Chapter 23: Leaving for Heavens Law Branch (3)
Lilac snapped her fingers and a stack of materials appeared in her hand. With a casual wave of her hand, they flew into everyone’s hands in a manner that could not be refused, and she laughed: “This is the CSIB’s specific introduction. Everyone, please be relaxed, we are China’s civil servants. Remember how the civil servant exam spread about like wildfire several years? There’s a solid difference between us and some field chicken organizations. The benefits and retirement guarantee are better than what others can imagine. Even if everyone is stopped in Qi Condensation—and believe me, eight out of ten cultivators stop right before Foundation Establishment like me. However, all of you have the same opportunity as myself, and that is to become a VIP.”
This was multi-level marketing, right? Right?
These words turned in everyone’s hearts several times, but no one said a thing.
Xu Yangyi simply didn’t care whether or not the other was multi-level marketeer. He only cared about a single matter—would the CSIB be able to bring him a true advantage? His first course of action upon receiving the papers was to look at the short seven-page CSIB introduction and the list of famous cultivators. It appeared that CSIB could make things sail smoothly.
The first line on the eighth page was a row of large characters: Beijing University, Huaqing University, and the tenth greatest educational institution in China had joined hands to establish the cultivation world’s largest lecture hall for the latest issues: from Biological Transformation to Darwin’s Theory of the Analysis of Demons’ Weaknesses.
“Huff…” Xu Yangyi gently exhaled, forcefully pinching his fist.
This was something he definitely desired! And it seemed there were no strings attached? No, no way!
He understood if clearly. Every demon had a core they had carried with them since ancient times. They had their own demon forms, and these demon forms… were biological organisms!
If it was a living organism, then it had a weakness.
Biological organisms were divided into many classifications: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, species, and beneath species there were also subspecies. Vegetation also had variants, and every category had their own suborder and subclass… This dazzling line up was the origin of a demon’s root!
In the last several eons of changes in Earth’s history, every demon, every ancient fossil, had an origin that they abided by among the Earth’s several eons of history. Xu Yangyi had always been very understanding about his own position, never faltering.
And that was… a true demon slayer. One didn’t take action until they could guarantee one shot, one kill. He continued to read.
It was obvious that the CSIB’s ace was their favorable connections to university resources and famous Chinese biologists and geneticists. This publicity material was of their own sufficient effort. For example, the second article: Evolution of Demons, Territory Awareness, The Comparison of Hunting Grounds and Natural Organisms, and as well as Discerning Future Routes.
The third article: Huaqing Biology, International Sociology Professor Cao Liangwei in Regards to the Complements Between Human Society and Demon Society, Competitions, and the Definition of Mutual Expulsion.
The fourth article: How to Find Concealed Demons in Human Society with Taobao, QQ, and WeChat in the Progressively Interweaving Information Age. How to Distinguish Whether They Erased Their Tracks.
“Fairly interesting…” Xu Yangyi’s eyes faintly flashed. He was quite willing to listen to what Lilac had to say next. At the very least, the bait that had been released did indeed invoke his interest. However, while the students discussed it, Lilac’s voice didn’t echo out again. As Xu Yangyi lifted his gaze from the materials, a snow-white hand had already cupped his chin.
“How about it? Interested?” Lilac’s charming face came closer to his, and her rosy lips leaned on his earlobe, nearly a mere centimeter away from sucking on it. It could even be imagined that her nimble tongue was like that of a true lilac, tracing an arc on his ear.
Everyone’s gaze swept over nonchalantly, clearly unable to understand why Lilac seemed to have a special interest in the last person that had arrived.
Were there few champions? There were twelve cities in Nantong Province, equal to twelve champions! There was one even sitting at her side, but on the contrary, why didn’t she recognize him like Xu Yangyi?
“If it’s interesting…” Lilac’s sweet shoulder bumped into Xu Yangyi once again and coiled her hair around her hand. A languid enthrallment seeped into her husky voice: “Won’t you consider our unit? Yuyang City’s champion, Student Xu Yangyi? Big sis will be waiting for you~”
“We’ll even make an exception… Are you not intending…” Lilac pursed her lips and snapped her fingers. A sheet of paper unhurriedly drifted over… in between her bosom!
Lilac’s deep cleavage squeezed down on the sheet of paper, and she winked. She said lowly at the side of his ear: “Are you not intending on giving big sis an answer?”
