The band in the corner played passionately, the melody graceful and flowing. The songstresses wore gowns as thin as cicada wings, revealing their snow-white necks and arms as they moved among the guests, speaking softly and sweetly, their eyes glistening.
Under the flickering candlelight, their beauty seemed almost unreal, carrying a seductive charm.
A young singer holding a pipa leaned gracefully against a carved pillar, her red lips slightly parted as she sang:
"Candle shadows flicker, casting red across painted beams, gold threads entwine decayed wood, permeating with fragrant nectar..."
"Makeup covers half the face, bones buried in frost, past favors turned to tattered attire..."
The sound wept and lamented, carrying the soft and sticky tone characteristic of Jiangnanās water towns.
Yet upon reaching this point, the songstress turned her face, her eyes hollow and numb, devoid of any charm, filled instead with an unfathomable despair.
Li Yanās heart jolted violently, an indescribable sorrow and melancholy surged within him.
He wanted to avert his gaze, but those desperate eyes held him tightly.
The warm wine in his cup, once fragrant, now tasted like a bitter, rusty flavor.
He glanced around, noticing at a nearby table a group of literati in brocade robes, their faces fair, engaged in lively discussions, yet their eyes appeared muddled, and their hands trembled slightly as they raised their cups, whether from the strength of the wine or something else.
"Iāve heard the Northern Barbariansā Iron Cavalry have broken through Xiangfan!"
A skinny literati whispered, his face showing panic, "Fan City... the defense general LĆ¼ Wenhuan fought bravely and stubbornly, on the day the city fell, he set his family ablaze and sacrificed themselves for the country! Xiangyang... Iām afraid..."
"Silence!"
Another slightly plump literati quickly interrupted, looking around, his voice tinged with drunkenness and disheartenment, "Fan City fell, and if Xiangyang does tooāChancellor Jia will have ways to negotiate! What the Northern Barbarians want is nothing but wealth and women, just thicken the annual tribute somewhat... why must it lead to mutual destruction?"
He raised his cup and drank hard, eyes lost in confusion, "This Jiangnan... this Lināan, with songs and dances, isnāt it all pretty good?"
"Good?"
Across the table, an elder official, slightly older with a grizzled beard, sneered as he heavily placed his cup on the table, producing a dull sound, "Whatās good about it? Is the āBoundary Adjustment Methodā that scrapes the peopleās fat good? Or is the āPublic Field Methodā that forcibly seizes lands good?"
"The national treasury is empty, so they target us minor officials, cutting our salaries in half, imposing āaid for provisionsā! Natural disasters and human calamities, the peopleās grievances boil like a cauldron... heh, Iām afraid one day Lang Countryās soldiers will be knocking on the city gate, and weāll still be here on this flower boat singing āThe Song of the Courtyardā!"
His words were biting, yet carried a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Ah..." The skinny literati sighed heavily, his eyes emptily staring at the flickering candle flames, "The grand building is collapsing, not supported by a single wood beam. You and I... what can we do? We are nothing but duckweed on the Qinhuai River, drifting with the current... with wine today, letās drink and be merry!"
At another table, a prosperous merchant with a rosy complexion flirted with a songstress, his short, thick fingers greedily kneading as he muttered drunkenly, "What to fear? If the sky falls, thereās... a tall man to hold it up!"
"Mr. Jia said... up north, thereās a solution! We shall enjoy... letās enjoy!"
"Come on, young lady, have another drink with me, I have plenty... plenty of gold! Hehe..."
The lively scene before them, like luxurious brocade, could not hide the decadence and decay.
Everyone indulged in this "prosperity," using alcohol, beauty, and noise to anesthetize themselves.
This Red Silk House was indeed the Southern Songās glorious tomb, intertwining drunken escapism with despair.
Upon hearing these words, Li Yan suddenly felt a wave of chest tightness.
It was a sense of desolation not belonging to his own memories, like a wild grass growing rampantly.
The Duan Chen Blade at his waist felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead, making him even wish to squander his moral restraints and drown his sorrows like the other guests...
......
West of Jinling City, by the shore of Lishui River.
In the wind and rain, pots of bonfires flickered unsteadily.
Around stood many people clad in black, from monks to civilians and daoists, each with a sinister look on their faces. Many fierce men wielding steel knives kept vigilant eyes, none other than the left-hand demons and Green Forest Bandits recruited by the Jinling Silk Cocoon Sect.
Wang Daoxuan and Lv San were bound with iron chains, thrown on the ground, covered in mud.
The old Daoist lay limp, still unconscious.
Lv San similarly lay on the ground, eyes closed, yet observing the surroundings through slitted eyes.
In the center of the group, on an open space, sat a large copper basin, surrounded by incense sticks arranged in the Beidou Seven Star formation.
The water in the copper basin rippled, vaguely reflecting Li Yan in the flower boat, who appeared despondent, deeply trapped in an Illusion Realm.
His face was full of sorrow, drinking alone in silence.
Gathered around the copper basin were four figures: Corpse Robe Grandmother, Hundred Bone Master, Lin Zhongweng, and Ghost Opera Troupe Leader, all Earth Immortals.
