The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Chang'an arrived at the main hall on the first floor and saw several girls busy lighting lamps. Their makeup was only half done, and everything seemed to be in a hurry.

"what happened?"

Further on, I saw a group of girls gathered around a table, but only one person was sitting at the table:

He wore a black jade belt around his waist, a purple official robe with a black overcoat, and a traveling hat. He was in his early twenties, with narrowed eyes. At this moment, he was scanning the group of young women just like any other executioner.

Fu Rou chuckled, "Oh dear, sir, you've come at a really bad time. We're already closed today. You could go to Xiushanfang; there should be plenty of places open there."

The man chuckled, took a sip of wine, and said in his clear voice, "I traveled day and night from Chang'an just to come to the best restaurant in Luoyang to treat myself."

Chang'an wondered, "This person is also from Chang'an. Could he be related to me?" With that thought, he walked over.

When the girls saw Chang'an approaching, they instinctively shielded him behind them.

But how could this escape the man's shrewd eyes? He looked at Chang'an in the crowd and smiled gently, "Little friend, what's your name?"

"Chang'an," Chang'an replied expressionlessly.

The man said "Hey," squinted, and smiled, "Little friend, I asked what your name is, not where you're from."

Chang'an remained silent with a cold expression.

The girls assumed he was frightened, so they didn't say anything and all stepped forward to block him.

Ironically, these girls were so used to calling him "Little Beauty" that no one knew his real name, and nobody cared, because a servant's name only counted if it was given by the master.

Seeing the girls protect him, the man smiled contemptuously, "Don't worry, little friend, how could I dare to hurt anyone in this Immortal Pavilion?"

Fu Rou smiled and said, "My lord, you flatter us too much. With your status, how could you possibly take us seriously?"

The man grinned wickedly, "When I came here years ago, I never saw a beauty like you. You must have only come in the last couple of years."

Fu Rou circled the man once, giggling, "Hehehe, with your purple robes and this time of day, you wouldn't be here just to reminisce, would you?"

"Good, very good. Before coming here, I thought everyone in this building was blind and ignorant. Since you are so intelligent, you must know my uncle, right? Why was he so badly injured?"

The girls in the building exchanged bewildered glances. After a long silence, Fu Rou finally spoke: "My lord, you may not know this, but the Immortal Pavilion also has its own rules. Occasionally, some ungrateful little rats will die, and your uncle..."

Fu Rou smiled apologetically, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you, sir. My memory is terrible; I don't even know who your uncle is. Please tell me so I can help you remember."

"I understand what you're saying. A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished."

The man then said slowly, "If my uncle really broke the rules of the brothel and died at the hands of the girls, that would be fine too; it would fulfill one of his wishes..."

"Oh? So, is the purpose of your trip, sir,...?"

The man shook his head helplessly. "I heard that my uncle's injuries were caused by two children who drove a carriage in your building..."

"So I racked my brains, but I couldn't figure it out, so I came here to take a look myself."

Upon hearing this, Chang'an's expression changed slightly. "So they really are here to find us."

Fu Rou smiled and nodded. "Hmm, sir, now that you mention it, I'm reminded of your uncle. Hmm... he's quite adorable. But... sir, who exactly are you...?"

The man chuckled and sighed, "You've finally asked about my name."

"King...King?"

"So they're from royalty..."

Fu Rou pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up: "Ah! It's Lord Xue! What brings you here?"

Xue Wang's eyes lit up. "How did you guess that I was Xue Wang?"

Fu Rou covered her face and smiled, then paced around the building again. "It's not hard to guess that among all the kings, only Prince Xue, Li Ye, has such a stupid uncle who preys on the people."

"Moreover, only Prince Xue would be so filial as to go out of his way to cause trouble for two children for the sake of his uncle."

Upon hearing this, King Xue laughed heartily, “Hahaha, young lady, you are overthinking it. My purpose in coming here is simply to get to know those two young heroes who rid the people of evil, and by the way, to have some wine and have some fun.”

