Chapter 15: The Jia Family Mansion

Qi Fei turned his head and looked over. He saw two rows of shops on a side street to the right of the main street. In front of each shop was a large iron cage. Inside each cage was a woman. Their clothes were tattered and their bodies were half-naked. The women looked around blankly, as if they were not human, but animals locked in cages.

They have different appearances and body types; some are beautiful, some are ugly, some are fat, some are thin, some are tall, some are short, some are old, and some are young.

Prices were marked on the cages, and the prices varied from person to person, ranging from a few taels of silver to several hundred taels of silver.

Many customers were coming and going, selecting items.

“This…” Qi Fei was shocked.

Although he knew that the Daqian Dynasty was male-dominated and female-subordinate, and had heard many customs and anecdotes about the Daqian Dynasty since childhood, such as successful men having three wives and four concubines, women selling sex in brothels, and the buying and selling of servants, he never imagined that women could be sold directly on the street as commodities, and in such a undignified and blatant manner.

Li Yuyao was even more shocked and asked, “Mother, how could they be locked inside?”

Gu Yinzhang sighed and said, “Buying and selling women is a characteristic of the Gan Dynasty. The Gan Dynasty earns a lot of money from the women it sells every year. This has been going on since the Gan Dynasty was founded three hundred years ago. We can’t control this kind of thing, and we should never interfere, or we will be in big trouble.”

Li Yuyao said, “No wonder the Gan Dynasty often fights with the Kun Kingdom. The Kun Kingdom must dislike the Gan Dynasty’s style of doing things!”

Gu Yinzhang smiled and said, “That’s right.”

Li Yuyao said, “The Kun Kingdom should destroy the Gan Dynasty!”

“Shh… keep your voice down.”

Gu Yinzhang was startled and said, “You don’t know, Kun Kingdom is a matriarchal country. Men in Kun Kingdom have no status and are treated like cattle and horses. From birth to death, they can only be slaves to women, doing the hardest and most tiring work. They fight desperately for the women of the country on the battlefield, but they are treated the worst and are full of complaints. Gan Dynasty and Kun Kingdom are two of a kind.”

Qi Fei nodded secretly. It was just a difference in perspective between men and women. Men naturally thought the Gan Dynasty was good, while women thought the Kun Kingdom was good. In reality, neither was much better.

Suddenly, he understood why the men and women on the street were looking at Gu Yinzhang and Li Yuyao with such strange eyes.

Because both women came to the capital from other places, and were so beautiful, they were truly exceptional beauties, one in a million. In the eyes of men, such women were like expensive commodities. In the minds of women, it was inevitable that they would wonder if they would end up like those women in cages, reduced to such commodities.

Qi Fei clenched his fist secretly. He felt the pressure of this trip and sensed that something bad was waiting for them ahead.

Before they knew it, the three of them had arrived at the gate of the Jia Mansion.

The Jia family mansion occupied a vast area, with a wide and imposing gate. Two guards stood in front of the gate, making it comparable to the mansions of princes and nobles.

The three stepped forward, and Gu Yinzhang announced his origins. The guard immediately went inside to report. Soon, a hearty laugh came from inside, and then a short, stout middle-aged man came out, accompanied by several guards, one of whom was an acquaintance.

“Miss Gu has arrived! Please come in!” the short, stout man said with a loud laugh.

Qi Fei carefully examined the man and saw that he was wearing a black rich man’s hat, had a fat head and big ears, and narrow eyes. Especially when he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits and were almost invisible. His nose was high and straight, and his short and fat body was almost bloated. He was fat and round, like a fat pig. He was not much taller than Qi Fei.

Clearly, this is the master of the Jia family, the owner of Tianxia Trading Company, Jia Yue, the boss of Jia family.

Beside Jia Yue were several guards, one of whom, a middle-aged man holding a long sword, was none other than Zhang Jian, the seventh senior disciple of the Diancang Sect, known as “Fast Sword”!

“Master’s wife!”