“This is a specially drafted contract for the champion. Others won’t be the same; it won’t have big sis’s digits on it~~”
“Oh? I was wondering why Zuo Lun was so willing to have tea with me. He even said it was the newest tea gathered from Mount Emei…” Before Lilac’s voice had even fell, a sneer could be heard coming from the door. Just as the sound of laughter fell, it immediately turned into a fierce shout: “Scheming whore, be gone! Our ‘Featherwood Guard’ has yet to even recruit people; when did it become your turn!”
Everyone was dumbfounded. Xu Yangyi took advantage of situation to break away from Lilac’s clutches, calmly surveying everything.
No, no, no… let us straighten out our thoughts; what the heck is going on? They hadn’t even graduated, but they had been given pamphlets… Moreover, it wasn’t even a single person that had been sent, but rather two?
Wasn’t the CSIB a state agency? Was there another even more powerful unit?
“Are you trying to flush people out and trap them in by not speaking about it clearly?” The person who had come was a woman with short hair, a square face, and around thirty years of age. In the same camouflage, she appeared like a man, and her voice was comparatively coarse as well: “Hmph, Lilac, you’ve got the nerve to try and fool these young chicks?”
Looking at her appearance, the students who were just listening to a silver-bell-like voice with endless expectations suddenly jolted up in their seats with straight backs.
The transformation from silver bell to barbell was far too swift. So quick that they couldn’t accept it.
Lilac snorted coldly: “Little chicks? Students, listen up. The Featherwood Guard regards you all as such! We will hold you as colleagues, but she’ll take advantage of you without your consent!” [1]
“I can’t be bothered with your crap.” The short-haired woman’s gift for the gab was evidently nothing to brag home about. She turned her head and looked at everyone: “Greetings, students, I’ve come to introduce myself. I am C-Hibiscus…”
“All girls are designated based on flowers. Our Featherwood Guard isn’t like those pansy-ass government departments. Everyone, have you ever thought of the question, how long would it take to respond to a problem if you joined a government branch?
“For example, you find a spirit stone vein—hey, don’t look at me like that, it’s just a lucky bullshit example. There aren’t many spirit stone veins on the entire Earth; it’s nothing but a figure of speech.” Hibiscus glanced at a student: “At the same though, if someone saw it, what would we be done? Report it to the government branch? Haha… They would wait, right. Wait for a month and see whether or not they would get on it. But by the time that moment comes, everything would’ve already been left high and dry!”
“But our Featherwood Guard ain’t the same! We don’t got so much red tape, and we’re one big family of a guild. Our president is a Chinese Core Formation expert, an existence at the peak of the world! You feel like doing something, sure, then go do it, go snatch it! But once you take possession of it, you have to continue to report it to the guild. You guys think that if you join the CSIB, you’ll be able to take immediate action if you don’t wait on instructions from the Top Brass? Who will pardon you when the blames falls on you because there are four other Core Formation masters?”
“Hehe… Nothing but a pack of mercenaries moonlighting as private detectives. What are you doing trying to fluff it up?” Lilac was disinclined to feign the slightest courtesy as she riposted with equal harshness: “Their treatment and research techniques are wholly incapable of matching up to our unit’s! Any mission that is accepted and accomplished will have a bonus upon completion! Not completed? Hehe… sorry… even if the mission is a success, does everyone dare to guarantee they can complete a mission every time without a scratch? Theirs is a unit without an occupational injury organization, and to be specific, their unit also doesn’t even have retirement insurance! Moreover, they don’t provide medical insurance! Their irregular standards is the extreme point! They can be simply classified as an impoverished, rag-tag group!”
“However, even the commissions starting from our lowest missions begin at 5 million US dollars!”
“Hahaha, it really is a huge joke. Like setting up a stall in a Japanese supermarket and boasting of riches.” Lilac chuckled with her waist bent over: “Has everyone thought of where spirit stones come from? Have you thought of where those priceless treasures originate from? I’ll tell everyone, the CSIB has a special operations office known as the Office for Special Geological Exploration. If any of you are sure that some place has a spirit vein or rare treasure, you can use them for surveying. Of course, all of your gains will completely belong to you. Other wildcat departments don’t have this condition. Our special exploration office, hehe… these words are unpleasant to listen to, but our ancestors have been dealing with those things for a long time now.”
