Volume 3 Chapter 42
Waiting Silently on the Beam on the Roof. Hong Zhuang Appears.
The moonlight outside shone into the cold room. A palace-maid and a girl dressed in red came in. The palace-maids paced her steps to match the other girl's steps behind her, creating a strong contrast between them. The girl in red looked at the duck meal on the table that was perfect then sniffed the osmanthus wine, confirmed it with an "uhm", and then faintly said: "Not bad."
They didn't find anything else.
I then let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately I didn't have to unleash my Eighteen Dragon Subduing Gropes.
I was hiding on the horizontal beams on the roof right now. They don't do sloppy jobs or use poor quality materials for building rooms in the palace that's for sure. While this room is small, thick horizontal beams were used. You could fit an ordinary person on top. I'm just a little tall and my shoulders are a little broad. I don't fit the requirements of a player, no…… In short, it was a little squishy for me hiding up on the horizontal beam. If there wasn't just a faint light from the candle in the room, nothing would be visible from here. I had nothing on me that could reflect light. It's time for my Eighteen Subduing Dragon Gropes to make its return to the human realm.
At present, I'll be safe as long as they don't look up.
The girl in red said: "This duck must be placed like this. Only you would come up with this idea. Although this is an improvised idea, I do agree that it's a good method."
That's when I noticed that there was a wooden barrel placed to the side of the table and it looked like steam was coming from it. There's no ventilation in this room but it has no way of maintaining heat either. The wooden barrel therefore became the secret to maintaining the warm temperature.
The wooden barrel was filled with hot water which maintained the room temperature.
The girl in red went up to the wooden barrel and removed the lid, letting the heat gush forth. She tested the water temperature with her hand as though she was thinking about something.
That's when I finally had the chance to see her face clearly.
The girl in red looked really young which was similar to her voice. She looked around seventeen or eighteen.
The girl in red possessed long black hair like lacquer-ware that began to part onto two sides and re-collected at her back like a collection of clouds. On her alluring snow-white forehead was a bright-red plum-blossom leaf mark which was very visible. It was a beautiful and mesmerising faint plum blossom petal makeup design.
She had a radiant and clear face. Her eyebrows were like mountains in the distance while her nose was tall and straight, naturally giving her a heroic and dignified appearance. While heroic and straight-forward, she wasn't the exact same as Boss Shen. Boss Shen's heroic aura was more from her way of being decisive and strong personality, so it derived from within her.
Comparing looks alone, Boss Shen's face is a small goose-shaped face, but nonetheless beautiful. So as soon as she changes the way she speaks, you immediately see her as a beautiful and cute young girl.
This girl in red however, had a handsome melon-shaped face. She had upright eyebrows and you could sense her hidden heroic aura just by seeing her and not having to hear her speak too.
Boss Shen is slender and tall among girls, but this girl had a long-straight body. She's a fair bit taller than Boss Shen. She's almost as tall as a guy. Additionally, she maintained an erect torso when standing. So when combined with her long-slender legs, men might just have to look up at her.
I was amazed by her appearance. I wonder where this beautiful girl came from. She came into the harem palace and even intends to invite guests. All the concubines and whatnot in the harem all come from influential backgrounds, like the empress for example, who's family backing is the seven white champion princes. I wonder who the relative of this girl is.
The girl in red moved her hand in wavy motions in the hot water. Pleased, she said: "I rushed to get here and didn't have time to wash up. The ladies are on their way now to so I can't go far away. Go outside and keep watch for me."
The palace-maid hesitated before saying: "B-But this is just an abandoned room. There is no one around to look after you……"
"We people in the pugilistic aren't supposed to be so wishy-washy. I've eaten outside and camped outdoors plenty of times already."
"But here is honestly……"
"What are you worried about?" The girl in red chuckled faintly and continued: "Only females and eunuchs are at the harem. As long as you keep watch, nobody will know. There's nobody else in this room. You think I'm not worried about being seen by others?"
……
I'm here! I'm here! Reporting in! There's someone right here!
Sis, you may not be worried, but I am!!
The palace-maid nodded and then exited, leaving just me and the girl in red in the room. She was now about to undress. Okay, what the hell is going on here?!
I started to panic.
Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Ooooiii!!! If news of this spreads, my beautiful name in the pugilistic world will be completely tarnished!!
