Chapter 97: Regaining Freedom

Liu Liwa thought for a long time about what his special skill really was. If he left Intoxication Pavilion just like that, what would he rely on to survive?

Ever since kindergarten ended, he never passed a math test. In middle school and high school, he never even entered the physics or chemistry labs. He didn’t recognize granite in geography class. He was good at history, but the world had become chaotic and messed up. He was also pretty good at biology, but if he went outside now and yelled to everyone on the street that humans evolved from monkeys, he’d probably soon be treated like a monkey himself and have his brains eaten!

Ah, Liu Liwa suddenly remembered something. From childhood till now, his English grades had always been very good. He passed the CET-4 and CET-6 exams. But, in this era where even simplified characters didn’t exist and Mandarin wasn’t widely spoken, what use was speaking a foreign language?!

Liu Liwa looked up to the sky and cried out in despair. He had attended school for nearly twenty years since he was little, paid countless tuition fees, miscellaneous fees, and book fees—what was the damn use of it all!? Hah, actually, there was one kind of “use.” Many guys got to taste “that feeling” during high school or college—so there really was a damn use!

Learning math, physics, and chemistry well was not as good as having a rich dad. If not a biological father, having a sugar daddy wasn’t bad either! Liu Liwa had a sugar daddy. He was his grandmother’s sworn son. Back when the old lady was struggling to raise her grandson, she once considered not letting him go to university. Instead, he could learn carpentry from his sugar daddy, do renovation work, and build furniture—earning over ten thousand a month, with even more if he worked harder. But because Liu Liwa was still a virgin at the time and wanted to continue his “higher education” in college, he gave up the chance to become a craftsman. Otherwise, by now he would at least be a Level Six carpenter, equivalent to a mid-level intellectual. Besides, carpentry was a timeless skill, useful in any era!

After thinking it over, Liu Liwa realized he truly couldn’t leave Intoxication Pavilion. Here, at least he had a job with a recent promotion and raise, with food, shelter, and women provided. Ah, the pleasure house was truly a devil’s den for men—not only did customers linger and forget to leave, even the workers couldn’t bear to go.

He decided to just stay quietly at Intoxication Pavilion. When the right opportunity came and he found a place to live and another stable source of income, it wouldn’t be too late to “escape prison” then.

Having made up his mind, Liu Liwa’s thoughts became livelier. Originally, he could come and go freely. Ever since arriving in this world, he had been holed up in Intoxication Pavilion, seeing nothing but perverts and prostitutes. He had long grown tired of the same sights and desperately wanted to see this brand new, purely green, pollution-free world without airplanes, cars, or tall buildings.

He looked up and saw Wu Liniang standing by the railing on the fourth floor. Liu Liwa pointed at himself, secretly glanced at the anxious Young Master Ye, and signaled that he wanted to go out with him. Wu Liniang nodded readily without any intention of stopping him.

Liu Liwa was overjoyed and followed Young Master Ye out with a smile. Once outside the main gate, he instantly felt as if he had been reborn. Although the late autumn weather was a bit chilly, the sun felt warm on his body. He was like a wronged ghost who had just escaped from hell, greedily breathing the air, enjoying the sunlight, and looking around at the scenery as if his eyes weren’t enough.

Looking into the distance, he saw buildings of varying heights, arranged in an orderly yet interesting pattern. Intoxication Pavilion was in a relatively remote location, but after crossing two streets, it became bustling, giving him a sudden feeling of openness. The street was full of traffic and crowded with people. Shops stood in rows on both sides, closely packed together—tea houses, wine shops, butcher shops, and stores. Inside the shops were silks, satins, jewelry, incense, and various kinds of paper offerings—all kinds of goods, a dazzling array. Additionally, there were doctors seeing patients at street stalls, performers showing off their skills, and fortune-tellers. Looking up, various signs and banners fluttered like flags, making his eyes spin.

