Chapter 480 - 242: There is a Brothel

Chapter 480: Chapter 242: There is a Brothel

Ye and Snake stared at each other. Although the old hand had been subtle, Ye and Snake weren’t idiots; they understood.

Snake was blunt. "Isn’t that just a whorehouse? Hmph, I’ve heard for a while now that the Red King is no good. The place where we work, the Disaster Prevention Bureau, used to be a whorehouse."

Zheng Xiu was not pleased to hear this. He frowned and cut Snake off. "Who did you hear that from?"

’If you’ve got the guts, name names. I’ll add them to my little list immediately.’

Snake stammered, unable to give a source. It seemed "I’ve heard" was just something she’d said offhandedly. Finally, she stubbornly stared at the young man. "Anyway, it’s not a good place! Brother, you can’t let yourself be corrupted by the Red King!"

Yin Qingqing shot Zheng Xiu a strange look. He was being insulted to his face, but his expression wasn’t as awkward as she’d expected. His brow smoothed out; he clearly wasn’t going to stoop to Snake’s level. He just smiled.

"You’re mistaken again. A courtesan house and a whorehouse can’t be mentioned in the same breath."

"Oh?" Ye’s eyes lit up with interest. Having stayed out of the conversation until now, she couldn’t help but ask the handsome young man, her voice soft, "Why don’t you tell me what the difference is?"

"They’re vastly different!" Since this concerned the Red King’s magnificent image, Zheng Xiu didn’t mind spending a few minutes explaining. "The women in the Painted Boats and courtesan houses often have tragic backstories. They are masters of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The songs, wine, and dances within those establishments each have their own flavor, making one linger and forget to return. They generally sell their art, not their bodies. Unless..."

Situ Yong, who had been humming softly with his eyes closed, perked up when he heard the young man pause for dramatic effect. He pressed, "Unless what?"

"Unless it’s mutual affection."

The young man smiled.

"Makes sense!" Situ Yong nodded. ’He’s right,’ he thought. ’To win a Sister Hua’s favor in a courtesan house, just throwing money around might not work. You have to be handsome and witty, able to recite poetry and compose couplets to win her heart. Only when a Sister Hua takes a liking to you and agrees can you stand out from the crowd of Flower Guests and spend the night. Isn’t that just ’mutual affection’?’

Zheng Xiu had no idea that his casual explanation had bridged the gap between him and Situ Yong. Situ Yong now secretly saw the young man as a kindred spirit. Spurring his horse a few steps closer, he looked as though he regretted not meeting him sooner, asking eagerly, "And what about the whorehouses?"

"Whorehouses," Zheng Xiu sneered, "are foul and corrupt places full of gaudy and vulgar women. You pay money for services rendered. They know all the tricks of the trade, enough to make a man fall into depravity, unable to pull himself out. Naturally, they sell their bodies, not their art. Unless..."

Situ Yong: "Unless?"

Zheng Xiu grinned. "You add more money."

"Brilliant!" Situ Yong slapped his thigh.

Snake looked bewildered, as if she understood, but not completely.

The smile on Ye’s face didn’t fade, but a faint blush crept up her cheeks. She silently cursed under her breath, seeming to grasp the deeper meaning—what sort of "art" you could get by adding more money. The young man’s half-joking, half-serious explanation had made everyone understand the difference between a courtesan house and a whorehouse.

Just then, Yin Qingqing calmly pointed to the red light flashing at the young man’s waist. "Young Master, a message is coming through."

The message was from an impatient Xi’er. Just before arriving at Lu Town, Zheng Xiu had used the Eternal World Painting to call and check if they were safe.

Xi’er, Jun Buxiao, and the pregnant man were staying at the most upscale inn in town, the "Xilaideng Inn"—a name that sounded cheerful and festive. The inn’s double doors were half-closed. Pushing them open, they saw a young waiter slumped over the counter, a single, dim lamp burning beside him. As the door opened, a gust of cold night wind swept in, nearly blowing out the lamp. The flickering candlelight startled the waiter awake, and he rubbed his eyes to get a clear look at the newcomers.

The strange group made the waiter stare.

A handsome young man with an Orange Cat in clothes standing on his head, two masked women dressed daringly with an exotic air about them, and a white-haired old man radiating killing intent. The six Large Curved Sabers at his waist were still sheathed, but their menacing hilts sent a sudden shiver through the waiter. He quickly averted his lingering gaze, not daring to look for long. He lowered his head and asked, "Esteemed guests, you’ve come from afar. Forgive me for not greeting you properly! Are you here to stay the night or to ask for directions?"

"Meow!"

Standing on Zheng Xiu’s head, the Orange Cat swished its tail in dissatisfaction. The waiter had ignored it.

Zheng Xiu smiled and explained their purpose. The waiter gave the young man a suspicious look. He’d seen plenty of guests and could easily tell that among this bizarre assembly of the old, the weak, women, and a cat, the young man was somehow the leader. But the waiter didn’t ask any questions. The three guests in that room had given him a heads-up this morning, saying their friends would be arriving late at night.

’Speaking of the three guests in that room,’ the waiter thought, feeling a knot of irritation. ’Those three look so glamorous, yet they insisted on squeezing into a single room—two men and one woman, at that. Aren’t they afraid of people gossiping behind their backs?’

Despite his thoughts, the waiter showed no impatience. Bowing and scraping, he pointed the way upstairs for Zheng Xiu’s group and casually asked if they needed any more rooms.

"How many rooms are left?" the young man suddenly asked.

"Plenty left, plenty!" the waiter replied.

Zheng Xiu held his palm out to Yin Qingqing.

Yin Qingqing placed a bag of silver in Zheng Xiu’s hand.

"I’ll take all the remaining rooms. You can hold on to these silver taels for now. We’ll settle the final bill when we leave."

After the group went upstairs, the waiter secretly opened the bag. The brilliant gleam of silver stung his eyes. In disbelief, he picked out a piece and bit down on it. CRACK! He grinned, his eyes narrowing into slits. Then, glancing around furtively like a thief, he scurried back to the counter, pulled out two pieces of broken silver from the bag, weighed them in his hand, and hid them in his robes.

As they walked up the stairs, Snake began to lecture the young man with a pained heart, saying that of all things, he just had to learn the Red King’s habit of throwing money around to get what he wants. As she spoke, a faint SNAP came from beneath her feet, like a thin thread breaking.