick-looking gentlemen suddenly became sophisticated, preferring to spend lavish sums at Hongxiuzhao just to listen to music and watch dancing rather than frequent the brothels with their fair-skinned, attractive women.
The reason was simple: the rich wanted to display their taste. They had money, so they wanted to project an image of superiority. Hongxiuzhao capitalized on this psychology, playing the role of luxurious yet refined. Even the best brothels were still somewhat vulgar.
To have offended the entire brothel industry in Chang'an showed that Aunt Xi was unafraid of making enemies. However, compared to her, the owners of those brothels were truly not in the same league.
So some dared to spread rumors behind her back, and the bolder ones even hired a few thugs to throw excrement and urine at Hongxiuzhao at night. But openly, everyone who saw Aunt Xi had to greet her politely.
The entire Hongxiuzhao was luxuriously decorated, yet not a single thing about it was vulgar.
Fang Jie carefully examined the place as he climbed the stairs and found it vastly different from his last visit. It seemed Aunt Xi was well aware of the dangers of visual fatigue and frequently changed the style of Hongxiuzhao's interior.
On the stage downstairs, four beautiful women gracefully danced a dance called "Goddess Flying to Heaven." This dance wasn't particularly special; many dance troupes could choreograph it. But no dance troupe could compare to the "Goddess Flying to Heaven" performed by Hongxiuzhao, and the fundamental reason lay in the dancers themselves.
The four dancing girls were identical in appearance and figure, possessing exceptional dance skills, stunning beauty, and an outstanding choreography. The sight of four identical women dancing simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, was a feast for the eyes. Most of the wealthy gentlemen and merchants watching from below secretly longed to possess all four beauties, to roll around on a large bed, embracing each other—what an intoxicating experience that would be!
Sleeping with four identical beauties—the thought alone made many drool.
Unfortunately, these four beauties were unattainable. The more they thought about them, the less they could have them, and the less they could have them, the more they desired them.
Aunt Xi called out from the window that Fang Jie was coming up and then went back inside. Fang Jie went up to the third floor, straightened his clothes, and knocked on the door. Hearing a "Come in," he pushed the door open and entered. Once inside, Fang Jie meticulously performed the deepest bow of a junior greeting an elder.
"I know you've been detained."
Aunt Xi's first words sent a slight shiver down Fang Jie's spine. Just how deep was this woman's influence? Few in the court knew he was being held in the secret prison of the Imperial Guards. How did this retired dance hall owner get the news?
However, Fang Jie quickly found the answer. After his return, he'd heard that Aunt Xi had been frequently visiting the Taoist temple lately. Given that… knowing about Fang Jie's detention wasn't difficult. If Xiang Qingniu knew, how could Master Xiao not know?
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Aunt Xi," Fang Jie said, bowing slightly.
Aunt Xi pointed to a chair not far away and said, "Don't pretend to be so refined; it's unpleasant to look at."
Fang Jie chuckled and sat down, saying, "Just got back, so I rushed over to say hello."
Aunt Xi ignored the lie and, after a moment of silence, asked, "Have you seen the proprietress of Yunji Dog Meat Shop?"
"Not yet."
Fang Jie answered truthfully.
"You should go see her first. If she hadn't covered for you in front of His Majesty, you wouldn't be out of here; you'd most likely be beheaded."
"Covered up a lie?"
Fang Jie was taken aback. "Aunt, please just tell me directly. Why do I feel uneasy hearing you say that?"
Xi Huamei narrowed her eyes at him, then suddenly smiled and said, "Do you really think you're Prince Zhong's disciple? Back in Fangu, he merely sat with you and drank half a pot of pear blossom wine with the proprietress, Du Hongxian. That's all. What makes you think you're his..." "His successor?"
Fang Jie's expression changed, and he couldn't help but ask, "Does Auntie know the details?"
Xi Huamei paused for a moment and said, "If we really want to talk about any relationship between you, you can consider him your benefactor, but you are by no means his successor. He only saved you because he saw you were about to die and felt sorry for you. He has saved far too many people in this world. If you really think about it, the peace of the Sui Dynasty for more than ten years was all thanks to him. Does that mean all the people of the Sui Dynasty are his successors?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Fang Jie's head, sending a chill down his spine. "You're lucky."
Aunt Xi looked at Fang Jie earnestly and said, "I brought you upstairs just to make you understand this. You're simply lucky. I won't say in front of others that you're not his successor, but you can't claim to be his successor either. You must understand this."
Xi Huamei said, word by word, "Being his successor isn't so easy. You... you're not qualified yet."
...
...
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat cold. Xi Huamei's words left Fang Jie speechless. Initially, he didn't believe he was truly the successor of Prince Zhong, but as more people said it, he gradually began to wonder if he really was. Moreover, this identity had brought him countless benefits; he had survived despite his impending doom entirely because of it.
Xi Huamei's words were like ice, chilling Fang Jie to the bone.
If he truly had no connection whatsoever with Prince Zhong, how could he possibly establish himself in Chang'an? His Majesty and Dean Zhou suspected him of having ties to Buddhism, but ultimately released him from the secret prison of the Imperial Guard because of Prince Zhong's identity. If it were confirmed that he was a complete imposter… Fang Jie dared not imagine the consequences.
