AWB Chapter 114 Nothing but familiarity
Chapter 114 Nothing but familiarity
Chapter 114 Nothing but familiarity
The house is located in the mountains, but it is not a poor place. Instead, it is a prosperous place in Jinling. Many wealthy people bought land here to build houses, accompanied by mountains, rivers, grass and trees, and animals and birds. It is a good place to cultivate one's body and mind and enjoy the rest of one's life.
Therefore, this place is also called "Fu'an Mountain".
The house has red walls, green tiles and flying eaves with brackets and dougong, and a gold-plated hollow carved plaque with the word "Zhuge" inscribed on it.
Zhuge Chen knocked on the door, and soon a housekeeper opened the door. Seeing the visitor, he smiled and said, "It turns out that it is the young master who has come. Our young master has been waiting for you for a long time."
"Yeah." Zhuge Chen nodded slightly and followed the old butler in.
The courtyard was very exquisite, with each layer of scenery revealing a different world. Lu Zhan saw many precious flowers and trees planted in the courtyard. The flowers and trees were surrounded by a gurgling spring, which was mountain spring water brought from the mountains. The spring water hit the rocks with a tinkling sound, which was more pleasant to the ear than stringed instruments.
Zhuge Chen whispered, "This is the home of my distant uncle. My uncle is away doing business all year round, so there is only my brother at home, named Zhuge Qingya. Brother Qingya is of the same lineage as my uncle, and both like beautiful female demons. When my uncle was young, he even took in a few female demons, and they lived in harmony. Influenced by this, brother Qingya also plays more fancy."
Lu Zhan: “…
No wonder he wanted elixirs. The losses caused by hanging out with monsters could not be made up by an ordinary doctor.
Xie Chunyan was surprised: "It is unheard of that the witches and the wife get along well with each other."
Zhuge Chen said, "Who says it's not true? But later, they had a quarrel over playing mahjong. The female demons said that my aunt cheated and didn't respect the game, so they all ran away in anger. My uncle was very angry about this, but he couldn't divorce his wife easily, so he had to find another way. He found some good demons who were flirtatious, playful, but harmless. He didn't feel tired running back and forth between home and outside."
Lu Zhan: “…”
Xie Chunyan's desire for knowledge was strong again, but he didn't know where to start. He could only sigh with admiration: "He is really a role model for my generation."
……
Walking around the nine-curve corridor surrounded by lush flowers and trees, passing by the pavilions and towers that are scattered all over the place, we finally arrived at the main hall of this mansion.
The main hall is spacious and bright. It doesn't seem to have too luxurious furnishings, just a few mahogany chairs and a few elegant screens. But it is actually low-key and luxurious. The silver candlesticks have no candles, but a few pearls. The pearls shine brightly, making the whole main hall very bright.
"This must be the Lord Lu Zhan that Xiao Chen mentioned, right? My name is Zhuge Qingya, and I have long heard of your great name." Zhuge Qingya was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had a warm smile, but his face was pale and there was a hint of black mist on his forehead.
It is true that he has kidney deficiency, and it is caused by being haunted by a monster. It seems that there will be extra gains tonight... Lu Zhan smiled and said, "Brother Zhuge, you don't have to be polite. This time I came here for the matter of the elixir."
According to normal procedures, the person seeking medicine should come to the door on his own initiative, but Zhuge Qingya asked Zhuge Chen for it. When Zhuge Chen heard that Lu Zhan had killed a tiger monster, he took the opportunity to ask for the Tiger Whip Pill. Because it involved the black market, he asked Lu Zhan to come to the door.
This procedure is somewhat offensive to the distinguished guest... Zhuge Qingya said with a wry smile: "Why bother to come here in person, sir? Let Xiao Chen come to inform me of my life, I will come in person."
After saying that, Zhuge Qingya took out a mahogany box from behind him. When he opened it, he saw a golden glow, which turned out to be ten gold ingots.
There was a faint sandalwood scent burning in the hall, which made people feel at ease. Xie Chunyan did not like these polite greetings and was a little uninterested. But when he saw the gold ingot, he was no longer sleepy. He sat up straighter with a look of surprise.
"I heard from Xiao Chen that there are very few monsters suitable for refining aphrodisiac pills, and the tiger monster is the best among them. I have checked the black market and found that a high-quality tiger monster pill is in short supply. Please accept the reward, sir." Zhuge Qingya placed the box respectfully in front of Lu Zhan.
Although the merchants of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not as lowly as those in other dynasties, they were not as high as officials. Although the demon-suppressing masters had no formal official titles, they were closely related to the people, and had dealings with both the poor people and the wealthy, so they must be respected.
I just like people who are frank like you... Lu Zhan did not shirk his responsibility. He put the mahogany box into his spirit ring, took out a white porcelain bottle, and said, "There are two tiger whip pills in it. You need to take them half a year apart. After your body absorbs the medicinal effects, you will be full of vigor and vitality, and you will no longer have to suffer from financial difficulties."
"How could he be short of money..." Xie Chunyan couldn't help but interrupt, and halfway through his words he smiled ambiguously: "Guanqi, the conversations of scholars like you are interesting."
