Chapter 19: The White Tassel Spear

The pentagonal building bore a plaque identifying it as an auction house. Flanking the entrance were spring couplets reading: "Treasures flow in from the five lakes and four seas; wealth gathers from every corner of the world."

Wen Jiuquan, master of the Wen Estate, had retired; he spent his days fishing, leaving the business to his son, Wen Dayu, and daughter, Wen Xiaorou. Yet, today he stood at the main gate with his children, waiting—or rather, he was there to accompany a father deeply doting on his daughter, as they awaited her arrival.

When the trio reached the auction house, they were welcomed. Seeing Hao Meili, Wen Jiuquan’s old eyes twinkled like stars in the night as he said kindly, "Young Miss Hao, your father has been terribly worried about you running off in the middle of the night."

Hao Jingming immediately stepped forward, grabbing Hao Meili’s wrist as if fearing she might vanish again, and said tenderly, "My girl, I’ve been searching everywhere for you. Come home with me now; your mother is ill."

Hearing that her mother was sick, Hao Meili could not linger. She cast a reluctant glance at Xiao Bugui, then bowed to Fang Dabai, saying, "Senior, I have family matters to attend to, so I cannot keep you company. Farewell."

Xiao Bugui watched her retreating figure with a sense of loss. When Fang Dabai tried to walk straight into the building, Wen Dayu blocked his path, saying politely, "Senior, I assume you do not have an invitation?"

Fang Dabai insisted on pushing through, declaring, "I, Fang Dabai, have always come and gone as I pleased throughout the martial arts world; I have never needed such things."

Wen Dayu asked, "Do you claim to be the 'White-Tasseled Spear' Fang Dabai, one of the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Cult?"

Fang Dabai replied smugly, "That is indeed I."

Wen Dayu said, "My apologies, Senior, but rules are rules. We must proceed accordingly. Someone, show them the door."

Eight men sprang forward, forming two teams. Four grabbed Fang Dabai’s limbs, hoisting him high above their heads, while the others did the same to Xiao Bugui. Together, they were tossed out onto the street.

Fang Dabai picked himself up, dusted off his clothes, and, pulling Xiao Bugui along, stormed off in stony silence.

"Senior Fang," Xiao Bugui said, "you are a formidable figure on the Record of Demons—how can we just walk away like this?"

"What do you know?" Fang Dabai retorted. "Before I fight, I must find some amusement first."

"Where are we going for amusement?" Xiao Bugui asked.

Fang Dabai knew exactly where. While flying at low altitude earlier, he had spotted a low building adorned with gardenia lanterns. A group of gaudy women with shifty eyes stood on the street, calling out to passersby: "Come in, dear guest, come in and have some fun!"

A seductive woman happened to hook her arm around Fang Dabai’s. Before she could even speak, Fang Dabai produced a fifty-tael silver ingot and shouted, "I want four women!"

With that, Fang Dabai and Xiao Bugui were immediately ushered into a guest room by a bevy of women. Xiao Bugui, shy and overwhelmed, pushed away the many hands reaching for him.

Fang Dabai scanned the crowd and pointed boldly at four of them: "You, you, you, and you—stay. The rest of you, get out."

The rejected women left in a huff, some grumbling, "If not for the filthy money, I wouldn't have bothered chasing after a bird-brained fool like you."

Once the door was shut and things had quieted, Fang Dabai placed the fifty taels on the table and told the remaining four enthusiastic women, "Do as I say, and this silver is yours."

One of the women, the most attentive, said, "Master, Xiaohong is willing to serve you as a beast of burden."

The others vied for favor, saying, "Master, we will play however you wish."

Fang Dabai’s expression turned serious. He drew a rattan whip from his waist; at the end of the white tassel hung a spearhead.

Terrified of being whipped, Xiaohong shuddered. "That whip is so big and long, and it has a weapon attached! If you hit me with that, my backside will be ruined. I sell my body, not my life. I’m not doing this."

Perhaps unable to handle the shock, Xiaohong decided to leave, and another woman followed her out.

Fang Dabai didn't stop them, merely asking the remaining two, "What are your names?"

"I am Cuihua," one replied, "and she is Hehua. Master, what is this game you speak of?"

Fang Dabai stroked his supple white-tasseled spear and explained, "Don't be afraid. This treasure of mine isn't a whip; it's a red-tasseled spear. Over the years, the red tassel turned white, and the shaft grew soft and lost its stiffness. You only need to kiss the shaft gently. If you can make the spear stand straight, I will give you a hundred taels of silver each." As he spoke, he pulled three more silver ingots from his pouch.

Cuihua laughed, "Master, are you joking? You want us to kiss a whip? Even if I put it in my trousers, it won't act like a spear shaft."

Fang Dabai grew angry. "My white-tasseled spear is a divine weapon that loves women. Here is the deal: you have two hours. Kiss it as much as you like. If it doesn't stand up, I’ll give you fifty taels each; if it does, I’ll give you a hundred."

Seeing such a lucrative opportunity, Cuihua agreed immediately. "Fine, we'll kiss it. But it’s thirsty work. Hehua, go get two jars of wine. Our guest needs to drink to get into the mood."

Hehua, though dull-witted, realized this was a wealthy customer with a strange quirk, so she smiled and said, "Alright."

Life is hard, and earning a living is never easy. Cuihua and Hehua were used to it; after all, there were no jobs that paid for doing nothing. They treated the whip shaft like their own precious darling, kissing it with earnest intensity, fearing that if the guest were dissatisfied, they might end up on the receiving end of the whip.

Cuihua grew parched and took a few gulps of tea, finding the process tedious. "Master," she suggested, "why don't we try something else?"

The spear remained limp, and Fang Dabai was sweating with anxiety. "Why don't you try another method?" he urged.

Cuihua smiled awkwardly. She saw Hehua still diligently kissing the shaft and eyed the silver on the table. She interrupted Hehua: "Stop kissing. Let me try stuffing it into my trousers. If that doesn't work, you can go back to kissing it."

Hehua thought, *Putting it in your trousers and then having me kiss it? That won't do.* "No need," she said, "I'll try." She promptly unfastened her skirt.

Cuihua thought, *Your trousers aren't any cleaner than mine,* and changed her mind. She opened her own blouse and pressed the end with the spearhead against her chest.

The women's actions acted as a stimulant; the white-tasseled spear reacted, stiffening into a rigid shaft that tore through the women's clothing. Terrified, they dropped the weapon, one clutching her chest and the other collapsing to the floor.

Seeing his precious spear full of strength, Fang Dabai snatched it back. To the stunned Xiao Bugui, he said, "This spear won't stay straight for long. Let's go back and have our revenge."