Chapter 145: Chapter 132: Reopening and Taking Action
Flower Square had reopened.
The news spread through Huangpu Guard like a hurricane.
Most people were stunned. After all, the events of a few days ago were still fresh in their minds.
Everyone had assumed Flower Square would have to shut down for a while, but no one expected it to reopen so quickly.
Even so, most people just watched coldly from the sidelines, some even hoping to see a good show.
After all, with the Beheading Gang and other factions eyeing it like hungry tigers from the outside, and Third Brother Xie San’s grievous injuries on the inside, who would dare to go even if it did reopen? It was a place beset by troubles both internal and external.
And as expected...
Although Flower Square’s closure these past two days had left those libertines who frequented the pleasure quarters with nowhere to go, leaving them all unbearably lonely, when compared to their own lives and fortunes, a little loneliness was a small price to pay.
So even though these men were practically drooling with desire at home, they still didn’t dare to come over.
As a result, Flower Square’s first day back in business was utterly desolate. There wasn’t a single soul on the street, and the girls were so bored they were practically falling asleep as they leaned against the railings.
Seeing this, Yan Feng was overcome with worry. He couldn’t help but run to Wu Liangchen to report what he’d seen, and then asked...
"Brother Wu, what do you think we should do now?"
Wu Liangchen could of course see Yan Feng’s anxiety. He just smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don’t worry. I’ve already made all the arrangements."
Yan Feng didn’t quite understand what arrangements Wu Liangchen had made, but since he had said so, Yan Feng naturally didn’t press the matter. He left, still filled with doubt.
Perhaps it was to validate Wu Liangchen’s words, or perhaps it was pure coincidence.
A little over two hours after opening, Flower Square finally welcomed its first customer.
He was a sallow-faced, middle-aged man who first loitered around the entrance to Flower Square for a long time, peeking around timidly. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he snuck inside.
The moment he entered, the idling girls, as if they had discovered a new world, immediately dropped their melon seeds and started calling out to him loudly.
And it wasn’t just the brothels near the entrance; hearing the commotion, those further in also sprang into action.
In an instant, the entire street came alive.
The middle-aged man had been worried. After all, everyone was saying Flower Square was a dangerous place now. He had hesitated for a long time before his little head won out over his big one, and he finally decided to come in and take a look.
So when he saw this scene, his spirits couldn’t help but lift.
He had been to Flower Square more than once, but being short on funds, he usually only dared to chat with a girl and couldn’t even bring himself to order much of the cheapest wine. When had he ever enjoyed such treatment?
Just then, a madam approached with a beaming smile. Without a word of argument, she grabbed him and began pulling him toward her brothel, saying as they walked...
"You’ve come at the perfect time today, sir! All the girls in our house are free. Take your pick, the price is negotiable, and we’ll even throw in three dishes and a pot of wine for free."
"Is that really true?" the middle-aged man asked in disbelief.
"Of course it is! We’re having a grand reopening celebration, and since you’re our very first customer, you naturally get this special treatment!" the madam said with a grin, recalling Wu Liangchen’s instructions from the day before.
’I wonder if this method of Young Master Wu’s will actually work,’ she thought. ’Well, I’ll just have to take it one step at a time and see.’
When these girls, who looked very expensive, lined up before him and smilingly called him "Master," the middle-aged man’s sallow face gradually flushed red, and he was suddenly filled with a sense of bravado.
"I’ll take two— no, three girls!"
Four hours later, the middle-aged man staggered out of the brothel, his already sallow face now even more so.
But his expression was one of pure bliss. Though he could barely walk, he still looked back at the brothel, not yet fully satisfied, and called out a greeting.
"I... I’ll be back tomorrow!"
"Of course, Master, we’ll be waiting for you!" the girls replied with giggles.
The middle-aged man swayed as he left. Although his wallet was now as empty as his body, his spirit was immensely satisfied.
So much so that he didn’t even rest when he got back. Instead, he immediately told all his disreputable friends about Flower Square’s grand reopening celebration.
When they heard he had paid the price of one girl for three and even gotten a free meal of high-class brothel fare, his friends couldn’t hold back either.
’Dammit, who cares about risking your life? With an opportunity this good, you enjoy it first and worry later!’
And so, they too rushed into Flower Square. Afterward, the news spread like wildfire...
By dusk, the deserted Flower Square had not only returned to its former liveliness, but it was even more bustling than before.
The streets were woven with crowds, every house was filled to the brim with guests, and the sounds of string and wind instruments, of clinking glasses, and of the laughter and chatter of men and women could be heard from miles away.
Everyone who had been waiting to see a show was now completely dumbfounded.
This, of course, included the Beheading Gang’s "White Paper Fan," Mo Daoyuan.
When he received the report from his subordinate, his face flushed red and pale in turns. He couldn’t help but say...
"Have all these madams gone insane? The girls are cheap, and they’re throwing in three dishes and a pot of wine for free? Are they trying to lose money just to drum up business?"
The messenger didn’t dare make a sound, because he knew Mo Daoyuan wasn’t asking him.