"Daoist Corpse Robeās Circular Light Technique truly lives up to its reputation..."
Ghost Opera Troupe Leader initially praised, then mocked while staring at the mirrorās scene, "This young man, famous from an early age, though difficult to deal with, has thwarted my grand plans several times, yet entering this Red Silk House, even with unparalleled Divine Skills, he must taste the accumulated filth of a century of despair!"
Beside him, Hundred Bone Master, fingers stroking the White Bone Magic Artifact, rasped in agreement, "Leader speaks wisely. This place was merely a vicious yin den formed from the grievances of those worthless maids of the previous dynasty who died violently. Though sinister, it canāt stir great waves."
"The strange thing lies in the Daluo Law Realm... At some point, a trace of its power seeped into this place, turning this filthy and ominous land into the embryonic form of a peculiar āSecret Realmā capable of linking the virtual and the real, swallowing and exhaling emotions!"
"Back then, Lin Lingsu, that old ox-nosed one, sensed something amiss yet couldnāt comprehend it. Though he could seal away the resentful souls, he couldnāt seal away the human heart. The Sect Leaderās eye was like a torch, recognizing the wonder of this placeāit could indeed, like a Gu pot, absorb the despair and resentment of living creatures at the brink of death."
"The Southern Songās downfall, Jinlingās emptiness, the brief reign of the Great Xing Dynasty, the bloodbath in Jiangnan, the peopleās bloodied tears... all these were guided by the arrangements left by the Longevity Lord, all fed into this Secret Realm!"
While speaking, admiration inadvertently rose in his eyes, "The collapse of two dynasties, the screams of despair from millions of Life Souls settled and fermented here. After hundreds of years of brewing, it is only today that this āRed Silk Houseā is considered truly āmatureā."
"Itās a pity this place cannot be moved, otherwise it would be a deadly weapon in my Jianmuās hand!"
"The Class Leader" nodded in agreement, "In those days, upon meeting Daoist Longevity, indeed it was beyond the reach of ordinary people..."
Listening to their words, Lv Sanās eyelids trembled slightly, fortunate that he had long learned to control his heartbeat, avoiding detection.
Yet the words of these demons only made him increasingly anxious.
Suddenly, he saw another Earth Immortal, Lin Zhongweng.
Compared to the others, this Earth Immortal was the most humble, obviously distracted.
At this moment, he was continuously rubbing a large black-skinned gourd in his hand, which was precisely Lv Sanās demon gourd.
"Hmph!"
Seeing his demeanor, Corpse Robe Grandmother suddenly said coldly, "Look at you, good-for-nothing!"
"Forgive me, senior..."
Lin Zhongweng hurriedly bent over, explaining, "To be honest with you three, my Dao is weak, still in the body of a Forest Demon, occupying the position of Mountain God for cultivation, but these years have been beyond my strength. This treasure naturally complements me and is indeed the foundation for my Dao."
"If I can refine it, I can serve the Holy Sect as a dog and horse."
"Go on."
Hundred Bone Taoist waved a hand, "That kid has already fallen into the Red Silk House; in a quarter of an hour, he will become the ghost within the house. News in the city has been blocked, but the Jinling Navy has, as anticipated, been lured out by us."
"Refine it early; it will come in handy later."
"Thank you, senior!"
Lin Zhongweng rejoiced at the words, quickly holding the demon gourd, diving into the neighboring forest.
Hearing this, Lv San, feigning unconsciousness, desperately controlled his heartbeat.
He had long heeded Sha Lifeiās words, having tampered with the demon gourd, precisely to guard against occasions like today.
Now, just waiting for the opportunity to come.
What they hadnāt noticed was, amidst the blurred shadow of the Circular Light Technique, Li Yanās fingers holding the cup were trembling slightly...
......
Meanwhile, beside Dragon-locking Well in Jinling City.
"Found it!"
With a shout from the well, outside the Powerful Warriors pulled at the rough hemp rope.
Soon, several men, their bodies covered in black greasy muck, were forcibly dragged out.
Zhao Changsheng had not only meddled but also filled the well with kerosene.
Should chaos ensue, the kerosene would ignite.
The Array would be destroyed, but the live knot would also vanish, completely sealing off the Red Silk House on the other side.
Fortunately, Jinling Captainās Office had skilled swimmers who could hold their breath for extended periods, sealing their mouths and noses to explore down the well.
Along with them was a large copper mirror.
"This is it!"
Without a word, Chancellor Kong Shangzhao swung his longsword, shattering it.
Boom!
With the copper mirror shattered, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky.
Simultaneously, in the Illusion Realm, Li Yan suddenly raised his head, fierce light flashed in his eyes.
"The wheel of the mortal world turns, with its rise and fall; even the ghosts of a fallen country dare disturb my mind!"
His voice, like muffled thunder, instantly scrambled the somber and mournful atmosphere around him.
In the cabin, the sounds of singing and dancing, complaints halted entirely, replaced by dead silence.
Everyoneās heads creaked awkwardly as they turned, all staring at him...