Chapter 329 - 318: Fickle

Chapter 329: Chapter 318: Fickle

"Well, I got it done..."

Bai San plopped down on a stool next to Chen Li. "But the price was just too damn high. Master, you have no idea. That place... it’s a money pit that swallows people whole!"

Chen Li took a sip of tea and said coolly, "Speak."

Bai San began to vent. "Master, you wouldn’t believe it. That Jiang Nanyue is supposedly semi-retired. She stopped performing in public years ago, so you can’t even call her a top courtesan anymore. But guess what? The price to see her is still ridiculously high."

He laid out the costs for Chen Li. "Just to get on her painted boat, whether you see her or not, you first have to pay a twenty-tael boarding fee. Once inside, you sit with the other guests, drink some tea, and listen to some music—that costs another one hundred taels. And after all that, you can only see her as a shadowy figure through a beaded curtain and a screen. You can’t even be sure you’ll get a clear look at her face."

He grew more agitated as he spoke. "And if you want to enter the innermost room to get a clear look at what she actually looks like? That’s five hundred taels! Damn it, I’ve been around the block for years, I’ve seen it all! But this Wangyou Inn... five hundred taels, just to get a little closer to some woman and listen to a single song. Five hundred taels! That’s enough to have your pick of ten girls in a row at a brothel!"

Chen Li frowned slightly and raised a hand, cutting off Bai San’s rant. "Get to the point."

Bai San met Chen Li’s gaze, choked back his complaints, and gave a dry laugh. "I did see her. I was just feeling the sting of all that silver. How could I dare not give my all to the task you assigned?"

"After getting into the inner room, I waited for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and then Jiang Nanyue finally came out. Master, I’m not exaggerating, but just based on looks and figure, compared to Miss Linglong... they’re about on par. If I’d known I was wasting all that money, I would have rather..."

Linglong shot Bai San a cold glance. "So, Master Bai San, you think seeing me is also worth five hundred taels?"

A shiver went down Bai San’s spine, and he quickly waved his hands in front of him. "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! I have a big mouth. You’re a magnanimous person, please don’t stoop to my level."

He quickly turned back to report to Chen Li. "That Jiang Nanyue came out and exchanged some pleasantries with us. Then she played a song from behind a curtain, sang a short tune, and came back out to perform a dance. The music was... fine. Played well enough, I guess. The dance was... just okay.

The whole thing took less than an hour. And that was it! She stood up, said a few more words about being a poor host, and then returned to the rear cabin, lowering the curtain behind her. Five hundred taels of silver! Master! Gone, just like that. Tell me, wasn’t that a complete waste?"

Bai San smacked his lips, a look of utter agony on his face over the cost.

Chen Li’s brow furrowed. How much silver Bai San had spent was of no concern to him.

However, from Bai San’s account, the inability to communicate with her directly was a major problem.

’Should I just force my way in?’

As he pondered, Linglong spoke in a low voice, "Master, the Xiang Sect is also in the business of selling information. Secrets of the Jianghu, the dealings of high officials, rumors from all walks of life... as long as you can pay the price, you can find out almost anything. After Jiang Nanyue semi-retired, she must have transitioned into this business.

"However, not just anyone can be a client; the barrier to entry is extremely high. Generally, on a first visit, even if you’re willing to spend a lot of silver, it’s really just for them to verify your funds and size you up. You won’t get a real opportunity to access core information."

"You typically need to become a regular customer, visiting several times, before you get the chance to purchase anything truly useful. To get what we need, you’d probably have to go at least four or five more times."

Chen Li nodded slightly.

Brothels and pleasure houses have always been places where people from all walks of life converge, making them natural hubs for information. Using such a place as a base for an intelligence business was indeed a uniquely advantageous move.

Still, he had only sent Bai San to scout the path ahead; he never expected him to succeed in one go.

"What about Jiang Nanyue’s Cultivation? Were you able to gauge her strength?"

Chen Li asked Bai San. This was his primary concern.

If she wasn’t very strong, many options would be available to them. But if she was a tough opponent, they would need to plan more carefully.

An uncertain expression crossed Bai San’s face. "Master, with my meager Cultivation, how could I possibly gauge her depth? I can be sure of one thing, though: she is definitely not a Grandmaster. But as for what stage of the Spirit Realm she’s in, I can’t say for sure. All I know is she’s at a higher level than me."

Chen Li nodded, relatively satisfied with the answer.

As long as she wasn’t a Grandmaster, the matter was still within the realm of control.

He then asked, "Were there any other masters on the painted boat?"

Bai San laughed sheepishly. "Well... Master, I was focused on watching... uh, thinking of a plan. There were a lot of people coming and going on the painted boat. I didn’t notice if there were any hidden experts."

Chen Li glanced at him but said no more.

’One couldn’t expect too much when sending Bai San to handle this sort of task anyway.’

Seeing Chen Li’s solemn expression, Bai San’s eyes darted around, and he broke into a sly grin, that familiar praise-seeking look returning to his face. "Master, don’t you worry! Like I said, the job is done, and I’d say I handled it beautifully!"

Linglong said irritably, "Then spit it out. Stop dragging it out."

"Right, right!"

Bai San’s expression turned serious. "When the performance ended, it was a good thing I, Old Bai, am both thick-skinned and quick-witted. I dawdled until the very end, then pulled aside one of Jiang Nanyue’s personal maids and secretly slipped her twenty taels of silver."

He paused intentionally, and only when both Chen Li and Linglong looked over did he lower his voice and say with a hint of smugness, "Then, I passed her the item you had me bring, Master. I told the maid that our boss had specially sought out this incredibly rare fabric as a small token of his esteem, and that she must ask her mistress to take a look."

Chen Li nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

The item Bai San mentioned was a piece of women’s intimate apparel, woven using the Floating Light and Shadow technique. The silk had a unique inner luster, seeming to ripple like water, making it extraordinarily rare and precious.