Volume 4: War of the Gods 144: Great Chaos in Dreamflight

  Ammon raised his head and said, "No need! It's not that the girls are bad, it's just that I'm not interested."

  "General, you mustn't say that," John shook his head. "I've invited you this time, how can I not make it a success? In the officialdom of Aigu, such an occasion and your expression would mean rebuking subordinates for their incompetence!"

  "Ah, you're still being so particular? Alright, since I've followed you here today, I won't embarrass you."

  The madam of the brothel said with a bitter face: "Lord John, all the most beautiful and charming girls here have already been called by you, where can we find better ones?"

  "Cut the crap! Don't think I don't know, I heard before coming here that you have a top-notch girl named Temis Khora, known as the flower of Dreamflight. She needs to be tipped with a divine stone just to dance one move. I've been wanting to see her for a long time, why didn't you bring her out?"

  The madam of the brothel looked embarrassed: "Lord John doesn't know, but someone has already booked Temis Cori. It's Vice Director Sheng Yi of the City-State Financial Bureau. He sent someone to make arrangements this afternoon and wants to entertain some distinguished guests here tonight, specifically requesting Temis Cori to sing and dance."

  Just then, John suddenly heard a faint voice in his mind: "My loyal guard, this is an order. You must bring this girl with you today. I'll follow you out and make sure people see me having fun at Dreamflight. This is a great opportunity. Don't be afraid of offending those people, if anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."

  Even if Ah Mon didn't secretly order it, John would still do so because the vice director of the Dreamflight City-State Financial Bureau, Sheng Yi, had a grudge against him! The god official who had impeached John and was mysteriously killed was Sheng Yi's distant cousin, and Sheng Yi himself was the nephew of Prime Minister Egu. He owed his current position to his family background. When John was accused, this family didn't hesitate to make trouble for him.

  Having received the general's order, John certainly couldn't let things go easily. He picked up a dinner knife from the table and gently trimmed his fingernails, staring coldly at the brothel owner and asking: "Has Rong Yi arrived?"

  Dilan was stared at by John with a murderous gaze, making his heart feel hairy, and he subconsciously took a step back and said: "Young Master Sheng has not arrived yet."

  John: "We were here first, no need to be unreasonable. Cut the nonsense and bring over 'Dreamflight's Flower' quickly!"

  Dilando begged: "Lord John, I'll introduce another girl to your friend, she must be better. As for Temis today, let's forget it, I'm afraid Lord Shengyi will trouble us when he arrives."

  John picked up the dinner knife and waved it in front of his eyes, saying in a low voice: "Whether he will bother you or not, I don't know and I'm too lazy to care, that's your business. But if you don't do as I say now, I guarantee there will be trouble right away. Today I've been drinking quietly and haven't caused any trouble yet."

  As he spoke, he tossed over a small leather pouch. Dillard caught it and opened it to find it full of divine stones. Johann shouted again: "Is that enough?"

  Dilando wiped his sweat and nodded repeatedly: "Enough, enough, buying this fragrance hall is more than enough!"

  John nodded politely: "In that case, I'd be willing to tear this place down if you'd like? But I don't want to tear it down, I still want to keep this house to entertain honored guests."

  The brothel owner left with a bag of money, and Ah Meng turned his head to ask John curiously: "There is still a girl here who claims to be the flower of Dream Flying Thoughts. She wants one divine stone for just one dance? Isn't that too expensive?"

  John burst out laughing: "Great General, I know that ordinary women can't catch your eye, but after thinking about it, only this young lady can move your mortal heart, haha! Why is she so famous? You'll understand once you see her."

  At this time, the sound of instruments came from behind the curtain again. It was a small drum beating a board, and the rhythm was quite like a military war drum, with a sense of majesty and killing intent. However, at this moment and place, the atmosphere relaxed a lot, and it invisibly lifted people's spirits. A brothel beating war drums, what play is this?

