eurekapd Chapter 206 Boss Lady, Come to My Room Tonight
Chapter 206 Boss Lady, Come to My Room Tonight
People began to whisper among themselves:
"Who exactly is that young master?"
"I don't know, but it must be someone of great importance."
"That old man is no ordinary person either. That sword intent just now... Heavens, I have never seen such a terrifying aura in my life."
"But that young master actually won."
"You won? Didn't you see? That old man's all-out sword strike was easily deflected by that young master."
"Just a light flick? Just a very light flick?"
"It's that simple."
"Oh My God……"
The murmurs were low, but filled with awe.
Liu Bai put down his wine bowl and looked at Qin Mu.
"How much force did you use for that last shot?" he asked.
Qin Mu looked at him and smiled.
Liu Bai had already asked this question in the corridor.
His answer of "one point" was an exaggeration.
But at this moment, looking at the sincere and curious light in Liu Bai's eyes, he suddenly didn't want to pretend anymore.
"Eight points," he said.
Liu Bai was slightly taken aback.
Then he smiled.
There was no disappointment or resentment in that smile.
There is only one deep sense of satisfaction.
"Eight parts..." he murmured, repeating those two words, "Eight parts of your strength are enough to break my Dao Sword..."
He looked up at Qin Mu, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light:
"Then how strong would you be if you went all out?"
Qin Mu looked at him and gently shook his head.
"I don't know," he said. "I haven't met anyone who required my full strength."
Liu Bai remained silent for a moment.
Then, he picked up the wine bowl and solemnly held it up to Qin Mu.
"Today's battle," he said, each word sharp as a sword, yet sincere and unreserved, "has finally given me a goal to pursue."
He paused, his gaze sharp:
"In this life, I will take you as my goal and continue to move forward."
Qin Mu looked at him, at that aged yet earnest face, at those eyes burning with fighting spirit and longing.
He suddenly realized that this old man was truly pure.
A pure sword fanatic, a pure person.
"Very well," he said, picking up his wine bowl and clinking it heavily against Liu Bai's. "I'll be waiting for you."
"clang--"
The sound of two wine bowls clinking together echoed for a long time in the silent hall.
The two of them tilted their heads back at the same time and drank it all in one gulp.
Upstairs, in room number one.
Zhao Qingxue stood by the window, motionless.
The light from the lobby downstairs shone through the gaps in the window paper, casting a warm, dim glow that contrasted sharply with the coldness of the guest room.
She turned slightly to the side, her deep purple phoenix eyes peering quietly through the narrow gap at the two figures drinking together downstairs.
Moonlight streamed in from the window on the other side, gilding her with a silvery edge, but it couldn't penetrate the turbulent complexity in her eyes.
She was looking at Qin Mu.
Look at that young emperor who is currently raising a bowl to drink with the sword fanatic Liu Bai.
He leaned back in his chair, his posture languid and casual, his moon-white robe gleaming warmly in the candlelight.
His face lacked the languid authority he displayed in court, the playful mockery he showed when facing her, and the heart-stopping aggression he exuded when he held her chin in the carriage.
There was only one kind of relaxation she had never experienced before.
He is laughing.
It was a genuine, heartfelt laugh.
His eyebrows were relaxed, the corners of his mouth were upturned, and even his deep, unfathomable eyes were filled with a faint, warm light.
He was holding a wine bowl, talking to Liu Bai. Suddenly, they both threw their heads back and laughed. The laughter pierced the night and faintly reached her ears.
The laughter was hearty and clean, carrying a touch of the boldness of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) and a touch of the carefree spirit of a scholar.
Like a chivalrous knight-errant who seeks revenge.
Zhao Qingxue frowned slightly.
That's not right.
This is not the Qin Mu she knows.
The Qin Mu she knew was an emperor who sat high on the dragon throne at his wedding ceremony, his face mostly covered by a twelve-tasseled crown.
He was her adversary in the side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, separated by a beaded curtain, with whom she exchanged witty remarks, each word containing a hidden meaning.
He was the plunderer who, from inside the carriage, held her chin and said with burning eyes, "You should also become my beloved concubine."
He was a powerful figure who, with a casual wave of his hand, annihilated the remnant soul of a terrestrial immortal from three hundred years ago when faced with the Emperor's decree.
He was the one who laid a trap at the Nujiang ferry crossing, manipulating her at will.
She had seen every side of him.
Lazy, dignified, playful, cold, unfathomable.
But there was nothing—
This is what I see before me.
A wandering swordsman who drinks and laughs with an old man he meets by chance.
Zhao Qingxue's fingertips tightened slightly inside her sleeve.
