Rebirth - The Blood Demon Empress Chapter 77: Intensifying Contradictions

  "Brother, I've heard that among the three major wine houses in the Imperial City, the rules of Drunken Guest House are the most interesting. Why don't we stay at Drunken Guest House?" A melodious and pleasant voice like a skylark's came from the exquisite horse-drawn carriage, and just by hearing her voice, one could tell that she was exceptionally beautiful.

  The carriage rode smoothly, and after a while, a low, magnetic male voice sounded, like the sound of a piano playing, with clear layers and a strong rhythm.

  "Isn't your hand itching to go there and find someone to compete with in chess?" The man's voice carried a hint of playful teasing, knowing that her chess skills were exceptional, at least rarely matched.

  "Hmph——" Just as he said that, a woman's disdainful hum came from afar, giving off an air of noble elegance. "Brother-in-law, I just wanted to see how good the people of Qi Yue Country are at playing chess. A small wine tavern like this actually dares to set up such a stage."

  She learned chess from a young age, her master was the best chess player in the country, and she was his most proud female apprentice, also the only female apprentice. Even those self-proclaimed superior male apprentices all surrendered to her.

  Only the man sitting in front of her eyes, she has always been unable to surpass him.

  But she believed that one day she would win him over and he would willingly marry her.

  "Haha, there are people outside of people, and heavens beyond the sky. Be careful not to underestimate others, or you'll end up humiliating yourself." The man's smile was subtle, yet extremely alluring; without a few points of determination, one would be completely drawn in by him.

  Qī Yuè Guó is located in the most central position of the four countries, and for many years it has been a place of contention among various nations. Afraid of the reputation of Chǔ Wáng Chǔ Yòng on the battlefield, no one dared to provoke Qī Yuè Guó and start a war.

  Twenty years ago, the King of Chu disappeared without a trace. The various countries maintained their surface calm and expanded their national strength. Only in recent years have they frequently mobilized troops, with a hint of an impending war atmosphere.

  "Brother, I won't underestimate my opponents, but they must have the strength to make me take them seriously. Aren't the four masters of Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua in Zui Ke Ju all women? Then let me play with them and see how many talents there are in Qimeng country. It's also convenient for you, brother, to do your own thing, isn't it?" Anyway, she had made up her mind and was determined to wipe out those women first.

  "Father, the Drunken Guest House has arrived." The horse carriage stopped steadily at the gate of the wine tower, and the snow that had accumulated on the ground in the evening had already been cleaned up cleanly. The road surface was clean and smooth, and the two stone lions standing at the gate were majestic.

  Wang Xin and Li Yuan exchanged a glance, they had both followed Grandfather for nearly twenty years, so they were quite familiar with his temperament. As long as he didn't express any objection, it meant that he agreed to the proposal.

  The sharp-eyed young waiter saw the luxurious carriage as soon as he came out of the door, shook off the sweat towel on his shoulder, ran to the front of the carriage and politely asked: "Is the guest staying or dining, please come in."

  "It's both an inn and a restaurant." Wang Xin said in a cold tone, his sharp gaze swept over the luxurious decorations, confirming that he was just an ordinary waiter before withdrawing his overly piercing eyes.

  But looking at this little guy's smile, I feel pretty comfortable, because he smiles very cleanly.

  "Please, ladies and gentlemen, take a seat inside first. The carriages will be led to the backyard, where they will be well taken care of." Fugui's smiling face was like sunshine, especially warm on a winter day.

  In his opinion, as long as he can eat well and dress warmly every day, he is content.

  "Hmm." Wang Xin nodded and turned to look inside the carriage, asking respectfully: "Sir, please get off the carriage."

  A purple robe enveloped a tall and slender figure, with sword-like eyebrows slanting into the temples, green eyes shining like jade, deep and enchanting, a straight nose bridge, sensual thin lips slightly raised, revealing a faint smile that seemed to exist and yet not exist.

  Undoubtedly, the man was handsome and dashing, his long and powerful legs stepped down from the carriage, his clothes fluttering in the wind, drawing a beautiful arc in the air.

