Novel The Great Game - The Young Master (Ch.308) [finished]

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by rdawv, Apr 20, 2016.

  1. shin chan

    shin chan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2016
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    114
    Reading List:
    Link
    Thanks for the chapter
     
    rdawv likes this.
  2. Lunnear

    Lunnear BL Readers and Writers- [My Muse is Yaoi~!]

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2016
    Messages:
    512
    Likes Received:
    556
    Reading List:
    Link
    Fufufufufu~ thanks for the chapters!!!
     
  3. idgetsxx

    idgetsxx The Real Life Snorlax

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2016
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    123
    Reading List:
    Link
    NUF Alerts I curse you!!!!! Thanks for the chapter. Sunli better make the correct decision, I don't wanna lose my favorite female love interest (though I'd honestly be interested to read what you choose to have her do even if it's not to my liking)!
     
  4. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    Apologies for the short chapter, was organizing and celebrating my father's birthday.

    ---

    “Hey, you! Get your damn hands off her!”
    --George McFly, ‘Back to the Future’


    Chapter 139 – Behind her back

    The next day, Huang Ming went to the barracks to call on General Yin Yanzhao the White Star. Qiong Ying offered to come along in her Quan Lu disguise, but told her to coordinate planning with Huang Lang and his brother-in-law Cao Shuang instead.


    As for Sunli, she had disappeared before he could invite her.


    The military barracks of the city was a huge, sprawling complex that housed the Imperial Guards. Logistically it was quite close to the royal palace, and the proximity between the two reminded Huang Ming about the delicate nature of his mission.


    Getting someone to send a message to General Yin was a chore in itself. The guard stationed at the entrance brusquely refused his request until Huang Ming slipped some money to appease him. Immediately the guard’s attitude changed, and quickly sent a runner to inform the general.


    The entire experience left a bad taste in Huang Ming’s mouth. It was a demonstration of the rot that was engendered by the departed Marshal Gao Fang. Though the marshal was gone, the Imperial Guard continued to languish under the influence of Tong Xuan and his proxies who allowed the rot to fester.


    When Huang Ming finally saw the general, he could not help but feel that the older man was everything the stories say. A man in his prime, dignified and composed, strong and yet carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.


    “I have long heard of your name,” the general greeted when they met.


    “The general is the pillar of the country, it is my honour to have this meeting with you,” Huang Ming said, bowing deeply to the famous patriot.


    Huang Ming then invited the general for breakfast at an expensive restaurant, and the general readily agreed.


    “New waves overcome the old. You are young, but you have already done so much,” General Yin praised after they had seated themselves.


    “I merely assisted my father and General Zhao with some administrative matters,” Huang Ming said humbly.


    The general’s grey eyes twinkled and a smile tugged at his lips.


    “Ah, but that is not what I heard yesterday,” General Yin said affably.


    “Oh?”


    “Miss Zhao Sunli was very clear on your contributions,” the general said.


    Huang Ming took out a foldable fan, a gift from Qiong Ying.


    “Miss Zhao is very kind. My deeds pale in comparison to hers,” Huang Ming said politely as he fanned himself.


    The general smiled as Huang Ming’s motion. From his mouth came humble words, yet his gesture was a non-verbal confirmation.


    “Do not be so modest. They say victory and defeat can be determined by a strategist a thousand miles away from the battle. There is no need for you to carve a name in blood with your own hands,” the general said.


    “You think too highly of me. It seems that I must thank her for speaking on my behalf,” Huang Ming replied.


    General Yin leaned forward. “If you do not mind, would you like to discuss in detail the campaign in Wei? I am interested in your opinion as to the performance of your Wei opponents.”


    “Certainly. What is it that you wish to know?” Huang Ming asked.


    The smile on the general’s face grew larger. It was the face of a man interested about ‘talking shop’.


    The two men then spent some time and copious cups of tea discussing various military topics. It was mostly about the Wei armies and their commander.


    Huang Ming understood the interest, for General Ran Wei the Onslaught was close in age and rank with General Yin Yanzhao the White Star.


    “General Ran Wei’s reputation is well deserved,” Yin Yanzhao said with a hint of admiration. “It seems he does what is necessary to win, no matter the cost.”


