Chapter 1, See Ghosts

After a brief moment of contemplation, Pei Qian released Qi Wuting from her mute seal and said with a smile, "Sister Qi, you truly cannot forget about your little brother, coming all the way here in the dead of night"

The reason for not following the past habit of seeking out Miss Yu Shi from Anxiang Studio is that Pei Qian believes one should continuously pursue new goals in life and not hang oneself on a crooked tree.

"I won 1,300 taels of silver, contributed a jar of five-year-old wine and a bag of fragrant peanuts, and I am worth only this much in your heart?" The old ghost began to play the erhu in a mournful and tragic manner, wailing like a ghost or a wolf, "Over the years, how much have I spent on you, and how much have you stolen from me? It must add up to quite a sum, right?"

Before the words had left his mouth, a series of heavy and hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the door. The person arrived swiftly, and before Pei Qian could take any emergency measures, the door was kicked open with a loud "bang!"

"You owe her a junior sister, have you forgotten?" The old ghost floated down and took a seat opposite Pei Qian

Old Ghost said: "Why do all the thoughts in your mind revolve around issues related to women?"

Old Ghost said: "I have only one question left—what did you see and hear in Tianyang Cave?"

Pei Qian saw that Mo Dake had stopped and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As the saying goes, a cornered dog will jump over the wall; this fellow had already killed Qi Wuting and would not care about slaughtering one more minor official of the sixth rank. If this continued, he would also be implicated.

Old Ghost snorted and said: "Speak up, what kind of trick do you want to play this time?"

Qi Wuting was being pushed higher and higher into the sky by Pei Qian, and she couldn't help but respond: "Of course it's you ... ... "

Pei Qian did not take this to heart, as he (or rather Duan Min) had long since established a feud with the Fei brothers, and he was indifferent to this woman stirring up trouble and inciting discord.

***

Old Ghost said: "It is essential to thoroughly investigate the specific details of the Tianyang Cave plan. An increasing number of clues indicate that it is not merely an improvement targeting the Cloud Thunder, but likely involves a larger conspiracy"

Qi Wuting glared at Pei Qian with resentment, yet her voice could not conceal the astonishment and fear within her as she asked softly, "Who on earth are you? Duan Min absolutely could not possess such skills!"

What did Qiu Huosheng say to you that day outside the Baihua Garden? Old Gui asked: Did he mention the Tianyang Cave plan?

Fortunately, Old Gui did not delve deeper and said, "You should know where to put the cup without me reminding you, right?"

Mo Dake realized he had gotten himself into trouble. After all, Qi Wuting held a fifth-rank official title and had powerful backing. Even if this blow did not cost him his life, it would certainly ruin his future.

Old Gui set down the erhu, and just as he reached out to take the wine cup in front of him, Pei Qian hurriedly pressed his hand down and said, "Slow down!"

She was utterly horrified, truly unable to imagine how this little rascal, whom she had once stripped and hung up for fun, had suddenly become so formidable. She couldn't help but open her mouth to call out.

"Where?" Pei Qian blurted out, only to see the old ghost looking at him with a half-smile, and he said, "Alright, what do you want to ask me? Hurry up!"

Before dawn, the flower street is utterly silent, marking the quietest moment of the entire night. Especially in recent days, although the Red Flag Army has retreated, the seven to eight thousand imperial troops dispatched for support are still gathered in the barracks outside the town. During the day, it is manageable, but once night falls, these soldiers swarm into the town in groups, causing chaos and commotion.

A sharp purple satin ribbon flew past Pei Qian's face like a knife. Following closely, another water-blue satin ribbon shot out from behind the curtain, wrapping around Pei Qian's waist and abdomen

Subsequently, Pei Qian collected Qi Wuting's poison-dispelling dagger, pulled over a chair, and sat down beside her. He first searched through the clothes he had stripped from her, inside and out, extracting some loose silver coins and several useless items, including rouge and powder. He pondered, "How did she know I would be sleeping here tonight?"

