What is all this commotion?”
Amidst the dispute, the charming woman with the light gauze veil covering her face walked over gracefully, the bells on her garments emitting a pleasant, melodious chime.
“Proprietress.” Several attendants immediately restrained their expressions and bowed respectfully.
Shi Yue hadn’t expected the owner of this massive beast-fighting arena to be a slender-looking woman.
However, being able to run this kind of business in a bustling place like the capital, if she didn’t have imperial relatives or nobles backing her up, it probably wouldn’t be possible.
He just wondered which personage she had behind her.
Shi Yue pondered carefully.
The woman glanced over Shi Yue’s and Song Huaian’s attire, instantly realizing that the identities and statuses of these two were not to be underestimated. She feigned anger as she looked at the attendants. “Such unmitigated gall, daring to offend distinguished guests! Why haven’t you apologized to the honored guests yet?”
Though those attendants were unwilling in their hearts, they still followed the woman’s words, bowing in salute to Shi Yue and Song Huaian. “It was this humble servant who was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai, startling the esteemed guests. Please grant us your forgiveness.”
Shi Yue waved his hand. Since the head proprietress herself had shown up, there was truly no further need to converse with these minor lackeys.
The attendants very perceptively retreated in a hurry.
The woman’s eyes were like flowing silk as she stood a mere half-arm’s length away from Shi Yue. “This humble servant is named Yun Niang. I wonder what other business the young master might have?”
Shi Yue used his folding fan to point into empty air toward Pei Xuan on the ground, dropping a shocking statement: “I want to buy him.”
“???”
Song Huaian received a massive shock, looking at the fan-wielding individual with an utterly dumbfounded expression before leaning close to his ear to whisper low: “Are you insane? Why are you buying him? If the Marquis of Anding finds out, he’ll skin you alive.”
In the capital, there were plenty of people keeping demons as servants or bodyguards. People looked down on demons, deeming them filthy, yet they coveted the strength and sorcery of demonic beings, buying them as domestic servants because they were both cheap and capable in a fight.
Yun Niang’s pretty face also carried a hint of astonishment, though it quickly vanished.
“The young master is truly joking. Shuang Jiang is our top star attraction recently; how could we possibly allow anyone to buy him away?”
“Top star attraction?” Shi Yue’s peach-blossom eyes lifted, a smile that was not quite a smile playing on his lips. “You mean to say that the one currently lying on the ground, beaten half to death by your attendants, is your… top star attraction?”
“The top star attractions of the Pingkang Quarter reside in the finest chambers, attended by six maidservants day and night, entertaining guests entirely according to their own preferences. So the star attraction here at your establishment is rewarded with a beating, is that it?”
Shi Yue spoke with a smiling expression, yet his gaze remained entirely devoid of ripples.
Pei Xuan coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, looking indifferently at this unfamiliar young master in embroidered clothes who had stood up for him.
He was the very first person willing to stand up for him.
Yun Niang said unconcernedly, “The young master truly has a bodhisattva’s heart, picking a fight on behalf of a mere demon. However… since he is a demon, how can he be mentioned on equal terms with humans? He knew full well upon coming to the beast-fighting arena that he would never have a good life.”
Seeing that Yun Niang was leaning closer and closer to Shi Yue as she spoke, Song Huaian stepped forward to protect his cabbage:
“Hey, hey, hey! Talk is talk, why are you leaning in so close?”
As he spoke, he pulled Shi Yue backward to dodge.
Yun Niang let out a soft giggle, her slender fingers hooking a stray lock of hair beside her ear. Amidst her shifting gaze, she instead rested her hand on Song Huaian’s shoulder, her fingernails gently grazing across his neck.
Waves of floral fragrance rushed over them, and a tingling itch bloomed across his neck.
Song Huaian retreated a few steps as if encountering a fierce beast, his ears turning as red as dripping blood to the point where he couldn’t even speak coherently: “You, you, you… you have no shame!”
Shi Yue used his fan to press against Yun Niang’s chest, leaving her with no choice but to withdraw her hand and slowly retreat under the force of his push.