She recalled the scene inside the carriage.
She recalled Qin Mu holding her chin with his hand, his thumb gently stroking her cheek, his gaze burning as he said, "I love your unruly nature."
I recall the playful look on his face when he asked Xiaoyu to hold the whip, and the casual remark he made to the landlady, "Let's have some fun first."
What kind of gaze was that?
Naked, lustful, like a hunter eyeing its prey.
She had seen that look in her eyes far too many times.
Those treacherous ministers in the court, officials who glanced at her figure amidst the clinking of glasses, even... Xu Longxiang's burning gaze upon her from outside the east gate of the imperial city.
They're all the same thing.
Possessiveness.
Desire to conquer.
A man's desire for a woman.
There was something in Qin Mu's gaze when he looked at her.
Qin Mu's gaze towards the proprietress also held that kind of feeling.
He was a lecher.
Zhao Qingxue was almost certain of this.
But at this moment—
She looked down at Qin Mu, who was drinking with Liu Bai, and at his eyes, which at that moment only reflected the wine bowl and his smile.
There is no desire there.
There was no scheming involved.
There is only one kind of pure, upright sincerity.
What kind of eyes were those?
Bright, clear, and open.
Like the legendary swordsmen of the martial arts world, their eyes burn with a light when they encounter a worthy opponent.
It wasn't the gaze of a hunter sizing up its prey.
It is the appreciation of a worthy opponent.
It's a resonance of mutual appreciation.
It is the instinctive, pure joy that comes when one strong person meets another strong person.
Zhao Qingxue's fingers curled slightly.
She suddenly remembered Qin Mu in the imperial court.
That emperor, sitting high on the dragon throne, his face veiled by pearl tassels.
At that time, when she looked at him through the twelve-tasseled crown, she only felt that he was lazy, casual, and indifferent.
But now that I think about it, what was hidden beneath that languor?
It is about control.
It's an aerial view.
It is like sitting on a cloud, observing the myriad aspects of human life with composure.
He sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials in the hall as if he were looking at the pieces on a chessboard.
Who is a loyal minister, who is a treacherous official, who is a fence-sitter, and who has ulterior motives?
He knows everything.
He saw it all.
He just doesn't say it.
Just waiting.
He was waiting for those people to jump out on their own, expose themselves, and walk into the trap he had already laid.
That was the gaze of a true emperor.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
She suddenly felt a little tired.
It's not because of the body, but because of the heart.
How many faces does Qin Mu have?
To Liu Bai, he was a chivalrous knight-errant who lived a life of righteous indignation and revenge.
To his court officials, he was an unfathomable and supreme ruler.
To her, he was a predator who relentlessly pursued her.
He treated the landlady like a plaything, easily toyed with.
To Xiaoyu, he was a gentle and protective protector.
Xu Fenghua was a tyrant who seized wealth by force.
To Jiang Qingxue, he was...
she does not know.
She couldn't see through it.
This man is like a bottomless well; you never know what you'll see if you look down next.
It is the reflected moonlight.
It was a dead leaf that had sunk to the bottom.
Or—the abyss itself.
Zhao Qingxue opened her eyes and looked downstairs again.
Qin Mu was holding a wine bowl and talking to Liu Bai. As they talked, they both tilted their heads back and drank the wine in one gulp. Then they put down their bowls, looked at each other, and smiled.
There was something in that smile that she had never seen before.
Is it—satisfaction?
Did an emperor find satisfaction in an old man from the martial arts world?
Zhao Qingxue suddenly remembered herself.
Five years after ascending the throne, he commanded a million soldiers and his power shook the Eastern Continent.
But in the past five years, has she ever had such a smile?
Have you ever drunk and laughed with anyone like this?
No.
there has never been.
She was surrounded only by ministers, subordinates, and rivals.
I have no friends.
There was no one she could let down her guard and be completely open with.
She was an empress.
Emperors have no friends.
The thought flashed through my mind, bringing with it an indescribable bittersweet feeling.
Zhao Qingxue snapped it off.
She looked away, no longer glancing downstairs.
He simply stood by the window, gazing at the deep night outside.
Moonlight streamed in from the other side, casting her shadow long, long on the wall.
The shadow was slender, lonely, and straight.
Like a lone sword hanging in the air.
.......
Downstairs, in the lobby.
Qin Mu put down his wine bowl and looked at Liu Bai.
After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the two had gradually shifted from their earlier heated drinking contest to casual conversation, and the atmosphere became relaxed and harmonious.
Qin Mu picked up the wine jar, filled the two bowls with wine, then put the jar down and looked at Liu Bai.
