Chapter Twenty-Eight: The World’s Folly

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Absurdity of the Mortal World

The tall woman, upon seeing Wu Hong approach, composed her expression, still appearing as pitiful and delicate as before.

"Miss, those two thugs have already been dealt with by me. You need not be afraid," Wu Hong said gently and courteously.

The tall woman, seemingly startled by Wu Hong's voice emerging from the pitch-black darkness before her, trembled even more violently and stammered, "Don’t come any closer! If you dare touch me, I’ll bite my tongue and end my life!"

Wu Hong was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood. In this dark alley where one could not see their own hand, an ordinary person could never have witnessed his battle. The woman, hearing a sudden voice, must have assumed it was a villain—how could she not be afraid?

"Miss, you needn’t fear. The two men who were following you have already been driven off by me," Wu Hong reassured her softly. The trembling woman finally seemed to relax a little and rose to her feet. Wu Hong could now see her clearly; unlike most women, she was exceptionally tall—standing upright, she was even taller than Wu Hong himself.

Her brows arched like phoenix wings, her almond-shaped eyes shone with intelligence, and her oval face complemented the proud curves of her figure, her bosom straining against the confines of her tight bodice. Through her sheer silk shawl, large swathes of her luminous skin were tantalizingly visible. No wonder those two ruffians had set their sights on her! Such a tall and striking beauty would stir the heart of any man.

Suddenly, Wu Hong felt a searing heat at his chest; he realized that the "Radiant Joy" passage from the Great Sun Tathagata's True Scripture was acting up. Hastily, he averted his gaze from the woman before him.

"You’re really not a bad person?" the woman asked uncertainly.

"Ah—if you still believe I am, then I’ll simply take my leave. The real villains have already been taken care of, after all," Wu Hong said, turning as if to go.

"Ah! Don’t!" The woman, hearing that Wu Hong was about to leave, panicked. How could she dare stay alone in this pitch-black alley? In her haste to catch up, she tripped over a severed head on the ground and nearly fell, flailing desperately for balance.

Wu Hong was only pretending to leave, hoping to earn her trust. Seeing her stumble, he rushed to catch her—only to find, to his alarm, that his hands had unintentionally come to rest upon her chest.

"Ah! Scoundrel! Get away from me!" The woman shrieked as she felt his hands.

"Miss, I swear I didn’t mean it! Please forgive me—oh heavens, please stop screaming!"

But she would not listen. In the darkness, she lashed out with her feet and hands, sending Wu Hong into a panic.

In his previous life as the eldest son of the Prince of Martial Prestige, Wu Hong had been infamous throughout the capital for his debauchery, his name often entwined in rumors with women from pleasure houses. But all that had been a mask for his own inner weakness and his inability to cultivate martial arts.

After his fall from grace, Wu Hong deeply regretted his past ways. Now, faced with this tall woman he truly admired, he found himself utterly incapable of sweet talk or flattery—especially as his hands had indeed trespassed upon her most private place.

"Please, I beg you—stop shouting! I give up. Whatever you say, I’ll do," Wu Hong pleaded, his face a picture of misery.

"Really? Then be my boyfriend," the woman stopped screaming and said suddenly, as if her panic just now had all been an act.

"This—" Wu Hong was stunned by her abrupt shift. How could a woman change so quickly? Moments before she had been weeping and shrieking, and now she was calm.

"Hmph—who would want a man like you for a boyfriend! I wouldn’t take you if you were given to me for free." Seeing Wu Hong hesitate, she changed her tone again, ignored him, and strode out of the alley alone.

Wu Hong was utterly shocked. Throughout, he had detected no trace of martial cultivation in her. Yet she moved through the dark alley as if it were bright as day, showing none of her earlier terror or trembling. Wu Hong now realized she was a master far beyond his reckoning.

He shook his head, quietly reflecting that his attempt to play the hero had been presumptuous. Her martial ability clearly surpassed the likes of Yan Nan and Yan Bei by far; he couldn’t even discern the depths of her cultivation. She was little more than twenty, yet possessed such profound skills—a true prodigy in the martial world.

Glancing down at the mangled remains on the ground, Wu Hong realized that his brutal display earlier must have frightened her. He hurried after her.

"Wait, miss!" Wu Hong called as he chased her, growing more astonished with every step. Though she appeared to be strolling, he could not catch up even at a run—a truly uncanny sight.

"Heh, boy, since you dared to take liberties with me, I’ll settle the score with you another time. Until we meet again," the woman said with a backward glance and a smile, her voice threading through the air as if whispered directly into his ear. Wu Hong was astounded—just who was she? Her cultivation was truly terrifying.

Indeed, the martial world was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. For such a young woman to possess such skill—perhaps Wu Hong had been too self-assured.

With those words, her figure flashed and vanished. Had Wu Hong not just been in that alley, he might have thought he had dreamed it all.

Soon after, Wu Hong returned to a sparsely populated street. He looked around, but the woman’s silhouette was long gone. He shook his head, feeling a strange sense of loss, though he could not say for what.

When Wu Hong returned to the inn, it too was nearly empty.