On the street, pedestrians flowed in an endless stream, jostling shoulder to shoulder. There were merchants doing business, gentry enjoying the street views, officials on horseback, vendors hawking their goods, wealthy family members riding in sedan chairs, traveling monks carrying baskets on their backs, out-of-town tourists asking for directions, children listening to storytellers in the alleys, young masters from rich families drinking wildly in taverns, and disabled old men begging by the city walls—men and women, old and young, scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, people from all walks of life—nothing was missing. It was extremely lively, a scene of a prosperous and peaceful age.

Along the way, Young Master Ye was anxious and impatient, but Liu Liwa kept stopping and going. Sometimes he bought a few meat buns from the street, sometimes he drank a small cup of wine, packed half a catty of pig ears, and ate while walking, his mouth greasy. When he saw shy young ladies from wealthy families, he would follow them for a while. When he saw street performers, he would cheer loudly and toss a few copper coins. When he saw barefoot children chasing and playing in the street, he even patiently and carefully taught them how to play hide-and-seek. For a time, he felt life was beautiful and fulfilling.

“Liu Xiaoqi, are you some wild man from beyond civilization or just released from prison? Why does everything seem so new to you? Can’t you hurry up?” Young Master Ye urged impatiently. How could he understand the joy in Liu Liwa’s heart?

No matter how much Young Master Ye urged, Liu Liwa remained unhurried, finding everything fresh and interesting. He occasionally ran into banks to ask about deposit interest rates, went to pawnshops to ask if they had any rare treasures, asked people in gambling dens if they played Fight the Landlord or Blackjack, and even considered being a corporate spy by asking about prices in other pleasure houses.

Young Master Ye was burning with anxiety and couldn’t take it anymore. He hired a horse-drawn carriage and practically stuffed Liu Liwa inside. Even then, Liu Liwa excitedly asked the coachman how much it cost per kilometer.

After much dawdling, they finally arrived at Miss Zhao’s Clothing Boutique. Indeed, she was a young lady from a great and wealthy family. Even though she had run away from home, her imposing manner hadn’t diminished. The three-story building was one of the best in the city, with carved railings and painted pillars, exceptionally grand. Outside stood a ten-foot-high signboard with the three golden characters “An Luwei” especially eye-catching.

At this time, the girls from the second floor of Intoxication Pavilion were already there, selecting clothes in the spacious shop. Large wardrobes lined three walls, filled with colorful, exquisitely beautiful dresses of various styles. Three young maids acted as shop assistants, attending to the girls. In one corner was a counter where the radiant Miss Zhao, beautiful as a flower, was gazing blankly at the bustling shopping scene, a sly merchant’s unique smile on her face. Next to her was the pure and lovely Third Miss Zhao, currently holding a brush and concentrating intently on drawing something.

Liu Liwa and Young Master Ye quietly approached and looked down. On the paper was a tall, heroic, and mysterious figure dressed entirely in black, wearing a bamboo hat with a black veil covering the face.

Young Master Ye let out a sorrowful cry and just wanted to snatch it and tear it up. Liu Liwa had no mind to care about him now and went straight to Miss Zhao. He tapped on the counter and said, “Madam, business is good, huh? Could you spare a few coins for your brother here to drink tea and wine? Your brother here will ensure your business thrives and you earn Silver Taels safely and peacefully!”

Liu Liwa had meant it as a joke, but the two sisters didn’t even look up. Miss Zhao just tapped the tabletop and said, “Zhao Zhong, Zhao Cheng, the protection fee collectors are here again. You handle it!”

As soon as Miss Zhao finished speaking, a small door behind the counter opened. Two dark figures rushed out. Good heavens—two big, black, towering men, each eight feet tall, built like iron pagodas, with full beards like steel needles or iron threads. Their glaring eyes were fierce and terrifying—it was like Zhang Fei and Li Kui had teamed up!

Liu Liwa instantly broke out in a cold sweat and quickly changed his tune: “Miss, miss, you’re so beautiful, with dark dark eyes and white white legs…”

Miss Zhao flew into a rage: “Zhao Zhong, Zhao Cheng, immediately throw this ruffian out for me…”