"Mr. Liu," he began, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the evening's weather, "join my Great Qin."
Liu Bai paused slightly in the hand holding the wine bowl.
He raised his head and looked at Qin Mu.
A complex emotion flickered in those eyes that had weathered seventy years of trials.
Qin Mu did not urge him.
She simply watched him quietly, a genuine smile playing on her lips.
His gaze was open and honest, without any calculation.
It was as if it were just an invitation from one friend to another.
Liu Bai remained silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"That's exactly what I was thinking," he said.
He paused, then added:
"I couldn't have gotten it."
This time, it was Qin Mu's turn to be stunned.
He hadn't expected Liu Bai to agree so readily and decisively.
There was no hesitation, no weighing of options, and no haggling.
He agreed without hesitation.
Seeing the fleeting surprise in his eyes, Liu Bai picked up the wine bowl and took a small sip.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect me to agree?"
Qin Mu snapped out of his daze and smiled.
"I really didn't expect that," he admitted frankly. "I thought I would have to use a lot of words to explain."
Liu Bai put down his wine bowl, leaned back in his chair, and gazed out the window at the deep night.
"I've lived a whole life," he said, "and seen too many people. The hypocritical, the scheming, the two-faced, the sanctimonious."
He paused, then looked away from Qin Mu:
"But I've never seen anyone like you before."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow.
Liu Bai continued:
"Powerful, yet not arrogant. Unfathomable, yet approachable. He could have killed me, yet he invited me for a drink. He is clearly the ruler of a nation, yet he can drink and laugh with this old man like me."
His gaze deepened:
"People like this are worth following."
Qin Mu listened quietly without interrupting.
Liu Bai picked up the wine bowl and solemnly presented it to Qin Mu:
"I've wandered for half my life, never thinking of seeking refuge with anyone. But meeting you today, I suddenly think—perhaps it's time to stop, find a place, and do something meaningful."
He looked at Qin Mu and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Therefore, I would be more than happy to accept this invitation."
Qin Mu looked at Liu Bai, at that aged yet earnest face, and at those eyes burning with sincere light.
He suddenly laughed.
That smile held a sense of relief, emotion, and an indescribable satisfaction.
Anyone would be happy to gain such a capable assistant out of nowhere.
He picked up his wine bowl and clinked it heavily with Liu Bai's.
"clang--"
The crisp sound of the collision echoed in the silent lobby.
The two of them tilted their heads back at the same time and drank it all in one gulp.
The liquor is spicy yet mellow upon entering the throat.
But at this moment, there was an added, unique flavor to the spiciness.
It's about trust.
It is an entrustment.
It is an unspoken understanding between two strong individuals.
The wine was finished, and the bowl was dropped.
The two smiled at each other.
.......
When the wine flowed freely and the conversation became particularly engaging, people found common ground.
The night outside the window was deep, and one of the candles in the lobby had burned out and been replaced with a new one.
Qin Mu put down his wine bowl and glanced around.
The diners had already left, leaving only a few scattered in the corner, all of whom were asleep at the table.
The proprietress remained seated at the end, her head bowed in trepidation, barely daring to breathe.
Qin Mu's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
She wore a pomegranate-red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), had a full figure, and occasionally showed fear beneath her lowered eyelids.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly spoke:
"Boss lady."
The proprietress trembled and suddenly raised her head.
"Yes, yes... What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Her voice trembled, but she tried her best to appear calm.
Qin Mu looked at her, a meaningful smile curving his lips:
Come to my room tonight.
The proprietress was stunned.
She stared wide-eyed at Qin Mu, her mind going completely blank for a moment.
Go to his room?
at night?
What does this mean?
Is it...
The proprietress's heart suddenly raced, pounding wildly in her chest like a drum.
She looked at Qin Mu's handsome face, his smiling eyes, and the playful curve of his lips.
An emotion she had never experienced before welled up from the bottom of her heart.
It is fear.
It was also...ecstatic.
The emperor has taken a liking to her?
The emperor wanted her to go to his room that night?
Doesn't that mean...?
Has she soared to great heights? Has she risen to prominence and become a phoenix?
No more running a shady business in this desolate wilderness, no more living in constant fear, no more having to put up with the attitudes of those vulgar men.
As long as she serves this emperor well, she can...
The proprietress swallowed hard, her Adam's apple bobbing, her voice trembling with excitement:
"Yes...yes! This humble woman...this humble woman obeys the decree!"
She knelt on the ground, her forehead hitting the floor heavily, her voice trembling but unusually clear:
"This humble woman...this humble woman will certainly serve Your Majesty well!"
Qin Mu looked at her like this, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.