I Am The Villain In The Novel - Chapter 39: Mid-Autumn Festival and the Fox Demon (Part 1)

Chapter 39: Mid-Autumn Festival and the Fox Demon (Part 1)

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with the Empress Dowager’s 80th birthday. With the entire nation enjoying a bountiful harvest, congratulatory memorials poured into the palace like snowflakes. Finally, Ning Yongnian was overjoyed and issued a grand proclamation.

Grand Celebration

When Wei Changtian went out, the entire capital city was already bustling with excitement.

Every household had hung up large red lanterns, and firecrackers were going off everywhere, even the patrol officers on the streets had tied a red ribbon on their sword hilts, conveying the festive atmosphere.

Especially in the major commercial districts, the scene was reminiscent of a bustling train station during the Spring Festival.

Long tables were set up on the streets, offering a grand feast for the people, although the wine was not fine and the dishes were not exquisite, but they were all provided free of charge by the government.

Vendors selling snacks and lanterns were shouting loudly as they wove through the crowds, children were holding sugar figurines and clinging to their parents’ clothes, and when they ran into friends on the street, they would stop and exchange a few words of praise for this peaceful era.

As night fell, the revelry only intensified, and by the hour of the boar (9-11 pm), the celebration was in full swing.

Except for a few border cities, there was no curfew in the capital, so the festivities continued unabated.

The full moon, symbolizing human emotions, had risen to the middle of the sky, casting its silver-white light unobstructed onto the earth, illuminating the shadows of the multitude.

Some farmers were getting drunk on the free wine provided by the government; some scholars were arguing over a lantern riddle, their faces red with excitement.

A young warrior stood at the gate of the brothel, feeling frustrated as he touched his empty purse; a woman with a charming smile was waving a handkerchief at a familiar customer from her window; a man in luxurious attire was gazing at his wife and children in the distance; while a child was staring at the sword at the young warrior’s waist, his face filled with admiration…

At this moment, everything in the world seemed to be connected by the bright moonlight, like a grand play unfolding in the darkness of night.

Meanwhile, in the south of the city, by the Qingci River, a small theatrical performance was about to begin, but the audience was mostly composed of idle rich young men and some pedantic scholars.

…

The Qingci River was not very wide or deep, but it could still accommodate several flower boats.

Wei Changtian stood on a small boat. The boatman behind him was paddling hard. The boat pushed away the bright spots reflected on the river surface and sailed towards a flower boat at a moderate speed.

At this distance, the flower boat was still some way off, but the scenery of the dancing shadows and fluttering butterflies on board was already vaguely visible, making one’s heart feel drawn to it.

“There aren’t many people, are there?”

Wei Changtian muttered to himself, and Wang Er immediately responded, “Most people are just here to catch a glimpse of Miss Liu, and compared to you, they don’t stand a chance.”

The term “competitive power” was something Wang Er had learned from Wei Changtian, and now he was using it in a very practical way.

“Well, I must get started with Yang Liushi today.”

Wei Changtian nodded and asked again, “How about the task I assigned to you earlier?”

“It’s all taken care of, Master,” Wang Er replied, pointing to several small boats hidden around the flower boat, and handing over a copper whistle. “They’re all sixth-rank experts. As soon as they hear the whistle, they’ll be on the flower boat in no time.”

Wei Changtian took the whistle and didn’t say another word. The small boat beneath his feet stopped beside the flower boat.

“Lord Wei! Lord Wei has arrived!” the turtle-like servant on the boat shouted, immediately lowering a soft ladder.

However, climbing the ladder was too cumbersome, so Wei Changtian roughly estimated the height of the flower boat, bent his legs slightly, and with a few quick steps, he jumped onto the deck.

“Good skills, Master!” the turtle-like servant and several young servants exclaimed, looking like they were about to fire celebratory fireworks.

Wei Changtian, with a heroic air, patted his sleeve, and tossed a small silver ingot to the servant. “Is Miss Liu here?”

“Of course! We’ve been waiting for you!”

The turtle-like servant hastily accepted the silver ingot, beaming with joy, and bowed to one side. “Please, Master, this way. I’ll take you to your seat.”

“Ah.”

Following the direction of the music, Wei Changtian walked about ten steps and entered the cabin.

The scenery before him suddenly transformed, like entering a different world.

About a dozen women, dressed in thin silk, were dancing to the enchanting music, their every move and smile exuding irresistible charm, making one want to immediately join them and dance together.

The young masters sitting around, almost thirty in number, were all dressed in luxurious attire, each with a servant girl by their side, drinking and having a good time.

These servant girls were supposedly Yang Liushi’s attendants, but in reality, they had the “duty” of accompanying the young masters.

Some of them already looked like they were about to fulfill their “duties”.

If one had to describe the scene before him… was it “intoxicated by wealth and beauty”? “A feast of music and dance”? “A world of pleasure and indulgence”?

Or perhaps…

Wei Changtian’s mind suddenly flashed with a phrase.

“A grand banquet on the sea”?

…

Soon, Wei Changtian took his seat in the front row.

A servant girl, as beautiful as Qiu Yuna, came over to offer him fine wine and delicacies, then took two steps closer, probably waiting for him to nod before throwing herself into his arms.

However, Wei Changtian didn’t have the time to bother with that right now.

He waved his hand to dismiss the servant girl and scanned the room, asking Wang Er, “Tell me about each of these people, don’t miss a single one.”

“Yes.”

Wang Er, standing behind him, immediately bowed and leaned in to whisper in Wei Changtian’s ear, introducing each person in turn:

“That one touching the servant girl’s leg is Fan Xian, son of the Minister of Rites…”

“That one kissing the servant girl is He Shouyuan, son of the He family, who owns the largest money exchange in the capital…”

“That one holding hands with the servant boy is Yang Yunqing, son of the Yang family, whose sister is the Imperial Concubine Yang…”

“Wait a minute!”

Wei Changtian looked at Yang Yunqing, who had a sinister expression, and asked, “What is he doing here?”

“This Yang Yunqing is bisexual.”

“Oh, continue.”

“Yes.”

“…”

Before long, Wang Er had introduced almost everyone in the room, until he paused slightly when he got to one person.

Remembering Wei Changtian’s earlier instruction to “not miss a single one”, he continued:

“That one flirting with three servant girls at the same time is Liu Zongliang, son of the Liu family…”

Liu Zongliang?

Hearing this familiar name again, Wei Changtian couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Although he didn’t know how the previous master had humiliated this person, judging from Liu Zongliang’s reaction, the extent of the humiliation was likely no less than being trampled underfoot.

“Bang!”

The wine cup suddenly shattered on the floor, and the three servant girls screamed and jumped back.

Liu Zongliang, who had noticed Wei Changtian’s presence, instantly stood up, his eyes blazing with anger.

The commotion naturally attracted a lot of attention, but everyone else quickly looked away, busying themselves with their own activities.

After all, neither the Liu family nor the Wei family was someone to be trifled with.

One side of Wei Changtian’s face was calm, with a hint of a smile, while the other side was red with anger.

Wei Changtian locked eyes with Liu Zongliang for a moment, and the music suddenly stopped.