Just as he thought.
After muttering for a moment, a pained expression appeared on Mo Daoyuan’s face.
"Dammit, it looks like I’ll have to bleed a little. That man Zhang might be a brute, but he’s more slippery than an eel. He’s the type who won’t lift a finger without a reward."
"Get the carriage. And bring the goods. I’m going to the Black Banner Camp myself."
"Yes, sir!"
When Zhang Pengcheng heard that Mo Daoyuan had come to visit, he was in the middle of drinking and amusing himself with two beautiful maids. He couldn’t help but put down his wine cup, a cold sneer appearing on his face.
’Looks like the old fox finally lost his patience,’ he thought. ’Let him wait in the reception hall for a while.’
The wait lasted for over an hour, and only then did Zhang Pengcheng arrive leisurely in his wheelchair.
As soon as he saw Mo Daoyuan, who was already frantic with impatience, Zhang Pengcheng immediately put on an innocent expression.
"Ah, Brother Mo, what wind blew you here? My men are all coarse fellows, you know, completely thoughtless. To think they waited so long to inform me! I have truly been neglectful."
Normally, Mo Daoyuan would have exchanged a round of pleasantries with Zhang Pengcheng, but now he was in no mood to playact with the man.
He just sighed and got straight to the point.
"Ten thousand silver coins. This is the most sincerity I can offer. What do you say?"
The smiling Zhang Pengcheng immediately turned serious and said, "And twenty percent of the profits after the job is done."
Hearing this, Mo Daoyuan instantly jumped up as if someone had stepped on his tail.
"No way! At that rate, you’d be taking a full seventy percent of the profits! Wouldn’t I be working for nothing?"
Zhang Pengcheng knew his demand was excessive, but this was a negotiation—you ask for the sky to get the ground. In the end, after a "cordial and friendly" discussion, the Beheading Gang agreed to fifteen thousand silver coins, plus additional compensation for any casualties.
Only then did Zhang Pengcheng nod in satisfaction and laugh. "Brother Mo, if you had been this straightforward from the start, we could be drinking in Flower Square right now."
Mo Daoyuan’s expression was ugly, but the matter was settled, and there was no point in saying anything more. He said coldly...
"Marshal Zhang, that master archer... have you figured out a way to deal with them?"
"Heh heh, of course I have. The most effective way to deal with a master archer is to find another master archer."
"I’ve already recruited a top-tier expert from the martial world. They are ready to act at any time."
"Good. In that case, we mustn’t delay. Shall we act tonight, during the fourth watch?"
"Agreed!"
"Then I’ll go back and make arrangements. We’ll assemble at the Zi hour!"
Mo Daoyuan left in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Zhang Pengcheng also began to mobilize his men, and at the same time sent someone to deliver a message to the Yuelai Inn.
At this moment, Chen Baimei was making arrowheads.
It was her habit to never rely on others for anything she could make herself.
Years of experience had taught her not to trust anyone but herself.
When she received the message, her spirits lifted.
’So it’s finally starting!’
"Good. Go back and tell your marshal that I’ll be there shortly!"
The messenger left. Chen Baimei arranged her quiver, hanging it on her hip where it was easiest to reach, then shouldered her longbow and headed for the Black Banner Camp.
By the time she arrived, Mo Daoyuan was already there with his men from the Beheading Gang.
Because it was a covert operation, they hadn’t brought many men, but every one of them was an elite.
When Mo Daoyuan saw Chen Baimei, he couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
"This is the master archer you were talking about?"
"That’s right!"
Mo Daoyuan frowned.
It wasn’t that he looked down on women, but the vast majority of experts in the martial world were men. Female masters were indeed rare.
’And look at her petite frame,’ he thought. ’Is she really up to the task?’
Sensing Mo Daoyuan’s gaze, Chen Baimei sneered inwardly.
’It’s always like this,’ she thought.
But she didn’t say anything, nor could she be bothered to explain. She just said coldly...
"I’m heading to Flower Square first. You all act on your own. I will provide support from the shadows."
With that, she turned and vanished into the night.
"Let’s go. According to our informant, the heavily injured Xie San is currently hiding in the Moqin Pavilion. So, after we enter Flower Square, our first target is the Moqin Pavilion," Mo Daoyuan said.
Zhang Pengcheng had also boarded his carriage by now. With a light wave of his hand...
...the soldiers of the Black Banner Camp, who were already geared up and ready to go, immediately moved out. Under the cover of night, they headed straight for Flower Square.
And just as they were making their move, Wu Liangchen, who was practicing his archery in the woods, also received the news.
"Brother Wu, a message just came from the brothers tailing the Beheading Gang and the Black Banner Camp. They’re on the move."
Instantly, the faces of everyone present changed. Some began to breathe rapidly, and all eyes turned to Wu Liangchen.
Wu Liangchen, however, was as calm as still water. After putting all his arrows into his quiver, he said lightly...
"So they lost their patience after all. Fine. Some things are just inevitable. Since they’re so determined to die, we’ll grant them their wish."
"Proceed according to the plan."
"Understood!"