Old Gui waved his hand and said: "I no longer need to ask this. Since Qiu Huosheng has mentioned the Tianyang Cave plan to you, it indicates that he has included you in the plan. Now, what I want to know is whether he has mentioned to you if there are any other individuals involved in this plan besides Liu Yunsha"

Old Gui leisurely picked up the wine cup and drank it in one go, nodding and saying: "Not bad, she has indeed arrived"

As the footsteps faded away, Mo Da coldly pulled out a one-thousand-tael silver note from his waistband and said, "Get lost!"

Pei Qian, in a moment of urgency, quickly devised a plan, flipping both himself and the chair backward, while his left leg delivered a flying kick to Mo Dake's right wrist

Pei Qianman, indifferent, gazed at the girl lying in the pool of blood and sighed softly, saying: "She knows nothing at all"

The room was shrouded in darkness, with only a faint glimmer of light filtering through the tightly shut window, illuminating the assassin's face. In the blink of an eye, Pei Qian caught a glimpse of Qi Wuting's alluring visage, filled with hatred and murderous intent, and muttered, "Damn it!" He slapped his left palm against the wall, using the force to propel himself forward, and with lightning speed, his right hand seized Qi Wuting's right wrist, which was gripping the knife.

However, this issue struck a nerve with Pei Qian. He awkwardly got up from the ground, brushed off the mud from his pants, and sighed, saying: "Don't mention that little aunt; she acts as if I owe her a fortune, always looking so bitter and resentful."

Old Ghost said: "I cannot tell you where she is, but I can tell you: she will come to see you"

Pei Qian remained silent, snatched the old ghost's wine cup, and gulped it down in one go. He contentedly wiped his mouth and said, "Refreshing"

Four days after poisoning Fei Dexing, Qi Wuting had a falling out with Liu Yunsha on the spot, embracing the corpse of that dead man in anger and leaving. After that, she never returned to the Cloud Military Academy. No one knows where this woman has gone; it is presumed she went to seek help from Fei Dexing's elder brother, General Fei Dele of the Northern Town, to cry for assistance.

Pei Qian had long been prepared for this, confidently removing the seal from the wine jar and saying, "Old ghost, I invite you to drink."

A few years ago, Mo Dake secretly funded his mistress to open a brothel named Tianxiang Tower on the flower street in Yunchong Town. Upon learning this, Fan Xiaojie wasted no time and also found a woman to take over the Lan Yue Xuan directly opposite Tianxiang Tower. This quickly became a topic of amusement within the military, and even General Huang Baitao, known for his rebellious nature, could do nothing about it

Suddenly, her delicate body became stiff and cold, staring blankly at Pei Qian and asking, "How did you know?"

Pei Qian snorted and said, "You have asked me two questions, and I can only answer one." Without waiting for the old ghost to make a choice, he quickly added, "He indeed mentioned the 'Tianyang Cave Project' to me, but if you want to know whether I can participate in this project—sorry, now it's my turn to ask questions." He proudly drank from his cup and urgently asked, "Quickly tell me, where is my sister?"

Pei Qian rolled his eyes at the old ghost and sincerely exclaimed: "Impressive, truly impressive! Otherwise, how could people say: 'The King of Hell is easy to meet, but the old ghost is hard to deal with'? Do you think I'm foolish? If you don't answer any of my questions, wouldn't you end up monopolizing this jar of wine from start to finish? No, we must turn this around; only the winner gets to drink!"

Old Ghost chuckled and said, "It seems that this time you are determined to extract something from me before you are satisfied"

Old Ghost said leisurely: "It seems that it is now your turn to answer my question"

A burly man, bare-chested with a chest full of black hair, wielding a military knife, stormed into the room with a face flushed red from alcohol, resembling a fierce demon, and shouted angrily: "Duans, you dare to come to my territory to play with women!"

Pei Qian chuckled and said, "Aren't you playing the violin with your eyes closed? How can you see this?" He filled both cups to the brim.

Unfortunately, the old ghost was clearly not a person who understood romance. Not only did he not show any signs of joy or satisfaction to celebrate receiving a thoughtful gift from his disciple for the first time in his life, but he also played the erhu even louder and more mournfully. Such a reaction undoubtedly dealt a serious blow to Pei Qian's self-esteem

He swiftly closed the door with a backhanded wave of his palm, then took a quick step to leap behind Pei Qian, raising his knife to strike down at his back.

