The Unruly Immortals

Surrounded by a group of admirers, Scholar Lv swaggered into the Drunken Immortal restaurant.

He paid no heed to the fact it was still morning and ordered seven or eight bowls of strong dishes straight away. As soon as the carved-flower wine arrived, someone eager to please immediately started pouring for Scholar Lv.

Scholar Lv picked up his bowl, tilted his head, and drank a large mouthful, inciting another round of applause from the onlookers.

He was completely oblivious to the other diners' disdain and dissatisfaction.

"Scholar Lv's capacity for drink is like an ocean! Scholar Lv is so mighty!!"

"Ah, alas, I don't have such a tolerance for alcohol. Scholar Lv, could you teach me how you've trained this skill?"

"What's that? Back in the day, Li Huowang—my master and I—went to help the Emperor of Qingqiu to drive away ghosts and capture demons. You see, this jug of wine as high as this, I, Scholar Lv, picked it up and drank it all in one go!"

"Scholar Lv, how exactly did you and your master catch those demons in Qingqiu? Tell us about it!"

"Well, let me tell you about Qingqiu. Although there were no evil spirits on the surface, there were plenty of dangers lurking beneath the grasslands. If it hadn't been for my protecting my master then, he might not have made it!"

While eating and drinking, Scholar Lv recounted his adventures in Qingqiu, most of which he had heard from a young boy and simply recast himself as the hero.

Amidst the applause, a flush of red appeared on Scholar Lv's face, and his tongue started to slur, but he still felt it was not enough.

When they had nearly finished eating, an excited Scholar Lv waved his hand again, "Let's go! To the Rouge Alley! Put the bill on my tab!!"

The shouts of approval grew even louder, almost lifting the roof off. The people around him became more obsequious, nearly treating Scholar Lv like a revered father, which gave him an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

When a complacent Scholar Lv walked out of the Rouge Alley, it was already noon.

He wasn't hungry, for the specialty of the Rouge Alley was that buying a girl came with a serving of donkey meat dumplings.

After being busy all morning, Scholar Lv was tired and leisurely headed towards his dwelling.

People like him usually had trouble renting a house in Yinling City, but Kui Sanjin had connections everywhere and managed to find a few guarantors for him.

With a "creak," he pushed the door open. At the well in the courtyard sat a girl in flowery clothes, vigorously washing clothes, looking very diligent.

This woman, bought by Scholar Lv with his money, was named Tao'er. She had average looks and a small bottom, hence she came quite cheap.

Originally, he had intended her to be his wife, but after a few visits to the Rouge Alley, Scholar Lv had stopped touching her.

Lying in bed like a log, she couldn't compare to the variety offered by the courtesans of the pleasure houses.

Now, she just took care of the laundry and cooking, effectively serving as a maidservant.

Scholar Lv flopped onto the bed and immediately began to snore.

Tao'er stopped her work on the washboard, picked up a wooden basin with hot water she had prepared earlier, and began to wipe Scholar Lv's face and body with a cloth.

After wiping him down, she bent down to take off his shoes and socks to soak his feet.

Once he was clean, she covered Scholar Lv with a blanket, and to prevent drafts, she also covered him with clothes.

As the sky outside gradually darkened, Scholar Lv slowly woke up. Smelling the aroma in the air, he rolled out of bed and began to eat dinner at the table.

While Scholar Lv was eating, Tao'er was not allowed to join him. She had to wait until he was finished before she could eat the leftovers.

There were two dishes and a soup, and there was even a fried egg. The dishes were all fried with pork fat—an indulgence that Scholar Lv wouldn't have dared to dream of in the past. Now, however, he felt slightly disdainful of the meal.

After taking a big gulp of winter melon soup, Scholar Lv wiped his mouth with his sleeve and prepared to head to the gambling den to win some money. He needed to hurry, or he'd get caught outside after curfew.

Just as he passed Tao'er, Scholar Lv suddenly noticed a stain of blood on her trousers and his face instantly contorted with extreme anger.

"Damn it! What the hell is this? Who has the gall to mess with my people? I'll kill him!"

Tao'er shook her head slightly, her voice very faint. "It's... just my period, a little heavy, couldn't catch it all."

"What period? I'm asking about the blood on your trousers! Don't talk to me about periods!"

After Tao'er's quiet explanation, Scholar Lv finally understood that women bleed every month.

"So that's how it is. I remember when I was with the opera, my sister-in-law would always be acting all secretive for a few days every month. I asked her about it, and she cursed me out for it."

Scholar Lv felt for his belt, stuffed some silver fragments from the bottom of his pouch into Tao'er's arms, and headed out the door. "Buy me some meat tomorrow night. I don't want to eat greens anymore! After eating nothing but greens on the road, I'm sick of them!"

It wasn't just Scholar Lv heading to the gambling den that night but also other gamblers. In Yinling City, there was a curfew at night, but it didn't matter as long as you stayed in the gambling den all night.

As soon as he arrived at Kui Sanjin's gambling den, Scholar Lv took out the five copper coins Li Huowang had given him, bounced them in his hand, and a smug smile spread across his face. With this skill, he would never go hungry for as long as he lived.

Just as he was about to head to his usual spot, Kui Sanjin, with a dragon tattooed over his shoulder, stopped him. "Come, come, Scholar Lv. Don't be in such a rush to make money. I have something to discuss with you."

The two of them went to a small courtyard behind the gambling den. A copper hot pot was merrily bubbling away, and thin slices of lamb had been cut and were ready to be cooked.

Scholar Lv sat down to eat, having not been fully satiated at home. "You have something to say, Kui Sanjin? You took me in all those years ago. To me, Scholar Lv, you're a benefactor!"

Kui Sanjin chuckled as he poured Scholar Lv a drink. "Scholar Lv, I've heard you've been with a master before?"

"Of course! My master, Li Huowang! An immortal-like figure! Could reattach his own head after being chopped off! All sorts of evil spirits and demons were nothing more than side dishes to accompany his drinks!" Scholar Lv thumped his chest loudly, and if one didn't know better, they'd think he was bragging about himself.

"With such a powerful master, you must be quite formidable yourself, right?"

"Hehehe~" Scholar Lv grabbed a piece of lamb, dipped it into the hot pot, and, feeling proud, said, "I guess so. I've got about forty percent, no! Sixty percent of my master's prowess!"

"Excellent! True heroes indeed come from the youth. I admire that!"

Scholar Lv laughed proudly, feeling highly respected that the renowned Kui Sanjin was treating him with such courtesy. He was already concocting tales to boast about to his brothers over drinks the next day.

He was completely unaware that Kui Sanjin feigned concern, furrowing his brows. "Scholar Lv, there's a thorny problem that I have, and I wonder if you could lend me a hand?"

"It concerns a brother-in-arms who unfortunately encountered some bad luck and has been afflicted by evil, turning him into a madman. We've tried monks and Taoists, but nothing worked."

"If you really can help me with this, you can take eighty percent of the money you make in the future!"