She paused and looked at Lotus provokingly: “Do you know of the Wealth Repossession Captains? All of them hold post in the CSIB!” [2]
“I can’t be bothered with your crap!” Hibiscus snapped and yelled, looking deeply at everyone. In a similar fashion, she snapped her fingers and a stack of resources appeared, flying into everyone’s hands: “The Featherwood Guard and the CSIB can both be called one of China’s Big Three. Our history is as long as theirs, and our hotline number is 010-8675-2341. I welcome any student to consult us…”
Hibiscus spoke while rummaging for a twice as thick dossier that swiftly came out from the pile of resources. Lilac’s eyes glimmered, and she took out the contract from her bosom with a swish. Just as Hibiscus was brusquely going to foist it onto Xu Yangyi, it was slapped away into the air by Lilac.
CSIB’s contract was placed before Xu Yangyi.
“You wanna go?” Hibiscus slammed the table, her eyes glowering.
“Why don’t you come try me?” Lilac sneered and stood up, not losing in might in the least bit.
In the airplane, two similarly formidable waves of spiritual pressure seemed to grind against one another like a millstone. In kind, both we’re equally matched.
“What? You wanna get the others, then take ‘em, but you wanna snatch up two of the champions, as well? I’ll accompany you straight through eating, chatting, and sleeping. You wanna squeeze in and seal the deal? I’m going to sit at his side, too!” [3]
Xu Yangyi silently took the materials and swept his eyes over it, yet he didn’t have the time to look at it carefully.
“Hehe, who doesn’t want a champion? Even if they didn’t pass the graduation exam, based on the recommendation of their branches and their credits at school, they’re an important training target! Speak less of your haves and have-nots, the Featherwood Guard must have these two!”
“Psshh… They’re yours just because you said so? Is the CSIB the least bit worst than your Featherwood Guard? When we chase after prospects, when have we not been generous?”
“Just on the basis of your bloated government agency?”
“Psshhh… And on the basis of your ragtag circus that’s better kept under the table? Let me ask, can you provide others the opportunity with a study abroad exchange? Can you provide them with a government-issued medal? Can you provide them with systemic provincial-grade treatment? Low-class things will never do for high-class needs!” [4]
The silver bell and the barbell collided. As this suddenly came out in full swing on the airplane, the two women were soon sticking together, face to face, scowling coldly at each other. Everyone else could speak no longer.
“So in the end, it all comes back to Number 9310’s report that he killed a berserker, huh…” Finally, Hibiscus faintly laughed in bitterness, keeping her voice under control so the others couldn’t hear her: “Ten years ago… Eleven years ago, a mutant maneater appeared in Runjiang City. After the examinee died without a whole corpse, there wasn’t another examination deviation, not even to mention one where the target was killed. This is the first time after ten years, but you’ve really set your heart on this more than me.”
“What about it?” Presently, the two of them had simply torn up and thrown out the window the most fundamental of face. Already, Lilac had completely abandoned her desire to keep up pretense, jitterily kicking the handrail on the side. With a boom, the steel handrail suddenly bent.
She looked at Hibiscus coldly: “Momma is warning you, ugly. That Chu’s background is great. I don’t want to give him up to you, but the CSIB Nantong branch mentioned that Xu cannot be lost by any means! You dare try to scramble over him with me!”
“Is Mama afraid of your CSIB? You might’ve scared the rookies more or less, but you want to scare me?” Hibiscus glared and shot back hatefully: “That Chu is yours! Our Featherwood Guard’s Nantong branch also mentioned Xu’s name for acquisition!”
[1] Take advantage of you without your consent: 想/上. I had to do some digging to understand what this means. From what I found, it is exactly what I have translated it as, but it also has the context of “rape” or “forcing oneself on another, no matter what the other does”.
[2] 摸金校尉 - literally: Steal Gold Captain. This word has its roots way back during the Three Kingdoms period. From what I read, this rank was devised for people to take wealth from tombs to supply the army with. A tricky bit about this here is the rank of captain. Depending on what time period, be it early Han, or Tang, the rank has a higher status or medium status respectively. Can be thought of as either a rank just below general or captain respectively.
[3] Accompany straight through eating, chatting, and sleeping. This is a Chinese idiom that I had a tough time deciding to localize or not, but I decided against it, but we will see. Refers to an idea that a woman accompanies a client through eating, chatting, and sleeping, so pretty much it refers to an idea of following straight through with everything. This is the newer version. The old version had dancing instead of sleeping. Boy, times have changed.
