Notes on Longevity

Chapter 29 A Dark and Windy Night, A Day for Robbery and Murder

Yang Youan walked through the brightly lit alley and returned to the main road of Fuyang City. Looking around at everything, he suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity with this place. Although he had walked through these places with Li Chengru before and seen them, he had never truly experienced them in detail.

The vendors on both sides of the road were still there, as were the fortune tellers sitting on the ground. Pedestrians and children playing with their parents passed by, their faces full of smiles as they walked slowly.

Looking at all this, countless thoughts raced through Yang You'an's mind: Although he had failed the imperial examination this time, he was still young and would have another chance. Even if he returned to Fuyun Prefecture and didn't take the exam again, he would still be a top scholar. Staying there as a teacher wouldn't draw any criticism. After all, a top scholar of his age was a rare sight in the entire Yan Dynasty.

He followed the pedestrians on the road, keeping pace with their footsteps. Soon, a commotion arose: "Hey, Young Master Bai, long time no see! What brings you to our Drunken Flower Pavilion today?"

Yang Youan looked up at the sound and realized that he had unknowingly walked into the Drunken Flower Pavilion.

The young man called Young Master Bai, dressed in a gray robe, joked, "What, is Zuihualou not welcoming me?"

"Look at you, what are you saying!" The woman greeting the guest looked very familiar to Yang You'an; she was the same woman who had teased him when he went to the Drunken Flower Pavilion before. She smiled obsequiously and gestured for him to come in: "Please come in."

Young Master Bai chuckled, and as he entered, he didn't forget to pat the woman's bottom. She was startled at first, then quickly changed her expression and called out to Young Master Bai, "Young Master, would you like me to drink with you tonight?"

"Okay!" Upon hearing the reply, the woman's face lit up with joy, and she followed with a cheerful smile, swaying her slender waist.

Yang Youan pondered for a while and the idea of ​​going in to take a look began to take a look. But he was conflicted. As a scholar, how could he go to such a place! In the end, after a struggle with his thoughts, he chose to continue forward.

The reason was simple: Li Chengru had said he was a man of the martial world, so he naturally felt no shame about such things. However, he himself had thoroughly studied the classics, engraving the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame in his heart. Visiting brothels would indeed contradict all the years of diligent study he had undertaken.

Yang Youan continued walking, watching the streets go from being crowded to almost deserted, before realizing that it was already quite late.

He looked up at the full moon hanging high in the sky, and was about to turn back when suddenly, a group of masked men in black rushed out from nowhere.

They were armed with broadswords, and there were five of them, one of whom was also carrying a coarse cloth sack. They surrounded Yang Youan tightly.

Faced with the sudden situation, Yang Youan had no time to react. One of the burly men in black waved his hand, and the others immediately rushed forward, placing knives against his shoulders: "Kid, you dare to run around alone so late at night? You've got some nerve!"

Yang Youan looked at the man walking towards him with a terrified expression, and asked in a trembling voice, "What...what do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do?" The man in black feigned confusion and said to him in a disdainful tone, "What do you think I want to do?"

"This is the capital! How dare you do such a thing under the emperor's nose? Aren't you afraid of being beheaded?" Although Yang You was being held by a knife, he was no longer as terrified as before. He calmed himself down and confronted the man.

"So what?" The man in black looked at Yang Youan with disdain. "Since we dare, we're not afraid. Enough with the nonsense. Today we're only robbing people; we don't want to hurt anyone. If you know what's good for you, hand over the money."

"What if I don't give it to them?" Yang Youan had encountered fellow examinees and travelers on his journey to the imperial examinations, and he had also encountered bandits. However, he wasn't alone like he was now when he encountered them before. Most examinees would travel in groups to avoid situations like today's.

Today, however, Yang Youan has to face several burly bandits wielding weapons all by himself.

"If you don't give it to me, then you'll lose your life today." Although the man in black was wearing a mask, Yang Youan could clearly sense the hideous face beneath the mask from his tone of voice and the furrowed brows.

As Yang Youan watched the man in black approach step by step with a knife in his hand, he clenched his fists and nervously swallowed. Suddenly, he squatted down and dropped his head between the blades that were on his shoulder. Before the others could react, he punched one of them in the stomach.

The man felt an unbearable stomach pain and immediately took a few steps back. Yang Youan also immediately escaped through the gap and ran randomly towards someone.

Seeing this, several men in black immediately followed. They had almost never failed in their missions, but they never expected to be defeated by a young man today.

They kept an eye on every passerby in an alley opposite the Drunken Flower Pavilion, but they couldn't find a suitable person to take action.

It wasn't until they saw Yang You'an, who had walked to the foot of the Drunken Flower Pavilion and seemed dazed for a moment, that they confirmed their target. But they hadn't expected that this seemingly frail young man would possess such strength.

The six of them chased each other. Yang Youan, having grown up hunting with his uncle in the mountains, naturally developed agile footwork. As he ran forward, he saw an alley to the side and immediately turned into it.

Several men in black were also in hot pursuit.

"No way, this guy can run so fast!" One of them was exhausted and leaned against the wall, panting as he spoke.

The others, panting and swallowing hard, bent over and chimed in, "Yeah, this kid looks as skinny as a monkey, but I didn't expect him to be so strong and fast."

The leader of the men in black was much fatter than the others, and he was now panting heavily, just like them.

He fiercely picked up the knife and slashed at the wall, his brows furrowed with rage, but because they could no longer keep up with Yang Youan, they had no choice but to give up.

But just as they turned around, complaining about what the old woman would say to them again, they saw a familiar face coming right up to them.

The leader of the men in black angrily removed his mask. He looked at the boy in front of him with a burning hatred in his heart, picked up his knife and charged at Yang Youan.

Upon seeing this, the others' previous fatigue vanished instantly. Their eyes widened in anger, and they rushed forward as well, muttering curses: "You little brat, if we catch you this time, we'll skin you alive!"

(End of this chapter)