Chapter 149: The Hermit of the Mountain

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The Pink Courtyard—just the name alone reveals the nature of the place.

It is a pleasure club themed around beautiful women; some boast that it gathers one-fifth of all the beauties in Huhai City. To gain entry, a woman must possess not only exquisite looks but also a certain social standing.

Such a place is not widely famous, known mostly within Huhai’s inner circles. Those who enter are either extremely wealthy or hold noble status.

In one of the sauna rooms, steam rising thickly, lay an elderly man with hair as white as cranes but a youthful face. His hair was styled peculiarly, coiled atop his head and secured simply with a plain wooden hairpin.

The old man sighed contentedly, then reached out and boldly groped the beauty beside him before pulling out a wad of cash to dismiss her.

“Jinghui, I hear you’re about to marry again? Congratulations. They say she’s the finest woman on earth!” The old man raised his pure white eyebrows, stroking his goatee leisurely.

“Heh! Jinghui hardly deserves your congratulations!” Chu Jinghui forced a dry laugh at the mention of “again.” Had anyone else brought up his two dead wives, he would have surely lost his temper.

But he knew this so-called Ban Shan Daoist was no ordinary figure. He was a key figure in a vast cultivation sect, with formidable spiritual power—someone Chu Jinghui dared not offend.

Since he called himself a Daoist, he must have reached the Golden Core stage. His Daoist name, Ban Shan, meaning “Mountain Companion,” implied a semi-immortal rank—no ordinary person would dare adopt such a title.

Chu Jinghui smiled obsequiously and continued, “As for whether that woman is truly a gem, that still depends on your esteemed judgment, sir. Ha ha!”

Ban Shan Daoist smiled with ease, casting a look that suggested he saw potential in the young man.

For a seasoned connoisseur like him, who had seen countless women, ordinary beauties held no appeal—only the finest could satisfy his tastes.

“So, have you considered the matter I mentioned last time?” Chu Jinghui seized the opportunity while Ban Shan Daoist was in a good mood.

Ban Shan Daoist chuckled, “You need not worry about that... hmm?”

Suddenly, his smile stiffened, his brow furrowed tightly, and his expression darkened severely.

“Could it be that Wang Qiyi is in trouble?” he murmured with a trace of doubt, crushing the wine glass in his hand with excessive force.

Such a unique aura was only possessed by those at the Protector rank or above. Within Huhai, only he and Wang Qiyi held that rank—so naturally, the one in trouble had to be Wang Qiyi.

Wasn’t Wang Qiyi always toiling under the Xiao family? How could he suddenly be in trouble? Ban Shan Daoist shook his head. It seemed he would have to visit the Xiao family to investigate, just in case the higher-ups asked for explanations.

Chu Jinghui was momentarily stunned. Just as the Daoist was about to comment, his expression turned frighteningly grave. Though he heard Ban Shan Daoist muttering, he didn’t catch who exactly was in trouble.

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“Who’s in trouble?” Chu Jinghui asked, curious.

“That’s none of your concern. Don’t pry; knowing too much won’t do you any good!” Ban Shan Daoist snorted coldly, sharply reprimanding him.

“Heh, Jinghui misspoke, please don’t take offense!” Chu Jinghui hurried to apologize. Angering Ban Shan Daoist would have dire consequences, especially since he hoped the Daoist would assist him with a matter.

Ban Shan Daoist raised a lazy eyelid, glancing briefly at Chu Jinghui as his mind drifted elsewhere. How could Wang Qiyi have died? He had been concealed within the Xiao family for over ten years without incident. Such a sudden event, with no warning or news, was puzzling.

“Jinghui, has anything major happened recently in the Xiao family? Tell me everything,” Ban Shan Daoist said coolly, his deep brown eyes flashing sharply.

Chu Jinghui’s heart skipped a beat. Judging by the Daoist’s expression, this was no trivial matter. Although his current focus was within his own clan and the Xiao family posed no conflict, if Ban Shan Daoist intended to act against the Xiaos, Chu Jinghui might benefit.

He racked his memory: “Last month, a branch family member died. The Xiao family is currently hunting their sole heir, Xiao Cheng, supposedly for stealing the family patriarch’s spiritual herbs. Other than that, nothing much. Oh, and early next month is the Xiao family matriarch’s 80th birthday.”

