Yinshan Record

Chapter 199 Qinhuai Night Moon
"As a junior student, I have come to pay my respects to my senior."

Su Che looked at the person in front of him and greeted him respectfully.

Su Che had only met this Yin-Yang Dharma King once in the Yin-Yang Realm, but he had single-handedly fought against the combined forces of many, and although he was defeated, Su Che still respected his strength.

The Yin-Yang Dharma King slowly nodded, looking up at Zhongyuan at the head of the table.

"Is this the Azure Dragon of the Six Directions?"

"Exactly."

The Yin-Yang Dharma King looked at Su Che.

"The Yin-Yang Dharma King is nothing but a thing of the past. I come from the Xuanmen sect, and my Daoist name is Yiyangzi. If you wish, you can call me senior or simply Yiyangzi."

Okay, Yin Yang Dharma King.

"Today's meeting is at Xiang Liu's invitation." Zhong Yuan looked at Su Che: "He has an important matter that requires your help."

"It's just a small matter," the Yin-Yang Dharma King said to Su Che. "I need you to come with me to Jiankang."

Is this a mission I'm tasked with alone?

Su Che nodded.

"This matter is quite dangerous, so please be careful."

Is it very dangerous?

Su Che glanced at "Xiang Liu" on the other side.

Back in the Yin-Yang Realm, I witnessed this person's magical power firsthand; he held his own even against a ruthless character like Yuwen Rui.

How many Yuwen Ruis are there in Jiankang City these days?

"It's not like we're going to have to go to the Censorate, is it?"

Su Che recalled Wu Zhiqi's previous experiences.

"It's not that complicated. Just follow Xiang Liu's arrangements."

Zhongyuan looked at Su Che and said, "If this succeeds, the organization will naturally reward you."

After saying this, Zhongyuan flicked his long sleeves, and the heavens and earth were turned upside down. Su Che felt his body twisting little by little. For a moment, his nose and eyes seemed to touch, and his arm was folded in half.

However, this was just a fleeting illusion.

The next moment, looking up, all I could see was the surging river.

"That void technique was incredibly sophisticated and skillful, wasn't it?"

The Yin-Yang Dharma King stood beside Su Che. At this moment, he was completely different from the arrogant figure he had been when he fought against all sides in the Yin-Yang Realm. He was not tall, only half the height of Su Che, and was round and chubby. He wore a tattered Taoist robe and had a wooden hairpin in his hair.

He seemed to be a pedantic gentleman who sneaked out at night to steal wine, or an old Taoist priest who didn't abide by the rules of some temple.

"senior."

"Such void supernatural powers, with a flick of the finger, can turn a near-far distance into an immeasurable distance. Even those Dharma-ending Lords beyond the heavens are no more than this, are they?"

The Yin-Yang Dharma King seemed not to have heard Su Che's words as he pointed ahead.

"I haven't seen this mighty river for a very long time."

The old man smiled and looked at Su Che beside him: "Having lived in this world for so long, I'm nothing more than a prisoner with a respectable title. This was just a spontaneous remark, please don't take offense."

"That's only natural, senior..."

Which is the most famous brothel in Jiankang City?

The Yin-Yang Dharma King's words nearly caused Su Che to strain his back.

This old ghost.

Surely one wouldn't come out of the Yin-Yang realm thinking of indulging in pleasures and living a carefree life. The Yin-Yang realm shouldn't lack such places.

"Don't you know?" Yin Yang Dharma King frowned. "I've heard people say that you're considered a local tyrant in Jiankang City, a little bully."

"Yes, I know of a few, but I don't know if they'll suit your taste, senior."

Whether it's compatible or not is another matter, let's go and take a look first.

Su Che shook his head inwardly as he looked at the man's anxious expression.

Su Che certainly didn't think that the Yin-Yang Dharma King was just here to have some fun; there must be other plans behind it. But this secrecy was really making him feel uneasy.

Working with them to rebuild the Heavenly Court was indeed quite difficult.

