The Xiaoxiang Pavilion

1,102 words

Chapter 121: The Xiaoxiang Pavilion

Shen Zhongshan was in a very good mood at this moment. He was seated inside a private room of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, one arm wrapped around a woman of striking, seductive beauty, his large hand roaming roughly over her body without restraint.

Perhaps because Shen Zhongshan was a bit too impatient, the coquettish woman let out a string of giggling laughter.

“Miss Jin, why don’t you just give in to our Chief? This is the first time our Chief has been so infatuated with a woman. He didn’t even finish handling the sect’s affairs before rushing over here in a hurry.” The speaker was a fat man dressed in a loose, gray shirt. His waist was as thick as a water barrel, easily twice the size of an ordinary man. After speaking, he was already a bit winded.

“Exactly, Miss Jinzhi! Our Chief has come to patronize you every afternoon for five days straight now, spending a good amount of silver! But you only let him hold and touch you a bit; you haven’t even let him stay the night once. That’s really not fair!” This time, a middle-aged scholar with a black mole on his face spoke up. A cruel glint flickered in his eyes, marking him as a man of deep schemes.

Besides Shen Zhongshan, there were three other people in the room, the Three Protect—the Three Great Protectors of the Siping Gang.

The fat man was “Mad Fist” Qian Jin. Despite his astonishing obesity, he was extremely skilled in the “Eighteen Wild Strikes,” a technique that had killed many a renowned master.

The scholar was “Poison Scholar” Fan Ju. Though he had trained in a sharp “Snow Wind Sword Art,” what made him infamous was his ruthless and venomous heart.

The man in black who stood to the side, silent all this while, was “Flying Dagger” Shen San, the strongest of the three. He was famous for his technique of throwing eighteen flying daggers in a rapid volley, which had eliminated many masters and elders who came seeking revenge against Shen Zhongshan. Furthermore, as he was also Shen Zhongshan’s distant relative, he was the most trusted of the three.

Like Shen Zhongshan, each of these three men had a pretty woman sitting in their laps, but none of them were as beautiful, as voluptuous, or as seductive as the one in Shen Zhongshan’s arms.

When this giggling Xiao Jinzhi heard what “Mad Fist” and “Poison Scholar” Fan Ju said, her eyes immediately misted over, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.

“Hearing Master Fan and Master Qian talk like that is really unjust for Jinzhi,” she protested. “The moment I saw Master Shen, I knew he was a true hero. To be able to spend my days and nights with Master Shen would be a dream come true for me!”

“But as the two of you know, my body belongs to this Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Without Madam Wang’s approval, if I were to keep a guest overnight without permission, I would be beaten to death. Why doesn’t Master Shen go and ask Madam Wang? If she agrees to let me receive guests, then I promise to serve Master Shen well tonight.” The top courtesan of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion spoke in a sweet, delicate voice, her tone full of tender emotion, perfectly playing the part of a woman deeply devoted to Shen Zhongshan.

This half-truthful, half-false declaration left Qian Jin and Fan Ju staring at each other, momentarily speechless.

They had, of course, already asked about the price for Xiao Jinzhi’s overnight company. But Madam Wang had named a sky-high price, using the excuse that Xiao Jinzhi had never stayed overnight with a guest before. She had asked for an amount that made even Shen Zhongshan, the leader of a gang, balk. The deal had thus never been struck.

Of course, taking her by force was out of the question. The Xiaoxiang Pavilion was the property of the Heavenly Overlord Sect, one of the three major gangs in Jiayuan City. Making trouble here would be a foolproof way to get oneself killed.

Having been rebuffed by the top courtesan, the two men could only vent their frustration on the Xiaoxiang girls in their own laps, grabbing them roughly a few times before finally calming down.

“Hehe! Many thanks to my two brothers for worrying about my affairs!” Shen Zhongshan said, a bit pleased with himself. “But don’t worry. I just closed a big deal a couple of days ago, so this bit of silver is nothing. Just don’t go back on your word, my beauty! Make sure you take good care of me tonight!” He gnawed hard on the fragrant cheek of the woman in his arms.

Shen Zhongshan himself was a large man covered in black hair on his arms and chest. Both his arms were much longer than an average person’s, making him look like a man-shaped beast dressed in clothes—extremely ugly and frightening.

And yet, this crude and ugly man, a few years ago, had used his master-level “Connecting Fist” art to kill the former master of the Siping Gang, “Golden Brush” Gou Tianpo, and his four heartland guardians, seizing the position of Chief for himself. Thus, he was certainly a first-rate master with a significant reputation in the martial world of Jiayuan City, not to be underestimated.

“Master Shen!” Xiao Jinzhi feigned bashfulness at Shen Zhongshan’s sudden advance, acting coy in his arms, which drew a triumphant laugh from him.

Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” the fat man, “Mad Fist” Qian Jin, who was already a bit disgruntled, barked irritably.

“Bringing more drinks for the gentlemen,” a young man’s voice came from outside the door.

“Then hurry up and bring it in! Master Qian was just thinking there wasn’t enough to drink!” the fat man said without thinking.

At Qian Jin’s words, a young man dressed as a servant walked in. This ordinary-looking youth held a tray with some dishes and two pots of wine.

“Bring the wine here! Master Qian wants to see what it tastes like first!” The fat man Qian Jin, a die-hard drunkard, immediately started clamoring excitedly at the sight of the two wine pots.

“Yes, sir. I’ll bring it right over.” The servant stepped forward and placed the wine pot on the table.

The fat man grabbed the pot immediately, raising it to his mouth for a taste.

“Hold it, Fatso!” The ever-silent man in black, Shen San, suddenly called out, stopping Qian Jin’s action.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Mortal World’s Chessboard: A Chapter of Political Intrigue

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Brothel as a Battlefield: In the Mortal Stream, no social setting is truly safe. The Xiaoxiang Pavilion isn't a place of escape; it’s a neutral ground owned by a powerful third party (the Heavenly Overlord Sect). This makes it a perfect hunting ground for assassins. The protagonists and antagonists are forced to observe strict social codes because breaking them would invite the wrath of a power greater than themselves. This chapter brilliantly contrasts the raw, physical violence of a cultivator’s world with the constrained, political chess game of the mortal jianghu where a word or a gesture can be just as lethal as a sword.

The 'Three Protectors' Archetype: The three villains in this chapter are a classic wuxia archetype: the brute, the schemer, and the silent killer. They represent three different types of power required to run an organization. The brute (Qian Jin) provides shocking physical power. The schemer (Fan Ju) provides intelligence and dirty work. The silent killer (Shen San) provides surgical, precise violence that can't be traced back. Eliminating a “boss” in this world isn't just about killing their strongest fighter; it’s about shattering this delicate ecosystem.

Jianghu

The martial world, a community of fighters and sects outside official society, governed by its own codes of honor, loyalty, and blood-debts.

Chapter Overview

Forget the fiery explosions and martial duels for a moment, fellow Daoists. Chapter 121 takes us deep into the grimy, power-hungry heart of the mortal world. We’re spending the whole chapter in a private room at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, a high-class brothel, watching the Siping Gang’s Chief and his three protectors get cozy with the ladies. What seems like a night of carousing is actually a perfect demonstration of mortal-world politics: the negotiations over a courtesan, the fragile alliance between the protectors, and the underlying threat of the Heavenly Overlord Sect, the Pavilion’s true owner. It’s a slow, tense, and utterly Machiavellian setup. But don’t get too comfortable. The quiet arrival of a young servant bearing wine suggests this peaceful facade is about to be shattered.

Key Plot Points

Chief Shen’s Prize: Shen Zhongshan is infatuated with the top courtesan, Xiao Jinzhi, but he can’t stomach the fee her Madam demands to let her spend the night. He brags about a big deal, claiming he now has the silver, setting up his confidence.
The Protectors’ Dynamic: We get a proper introduction to the Three Great Protectors of the Siping Gang. “Mad Fist” Qian Jin is a brutish drunk, “Poison Scholar” Fan Ju is a calculating schemer, and the silent “Flying Dagger” Shen San is the Chief’s cold, deadly ace in the hole. Their personalities are a clear reflection of the gang’s overall power structure.
The Rules of the Game: Xiao Jinzhi’s polite refusal reveals the brutal politics of the mortal world. The Pavilion is owned by the Heavenly Overlord Sect, a larger gang. Even a Chief like Shen Zhongshan can’t just take what he wants. Power is not absolute; it’s a negotiation between different organizations.
The Tension Builds: The chapter’s entire first half is a masterclass in building tension through social interaction. Everyone is posturing, flattering, and scheming. The air is thick with the threat of violence just beneath the surface of “courteous” conversation.
The Infiltration: The chapter’s final moment is a classic cliffhanger. A young servant enters with wine, and just as the drunkard Qian Jin is about to drink, Shen San—the silent, ever-vigilant killer—stops him. The implication is clear: the wine is poisoned. The knife is about to fall.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a masterful piece of pacing and setup. A less skilled writer might have Shen Zhongshan's group be assassinated in a flashy action scene. Instead, we get an entire chapter of social friction, sexual tension, and logistical bartering. This creates a powerful sense of place and stakes. You feel the danger because you understand the world. The payoff—Shen San stopping the drink—is infinitely more effective because we’ve been lulled into the routine of the scene. It’s a reminder that in the Mortal Stream, the most dangerous moves are rarely the loudest ones. Get ready for the bloodshed, fellow Daoists.