“Today, I am determined to buy him,” Shi Yue stated unhurriedly.
“If the young master genuinely wishes to purchase a demon, I have plenty of them here. Whichever one you want, you may take.”
“What if I only want him?”
Yun Niang looked at the handsome young master in white before her, seeing genuine seriousness within those seductive peach-blossom eyes.
Their gazes met, as though playing a game of chess.
After a long while, Yun Niang gave a faint smile. “Why must the young master wear such an expression? Selling him is certainly possible, but I’m afraid the young master cannot afford this price.”
“Just name your price.”
A sharp glint flashed across Yun Niang’s eyes, her smile growing even wider as she held up three slender fingers.
Song Huaian blurted out, “Thirty taels of silver?”
Yun Niang shook her head with a smile.
“Three hundred taels of silver?!”
The most famous courtesan of the moment only cost five hundred taels to redeem from bondage; a mere demon couldn’t possibly be worth more than three hundred taels.
“Could it be three thousand taels??” Song Huaian’s round eyes widened even further.
Yun Niang nodded this time, retracting her hand. “Shuang Jiang is currently our top star. Not only are his martial skills exceptional, but his appearance is also top-tier. Countless guests from near and far come here solely to see him. If he leaves, who knows how much revenue we stand to lose? Charging you three thousand taels is hardly excessive.”
“You’re outright robbing people!” Song Huaian cursed angrily. “The black market price for demon servants is well under a hundred taels; how dare you ask for three thousand!”
Yun Niang feigned an innocent look. “If the young master feels it is too expensive, you are free not to buy.”
Seeing that Shi Yue remained silent, Song Huaian grew frantic with anxiety. “That’s three thousand taels of silver, Brother Shi! This woman is simply fleecing you! Don’t fall for her trap.”
Shi Yue also felt the price slightly exceeded his budget, and he calculated carefully in his mind whether it was truly worth spending a massive fortune to redeem Pei Xuan.
Shi Yue looked at Pei Xuan, who had already pulled himself up and was resting against the wall filthy all over, his face covered in bruises and patches of bloodstains.
Sensing his gaze, Pei Xuan raised his head and looked back.
From those indifferent eyes, Shi Yue inexplicably caught a hint of grievance and vulnerability.
They look alike.
They look far too much alike.
Hardening his heart, Shi Yue pulled Song Huaian aside by a couple of steps. “Good brother, lend me some money first. Consider this a debt I owe you, and I’ll pay you back slowly.”
Song Huaian wore an expression of sheer disbelief. “You were never like this, Brother Shi! Since when do you throw away a thousand gold pieces for a complete stranger?”
Though Song Huaian’s family possessed wealth rivaling a nation and this sum was neither large nor small to him, he simply felt it wasn’t worthwhile to spend it on a demon.
Shi Yue could only offer an excuse: “He resembles an old acquaintance of mine, and I can’t bear to watch him suffer here.”
“Then what will happen when the Marquis of Anding finds out? He has always utterly despised demons.”
“I’ll find a safe place to settle him down later.”
Song Huaian could only nod in resignation, muttering in a soft, self-deprecating voice of complaint: “First time I’ve ever seen a fool willing to spend three thousand taels just to do a good deed…”
Shi Yue suddenly leaned close to his ear. “What did you say? Who is a fool?”
Startled, Song Huaian hastily defended himself, “Nothing at all! I said you truly are a wonderful person, nobody called anyone a fool.”
Shi Yue curled his lips, clearly unconvinced.
With a grand sweep of his hand, Song Huaian pointed boldly toward Pei Xuan, radiating the magnificent swagger of a wealthy tycoon splashing cash: “He… this young master will take him!”
Yun Niang never expected they would actually be able to produce three thousand taels to buy a demon, leaving her momentarily stunned.
“Three thousand taels—won’t you gentlemen reconsider? If you fail to produce the full amount, you might risk losing a hand.” Yun Niang stared at Song Huaian’s pampered, uncalloused hands. “A young master with fingers as fine as yours would surely make quite an exquisite art piece if chopped off and kept as a collection.”