Jiankang, though named as one place, actually comprises three parts, arranged in a triangular shape.

The first is Jiankang, which is the core of the city. The people of Daliang also have another name for this place: Taicheng.

This city was modeled after the magnificent imperial capitals of the past. It was built around a palace, containing all sorts of palaces, various departments of the court, and treasuries such as the armory and the imperial treasury.

It is a standard fortress that combines the functions of the palace, military, and political institutions.

The other one is Xizhou City, located southwest of Taicheng. It was a small city that was formed later and had some military functions. However, its most important function was that it was a smelting center under the control of the Liang Dynasty.

All kinds of military equipment used in expeditions to the south and north, the armor used by the central imperial guards, and the iron coins that circulated throughout the land were smelted and forged here.

To the southeast lay Danyang Prefecture, also known as Danyang County, which was once the seat of the so-called Danyang County. Jiankang and Xizhou did not have their own administrative organs, and the Southern Dynasties did not have the position of Jiankang Yin (prefect), so Danyang Yin was the de facto highest administrative official.

The three cities of Xizhou, Danyang, and Jiankang are arranged in a triangular shape. Beyond these three cities are purely military fortresses such as Stone City. This group of cities constitutes Jiankang City in a broader sense.

The general administrative affairs of the three cities were decided by the Governor of Danyang alone. Because the position was too important, theoretically, the highest-ranking clans would select the best people to fill the post.

The current Prefect of Danyang comes from the Xie clan of Chenjun. He had a good reputation from a young age and was known as the "precious tree of the Xie family".

The vast area between these three cities is the Jiankang city area, with interconnected streets and alleys, traversed by a wide imperial road, with bustling commercial districts on both sides.

Although the Southern Dynasties had a strict curfew policy, they emphasized the morning bell and evening drum, meaning that one should rise upon hearing the bell and rest upon hearing the drum.

However, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. The wealthy and powerful families residing in Jiankang City, not content with their unrestrained indulgence, would hardly abide by the curfew policy.

Therefore, a wise person in the imperial court orchestrated the situation.

According to the law, only the areas enclosed by the city walls of Jiankang, Danyang, and Xizhou are considered urban areas and are subject to curfew policies.

The vast urban area outside of this is considered "white land," which theoretically does not belong to the area that should be under the jurisdiction of the Danyang Yin, and therefore is not within the scope of the curfew policy.

Thus, they bypassed the curfew and created a bustling area that never sleeps.

Despite its prosperity, it was quite a strange thing that outside the city walls of this once-prosperous capital city, there was a desolate place that refused to submit to the emperor's rule.

Su Che led this Yin-Yang Dharma King into the dazzling world of the Southern Dynasty.

The night is deep, and the moon hangs high in the sky. On the Qinhuai River, painted boats stretch endlessly. Before the Zhuque Gate, lanterns blaze like a tree of fire.

The bustling scene was like a dream. The crowds on the streets were so large that it goes without saying that the locals were used to seeing people with distinctly inhuman features.

Relying on his memories of walking through Jiankang City, Su Che led the Yin-Yang Dharma King through the streets and finally arrived in front of a nine-story building.

"Senior, this place is called Yicui Tower, which means 'leaning on red and green.' I heard that this name was given on the spur of the moment when the last emperor of the previous dynasty lingered here. The tower is seven stories high, and the girls inside range from mermaids from the East Sea to demons from the West, all kinds of girls. In my opinion, this place should be the best among all the flower beds in Jiankang City."

Su Che pointed to a towering building that seemed to reach the sky and said, "The entrance here is bustling with people, carriages flowing like water, and horses like a long dragon. As soon as the veiled guests got out of their carriages, familiar servants would silently step forward and lead them into the building."

This quiet and solemn scene also subtly reveals the domineering presence of Weicuilou, firmly holding the top position in the health service industry.

The Yin-Yang Dharma King paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"Not here."

(End of this chapter)