  As the sound of war drums echoed, a young woman walked in from behind the screen door, surprisingly holding a shining long sword. The scene was getting more and more interesting, as a prostitute from the brothel entered the incense hall with a sword, and the newcomer was none other than the famous Dream Flying Thought's Hua Tuo Mi Si.

  She was indeed different from the others, first of all wearing more clothes than other girls, although it was also a belly-baring outfit, but not just two small pieces, but a tight-fitting short shirt, with no metal pendant hanging down on her chest, revealing her tender shoulders and arms, her abdomen was tight, and her waist was slender.

  She wasn't wearing a veil, her eyes were brown, and her gaze was clear as spring water but slightly cold. Her features were beautiful, with a hint of stubbornness in her expression. When she smiled sweetly, it seemed like the spring breeze had melted the ice and snow, making her look so gentle and charming. She walked onto the carpet on the other side of the pool, holding the hilt of her sword with both hands, bowing according to warrior etiquette, revealing a smiling face.

  Her smile was beautiful, but Amun slightly furrowed his brow. This girl had a hint of murderous intent and suppressed anger in her heart. Amun could sense the true emotions within others' hearts, and she was clearly dissatisfied with John's and Amun's extramarital affair, yet hid it deep within without revealing it. This made Amun somewhat curious - after all, the girls at the brothel treated every customer the same, and John had given her a generous reward; why was she so angry?

  Is this Dreamflight Flower the sweetheart of that Mr. Sheng Yi, and she's been waiting specially for her lover to arrive tonight, but feels that Ah Meng and John are ruining her good thing?

  Thamis finished her performance and began to dance with the sword, accompanied by the sound of war drums. Amun was really surprised. This girl wasn't just waving a sword as a prop or doing an ordinary energetic dance. It was clear that she had real martial skills, deliberately hidden in the dance, only to show off the beauty of harmony between strength and gentleness.

  It's already rare for a woman to master martial arts, but she can incorporate her skills into sword dancing and showcase such breathtaking beauty. She is a true warrior, how did she end up as a courtesan? What's even more astonishing to Arin is that the sound of the clappers grew faster, and Themis' hand holding the sword was already swinging in a flash of silver light.

  The orchestra behind the curtain blew the horn again, and the sound of the horn and cymbals rose and fell in an uncertain rhythm. Temis sang in a sword dance - Please tell me, is God my light, my salvation, the guarantee of my life?

  Tell me, under the glory of the gods, you will have no fear of the enemy's swords and guns.

  Then who am I afraid of, who am I afraid of, and who will be hurt by whom.

  When the enemy's chariots came charging, his heart did not fear, behind him was Ahmon's great tent.

  He once faced his enemies with head held high, offering himself as a sacrifice to the gods, and listened to the singing of the heavens.

  O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us; thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

  I am seeking you; your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me.

  Whose abandonment is this? Whom are you forgiving of sin? Please strengthen my heart, I will see you in the end!

  Amon was getting more and more curious, the more he listened, the more interested he became. This wasn't an ordinary song and dance, because the girl was displaying real martial skills, in this situation, ordinary people wouldn't even dare to speak, let alone sing. This Dream Flying Thought Flower had obviously undergone special training, using extremely clever techniques, the sword dance movements were coordinated with her breathing rhythm, singing out a poem in a gentle and beautiful voice.

  Last year's war brought a martial spirit among the nobles of Aeg, and carrying swords is now fashionable in Meng Fei Shi. According to Aeg's laws, it is forbidden to carry weapons at night without permission within the city-state, and gathering more than ten people with weapons will be considered treasonous. However, laws are one thing, and enforcement is another; the patrol guards who see the nobles walking around with swords think it's fashionable and usually turn a blind eye, no one bothers with such trivial matters.

  This girl's face and figure are both beautiful, with such a moving singing voice, the vigorous sword dance even sets off the slender figure, giving a completely different feeling from other girls, more stimulating, newer, more tempting, more mysterious, and more challenging. Searching through all the major brothels in Meng Fei Si City, you can't find another girl like this, no wonder she is called the flower of Meng Fei Si.

