I was reborn after cheating on the aloof and powerful man.

Chapter 34 Crimson Tent Courtyard

Inside the Silence Restriction Room of Xuehai Academy, Dongfang Rui sat upright in front of the Awakening Bell, looking up at the sect's most prized possession.

At the grand gathering of the three schools of thought, Confucius, who advocated that "human nature is inherently evil," was rendered speechless by Tang Huaiyi's statement: "The mind in its original state is neither good nor evil; the movement of the mind gives rise to good and evil intentions; knowing good and evil is conscience; doing good and eliminating evil is the investigation of things."

Not only the Master, but everyone in the Xuehai Academy combined couldn't even compare to one of their toes. No matter what question was raised, the other party could answer it and quote classics, leaving them speechless.

This was completely unacceptable to everyone at Xuehai Academy, who had been praised to the skies during this period, and even he, who was usually composed, could not accept the contrast. During a debate, he made a slip of the tongue, which drew a burst of laughter.

In the days that followed, he stubbornly stayed at the event, as if he were at his last gasp. However, wherever he went, he always felt that people around him were pointing fingers at him, as if he were a clown, a laughingstock.

After the grand gathering of the three religions concluded, the Master gave him a cold look and, under the pretext that he needed him to escort the Awakening Bell, sent him away from Nanxuan City.

He knew that his teacher was disappointed in him, but he was not convinced! If even his teacher couldn't win an argument, why should he, a junior, be expected to save face for Xuehai Academy?

Ha, Dongfang Rui shook his head with a wry smile. He wasn't Wu Gao; he had no relation to the Master. When the Master thought he was useful, he naturally helped him out. Now that he was useless, he wasn't even allowed to collect all his righteous points and was sent back.

Ironically, he still had to shamelessly try to please the other party.

Born into a humble family with limited talent, he had to be resourceful and seek opportunities to rise in the world.

The scenes in Sanhe Town were like a beautiful dream.

Who doesn't want to be the protagonist of the world, upright and righteous, admired by all?

When praise poured in like a tidal wave, Dongfang Rui thought his luck had finally turned around, and he could reach the pinnacle of enlightenment with his sect.

But a grand gathering of the three religions revealed his true colors.

A name lingered in his mind—that person he both hated and loved. Through the crowd, he saw her poised and confident amidst the attention, a confidence and ease he had never possessed before.

He gripped the small white porcelain bottle tightly in his hand. Outside the window, the sun was setting, its rays swallowed by the night. The room grew dark, and he suddenly remembered what his junior brother had mentioned some time ago: Wu Gao had been severely reprimanded by the Master.

The awakening bell, the awakening bell—when will people be willing to wake up?

People who are always busy with their own affairs are always on the same path, and they never change.

*

"Lord Jia, what offense have my Qingcheng Sect disciples committed?"

Inside the main hall of the yamen, accompanied by Tie Yun, his elder brother, and his junior brother Wang Zhizhong, Fei Xi and his group met Jia Shidao, the prefect of Nanxuan City.

“Miss Fei, your disciple Ji Zhongxuan disregarded His Majesty's decrees and dared to use excessive force in his investigation, accidentally killing Yan Gongsheng. This prefecture initially intended to show leniency due to his youth and ignorance. However, Yan Gongsheng is an outstanding student of Nanxuan City, and the official academy has already pressured this prefecture and reported the matter to His Majesty. This prefecture has no choice but to uphold the law impartially. If Miss Fei has nothing else to say, please return.”

"I am aware of your difficulties, sir. However, the matter has not yet been fully investigated. I beg you to grant us a few days to investigate thoroughly. If it is true that my junior brother violated the rules and regulations of the sect, the Qingcheng Sect will not hesitate to speak out. But if my junior brother is innocent, I beg you to investigate thoroughly and clear his name, so as not to disappoint us who uphold the righteous path."

"That's right, Lord Jia. We, the defenders of the Way, are loyal and righteous, as Heaven and Earth can attest. His Majesty also recognizes us, which is why he gave us this 'Defender of the Way' token."

"Since Young Master Tie has said so, I am naturally not an unreasonable person. Here's the arrangement: five days. If Miss Fei feels that her junior brother has been wronged, please abide by the law and find evidence. I will definitely clear his name then."

"Thank you, sir!"

Jia Shidao glanced at the girl in front of him. He naturally knew how this woman had shone brightly in the martial arts world during this period of time.

He had attended the grand gathering of the three schools of thought twice in private. The brilliance of the martial arts tradition made this Confucian student, who only read the classics, truly realize what it meant to be "a mayfly in the vast universe, a grain of millet in the boundless ocean."

Even though his opinion of these martial arts figures had changed considerably, he was, after all, an official, and his stance naturally determined which side he should take.

Following Lord Jia's instructions, Fei Xi and her group soon met with Junior Brother Ji, who was imprisoned in the dungeon.

The stench and the damp, dark environment made Fei Xi frown as soon as she entered. In the dim light, she immediately spotted the boy sitting on the tattered straw.