    “Indeed. It was by some happy strokes of luck that we managed to retreat with our lives,” Huang Ming said.


    General Yin smiled. “Miss Zhao said you were the sole reason that the army managed to return home at all.”


    “I was under the impression that Miss Zhao did not speak much yesterday,” Huang Ming said.


    General Yin turned sharply at the comment.


    “She told you of our meet yesterday?” he asked, a slight frown on his brows.


    “Of course. She is my fiancée after all,” Huang Ming informed him and covertly observed his reaction.


    The general blinked, but managed to suppress his surprise.


    “I had no idea,” he said.


    Huang Ming coughed dryly. “Imagine how we felt when we found out. Our fathers made a long time promise and neglected to inform us.”


    “Had I known this, I would have not invited her yesterday,” the general said in an apologetic tone.


    “Why?”


    This time General Yin did not conceal his surprise. “She is your fiancée, it was not proper for me to have done so.”


    Huang Ming laughed. “If I can entrust my life to her on the battlefield, surely there is no harm for her to meet a great hero of our country.”


    For a moment, General Yin stared at him in bafflement. Then he sighed.


    “You are a bigger man than I. She is not like any woman I have ever met. If I were in your shoes, I would not have been as open-minded,” he admitted.


    Huang Ming merely fanned himself. It seemed that the older man was genuinely embarrassed, and there was no need for him to make the general feel any worse.


    “Still, I would like to apologize for my transgression. Rest assured, I shall not seek Miss Zhao again,” the general said.


    Huang Ming snapped his fan shut. “That is not why I had called on you,” he said.


    “Is that not the reason for this meeting? Seeing that Miss Zhao is absent, I had thought you were giving me fair notice to back off,” the general said frankly.


    “No, I have a much more important matter to discuss,” Huang Ming said with all seriousness.


    The general waited for him to continue, but just as Huang Ming was going to do so, a visitor approached.


    Who should appear but the woman in their discussion, Zhao Sunli the War Goddess. Her height, tanned skin and toned figure drew looks as she strode purposefully to their table.


    Huang Ming waved cheerily at her, but the general was chagrined.


    “Gentlemen, I hope I am not interrupting,” Sunli said.


    “Not at all,” the general said differentially. He beckoned for her to sit beside Huang Ming.


    Sunli frowned but did so.


    “We were just discussing military matters, your fiancé and I,” General Yin said with a straight face.


    Sunli’s eyes widened. She had spent the part of the previous day with the general and somehow avoided the issue of her engagement with Huang Ming.


    She turned to glare at her fiancé. What was he playing at, calling out General Yin to declare their relationship, like some jealous husband? After what he had put her through with his denseness yesterday?


    “Come, have a bun and drink some tea,” Huang Ming said with a grin.

    Trapped in this wrangle,
    His neck, she wanted to strangle.
     
    Anon2.0, FAiri110, Lagu and 5 others like this.
  5. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    A big thank you to Mathew Vo for his patreon!

    Thinking about putting commentaries and notes in Patreon, what do you guys think?

    ---

    “The only thing that exists between Yuktobania and Osea is hatred.”
    --Captain of the Umely, ‘Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War’


    Chapter 140 – Commit

    When General Yin Yanzhao saw how Sunli was glaring daggers at Huang Ming, he could not help but bark with laughter.


    “I can see that there is real sentiment between you two,” the general commented merrily.


    Sunli flushed, but Huang Ming easily accepted the remark with a grin.


    “Of course. There must be some sentiment between us, otherwise this engagement would not last. We have our rough spots here and there but what couple wouldn’t?” he said brightly, ignoring the way Sunli was biting her lower lip.


    General Yin nodded sagely. “Indeed, no marriage is completely smooth sailing,” he said with a chuckle. “Seeing you two today reminds me of my own departed wife.”


    Huang Ming bowed apologetically. “I was careless with my tongue, please forgive my inconsiderate words.”


    The general waved it off. “Do not worry, it was very long ago since I had came to terms with her passing.”


    “Has the general not thought of remarrying?” Sunli asked, recalling the stubborn way her own father Zhao Tong had remained single after becoming a widower.


    Huang Ming winced at her thoughtless question. The Amazon had asked the question without any ulterior motives, and did not notice a shadow flicker across the general’s face.