  Her swordsmanship may not be anything in the eyes of Ahmon, a great master of martial arts, but for an ordinary woman, it's already quite rare. Especially this move, "Song and Dance", is simply breathtaking, Ahmon couldn't help but watch with rapt attention. Meanwhile, John was staring at Themis, his expression dazed and intoxicated, holding a cup of wine in his hand, even forgetting to close his mouth.

  John was surrounded by a dozen or so girls who were also beauties, but compared to Temis across the pool, they all paled in comparison. They seemed like flowers sketched on a painter's canvas, while Temis was like a delicate flower swaying gently in the breeze in the wilderness.

  In the poem recited by Themis, Amun was unexpectedly mentioned. Amun is now a renowned imperial hero, and many traveling poets have compiled his legend into poems that are sung everywhere, so it's not surprising to hear one or two occasionally. However, what this girl recited was not about Amun's achievements, but rather described a warrior in the army, also inquiring something from the gods, seemingly with another meaning.

  As the song ended, John was still standing there with his mouth agape, and Amun lightly clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "This young lady, your sword dance is beautiful, but I can see that you haven't shown off your true sword skills. You've intentionally pursued a beautiful dance pose, so you changed the rhythm and style of your sword technique. Actually, there's no need to do that."

  Temis was sheathing his sword and bowing, raised an eyebrow curiously and asked: "Noble sir, I presume you are a master of the sword, but do you also excel in song and dance?"

  Amun smiled and shook his head, "I'm not skilled in singing and dancing, but I know what the essence of sword intent is. Truly exquisite swordsmanship can display the most perfect rhythm and posture, you don't need to deliberately search for it, just merge your body and mind into the sword intent, that's the most beautiful sword dance."

  John finally came back to himself and chuckled: "Miss, you've met a real master today."

  "Come sit down and chat slowly, have a drink together."

  He asked Temis to stay and keep him company, finally not sitting alone tonight. Temis walked over with a smile, her chest-deep in the water, and placed her sword on the table, picking up a cup. Amun poured wine into it with one hand, filling it to the brim for the young lady. Even the lord of Dream Flying City wouldn't have received this treatment from the Empire's Great General, but it was fitting for the occasion.

  Before he could bring the cup to his lips, there was a loud crash as someone burst through the doors of the perfumed hall and kicked over the screen in front of them. The man brandished his sword at John, shouting angrily: "I've been looking for you to settle accounts! How dare you come here today? Are you looking for death?"

  The arriving guest is none other than Vice Chancellor Sheng Yi of the Ministry of Finance of Meng Fei Si City, six days from now is the Isis Blessing Ceremony, many people have gathered in Meng Fei Si City, among them are many family juniors who have dealings with him, today he is entertaining a group of noble guests, this afternoon he has already made arrangements for Temis to perform a dance to liven up the atmosphere, but when the time came Temis did not show up, it is said that she was accompanying other guests.

  This made Lord Sheng Yi lose face, and he called the boss to scold him. The brothel owner, Dilanduo, told him that Temis Qian had been taken away by John. Sheng Yi asked coldly: "Which John?"

  Dilando replied with a bitter face: "Who else can it be but that John, the one who returned from the battlefield with military merit and was stripped of his title and punished."

  If it were someone else, that would be fine. But as soon as John was mentioned, Sheng Yi's anger became uncontrollable and he charged forward with his sword drawn. He had a grudge against John and had been looking for an opportunity to settle the score. His cousin, Reddros, who had grown up with him, drinking and gambling together, had also been killed in the capital more than half a year ago after impeaching John under unclear circumstances.

