Chapter 275: White Emperor's Mixed Bathhouse

Chapter 275: White Emperor's Mixed Hall

In the Wa-min district, a saying circulates: Above, Mount Fuji; below, Inuyama.

This is not praise for the peaks, but refers to the two most renowned bathhouse chains in the Wa-min district—the 'Heavenly Mount Fuji' in Edo Castle and the 'White Emperor's Mixed Hall' in Inuyama Castle.

The White Emperor's Mixed Hall stands as a Ming-style classical structure atop the mountain peak, towering over ten stories, each floor rising over three zhang in height, resembling a colossal pagoda.

Above the main entrance hangs a vermilion wooden plaque inscribed with the characters 'White Emperor' in the 'Tai Ge Ti' script used in imperial court documents.

The brushwork is elegant and harmonious, refined and handsome, clearly not a cheap mechanical carving but the work of a true master.

"Xiao Hei, how did this Wokou district take the name of our native White Emperor City?"

Ma Wang Ye glanced at the sign above and prodded Fan Wuji beside him with his elbow.

After leaving the platform, Gui Wang Da did not return to the household with Li Jun, but headed straight for the White Emperor's Mixed Hall.

To honor Li Jun with the local specialty, one must use the most renowned local offering.

During the short journey here, Ma Wang Ye and Fan Wuji became acquainted with a speed that left onlookers stunned, their constant whispering and conspiratorial chuckles making others visibly disgusted.

Li Jun even suspected that the moment they met, they had detected the scent of a fellow traveler on each other.

"You don't know, Ma Ye, Inuyama has another name—White Emperor City. The reason is simple: they flatter the barbarians, and the Wokou have a habit of fawning over strength. They want nothing more than to associate with us."

"Ah, so that's the case. What about this Mixed Hall?" Ma Wang Ye's tone carried curiosity.

"A bathhouse."

"Vegetarian?"

Fan Wuji rolled his eyes, disdainfully: "How could that be? We're all real men here. You eat vegetarian?"

Ma Wang Ye seemed to have his dignity trampled, hopping with rage: "You little brat, who are you calling vegetarian? I eat people and iron—I don't eat vegetarian!"

"Then that's right. Mixed Hall, mixed hall—it's all about meat broth. Wait till I show you what real exotic charm is, with service above all!"

Fan Wuji and Ma Wang Ye exchanged glances, their eyes narrowing in unison, a sly grin spreading across their faces.

Xie Bi'an, walking beside them under an umbrella, felt the veins on his temples throbbing, his heart convulsing.

With Fan Wuji as a bull, the Imperial Guards' household in Inuyama was already in disarray. Now, with Ma Wang Ye here, this pair of scoundrels would make the already strained finances even more desperate.

How could he scrape together money to visit a tavern? To console his lonely soul?

Thinking thus, Xie Bi'an's handsome face was etched with thick resentment.

As the five approached the door, the women in kimonos waiting at the entrance swiftly pushed open the thick wooden door, its edges lined with steel plates, in a seamless, silent motion that required no pause from the guests.

To achieve such effortless strength, these hostesses in kimonos were clearly not mere flesh and blood.

The interior of the White Emperor's Mixed Hall was designed in the style popular during the Jianguo era—a refined Wokou aesthetic that had absorbed and improved upon the cultural beauty of the Great Ming.

Serving as a screen, a massive folding panel painted with ukiyo-e slid open under the power of an electric motor, releasing a rush of milky warm steam.

Li Jun declined Gui Wang Da's invitation to enter side by side, stepping half a pace behind, following into the house. Then, in the water mist, a luxurious bath unfolded before Li Jun's eyes, without any sense of confinement.

The bathhouse's furnishings were splendid yet elegant, two symmetrical elliptical pools placed on either side of the hall, connected by a winding path of cobblestones, flanked by Ming-style pavilions and artificial hills, with several verdant pines rooted among them.

Beneath the dome, projections of the passionate scenes and enticing romantic affairs from *The Secret History of Emperor Yang* were displayed.

An eerie blend of shamisen and electronic music drifted through the air, raising the hairs on one's arms while inexplicably relaxing the spirit.

