Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

On the road ahead, the group didn’t encounter any trouble, and smoothly reached Pei County.

”Well, I bid you farewell.”

Taking the reward from Lord Luu, Fang Zheng nodded lightly at him, then turned and left. Watching Fang Zheng’s departing figure, Lord Luu felt a bit helpless. During the journey, he tried to establish a relationship with Fang Zheng, but Fang Zheng’s attitude towards him was lukewarm. Lord Luu was no ordinary man; he could sense Fang Zheng’s distinguished status from just a few conversations and had hoped to build a connection with him — but unfortunately, Fang Zheng wasn’t giving him the chance.

In fact, Lord Luu noticed that his daughter Luu Zhi seemed to have some interest in Fang Zheng, even wearing her marriage proposal attire to dance for Fang Zheng. However, unfortunately, Fang Zheng’s attitude towards Luu Zhi was also polite and indifferent, leaving Lord Luu unsure of what to do.

Originally, he planned to invite this young gentleman to stay at his home for a while after reaching Pei County, but Fang Zheng directly said farewell upon arrival, not giving him any chance to persuade...

No matter how skillful Lord Luu might be, Fang Zheng simply didn’t take the bait, so what use was it?

To Fang Zheng, though the two Luu family girls were indeed exquisite beauties, he wasn’t inclined to mess with these respectable women. Even if the feudal social norms of male and female interaction weren’t as strict during the Qin Dynasty, Fang Zheng still wished to avoid such trouble.

Contrarily, he was more inclined to entertain himself in places like the alleyways of the Red Mansion. Honestly, back when reading martial hero novels and historical stories, Fang Zheng never understood why so many people liked to dive into these alleyways, attributing it solely to the lack of entertainment options in ancient times.

After all, late at night without televisions, movies, games, or places to sing karaoke, the remaining choices were naturally limited.

However, upon experiencing it firsthand, Fang Zheng found some of the wondrous aspects within.

Of course, ordinary sirens have been the same throughout history, with phrases like ”Sir, come have fun” and ”I guarantee you’ll have a good time” echoing from the Qin Dynasty to modern KTV. Simply put, these women are adept at making men happy, even if they curse you internally, outwardly they beam and compliment you as an extraordinary man, claiming you’re the best they’ve ever encountered...

But the headliners of the Red Mansion are different.

Honestly, you wouldn’t know until you go, Fang Zheng discovered the headliners are akin to idols, selling personas!

Some are aloof, some elegant, some cheerful, and some sultry as fire. In essence, if placed in modern times, they would certainly succeed in acting or singing with a tag.

Actually, Fang Zheng had considered forming a singing and dancing troupe to travel this world like in the World of Love. He remembered the famed trio of warblers in the Period of Warring States, although he unfortunately never saw them in person.

However, this idea passed quickly as Fang Zheng couldn’t appreciate ancient song and dance, nor could ancient people appreciate what Fang Zheng enjoyed...

The aesthetic gap between the two spans thousands of years, so Fang Zheng gave up.

Yet engaging with Red Mansion headliners offered another kind of enjoyment. Ordinary prostitutes could be indulged with enough money, but these headliner women required more than just money to deal with. Briefly, it was akin to Fang Zheng spending money to play a ”close combat” strategic game with these headliners — both sides employing tactics to see who would triumph finally.

This was far more interesting than just throwing money around.

More importantly, both parties walked away from a one-night stand professionally, without much entanglement.

The likes of Luu Zhi and Luu Su, Fang Zheng had seen some alike at the Red Mansion. If looking for fun, he’d rather spend time exploring and perhaps stay for a week or two, and then leave freely.

But if truly entangled with such sisters, it could mean decades of involvement... Fang Zheng had no desire for that.

After parting ways with Lord Luu and the others, Fang Zheng continued to a dog meat stall, ordered a pot of dog meat and a jug of wine, and began enjoying his meal. After all, Pei County dog meat is renowned, and in this era without those intelligence-deficient animal protection activists, Fang Zheng could eat as he pleased.

However, just as Fang Zheng was indulging in the dog meat before him, suddenly, a hand reached over from the side and gave him a hard pat.

”Brother! I’ve caught you!”

Hearing the shout in his ear, Fang Zheng turned his head to see a man with a weasel-like face and shifty eyes settled himself onto the chair next to him, staring at him.

”Who are you?”