Mo Dake was also taken aback by the accidental killing of Qi Wuting, and the effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off. He exclaimed in disbelief, "Why is it this troublesome person?"

Mo Dake raised his thick eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "By the time you realize she knows, you will also have known nothing at all."

Now, only I and Pei Qian remain in the room, along with Wan Ru, who is lying on the bed, sleeping like a dead pig. Who can prove that he was wronged by Pei Qian and became a victim of deceit—after all, that blood-stained military knife is still in my hand

Pei Qian also broke into a cold sweat, quickly getting up from the ground and rushing to the window, shouting: "Someone come!"

Pei Qian secretly cursed this woman for being clever in appearance but dull in mind, yet maintained his smile and said: "Then who do you say I am?"

Old Gui glanced at the cup filled to the brim with wine and said, "Let's change the question"

Old Gui did not object and said, "Alright, then the loser will drink a cup of liquor, and then it will be the winner's turn to ask."

Pei Qian raised his index finger to seize the initiative and said: "The first question: Has my sister arrived at Yunchong Mountain?"

Pei Qian suddenly felt a sense of heroism deflated, muttering: "I can't help it, who told her to relentlessly pursue me and force me up the mountain?" As he spoke, he leaned closer to the old ghost, grinning as he asked: "Have you ever seen the true appearance of Hua Lingyao? Is she beautiful? How does she compare to Shui Lingyue?"

Old Gui frowned and said: "You have acknowledged so many older sisters outside, how do I know which one you are referring to?"

Fortunately, his self-esteem was already limited, having been thoroughly trampled by the old ghost over these seven years. Thus, he merely smiled indifferently, sat down on the stone bench, and gently tapped his thigh in time with the rhythm of the erhu.

Nonsense, Pei Qian argued confidently: "Is a man still a man if he does not desire women? Especially those beautiful women!"

Old Gui dismissively said, "Since when did you start to care about cleanliness, and why do you have a white handkerchief on you?"

"Bah!" Pei Qian muttered fiercely, "Do you think I can't do it? It's just a flower spirit, isn't it? I don't believe she can escape from my grasp."

Old Gui surprisingly did not insist, while competing with Pei Qian for peanuts, he asked: "Do you have any other questions?"

Mo Dake let out a "Hey," but his joy outweighed his anger. The more greedy Pei Qian became, the less likely he was to disclose this matter. In the future, it was highly probable that he would use Qi Wuting as a means to extort and blackmail himself. For now, he would endure the humiliation, and once Pei Qian was out of the picture, he would no longer be able to act so arrogantly.

Bang! Pei Qian fell to the ground, not expecting that the old ghost would pose such a straightforward question to him

Get lost! He withdrew his saber and wiped the bloodstains on his combat boots, saying coldly: "Do not come to Tianxiang Tower again"

Thus, as early as the evening, Pei Qian had already booked the popular courtesan Wanru in Tianxiang Tower in the town. After two hours of a fierce battle under the lamp, he finally succeeded in rendering her unconscious, and then quietly slipped out of the town without anyone noticing.

Pei Qian chuckled and said, "General Mo, you are mistaken. I am asking you how many silver notes you have on you. Why not take them all out at once to save me the trouble of bargaining."

Old Gui drank some alcohol, peeled a peanut, tossed it into his mouth, and said: "This indicates that they are still not completely at ease with you"

Pei Qian widened his eyes and glared at the old ghost, saying: "Are you sending someone to monitor me? Is it Hua Lingyao?"

Pei Qian raised an eyebrow and said, "Isn't it the other way around? Shouldn't you be the one with something to ask me?"

Pei Qianyi was relentless, stripping Qi Wuting of her clothes until she was completely bare, revealing her voluptuous and well-proportioned body. He removed the bustier and corset from Qi Wuting, and with two satin ribbons hidden in his sleeves, he returned the favor by binding the wrists and ankles of this talented and beautiful storyteller from the etiquette hall, suspending her from the beam of the room.

