Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

Even if the two of them seem to have a tacit understanding in the eyes of others, they are just too close. Where does she, an unmarried woman living with her grandmother, get her prestige?

"My dear sister, I was wrong."

Jia Tang realized what was happening and quickly tried to make a joke: "How about I have Jia He throw Xue Pan into jail again? We won't help him anymore. It's not fair for him to get beaten up while I suffer the indignity."

"Go to hell, if that's the case, I'll become bad even if I'm not bad."

Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes at him and said angrily, "You want to be bullied? Sister Bao is sensible and virtuous; she will surely comfort Brother."

"Why are you bringing her up again?"

"Ha, you feel bad if your sister doesn't bring it up, but if she does, you feel like you've exposed your true feelings?"

"..."

"Never mind, it's all my sister's fault in the end."

"..."

···

Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Main Hall.

With a bitter expression, Xue Baochai led Xiangling and Ying'er to wait in the hall. They could only hear her brother's low groans and roars breaking the silence of the night.

"hiss!"

"Oh~"

"Slap! Shut up."

It turned out that Xue Pan had been hit on the back several times with a stick during the fight, leaving some red marks. When Madam Xue found out, she ordered him to take off his upper garment and personally applied ointment.

Before long, the Xue mother and son tidied their robes, lifted the curtain, and came into the hall to sit on the left and right.

Xue Pan, looking somewhat weary, took a sip of tea and then abruptly cursed, "If you can't beat them, you resort to ganging up on them. You're not a true son."

Madam Xue took the handkerchief Tongxi handed her and wiped the sweat from her forehead, saying irritably, "Why should I, the son of an official, bother with you?"

"By the way, who picked you up?"

Xue Pan was taken aback, and said with a mix of emotion and doubt, "A mere Red Armor Tiger Guard, not even a commander, handed over his tiger-shaped waist token at the prison and took me out on his own. None of the other yamen runners and jailers dared to stop him."

"With the Lord of the Eastern Mansion having such power and influence, how come my cousin-in-law Lian couldn't borrow any money?"

Madam Xue sighed, realizing what was going on: "Perhaps you were implicated. The conflict between the Earl of the East Mansion and your aunt is known to all the officials in the court."

"You have the blood of the Wang family in your veins, and the Rong family is your aunt's husband's family. They are unsure of the Earl's attitude and dare not release you."

"After all, we'll face difficulties going to the capital..."

Xue Pan suddenly realized why, apart from the initial physical altercation, he wasn't made to suffer too much when he was imprisoned.

"Mother, sister, Aunt's family is probably no longer of any help."

"Like this time when my younger sister was chosen as a concubine, my aunt said she would ask my cousin in the palace to help, but..."

"The same applies to the matter involving the imperial merchants last time."

"In that case, we need to make plans as soon as possible."

Xue Baochai rolled her eyes at her brother, her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was clear and crisp: "It's better to rely on yourself than on others. Brother, stop fooling around."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xue's expression turned sorrowful: "My child, you must be more careful from now on. Your father passed away early, and we, a widow and orphan, are all alone in Xianjing. If anything were to happen to you, how would your mother live?"

Xue Pan's expression changed, and he quickly advised, "Alright, alright, I understand."

"Alright, once you've recovered from your injuries, I'll ask your uncle to let you study at the Jia clan school. If you can become as sensible as your sister, I'll be content."

Xue Pan was about to object, but seeing the exhaustion on his mother's and younger sister's faces, he sullenly agreed.

"Alright, go and get some rest."

"Mother, sister, you should rest early too."

...

The next day, at 3:45 AM, the weather was perfect; the sky was clear, and the sun was shining brightly.

Today, Jia Tang was on leave and had just left the hospital feeling refreshed. He led his household guards, the Tiger Guards, to a banquet.

He had just had a nice morning exercise session with the two girls, and now that they had finished helping him wash up, they were going to take a nap.

