Chapter 23 The Great Uproar at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion

“This…” Manager Yuan hesitated, then steeled himself and looked at Du Long. “Du Long, Zui Xiang House has raised Xia Qinglian since she was a child, spending a fortune on her. Tomorrow, at the Fragrance Pursuit Gathering, she is still our headline act. If you take her away, our reputation in the capital will be utterly ruined. This is too important for me to decide—I must seek the owner’s verdict!”

“Hmph! Manager Yuan, no matter what, tonight I’m taking Miss Qinglian with me. With the imperial pardon and the princess’s golden token, I want to see who dares stand in my way!” Seeing Manager Yuan’s reluctance, Du Long’s voice turned cold with anger.

“Du Long! Don’t wave that as if it were a royal edict. The Emperor’s pardon only restores Miss Qinglian’s status as a free citizen; it doesn’t mean she’s free to go! Zui Xiang House nurtured her all these years and has the right to reclaim its investment,” Manager Yuan replied bluntly, showing no intention of yielding.

“Hahaha! Du Long, you’d best get lost! If Miss Qinglian is pardoned, then I, Fan Wei, have every right to redeem her too! You call twelve hundred gold coins an offer? Someone was willing to pay three thousand just to drink with her! With your paltry sum, you think you can redeem her?” Fan Wei, catching Manager Yuan’s drift, burst out laughing.

“That’s right! Manager Yuan, Miss Qinglian should be auctioned—let the highest bidder win!” Fan Wei’s companions chimed in with raucous laughter.

“Indeed! That is our intention. Since His Majesty has been merciful and pardoned Xia Qinglian, tomorrow’s auction for her first night at the Fragrance Pursuit Gathering will change to auctioning her ownership!” Manager Yuan clearly favored Fan Wei’s proposal.

The calm smile vanished from Du Long’s face. His gaze, icy as a blade, swept over the crowd and finally settled on Xia Qinglian, who stood desolately by the guzheng, her eyes full of sorrow.

He broke into a brilliant smile, stepped forward under hostile stares, and gently took her delicate hand. “Miss Qinglian, don’t worry. Tonight, I will see you leave this filthy place.”

Looking into the boy’s profound, far-seeing eyes, Xia Qinglian felt a strange sense of reliance blossom within her. Suddenly, this young man seemed grand and reassuring, and even the thought of dying became unfrightening.

“Mm!” She nodded softly, almost involuntarily.

“Du Long! What are you trying to do? Zui Xiang House will not let you do as you please!” Manager Yuan, regaining his wits, barked angrily and gave a covert signal to his men, one of whom slipped away.

“Manager Yuan! Here are two thousand gold coins. Back then, Zui Xiang House bought Miss Qinglian for twelve hundred. I’m adding eight hundred more as her training costs. Tonight, I will take her away—whoever dares stop me will not be spared!” Du Long tossed a bag of coins before Manager Yuan, not caring whether he would accept, and turned to lead Xia Qinglian toward the private room’s door.

“Stop them!” Manager Yuan ordered his bodyguards with a wave.

“So, Yuan, you really care nothing for Princess Fire Phoenix’s authority? Very well, I, Du Long, want to see how Zui Xiang House dares detain a woman pardoned by the Emperor! Hmph, you even dare auction off a gentlewoman? Such audacity!” Du Long pressed forward, hand in hand with Xia Qinglian, while Du Cai Ni moved to his side, ready to intervene.

As for Fan Wei and his ilk, they sat back to watch the spectacle. Everyone in the city knew Zui Xiang House’s background; of course, they were eager to see the drama unfold.

“Wow! A hero rescuing a beauty? Du Long, I’m rooting for you—go for it!” came the lively cry of the ring spirit’s feminine voice in his mind, followed by a comment that nearly made him cough up blood: “But I can only support you in spirit! Remember, don’t take weapons out of the ring space—if anyone discovers you have a spatial ring, you’ll be in real trouble!”

Rolling his eyes, Du Long glanced at the three burly men who stepped forward. All were house enforcers, each a formidable ninth stage Qi Nurturing expert.

“Little Gold Crystal, if you get a chance, lend me a hand. Just don’t kill anyone—anything else is fair game!” Du Long, now truly provoked, muttered in his heart.