Zhang Jian quickly greeted Gu Yinzhang.

Gu Yinzhang nodded, looked at Jia Yue, and smiled, “Mr. Jia, I wonder if my senior brother is at your residence right now?”

Jia Yue laughed and said, “Master Li just went out. He’ll definitely be back before dark, Miss Gu. Don’t worry, please come in quickly. Someone, bring some tea!”

He led the group inside and ordered someone to serve them fragrant tea.

Qi Fei, Li Yuyao, and Zhang Jian greeted each other; the fellow disciples were all very happy to see each other.

“Senior Brother, how’s the situation here?” Qi Fei asked.

Zhang Jian sighed, “Everything else is fine, except that the Panlong Sword has been stolen. My master is currently searching everywhere for it. Alas!”

Qi Fei said, “Could it be that Xue Jiuzhi is so skilled that he left no trace?”

Zhang Jian said, “Xue Jiuzhi is a notorious bandit in the martial arts world, highly skilled in martial arts, especially in lightness skills. Finding him, or even capturing him, will not be easy! I’ll show you around—”

While Gu Yinzhang was talking to Jia Yue in the living room, Zhang Jian led Qi Fei and Li Yuyao on a tour of the Jia residence.

Qi Fei discovered that the Jia mansion was quite large, with many servants, maids, and guards, all busy with their own tasks. Zhang Jian was the top bodyguard here, responsible for Jia Yue’s personal safety, and provided him with close protection every day.

Qi Fei casually asked, “Senior Brother, I wonder who this Boss Jia’s enemy is, and how powerful he is, that he’s so afraid that he needs our master to protect him personally?”

Zhang Jian was slightly taken aback and said, “This… I’m not very clear either. His enemy has never appeared. I’ve only heard him mention him, saying he’s a powerful figure in the martial arts world.”

Qi Fei lowered his voice and said, “Could there be a trap here?”

Zhang Jian frowned and said, “I don’t think so. We have indeed encountered several assassination attempts.”

“How skilled is the assassin?”

“With Master around, their strength was naturally no match for us, and we dealt with them all. However, now that Master’s Panlong Sword has been stolen, his strength has been weakened, which is a big problem. We suspect that Boss Jia’s rival hired Xue Jiu to steal Master’s treasured sword.”

Qi Fei nodded, stroking his chin in thought.

At this moment, Zhang Jian suddenly laughed and said, “Junior Brother Qi, I heard that your kung fu has improved a lot recently. You defeated Du Qingyuan of the Danxia Sect. Let me see!”

Qi Fei asked, “Is Senior Brother trying to test me?”

Zhang Jian laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I won’t hurt you. Come on—”

“good.”

Qi Fei drew his longsword and unleashed the “Eighteen Swords of the Coiled Dragon,” attacking his opponent with each strike. Every single one was deflected by Zhang Jian. Li Yuyao watched from the sidelines, clapping and cheering incessantly.

Qi Fei secretly assessed the gap between himself and Zhang Jian. He discovered that his internal strength had unknowingly surpassed that of his opponent. In the past, his opponent could easily control him and knock the sword out of his hand, but now, he only used 30% of his strength and was already on par with his opponent.

As for swordsmanship, Qi Fei was already quite skilled, but Zhang Jian had a very high talent for swordsmanship. When the two fought, their moves were evenly matched.

Zhang Jian exclaimed in surprise, “Junior brother, I didn’t expect you to improve so quickly, able to block half of my power. Then I’ll have to use eighty percent of my power! Take this!”

As they were speaking, a sword thrust forward, its tip flashing with a cold light.

Qi Fei gathered his inner energy and used half of his strength to block the opponent’s sword strike. With a “clang,” the inner energy surged, and both of them took a step back.

Zhang Jian was moved and said, “You actually managed to block a sword strike with eighty percent of my power?”

Qi Fei wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting, and said, “Senior Brother, please don’t come again. I just used all my strength to barely block your sword…”

Zhang Jian laughed heartily, sheathed his longsword, stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Junior brother, you’ve already done very well. Given time, you’ll definitely catch up with me!”