    “In my life, I have only known two remarkable women,” General Yin said wistfully, his grey eyes gazing levelly at her. Unfortunately for him, Sunli merely nodded and kept her head bowed in thought as she was thinking about the lack of a woman by her father’s side.


    “Let us turn to other matters,” Huang Ming put in hurriedly. “I have never been to the north, what is it like?”


    General Yin smiled bemusedly as he thought Huang Ming was embarrassed by the line of conversation, whereas Sunli seemed clueless by the faux pax she had committed.


    “It is cold and unforgiving. But the wide open steppes with the seas of grass are a sight to behold, and there is nothing like feeling the wind in your hair as you ride through it,” the general said and sighed.


    Huang Ming nodded in understanding. “You have often been called the shield of the north, our bulwark of defence against Jin. You saw how belligerent Ambassador Lord Aidi was, do you think they are preparing for war soon?”


    “They are a warrior people. They have always eyed the central plains with avarice, but they do so out of necessity. The north can be quite inhospitable, and it is no surprise that they covet our plentiful lands,” the general answered.


    “But are we of any danger from them currently?” Huang Ming asked urgently.


    “Danger can come from any where,” General Yin said enigmatically. “But I understand your concerns. In recent years they have remained relatively quiet, but I have heard rumours from traders about massive reconstruction and reformation efforts. Though I have seen nothing about gearing for war.”


    “What about the Princess of Jin? Lord Aidi seemed very proud of her.”


    “A remarkable woman,” General Yin said immediately. “The Prince of Jin is a great man in his own right, but there are many who say that much of his success is the work of the Princess of Jin as well.”


    The general paused to rub his chin thoughtfully. “You asked if we’re in any danger from them. My answer is this: yes, there is always the threat of war. They have always been a warlike people. But remember, they stood by and did nothing while we were entangled with Wei. For the time being, they seem more interested in domestic development, rather than war.”


    Huang Ming blinked. “You sound as if you admire them,” he said slowly.


    “Do you find it strange?”


    “Well, your family is known for its many stories of hardships and struggles against the Jins…” Huang Ming trailed off.


    “If you had asked me this ten years ago when I was still young and hotheaded, I would have said they were just barbarians. But now their people are strong and their leaders wise. Despite what some of our scholars think, we are hardly in a position to criticize them,” the general said sarcastically.


    Huang Ming kept his excitement down. The off-handed comment was the general’s strongest indication yet about the state of affairs in their own country.


    “It is kill or be killed,” General Yin continued, almost fatalistically. “We are merely warriors doing our duties. I hold no personal hatred against the Jins, they are only trying to find richer lands of milk and honey for their people. It just so happens that my family is the one standing in their way.”


    Huang Ming nodded and filed the general’s information away to be shared with Qiong Ying later. Sunli on the other hand found Huang Ming’s questions to be bewildering. Why was he suddenly interested in the north and the Princess of Jin?


    Underneath their table, Sunli pinched Huang Ming’s thigh.


    “Perhaps we should discuss more relevant matters,” she growled.


    Huang Ming did not let the pain show on his face.


    “General, you spoke of duty. I now have a charge for you…”


    The general saw the solemn look on their faces and leaned in to listen closely.


    Several poignant minutes later, General Yin leaned back and exhaled heavily. Only a few moments had passed, yet the general’s face seemed to have aged.


    “General, the king requires your assistance,” Huang Ming said gravely.


    “I see now why you were asking about the north, you were worried of an attack by Jin while we are dealing with… with this,” General Yin muttered.


    “Can we count on you, sir? The Imperial Guard under Wang Hong is a threat, and you are our best hope to counter it,” Huang Ming said.


    “This is for our country, I will of course do my utmost,” the general agreed.


    Thus arrangements were made for future meetings. The general promised to attend and then they parted ways satisfactorily.


    General Yin stared at the departing backs of Huang Ming and Sunli, unknown questions running through his mind. Already he could see Sunli was disgruntled at Huang Ming, and she was demanding one thing or another that was beyond the general’s hearing.


    He smiled cynically.


    ***


    “We have enlisted the general’s help,” Huang Ming announced to Huang Lang and his brother-in-law Cao Shuang at the latter’s brothel hideout.