“Du Long, your vest still offers strong defense—if you use it well, your strength should be enough for a great effect,” the ring spirit Ling’er reminded him sweetly.

“Hey, can you remove its restrictions? Stop with the useless advice!” Du Long grumbled inwardly.

“Hehe, you need to get used to fighting under pressure. These people won’t dare kill you. If I lift the restriction too soon, it won’t help your training! Don’t worry, when the time is right, I’ll take it off for you!” Ling’er laughed carelessly.

Du Long rolled his eyes again. With the vest’s restriction, he could only muster the strength of a fourth or fifth stage Qi Nurturing cultivator. Even without the restriction, handling these men would be tough—now, it seemed downright impossible!

“Out of the way!” Du Cai Ni, always at Du Long’s side, could hold back no longer. Her long leg whipped out like a lash toward the three burly men.

As befit a second stage Qi Cyclone practitioner, her sweeping kick broke the air with a fearsome crack as it lashed toward the men. Well-trained, they dodged her attack and rushed straight at Du Long and Xia Qinglian. Just as Du Cai Ni was about to pursue, Manager Yuan himself stepped in, tangling her in combat. His strength was clearly on par with hers, and they quickly became locked in a heated exchange.

With the three men advancing, Du Long had to let go of Xia Qinglian’s hand and darted toward one of them, executing the Windstride technique he had honed for days.

Despite the vest’s 160-pound weight, Windstride allowed him to move just a bit faster than the burly men. In a flash, he threw a punch at one, exuding the aura of a peak fourth stage Qi Nurturing cultivator.

‘A fourth stage dares challenge me?’ the man sneered inwardly, intending to take Du Long’s punch and return one of his own.

Seeing the man choose not to defend, Du Long realized the man underestimated him and decided to meet force with force. Ignoring the incoming punch to his chest, Du Long put more power into his own strike, aiming viciously for the man’s right ribs.

There was a dull, heavy thud of impact. Both punches landed almost simultaneously—Du Long was sent flying back by the force, but the burly man let out a muffled groan and collapsed flat.

Du Long felt the blow to his chest dissipate evenly across his body thanks to the vest’s design, leaving him little more than winded. The man, however, suffered several broken ribs and internal injuries, spitting blood as he fell, utterly incapacitated.

With a single move, Du Long had crippled a ninth stage Qi Nurturing expert. The onlookers were stunned, but Du Long wasted no time, darting toward the remaining two.

“Careful, don’t meet him head-on!” one of them warned his comrade, both readying themselves.

Seeing them prepare, a cunning light flashed in Du Long’s eyes. He charged straight at them—there would be no leaving Zui Xiang House until both were subdued.

Suddenly, a streak of golden light shot out from Du Long’s body. The two men, caught off guard, were struck on the legs and howled in pain as they crashed to the ground, their right legs grotesquely twisted—clearly broken.

Without mercy, Du Long kicked them aside, then seized Xia Qinglian’s hand and made for the exit without a backward glance.

“Stop them! Bring that wretch Qinglian back!” Fan Wei, seeing Du Long escape the encirclement, shouted frantically to the young nobles around him.

They dared not take on Du Cai Ni, but stopping Du Long seemed feasible—he hadn’t revealed any overwhelming strength, and his escape had looked odd and suspicious.

Without looking back, Du Long heard the pounding of footsteps behind him and knew what was happening. Trying to leave with Xia Qinglian would be impossible unless every obstacle was cleared.

With a sigh, he turned, shielding Xia Qinglian behind him, and faced the charging young nobles. “Anyone who wants to die, come forward.”

Unfortunately, few took his threat seriously. They charged shouting, and Du Long, stepping into the Windstride technique, slipped among them, his movements elusive and swift.

The sound of chaos erupted—doors, windows, tables, and chairs smashed apart in the refined chamber. With the terrifying speed of Little Gold Snake, the toughest foes were swiftly taken down, leaving Du Long to finish them off with a punch or a kick. In short order, over a dozen pampered nobles were sprawled on the ground.

Even Fan Wei and Li Xiaojun, who couldn’t resist joining in, were given special treatment for daring to rely on Princess Fire Phoenix’s backing—both were beaten until their faces were swollen and unrecognizable.