Mo Dake's eyes blazed with fury as he suddenly raised his military saber. Pei Qian was taken aback, thinking this fellow was enraged and intended to fight to the death with him. "Puff!" The saber sliced through the tent, cleaving the sleeping Wanru, who lay on the couch, in two.

Old Gui ignored Pei Qian's grandiose words and said, "You arrived two days later than I expected"

After verifying the marks made upon departure, Pei Qian silently lifted the blue tiles of the roof of Tianxiang Building. First, he glanced at the scene inside, reminiscent of a young lady's fragrant boudoir, then he slipped down quietly, carefully restoring the roof to its original state.

Pei Qian casually remarked, "That is only natural; in fact, I myself am not very confident in my abilities."

Old Ghost chuckled nonchalantly and said, "I have no interest in what you have been doing these days; as long as you can steal the design blueprints of the Cloud Thunder and the formula for gunpowder within thirty days."

Pei Qian did not count the number of items he stuffed into the bag, and after putting on his own clothes, he said: "General Mo, I have decided to be friends with you. In the future, if you wish to kill anyone, do not forget to inform me in advance. I will definitely come to support you."

Pei Qian unhesitatingly refused, saying: "Don't look for me, I am only responsible for producing the blueprints and formulas"

Just as the two were in the heat of battle, Pei Qian gasped heavily and asked, "Sister Qi, how do I compare to that bald donkey?"

Then Pei Qian chuckled and said, "General Mo, although we had some unpleasantness between us earlier, in the end, we are all family. Moreover, I am someone who values loyalty above all; it is not uncommon for me to go to great lengths for a friend." As he spoke, he discreetly glanced at the military knife in Mo Dake's hand, realizing that if the other party truly expected him to go to such lengths, then this "friend" would naturally be better off without him.

The curtain hung low, and from within came the sound of a girl’s deep breathing. Pei Qian stripped off his clothes and walked naked to the bed, chuckling, "Little darling, I’m back again!" Just as he reached out to lift a corner of the curtain, a sudden sense of foreboding arose in his heart, and without a moment's hesitation, he flipped backward into the air.

Old Gui stared at him and shook his head, saying, "It seems that this cup of wine should be drunk by me."

"Don't be so stingy," Pei Qian said as he poured wine into the old ghost's empty cup. "At worst, I'll answer you next time and return the favor. Don't you want to know how things are progressing on my side..."

Pei Qian's body floated lightly against the wall like a thin sheet of paper, ascending upwards, while the ribbon beneath his feet became empty.

Pei Qian leaned in smoothly, unceremoniously pressing his large mouth against her cherry-like lips, and with a "poof," released a puff of purple mist. Qi Wuting felt a sudden constriction in her throat and immediately lost her voice, collapsing into Pei Qian's arms, where he swiftly sealed eleven major acupoints on her body.

Before he finished speaking, Pei Qianjian had his body half-pressed against Qi Wuting's jade-like form, their faces mere inches apart. While moving his hands, he chuckled softly and said, "Let’s not discuss that for now; let’s first complete the unfinished business from last time"

Pei Qian fell silent for a moment and said, "But I must know how to respond when others ask about tonight's events, right?"

"It indicates that you have become more composed than before." Old Ghost said, "Speak, what brings you to me?"

Upon reflecting on this, Pei Qian felt that he was indeed magnanimous towards Mo Dake, repaying enmity with virtue—this scoundrel had been cursing and threatening to storm into the Cloud Military Academy just a few days ago, yet he could set aside past grievances and spend a fortune to support the business of his mistress. As long as Mo Dake was still a decent person, how could he not be moved to tears upon hearing the news?

Pei Qiandao: "What is the point of drinking alone? We should at least bet on something with the *picture* book."