  In the blink of an eye, he has attracted many passersby to stop and watch, with men feeling jealous and women being infatuated, wishing they could get closer to take a better look.

  The man in purple seemed to have already gotten used to these gazes, his thin lips slightly raised as he said, "Rong Yun, come down!"

  "Hmm." The woman responded softly, and first to emerge from inside was a petite young woman in a light green maid's uniform, about 28 years old. Immediately after, the crowd's line of sight revealed a slender white hand gently placed on the maid's wrist, taking delicate steps, finally revealing her head.

  Suddenly, it brought a burst of exclamations.

  Wearing a light blue classical cheongsam, her soft and smooth hair was lightly coiled into a flowing cloud bun, with four crystal hairpins adorning her head.

  A delicate face with two big black eyes, a small and straight nose, and a mouth with clear outline. The rose-colored cheeks cast a faint shadow, the pink cheeks show a few hints of blush, looking shy and timid. Two green gemstone earrings sparkle on her earlobes, a string of bright pearls hangs around her neck, emitting a soft glow, making her look even more delicate and lovely.

  A pair of slender hands with skin as white as jade, eyebrows and eyes clear and elegant, complexion pale with a hint of red, extremely beautiful.

  Mei Rong Yun greatly enjoyed the infatuated and adoring gazes of men, which made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her vanity soared, and with a disdainful glance, she looked down on the people around her as if they were the lowest of insects.

  "Go in." Ximen Tong's shallow smile still lingered, but his enchanting green eyes had a few more hints of impatience.

  If it weren't for his mother, he would never agree to let Mu Rong Yun follow him to Qi Yue Country first. Since he was old enough to understand things, he knew what kind of calculations the woman behind him had in mind. Unfortunately, he didn't like her.

  It can even be said that he is very disgusted with her existence, and as soon as she finds an opportunity, she will cling to him desperately, how can he like it.

  "Yes." With a gentle and obedient nod, she lowered her head, the smile at the corner of her mouth also disappearing. She wasn't unaware of what Xi Men Tang was thinking in his heart. He might not like her, but she liked him, so he shouldn't think about getting rid of her.

  No matter what method she uses, she wants to bind him to her side, let alone having such a powerful background, and is not afraid that Ximen Tong will not admit defeat.

  "Shopkeeper, the four rooms upstairs, the environment must be quiet and peaceful, my husband dislikes being disturbed." Li Yuan took out a one-thousand-tael silver note and handed it to shopkeeper Huang Xing.

  Huang Xing raised his signature smile, put away the silver ticket, and said: "If the young master likes quietness and doesn't like to be disturbed, I can suggest that the young master rent out the westernmost part of the fourth floor. The environment is absolutely secluded and isolated from the other sides, so you don't have to worry about being disturbed."

  "The shopkeeper is indeed good at doing business, taking over the west side of the fourth floor." Ximen Tong raised his head and slightly surveyed the entire Drunken Guest House, and had to say that the layout here was quite exquisite. Every floor could be said to be a masterpiece, spending money to buy something he liked, he was also very happy.

  "The young master is really generous, a total of 5,000 taels of silver, first pay 3,000 taels as a deposit, and then pay the remaining 2,000 when checking out." The abacus was clicking away, and Huang Xing also smiled very harmoniously.

  Ximen Tong gave a look to Li Yuan, and the latter obediently paid the deposit. "Sir, would you like to rest first or have dinner first?"

  "Brother, everyone is almost starving to death, of course we should eat first." Mu Rong Yun stood elegantly on the left side of Xi Men Tong, wanting to reach out and hold his arm but showing a somewhat hesitant expression.

  She hadn't forgotten what would happen if she broke his taboos.

  "First put the things in the room, then use the tray." Ximen Tong frowned, he only felt that he had brought a big trouble with him and was eager to pack her up and throw her out.

  "Is the young master planning to dine in his room or choose to dine in the elegant private room on the second floor?" Huang Xing's inquiring gaze flashed by, and when he lifted his head again, he had restored his expression to that of a pragmatic businessman, changing so quickly that it left one speechless.