    “Good, that is one thing done,” Huang Lang said with satisfaction. But he saw that Huang Ming was still uncertain.


    “Is something wrong?” he asked.


    “There is something about the general that is unsettling to me,” Huang Ming said.


    “You’re probably just jealous of the way he approached your fiancée,” Cao Shuang said snidely.


    Huang Ming pulled a face but said nothing. How was he going to explain that his doubts were just unjustified feelings? There was no evidence to support his suspicions.


    “Well, it would not hurt to keep an eye on him,” Huang Lang mused aloud.


    Cao Shuang eyed his sister’s husband critically. “Are you accusing the general of something? He is a tried and true patriot whose fame is known to all.”


    “We should always have contingencies,” Huang Lang said amicably. “But let us put that aside. Have you managed to track down that Nangong Xie?”


    It was Cao Shuang’s turn to grimace. “I am working on it,” he said.


    “I had already introduced Princess Wu Liying to you, have you not coordinated with her?” Huang Lang asked with a frown.


    “Do you think it is wise to have her be part of this personally?” Cao Shuang grumbled.


    “What, are you afraid of her? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re intimidated by her!” Huang Ming laughed.


    Cao Shuang glared at him incredulously. “She is the princess! She should not be involved in such matters!”


    “I’ll be sure to tell her that you think she’s incapable,” Huang Ming said dryly, and the governor’s son turned pale.


    “That is not what I meant,” Cao Shuang said hurriedly.


    “This matter shouldn’t be delayed any further,” Huang Lang said.


    “That’s right,” Huang Ming agreed, enjoying the look on Cao Shuang’s face.


    Then Huang Lang turned to him.


    “Perhaps you should act as bait to lure Nangong Xie out,” he suggested.


    Huang Ming goggled at his brother. “That is not what I meant-”


    “Right!” Cao Shuang interrupted. “The princess should tell Nangong Xie that Huang Ming is leaving the capital soon. Surely he could not bear to miss the chance to kill him. Then when he appears, we will nab him!”


    It was Cao Shuang’s turn to smirk at Huang Ming.


    “Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe,” he said with grin.

    Subdued emotions and premonition,
    Wheels in motion, gaining traction.
     
    Anon2.0, FAiri110, Lagu and 5 others like this.
  6. Shance

    Shance 『Trying to evade the wall in the front』『Failing』

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2015
    Messages:
    2,757
    Likes Received:
    2,048
    Reading List:
    Link
    "He smiled cynically." Can you foreshadow a bit more there?! Damn his cynical smile.
     
    rdawv likes this.
  7. idgetsxx

    idgetsxx The Real Life Snorlax

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2016
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    123
    Reading List:
    Link
    Gah! Was the cynical smile because he wanted to steal Sunli, or because he is already in the prime minister's pocket???
     
    FAiri110 and rdawv like this.
  8. shin chan

    shin chan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2016
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    114
    Reading List:
    Link
    Thanks for the chapter
     
    rdawv likes this.
  9. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    “Tonight, we will be partaking of a liquid repast as we wind our way up the Golden Mile.”
    --Gary King, ‘The World’s End’ (2013)


    Chapter 141 – Hearing different things

    Thus a few days later, Huang Ming found himself drinking and making merry in the brothel, in plain sight for all to see.


    “You need to draw Nangong Xie out. Make all effort to let everyone know that you are going back home soon, that this is going to be your last night in the capital,” Cao Shuang had told him earlier.


    “What, do you expect me to shout and sing in the streets?” Huang Ming grumbled.


    “No, you can start right here in this brothel. Here, take this money. Splash the cash, indulge in your most hedonistic desires and make as much of a spectacle as you can. You were famous for being the wastrel of Tianxin City, I’m sure you know what to do,” Cao Shuang said sarcastically.


    Huang Ming’s facial expression was solemn and his voice flat as he nodded reluctantly.


    “This is such a heavy responsibility and a most terrifying duty, but I will do my utmost,” Huang Ming deadpanned.


    “I’m sure,” Cao Shuang sneered. “Just don’t overdo it, you are only to pretend to be roaring drunk, we don’t need you to get too smashed to avoid an actual assassination attack.”


