Shang Pu Lao

He first appears at Shang Yan Fei’s clan banquet in Shang clan city, already seated with Shang Qiu Niu and Shang Chao Feng before the guests arrive. Wei Yang introduces him as a manager of all the brothels in the red light zone. ^{ch. 269} That zone holds the city’s densest cluster of brothels, where Gu Masters seek men, women, or other Gu Masters after the pressure of caravan travel. ^{ch. 265} Narration already names him as in charge of that zone and of brothels of all sizes, and as the fastest person to get any news. The text describes him as the most delicate of the early arrivals: thin physique, white face, beautiful eyes, and a loose bearing from loitering around with women all year round. Fang Yuan’s banquet count later labels him eight son Shang Pu Lao among Shang Yan Fei’s children. ^{ch. 269}

Appearance

He looks the most delicate of the early arrivals at the banquet: a thin physique, white face, beautiful eyes, and a loose bearing from loitering around with women all year round. When he toasts, his beautiful eyes flash with light. ^{ch. 269}

Eighth son and second faction

At the same banquet he retorts that Chao Feng’s Gu battles are too bloody and toasts Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing with an offer to talk about romance and love. ^{ch. 269} When Shang Xin Ci is revealed as a new sister, he laughs that his heart had been palpitating earlier. ^{ch. 270} Later city scenes place him with Shang Suan Ni and Shang Bi Xi as Shang Yan Fei’s eighth, ninth, and tenth children, allied by benefits into the second largest faction among the contesting young masters, then temporarily suppressing Chao Feng and Shang Fu Xi. He controls the brothels, is called a casanova and womaniser, and is cast as the scholar of the bloc: literary talent and fate with women, while Suan Ni and Bi Xi are the strong cultivation experts. He has great interpersonal communication skills, speaks casually among people, and draws followers wherever he goes. ^{ch. 305} Fang Yuan later restates the same ranking to Shang Xin Ci, naming the Pu Lao, Suan Ni, and Bi Xi alliance the second faction currently in the limelight. ^{ch. 326} Wei Yang warns that besides Shang Ya Zi, Shang Bi Xi and Ju Kai Bei are the main rivals for bitter strength Gu. Narration then notes that Pu Lao’s brothels and Suan Ni’s restaurants and silk stores earn buckets of primeval stones every day, so those brothers would help Bi Xi if he wanted the Gu. ^{ch. 306}

Banquets during the young master contest

He personally invites battle stage fighters such as Fang Zheng and is refused. ^{ch. 305} A servant later delivers his invitation to Ju Kai Bei from the fourth private room, where Pu Lao has prepared a banquet. ^{ch. 306} At the bitter strength Gu auction he tells Bi Xi that if Bi Xi wants to compete, the brothers will support him all the way; Bi Xi then drops out after Fang Yuan’s five hundred thousand bid. ^{ch. 307} During the Auspicious Festival stretch, Qiu Niu and Pu Lao are locked fighting each other, so Shang Xin Ci chooses Chao Feng’s third faction instead of either of them. Chao Feng himself had expected her to join Qiu Niu or Pu Lao. Steward Zhang tells Shang Yi Fan that at that critical moment Qiu Niu cannot afford another enemy, and that by the time the two factions resolve their issues the young master competition will already be over. ^{ch. 327} Shang Xin Ci later takes Shang Ya Zi’s place among the ten young masters while that rivalry is still unresolved on the page. ^{ch. 333}

When Wei clan slaves go up for sale, Pu Lao had told a subordinate to watch them, wait until he settles matters with Shang Qiu Niu, then buy them. After Fang Yuan’s side buys the group first, he scolds the Gu Master in charge in his study room, sighs that those Wei clansmen could let him create half a Wei clan, and especially wanted Wei De Xin for her skill at nurturing guards. ^{ch. 330} Fang Yuan later counts offending Shang Pu Lao among the Shang clansmen he has angered by that purchase. ^{ch. 336}

Prior life rivalry

Succession report

Pu Lao drawing