[4] 下里巴人永远做不了阳春白雪 this refers back to two different songs during the warring states period that represent the ideals of art between different states. From what I read, 下里巴人 refers to an everyday music/song for the common folk. 阳春白雪 - in kind, refers to art/music for the noble class. In this way it kinda separates the ideas of the nobility/common men
Chapter 23: Leaving for Heavens Law Branch (3)
Lilac snapped her fingers and a stack of materials appeared in her hand. With a casual wave of her hand, they flew into everyone’s hands in a manner that could not be refused, and she laughed: “This is the CSIB’s specific introduction. Everyone, please be relaxed, we are China’s civil servants. Remember how the civil servant exam spread about like wildfire several years? There’s a solid difference between us and some field chicken organizations. The benefits and retirement guarantee are better than what others can imagine. Even if everyone is stopped in Qi Condensation—and believe me, eight out of ten cultivators stop right before Foundation Establishment like me. However, all of you have the same opportunity as myself, and that is to become a VIP.”
This was multi-level marketing, right? Right?
These words turned in everyone’s hearts several times, but no one said a thing.
Xu Yangyi simply didn’t care whether or not the other was multi-level marketeer. He only cared about a single matter—would the CSIB be able to bring him a true advantage? His first course of action upon receiving the papers was to look at the short seven-page CSIB introduction and the list of famous cultivators. It appeared that CSIB could make things sail smoothly.
The first line on the eighth page was a row of large characters: Beijing University, Huaqing University, and the tenth greatest educational institution in China had joined hands to establish the cultivation world’s largest lecture hall for the latest issues: from Biological Transformation to Darwin’s Theory of the Analysis of Demons’ Weaknesses.
“Huff…” Xu Yangyi gently exhaled, forcefully pinching his fist.
This was something he definitely desired! And it seemed there were no strings attached? No, no way!
He understood if clearly. Every demon had a core they had carried with them since ancient times. They had their own demon forms, and these demon forms… were biological organisms!
If it was a living organism, then it had a weakness.
Biological organisms were divided into many classifications: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, species, and beneath species there were also subspecies. Vegetation also had variants, and every category had their own suborder and subclass… This dazzling line up was the origin of a demon’s root!
In the last several eons of changes in Earth’s history, every demon, every ancient fossil, had an origin that they abided by among the Earth’s several eons of history. Xu Yangyi had always been very understanding about his own position, never faltering.
And that was… a true demon slayer. One didn’t take action until they could guarantee one shot, one kill. He continued to read.
It was obvious that the CSIB’s ace was their favorable connections to university resources and famous Chinese biologists and geneticists. This publicity material was of their own sufficient effort. For example, the second article: Evolution of Demons, Territory Awareness, The Comparison of Hunting Grounds and Natural Organisms, and as well as Discerning Future Routes.
The third article: Huaqing Biology, International Sociology Professor Cao Liangwei in Regards to the Complements Between Human Society and Demon Society, Competitions, and the Definition of Mutual Expulsion.
The fourth article: How to Find Concealed Demons in Human Society with Taobao, QQ, and WeChat in the Progressively Interweaving Information Age. How to Distinguish Whether They Erased Their Tracks.
“Fairly interesting…” Xu Yangyi’s eyes faintly flashed. He was quite willing to listen to what Lilac had to say next. At the very least, the bait that had been released did indeed invoke his interest. However, while the students discussed it, Lilac’s voice didn’t echo out again. As Xu Yangyi lifted his gaze from the materials, a snow-white hand had already cupped his chin.
“How about it? Interested?” Lilac’s charming face came closer to his, and her rosy lips leaned on his earlobe, nearly a mere centimeter away from sucking on it. It could even be imagined that her nimble tongue was like that of a true lilac, tracing an arc on his ear.
Everyone’s gaze swept over nonchalantly, clearly unable to understand why Lilac seemed to have a special interest in the last person that had arrived.
Were there few champions? There were twelve cities in Nantong Province, equal to twelve champions! There was one even sitting at her side, but on the contrary, why didn’t she recognize him like Xu Yangyi?
“If it’s interesting…” Lilac’s sweet shoulder bumped into Xu Yangyi once again and coiled her hair around her hand. A languid enthrallment seeped into her husky voice: “Won’t you consider our unit? Yuyang City’s champion, Student Xu Yangyi? Big sis will be waiting for you~”
“We’ll even make an exception… Are you not intending…” Lilac pursed her lips and snapped her fingers. A sheet of paper unhurriedly drifted over… in between her bosom!
Lilac’s deep cleavage squeezed down on the sheet of paper, and she winked. She said lowly at the side of his ear: “Are you not intending on giving big sis an answer?”