After saying that, he chuckled and embraced the two girls beside him. Upon hearing that this man was Prince Xue, the girls dared not resist and could only stay by his side with their charming smiles.

Fu Rou said, "Xiao Mei, go and serve Prince Xue a pot of wine to warm him up."

"Yes..." Chang'an hurriedly returned to the kitchen to find Lu Xiaosan, but there was no one there.

He called out twice more in the backyard, but still couldn't find him.

His usually calm face showed signs of panic at this moment.

"Could it be that my elder brother... he abandoned me and ran away?" Thinking of this, Chang'an was dejected and almost fell over.

"No...maybe he's hiding somewhere in the building. I just need to keep going." With that thought, Chang'an filled a glass of wine and served it to him.

When they arrived at the banquet table again, they saw that Prince Xue was already embracing two beautiful women.

Chang'an took a deep breath and said calmly, "Lord Xue, this is your wine, please enjoy."

When Chang'an poured half a cup, he suddenly saw a strong, white hand reach out and tightly grip his wrist.

Chang'an's hand trembled, knocking over the wine pot and cups onto the table, the fragrant wine spilling down the table and onto the floor in streaks.

Chang'an looked up and saw Prince Xue looking him up and down with a wicked grin, but he remained calm.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" King Xue sneered.

Chang'an frowned. "Why should I be afraid of you?"

Xue Wang grabbed his hand and laughed, "Alright, since you're not afraid, then show me how you rid the people of this scourge. Hmm?"

Chang'an tried to break free, but the more she struggled, the tighter Xue Wang held her, until the kindness in Xue Wang's eyes faded, leaving only a chilling coldness on his face.

"Say!"

Seeing Chang'an being bullied, a girl behind him asked anxiously, "Sister Furou, where did the Master go?"

Fu Rou put her hands on her hips and laughed, "It's alright, the host is nearby."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt the entire building suddenly start to shake.

Fu Rou's expression changed, and she held her forehead, shaking her head helplessly and saying bitterly, "Sigh, don't you think doors are free?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud bang came from the main entrance.

The wooden door spun and flew in, landing with a thud behind King Xue, where it was stuck to the ground.

The girls cried out in alarm and scattered. Prince Xue was also startled and released his grip on Chang'an.

King Xue immediately took a sip of wine to bolster his courage, and angrily turned his head. Under the moonlight, he saw two strong horses neighing and carrying a huge object galloping toward him.

King Xue remained seated, and sneered at the man on horseback, "Hmph, let's see if you dare?"

"Giddy up!!" The deafening roar of the carriage as it swept in with earth-shattering force, determined to crush the vermin before it into ashes.

As the enormous, all-encompassing shadow suddenly attacked, the driver showed no intention of stopping.

Xue Wang stared wide-eyed and swallowed hard. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed, finally scrambling to the side in utter disarray.

At the same time, the wild horse smashed through the door panel stuck in the ground, and then a giant shadow loomed over it.

With a loud bang, the iron cavalry trampled the wine table, and the wine pots and cups on it shattered on the ground with a crash.

"Whoa—!" With a long shout, he reined in his horses, which neighed and roared like thunder. Then, their hooves flew, and they reared up, coming to a stop.

King Xue slumped to the side in a disheveled state, nervously wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He was still shaken by the thought of the carriage just passing by him.

"Huh?" Xue Wang scratched his head in confusion.

Lu Xiaosan jumped off the carriage, picked up the black crown that Xue Wang had dropped, and played with it in his hands.

Chang'an was finally overjoyed, "That's wonderful!"

King Xue was immediately filled with shock and rage, pointing at Lu Xiaosan, "You...you dare...this is an official's hat!"

Lu Xiaosan twirled his official hat with one hand and said irritably, "Your uncle, that's how he fell. As for... which link in the chain he was hit by... well... to be honest, I've never even seen your uncle. He might have been hit by a horse or run over by a cart. You'll have to investigate further."