  Without waiting for Ximen Tong to speak, Mu Rongyun proudly raised her chin and asked with a somewhat arrogant tone: "Isn't there a rule here that says as long as you can defeat the four masters of chess, piano, calligraphy, and painting, you'll be rewarded?"

  "Haha, this young lady is absolutely right. Drunken Guest Pavilion indeed has such rules. I wonder which master the young lady wants to challenge? If it's a minor one, I'll have to go invite them out for a battle." Huang Xing furrowed his brow, looking at her who was pretty but somehow unlikable.

  No matter how beautiful you look, why do you give people a feeling like you're from the countryside, it's disgusting.

  It's still their young master who is good, not to mention that he looks beautiful, but the temperament that floats out of the dust, without others saying it, can also feel the nobility of the young master, which is not comparable to anyone.

  She's not even worthy of helping the young master tie his shoes, and yet she thinks it's beneath her?

  "This lady wants to play chess." Coincidentally, Mu Rongyun just happened to see the flash of disdain and ridicule in Huang Xing's eyes. Her heart suddenly felt blocked, and the words "call all four of them out" were bitterly swallowed back into her stomach under Xi Men Tang's warning gaze.

  "First, let's have this gentleman and lady go upstairs to rest for a moment. We'll treat them with good wine and food." Huang Xing smiled and instructed, politely nodding his head as he walked towards the backyard.

  "Alright, don't worry, boss."

  Tomorrow is the memorial day of the former Empress of Chu, and no one has come to challenge in the past month. Judging from their clothes and tone of speech, they are not locals, and it's even more likely that they are not people from Qīyuè country.

  Huang Xing walked quickly while anxiously telling Leng Ziyue about the several special guests he had received over the past few days, so that she could be mentally prepared.

  The first time he saw Leng Ziyue, he knew she wasn't a simple person. Later on, he found out that she was actually the daughter of the pavilion master and their young master.

  Looking back on their first meeting, Leng Xueyao was wearing a coarse white robe, and it's not worth mentioning how sour he felt when he thought about it later.

  "Grandfather, that shopkeeper is not simple." Wang Xin whispered close to Ximen Tong's ear, obviously having martial arts skills, yet intentionally pretending not to know how to fight, and still running a shop, it's really suspicious.

  "Just pay attention." Ximen Tong sat down elegantly, once again causing the dining guests to whisper and speculate that he was a young master from some family, and indeed, he looked quite handsome.

  Mei Rong held a silk handkerchief, her anger unable to be expressed. She pointed at the luxurious decorations and said: "Waiter, why haven't you served the dishes yet? Do you want to starve me to death?"

  You can't lose your temper with Simen Teng, but it's always possible to scold a small servant who has no status or position. If she gets unhappy, she can still kill him.

  Of course, she wouldn't kill openly, just use a little witchcraft behind her back.

  The rich and noble face stiffened for a moment, but immediately smiled and said respectfully: "Young master and young lady, you haven't ordered yet. Please take a look at the menu, whatever you want to eat, we can find it at Drunken Guest House."

  With a loud "slap", Fugui's face immediately swelled up high, with golden stars bursting from her eyes. Muyong Yun took the silk handkerchief handed to her by the maid and gently wiped her hand, saying mockingly: "You lowly thing, hitting you has dirtied my hands."

  Fu Gui was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses, the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth without him lifting a hand to wipe it away. For a moment, he stood there, unsure of what to say or do next. He hadn't done anything wrong, nor had he said anything wrong, so why was he being beaten for no reason? And yet, he still had to endure the humiliation of being trampled on his own dignity.

  "Since you've hit him, it's only natural that your hands would get dirty. This can only mean one thing: you're even more despicable than he is." The cold and clear voice was like a gust of icy wind, blowing directly into the hearts of everyone present, causing them to involuntarily tighten their clothes and shiver slightly.

  A low laugh sounded in his ear, seemingly teasing and mocking. His gaze towards Mu Rongxiang became somewhat strange, even with a hint of pity.

  The woman who cannot be offended in the imperial city of Yue, the fourth lady of the Zhongjun Marquis's manor - Leng Ziyue.

