Chapter 777: Disguised as a Man

Although Yang Guo didn’t quite understand why his foster father, Ouyang Feng, was being so hot and cold towards him this time, Ouyang Feng was still his foster father. Given the favor he had recently received from Wanyan Liang, it wouldn’t be appropriate to lash out at him. Left with no choice, he redirected his anger toward the top experts under Wanyan Liang’s command.

Those four experts snorted in unison. Seeing that Wanyan Liang had no intention of stopping the conflict and even looked on with amusement, they immediately understood. As native Jin experts, they had already been somewhat dissatisfied with Wanyan Liang’s excessive deference toward foreign experts like Ouyang Feng. They had long been harboring thoughts of testing their strength. Now that their master silently gave his consent, the four of them attacked in perfect synchrony.

Yang Guo hadn’t expected them to act so harmoniously. He quickly raised one palm to respond, but with only one arm, he was at a disadvantage when faced with eight attacking hands. Coupled with the cramped space in the private room, which gave him little room to dodge or maneuver, it didn’t take even ten moves before two of the four seized the opportunity. One pair restrained Yang Guo’s only arm while the other two instantly appeared at his flanks—one placing a palm against his back and the other gripping his throat. If they unleashed their internal force, Yang Guo would likely die on the spot.

“Stop!” Wanyan Liang called out at just the right moment. “Four against one—don’t you think that’s going too far? Step back at once.”

“Even four against one doesn’t guarantee a win,” Yang Guo said, his face flushed red. He had always been proud. Being caught off guard and taken advantage of by the four left him both shocked and furious. A surge of power burst forth from his body like crashing waves. The four men restraining him suddenly felt an immense force from his palm and were no longer able to hold his vital points. They all retreated several steps, staring at Yang Guo with guarded expressions.

Yang Guo didn’t press the attack. Instead, he stood up and headed for the door. “Thank you for your hospitality, King Hailing. I’m not used to this kind of environment, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

Wanyan Liang gave a wry smile. “It’s my fault for being too presumptuous, and these guards are clearly lacking in tact. They’ve disturbed Brother Yang’s mood.”

Yang Guo shook his head. “King Hailing, you underestimate me. A win is a win, a loss is a loss. The four of them are highly skilled and adept at joint attacks. My defeat isn’t undeserved, and I’m not upset about it. I came to Autumn Fragrance Pavilion today just to meet Brother Tang Kuo—I have one question to ask him before I leave.”

“I wonder what Brother Yang wishes to ask?” Song Qingshu’s heart tightened. He and Yang Guo had no prior dealings, so why did the man come specifically to see him? Could it be that he’d discovered something suspicious?

“Brother Tang Kuo…” Yang Guo glanced at the others in the room and hesitated. “May I have a word with you in private?”

“Of course. I’ll walk you out,” Song Qingshu replied. Curious about what Yang Guo wanted, he said a few words to Wanyan Liang and then followed Yang Guo out of the private room.

Along the way, Yang Guo seemed to be wrestling with something. His lips moved several times, but he never spoke. This only made Song Qingshu more curious. “Brother Yang, if there’s something you want to say, just say it. If I can help, I certainly will.”

A faint blush crept onto Yang Guo’s unkempt face, and he spoke hesitantly. “Actually, I came to ask Brother Tang Kuo… Last time we met near the city gates, the woman beside you… who was she?”

“Uh…” Song Qingshu was left speechless. So all that hesitation had been over this?

“She’s called Wanyan Ping. She’s my wife’s younger sister, titled Princess Qi,” Song Qingshu answered. “Why do you ask, Brother Yang?”

“Please don’t misunderstand, Brother Tang Kuo. I just…” Yang Guo gritted his teeth and explained, “It’s just that her eyes looked so much like my Long’er’s that I couldn’t sleep after I got back. I just had to come and ask.”

Song Qingshu looked at him strangely. Could it be that since he couldn’t find Xiao Longnu, he was using Wanyan Ping as a stand-in to ease his longing?

“Brother Yang, I’m not sure if I should say this…” Song Qingshu hesitated, but in the end decided to make things clear. “Though Wanyan Ping is my sister-in-law, we’ve long had mutual feelings. So…”

Although he trusted Wanyan Ping’s character, letting such a handsome man hang around his woman would be foolish. Just like in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Murong Fu tried to appear generous, letting Duan Yu stay around Wang Yuyan, only to have his lover stolen.

Yang Guo hurriedly waved his hand. “You’ve misunderstood, Brother Tang Kuo. I’ve always been devoted to my Long’er. I’d never harbor feelings for another woman…”

Having read The Return of the Condor Heroes in his past life, Song Qingshu believed Yang Guo was being sincere. He laughed. “Don’t take it personally, Brother Yang. I was only joking.”

After exchanging a few more casual words, Yang Guo left, weighed down by his thoughts. 

Watching his despondent figure disappear into the distance, Song Qingshu wondered where Xiao Longnu could be now. At this point, she was likely the only one who could comfort him. The mere resemblance of Wanyan Ping’s eyes to Xiao Longnu’s had thrown him into emotional turmoil. He truly was that same passionate soul from memory.

