Chapter Sixty-Four: Grilled Delicacies at the Courtesan House, Admiring the Snow

He Chang’an, in the end, did not go to handle the case. Instead, he and Li Yishan were both thrown out, chased from the Demon Suppression Tower.

The snow had just stopped, the wind was piercingly cold.

As they left the gates of the Demon Slayers’ Division, He Chang’an looked at Li Yishan and felt a headache coming on.

This old man was sly in his own quiet way.

Once he learned the little nun’s exact whereabouts, he dragged He Chang’an to look for Lord Zheng, alternately pleading and hurling flowery curses, until Lord Zheng, utterly exasperated, had no choice but to throw them both out.

Thus, the task of rescuing the princess naturally fell to Lord Zheng.

He Chang’an, however, could see that for Lord Zheng, a “trivial matter” like this was hardly worth mentioning—a mere flick of the wrist.

“Boy, where do you plan to go? Should I take you to the Music Bureau?” As soon as they left, Li Yishan was in high spirits, stroking his beard with a smile. “On the house—authentic Miss Jinse.”

The old man blinked, looking kind and affable.

He Chang’an shivered at the sight, muttering, “You don’t even have money anyway...”

Li Yishan simply smiled and said nothing.

He stood at the gate of the Demon Slayers’ courtyard, hands behind his back, letting the icy wind whip at his wild white hair, his eyes distant, his figure tinged with melancholy.

“How about a few baskets of lamb buns?” He Chang’an suddenly remembered the small courtyard he had rented in Yellow Mud Alley. “I have a little place there. You can stay for now.”

He thought of Ajiu, that ragged alley youth. If he stuck with Li Yishan, he’d never have to worry about food.

“What’s so special about lamb buns? Come on, let’s go to the Music Bureau.” Li Yishan, after a brief daze, set off through the snow, heading straight for the red-light quarter.

He Chang’an hesitated but silently followed.

In truth, he wanted nothing more than to return beneath the Demon Suppression Tower; the great formation there offered protection, and he could freely absorb the baleful energies of demons and ghosts—a true treasure ground for him.

Yet the threat of the Night God Cult still lingered, leaving him uneasy.

But Lord Zheng had made himself clear: for now, follow Li Yishan on “casework,” and perhaps learn a thing or two about a scholar’s thick skin...

Moreover, He Chang’an vaguely sensed that, in some hidden place beyond his perception, a few pairs of eyes were watching him—not with malice, but likely because his “bait” mission was not yet over.

This brought him some comfort.

...

The Music Bureau boasted neither grand towers nor vulgar red lanterns. If Li Yishan hadn’t led the way, He Chang’an would have suspected this was some noble’s residence.

They walked single-file through the snow, winding past groves of plum trees, until they reached a small two-story building.

Li Yishan said, “Boy, this is Jinse Pavilion. Remember, next time you come, use my name for a twenty percent discount.”

He Chang’an replied, “Didn’t you say it would be free?”

Li Yishan retorted, “Can you write poetry? Are you a scholar?”

He Chang’an muttered, “Scholars are useless for anything practical.”

Li Yishan laughed, “Are you half as charming as I am?”

He Chang’an admitted, “Not at all...”

Under a tall spruce at the entrance sat two maids, huddled by a fire. Noticing guests approaching, they paid little heed, whispering and giggling amongst themselves.

From time to time, clumps of snow fell from the tree, landing on their heads and shoulders, but they hardly seemed to care.

“Miss has been in a bad mood lately, chased off all the patrons.”

“Those students from the Imperial Academy look decent enough, but their heads are empty—as if licked clean by a dog.”

“They talk big about their professors, but what are academy scholars anyway? Can’t fight, can’t really write, and still want freebies for a few lines of poetry...”

“The worst are the old lechers—calling it ‘pear blossoms pressing on crabapple’—but really, they’re just autumn grasshoppers, still trying to jump.”

“Taoist priests are better—cultured and with money.”

“Or with plenty of tricks...”

“You cheeky girl—itching for trouble?”

...

Li Yishan kept his eyes straight ahead, expression calm, exuding the air of a lofty master as he lifted the curtain and went inside.

He Chang’an’s expression was odd. Glancing at the two maids by the fire, he simply walked over, clasped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, “Sisters, warming yourselves?”

The two maids looked up in surprise, sizing him up.

He Chang’an smiled, pulled out a piece of sheepskin, tossed it on the ground, and sat down with a satisfied sigh. “It’s so much better out here, nice and cool.”

One was plump with baby fat, the other was slender and girlish—a perfect pair. Both had fair, clean skin, their star-bright eyes pure and lovely in the firelight.

He Chang’an glanced from one to the other, grinning. “Hope I’m not disturbing your elegant enjoyment of the snow and fire?”

“A little bit,” giggled the plump one, covering her mouth.

The slender girl said nothing, merely shifted aside with a faint look of distaste, puffing out her cheeks.

He Chang’an took no offense. As long as they weren’t demons, and were women, that was good enough for him. After a whole winter under the Demon Suppression Tower, he feared his state of mind would come to harm.

“Snow, fire, and a view—how can that do without wine and meat?” He Chang’an began pulling items from his pack: a homemade grill, dozens of bamboo skewers, and several jars and bottles.

“Pity there’s no game, only some ordinary lamb—let’s make do for now.”

With a practiced hand, he drew a large oilpaper bundle from his storage bag and unwrapped it, revealing a leg of mountain goat.

Food in the Great Tang was simple; even wealthy households in Chang’an ate mainly lamb, with greens being little more than cabbage or radish, and a stew of tofu and cabbage a rare treat.

Lamb required little seasoning: a few peppercorns, slices of ginger, a couple of scallions, some cilantro, and a generous pinch of salt at the end—the result was a soup and meat fit for the gods.

But grilling meat over fire—this, the city folk had scarcely seen.

So, as He Chang’an deftly set up the grill and sliced the leg into cubes to skewer, the two maids exchanged a look of surprise.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the plump girl blinked her big eyes. “Are you a demon slayer or a hunter?”

The slender one remained silent. Only now did she notice that this country bumpkin wore the demon slayer’s uniform. There was something pure and delicate about his features, but she eyed him with even more disdain.

“My mother died young, my father went north to fight as a border soldier, so I was left alone. If I didn’t hunt, I’d have starved,” He Chang’an replied as he worked.

“So, I’m not used to your city ways.”

He looked up at the two girls, flashed a smile, showing a row of neat white teeth, and deliberately bared them. “There’s plenty of game in the mountains—set a snare or two, and you could catch a deer or a goat.”

“Sigh, when I think about it, even wild beasts treated me better.”

The plump girl grew curious, reaching out a chubby hand to pick up a bamboo skewer. “If you put meat on bamboo, won’t the stick burn?”

She tried to skewer a piece of lamb, awkwardly threading it.

“It would, unless you keep turning it,” He Chang’an replied, eyes crinkling as he sprinkled spice and brushed sesame oil over the skewers, expertly turning them over the flames.

“See? That’s the trick—crisp outside, tender inside, each bite full of flavor.”

Soon enough, a batch was done. He Chang’an handed a skewer to the plump girl with a smile. “Try it.”

The slender one—never mind, she could go without.

Damn, that look of disdain—was it because he had no money, or wasn’t handsome enough? Maybe she was only into the likes of Li Yishan, those old lechers...

Not his problem.

The plump girl put down her skewer, wiped her hands on a soft cloth, and took the meat with some suspicion. “If it isn’t good, you’ll be in trouble!”

“Jinse, would you like to try one too?”