    “Maybe I should go with him,” Quan Lu suggested. The disguised Qiong Ying was none too pleased with this particular scheme.


    “No, you stand out too much,” Cao Shuang said as he shook his head.


    Qiong Ying did not know whether she should laugh or cry, her male disguise had worked all too well. She was about to tell Cao Shuang the truth, after all they were practically distant relatives with their ties to the Huangs.


    But just as she had opened her mouth, she changed her mind.


    “Fine,” ‘Quan Lu said distractedly. Huang Ming frowned, he did not think that she would give up her idea so quickly.


    Later he asked her about it, and she smirked.


    “I had thought you would be there to restrain me,” Huang Ming said with a smile of his own.


    “I had thought you would prefer being unfettered while indulging in your most hedonistic desires,” she teased.


    “Well…” Huang Ming trailed off and affected a wistful look.


    She pinched him in the waist and they shared a laugh.


    “I think the disguise is still useful for the time being,” Qiong Ying said. “You and Cao Shuang are too focused on Nangong Xie, but you have forgotten about Lord Fang La. ”


    “I thought he would be swept along with all the rest when this is over,” Huang Ming admitted. He did not consider the Prime Minister’s nephew a serious threat at all, after all he had seen how the man had dropped his nobleman’s façade and revealed his cowardly nature on the walls of Tianxin City.


    “I have a plan,” Qiong Ying said and told him.


    Huang Ming’s face scrunched up once he had heard it.


    “You are vicious,” he said in a complimentary tone. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”


    Qiong Ying gave him a sweet smile. “Just don’t overdo it,” she said, repeating the earlier warning from Cao Shuang.


    That was several days ago.


    Since then Huang Ming had prominently and loudly made it known that he was living it up every night at capital’s night spots, partying as if it was his last day.


    To keep the ruse believable, Huang Ming had his bodyguards stand stoically on the first night. On the second night, he had them pretend to reluctantly accompany him to drink after much coaxing, making sure to covertly dump their drinks.


    On the third night, all three men were singing loudly shoulder-to-shoulder as a mass of singing girls laugh and clap along gaily. It had appeared to all observers that the young master was having so much fun that even his bodyguards had been influenced.


    By the fourth night, the entire brothel was filled with singing, turning the pleasure house into a giant party venue. Patrons who were seeking lusty delights of the flesh were instead drawn into drinking and rub shoulders with the Hero of Tigertrap Pass. Huang Ming toasted them all and regaled them with exaggerated war stories.


    Each night was filled with gambling, drinking games, singing girls and other revelry and would only end in the wee hours of the next day with the three men staggering home in a terrible state.


    This epic drunken binge soon became the gossip of the capital city and eventually got the attention of Nangong Xie. At first the Handsome Scholar scoffed and sneered, patiently waiting for the day that Huang Ming would leave the city so as to meet an ‘unfortunate accident’ that he would prepare in advance.


    But one night the topic of Huang Ming’s revelry turned to stories of Tianxin City. Someone asked for tales of Huang Ming’s past and he gladly obliged, first by enthralling his audience with a retelling of Cao Tianyun’s now fabled poetry competition for a husband.


    The listeners clapped and cheered at the end and demanded for more.


    Then Huang Ming said, “Here’s a funny story…” and proceeded to make them break into peals of laughter by telling them how he had fooled Nangong Xie into buying a lewd ivory idol.


    “Now you might think that someone who is called The Handsome Scholar would be too clever for this,” Huang Ming said, emphasizing the nickname. “But between you and me,” he continued to his audience of dozens, “…he all but allowed himself to be fooled. Rumours has it that he uses one hand to caress it to sleep every night!”


    Huang Ming proceeded to grab the air obscenely with one hand to mimic a rough fondle, causing the men to laugh lewdly and the women to blush.


    One of the slower-witted serving girls asked naively: “Why just the one hand?”


    To which Huang Ming merely gestured exaggeratedly in a stroking motion with his other hand near the crotch level, and the audience howled.


    “The Handsome Scholar? More like The Lewd Scholar!”


