Chapter 13: Rouge (Part Two)

It is hard to say how much time had passed, but just as Kou Li began to feel the effects of the wine, the great doors swung open. Two young maids bowed slightly as a young woman stepped out from within.

She was a woman of bewitching charm, her hair piled up like a dark cloud, dressed in a wide-sleeved gown that clung to her figure, accentuating every curve while revealing nothing. Her beauty was intoxicating—her face like morning glow reflecting off snow, radiant and dazzling, her silhouette lithe and elegant. Most striking were her brows, long and thin, penciled all the way to her temples, adding a touch of wicked allure.

"I am Yanzhi. Greetings, young master," she said, her voice long and sultry, a perfect match for her appearance.

Kou Li squinted, slowly reciting, "Fragrant powder and pale rouge, a touch of snow, sorrowful brows traced like a crescent moon. A beautiful person, and a voice even more enchanting."

Yanzhi’s beautiful eyes lit up. "Did you compose this yourself, young master? The words are truly elegant. Is there more?"

Kou Li shook his head. He couldn't recall which textbook this had come from, so he laughed, "Verses must match the mood, and melodies must suit the scene. The emotion is not yet deep, and the song is not yet over; how could there be more?"

Yanzhi covered her mouth and giggled. "You are truly an interesting man, young master. Let me pour you some wine."

The two of them—one tall and handsome with a fair complexion, the other naturally seductive and stunning—made for a striking pair, a heaven-sent match.

After pouring a few cups, Yanzhi watched the tipsy Kou Li, her eyes dancing. "Let me play the pipa for you."

"Only after being drunk does one know the strength of the wine; only after the song does one know the depth of the feeling. Bring me the best wine!" Kou Li seemed quite intoxicated.

The "Squirrel" girl hurriedly served him. For some reason, as soon as Yanzhi appeared, this little beauty became quite proper, no longer attempting to nestle into Kou Li’s chest as she had before.

Yanzhi tested the strings, her eyes soft as silk, and played a light, melodic tune. It sounded like spring water tinkling against jade, flowing like clouds and water—exquisite to the ear.

To everyone’s surprise, Kou Li complained, "Not high enough! Not high enough!"

The star courtesan’s fingers blurred, the tempo quickening into a bold, sweeping melody. It was grand and unrestrained, evoking vast landscapes and deep emotions, as if one were standing amidst high mountains and flowing rivers.

'Thump, thump, thump.' Kou Li rapped on the table, his brow furrowed. "Still not enough! Go higher!"

Yanzhi’s seductive face turned cold. She spun around, her red dress billowing like waves. Her fingers moved like phantoms, like blades. From the pear-wood pipa came the thunder of drums and the tolling of iron bells—the sound of battle, the clash of armies. It was the "General’s Command!"

Kou Li laughed heartily. "If you have the skill, go higher still!"

'Swish!' Four wooden panels dropped simultaneously, and a dozen beauties emerged, swords in hand. They moved in a dance, a formation, their blades like cold stars, striking in unison.

"That’s more like it!"

Kou Li produced a pair of chopsticks. Without shifting his stance, he seemed to multiply into four. With stabs and parries, he deflected every incoming blade. Because of the unique nature of his "Bamboo Hand" technique, it mattered little whether he used a sword, a blade, or mere chopsticks.

The swords moved like lotuses, like blossoms. Amidst the fluttering skirts and the biting cold of the steel, the pipa’s tempo accelerated. The shadows of the blades doubled, quadrupled, multiplied until everything in his vision was nothing but cold steel.

His chopsticks were quickly whittled into a dozen fragments.

Kou Li’s ears twitched once, and then he suddenly "closed" his senses. In that moment, all sound ceased, and the blade shadows vanished.

So that was how the pipa was meant to be used!

With a twist of his waist and a snap of his leg, he sent the dining table flying, blocking the incoming light of the blades. He brought his hands together, grinding and rubbing in a circular motion—the "millstone" force—and the razor-thin blades instantly bent and snapped.

He lunged forward, covering ten feet in a single bound, moving with the agility of a tiger. With a strike and a sweep, he grabbed for Yanzhi.

"You are quite impatient, young master," Yanzhi said with a sly smile. Her shoulders moved, and she spun the pipa, revealing a series of holes. As she plucked the strings, a volley of bone-piercing needles shot out.

These needles were designed with tiny vents; they spun like spirals. Once they pierced bone, they could tear away the marrow and periosteum. Even a hit to a finger joint could cost a man his arm—it was a vicious weapon.

Fortunately, Kou Li could locate them by sound. He held his breath as the needles aimed for his ribs, pivoted on his heels, and unleashed a burst of force into the air. The lamp flickered, and Kou Li’s figure vanished.