Ban Shan Daoist frowned, finding no useful information in Chu Jinghui’s words. He pressed further, “Who’s leading the pursuit of the heir?”

“Seems to be a retainer of the Xiao family—a toady who often hangs around Xiao Fusheng. His name is something like Wang...”

Chu Jinghui strained to recall. The Xiao family was indeed aggressively pursuing Xiao Cheng, but he had paid little attention, recalling only that much.

Ban Shan Daoist shook his head. Wang Qiyi leading the pursuit was unlikely to be in trouble; everyone in Huhai’s hidden cultivation circles knew Xiao Cheng was a worthless, troublemaking second-generation heir. Wang Qiyi wouldn’t die over such a person.

He decided to visit the Xiao family during the matriarch’s birthday celebrations.

“Jinghui, arrange for me to visit and give my respects next month. Don’t make the gift too poor, nor too lavish,” Ban Shan Daoist ordered.

“The Xiao family will be honored by your presence,” Chu Jinghui nodded eagerly, seizing the chance to flatter.

Yet inwardly he was puzzled. Ban Shan Daoist was a Golden Core master—why would he voluntarily visit the Xiao family? He never even attended the clan head’s birthdays in the Chu family.

Among Huhai’s five hidden cultivation families, the strongest was Xiao Fusheng, but even he was only at the Peak Innate stage. For a Golden Core expert to just show up uninvited was quite a breach of decorum.

Despite his doubts, Chu Jinghui dared not ask.

“Jinghui! Tell me more about the Xiao family’s situation!”

Chu Jinghui guessed what Ban Shan Daoist wanted to know: “In the past decade, the Xiao family’s direct lineage has dwindled. Their secret family skills are only passed to direct descendants, so there are few masters left in the clan.”

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“Officially, the Xiao family has five Innate-stage masters, including Xiao Fusheng and four retainers. But in reality, three of those retainers are nominal—they receive money annually but don’t live in the family home, merely holding the title.”

“So the real power rests with Xiao Fusheng, an Innate Peak master, and one Innate third-rank retainer. Though Xiao Fusheng claims to be invincible below the Golden Core, to you, he is merely a backyard chicken.”

Chu Jinghui summarized and sighed.

Ban Shan Daoist nodded; this aligned with what he knew. As for Chu Jinghui’s insult calling Xiao Fusheng a backyard chicken, he took it as flattery but thought otherwise.

Though he called himself a Daoist, his cultivation was only near-Golden Core. He could barely ride a sword and had yet to transcend the tribulation. Xiao Fusheng wasn’t his match but was far from a mere backyard fowl.

Of course, Wang Qiyi’s cause of death was unknown. This was merely a precaution—perhaps it had nothing to do with the Xiao family. Even if Ban Shan Daoist intended to confront the Xiaos, that was an internal matter.

“Heh, I’m just asking. Don’t mention today’s conversation to anyone, understand?” Ban Shan Daoist said solemnly, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

“Yes! Yes!” Chu Jinghui was startled by the sharp gaze and hurriedly agreed.

After speaking, Ban Shan Daoist rose, wrapping a towel around his waist, ready to leave.

“By the way, what about my matter? Have you considered it?” Chu Jinghui mustered courage to ask.

He had invited Ban Shan Daoist to the sauna precisely for this reason. Instead, he ended up just listening and playing the part of a bystander.

“Your matter can wait until next month. First, prepare for the birthday visit.”

Chu Jinghui was silently furious but dared not speak, swallowing his anger.

—————The following note is not included in the word count—————

[A clarification of two mistakes by Xiao Dao: First, in the previous three chapters titled “The Death of Wang Qiyi (Part 1-3),” Wang Qiyi stubbornly didn’t die due to a plot miscalculation. Second, in the author’s note of the last chapter, “bro” was mistakenly typed as “little,” changing the meaning entirely from “brothers” to “little brothers.” This was Xiao Dao’s error and has been corrected. As the saying goes, too many words lead to mistakes! Xiao Dao sincerely apologizes!] (To be continued.)