  These two women, if they were to collide, I wonder what kind of sparks would fly, it's really making people look forward to it.

  "Who is speaking? Get out of here, miss." Mu Rongyun's face turned green with rage. She was determined to torment the woman who had spoken until she died, all because of her, these people would laugh at her.

  "Hmph, standing on someone else's turf and still being so arrogant, you really do have a bit of my style." Cold Ziyue's mouth curved into a smile, her voice as clear as a babbling brook, crisp and melodious, truly pleasant to the ear.

  Less sharp than before, but more spoiled like a daughter at home.

  She followed the sound and saw her wearing a fiery red dress with golden edges, the skirt embroidered with golden silk threads depicting strange yet beautiful totems, seemingly some kind of animal, exuding an air of mystery. Her raven-black hair was styled in a simple yet elegant slanted cloud bun, two strands naturally falling onto her chest, with a red pearl flower tucked between them, and a string of crystal-like beads hanging from her forehead, sparkling brightly.

  Those eyebrows, bright eyes, white teeth, cherry lips, a face of absolute beauty, like an immortal's elegance and purity, yet blended with the charm of a seductress, making it impossible to find words to describe this lovely shadow's perfection.

  That fiery red dress was as resplendent as a flame, burning brightly. Even knowing that getting close to her would scorch one's eyes, one couldn't help but rush towards her with abandon, wanting to get closer and closer still.

  "Miss Leng, how did you get here?" Rong Yu asked in a daze, his voice soft and bewildered.

  Leng Xueyu slightly curled up the corners of her mouth, a smile that could topple cities, "What, can't I come here?"

  Some mischievous blinking of her shiny black eyes, with a slightly tilted head, made her look like a playful child, making her seem approachable and lovely.

  "Uh... um... it's not that...", her throat was knotted, and even wealth couldn't help her express herself clearly, she blushed and lowered her head.

  She was the only one who wouldn't mind their humble status and looked at them with a pair of sincere eyes, treating them as equals.

  "Go and apply the medicine properly, I'm giving it to you." Leng Ziyue casually tossed a delicate small white porcelain bottle into Fugui's arms. Her tone turned cold and biting, "Cheap mistress, you made a mistake and yet punish others, it really doesn't look good. Be careful with your little tricks on others, if you're not careful, they might backfire on yourself, what a pity that would be for such a beautiful face."

  "You scold who is a cheap person." Mu Rong Xiang's eyes turned red with anger, where did this woman in red come from, and she actually dared to point at her nose and scold.

  How did she know that she had made a move on the dead little second, and even took out the antidote for treatment, it was really hateful.

  "Whoever picks it up will be a cheap person." The red clothes floated, and the gentle lotus steps moved slowly. Cold Xue Yue elegantly sat down in the chair by the window and said softly: "Huang Zhanggui, old rules."

  The suppressed low laughter grew louder, people all say that Leng Ziyue scolds without using dirty words, it can be seen that today this blue-clothed beauty has met her match, unexpectedly another burst of thunderous laughter.

  Huang Xing nodded and said, "Miss Leng, please wait a moment."

  "You—" Mu Rong Yun pointed at Leng Ziyue, unable to contain her anger, and slapped another palm past.

  Fortunately, a crisp and loud "slap" sound did not ring out, but instead a heaven-shaking and earth-splitting scream of pain rang out.

  "Did you tell her what taboo she has committed?" Dai Mei's eyebrows were slightly raised, and the sharp blade of Blood Wei, which was gleaming with a cold light, had a faint red glow on its edge, rotating leisurely at the tip of Leng Zhiyue's slender fingers.

  "In the imperial city of Moon Palace, who doesn't know that Miss Leng dislikes it when people point at her and talk, even more so when someone dares to slap her face. Your fingers can still be intact on your hand, I don't know what good fortune you've accumulated in which lifetime." A not-too-big-or-small voice explained everything clearly, and at the same time, it also made Ximen Tong's interest grow bigger and bigger.