Though Yanzhi appeared to be a beautiful serpent, she was secretly a master of assassination, versed in hundreds of lethal arts. Yet, in that instant, she could not see him.

'The Hidden Ninja arts of the Wa Kingdom!?' She knew of only one way to vanish in broad daylight, a secret technique of the Wa ninjas, but how could he possibly know it?

"Caught you," Kou Li’s voice came from behind.

Yanzhi’s eyes flashed. She gave a dazed laugh, her body seemingly melting as she twisted her waist and arms, wrapping herself around him. "Young master, let me keep you company."

In a blur, it was as if a giant python had coiled itself around him.

A flash of surprise crossed Kou Li’s eyes. "The Serpent Stance!"

The Serpent Stance was one of the Beast Forms, something only a master of imitative boxing could deduce.

"Sister Yanzhi, I’m here to help!" The Squirrel girl rushed forward, brandishing a short blade.

Though Kou Li’s limbs were pinned, his internal energy remained. He inhaled as if swallowing a globe of air, channeling his strength through his joints, stacking the power layer upon layer before releasing it into the ground.

With a thunderous boom, the floor shook.

The Squirrel girl cried out as her blade was snatched away. Kou Li shook his body, and the alcohol he had consumed was forced out of his system, spraying in a white line that landed squarely in the girl’s mouth.

Kou Li was completely sober, while the Squirrel girl looked dizzy and intoxicated. "Sister, sister, I’m here to save you... Wuwu, there are so many enemies!"

She collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Lady Yanzhi, your music is excellent, and your pipa playing is superb, but your martial arts are not quite there yet."

Yanzhi laughed languidly, remaining coiled around him, indifferent to the short blade pressed against her back. She breathed a fragrant sigh. "You are the seventh grandmaster of Cantonese Boxing. Who would dare claim their martial arts are 'there' in your presence?"

"I have no desire to destroy such a flower, so please, speak plainly. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to take your life."

Though Kou Li spoke calmly, Yanzhi detected the chilling indifference and lethal intent in his voice. Her expression hardened; she knew his reputation—he would definitely kill her.

Yanzhi pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, "My name is Yanzhi, but I have another title—the Rouge Tiger."

The Four Tigers and Eight Wolves—the Rouge Tiger!

Kou Li’s expression shifted to one of realization. He tossed the short blade aside. "Master Huang mentioned that to deal with the Water Dragon Gang, we must divide and conquer. You must be the one she chose."

"Hmph," the Rouge Tiger snorted, jumping down from him. Her tone was tinged with jealousy. "A spoiled little girl who thinks she can boss people around just because she was born into a better family. She doesn't even know whose territory this is."

"But you agreed," Kou Li said calmly. If not, she wouldn't be speaking this way; she had likely suffered at Master Huang’s hands as well.

"That’s not certain. I only said I would consider it. But given your skill and appearance, I might really consider it," she teased.

"Wolves gather in packs, tigers stand on mountain peaks. The wolves are the killers; you are the heavy hitters. And since you’ve raised so many sword-dancing women in this brothel, I imagine the mountain you stand on is this very pleasure house."

The Rouge Tiger sat down with graceful poise and clapped her hands. A stream of servants and courtesans emerged, clearing the mess in silence until only the two of them remained.

"Let’s put it this way: for every brothel or pleasure house you visit in the Fujian, Zhejiang, or Guangdong regions, there is a fifty-fifty chance you’ll run into me. So, do be careful when you’re out straying, young master."

Kou Li was slightly startled. Such establishments were always the best places for intelligence gathering. If what she said was true, she possessed a terrifying network of information—she was exactly the kind of person he needed to recruit.

"The Water Dragon Gang has grown so large. They must either seek a path through the imperial court or look to the seas for survival. Otherwise, the authorities will eventually crush them. But either way, it requires vast wealth and resources, and neither path benefits you in the slightest, right?"

Kou Li struck at the heart of the matter. He believed she knew this, just as Master Huang did. Shared interest was the only foundation for their cooperation.

"Of course. Those old ghosts are as cunning as they come, but I’m not a fool. I have so many sisters to support, and I have to pay tribute to the gang. Even then, that old ghost Lu expects to squeeze oil out of a stone. Does he think the Water Dragon Gang belongs to him alone?"

The Rouge Tiger changed her posture, revealing her legs, and said softly, "But if you want me to betray the gang, I don't have the heart for it—unless there is a sufficient reason. For instance, finding me a handsome, jade-faced gentleman who is as gifted in letters as he is in war."