Chapter Fourteen: The Falconer (Part One)

Young Master Huang’s expression was as cold as frost. Just as the doorman was about to offer a greeting, he was instantly pinned down by the blades of the Phoenix Guards, who were dressed in black.

It was early in the morning, and the brothel naturally had little business. There were only two or three young gentlemen listening to music and a few drunken regulars sprawled out here and there. Several languid young women had just stepped out of their rooms when a flash of cold light appeared; they were immediately pressed against the walls by pugilists and swordsmen. Their eyes widened, and they were too terrified to utter a single word.

Along the way, more than twenty people—courtesans and guests alike—were blocked by the fierce-looking martial artists. Some hadn't even finished dressing, and their faces turned pale with fright. In broad daylight, they wondered, could there really be bandits raiding the place?

In the end, it was the madam, dressed in gaudy, heavily powdered finery, who sensed the gravity of the situation. She rushed over in a panic, saying, "Young Master, Princess, what is the meaning of this? Bringing nearly a hundred men to storm the place like this... can’t we discuss whatever it is in private?"

"The girls have been busy all night and are resting. Besides, if you barge in so boldly, word will surely get out!"

"And what of that?" Young Master Huang sneered. "Compared to you detaining my man, this is nothing." He kicked open a door, revealing a naked couple on the bed. The young man with dark circles under his eyes had just realized what was happening, but before he could say a word, he was pinned to the bed and gagged, his eyes bulging in terror.

He had recognized Young Master Huang’s identity!

"Oh my, oh my! This is the young master of the Xia City garrison! Please, don't be so rough. We are all people of standing—please, let him go," the madam pleaded, her forehead dripping with sweat that turned her three layers of rouge into a muddy mess.

"There is no need for such trouble. In a moment, the Garrison General himself will bring five hundred soldiers to collect him. I think you lot have lived too comfortably for too long. Once you are all sent to the state-run labor camps, you will learn who cannot be offended!" Young Master Huang was burning with rage. Though she did not quite understand why she was so furious, she was a Princess of noble status—did she owe anyone an explanation for her actions?

The madam turned ghostly pale at the mention of the state-run camps. If they were sent there, they would be forced to serve the lowly common soldiers—a fate worse than death.

With a loud 'bang,' another door was kicked open. A man and a woman were seen sitting intimately together, their backs to the door. The man was holding the woman's hand, and they were sketching at a desk. The man possessed an extraordinary temperament, while the woman was charming and alluring, covering her mouth as she giggled, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Just the last stroke left."

"Young Master’s painting is truly exquisite. You are worthy of being a scholar of Jiangnan. It’s so lifelike! Oh my, isn't this Young Master Huang? Your arrival truly brings a sense of prestige to our humble establishment!" Rouge bowed and curtsied, completely ignoring the fiery glare directed at her.

Young Master Huang ignored her, casting a gaze over Kou Li, Rouge, and the bed. Seeing that the brocade quilt on the bed was neatly folded, her expression softened slightly. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Sister Rouge, you detained my man for the entire night. I was quite worried that your charms might have stolen the soul of my top general."

Rouge’s eyes twinkled like flowing water. She hugged Kou Li’s arm intimately and said coyly, "The young master is both cultured and martial, and quite handsome. Who is stealing whose soul is really hard to say. Let’s put it this way: for your sake, I will agree to what you asked of me."

The phoenix eyes that had just softened narrowed again, like a cat with its fur standing on end. She barked, "What did you tell him?"

Kou Li shook his head. It was clear that Young Master Huang was being led by the nose today. He calmly pulled his arm away and said, "It is getting late. I shall take my leave."

"Walk slowly, Young Master. When you have time, do come back and taste the rouge on my lips."

Young Master Huang was incensed and was about to strike the woman with her 'Immortal Sword' technique when she was forcibly dragged away by Kou Li.

***

"Such a little girl, so easily provoked," the Rouge Tiger remarked, her beautiful eyes turning as she covered her mouth to yawn. "A whole night of maneuvering, and all I got was a painting. I'll have it framed and hung in my room later."

"Sister, are we still opening the Rouge Pavilion today?" the madam asked with a bitter face. This incident had blown up far too much; government soldiers might come to raid the place at any moment.

"What are you panicking about? The bigger the scene, the less suspicious it looks. It’s just two women fighting over a man. I fear the reputation of this seventh grandmaster of Yue boxing is about to turn into that of a 'kept man' for some noble. Interesting, truly interesting," the Rouge Tiger chuckled to herself.

***

Inside the carriage—

Kou Li frowned as he watched Young Master Huang. Under his gaze, her bravado steadily withered, and she began to glance around nervously. Finally, he asked, "What did you come there for?"