    When this reached the ears of Nangong Xie, he became enraged and was no longer content to wait for Huang Ming to leave the confines of the capital. Without informing his patron Prime Minister Tong Xuan, Nangong Xie took a cadre of men to lay an ambush near the brothel where Huang Ming was.


    “What are you doing?” Lord Fang La had asked when he saw Nangong Xie’s murderous intent.


    “To settle a problem with that Huang Ming! We have been far too indulgent and passive, it is time we act decisively!” Nangong Xie said angrily and brushed him off.


    Lord Fang La swallowed his own anger. Nangong Xie’s lack of reservedness before him was a stark reminder that his own influence in the Prime Minister’s camp had diminished greatly, and Lord Fang La lamented at how the guest that he had brought into his house was now acting like the host instead.


    How did things go so wrong? Fang La admitted that he had failed miserably in the attempt to seize military command from General Huang Zheng, but since then the Huangs had grown from being a minor concern at their side to an actual life-risking threat. They had survived the machinations of Marshal Gao Fang and now Huang Ming had even gained the attention of the King of Wu.


    Fang La had studied too much history and the classics to know that his uncle the Prime Minister had all the hallmarks of a civil servant overstepping the boundaries. At the very least, he knew that Tong Xuan’s name was not thought to be righteous.


    Fang La sighed. As the nobleman turned to leave, soft female laughter drifted over to his ears. He turned to gaze at the distant gardens and saw a young lady surrounded by her maids, and he drew a sharp breath as he recognized her.


    The group of women were oblivious to his stare, and Fang La eyes bored deeply into the lady, savouring every detail of the sight.


    She was his uncle’s concubine, and Lord Fang La regretted having known her when it was too late. When Prime Minister Tong Xuan had introduced her as the newest addition of his harem, Lord Fang La felt as if he had been struck by lightning.


    In Tianxin City he was slightly swayed by the courtesan Lady Qiong Ying of the Lichun Brothel, but Huang Ming’s song about unrequited love drove a sharp dagger into his heart. Huang Ming’s song had resonated with him, reminding Fang La that the person of his desires was so close and yet remained so far…


    What a farce this was, him helplessly in love with his uncle’s concubine! The thought of Tong Xuan’s old body pressing down on this delicate young lady made his skin crawl.


    Suddenly his uncle was not the beacon of leadership that Fang La once thought he was. Suddenly Tong Xuan was not the patriarch who was industrious in elevating the clan, but someone who was endlessly grasping and grabbing. Suddenly the Prime Minister was not a leader who worked tirelessly for the clan’s prosperity, but someone who was greedy, selfish and domineering.


    Lord Fang La’s eyes narrowed. They were still gazing at the young lady frolicking in the gardens, but his mind was elsewhere…


    The wind blows and fortunes change,
    The reeds bend to avoid a bad end.
     
    Anon2.0, Lagu, thornyflower and 6 others like this.
  10. Ddraig

    Ddraig Frostfire Dragon|Retired lurker|FFF|Loved by RNG

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2016
    Messages:
    7,853
    Likes Received:
    22,455
    Reading List:
    Link
    I don't know why but I am thinking that lord Fang la would betray the prime Minister and come on huang ming's side.
    Anyway thanks for the chapter.
     
  11. idgetsxx

    idgetsxx The Real Life Snorlax

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2016
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    123
    Reading List:
    Link
    +1 to Ddraig, but is the newest concubine Qiong Ying?????
     
  12. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    No, that young concubine is just someone else in a triangle between the uncle and the nephew. This side character was alluded to way back during the first meeting between Huang Ming, Qiong Ying and Lord Fang La at Tianxin City.
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2017
  13. idgetsxx

    idgetsxx The Real Life Snorlax

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2016
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    123
    Reading List:
    Link
    Ahhh the one he spoke or thought about before he tried to take over the military?
     
  14. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    Yes.
     