"My goodness, sir, why aren’t you at the Spring Welcome Pavilion watching the performance by the East Invincible?" a waiter hurried over to greet him.

"Spring Welcome Pavilion? East Invincible performing? Are you joking? East Invincible is the old demon of Blackwood Cliff—why would he be performing at some pavilion?"

The waiter was momentarily confused, then laughed. "Ha—sir, you misunderstood. The East Invincible at the Spring Welcome Pavilion is the name of a new girl there!"

Wu Hong realized with some shock—the Spring Welcome Pavilion was, in truth, a brothel. Back in the capital, he had frequented such places often enough. Who would have thought that even these martial types, living by the sword, harbored such interests? Wu Hong asked for directions and made his way there.

The Spring Welcome Pavilion was evidently a famed pleasure house. By the time Wu Hong arrived, the main hall—spanning thousands of feet—was packed with people, mostly martial artists.

"Hey, brother, I hear this East Invincible at the pavilion is a true beauty," someone in the crowd whispered.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The next performance is by the great martial demoness, the East Invincible!" The madam stood atop a raised platform, her powerful voice reaching every corner of the hall—clearly, she was a master herself.

With her announcement, the crowd fell silent. Then, from deep within the building, a haunting song floated out:

"The mortal world is so absurd,
Devotion the ultimate folly,
To see through all is well,
Though this life remains unfinished,
My heart is now untroubled,
I seek only a lifetime of ease…"

As the heroic and lingering melody filled the air, a tall and beautiful woman appeared on the second floor.

Wu Hong nearly cried out in surprise—she was none other than the very woman he had "rescued" in the alley before. Who could have guessed that such a skilled master would be found in a place like this?

Among the assembled martial heroes, some were moved to tears, lost in memories; others, shallow and superficial, saw only her beauty and heard nothing of the song’s true message.

"This Spring Welcome Pavilion is no ordinary brothel! From the madam to this East Invincible, every one of them seems to be a master," someone else observed, beginning to speculate about the secrets behind the establishment.

"I’ve heard there’s a Jade Maiden Sect that’s recently appeared in the martial world—could it be connected to this place?"

The woman finished her song and, without further words, cast flirtatious glances at the crowd. When her gaze met Wu Hong’s, she nodded and smiled before retreating into the inner chambers.

Her performance drove the crowd wild with excitement, each convinced that the tall, alluring woman had shown interest in him. Some were more observant, following her final glance to Wu Hong, the man in the iron mask, and began to speculate about his identity. Yet none dared approach him.

Meanwhile, upstairs in a private room, the drapes billowed gently as East Invincible sat alone upon the bed. Before long, there was a knock at the door. At her invitation, a petite young woman entered. Had Wu Hong been present, he would have recognized her as Wu Tilan, with whom he had shared an intimate encounter at the city gate.

"Uncle, greetings! What brings you here?" Wu Tilan respectfully greeted the figure behind the drapes.

"I hear you met a young man at the city gate named Wu Hong—the one from the House of Martial Prestige?"

Wu Tilan blushed. "Yes, that’s him."

"Well, you seem to care a lot about this boy," East Invincible remarked, still unmoving behind the gauzy curtains, though her heart was not nearly as calm as her demeanor.

Wu Tilan was the saintess of the Jade Maiden Sect, famed for her bewitching arts—few men could resist her, and many had perished beneath her skirts. Yet East Invincible knew that Wu Tilan had not lost her maidenhood. Now, at the mention of Wu Hong, she was flushing red! It was extraordinary, for Wu Hong was ordinary in appearance and meddlesome by nature. How had he survived this past year on the run?

East Invincible thought back to how Wu Hong had handled his pursuers from the Qingyang Sect and could not help but admire him, understanding Wu Tilan’s reaction.

Wu Tilan, unsure of East Invincible’s intentions, hesitated before saying, "Wu Hong doesn’t seem as bad as the rumors say."

East Invincible fell silent for some time, lost in thought, before finally replying, "Very well, I understand. The martial world is treacherous, and the court is even more so. Keep a close eye on things." Her tone was calm and unfathomable.

Wu Tilan could not understand why East Invincible was so interested in Wu Hong, nor whether this would bode well or ill for him. She wondered, "Should I warn Wu Hong? East Invincible is already investigating him in secret!"

Returning to his room at the inn, Wu Hong still heard the echo of that song—how absurd is the mortal world—lingering in his ears, a melody that spoke of life’s helplessness.

He, the eldest son of the House of Martial Prestige, had done nothing truly evil, yet had ended up in such dire straits. Reflecting on all he had experienced since leaving Huangyun Town, it seemed that villains lived far more freely and comfortably than the good.

Having killed so many, was he still a good man? Each death would bring enemies, plotting vengeance, just as he now sought revenge himself. He killed, others would seek his life in return. He would not surrender, regardless of the righteousness or wickedness of his foes. Would this cycle of killing and revenge never end? What meaning was there in such endless violence?

Lost in these thoughts, Wu Hong wandered into a blind alley and entered his room, completely absorbed in reflection. The power within him, stirred by his turmoil, began to surge chaotically. He had reached the very brink of a deadly inner fire deviation.