“This is a specially drafted contract for the champion. Others won’t be the same; it won’t have big sis’s digits on it~~”
“Oh? I was wondering why Zuo Lun was so willing to have tea with me. He even said it was the newest tea gathered from Mount Emei…” Before Lilac’s voice had even fell, a sneer could be heard coming from the door. Just as the sound of laughter fell, it immediately turned into a fierce shout: “Scheming whore, be gone! Our ‘Featherwood Guard’ has yet to even recruit people; when did it become your turn!”
Everyone was dumbfounded. Xu Yangyi took advantage of situation to break away from Lilac’s clutches, calmly surveying everything.
No, no, no… let us straighten out our thoughts; what the heck is going on? They hadn’t even graduated, but they had been given pamphlets… Moreover, it wasn’t even a single person that had been sent, but rather two?
Wasn’t the CSIB a state agency? Was there another even more powerful unit?
“Are you trying to flush people out and trap them in by not speaking about it clearly?” The person who had come was a woman with short hair, a square face, and around thirty years of age. In the same camouflage, she appeared like a man, and her voice was comparatively coarse as well: “Hmph, Lilac, you’ve got the nerve to try and fool these young chicks?”
Looking at her appearance, the students who were just listening to a silver-bell-like voice with endless expectations suddenly jolted up in their seats with straight backs.
The transformation from silver bell to barbell was far too swift. So quick that they couldn’t accept it.
Lilac snorted coldly: “Little chicks? Students, listen up. The Featherwood Guard regards you all as such! We will hold you as colleagues, but she’ll take advantage of you without your consent!” [1]
“I can’t be bothered with your crap.” The short-haired woman’s gift for the gab was evidently nothing to brag home about. She turned her head and looked at everyone: “Greetings, students, I’ve come to introduce myself. I am C-Hibiscus…”
“All girls are designated based on flowers. Our Featherwood Guard isn’t like those pansy-ass government departments. Everyone, have you ever thought of the question, how long would it take to respond to a problem if you joined a government branch?
“For example, you find a spirit stone vein—hey, don’t look at me like that, it’s just a lucky bullshit example. There aren’t many spirit stone veins on the entire Earth; it’s nothing but a figure of speech.” Hibiscus glanced at a student: “At the same though, if someone saw it, what would we be done? Report it to the government branch? Haha… They would wait, right. Wait for a month and see whether or not they would get on it. But by the time that moment comes, everything would’ve already been left high and dry!”
“But our Featherwood Guard ain’t the same! We don’t got so much red tape, and we’re one big family of a guild. Our president is a Chinese Core Formation expert, an existence at the peak of the world! You feel like doing something, sure, then go do it, go snatch it! But once you take possession of it, you have to continue to report it to the guild. You guys think that if you join the CSIB, you’ll be able to take immediate action if you don’t wait on instructions from the Top Brass? Who will pardon you when the blames falls on you because there are four other Core Formation masters?”
“Hehe… Nothing but a pack of mercenaries moonlighting as private detectives. What are you doing trying to fluff it up?” Lilac was disinclined to feign the slightest courtesy as she riposted with equal harshness: “Their treatment and research techniques are wholly incapable of matching up to our unit’s! Any mission that is accepted and accomplished will have a bonus upon completion! Not completed? Hehe… sorry… even if the mission is a success, does everyone dare to guarantee they can complete a mission every time without a scratch? Theirs is a unit without an occupational injury organization, and to be specific, their unit also doesn’t even have retirement insurance! Moreover, they don’t provide medical insurance! Their irregular standards is the extreme point! They can be simply classified as an impoverished, rag-tag group!”
“However, even the commissions starting from our lowest missions begin at 5 million US dollars!”
“Hahaha, it really is a huge joke. Like setting up a stall in a Japanese supermarket and boasting of riches.” Lilac chuckled with her waist bent over: “Has everyone thought of where spirit stones come from? Have you thought of where those priceless treasures originate from? I’ll tell everyone, the CSIB has a special operations office known as the Office for Special Geological Exploration. If any of you are sure that some place has a spirit vein or rare treasure, you can use them for surveying. Of course, all of your gains will completely belong to you. Other wildcat departments don’t have this condition. Our special exploration office, hehe… these words are unpleasant to listen to, but our ancestors have been dealing with those things for a long time now.”
