Chapter 59: Chapter 59
Early the next morning, the sun shone brightly once again.
After a full night of exhausting labor, Zhao Jiu had to be supported as he walked out the door.
Sigh. This line of work truly was not easy. Anyone in slightly poorer health would never be able to endure it!
Fortunately, after going around in circles, he had finally obtained information about Lin Yining. It turned out that Lin Yining was a seasoned Lay Buddhist devoted to studying the Dharma.
No wonder Zhao Jiu could barely uncover anything about him at the foot of the mountain. The brat treasured every minute and second, never relaxing his study of Buddhism by day or night.
When it came to diligence, Zhao Jiu was inferior to Lin Yining!
The nun from the previous night supported Zhao Jiu down the steps with mock reproach, her makeup disheveled.
Zhao Jiu, by contrast, looked perfectly composed. From time to time, he twirled her hair between his fingers, his eyes half-closed and his expression that of a lecher who had yet to have his fill.
He pulled a Banknote worth one hundred taels from his robes and beckoned to an attendant, ordering him to fetch the Madam.
After a short wait, a middle-aged woman with a thick layer of white powder on her face approached. Before she could speak, Zhao Jiu slapped the Banknote across her face.
“You’re the Madam, aren’t you?” Zhao Jiu asked arrogantly, raising his chin. “I’m reserving this nun exclusively!”
Whether because Zhao Jiu looked every inch a spoiled second-generation scion or because the Banknote was blocking her view, the Madam failed to react.
“What? Are you dead?” Zhao Jiu asked.
He was going to maintain the act to the end. After all, his assumed persona was that of a young master with relatives serving in the Imperial Court.
“We don’t have such a rule, Young Master…” the Madam replied meekly, clutching the Banknote.
“That’s only because I hadn’t come here yet! Had I come sooner, you would’ve had that rule sooner!”
With an arm around the nun, Zhao Jiu gazed down at the Madam. Before she could respond, he held a waist token in front of her face.
Cold sweat instantly poured down the Madam’s body. When she saw the writing on the token, even her teeth began to chatter.
“Do you have that rule now?” Zhao Jiu asked mockingly as he calmly put the token away.
“We do! We do! This lowly one failed to recognize Mount Tai! I must’ve been blind…”
The Madam slapped herself twice, sending a cloud of white powder billowing into the air.
Covering his nose, Zhao Jiu stepped back and waved a hand in disgust. “You could’ve said that from the start and saved us all the trouble!”
“Oh, right. Young Master Lin is a good friend of mine. If he comes here, remember to inform me. I still owe him a round of drinks!”
Zhao Jiu pinched the nun’s chin and smiled. “What was your name again?”
“This humble woman is Huizhen.”
The nun leaned close to Zhao Jiu’s ear, her orchid-scented breath brushing against him as she spoke softly.
Having made the necessary arrangements, Zhao Jiu naturally did not linger. He ordered an attendant to bring his horse, then rode down the mountain.
It seemed that the next few days were going to be exhausting.
After returning to the restaurant, he collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
For three days straight, Zhao Jiu lived an almost identical routine: sleeping during the day and studying at night.
The silver was a secondary concern. His kidneys were about to give out!
The Dharma was simply too profound. There was no end to his studies!
However, this was his only lead on Lin Yining, so Zhao Jiu had no choice but to stake out the Temple of Beauties and wait for his quarry.
Mount Tai was enormous. If he missed Lin Yining here, he might have to wait a very long time for another opportunity.
Three peaceful days passed without incident. Zhao Jiu even began to wonder whether the Lin Yining they had mentioned was the same person as his target.
Nevertheless, he still had to visit every night. He could not allow all that silver to go to waste!
Inside the Temple of Beauties, Zhao Jiu reclined on a chaise longue while Huizhen stood behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.
Her movements were soft and her pressure light. Zhao Jiu kept his eyes closed, drinking tea as he enjoyed her ministrations.
After eating meat all the time, a vegetarian meal possessed a flavor all its own!
Just as Zhao Jiu drifted into that mysterious state between sleep and wakefulness, an inconsiderate attendant knocked and entered.
“Master, Young Master Lin has arrived. He’s in the courtyard across the lake.”
Zhao Jiu’s closed eyes immediately snapped open.
You bastard, you finally came!
You certainly kept me waiting!
Despite his surging excitement, Zhao Jiu’s expression remained as placid as a gentle breeze beneath drifting clouds.
“You’re certain it’s Young Master Lin? If you’ve mistaken him for someone else, I’ll have your life.”
His voice was quiet, even soft, but it struck the attendant’s ears like a thunderclap. The terrified man stumbled and dropped to his knees.
“Master, it isn’t this lowly one’s fault! It was… it was the Madam who told me to notify you!”
“I understand. Leave now. I was only frightening you, so don’t take it to heart.”