  The pure white silk handkerchief was stained with blood, and Leng Xue's eyes shone like water as she gazed at Xue Wei. She asked, "Isn't her blood hard to drink? Look, you're already feeling wronged. Originally, I didn't plan on letting you taste her blood, but I also don't want to let her break your principle of 'drawing blood whenever the sword is unsheathed', right?"

  "Aren't you ashamed enough?" Ximen Tong's seemingly gentle gaze, a harmless look that successfully made Mu Rongyun retreat two steps in fear, biting her lip and remaining silent.

  When he saw Leng Xue, Xi Men Ting lost confidence in his appearance for the first time, because she didn't even give him a glance from head to toe, as if he didn't exist in her eyes.

  This feeling was strange and made him extremely uncomfortable.

  Whether in Xiling country or when he walked into other countries, all the women who saw him couldn't help but stop and stare at him infatuatedly, expecting a glance from him.

  But she is an absolute exception.

  She wasn't attracted to his appearance, which should have been a good thing, proving she wasn't a shallow woman. But Ximen Tong still felt annoyed, and it turned out that being ignored was also infuriating.

  "Brother-in-law... I..." Mu Rong Yun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end swallowed it back down. His eyes were terrifying.

  "I don't know your surname and name, Miss. My sister has been rude to you just now, I hope you can forgive her." Ximen stepped forward two steps, standing in front of Leng Ziyue, his bright green eyes fixed on her stunning face.

  The empress dowager had always said that her niece, Mu Rongyan, was the most beautiful woman. If she were to see the red-clad figure before her now, who knows what thoughts would be running through her mind.

  "They say a good dog doesn't block the way, but why do you like to stand in front of people?" The pink lips opened lightly, but it was a sentence that could kill someone with anger. "The person she offended wasn't me, but that little waiter. She's as stupid as a pig, didn't even order any dishes and wanted them to be delivered, and even hit someone. What kind of upbringing is that?"

  Her cold eyes directly ignored the anger that was gradually accumulating in Ximen Tong's eyes, and she swept him with a light glance, then said: "You're blocking my sunlight."

  Xi Mengtang took a deep breath, and then another, lest he be driven to death by her. This woman was something else; not only did she deign not to glance at him, but she even cursed him as a dog.

  Fine, he and she have fallen out with each other.

  "Now, miss, can you answer my question properly?" Ximen Tong swore he had never been so patient.

  "What are you to me, and what makes you think I should tell you my name? Besides, anyone with some upbringing knows that before asking someone's name, they will first introduce themselves." The innocent blinked her eyes, the fiery red dress shining brightly in the sunlight, dazzling to behold.

  Throughout the entire imperial city, only she had the audacity to wear such a brightly colored dress and stroll around everywhere.

  "Ximen's tone was as cold as ice, his green eyes flashing with a fierce light, and there was a hint of gritted teeth in his voice."

  "If you're going to casually report a fake name, it's better not to say anything, so as not to dirty Miss's ears." Leng Ziyue slowly and elegantly sipped the fragrant and rich chicken soup. "By the way, I heard that the cheap woman from earlier wants to play chess, now is a good time to start."

  Ximen's mouth twitched slightly, somewhat unable to adapt to Leng Xueyao's jumping thought process. "Are you saying that Miss is going on stage?"

  "No!" Slender fingers shook slightly, pointing to the already set up chessboard on the indoor stage, saying: "It's a match with one of them, they are the masters of the four arts of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, while I am just a spectator."

  The crowd that had just finished watching a good show began to discuss again, saying: "It's rare to see all four masters of qin, qi, shu and hua present, it seems that today's competition is going to be spectacular."

  "That's right, in the past it was always about challenging something, and then a master would come out to respond."

  "For a long time, no one has been able to challenge successfully, I'm afraid this one also..."

  "We can eat and watch the game, what's there to complain about?"

  "Now, the current Guqin master is indeed Miss Leng. A few months ago, she challenged and won, and the previous Spring Breeze Guqin Master surrendered without a fight. I just don't know if that blue-clothed miss has any real skills; if she loses, it would be truly embarrassing."

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  One sentence after another, there are all sorts of people saying things, and some words that enter one's ears can be quite jarring.