As Song Qingshu stood there lost in thought, a faint fragrance wafted into his nose. The scent was elusive—unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar. He was sure he had smelled it recently but just couldn’t remember where.

“Move aside, move aside!” Several burly men were shoving people aside in front of Autumn Fragrance Pavilion. 

Song Qingshu frowned. With his current status, there were only a few people in Jin he needed to avoid. But since he was impersonating Tang Kuo Bian, he didn’t want unnecessary trouble. Shifting his steps, he quietly moved to the side.  

“Please, Young Master!” The burly man’s voice piqued Song Qingshu’s curiosity. He looked up, wanting to see which young master dared to act so arrogantly in the capital, but the moment he glanced over, his mouth fell open in shock.

Following behind the group of burly men was a young noble dressed in a sapphire silk robe, lightly fanning himself with a folding fan. His noble and elegant demeanor could not be concealed. He was exceptionally handsome, his eyes bright and clear, with distinct whites and blacks. The fan in his hand had a white jade handle, and the hand holding the fan was so fair it was indistinguishable from the jade.

The surrounding crowd burst into murmurs—none had ever seen such a stunningly handsome young master before. Song Qingshu couldn’t help but smile wryly to himself. 

Of course no one had seen such a handsome young man—because that wasn’t a man at all.

What shocked him most was that he had recognized the young noble immediately. 

It was the yellow robed woman in disguise!

‘She’s clearly injured, yet she’s still running around. How utterly unreasonable!’ Song Qingshu didn’t even know why he was so worried. In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to drag the yellow robed woman to a table and give her a good spanking.

Song Qingshu remained hidden in the crowd. the yellow robed woman didn’t notice him and entered Autumn Fragrance Pavilion, heading straight to one of the private rooms on the top floor.

‘What is she doing in a brothel of all places?’ Song Qingshu memorized the room she entered. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to return to Wanyan Liang first before dealing with her.

When Song Qingshu returned to the private room, he happened to hear Xiao Yu singing praises of several experts under Wanyan Liang’s command, how they had managed to capture Yang Guo within just a few moves. Seeing him enter, Wanyan Liang casually asked for his opinion on the earlier battle.

“Your Highness’s warriors are indeed top-tier experts. I was truly amazed,” Song Qingshu replied, offering a few casual compliments. He hadn’t spoken honestly—while the four warriors were indeed highly skilled, Yang Guo was far from incompetent. In a different setting, they wouldn’t have even gotten close to him. On top of that, he hadn’t brought his heavy sword; if he had, he could’ve taken them down one by one with ease.

Of course, Song Qingshu had to admit that even top experts could be caught off guard the first time they encountered those four and might very well suffer a sudden defeat.

While the men in the private room were chatting, the crowd downstairs suddenly became lively. Wanyan Liang glanced down and smiled slightly. “The main event of the evening is about to begin.”

Xiao Yu leaned in with a sly expression. “Prince Consort, your good fortune with women is on its way.”

“What good fortune?” Song Qingshu was momentarily puzzled.

“This courtesan queen from Autumn Fragrance Pavilion is unlike any other. Every noble and royal in the capital is here tonight because of her. His Highness plans to win her for you at the auction. Isn’t that good fortune?” Xiao Yu said, full of envy.

“Courtesan queen?” Song Qingshu looked toward the stage but saw no sign of her. He figured the staff were still setting up and couldn’t help asking curiously, “What’s so special about her? The nobles of the capital have seen countless beauties—why would they all show up just for her?”

“Brother Tang Kuo has a beautiful wife at home, so it’s normal you haven’t paid attention to these rumors,” Wanyan Liang said with a smile. “Let me ask you something: what kind of woman do you think is the most attractive?”

“Well…” Song Qingshu wasn’t sure what he was getting at and didn’t respond recklessly. “I would be honored to hear your insight, Your Highness.”

“Insight is too strong a word. I’ll just share some of my personal thoughts,” Wanyan Liang laughed heartily. “Most men appreciate a woman either for her looks or her figure. A woman blessed with both is naturally considered top-tier.”

“Then what do the exceptional men look for?” Song Qingshu followed up.

Wanyan Liang sipped his tea before continuing, “Some men are no longer satisfied with mere appearance. Compared to physical beauty, they care more about a woman’s inner qualities. Of course, a woman with both inner and outer beauty is considered superior.”

“Judging by your tone, it seems Your Highness is unimpressed by either type?” Song Qingshu asked with a smile.

“Naturally,” Wanyan Liang said smugly. “Once a man reaches a certain level, no matter how beautiful or talented a woman is, he’s probably experienced plenty of them. What truly captivates such a man is a woman’s status.”

“Status?” Song Qingshu’s expression turned odd. He thought, ‘This Wanyan Liang and I might just be kindred spirits in some ways. If not for the fact that we’re destined to be enemies, we might actually get along as friends.’

“The more unique a woman’s identity, the more alluring she becomes. Even if her appearance and figure are inferior to other women, the charm she exudes is far beyond the ordinary. Now, if a woman possesses both exceptional qualities and a special identity, then she is the crème de la crème.” Wanyan Liang’s voice became more passionate. “Of course, ‘special’ is a broad concept. It could mean nobility—or her allure might come from the identity of the man associated with her…”

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