The Villain Has Blackened Again

With her superb acting and glib tongue, Nan Xun successfully fooled Madam Zhang and signed an unequal treaty for three years.

Madam Zhang provided her with food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Nan Xun also emphasized that she must be full, and that Madam Zhang couldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. She wanted to be an elegant performer and wouldn’t receive or meet any guests. After the three years were up and the contract was terminated, she could just pat her butt and leave whenever.

Of course, Madam Zhang wasn’t a vegetarian, as an additional article was added to the contract. In the span of three years, Li Yunduo must earn her five hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, the content above wouldn’t be valid.

Nan Xun still had some confidence about this point, so she immediately agreed.

As for why Nan Xun signed for three years, this was related to a clue from Little Eight. Big Boss State Teacher will post a recruitment for a batch of gu people in three years.

What were gu people? That was someone who will become a gu test subject for Moran Hall’s disciples!

If you had a tenacious life and didn’t die after testing gu twenty times, then the state teacher might break his rule and accept you as a Moran Hall outer disciple. However, according to Little Eight’s reliable information, no one could hold on to the end of the test. All of them died wretchedly, or you could say, nauseatingly.

But even if the end was so miserable, just to hold to that thin thread of hope, there would definitely be a wave of the state teacher’s fans rushing to court death.

Nan Xun’s goal was to squeeze herself inside this crowd of people and successfully enter Moran Hall so she could finally get closer with State Teacher boss. Thinking about it, this matter couldn’t be rushed, so she had to take it step by step…

…

Three years passed by in a flash, and today’s Drunken Moon wasn’t what it used to be.

It was 6 p.m, and Drunken Moon’s first floor hall’s seats were all occupied. The men that gathered here weren’t just common people, they were all famous scholarly gentlemen in Imperial City. Needless to say, the people on the second floor were all extraordinary big shots.

Madam Zhang had successfully upgraded Drunken Moon to a new level in just a mere three years, becoming a clear stream in the red light district, as the people who came here weren’t just coming to enjoy the pleasures of sensuality, but also to exchange poetry and lyrics.

Today was the day that Drunken Moon’s top star, Lady Qiangwei, attended once a month.

Speaking of this Lady Qiangwei, she was really awesome.

No one had seen Lady Qinagwei’s true face before, because she always wore a light veil over her face.

The woman wore a snow-white silk skirt that flowed down to the floor; her posture was so graceful that she looked like a fairy falling into the mortal world.

But just when you thought that she was a fairy, a mere glance from her pair of bewitching eyes would steal your soul.

Lady Qiangwei would appear at the end of every month. She was a very talented woman who would meet the guests with her music, chess, pictures and poetry. She was an absolutely gifted female scholar. Sometimes, the first line of couplets that she gave out couldn’t be answered by even the most famous Confucian scholar in Imperial City!

There was still an hour before Lady Qiangwei’s appearance, but everyone was already on their tiptoes.

After waiting and waiting, there was a movement from the stage. A group of strong men brought up a whole set of chime stones* and drums. [T/N: ancient percussion instrument made of stone or jade pieces hung in a row and struck as a xylophone]

“Could it be that Lady Qiangwei is going to play a song for us today?” one person asked in surprise.

“That’s great! It’s worth my trip here!”

When the time arrived, everyone craned their necks and looked into the middle of the hall.

“Oh my god! Look there! Quick!!” one person exclaimed.

A long white ribbon of gauze had been tied to a pillar on the second floor at some point, and a woman in a fluttering white dress gripped the ribbon with one hand as she stood gazing down.

The woman, whose face was covered with a thin veil, pulled the ribbon and jumped down, swinging over to the hall on the first floor. When she was about to reach the stage, she released her hand and her body lightly leaped steadily above.

Everyone held their breath, unable to recover from the scene just now.

The graceful, lithe woman had swung down from the second floor, just like a fairy falling from the sky, so beautiful! However, it was too dangerous ah!

The fairy’s eyes curved slightly as she opened her mouth, and a beautiful voice just like an oriole declared, “My topic today is, whoever can keep pace with my tune and perform a song together with me, I will chat with them for an hour.”

After the woman finished speaking, she suddenly turned a few times like a swallow, and with raised hands, she started to beat the musical instruments on both sides of the stage.

While dancing lightly, she wandered flexibly among the various instruments; the melody was as though it was from heaven.

Everyone was fascinated by her. When the melody started the second time, a qin suddenly sounded from a private room on the second floor, perfectly blending with the woman’s chiming, making the already heavenly sound even more magical.

Lady Qiangwei’s lips underneath the veil opened gently as she suddenly sang a tune.

There were no vulgar lyrics, just soft humming, and that light, melodious oriole-like voice could easily capture the heart of everyone who heard it.

After the song was finished, everyone had yet to return from the feeling of hearing celestial music from the highest heaven. When they finally returned to their senses, the fairy on stage was already gone.

“Wonderful! Wonderful ah! It’s worth dying to hear Lady Qiangwen playing such a song!

“Really like a fairy, such a well-deserved name. Even people like me who don’t understand music can be intoxicated!”

Madam Zhang saw that everyone couldn’t heap enough praises on. She was so happy that her old face bloomed like a flower. She hurriedly came out to close the show. “Gentlemen, this is the end of today’s performance by Drunken Moon’s Lady Qiangwei. As for the gentleman who played the song from second floor just now, Lady Qiangwei has already gone to see him. I apologize, these gentlemen can only wait until next month.”

In fact, Nan Xun, who had just finished her work, didn’t immediately go to see the class-A guest in the private room, but went back to her room first instead.

Little Eight’s praises were just like water from the Yellow River. “Dear da, your acting skill becomes better and better! Just look at those men, they’re all slobbering like good-for-nothings, you’re such a terrible hussy~”

Nan Xun smiled and chuckled. “Have I not seen a pig run even if I haven’t eaten pork before? I have seen many of these things before, and now I’m only using a small part of it.” [T/N: Even if you don’t have any experience on doing something, but at least you have seen others doing it, ex: TV]

If it wasn’t for the task, Little Eight really wanted to see what other flowers Nan Xun could conjure up. [T/N: skill]

Not long later, Madam Zhang rushed over. “Aiyo, my little ancestor, why don’t you go see the guest ah?”

Nan Xun pulled the light gauze off her face to breathe and said angrily, “Is it that Young Master Qi again?”

Madam Zhang had looked at this beautiful face countless times, but she still couldn’t help but stare in awe.

Seeing the other party’s unwillingness, Madam Zhang quickly persuaded, “What’s wrong with this Young Master Qi? He looks like a genius. He also gives out extravagant amounts of money. If you can make money from talking with him, why not? Besides, you promised this yourself, you can’t break your own promise ah.”

Nan Xun glanced at her. “I know. Madam Zhang, can you give me a whole roasted chicken to fill my stomach? I’m afraid I will faint from hunger while chatting with him later.”

Madam Zhang’s mouth twitched when she heard this.

TL NOTE:

I... have no excuses (ｏ´・ε・｀ｏ) I thought I finished my workloads, but new products came in and then bam. Clients. Stocks. Sh1ts.

Potats also had been busy with real life, so potats had to delay proofreading this.

Well. (´-ι_-｀)

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