Chapter Ninety-Seven: Leaving Without a Trace, Concealing Merit and Fame

The last rays of the sunset were swallowed by the dark, heavy clouds on the horizon. Orange lanterns were hung one by one. The level streets, the houses arranged in picturesque disorder, and the graceful, varied flora and trees all appeared hazy and shadowed, like a bewitching young girl in pink.

On the spacious threshing floor at the entrance of Dayu Town, the lights were brilliant. On an elaborately constructed stage, several young and beautiful maidens danced gracefully to the accompaniment of musicians, drawing bursts of applause from time to time.

"Yelai! Yelai! We want Yelai!" A group of dashing young men who had rushed over from Chang'an City began to shout.

Gu Xiehua did not disappoint the crowd. Transformed into "Yelai," she appeared in response, surrounded by a group of maidens. With a charming smile, she performed the Lingbo Dance, so light and ethereal that it seemed no less impressive than that of the renowned Xie Aman.

"A woman like Yelai is not meant to be locked away in a boudoir, becoming the sole plaything of some man."

At the very front of the stage, Lu Jiu lifted his tea, blew on it, and took a slow sip.

"This is my private affair; it is not for you to meddle in." Seeing the radiant smile on Gu Xiehua’s face on stage, Lu Lelia felt a sense of resonance. However, hearing Lu Jiu point it out so bluntly made him feel quite uncomfortable.

The corners of Lu Jiu's mouth curled slightly in an imperceptible smile.

Yang Xing'er gently plucked her strings and began to sing, her voice melodious and winding as she performed Master Taibai’s poem, "Chrysanthemums."

"The lonely orchid grows in a secluded garden, buried away with the common weeds. Though it reflects the brilliance of the spring sun, it yearns for the moon of high autumn. The flying frost arrives with a patter; I fear the green beauty will wither. If not for the clear breeze blowing, for whom would its fragrance bloom?"

It had to be said that Yang Xing'er, the top courtesan of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in Chengdu Prefecture, was truly a master of both zither and song. Her fame was well-deserved. The people on the threshing floor were utterly mesmerized.

"Sigh!" Lu Lelia sighed in extreme annoyance. "Why do I feel more depressed the more I listen to this poem about chrysanthemums today?"

"Unable to write one yourself, you're jealous of your talented master," Lu Jiu remarked from the side, hitting the nail on the head.

"Pfft! Jealous? Why would I be jealous? The one who wrote these eternal masterpieces is my master." Lu Lelia shrugged, showing a hint of pride and smugness.

"Understood. The teacher teaches and the disciple inherits, so these poems destined to be passed down for centuries might as well be yours, Lu Lelia." Lu Jiu said this with such solemnity that Lu Lelia’s face turned bright red.

"They say Liu Yiyi's sword dance received guidance from Grand Dame Gongsun. But in my opinion, her swordplay hides a murderous intent; it's not just for show. Zhou Liuzi, don't you think so?" Lu Lelia turned his head to avoid Lu Jiu's mocking gaze and asked Zhou Liuzi.

"Young Master, your eyes are like torches; why ask me?" Zhou Liuzi's gaze had never left Liu Yiyi, who was performing her sword dance on stage.

In the silent hush, the grand finale finally arrived.

Gu Xiehua, dressed in men's clothing and holding a white jade flute, looked as elegant as a celestial being, her clothes fluttering in the wind. Before the zither, Yang Xing'er was graceful and poised. They looked like a pair of carefree, transcendent lovers.

The flute began, the zither joined in; one clear and melodious, the other winding and low. The enchanting sound seemed to transport everyone in the audience away from this mundane, dusty world, as if roaming in a fairyland.

With her graceful figure and fluttering movements, Liu Yiyi, in a pale green dress, danced like a fairy from the heavens, accompanying the music of the zither and flute, etching this scene forever into the hearts of the spectators.

Applause and cheers seemed as if they would taint these beings—who felt like immortals from heaven—with the dust of the mortal world. A strange sense of being moved brought tears to almost everyone's eyes.

Beautiful maidens carrying flower baskets began to move through the crowd like butterflies among flowers, soliciting donations. Even the poorest and stingiest among them did not hesitate to take out copper coins and toss them into the baskets.

Among the wealthy and prominent in the front rows, the three top courtesans of the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion descended themselves, smiling as they handed baskets to the young men who usually spent gold like water. Countless jewels and jade ornaments filled the baskets in an instant. Behind them, people raised their hands high, eager to personally present their precious items to the three beautiful courtesans.

Gu Xiehua changed to a new basket and walked with a sweet smile to the side of Lu Jiu and Lu Lelia.

Lu Jiu casually tossed a pouch of bright pearls into Gu Xiehua's basket. Seeing Gu Xiehua looking at him with a sly, smiling expression, Lu Lelia suddenly panicked.

He had some copper coins on him, but no one around him was bringing out such shabby things. Gritting his teeth, he took off the headpiece he was wearing and tossed it, along with the inlaid precious jade, into the basket. Touching his slightly aching chest, he gave a dry, awkward smile. This headpiece was a gift from his newly wedded mistress, Zong Yueniang, when he reached adulthood.

Zhang Sanniang took out ten sweaty copper coins and was about to toss them into the maiden's basket in front.

"Mother, Mother! Look, that fairy sister in men's clothing looks just like Lady Gu from benefactor Lu's house!" her son tugged at her sleeve.

Zhang Sanniang smoothed her disheveled hair and looked over, just in time to see the top courtesan "Yelai" soliciting a donation from Lu Lelia.