Inside the cramped cell, the boy remained composed, showing no sign of complaint or resentment, as if he were merely a guest. His handsome eyes, framed by sharp features, stared blankly at the wooden pole, lost in thought.

Not far from him, in the next cell, was an old man with a stubble beard, who kept talking to the boy.

The boy didn't even glance at him, which angered the old man so much that he jumped up and yelled at the boy for not knowing how to respect the elderly.

Hearing the noise, the young man immediately spotted Fei Xi and the other two coming down the stairs. A glint flashed in his handsome eyes, and he stood up, strode quickly to the cell door, and called out in a clear voice:

"Sister!"

"Forget about senior sisters and junior sisters, and all that about women. You brat, you must cripple your martial arts skills; they're a waste of your talent. As long as you become my disciple, I guarantee you'll master my divine skills in less than three years. Then you'll be invincible in the martial world, and no one will dare to underestimate my skills again!"

Fei Xi, who had overheard the old man's words, was speechless. No matter how powerful a martial arts master was, eating the Immortal Flower would undoubtedly kill them. Her junior brother, however, only slept for a little over a year after eating it and woke up perfectly fine. Of course, there was some truth to that, but this scene where even while in prison, a powerful figure was chasing after him to become his disciple—was the author just making things up because they couldn't write anything else? It was just too much of a Mary Sue trope!

"Sirs, please feel free to talk. I'll go and keep watch at the door to make sure no one comes in and disturbs you."

The jailer seemed rather timid; after taking the man away, he left.

Upon reaching the cell door, Fei Xi handed a medicine bottle to her junior brother.

"Senior Sister came in a hurry and didn't prepare any food. Please take this cold-dispelling pill first."

"it is good!"

Ji Zhongxuan familiarly took the medicine bottle, poured out a pill, and put it in his mouth.

"Give the old man some of those cold-dispelling pills too."

When the old man saw that there really was a woman, he immediately came over.

Fei Xi smiled but remained silent.

It wasn't that she was reluctant to part with him, but the old man's background was strange, and she couldn't guess his origins at the moment. To avoid causing any trouble, she could only pretend she hadn't heard what the old man said.

The kind of scenario where a stranger is given a piece of unfinished pastry and becomes incredibly grateful, transforming into a powerful figure to repay a debt of gratitude, only exists in storybooks.

People in the martial arts world must be extremely cautious and vigilant against any stranger who deliberately approaches them.

“Junior Brother Ji, I’ve heard the gist of what Junior Brother Yu told me. But please tell me in detail how Yan Gongsheng died.”

-

In the backyard of the Yan family, Ji Zhongxuan caught a servant and threatened him. From the servant, he learned that Wang Xiaoya had been locked in the woodshed since being beaten by Master Yan and had not been released.

After knocking the servant unconscious, Ji Zhongxuan quickly found the woodshed by following the direction the servant had pointed.

He used the same method to knock out the old woman guarding the door, and as soon as he pushed the door open, he smelled a foul stench.

Wang Xiaoya lay on the ground covered in bruises. After examining the stiffness of her body, Ji Zhongxuan realized that she had been dead for some time.

We must see her alive or dead; if we want to bring her killer to justice, we must have Granny Liu bring her daughter's body to the authorities.

Having figured out the key point, Ji Zhongxuan picked up the pitiful woman from the ground and prepared to leave the Yan residence.

As soon as he stepped outside, he bumped into Yan Gongsheng, who was on his way.

Upon seeing him, Yan Gongsheng vehemently berated him for meddling and attempted to threaten Ji Zhongxuan into handing over the corpse in his possession.

He didn't want to get entangled any longer and prepared to leave the Yan residence. Unexpectedly, Old Master Yan suddenly lunged at him, trying to snatch Wang Xiaoya's body back from his grasp. Ji Zhongxuan dodged, and Old Master Yan missed his target, never to rise again.

"...You didn't encounter Yan Gongsheng, yet Yan Gongsheng suddenly died?"

"Yes, I'm sure I didn't run into him. I was in a hurry to leave at the time, and now that I think about it, Yan Gongsheng's expression and behavior were very strange. He looked extremely terrified, as if he would surely die if I took Wang Xiaoya's body away."

Fei Xi could understand why her junior brother felt something was strange.

In this society, the lives of servants are extremely lowly. If Wang Xiaoya's indenture was a death contract, and the servant was accidentally killed by her master for committing a crime, the master would be innocent.

However, Wang Xiaoya and the Yan family had signed a contract with a fixed term. According to the law, if a master accidentally kills a servant under a contract with a fixed term, he will first be fined a sum of money to compensate the servant's family, and then, at most, be flogged 60 times and sentenced to one year in prison. This is the most severe punishment that can be followed when moralists intervene.

For someone like Yan Gongsheng, who held a certain social standing, even with the intervention of those who championed the Way, there was still considerable room for maneuver. Why was he so panicked that he insisted on stopping his junior brother Ji?