  Everyone thinks John is the murderer, but there's no evidence. John has been getting away with it until now, how can Sheng Yi swallow this? John often gets drunk and starts fights in brothels, almost every noble in Meng Fei City knows his temper. Today, John deliberately provoked a dispute with Sheng Yi over a girl, obviously looking for trouble. Don't blame Sheng Yi for taking advantage of the situation and trying to take his life. Today's opportunity is too good, even if it gets out, it will just be seen as John causing trouble in a brothel again, whatever consequences come from it are on him!

  Xīng Yì Xiǎng's understanding was quite good, but he didn't know the latest situation. He wasn't aware that John had been promoted to a great warrior, nor did he know that John had become the captain of Ahmon's imperial guard, thinking that John was still that defeated general who was scolded by Pharaoh and stripped of his title.

  As is customary, when a warrior advances to the rank of Great Warrior, his city-state holds a special celebration and makes an announcement. However, at the time of John's advancement, he was in Cape City-State undergoing punishment for being stripped of his title, so holding a ceremony would not have been appropriate, and neither Dreamflight City nor Cape City-State made any announcements, so it is only natural that Sheng Yi was unaware.

  After John returned to Dreamflight City, he followed George directly to Amun's territory. No one saw him again and everyone thought that the general was too ashamed to show his face and had gone into hiding to reflect on his past. Amun appointed John as the captain of the Imperial Guard, reporting directly to the Eguchi Military Department, without needing to ask for permission or notify Dreamflight City-State. Of course, Xingyi, who was idle and not doing his job properly, did not hear about it.

  However, these are not the most serious mistakes, what's more fatal is that this Lord Sheng Yi actually doesn't recognize Ah Mon!

  When he was in the Temple of Isis, Amun was a low-key person and very few people knew him. He was promoted to Grand Warrior, and the city lord held a celebration ceremony for him, but Xingyi didn't attend. Later, when Amun returned home with honors, many nobles in Meng Fei City came to congratulate him, but Xingyi still didn't go to see the great general.

  "Today, Sheng Yi wanted to take the opportunity to avenge Red Rose's killer, John. He was also worried that he alone would not be a match for him. In the hall, he shouted: 'The murderer of Red Rose, John, is right here! He deliberately provoked us, who will go with me to avenge?'

  That group of dog friends and party members drew their swords and rushed over with Sheng Yi. Sheng Yi was the first to kick open the door, knock down the screen, scold John, and then point his sword at Amun: "Where did this stinky kid come from? How dare you compete with me for the girl? I think you're looking for death!"

  As soon as Sheng Yi drew his sword and entered the door, Temis unconsciously put down her wine glass and picked up the sword on the table. Ah Mon didn't even look at him, nor did he raise an eyebrow, picking up a dinner knife and lightly swinging it, the handle hitting Temis's elbow with precision. The young lady felt half of her body numb in an instant, involuntarily sitting back down, the long sword falling to the ground.

  Amun turned his head and smiled at John, saying: "There is an assassin."

  As he said this, John heard Ammon's soft voice in his mind again: "Don't kill him, just break one leg lightly and throw it on the street!"

  The girls beside John let out a cry of surprise, and then everything in front of them was a blur. John and Sheng Yi had vanished from the lounge chair and the door. John's speed was too fast, like a wolf running wildly, jumping down from the lounge chair, stepping on the water surface with one foot, and flashing to the door. His feet touched the water surface, his body rose into the air, and even the soles of his shoes didn't get wet. The pool, which had been drifting with flower petals, was impacted by an invisible force, surging up circles of ripples.

  Before he could even get a good look at Meng's face, he felt a tight grip on the back of his neck and his whole body went limp, losing all strength. His long sword clattered to the ground as he was lifted out like a cloud drifting away in the fog.

  That night, in front of the most luxurious brothel in Meng Fei City, a shocking major event occurred. The deputy director of the city-state's Ministry of Finance and the nephew of the Prime Minister, Sheng Yi, was thrown out into the street like a dead dog, with one leg broken. The "noble guests" he entertained were also disarmed and thrown out one by one.