The girl in red reached her hand down to undo her belt. Her posture was straight and stretched. Her legs in particular were long. Her back was also relatively long compared to the average person. Upon undoing her belt, her lower-garment suddenly revealed a fair bit of itself. She then undid her collar. That released the front of her shirt which came undone as though it couldn't hold itself together. It was like watching a magic trick where you made rabbits appear. Her body caused me to jolt gently. Her body looks extremely supple.
She lowered her head and looked at herself. In a somewhat serious tone she vented: "They've gotten bigger again…… This is so inconvenient. My third sister keeps saying she envies me but if they get any larger, I'm not going to be able to practice the broadsword anymore either. What's their use?"
I couldn't believe she was a little frustrated. I really don't understand the frustrations of women……
But I couldn't just watch anymore. She was about to remove her shirt. I'll soon get to enjoy the sight of a beauty entering the bath then I'll take up my shifu that old scoundrel's alias and unleash my Eighteen Dragons Subduing Palms. Yeah, as if!
I sincerely couldn't watch her snow-white melons prove their noble existence in front of me.
I couldn't stop myself from shouting: "Don't take it off!"
"Who's there?!"
The girl in red turned vigilant as soon as she heard a male's voice. She looked alert but she wasn't flustered. It was clear that her able to maintain her composure much better than Fu Xiang who got caught with my Steal of Heart Camouflage so easily. She swiftly did up her belt in the most convenient way. She directed her voice toward the roof: "How dare you sneak into an important place like the harem and sneak around. Get down here!"
I was more panicked than she was.
What the heck was I thinking screaming out like that?!
She had forced me to make a choice before I could figure out what to do.
She bent her slender arm and drew a long broadsword from her belt, revealing the shiny metal. Her blade slashed upward straight toward my location accurately in a trained fashion like a dexterous snake searching for its target.
I lightly slid down and jumped to the side of the table, passing the girl in red who just slashed at me. As I moved relatively swiftly, I had hid myself behind the table before she could see me clearly.
She was clearly surprised she didn't notice me. Because she had only done up her belt but her collar was still open, I could see her smooth snow-white pearls from this angle. There was a layer of sweat collected right between them which was extremely seductive. The sight of it made my mouth dry.
I carefully picked up a cup of osmanthus wine and drank it. I then lowered my voice and said: "Your skills with the broadsword aren't bad, miss. I'm quite pleased with them. But it's unbecoming to have your collar open generously like that."
The purpose of me saying that was to let her back down without embarrassing herself. If I'm an old-pervert, it shouldn't tarnish her name. And I could remind her to dress properly while I was at it. Otherwise……. she might catch a cold in this cold weather!
But god forbid I would've known she'd get really shy. She quickly did up her collar and then coldly exclaim: "You are rude for an elder!"
She was both angry and embarrassed. Even the bright-red plum blossom petal print on her head looked redder from embarrassment. Anger crept into her eyes and she exclaimed: "Hand me your head, pervert!"
Her blade swung at me like a hurricane! I marvelled at her skills to myself. The few skills she had displayed with her broadsword were enough for me to say that she could rival Tang Ye. Is she a female broadsword wielder from the seventeen hidden dragons?
Before the qi on her blade took shape, I moved behind her, making her strike miss. She retracted her blade back and I followed her footsteps, sticking behind her causing her to miss all of her strikes.
I didn't want to bully her. It was because I was wearing my constable uniform so I didn't dare to stop! If she sees my face, I'll never be able to escape in all definitions of the word!
"Wh-Who exactly are you?!"
I quickly raised one hand to push and the other to grab, bringing the duck over. I then jumped over behind the wooden barrel and in a scruffy voice said: "Hmph! Don't even think of coming over here. Come over and your end will be… worse than this duck's!"
I threatened her while ripping a piece of tasty duck-meat and eating it…… Oh! Mamma mia! It tastes gooooood!!!! I was nearly moved to tears. There were only snacks in the imperial kitchen. They didn't serve me any hot food. This is what I call food!
She hesitated for a moment but then a cold flash appeared on the broadsword again. It was clearly internal energy. This chick was going to go all out.
Mm, it looks like I have to go……
I leapt away and had another piece of duck…… Upon getting to the door, I took a big stride forward and ran off. There certainly are a lot of guards in the harem palace, but they're not strong. If I'm busted, I just need to run.
The girl in red behind me shouted: "Who exactly are you?!"
"Hmph! This old man is Zhong Yi! Come get me if you're tough!"
Masterful blaming skills! Need to put the blame on someone else? Hit me up in person at Liu Shan Men!