A woman's appearance might change in a thousand ways, but the look in her eyes, filled with deep affection, could never change. Zhang Sanniang was stunned for a long while; then, with a hardened heart, she tossed all the copper coins she had into the maiden's basket.

After tossing a fine jade pendant into Yang Xing'er's basket, Jun Ruochen sighed slightly. His gaze fixed, he walked toward Lu Lelia, whose long hair was dancing in the wind. Dongfang Qianqian tossed in a gold hairpin and followed him.

"Regarding this competition, no matter how it is judged, I, Jun Ruochen, admit defeat. I am convinced."

Lu Lelia patted Jun Ruochen on the shoulder with satisfaction. "You are a kind and capable young man. The people of Dayu Town speak very highly of you. However, just being a 'good person' is useless. In life, the most important thing is food and clothing—securing a livelihood."

Jun Ruochen was dumbfounded. *Can't you see that Qian'er beside me is already dressed as a married woman? Are you still treating me like an ignorant youth?* Confused for a long while, he left in a sullen mood.

"Lu Lelia, you did well, kid!" Dongfang Qianqian secretly gave Lu Lelia a thumbs-up.

Lu Lelia didn't speak, only smiled with self-satisfaction.

"Praising you once and you're already getting cocky. But you really have great luck with women. When did you reel in Lady Yelai from the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion? Don't play dumb! You don't know who I, Dongfang Qianqian, am? Her makeup technique might fool others, but it can't fool me." Dongfang Qianqian wrinkled her nose at him triumphantly.

The performance by the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion ended while the audience was still yearning for more. Lu Lelia called out to Zhou Liuzi, who was busy helping with the cleanup.

"Zhou Liuzi, you guys are rich, aren't you? Not just you and Boss Hu, but even that pauper Li Sheng didn't hesitate to toss a jade pendant during the donation. I even gave away the headpiece Master Zong gave me. Are you all hiding something from me?"

"What's there to hide? When you were playing chess against that Master Qin, the Wang family opened a betting pool with odds of one to eleven. Madam Xiehua told us all to bet on you, and everyone made a killing. Now that Madam Xiehua is raising money for orphans, don't you think we should give something back?" Zhou Liuzi answered casually and walked off toward Liu Yiyi.

Lu Lelia froze, taking a long moment to react before feeling immense regret. "Eleven to one! Damn it, such a great chance to get rich, why didn't anyone tell me?"

He caught up to Zhou Liuzi. "How much did you all bet?"

Seeing the fervent light in Lu Lelia's eyes, Zhou Liuzi cautiously tucked his precious jade pendant into his clothes. "How much could we bet? But that fatty Cheng Changmu placed a heavy bet. And your fellow disciple, the young Daoist Gu Ye, also bet quite a bit."

"No wonder he was so generous in treating everyone to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion last time. Gu Ye, you little rascal, you've gone bad." At this moment, Lu Lelia looked at everyone as if they all owed him a fortune.

In the autumn night breeze, Zhang Sanniang stood for a long time with her son. Seeing that there was no one left around Lu Lelia, she walked over and knelt before him with her son.

"Thank you, Benefactor. It is you who allowed my Zhang family to live with dignity."

Lu Lelia hurriedly helped Zhang Sanniang up, looking quite uncomfortable. "Sister-in-law Zhang, you are too kind; I didn't really do anything."

At this moment, Gu Xiehua approached in her male attire. Before she could speak, Zhang Sanniang had her son kneel before her, kowtowing repeatedly.

"I know that the benefactor and his wife are no ordinary people. My family will keep your immense kindness in our hearts. We will eat vegetarian meals and pray to Buddha to bless you both with peace and long lives."

As Zhang Sanniang left with her son, Gu Xiehua touched her head, confused, having no idea how she had been recognized.

"It wasn't just Zhang Sanniang who recognized you today; Jun Ruochen's wife, Dongfang Qianqian, recognized you too." Lu Lelia smiled triumphantly, as if it were a great achievement that Gu Xiehua's disguise had been seen through.

"Hmph! That Dongfang Qianqian is the daughter of my family's enemy and comes from the same Wan Hua Valley lineage as me; it's normal for her to recognize me. But it's strange that Zhang Sanniang could discover me." Gu Xiehua huffed, feeling quite dejected.

"What's so strange about it? No matter how you change, I can recognize you. You did a great favor for the Zhang family; naturally, she would remember you clearly." Lu Lelia dismissed it, not thinking much of the Wan Hua Valley's magical makeup arts.

At night, after the joy had passed, Lu Lelia gazed at the night sky outside the window, his dark eyes shimmering.

"A few days ago, I was actually quite depressed. Think about it: I've done quite a bit of good for Chang'an and the Great Tang. But apart from getting the title of 'Disciple of the Poet Immortal,' what have I gained? Today, seeing the Zhang family live a stable life, seeing Dayu Town becoming bustling and prosperous, and raising a good sum for the orphans—my heart feels full and satisfied again. Whatever rewards, whatever benefits—it doesn't matter if I don't have them."

"After the deed is done, brush off your clothes and go, hiding your name and fame." Gu Xiehua lay on Lu Lelia's chest, playing with the headpiece he had donated, and laughed mischievously. "I never knew my husband had such noble integrity."

"Indeed. You don't see who wrote this *Song of the Knight-Errant*, and who the person beside you is a disciple of." Lu Lelia felt his stature was incredibly tall at that moment.

"Aren't the benefits I just gave you enough? Since you are so full of chivalry, maybe you should just give up on the benefits?" Gu Xiehua smiled charmingly, and Lu Lelia felt as if he were melting to the bone.