Zhuge Qingya's smile widened: "My Lord, you are such a wonderful person. I will gladly accept these two pills. If you need my help in the future, I will definitely go through fire and water to help you."
I am indeed a wonderful person, but you are a second person... But the rich are really like this, relying on their billions to get close to others... Lu Zhan smiled as if he was bathed in spring breeze.
Seeing that Lu Zhan did not show any displeasure, Zhuge Qingya heaved a sigh of relief. It was reasonable and moral for him to take the initiative to visit today. It was all Zhuge Chen's fault for not explaining clearly, so he had to trouble Lu Zhan to come in person. Zhuge Qingya had been afraid that Lu Zhan would be unhappy, but when he saw Lu Zhan's cheerful smile, he felt relieved.
Zhuge Chen was a little puzzled: "When I saw you a few days ago, you looked pale but your forehead was clear. Why is it dark now? Did you come across something unclean?"
This is also the reason why Lu Zhan was in a good mood after seeing Zhuge Qingya. Not only can he make some money, but he might also be able to earn some food for his soul.
However, this type of monster does things for money, mostly to play around and experience life in the human world. They will not entangle people with negative energy, nor will they harm people's lives, so they can be considered serious monsters.
But Zhuge Qingya's forehead was black, obviously he had encountered a monster that wanted to take his life, and this was not the result of a good monster.
Xie Chunyan noticed something was wrong when he came in, but when he saw Lu Zhan didn't say anything, he kept silent. Now when Zhuge Chen brought it up, he couldn't help but prick up his ears and listen.
"Even if you didn't mention it, I would still like to ask the two adults for advice." Zhuge Qingya said politely: "Please help me solve my doubts."
Lu Zhan said, "You're welcome. Feel free to ask questions."
Although Zhuge Chen is also a demon-suppressing master, he is a night doctor. Therefore, Zhuge Qingya does not trust Zhuge Chen very much in some matters. Instead, Xie Chunyan next to him makes him feel more secure.
A strong man is sometimes a good thing for a man.
"It happened like this. A few days ago, I was returning home from Jinshui Town and met a girl on the way to Qinghua River. I was about to take a boat and the girl waved from the shore, so I asked the boatman to take her a ride. Her home is downstream of Qinghua River. It was still raining when I left, so she lent me her umbrella."
"I knew there was a hidden meaning in this, so not long after she left, I went back downstream and went to her home with an umbrella."
"I then learned that her ancestral home was in Runzhou, and her parents died of illness at an early age. Before they died, they hoped that she could find a good husband. At that time, she was looking at me from afar at Qinghua River, and she fell in love with me. That's why she lent me an umbrella, so that we could meet again in the future."
"I saw how passionate she was, and I was overwhelmed. We hit it off that night and decided to spend our lives together. But during the process, I realized that she was not like an ordinary person, but a ghost. Afterwards, I felt even more disappointed, so I wanted to ask you gentlemen, is this monster different from the monsters on the black market? Is it harmful?"
Although Zhuge Qingya is somewhat slick in business, his nature is pure. He is just greedy for money and lustful, which is a common problem for many people. As long as they don't do anything harmful to others, it is normal for them to have such pursuits. Therefore, he doesn't feel embarrassed when he talks about this kind of thing.
This story seems familiar... Lu Zhan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Is there a maid named Xiaoqing beside the witch?"
"No." Zhuge Qingya said, "She is the only one in the family, and has no servants. What is your conclusion, sir?"
A golden light flashed in Lu Zhan's eyes and passed across Zhuge Qingya's brows. The person in front of him was obviously not the favored Xu Xian, nor was he Ning Caichen, who was favored by ghosts... He was just an ordinary victim.
Xie Chunyan stared and said, "You are not a cultivator, how can you tell that the woman is a monster?"
Zhuge Qingya said: "Nothing special, just practice."
Xie Chunyan: “…”
Even Lu Zhan's mouth twitched a little.
Zhuge Qingya has been hanging around the black market for many years, hanging out with many good monsters who have experienced the human world. He has a lot of experience in the methods and characteristics of monsters. He was not surprised at first, but when he realized that there were hidden weapons among them, and this hidden weapon made him surrender, he knew what was going on.
Even the most popular courtesan in a brothel doesn't have such ability. This woman must not be from this mortal world.
Seeing the strange silence in the atmosphere, Zhuge Qingya said, "Xiao Chen just said that my forehead was black and I was suspected to be haunted by a ghost. Could it be that the girl is different from the good monster in Jinshui Town?"
"It is indeed different. There is black mist around your forehead. I am afraid that you are not encountering a pure female demon, but a deadly wilderness ghost." Lu Zhan said: "But she did not take your life at once. I am afraid she has other ideas."
Zhuge Qingya was startled, and then he became furious: "I knew she was a demon, but I didn't dislike her. I originally planned to take her home as a concubine so that I wouldn't have to go to Jinshui Town to play with those demon girls. Unexpectedly, she wanted to kill me. When she was in love with me, she even said that she would accompany me for the rest of her life. But afterwards, she turned against me and used magic to harm me. It turns out that what a woman says in bed cannot be trusted!"