The supreme ruler sitting on the dragon throne could easily obliterate him with a single act of rage.
"Thank you for reminding me, Auntie. I remember."
After a long silence, Fang Jie stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed in reply.
Xi Huamei seemed satisfied with his reaction, nodding and saying, "I'm telling you this so you understand a principle… Whether in Chang'an or outside, if you only rely on a fictitious identity to get by, you will eventually fall and never rise again. In the more than a hundred years since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, countless young talents more ambitious, more outstanding, and more adept at handling affairs than you have drowned in Chang'an. Your good luck may not last a lifetime."
Fang Jie nodded, then silently sat back down.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense; the conversation seemed to have reached its end. "Ask whatever you wish."
Xi Huamei stood up, walked to the small incense burner, and adjusted the lid, reducing the smoke. Fang Jie could sense from her previous words that this woman's relationship with Prince Zhong must be extremely close. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so protective of Prince Zhong, even handling the matter of his successor with such meticulous care, absolutely forbidding anyone from easily involving that man named Yang Qi.
She didn't acknowledge Fang Jie as Prince Zhong's successor; as she had said before, she didn't believe Fang Jie was qualified.
"That day... what exactly did Prince Zhong do?"
Fang Jie hesitated for a moment, then chose the question that concerned him most: "Why did you say that I was on the verge of death, and Prince Zhong only saved me out of pity?"
Xi Huamei thought for a moment and then said, "You still think that he changed your constitution?"
Fang Jie nodded: "When I was in Fan Gu, all 128 of my acupoints were blocked, but ever since that night at Yunji Dog Meat Hot Pot with Prince Zhong, everything has changed. Although only a few of my acupoints are still open, the changes in my body are obvious. If he didn't do something, why would I have changed?"
Xi Huamei asked curiously, "You just started from..." "Didn't you ever consider that you were inherently different? He's the strongest person in the world, but even he doesn't necessarily have the ability to turn a useless person into a genius. Have you ever seen someone turn stone into gold?"
Fang Jie was taken aback, muttering, "But before I met him..."
"That's the reason he saved you."
Xi Huamei said, "Back at Hongxiuzhao, the first time he saw you, he noticed something was wrong with your body. He didn't do anything then because he was disgusted by the method used on you. I think the reason he suddenly chose to save you before leaving was because he felt that no matter how disgusting that method was, you were ultimately innocent."
"What method?"
Fang Jie asked. "He only mentioned it to me once."
Xi Huamei recalled for a moment and said, "Using one's own body to nurture poison, destroying one's Qi Sea, sealing one's Qi Acupoints, creating things that are neither human nor ghost—that person's methods are still so shameless and disgusting."
If Xi Huamei's earlier statement that she didn't acknowledge him as Prince Zhong had completely sobered Fang Jie, then these words were like pushing him into an ice cave. He felt his body trembling slightly, his hands and feet almost frozen. Although he didn't quite understand the meaning of those words, he instantly realized that he was indeed a man-made thing… a shameful and disgusting experimental subject?
"That person…who is it?"
When Fang Jie asked this question, his voice was hoarse, like the sound of a strong wind blowing through the broken stones next door. He subconsciously clenched his fists, his palms sweating.
He asked Daquan, Mu Xiaoyao, and Chen Qingshan, but received no answer. Now, it seemed the answer was about to come from Aunt Xi, someone who shouldn't know and had nothing to do with him. A giant wolf seemed to surge within Fang Jie. He was afraid, terrified, and even afraid to ask the question. He realized that after sixteen years of searching for the truth, he wasn't ready to bear it.
"He only said it was that person. How would I know who it is?"
Xi Huamei's answer greatly disappointed Fang Jie, yet it also brought a sense of relief.
She didn't know either. That's good…
For some reason, Fang Jie felt a surge of joy for a moment. He didn't even know what he was afraid of.
"However…"
Xi Huamei continued, "The person he despises so much is most likely a Mongol."
"Yes…"
Fang Jie trembled again, muttering, "Most likely, he's a Mongol."
His body was as if he had just been washed; his martial arts academy uniform was soaked with sweat and clung tightly to his body. He slumped back in his chair, his eyes devoid of any spirit.
Xi Huamei, however, was somewhat surprised by his reaction. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "Young man, why are you so stubborn? The person who harmed you might be a Mongol, but go look in the mirror. How do you look like a Mongol barbarian?"
Fang Jie paused, subconsciously raising his hand to touch his face, asking, "Doesn't it look like one?"
Before Xi Huamei could answer, he slowly sighed and muttered to himself, "It certainly doesn't look like one…"
In that instant, a sudden realization dawned on him, as if he had grasped something.
The big dog is from the Shang Kingdom, as are the Qilin and the horizontal staff. Mu Xiaoyao and Shen Qingshan are from the Southern Yan Kingdom, and the people of the Southern Yan Kingdom are naturally also from the Shang Kingdom... So what about myself?