Fortunately, Amber was allowed to practice martial arts and cultivation with him later, which improved his physique to some extent; otherwise, it wouldn't have been enough to satisfy him.

After leaving Ningrong Street, the group walked to the intersection ahead, turned north, passed the Xisi Archway, and walked for about 15 minutes before heading west into Mingyu Lane. From afar, they could see a constant stream of people at the entrance of the Zuixian Pavilion, with its painted beams and flying eaves.

The main building of Zuixian Pavilion is 19 feet high on each floor, with a total of five floors. Behind the main building are more than ten rooms and wing rooms. It is one of the largest restaurants in the western part of Xianjing and the preferred place for high-ranking officials and nobles to enjoy their meals.

With its authentic and exquisite Huaiyang-style dishes and aged Wujiu liquor, it enjoys a great reputation in Xianjing.

Before Jia Tang and his entourage even approached, the welcoming guard on the second floor of Zuixian Pavilion spotted Jia Tang first. His face beaming with joy, he leaped down from the second-floor viewing platform and jogged over, bowing repeatedly and calling out:

"Manager Yuandao said early this morning that magpies were chirping, indicating that a distinguished guest was coming to visit. It turns out that it was Lord Earl who graced our humble abode with his presence. It is truly an honor to have you here."

Upon hearing this, Jia Tang laughed heartily: "Your Zuixian Pavilion is the most eloquent; every time you come, I have to reward you with silver."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia He took out about an ounce of silver and stuffed it into the doorman's pocket.

The doorman bowed repeatedly with delight, saying, "It is only because Your Excellency understands my humble duty. I would never dare to be so eloquent. Thank you for your reward, Your Excellency."

As they strolled through the gates of Zuixian Pavilion amidst laughter and conversation, the doorman bowed, extended his hand, and called out, "Honored guest! We warmly welcome you!"

All the waiters and servants inside the pavilion respectfully wished: "Welcome, distinguished guest. May you have a pleasant stay."

The surrounding diners were so surprised that they kept peeking out to look, but once they realized it was Jia Tang, they were no longer surprised, because this man was too famous and too fierce in the capital.

When Manager Liu of Zuixian Pavilion saw Jia Tang enter, he hurriedly came over to greet him. After the waiter congratulated him, he repeatedly bowed and said, "Welcome, Lord. Generals Niu and Liu have already arrived at Zuixian Room No. 1. I have come to welcome you up there."

After saying this, he positioned himself to Jia Tang's right rear and led the group straight up to the fifth floor, the Drunken Immortal Chamber.

Upon entering the fifth floor, past the servants waiting at the entrance of the room, Jia Tang saw the personal guards of everyone in the hall bowing their heads in respect. After Wang Dazhuang led the Tiger Guards to an empty table, he led Jia He into the inner room without stopping.

What came into view was a group of valiant young men playing and frolicking together: Niu Chengxian, Liu He, Hou Zunqi, Chen Chong, Ma Yong, Xie Yun'e, Jiang Shuquan, Qi Yunting, Shi Xiangyue, and Wu Zhentao, the fourth-generation direct descendant of the Marquis of Chuanning.

A group of people were exchanging insults and punches, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"Are you all this excited?"

As soon as Jia Tang entered, everyone gathered around him, each with a wicked grin on their face.

Niu Chengxian, being the eldest, was the first to shout, "It's a day off today, let's have a good drinking session, I'll definitely teach you a lesson!"

Hou Zunqi continued, "The same rule applies as before: you can't use internal energy to sober up."

Liu He followed closely behind: "Outside the military camp, there are no superiors or inferiors. Brother Tiger, your cultivation is high, and your internal organs have been refined to the limit, so it shouldn't be a problem for ten of us to drink one of you, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone rubbed their hands together, their eyes filled with excitement.

After being drilled by Jia Tang in the military camp, they finally got a chance for a collective rest day.

Jia Tang's lips twitched, and he smiled helplessly, "Is it too late for me to leave now?"