Chapter 25: A Person Who Should Have Died

Tianxiang Pavilion?

Su Mu raised an eyebrow, casting a rather surprised glance at Old Zhang. If he remembered correctly, this Tianxiang Pavilion was the largest den of vice in Qinghe Town. Within its walls, a single smile from a beauty was worth a thousand pieces of gold. Could the people of Tianxiang Pavilion really have any lingering connection to the remnants of the former Huwei Battalion?

Noticing the confusion on Su Mu’s face, Old Zhang let out a soft sigh. "You may not know this, but Song Hui, the mistress of Tianxiang Pavilion, was once the confidante of Brother Jiang. She was also the mastermind behind the scenes for the Huwei Battalion, possessing vast connections and financial resources. After Brother Jiang met his fate, she became disheartened, merely drifting through life while managing this pavilion."

Once Old Zhang finished speaking, Su Mu immediately grasped his meaning. This Tianxiang Pavilion served as a hub and a bond for the remnants of the Huwei Battalion. At the same time, it was the financial backbone the battalion desperately needed to regain its strength. He knew that forging an iron-willed army capable of conquering all obstacles required endless investment. To revitalize the Huwei Battalion, money was an unavoidable necessity. Furthermore, Song Hui’s status would signal to many of the former soldiers that the new Huwei Battalion had found a leader capable of guiding them to invincibility.

"Rest assured, I will definitely pay a visit to Tianxiang Pavilion," Su Mu said in a low, determined voice. "Consider it my duty to provide everyone with an answer."

...

The following evening, Su Mu stood before the entrance of Tianxiang Pavilion. Due to the recent upheavals in Qinghe Town, the once bustling establishment was now sparsely populated. Only a few wealthy young men, dressed in finery, stumbled out from within. Watching this, Su Mu narrowed his eyes, twirled his folding fan, and stepped inside.

No sooner had he reached the threshold than a plump woman, her face caked in heavy rouge and powder, approached him. With an overly enthusiastic grin, she took his arm and said, "My young master, you look like a stranger here. This must be your first time, right? Our girls are all masters of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting! Whatever type you desire, you can certainly find it here!"

Su Mu pulled his arm away discreetly and glanced around. The decor of the pavilion was indeed opulent. Fragrant sandalwood wafted through the air, adding a layer of intoxicating mystery to the atmosphere. Each of the women carried a faint, delicate scent that intertwined as they moved through the halls. The sense of luxury was so refined that it could bring joy to anyone at first glance.

Had it been an ordinary man, he might have been unable to tear his feet away, as if a door to a new world had been opened. Unfortunately, Su Mu had seen it all in his past life. He had witnessed far too many places like this.

"I wish to see Song Hui," Su Mu said, his expression calm as he raised his token.

Upon seeing the token, the plump woman’s expression shifted slightly. She scrutinized it carefully and fell silent for a moment. "My young master, you should have said so earlier! Please, this way."

Su Mu followed her to a pavilion on the top floor. She pointed to a room and said with great solemnity, "That is our mistress’s chamber. Please wait here a moment while I go in to announce your arrival."

Su Mu nodded and stood his ground, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Before long, the woman emerged from the room and offered a slight bow. "My young master, my mistress will see you now."

Su Mu raised an eyebrow; the efficiency was quite impressive. As he stepped into the room, the door behind him closed softly. The chamber was lit by numerous red candles, casting a gentle, warm glow. A faint scent of wine permeated the air.

A woman sat before a round table. Her almond-shaped eyes were like clear pools of autumn water, their corners slightly upturned, and her eyebrows were as delicate as distant mountains—fine, long, and graceful, lending her an air of ethereal beauty. Her dark hair flowed like a waterfall, pinned up loosely with a single white jade hairpin, with a few stray strands framing her face, adding a touch of languor to her appearance. She wore a moon-white silk dress embroidered with lotus patterns, topped with a water-green vest edged in light pink tassels that swayed gently with the breeze. Her slender fingers held a white jade wine cup as her red lips parted to take a small sip.

"Since that incident, you are the first person from the Huwei Battalion to come looking for me at Tianxiang Pavilion," Song Hui’s voice was remarkably cold, radiating a distant, icy elegance.

Su Mu raised an eyebrow; he was not surprised by this outcome. After the death of the so-called Brother Jiang, people like Fatty Li had scattered like loose sand. Since Song Hui had been the young master’s confidante, they naturally avoided her. After all, seeing her only filled them with guilt—guilt for failing to protect him, and the pain of being reminded of that devastating tragedy. Thus, they all chose to escape.

"I know that after that event, you became utterly disillusioned with the Great Liang, the imperial court, and those so-called officials," Su Mu said, watching her intently as he spoke in a low voice. "However, in these chaotic times, there is only one way to ensure one's survival. Only by possessing your own trump cards and your own strength can you protect those around you, can you not?"

Song Hui paused, her hand hovering in mid-air, and turned to look at him. "Oh? But he is already dead, isn't he?"

Su Mu walked over to sit opposite her. Her eyes were already reddened, and her voice trembled slightly. Su Mu shook his head, locking his gaze with hers. "The fact that you chose not to follow him to the grave proves that you have already made your choice. The dead are gone, but the living must go on. As the mistress of Tianxiang Pavilion, aren't you responsible for those who follow you to the death? If the barbarians were to trample Qinghe Town, the women of this pavilion would surely become their playthings. Their fates would be unimaginably miserable."

Song Hui’s pupils constricted. She clenched her fists, her face turning pale. "I could take them and flee! Leave this pavilion for a true sanctuary!"

Su Mu picked up a cup of wine and downed it in one breath. "A sanctuary? There is no such thing as a sanctuary in this world! Peace is something guarded by one’s own strength. Only by picking up the blade can one survive in these troubled times!"

Song Hui froze, her fingers trembling as she looked at him. At that moment, Su Mu seemed to overlap with another shadow from her past. Someone had once said the exact same words to her. It was precisely because of that that she had been so willing to follow him to the death.

"Who… who are you?"

Su Mu looked at her, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath. "Su Mu, of the Su family. A man who should have died long ago."