Pei Qian involuntarily shivered, secretly grateful for his foresight in bringing only a limited amount of loose silver. Even if the old ghost were to retaliate and settle the muddled accounts of the past seven years, he would suffer no significant loss even if stripped of his clothes. He felt a sense of secret satisfaction, yet he could not afford to relax his demeanor, saying: "A goose feather sent from a thousand miles away, the gift is light but the sentiment is heavy"

Qi Wuting could not help but let out a low moan. Although she deeply resented Pei Qian's unrestrained humiliation and torment, a thread of secret delight flickered in her heart: "Little devil, let you play to your heart's content first. Once you've tasted your aunt's flavor, I am not afraid you won't submit." At that moment, she exerted all her strength and engaged in a fierce battle with Pei Qian, fighting until the skies darkened and the earth trembled, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Upon seeing this person, Qi Wuting felt as if she had grasped a lifeline, and she exclaimed sharply: "General Mo, he is not—"

"No," Pei Qianshuang replied briskly, placing the drink in front of Old Gui and gesturing with a "please". He then added, "This counts as an answer, and it is an exceedingly correct one"

He took out three more banknotes from his waistband, totaling four thousand eight hundred taels, and handed them all over to Pei Qian

Old Gui raised his left eyelid slightly, revealing a rather disdainful expression, and said lightly: "Want to know?"

Pei Qian grasped the ribbon with both hands and slowly raised his body, looking at Qi Wuting with a half-smile and said: "You must not have bathed before coming, your whole body reeks of incense, which is quite unpleasant."

After meeting with the old ghost to exchange intelligence, Pei Qian did not return directly to the Cloud Military Academy, but instead quietly slipped back to Cloud Town

Every time he hears Lao Gui playing the erhu, Pei Qian feels an urge to jump into the river—of course, he is not foolish enough to commit suicide; he simply wishes to completely immerse his ears in the cool mountain stream.

Pei Qian was taken aback, counting back to the duel he had just finished with Fei Dexing two days ago, sending that fellow off to teach at the King of Hell's place. He scratched his head and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

At last, his patience yielded the expected results, and Lao Gui suddenly asked, "Have you slept with Hua Lingyao?"

A few henchmen were taken aback, all aware that Mo Da was looking to find trouble with Pei Qian, so they immediately pretended to be deaf and mute and retreated downstairs

A figure suddenly emerged from the tent, gripping a dagger in the right hand and viciously thrusting it towards Pei Qian's chest

Qi Wuting watched as Pei Qian slipped away from her, her face ashen as she said: "You performed too well in the duel with Fei Dexing, which has already raised the suspicions of Qiu Huosheng and Liu Yunsha. As long as you do not kill me, I can help you"

However, tonight is an exception; he is in an exceptionally good mood and does not mind the sounds of lamentation, wailing, and weeping. Not only that, he is practically beaming with joy, carrying a small jar of wine and a large bag of peanuts, and he strides quickly to the gray-tiled house, placing the items heavily on the stone table, and announces loudly: "I bought this, I have made money."

Over there, Mo Da could only see a naked woman hanging beneath the beam in the dim light, yet he did not recognize Qi Wuting. He merely assumed she was one of the girls summoned into the building for a night encounter, and without further ado, he swung his knife and shouted: "Go to hell!"

Pei Qian realized he had been played, feeling a mix of resentment and helplessness. Softening his tone, he said: "Anyway, it’s no big deal. Let’s just chat casually—tell me, what does Hua Lingyao actually look like?"

Old Ghost said: "I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in talking right now. If you have the ability, figure it out by yourself."

Pei Qian's expression turned serious, and he said with righteous indignation: "Mo Dake, what do you take me for? You have committed an unforgivable crime by killing an official appointed by the court. How could I, for a mere one thousand taels of filthy silver, betray my conscience and become complicit in your wrongdoing?"

"Do not change!" Pei Qian stood her ground, "What do you think, is she the daughter of Pang Tianshuo... or perhaps an illegitimate child?"

Pei Qianru, having received a full pardon, dashed into the room in a flurry, took out a cup, wiped it clean with the corner of his garment, and handed it to Old Ghost. He then retrieved a white handkerchief from his bosom to carefully clean the cup he would use himself.