Qi Fei hurriedly replied, “How dare I compare myself to my senior brother!”

…

At noon, Jia Yue had his servants prepare fine wine and delicacies to warmly entertain Qi Fei, Gu Yinzhang, and the others.

At the table with Jia Yue was a woman dressed in a black wide-sleeved robe. Her hair was tied up and adorned with hairpins. She had a beautiful face with delicate features, especially her lips. Her body was quite voluptuous, with a prominent bust and buttocks, almost rivaling Gu Yinzhang’s. Her entire body was almost completely covered by the wide robe, exuding a charming allure and an irresistible aura.

Jia Yue did not introduce the woman’s identity, only referring to her as “Mei’er.” No one dared to ask further, but it seemed that this woman was either his wife or his concubine.

“Come on, Miss Gu, these ingredients are all carefully selected, you must eat more!” Jia Yue said enthusiastically.

“Mr. Jia, you’re too kind,” Gu Yinzhang said with a smile.

While eating, Qi Fei kept an eye on Jia Yue out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that Jia Yue’s eyes were a bit strange, just like the other men he had met along the way. They all had a green glint in their eyes, as if they regarded his master’s wife as prey. It was truly hateful.

Qi Fei glanced at Mei’er beside Jia Yue and noticed that the beautiful woman was silent, eating her food by herself. Her face was somewhat cold and her eyes were somewhat dim. She looked mysterious, and he wondered if it was because she was in a bad mood.

“Mr. Jia, this is…you haven’t introduced her yet?” Gu Yinzhang looked at Mei’er and couldn’t help but laugh.

Jia Yue paused for a moment, then laughed and said, “Oh, her? She’s one of my concubines, named Mei’er. Come, Mei’er, toast to Lady Gu!”

Mei’er quickly stood up, picked up her wine cup, and said softly, “To Lady Gu.” Her voice was quite pleasant, but she still had no expression.

Gu Yinzhang clinked glasses with her, but seeing her indifferent reaction, he ignored her.

Suddenly, Qi Fei stretched out his foot from under the table and moved to Mei’er’s side, gently touching her foot.

Mei’er’s expression shifted slightly, but her eating was unaffected, and she didn’t move her feet.

Qi Fei withdrew his foot, thinking to himself, “Boss Jia’s concubine is really strange; she seems somewhat… numb!”

He thought of the women locked in cages he saw on the street.

After the meal, Jia Yue arranged rooms for the group. Gu Yinzhang moved into Li Lingyun’s room, Qi Fei into another, and Li Yuyao into yet another. The rooms were next to each other, with Jia Yue’s room right across from them.

Li Lingyun returned in the late afternoon.

Everyone was overjoyed and stepped forward to greet them. Gu Yinzhang and Li Lingyun exchanged some news.

Gu Yinzhang asked, “How is the Panlong Sword?”

Li Lingyun sighed, shook his head, and said, “However, I just met Brother Du Ao in the capital. Their Danxia Sect often deals with the imperial court and has many informants in the capital. I have already asked him to help keep an eye on Xue Jiuzhi’s whereabouts. I believe we will have some clues soon.”

Gu Yinzhang remained silent. Last time at Diancang Mountain, Du Ao left with resentment, and he didn’t know if Gu Yinzhang was willing to genuinely help.

Seeing the Diancang Sect members pacing back and forth in the living room, all looking worried and only thinking about the Panlong Sword, without mentioning his protection at all, Jia Yue’s expression darkened. He said, “Master Li, now that Lady Gu has arrived in the capital, what are your plans for my protection duties?”

Li Lingyun said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Jia. My Diancang Sect has many experts who can protect you.”

Jia Yue said, “I’ll be going out on errands frequently these next few days, so I need someone to accompany me. Who do you plan to have with me? You, or Lady Gu? If it’s inconvenient for you, Lady Gu can protect me as well. I’m confident that with Lady Gu’s martial arts skills, she’s more than capable of protecting me!”