"Soaking in the hot springs, watching the scenes. Learning history, sweating. What a treat!"

Ma Wang Ye sighed, shaking his head from side to side until his eyes spun, as if he had entered a long-sought paradise.

"Mojia, Ming people?"

There were already people in the pool—dozens of burly Han men either sitting or lying, heads tilted back, eyes half-closed, their exposed skin above the water covered in colorful tattoos.

The man surrounded in the center had his entire neck replaced by machinery, with no synthetic skin covering it, the grotesque mechanical body exposed directly.

"Hey, brother, you guys can even soak in the hot springs? No offense, I just want to know if I'll be comfortable down there. After all, we look pretty similar."

Ma Wang Ye looked at him with cheerful interest, not noticing the rising disgust and ferocity in his eyes.

"We don't welcome Ming people here. Get lost!"

Splash! A wave of water rippled through the pool, and the warrior who had been sitting there sprang up, his face twisted in fury as he glared at Li Jun and the others.

Li Jun raised an eyebrow, instinctively stepping forward, when suddenly a figure blocked his view—Fan Wuji, lifting his waistcloth, approached the pool.

"Hey, you're quite bold."

Fan Wuji narrowed his eyes, crouching slowly at the pool's edge, extending his right palm toward the snarling Wokou men.

On his middle finger, the Wuchang Bu ring flashed a faint black light.

"Recognize this? If you do, get out. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you three breaths' time."

"Jin Yi Wei?!"

The warrior who had been sitting in the pool the moment before leaped up as if he'd seen a ghost, kneeling deeply in place, his head nearly submerged in water.

"I'm sorry, I've offended you all. Please forgive me!"

"Three."

The evil dragon tattooed on his chest arched its body, the fierce tiger on his shoulder lowering its head.

"Two."

The bathhouse erupted in chaos, white legs swinging wildly, the obscene sound of tiny objects slapping against thighs ringing out.

"Done!"

Fan Wuji stood up with a sway, but before he could turn around, a kick struck his rear.

"You've got nerve. If it weren't for you and Xiao Bai spending all our household's money, I'd have booked the top floor to entertain Li Ye. Why come down to these lower floors?"

Fan Wuji scratched his head, his face grim: "Boss, actually, we don't need to pay either."

"Don't spout nonsense. How many times have I told you, the Jin Yi Wei operate in the shadows, keeping a low profile in all we do. How could we do something as flashy as washing the mighty?"

Gui Wang Da turned to Li Jun, rubbing his hands apologetically: "Sorry, Li Ye, didn't interrupt your fun?"

Li Jun shook his head slightly, his gaze passing over Gui Wang Da's embarrassed face, Fan Wuji's dejected expression, and Xie Bi'an's sighs, a relaxed smile suddenly appearing on his lips.

In truth, from the moment the anti-Wokou banner entered the Wa-min district, Li Jun's vigilance and caution had never wavered.

But on the Inuyama Jin Yi Wei, he felt no hidden malice or exclusion—only sincerity, vitality, flesh and blood.

Suddenly, Li Jun thought that coming to the Wa-min district wasn't as bad as he'd expected.

"Ghost brother, since I've joined the Inuyama Jin Yi Wei, we're all family now. No need to be so polite."

Li Jun flicked a golden bank card between his fingers, smiling at Gui Wang Da: "Let's book the top floor. Tonight, I'm treating everyone!"

"Ah! Thank you, Brother Jun!"

Fan Wuji jumped up first, wrapping an arm around Ma Wang Ye's shoulder, chuckling: "Come on, let's find a private room and get someone to wash our feet!"

"Xiao Hei, Ma Ye, I'm solid as iron—can I still wash?"

Fan Wuji's face was solemn, speaking earnestly: "Ma Ye, that's not right. We're not washing feet—we're cleansing the grime we've picked up walking this world!"

"By your logic, Old Ma is indeed covered in filth. Tonight, forget propriety and elegance, forget exotic charm. Just because the moon here resembles home, I must go through with this! I want two—I'm strong!"

As for Xie Bi'an, who seemed steadfast, he had already vanished into the shadows the very moment Li Jun's words had just fallen.