"Junior Brother Ji, stay here and wait for my good news."

After leaving the prison, Fei Xi rushed to several places without stopping.

At this moment, she was at the mortuary examining the bodies of Wang Xiaoya and Yan Gongsheng with the senior coroner, Shi Yi.

Originally, the coroner didn't want a young, unmarried woman like her to perform autopsies. It wasn't until Fei Xi demonstrated her skills that he persuaded the old man to agree to let her participate.

After Ji Shidi brought Wang Xiaoya's body to the yamen, it was sent to the mortuary. Yan Gongsheng's family initially refused to hand over his body, but when they took out the Weidao token again and saw the four large characters "Imperial Authorization" on the back, Lord Jia arranged for yamen runners to accompany them to retrieve the body.

However, both sides agreed that no matter what the outcome, the item must be returned before dawn the next day.

“Fei girl, this young girl is clearly no more than a teenager, but her body has obviously been injured by pregnancy more than three times.”

The renowned coroner Shi Yi had examined countless corpses over decades. He had seen all sorts of murder methods, but the body of this young girl was still far beyond his expectations. A girl not even 14 years old, whose menstruation had probably only recently begun, why did he see signs of multiple pregnancies on her body?

Upon hearing the coroner's words, Fei Xi, who was examining the corpse's eyes, nose, and mouth, suddenly raised her head and looked at Wang Xiaoya's stomach.

Touching the little girl's belly, a guess came to her mind.

Just then, a figure rushed out from outside and stood in front of Fei Xi.

Half an hour later, she quietly left the mortuary alone.

*

Jiangzhang Courtyard was a famous brothel in Nanxuan City. Its fame didn't stem from the stunning beauties that filled the city, but rather from the fact that every woman within its walls was a skilled poet, making it popular among scholars and writers.

The Crimson Tent Courtyard stands on Xuanmo Street, where the east and west sides of Nanxuan City meet. Red lanterns hang in front of the gate, painted with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Stepping inside, a refreshing fragrance wafts out, mingled with the elegant scent of orchids. The interior is decorated in an antique style, with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls.

If no one told them that this was a brothel, people entering for the first time would probably have no idea that it was a place of pleasure.

Today, a poor scholar with lofty ambitions but limited means came to this brothel.

The poor scholar wore a faded blue robe, and his thin frame looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

He carefully placed the 10 taels of silver into the madam's hand, only to see her throw it directly onto the plate behind her, looking pained, which made the madam roll her eyes.

“Take him to Green Waters and Autumn Waves, and have Xiao Hui serve him.”

"Oh dear, Mom, Sister Hui said she's tired today and wants to rest for a day."

"Stop slacking off! Every job I do for her costs money! This scholar is obviously all talk and no action, he won't tire her out. If he tries to slack off again, I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

It seemed certain that the poor scholar had no money and dared not make a fuss; if he came this time, who knew when he would come again? The madam abandoned her usual cautiousness in front of important people and directly revealed her true nature.

"You...you are unreasonable and an insult to civilization!"

The poor scholar blushed, unable to utter a single curse, only repeating the phrase "disgraceful" three times.

The madam glared at him again, clearly annoyed.

"You've already paid, take it or leave it! I'm not putting up with this anymore."

The poor scholar glanced at the plates behind him again, and immediately two burly pimps stood up and snorted coldly.

Startled, the poor scholar dared not say anything more or look around, and followed the maid to one of the lowest-class private rooms in the Crimson Tent Courtyard, "Green Water Autumn Waves."

As soon as we entered the private room, a weak, feeble voice came from behind the curtain:

"Didn't I say I wasn't taking customers today? Mom, you're so inconsiderate."

The young maidservant naturally dared not repeat the madam's words in front of the poor scholar. As the lowest-ranking member of the brothel, she had seen too many scholars who appeared honest and frail but were more ruthless than strong men when they beat someone. They might not dare to offend the madam, but they might not hold back when beating the maidservants. She simply said that the madam had seen the guest was kind and had asked him to keep her sister company, and then she left.

Xiao Hui had no choice but to force herself to sit up and go outside. As soon as she came out, she saw the poor scholar, dressed in shabby clothes, sitting at the table.

But what she noticed first was not the scholar's attire, but his clear, bright eyes, which made him look nothing like a debauched man.

With a smile on her face, she gracefully walked up to the handsome scholar whose features immediately inspired goodwill. Her soft voice, however, startled the poor scholar:

"I have no idea which heroine came to this filthy place to tease me, Xiao Hui."

"Pfft, sister, you have a good eye. Please lend me a hand. I happen to know a little about traditional Chinese medicine."

There are always masters among the common people. The disguise technique that even fooled the madam was seen through at a glance by the lowly woman who lived in the brothel. Fei Xi was secretly surprised, but she looked back at her with gentleness.

This poor scholar was none other than Fei Xi, who had infiltrated the Crimson Tent Courtyard.

Yan Gong spent his last night before his death at the Crimson Tent Courtyard.