Fang Zheng glanced at the hand on his shoulder, his gaze slightly tightening, as he was certain he hadn’t met this person, yet this guy shamelessly approached...

”You don’t remember me, I’m your Brother Liu!”

But that person was exceedingly familiar, slapping his leg and speaking cheerily. He reached out for Fang Zheng’s wine jug, but Fang Zheng grabbed his wrist.

”Scram.”

Fang Zheng stared coldly at him.

”I don’t recognize lowlifes like you, and don’t even think about taking advantage of me. I’ll give you a chance, disappear from my sight immediately, understand?”

”Hey, how can you speak to me like that?”

However, this guy seemed completely oblivious to the threat in Fang Zheng’s words, grinning and reaching out to try to take the pot of dog meat in front of Fang Zheng. Seeing this, Fang Zheng squinted and let out a cold snort.

”Hmph!!”

With this snort, the next moment that hooligan screamed as if he’d been kicked flying, tumbling out of the dog meat shop and landing heavily on the ground outside. Immediately afterward, the hooligan lay on the ground, clutching his arm, and began to scream and yell.

”Ow, ow!! My hand, my hand! It hurts, my hand’s been broken, there’s a villain causing trouble, help!! Someone’s hitting people!!”

The hooligan was shouting vigorously, showing no signs of actual injury, but his cries still attracted a crowd. Yet Fang Zheng seemed completely unfazed, continuing to drink and eat dog meat, ignoring the hooligan’s cries and commotion outside. After a while, satisfied with his food and drink, Fang Zheng patted his belly, stood up, settled his bill, and left the small shop.

”You, you broke my hand, you need to compensate me!”

Just then, the hooligan ran over again, blocking Fang Zheng and shouting once more.

”If you don’t compensate me, I’ll report to the authorities! Sue you for assaulting people on the street!”

”Alright.”

Fang Zheng looked at him indifferently, then flicked his hand, tossing a silver coin over. The hooligan quickly reached out and grabbed the silver, then grinned.

”Alright, we’re even now, sir, till we meet again.”

After saying this, the hooligan waved at Fang Zheng with a smirk, then turned to leave.

However, he did not notice Fang Zheng’s gaze towards him at that moment, as if he was looking at a dead man.

With the silver in hand, the hooligan immediately headed to the famous restaurant in Pei County. Seeing him appear, the waiter immediately showed a few looks of disdain.

”Lord Liu, why are you here again? Want more free food and drink? Have you forgotten how you were kicked out last time?”

”Hey, what are you talking about, I’m not here for free food and drink.”

Hearing the waiter’s words, the hooligan, known as ”Lord Liu,” laughed heartily and slammed the silver down hard on the table.

”Look here, silver, see? Bring me the best food and drink, this is money Lord Liu made!”

”I don’t know where you scammed this money from.”

The waiter clearly knew Lord Liu’s background well and muttered under his breath, but since the customer had come and paid, the rest was not his concern.

”Understood, Lord Liu, what would you like? We have twenty-year-old Chidori’s Drunk... Lord Liu? What’s wrong with you?”

However, when the waiter looked up, he was shocked to find that Lord Liu’s face was pale, his body continually trembling, and he looked as if he were having a seizure.

”W-Wait, Lord Liu?”

”I-I don’t know, my hand, it hurts... ah...”

With Lord Liu’s words, everyone was stunned to see his forearm, which was slapped on the table, suddenly begin to swell, and soon, Lord Liu’s body twisted and bulged, as if someone was blowing up a balloon inside him. Not only that, but his head also grew larger and larger, soon bloating like a winter melon.

”My head, my head ah ah ah ah!!”

The next moment, with Lord Liu’s screams, his head, body, arm, and other swollen parts burst like an over-inflated balloon, and in the blink of an eye, his whole body turned into a bloodstained pile of fragments. Seeing this, the other guests in the restaurant screamed, and some even fainted on the spot.

”Hmph.”

Standing not far from the street, Fang Zheng snorted coldly and shook his head.

”I told you not to mess with a man with seven scars on his chest. The taste of Fist of the North Star, think it’s so pleasant?”

After saying this, Fang Zheng turned and walked away, hands behind his back, humming a tune. Amidst the bustling street, Fang Zheng’s faintly heard song could be heard...

”One bowl of shrimp! Aunty’s solera, oh it’s crying! One bowl of shrimp! I’m exhausted but catfish, oh it cried. Love to eat a koala, I’ll eat your mama...”