Only then did Young Master Huang remember she was there to 'catch an affair'—or rather, to retrieve someone. She regained her composure and said huffily, "You are my Grand Steward. If you were detained, would you expect me to sit idly by? I treat you so well, why are you giving me such a look of disdain?"

"If I could be detained so easily, what use would it be to send more men? It has only been a few days, why have you become so dim-witted?" Kou Li’s disdain grew.

"You have some nerve! My, Princess Phoenix’s, intelligence and beauty were once the talk of the capital! You—" Young Master Huang wanted to describe her former glory, but her eyes dimmed, and she left the sentence unfinished. After a long silence, she huffed, "And you... you stayed in that old woman's room all night and did nothing?"

"Naturally, I was probing her background for your benefit," Kou Li rubbed his temples. "The Mountain-Treading Tiger, the Island-Suppressing Tiger, the Rouge Tiger, and the Diamond Tiger—aside from the one who died, they are all local powerhouses of the Water Dragon Gang. The leaders and elders both use and guard against them. It is indeed possible to win them over."

"As if I didn't know that," Young Master Huang pouted.

"The Rouge Tiger, whether intentionally or not, leaked a piece of information: the Island-Suppressing Tiger, who controls the nine overseas islands of the Water Dragon Gang, is very close to the Fish-Head Wolf of the Eight Wolves. They are the firm pro-secessionist faction within the gang."

"That goes without saying. If they truly submitted to the Imperial Court, the vast majority of the fleets and islands they control would have to be handed over."

"I am wondering if we can win them over."

"They have made their stance clear; they do not want to be government officials. If they could be won over, they would have been long ago."

Kou Li nodded in agreement, but added, "It is not entirely impossible. It depends on how we maneuver. For example, using methods like privateering permits. I haven't fully thought it through yet, but if we succeed, it could compensate for the greatest flaw in your current status."

"What flaw could my status possibly have?" Young Master Huang asked dismissively.

"You are a noble from the Imperial Palace, with the ear of the Emperor. As long as you remain in the Yue region, on the surface, no one dares to defy you. But have you considered whether you will stay here forever? The moment you leave, the local forces will naturally make a comeback. Even the black and white underworld forces you've subdued through soft and hard tactics might harbor ulterior motives. Once your rear guard is unstable, you will have no capital to challenge that person in the capital."

Young Master Huang fell silent. She was not unaware of these things, but she lacked a truly effective strategy.

"Whether it is the officials or the riff-raff under your command, why do they follow you? It is nothing more than money, power, fame, and status. As long as you can consistently provide what they want, there will be no problems. This requires a vast network of interests, and I am starting to see a path forward," Kou Li said, closing his eyes to rest.

For some time now, Kou Li had been cleaning up her messes without a single complaint. Thinking of this, Young Master Huang felt a warmth in her heart. She had seen too much treachery and intrigue—everyone had a different face for the public and the private. Only this man, who constantly insisted that their relationship was a mere transaction, gave more than anyone else.

"You must be tired. Let me massage your temples," she said softly. "I used to do this for my mother back home."

Kou Li noticed the distinction—she had said 'home,' not the 'palace.'

"Very well."

Her cool, jade-like fingers rested gently on his temples, rotating slowly. The atmosphere felt like a spring rain, lingering and inseparable.

"One thing I must remind you," Kou Li said without turning his head. "Seeing you rush over in such a panic, you don't actually like me, do you?"

"Ah!?" Young Master Huang’s fingers trembled, and her heart skipped a beat. What was he trying to say? A confession?

"Remember: those with different paths cannot make plans together."

Young Master Huang grew angry from embarrassment and grabbed Kou Li’s ear. "Like you? Don't have such delusions! You are merely one of the reserve favorites I am keeping. Even if you are a reserve, you cannot let anyone else take the top spot. Do you understand?"

"Good. That is the spirit I need. How can a princess who is destined to go down in history settle for anything less than three thousand favorites? You are destined for great things; do not act like a fragile maiden. If you become a woman lost in love, I will have a massive headache."

"Hmph," Young Master Huang sneered, the momentary wavering of her heart immediately steered back on track. "Don't worry. I wouldn't fall for you even if I fell for Lin Su'e."

"Very good."

"I have obtained the secret manual you wanted: the Eagle Hand of the ancient half-elephant boxing style. Your ambition is truly extraordinary. You haven't even mastered the bone-refining stage, yet you are already contemplating tendon-refining. I hope your skill is as great as your appetite."

"The world turns, time presses on. Ten thousand years is too long, we must seize the day."