She paused and looked at Lotus provokingly: “Do you know of the Wealth Repossession Captains? All of them hold post in the CSIB!” [2]
“I can’t be bothered with your crap!” Hibiscus snapped and yelled, looking deeply at everyone. In a similar fashion, she snapped her fingers and a stack of resources appeared, flying into everyone’s hands: “The Featherwood Guard and the CSIB can both be called one of China’s Big Three. Our history is as long as theirs, and our hotline number is 010-8675-2341. I welcome any student to consult us…”
Hibiscus spoke while rummaging for a twice as thick dossier that swiftly came out from the pile of resources. Lilac’s eyes glimmered, and she took out the contract from her bosom with a swish. Just as Hibiscus was brusquely going to foist it onto Xu Yangyi, it was slapped away into the air by Lilac.
CSIB’s contract was placed before Xu Yangyi.
“You wanna go?” Hibiscus slammed the table, her eyes glowering.
“Why don’t you come try me?” Lilac sneered and stood up, not losing in might in the least bit.
In the airplane, two similarly formidable waves of spiritual pressure seemed to grind against one another like a millstone. In kind, both we’re equally matched.
“What? You wanna get the others, then take ‘em, but you wanna snatch up two of the champions, as well? I’ll accompany you straight through eating, chatting, and sleeping. You wanna squeeze in and seal the deal? I’m going to sit at his side, too!” [3]
Xu Yangyi silently took the materials and swept his eyes over it, yet he didn’t have the time to look at it carefully.
“Hehe, who doesn’t want a champion? Even if they didn’t pass the graduation exam, based on the recommendation of their branches and their credits at school, they’re an important training target! Speak less of your haves and have-nots, the Featherwood Guard must have these two!”
“Psshh… They’re yours just because you said so? Is the CSIB the least bit worst than your Featherwood Guard? When we chase after prospects, when have we not been generous?”
“Just on the basis of your bloated government agency?”
“Psshhh… And on the basis of your ragtag circus that’s better kept under the table? Let me ask, can you provide others the opportunity with a study abroad exchange? Can you provide them with a government-issued medal? Can you provide them with systemic provincial-grade treatment? Low-class things will never do for high-class needs!” [4]
The silver bell and the barbell collided. As this suddenly came out in full swing on the airplane, the two women were soon sticking together, face to face, scowling coldly at each other. Everyone else could speak no longer.
“So in the end, it all comes back to Number 9310’s report that he killed a berserker, huh…” Finally, Hibiscus faintly laughed in bitterness, keeping her voice under control so the others couldn’t hear her: “Ten years ago… Eleven years ago, a mutant maneater appeared in Runjiang City. After the examinee died without a whole corpse, there wasn’t another examination deviation, not even to mention one where the target was killed. This is the first time after ten years, but you’ve really set your heart on this more than me.”
“What about it?” Presently, the two of them had simply torn up and thrown out the window the most fundamental of face. Already, Lilac had completely abandoned her desire to keep up pretense, jitterily kicking the handrail on the side. With a boom, the steel handrail suddenly bent.
She looked at Hibiscus coldly: “Momma is warning you, ugly. That Chu’s background is great. I don’t want to give him up to you, but the CSIB Nantong branch mentioned that Xu cannot be lost by any means! You dare try to scramble over him with me!”
“Is Mama afraid of your CSIB? You might’ve scared the rookies more or less, but you want to scare me?” Hibiscus glared and shot back hatefully: “That Chu is yours! Our Featherwood Guard’s Nantong branch also mentioned Xu’s name for acquisition!”
[1] Take advantage of you without your consent: 想/上. I had to do some digging to understand what this means. From what I found, it is exactly what I have translated it as, but it also has the context of “rape” or “forcing oneself on another, no matter what the other does”.
[2] 摸金校尉 - literally: Steal Gold Captain. This word has its roots way back during the Three Kingdoms period. From what I read, this rank was devised for people to take wealth from tombs to supply the army with. A tricky bit about this here is the rank of captain. Depending on what time period, be it early Han, or Tang, the rank has a higher status or medium status respectively. Can be thought of as either a rank just below general or captain respectively.
[3] Accompany straight through eating, chatting, and sleeping. This is a Chinese idiom that I had a tough time deciding to localize or not, but I decided against it, but we will see. Refers to an idea that a woman accompanies a client through eating, chatting, and sleeping, so pretty much it refers to an idea of following straight through with everything. This is the newer version. The old version had dancing instead of sleeping. Boy, times have changed.
[4] 下里巴人永远做不了阳春白雪 this refers back to two different songs during the warring states period that represent the ideals of art between different states. From what I read, 下里巴人 refers to an everyday music/song for the common folk. 阳春白雪 - in kind, refers to art/music for the noble class. In this way it kinda separates the ideas of the nobility/common men
