My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 815 - 508: Sleepless Amidst the Flower Boats and Lantern Lights (Double - )
In places where water networks are dense and waterways are developed, there will certainly be many wild Taoists, either predicting marriages, setting feng shui, or selling some questionable talisman potions. They also draw talismans and spring cards, offer a few words of auspicious sayings, and ask for celebratory words...
Medicine stalls, talisman stalls, fortune-telling stalls—once you enter the city gates, you'll see sheep and cowhide stalls everywhere, raising a bagua flag. Those with skills wear a Daoist robe, while those without settle for a mixed cloth cap, watching people's manner of approach, pinching their middle and index fingers together, speaking human words when seeing humans, ghost words when seeing ghosts, only revealing the truth at the point of death.
Why? Simply to get some Copper Coins, to earn some Silver Tael. Thus, in the folk saying: "Monks encircle lands, Taoists scam money."
Lu Qun remembers most vividly the time during the Lantern Festival when he told an old lady's fortune. It wasn't about how much he scammed but about this wealthy old lady being a shrewd character. Scamming such a person for one Silver was more satisfying than scamming ten taels from a foolish rich man, especially since he managed to scam thirty taels in one go, living the high life for several days.
He still remembers the old lady, very astute, striding with a gusty vigor despite her full head of white hair. When several colleagues approached to chat, not only did they fail, but they also got punched by the fierce servants by her side. She was a tough character. Lu Qun, unlike his peers, sat at the market's edge, watching the old lady with deep meaning. When she looked over, he averted his gaze, appearing worried, which instead attracted her over.
The old lady approached, and Lu Qun demonstrated his higher skills, speaking half of his words, waving his hand as if rejecting money to show a noble manner. He indirectly praised while hinting at potential minor disasters, quickly leading the old lady astray.
At the end of the talk, Lu Qun handed over a talisman, speaking earnestly: "To overcome this calamity, do not turn back within a hundred steps, or it loses its effect."
The old lady received the talisman, walked a hundred steps, and increasingly felt something was wrong in retrospect. Looking back, the man had vanished.
Lu Qun spent his thirty taels on debauchery, quickly losing them in brothels and gambling houses.
Just then, he encountered an old acquaintance in vice. They usually had a great time in brothels, but today the old friend was unusually quiet. Curious, Lu Qun inquired.
"You don't know, there's a flower boat at the pond's eastern port recently, with women of such age and beauty who can even perform the northern Hu Xuan dance... Tsk tsk, it's truly an experience."
At this, Lu Qun couldn't help but be intrigued, though his finances were somewhat tight.
He had to return to Jianghu.
With skills honed, and as many people had spare money after the new year, Lu Qun had great luck, swindling twenty taels in a few days, and today ten more from a man and woman.
The pair seemed to come from the north, passing by, and appeared to have had some quarrel, uneasy with each other.
Lu Qun seized the chance, selling a spring card bought from roadside stock at a high price of ten taels to the girl wanting to reconcile.
By the time the man realized, Lu Qun had boarded a ship heading downstream, fast disappearing from sight.
Why do more water networks mean more wild paths?
The fortunes stolen by charlatans like Lu Qun seldom remain, his old fortune-telling self instantly returned to seek the flower boat at the pond's eastern port.
The old acquaintance was right, the price was really high.
So high that even the extravagant Lu Qun hesitated, fearing the old friend's claims were exaggerated. Having roamed Jianghu for over ten years, he'd seen all sorts of things.
He boarded the flower boat, greeted by the dancer, tea served, back rubbed without missing a beat, and soon the Hu Xuan dance began, whirling until daylight faded, with clothes flying off in the dance, leaving only the naked, supple flesh.
Whoa, he'd really never seen anything like this!
How could Lu Qun hold onto his money? He threw it all out, only wishing for a night in the perfumed chamber.
Only upon entering, he noticed strikingly extravagant scented chambers, but there was a large spider web in the corner...
How could a room frequently lived in and walked through accumulate a web half the size of a person?
The old fortune-teller Lu Qun's alarm bells rang, whisking the dancer away, pinching his fingers to cautiously perform a divination.
Strange occurrences are bound to reveal monsters,
Sure enough, the flower boat's dancer, with her radiant allure, was a spider demon weaving silk and webs!
Lu Qun was terrified to death, fleeing the flower boat in haste, wanting to bolt through the door, but the dancer uncovered his intentions, called her companions and servants, capturing Lu Qun on the spot.
"Why hasn't the guest spent the night with me before sneaking away? Is it perhaps impotence?" The dancer and her sisters chuckled charmingly.
Lu Qun's head pressed to the ground, wouldn't dare claim otherwise,
"Mercy, mercy, I'm just a brothel keeper, how could I dare to marry the spider lady, mercy, mercy!"
In anxiety, mistakes burst out, Lu Qun revealing the dancer's identities, making escape impossible, nor did anyone wish him to stay after his flight.
So this one spun silk, that one wove webs, stitching him webbed threefold, cocooning Lu Qun like an egg onto the net.
Finally, splitting his cranium open, a huge gulp,
Truly swamped in a gutter, Silk Cave took down the old fortune-teller.
.......
River God Temple.
Chen Yi, driven by habit, brought Yin Tingxue to visit the temple, yet he grew increasingly frustrated as they neared the entrance.
He turned back, grabbing Yin Tingxue's collar, chided, "Why are you so dim?"
