The Rise of Phoenixes

He pinched the girl’s pink cheeks gently, and the Lang Xiang Yard girl Kui Lanyi acted coquettishly.

In that corner, the quiet laugh and shy gasp was romantic and charming compared to the noise around them.

Feng Zhiwei served the tea and dessert expressionlessly as she wondered what Lanyi would do if she knew that he had pushed Yin er into the river that night.

She also thought to herself about how even though this man came to the brothel with the other young masters and his mannerism was so casual and natural, she couldn’t help but think how out of place he was in this picture.

Her hands didn’t stop as she moved around the table serving the guests, but wherever she turned she could feel eyes on her. Even with her back to him she could feel his examining gaze, but she didn’t react and never turned in that direction.

Feng Zhiwei kept her attention on Yin er. She looked pale and uncomfortable, and from time to time her eyes darted to Zhiwei almost unconsciously. Sitting next to her was the pale faced man in yellow, and his murky eyes held a strange look.

Feng Zhiwei didn’t want to interfere and acted oblivious; as a woman of wind and dust, Yin er had to serve all kinds of unorthodox customers, and she had to learn how to deal with them. It was not Zhiwei’s duty to save her.

When the rice wine had been filled three times, everyone was a little drunk. Some of the men took their girl to another room, and Yin er also left with the skinny man. As people watched the two leave, their eyes held strange gazes.

In the embrace of that man’s arms, Yin er kept darting backward looks, her eyes filled with sadness and hope, as if she was looking for a savior. Everyone looked away.

Feng Zhiwei frowned but her feet didn’t move. She felt that as long as that man was here, it was best to avoid drawing any attention.

But when the two passed, Yin er’s messy clothes flapped gently with her movement and a deep red bruise on her white skin filled Feng Zhiwei’s eyes.

Zhiwei hesitated, and after a moment of silence she put down the teacup in her hand and followed, moving silently through a side door.

As she crossed through the door, on the other side of the room, the elegant man in moon white silk who had his back to the door pushed away Lanyi as she leaned against her chest and smiled.

Lanyi thought he was just playing, and she flashed a charming look and leaned in again.

The man lowered his face, his beautiful eyes filled with a faint smile as he examined the foolish woman who didn’t understand. His lips almost smiled.

He waved his hand.

A guard with a forgettable face appeared and picked up the black stone tripod, turning it over and pouring it over Lan Yi’s head.

Burning ashes danced and fell when a sharp, feminine scream broke the air.

The room silenced, and no one uttered a sound.

“Ning Cheng, you’ve become soft for perfume.” The man ignored the woman on the ground and stood up, smiling. “I thought you would aim for her face.”

“I had planned on that.” Ning Cheng looked down and examined Lan Yi. “But I realized that she had too much rouge on and that it might protect her from being burned.

He laughed lightly and then paid no mind to his amusing bodyguard. The man swept by the silent people and followed in the direction Feng Zhiwei had left.

In his wake, no smoke or dirt stirred; there was only crying buried in the dust.

Feng Zhiwei followed Yin er and the man in yellow to a remote and quiet garden.

She thought it was strange. Why didn’t he go to a private room? Did he like it outside?

They stopped behind a bush of Winter Jasmine, and after a sound of ripping clothes came a man’s heavy breath and a woman’s low and fine moan.

Feng Zhiwei blushed and turned; what was wrong with her paranoia? Actually following a joe and his prostitute!

Just as she was about to leave though, she noticed the moaning behind her was abnormal. The moaning didn’t sound pleasurable, and was more like a moan of pain.

She hesitated and finally decided to take a look. Through the golden flower bush she saw a naked man with a rose in his hand, trying to stick the stem into Yin er’s chest.

The rose was covered with tiny thorns, and the skinny man had sharpened the end of its stem and was trying to insert it into Yin er’s pink nipple.

Yin er’s moans turned into miserable cries.

She stood over the skinny man and smiled, patting his shoulder. “Morning.”

The man was in the middle of his fun and hadn’t expected any interruptions; startled, he loosened his hand and turned his head.

All he saw was a flash of cold light, and a blood covered ball flew out and rolled into Feng Zhiwei’s palm.

She stood there, smiling over the man with a glinting dagger in her right hand and blood in her left. In a swift motion, she moved her hand back, holding that thing in her palm.

In that moment after she had greeted him, she had cut open his bag of family jewels and squeezed quickly, popping out one of his treasured balls.

Her movement was too smooth, and only after she took back her hand did the man feel the pain as he fell to the side and cried out.

But the shout of pain didn’t last, and just as he moved over Zhiwei moved, grabbing the rose and stuffing it into his mouth.

The tiny pricks along the stem pricked his mouth, cutting open tiny wounds; the pain made the man’s eyes roll back and he twitched uncontrollably for a time, incapable of making any sound.

Feng Zhiwei moved her hands away, and in a calm and composed manner wiped her hands on the leaves next to her.

Yin er was still too shocked to speak and had paled and retreated a few steps, even forgetting to dress. Zhiwei moved over and helped her back into her clothes, also taking a small sachet from her waist and putting the testicle inside it.

With that done, she turned to the skinny man and waved the bag in front of him.

“You… you…” The Young Master breathed painfully, trembling in pain and unable to force out any more words.

“I’m good.” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “But you, not so much.”

“You.. I’ll kill you…” the man twitched, squeezing out the words with an expression of overwhelming hate. “I will skin you and crush your bones. Your whole family… burned to ashes…”

Feng Zhiwei ignored him and turned to Yin er, asking her some things in a quiet voice. When she turned back, she smiled again.

Her smile was calm, and she held the small bag in her hand as if it were a flower. “I wonder how Official Li will feel when he learns that his only grandson has lost his family jewels in a brothel.”

The man trembled and paled, and when he thought about his strict grandfather his legs softened even more.

“What will Official Li’s friends in the imperial court say? When they learn that Official Li didn’t teach his family well and his grandson was castrated in a brothel, will they ask His Majesty to help out with your family’s regulations?”

Young Master Li was stunned, and as if suddenly thinking of something, his face paled even more. He was on the verge of passing out from the pain, but now he didn’t even dare pass out.

Feng Zhiwei’s smile grew more gentle.

Yin er only knew that the man was a spoiled young master, but Zhiwei understood more. Political intrigue was very serious in Tian Sheng Dynasty, and there were many factions. If an opposing faction found any dirt on you, they would be merciless. She didn’t know what faction Official Li was a part of, but he was part of one. This situation with his grandson would definitely be used against him.