  The murderer caused such a big disaster, but acted as if nothing had happened, and still went back to hug the girl and drink wine.

  The brothel certainly had guards, but they were there to prevent fights and trouble. However, when the nobles clashed, they didn't dare intervene, as it was up to the parties involved to take responsibility for any injuries. The brothel wouldn't want anyone to get hurt either, so they could only watch as John committed his crime. Besides, with John's skills, who here could be his match?

  Sheng Yi's companions scolded non-stop, but they didn't dare to make another move on the spot. Their weapons had been taken away by John, and their opponents were already showing mercy. They could only carry Sheng Yi, who had a broken leg, onto the carriage and hurry back to the mansion to find a doctor to treat his injuries. They also couldn't swallow this breath, so they called another group of warriors to boost their morale with numbers, carrying weapons and killing their way back to the brothel.

  Along the way, the city guards didn't dare to stop them, but when they arrived at the brothel entrance, they encountered someone who wouldn't buy their story. With a single order, a large group of soldiers like wolves and tigers rushed up and disarmed the whole gang. Among them, several guys still hadn't figured out the situation and loudly shouted: "Do you know who we are? You dare to interfere here!"

  "That man coldly replied: 'I don't know who you are, but I should tell you who I am. I am the Chief Martial Artist of the Isis Temple, Dragon Teng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Isis Legion. During the Isis Blessing Ceremony, I am in charge of the city's security affairs. You people are causing trouble for me, do you know that?'"

  Next to him, a close guard asked: "Commander of the Legion, are we going to send these people to the city-state's great prison?"

  "No," Long Teng shook his head and said, "First take them to the military camp and lock them up. After the Grand Blessing Ceremony is over, they will all be dealt with according to military law!"

  "The military law enforcement" was too scary, and several timid cowards almost cried on the spot, hastily admitting their mistakes and begging for mercy, claiming that they were not intentionally causing trouble, but because Young Master Sheng Yi was attacked by thugs here and had his leg broken, they came to catch the culprits. However, Long Teng didn't listen to their explanations at all, waving his hand to order his personal guards to take these people away.

  How did Long Teng end up here? As it happens, this great warrior was in charge of the security affairs of the city-state during the Grand Blessing Ceremony. Due to an incident that occurred two years ago and last year's war with a neighboring country, the security order for this year's ceremony needed to be taken extra seriously, and all matters had to be carefully arranged. After a busy day, Long Teng naturally wanted to relax, so he brought his guards to patrol the brothel, preparing to go in and drink wine with the girls.

  However, before they even reached the entrance, they saw a group of people being thrown out and scolded as they left. The military commander called out the brothel owner to ask - who was it that caused trouble again tonight, and how did someone even manage to break Young Master Sheng Yi's leg?

  The great warrior was also intentionally causing trouble, he saw that Sheng had been crippled and had one leg broken off, but at the time didn't intervene. The brothel owner explained with a sobbing tone, it turned out that Lord John came to play with a young man in his early twenties, whose eyes were too high, all the other girls couldn't compare, he insisted on having Dreamy Thought's Flower Temis' daughter accompany him for drinks.

  Mr. Sheng Yi is entertaining some distinguished guests tonight and has already arranged for Temis to perform a sword dance, but John thinks he's being deliberately provocative, so he draws his sword and charges into the fragrant hall, unstoppable. Later, General John unleashes his divine power, and Mr. Sheng Yi and his friends are all thrown out. Now General John is still drinking with that young man in the fragrant hall, as if nothing had happened, and has even ordered his servant to replace the screen that blocks the door.

  Long Teng knew at once that the young man beside John must be Ah Mon, and that Rong Yi would certainly not know Ah Mon. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to rush in and commit murder even if he had ten times the courage. Long Teng was very familiar with Rong Yi's style and temperament, and after suffering such a great loss, he would certainly not let it go easily. He didn't enter the brothel, but instead waited at the door with his guards, and sure enough, they caught another one red-handed.