"You still want to marry the witch?" Although Xie Chunyan had listened to Zhuge Chen's story, when he heard it with his own ears, he still found it strange. This man was even more fancy than him. At most, he was just coveting a married woman.
Zhuge Qingya waved his hand and said, "Your Excellency doesn't know that I've experienced a lot in Jinshui Town. I don't care about the difference between humans and demons. As long as they make me happy and don't harm others, that's enough. Besides, when my father was traveling in southern Xinjiang in his early years, he also fell in love with a fox girl from southern Xinjiang. I have been influenced by her since I was a child, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It tastes better than ordinary women."
Lu Zhan asked, "Jinshui Town is where the black market is?"
Zhuge Qingya nodded, "Yes, Jinshui Town is no different from an ordinary town on weekdays, but on the first and fifteenth day of every month, a mysterious gate will appear deep in the town. This gate is set up by the immortals, and only those with a special bronze plate can enter. As far as I know, the Demon Suppression Bureau often has dealings with the black market."
"This is not surprising." Lu Zhan said, otherwise how would the Demon Suppression Division deal with so many monster corpses? They were all sold through special channels, but as grassroots workers, they were not aware of this channel.
Xie Chunyan asked enviously, "How did Brother Zhuge get the bronze medal?"
Zhuge Qingya said frankly: "What is the black market? The black market is the place that cannot be seen in the light. Why is the black market established? It is nothing more than for money. Since it is for money, then of course he must be especially friendly to the rich, otherwise whose money will he make? Moreover, compared to the immortals, mortals' money is easier to cheat. I know that the two adults are interested, and I have already prepared the bronze medals. Please accept them."
After saying that, Zhuge Qingya took out two more bronze medals.
Lu Zhan could see that although this person's behavior style was quite crazy, he had a way of dealing with people. He was very polite and respectful to them from beginning to end. Even when he gave them the bronze medal, his words were very high-sounding... In short, this was a rich and powerful person.
The bronze plate was heavy and had no words engraved on it, only a small bell painted on it. With this bronze plate, one could enter the black market on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. The door leading to the black market was probably a barrier of some kind.
The other party was able to cast this barrier in Jinshui Town and create a black market, which shows that he has a powerful background. I'm afraid he is not only related to the official, but also has dealings with the immortal sect. Otherwise, where would so many rare and exotic resources come from, and there would be no such a large amount of money to maintain the barrier.
"Thank you, Brother Zhuge. But what are your plans now?" Lu Zhan asked the wilderness ghost.
Zhuge Qingya said angrily, "That witch asked me to meet her at three o'clock tonight, which is why I urgently need to take care of my body. I thought that if we were both willing, we could have a good time, and I would not let her be the one who was happy. I didn't expect that she was the only one who was happy, and she even wanted to squeeze me to death. In this case... I'd better get rid of her. Considering our one-night stand, I'm willing to find a suitable grave for her."
Lu Zhan raised his eyebrows slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Xie Chunyan was somewhat interested, but seeing that Lu Zhan remained silent, he followed Lu Zhan's example and picked up the teacup and took two sips.
Zhuge Qingya thought for a moment and said, "This matter should have been reported to the Demon Suppression Division. I privately asked the Demon Suppression Division to break the rules, but the situation is urgent. If I don't get rid of it in time, I'm afraid that the demon girl will covet my taste and find me. My Lord, please have mercy on me. If you are willing to help me get rid of it, I will prepare a generous gift."
Lu Zhan put down the teacup and said with a smile: "Hey... This is not about money. You are Brother Zhuge's elder brother, so you are also our friend. We are all brothers."
……
Night has fallen, and the green mountains in the distance are gradually fading in the mist. Lights are lighting up from the distant mountains. They are Buddhist lamps burning in the temples, but in the dark night they look like will-o'-the-wisp fires transformed from wandering ghosts who can't find their way.
Zhuge Qingya dressed neatly and headed for Qinghua River as agreed with the banshee.
The banshee acted cautiously. If Zhuge Qingya did not show up, the other party would not show up easily. Zhuge Qingya also wanted to end this matter early, so he was naturally willing to go with her.
For such wealthy young masters, women are just a way to entertain themselves. If the other party can please them, they will not mind marrying her as a concubine. However, if the other party has ulterior motives, they will turn their backs on her.
Such a life may seem absurd, but it is actually free and easy. At least, it is not bound by worldly affairs and one can live as he pleases.
The Qinghua River was not far from here. The group quickly reached the downstream in the drizzle. From a distance, they saw white mist floating ahead, and in the mist there seemed to be a large house with white walls and green tiles.
"Please wait for a moment, my lords. I will go check it out first." Zhuge Qingya approved of the witch's method and finally decided to give her a chance: "If she persists, I will have to ask the lords to save my life."
After all, Zhuge Qingya had seen countless monsters, and even though he knew this monster was not kind, he was not afraid at all and walked straight forward and knocked on the door.
Lu Zhan and the others concealed their own auras and followed quietly in.
However, after entering this eerie haunted house, Lu Zhan sensed a faint and familiar aura.
*
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