Zhao Jiu turned toward the attendant and tossed several taels of loose silver in front of him.
“That’s your reward. Inform me once Young Master Lin finishes his business.”
The attendant scooped up the silver and hurriedly stuffed it into his pocket.
“Thank you for the reward, Master!” he replied with a beaming smile. “This lowly one will watch him closely. I definitely won’t delay your business!”
Zhao Jiu waved him out, then wrapped an arm around Huizhen and twirled her long hair while considering whether he should go over and kill Lin Yining immediately.
After thinking it over, he decided against it.
Even condemned prisoners received a final meal before execution. He would let Lin Yining spend the night in complete comfort and satisfaction before sending him on his way.
That would conclude Zhao Jiu’s mission.
He circulated his True Qi and released it outward, sensing the situation across the lake.
His True Qi spread in tiny ripples, sweeping across the lake and enveloping the entire Temple of Beauties. As it passed through the surroundings, everything across a vast area was laid bare before his senses.
Zhao Jiu frowned slightly.
He had not expected Lin Yining to have so many enemies. Several black-clad figures were crouching in the trees beside the lake outside his courtyard, staring intently at it.
“Heh. Just a few little insects.”
Zhao Jiu dismissed them with an inward laugh. Since they had yet to act, he could simply watch in silence.
Lin Yining was part of Zhao Jiu’s plan. He could not be allowed to die at their hands.
Otherwise, Zhao Jiu would have spent the past several days waiting for nothing. Besides, the System required him to put in the work himself.
Whether Lin Yining lived or died meant nothing to Zhao Jiu, but he could not forgo the God of Wealth Points.
Having decided to watch the fire from across the bank, Zhao Jiu temporarily cast aside those stray thoughts and resumed enjoying Huizhen’s service while sipping his tea.
In the trees across the lake, the black-clad figures watched the courtyard with envy in their eyes.
This godforsaken position was pure torture. They had a perfectly clear view of other people enjoying themselves while they had to suppress their breathing and endure the cold wind.
A little rain would have made it even more delightful. Other people could enjoy watching the rain, while they could enjoy being drenched by it.
Only when the night had deepened did Lin Yining emerge from the courtyard with an arm around each of two nuns.
A lecherous grin remained plastered across his face, and his hands roamed ceaselessly as the two nuns laughed and flirted with him.
The three played around as they walked toward the lake, followed by two retainers.
This was one of Lin Yining’s favorite pastimes. Although he possessed little literary learning, he loved pretending to be refined. He would stroll along the lakeshore and occasionally make up a couple of doggerel verses, then bask in his own brilliance.
That inexplicable sensation greatly satisfied Lin Yining’s fantasy of being a man of letters.
As he drew closer to the lake, the people in the trees exchanged glances and nodded.
They leaped down and charged toward Lin Yining.
His two retainers immediately stepped forward to block them while ordering Lin Yining to run back toward the courtyard.
Before Lin Yining had taken more than a few steps, another black-clad figure with her face concealed behind black gauze sprang out of the courtyard.
Without saying a word, she immediately unleashed a killing move.
Although Lin Yining was worthless, he at least knew some martial arts. He threw himself to the ground and rolled, narrowly evading the attack.
“Demonic Sound Palace! I have no grudges with you! Why the fuck are you attacking me?”
“No grudges?” the black-clad figure retorted. “Your Sword-Washing Manor has the nerve to say that? Weren’t you the ones who sold our whereabouts in Shu to those bald donkeys?”
Lin Yining’s luxurious robes were smeared with mud, leaving him looking exceedingly wretched. Nevertheless, he stubbornly shouted, ““Do you people have any fucking sense of reason? ” If you hadn’t killed their son, why would they have hunted you? I couldn’t beat them, so what else was I supposed to do? Fuck! If you’re so tough, stop hiding like rats!”
The black-clad figure could not be bothered to continue trading insults with Lin Yining.
A jade flute appeared in her hand, and low, sobbing notes began to emerge. The sound resembled an invisible serpent slithering toward Lin Yining before lunging to bite him.
“Gong Lianyou, I’ll fuck your mother! What the fuck does this have to do with me? I’m just a useless second-generation scion who does nothing but eat, drink, and wait to die!”
Zhao Jiu’s eyes instantly opened as he reclined across the lake.
This brat was something else!
What spirit!
Zhao Jiu had sent Huizhen away earlier precisely for this moment.
His True Qi surged. In an instant, he appeared above the lake.
Nothing else mattered. His most urgent task was keeping Lin Yining alive. He could not allow a cooked duck to fly off his plate!
With an External Release of True Qi, Zhao Jiu forcibly sealed off the music in front of Lin Yining.
“Another expert?”
Gripping her jade flute, Gong Lianyou stared toward the lake. She could clearly sense that the figure above the water resembled a ferocious beast. His aura alone was enough to make her blood run cold.
“Get lost!”