  15. thornyflower

    thornyflower Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2016
    Messages:
    117
    Likes Received:
    42
    Reading List:
    Link
    Hi rdawv, i just finished reading your novel, i found The Great Game to be a very high quality novel and i enjoyed reading it a lot. I think you have more than enough talent to succeed as an author and i think you should try in any way you can if you like writing more than your other job. I am looking forward to the next chapter and i really hope to see this novel been completed.
     
    idgetsxx and rdawv like this.
  16. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    Thank you very much for your kind words, I hope I can continue to keep you interested in the story!
     
    idgetsxx likes this.
  17. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
    Messages:
    2,137
    Likes Received:
    7,349
    Reading List:
    Link
    “Can't argue with a confident man.”
    --Napoleon Wilson, ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ (1976)


    Chapter 142 – Enticed

    Though there was fire lit in Nangong Xie, the Handsome Scholar was still rational enough to realize that attacking Huang Ming in public hours was too eye catching and would attract the attention of the authorities.


    Therefore he cannily dispatched his men in groups, sending them to various places to surround the house of pleasure Huang Ming was in. Nangong Xie himself chose the upper floor of a restaurant overlooking the brothel. He gnashed his teeth as he glared hatefully at the brothel, waiting impatiently for for the streets to be empty.


    Inside the brothel, Huang Ming took a short break from regaling his half-drunk audience.


    “This is killing me,” he complained to Cao Shuang who had little sympathy for Huang Ming’s pretend drinking and lechery.


    “You? You are not even drunk,” Cao Shuang scoffed. “If anyone is suffering from this play, it would be me. Do you realize how expensive this plan is becoming? The customers who should spending their gold with the women here are instead listening to your inane stories.”


    Huang Ming held up his palms defensively. “It is not as if I forced them to listen, maybe your girls are not attractive enough,” he said defensively. Then he frowned. “When did you become a pimp anyway?”


    It was Cao Shuang’s turn to be defensive. “You’re the pimp! I only took this place over as a cover,” he said gruffly as his face reddened.


    Huang Ming rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Yet, I had heard that you were furious at Quan Lu for being grabby with ‘your woman’,” he teased.


    “Shut up,” Cao Shuang growled. “I bought everything here including their contracts, so she literally is my woman.”


    “Ah, but you can’t just toss words out like that, you would just lead the woman on,” Huang Ming tsked.


    “You are the one to talk. How are you juggling your two fiancées?” Cao Shuang sneered.


    “I am handling it,” Huang Ming said flatly.


    “Really. From what I see, you might get speared by Miss Zhao, or having her being stolen by General Yin,” Cao Shuang goaded.


    “Oh, I’m sure it is just a phase for her,” Huang Ming said airily.


    Cao Shuang rolled his eyes, but whatever derisive comment he was about to say was interrupted when the subject of their discussion appeared, fully armoured and armed with her spear.


    “What is it?” Zhao Sunli asked suspiciously when she saw how the two men avoided her gaze.


    “Nothing. Has something happened?” Huang Ming diverted.


    “Your nonsense stories worked. Nangong Xie has come, he and his men are surrounding this place. At least a hundred of them,” the tall woman reported.


    Huang Ming was delighted. “Finally! I was beginning to think that he was deaf.”


    “It worked too well! I did not expect him to bring so many people,” Cao Shuang grunted.


    “Think of it as a very wide target selection,” Huang Ming replied cheerily. “Don’t worry, we have some capable people here,” he added, motioning towards Sunli.


    The Amazon gripped her spear tighter and nodded.


    “This is no joking matter, what are you going to do if they overwhelm us?” Cao Shuang said.


    “That depends. How valuable is this place to you?”


    ***


    The hours passed by all too slowly for Nangong Xie. He leapt to his feet the moment he deemed that the streets were sufficiently empty.


    With a swagger, he led a group of men towards the entrance.


    “We’re closed,” the gatekeeper drawled as he swept the grounds, not batting an eyelid at the approaching mass of thugs.


    “Get out of my way!” Nangong Xie shouted.


    “Has your thing grown too hard? Take care of it yourself and come back tomorrow!” the gatekeeper protested.


    Nangong Xie was perfectly furious. He had stewed over on how to deal with Huang Ming for the better part of several hours, and now this lowly peasant dares to talk back to him?


    He bared his teeth murderously and his men surged forward. The gatekeeper yelped and ran away into the streets, carrying his broom with him.


    “Surround this place, lock all the entrances! Nobody gets out except as a corpse!” Nangong Xie ordered.


    Full of murderous air, Nangong Xie entered the brothel.