Song Huaian immediately hid his hands behind his back, staring at Yun Niang with wide, round eyes as he snapped, “This young master has money to burn!”
Just like that, Song Huaian left behind a promissory note for three thousand taels of silver, instructing them to collect the funds directly at the exchange shop.
Watching the written slip, Yun Niang immediately dispatched someone to retrieve it.
“In that case, take him with you.” Yun Niang glanced at Pei Xuan, an unreadable expression flashing through her eyes. “You have truly great fortune to run into a noble patron who redeemed you.”
Pei Xuan said nothing, coldly watching this group of people standing by idly as bystanders, as though the person being bought and sold was not him at all.
Shi Yue walked over, squatting down to meet his gaze eye-to-eye.
There was little expression on Pei Xuan’s face; he resembled a bristling, cornered canine with its fur standing on end, covered entirely in sharp thorns.
Seeing that Pei Xuan’s face—which ought to have been strikingly handsome was currently smeared with grime and stained with bruised purple and spots of blood, Shi Yue pulled a handkerchief from his robe and held it out. “Clean yourself up a bit.”
Pei Xuan did not take it, merely fixing his gaze on Shi Yue, seemingly trying to figure out why this human male had spent such an exorbitant sum to rescue him.
“You don’t want it?” Shi Yue held his hand out in the air for a moment. Seeing that the other person refused to take it, he looked at the man who would one day hold supreme authority in his past life, pressed his lips together, and muttered, “Fine then, I’ll put it away.”
Shi Yue had no choice but to withdraw the handkerchief.
Just as he was about to tuck it back, Pei Xuan suddenly snatched it away.
“Eh?”
Shi Yue watched his hand abruptly empty, lifting his gaze to study the unpredictable Pei Xuan.
Pei Xuan held the square cloth piece, embroidered with a blooming sprig of jasmine flowers. The entire handkerchief seemed to carry a faint, delicate fragrance somewhat resembling the scent lingering on this person.
He picked up the cloth and casually wiped away the grime on his hands. Since he couldn’t see the injuries on his face, he ultimately gave up on that part.
“I’ll help you.”
Shi Yue couldn’t even figure out why those words had slipped out of his mouth.
Clearly, he had no connection whatsoever to this little madman right now, and redeeming him was merely because he simply couldn’t bear to see this familiar face mistreated here.
And now?
Shi Yue rationalized it to himself: He just looks far too pitiful.
He always felt that Pei Xuan shouldn’t be reduced to this state.
Pei Xuan neither refused nor agreed.
Shi Yue took the handkerchief back from his hand; the pristine cloth was now stained with a large patch of pitch-black dirt.
He picked up the fabric, looked at Pei Xuan’s face, and reached out to gently stroke his cheek.
The very instant the handkerchief drew near his face, Pei Xuan violently jerked his head to the side, his entire body tensing up defensively from the close movement.
Shi Yue’s hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air.
Is he actually scared?
Shi Yue couldn’t help furrowing his brow. Has this little madman been beaten out of his wits? I’m being this gentle, what on earth is he terrified of?
“I’m not going to hit you, just helping you wipe your face.”
Shi Yue was never a patient person to begin with, and his limit for acting gentle was rapidly wearing thin. If this little madman kept acting like this, he was going to flick his sleeves and walk away.
Only then did Pei Xuan slowly raise his head, look at Shi Yue, and lift his chin slightly, speaking in a cool, detached tone: “Then, thank you.”
Though uttering words of gratitude, his tone carried not a shred of politeness, maintaining that same aloof, devoid-of-emotion cadence.
This was the first time Shi Yue had heard Pei Xuan speak in his youth. Unlike the awe-inspiring authority he projected later in life from high positions of power, his voice currently carried the crisp, bright clarity unique to a young man. Though devoid of warmth, the timbre resembled a pool of clear spring water, vibrant with a sense of living strength.
Noticing that Shi Yue had said he would help wipe his face only to freeze and stare blankly at him instead, Pei Xuan prompted, “Why is the young master staring at me in a daze?”