Mo Dake inadvertently furrowed his brows and took out a two thousand tael silver note, saying: "I want the corpse of this woman"

Fortunately, the proprietress of Tianxiang Tower is Mo Dake's mistress, so the various military leaders have shown respect for General Mo, and the atmosphere in the tower has been calm these past few days. This is in stark contrast to Anxiang Studio, which has experienced six armed brawls in just three days, resulting in three deaths and eight injuries, and is on the verge of closing down.

Mo Dake's expression softened slightly as he let out a low grunt, but he soon heard the sound of footsteps outside the door. A few thugs from Tianxiang Building, alerted by the noise, hurried over. Just as they were about to push the door open, Mo Dake had already shouted from inside the room: "It's me, all of you get the hell away!"

Mo Dake immediately sheathed his sword, glaring fiercely at Pei Qian without saying a word. To encircle the Red Flag Army, nearly 100,000 troops have been stationed near Yungong Mountain for many years. Among them is the "Mighty and Valiant, Always Victorious" Eight Great Mountain Character Infantry Camp, which excels in mountain warfare. Fan Xiaojie is the commander of the Weishan Camp, holding the rank of Fourth Grade, and stands on equal footing with Mo Dake, with neither willing to yield to the other.

Little did one expect that four days later, Qi Wuting would unexpectedly appear in "one's" own bed, which has now become somewhat tricky

Qi Wuting realized her mistake and coldly snorted, "Someone knows I came here to find you. If you dare to kill me..."

Mo Dake was momentarily taken aback and said: "Moreover, you better keep your mouth shut. If I have no good days to live, you won't even have bad days to endure"

Pei Qian held Mo Dake's injured foot, glanced at the two silver notes worth three thousand taels, and said, "Is there any more?"

Qi Wuting displayed a look of astonishment, not expecting Pei Qian's agility to be so swift, almost ghostly in its elusive nature. She flicked her fingers, sending a dagger soaring towards Pei Qian's throat, while her left hand wielded a purple satin ribbon to entangle his right arm.

Pei Qian's eyes sparkled with intensity as he impatiently said, "Stop beating around the bush; you know very well who I am asking about."

Pei Qian was unclear about how long this promiscuous woman had been there, but in any case, she already knew that she had left.

The bright moon shines between the bamboo, and the clear spring flows by the house. An old man sits on the eaves of a gray-tiled house, with his beloved erhu resting on his lap, squinting his eyes as he becomes intoxicated in the hoarse and unappealing sound of the music.

Pei Qianzuo dodged left and right, saying: "General Mo, I heard that the commander of Weishan Camp, Fan Xiaojie, is staying tonight at the nearby Lanyue Pavilion!"

He must find a reasonable and plausible explanation for his missing half of the night

Old Gui did not speak, but his prolonged silence made Pei Qian feel uneasy, prompting him to sigh: "If you don't want to say anything, that's fine; I will eventually find out the truth anyway"

Pei Qianxiao understood that the old ghost was trying to take advantage of the situation, and with a chuckle, he said: "It's not that I'm very interested, I'm just a bit curious."

Mo Dake's arm went numb, and the military knife in his hand involuntarily tilted outward, striking down on Qi Wuting's neck. It is a pity that a once charming figure met such an inexplicable demise under Mo Dake's blade

Pei Qian let out a puff, releasing a burst of purple energy that sent the dagger flying. The strength from his fingertips surged forth. Qi Wuting immediately felt a wave of weakness and numbness throughout her body, as the true energy within her meridians stagnated and dissipated, causing the purple ribbon to droop helplessly downward

Old Gui seemed to have anticipated this, silently glancing at him. Pei Qian said: "From now on, we will take turns asking each other questions. Whoever fails to answer will be considered the loser"

Finally, Pei Qian, with a mouth full of peanuts and unclear speech, asked: "What is the other identity of Hua Lingyao?"

Then forget it. The old ghost closed his eyes again, "I originally thought you were quite interested in her"

"Help me see Fei Dexing as soon as possible?" Pei Qian sat back in his chair, using his foot to sway the suspended body of Qi Wuting, shaking his head and saying, "You only have one way to save yourself—" He took a pill from the pouch and shook it in his hand.

Qi Wuting's expression changed slightly as she said in a hoarse voice, "What do you want me to do?"