    The first thing, the only thing he saw was a lone table in the middle of the floor, occupied by Huang Ming. The object of his hatred was drinking by his lonesome. Save for the discreet musicians and several scantily clad dancing girls atop the brothel’s stage, Huang Ming was completely alone. His focus was towards the stage, and thus it seemed he did not even see Nangong Xie’s entrance.


    Somehow it just made the Handsome Scholar even more maddened.


    “Huang Ming!” he shouted, his voice full of venom.


    The musicians stopped playing and the dancing girls stopped their alluring routine.


    Huang Ming slowly turned around on his seat, a cup still half-raised towards his mouth.


    He blinked, and then waved in recognition.


    “Yo, Brother Xie! Fancy meeting you here!” he called out.


    The Handsome Scholar ignored his greeting and stomped forward. His men quickly swarmed the table, the thugs glaring down menacingly on Huang Ming.


    “Brother Xie, what is the meaning of this?” Huang Ming asked with a smile.


    In another time, Nangong Xie would find Huang Ming’s calm behaviour while surrounded to be strange, but currently he was too clouded by rage to care.


    “I have tolerated you for far too long,” Nangong Xie hissed and he circled around Huang Ming like a predator stalking its prey.


    “What do you mean?” Huang Ming asked with feigned ignorance. He was not worried at all, for Nangong Xie was showing all the classic signs of going into evil gloating mode.


    “Don’t give me that, you fool!” Nangong Xie began, affirming Huang Ming’s cynical thoughts. “You think you are so smart, so clever, didn’t you?”


    “But Brother Xie, you’re the scholar, not me,” Huang Ming said with a lazy smile.


    Nangong Xie snarled, the smirk on Huang Ming’s face was becoming unbearable.


    “Don’t look so smug! I know what you’re thinking, that you’re better than me. How dare you get in my way time and again!” Nangong Xie raged.


    “I have no idea what you’re talking about, we have not met since… well, ever since that business with Lord Fang La. You didn’t even show up for the wedding of my brothers, I don’t even know what you have been up to since then,” Huang Ming lied, knowing that it would infuriate the scholar.


    It worked.


    “You… You!” Nangong Xie shrieked. “You dare to claim ignorance?”


    Huang Ming gestured towards the table. “Come sit down, have a drink and eat a bun,” he said jocularly as he poured a fresh cup.


    Nangong Xie violently swiped the proffered drink. The small cup fell to the floor and broke into pieces with a loud clash.


    “Why so serious?” Huang Ming asked, still smiling.


    The Handsome Scholar’s eyes bulged and veins on his head threatened to burst. To observers, the situation was extremely tense, and one might think that Nangong Xie would have strangled Huang Ming with his bare hands there and then.


    Suddenly there was a jangle of tiny bells and rustling of silk from the dancing stage, drawing the attention of Nangong Xie and all his minions.


    A slender beauty wearing a shortened qipao had appeared on the stage, her face covered by a veil. Tiny dancing bells adorn her wrists and ankles, they tinkled with her every movement. In her hands were silk shawls, so fine as to appear translucent. Her one piece dress was tight-fitting and short and accentuated her figure, enticing and yet not raunchy.


    She was unlike the previous exotic dancers who bared much skin and left little to the imagination. This beauty wore enough to cover herself decently, yet the qipao was like a gift wrapper that promised much more.


    It was enough to distract even Nangong Xie, and his men began to drool.


    “What is this…” the Handsome Scholar started to mutter in confusion, finding the woman on the stage to be familiar.


    “Ah, here’s the opening act!” Huang Ming exclaimed loudly.


    First step used words and jokes,
    So that he would be provoked.
    Second step of the plan,
    Lure him into the den.
    The third action,
    A fatal distraction.
     
    Anon2.0, cray0909, Lagu and 6 others like this.
  18. jomargonzaga

    jomargonzaga Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    9
    Reading List:
    Link
    thanks
     
    rdawv likes this.
  19. Mufarasu

    Mufarasu Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    Messages:
    1,598
    Likes Received:
    1,850
    Reading List:
    Link
    Thanks for the chapter.
     
    rdawv likes this.
  20. kirvy

    kirvy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2017
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    15
    Reading List:
    Link
    Thanks for the chapter:)
     
    rdawv likes this.