As she spoke, she looked at Gu Yinzhang with a smile.

Li Lingyun frowned and said, “This…”

“What?” Jia Yue said unhappily, “Both of you are in the capital. Can’t you even send one of you to protect me? Then my thousand taels of silver have been wasted.”

Li Lingyun thought for a moment before saying, “Alright, let my wife protect you. Once we find the Panlong Sword, I will protect you personally.”

Jia Yue then laughed and said, “That’s right! Go find the sword with confidence. I trust Miss Gu’s skills!”

“In that case, I will leave for a few days.”

Li Lingyun stood up and said, then looked at Gu Yinzhang and said, “You and Yuyao will stay at the Jia residence for the time being. You must not let anything happen to Boss Jia, otherwise it will damage the reputation of our Diancang Sect.”

Gu Yinzhang said, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother.”

She was quite confident in her martial arts skills and swordsmanship.

Li Lingyun appeared to be in a great hurry, and left the Jia residence without even having dinner.

That evening, Jia Yue prepared a sumptuous dinner and dined with his concubine Mei’er, Gu Yinzhang, Qi Fei, and others.

After the meal, Jia Yue had his servants prepare fine wine and pastries, and invited Gu Yinzhang to drink a few cups with him alone.

Qi Fei, Li Yuyao, and Zhang Jian, along with the guards from Jia Yue’s residence, stood guard together on the side.

At this moment, Jia Yue suddenly grasped Gu Yinzhang’s delicate hand and said, “Miss Gu’s hands are so fair and tender, not at all like those of a martial artist. Unlike others, which are so rough, tsk tsk…”

“Mr. Jia, please have some self-respect!”

Gu Yinzhang frowned and withdrew her hand.

Qi Fei reached for the long sword at his waist.

Li Yuyao and Zhang Jian exchanged glances, both somewhat displeased.

“Uh, hehe… I didn’t mean anything by it, it was just pure praise. If Miss Gu doesn’t like it, I can say something else.” Jia Yue’s narrow eyes were completely slits.

Gu Yinzhang stood up and said, “Mr. Jia, it’s getting late, why don’t you get some rest?”

“Won’t you have two more drinks?”

“No need, thank you.”

Jia Yue looked regretful and stood up, saying, “Very well, very well. By the way, I need to go out early tomorrow morning to check on the business of the merchant guild, so I hope Miss Gu will get up early.”

Gu Yinzhang said, “No problem.”

After watching Jia Yue take Mei’er back to her room, Gu Yinzhang returned to his own room, and Qi Fei, Zhang Jian, and Li Yuyao also went back to their rooms.

Qi Fei sat cross-legged on the bed, carefully sensing the flow of true qi within his meridians. After several months, the bright moon in his lower dantian became even brighter, reaching the size of a palm, and the phoenix inside was asleep.

At this moment, Qi Fei’s hearing became exceptionally sharp, as if he could hear all the movements in the entire mansion, even the sound of insects moving in the grass.

Suddenly, a familiar yet strange sound entered his ears.

“Slap… you slut, you bitch, I’ll beat you to death! Slap…”

“Ah…no…ah…no…it hurts…ah…”

“I’ll teach you to be slutty, I’ll teach you to be cheap, it’s all your fault! *slap*…”

The sounds of slapping and popping echoed incessantly; it was unclear what kind of passionate game they were playing.

Qi Fei opened his eyes, snapping out of his training state. The sounds around him immediately subsided, but some faint noises could still be heard.

“The sound is coming from Boss Jia’s room. He must be having sex with his concubine…” Qi Fei thought to himself, and his heart began to itch. He got up, went out, and knocked on the door of Gu Yinzhang’s room next door.

“Who is it?” Gu Yinzhang’s voice came from inside.

“Master’s wife, it’s me.”

The door opened quickly from the inside, and Qi Fei slipped into the room. Gu Yinzhang closed the door and bolted it shut.