Chapter 481 - 242: A Certain Brothel

Chapter 481: Chapter 242: A Certain Brothel

When they reached the door, the faint sound of long, drawn-out snores drifted out from within.

Snake was the first to reach the door. She looked down and said, stunned, "The door isn’t closed all the way."

Zheng Xiu nodded, signaling for Snake to enter.

Snake pushed the door open soundlessly, only to have a pair of sharp scissors pointed directly between her eyes.

"Well now, miss, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. Hmm? Situ Yong?"

The one holding the scissors was Jun Buxiao, who wore a mask with a "cold" expression. The first part of his sentence was for Snake. He only spoke the second part after catching sight of Situ Yong in his practical attire. He put away his scissors, his mask swapping to a joyous, smiling face in a flash. "Ah! So you’ve arrived! Huh? Lord Pillar Qing, is this the... Red King’s nephew you mentioned in your letter?"

Xi’er sat on the windowsill with her legs crossed, her ten fingers spread wide with the middle ones hooked inward. The thread that had been snapped on the stairs silently retracted into her sleeve. Seeing the young man, Xi’er let out a long sigh of relief. "Re—" she began, then coughed. "Young Master, you’re finally here!"

Yin Qingqing heard this and understood instantly, sighing to herself. ’So it seems most of the Zheng Clan are just playing dumb? Could it be that the Red King enjoys this kind of strange game?’

’Should I act... a few years younger, then?’

As a newcomer hoping to fit into this new family, the "thirty-five but forever eighteen" Yin Qingqing was constantly trying to secretly figure out the Red King’s tastes and preferences.

"MEOW!"

The Orange Cat, whom Jun Buxiao had addressed only as "Pillar Qing" and never "Pillar Cat," angrily made its presence known, its tail whipping around frantically. Its emerald-green eyes glowed faintly in the dim room, giving it a strangely eerie look.

"Jun Buxiao greets Lord Pillar Cat," Jun Buxiao said, properly cupping his hands in a formal greeting to the Orange Cat on Zheng Xiu’s head.

"Ahem, Xi’er greets Lord Pillar Cat."

Now satisfied, the Orange Cat leaped aside and found a comfortable spot to lie down. With a flick of its paw, it produced a fried fishcake from out of nowhere, propped its chin on it, and feigned sleep with its eyes half-closed, savoring the aroma in utter bliss.

Zheng Xiu saw this and grew furious. ’When did this gluttonous cat steal my fried fishcake?’

"How was I discovered?"

Having been greeted by scissors the moment she entered, Snake was perplexed. A snake is an animal that excels at stealth, a hunter in the darkness. She could walk without a sound, hold her breath, and suppress her heartbeat. She didn’t know how she had been found out and muttered to herself behind the door, critiquing her own performance.

"It was Xi’er’s silk threads," Zheng Xiu explained with a smile, his hearing sharp enough to catch Snake’s muttering. "She’s a Tailor from the Skillful Hands branch and has complete control over the threads she lays out. You accidentally snapped one on your way up the stairs, and she sensed it."

Understanding dawned on Snake, and she looked at Xi’er in a new light.

This was also part of Zheng Xiu’s plan. All along the way, Snake had been boasting about her Incompleteness Tower, claiming it was invincible and filled with countless experts. This was a perfect little opportunity to let her witness the skills of others and temper her pride. Zheng Xiu liked to call this sort of subtle influence "taming." The road ahead was long and arduous; he would have to take it slow. After all, you can’t swallow a Big White Snake in one bite.

This was already the most spacious room in the Xilaideng Inn, but with so many people suddenly packed inside, it felt incredibly cramped. Ye pulled Snake into a corner, raised a pale finger to her lips with a "shh," signaling for her not to be so loud in front of everyone.

"Nnngh—"

The slight noise startled the pitiful man on the bed, Mo Kuang. He was tossing and turning with his large belly, unable to sleep, letting out strange moans. Situ Yong’s eyes lit up like a ravenous beast’s, and both of his hands went to the short blades at his waist.

"Let me handle this!"

He walked toward Mo Kuang. Perhaps the man sensed Situ Yong’s surging battle lust—an intensity that felt like a blazing fire being held to his backside, jolting him awake. Mo Kuang’s eyes flew open. He was stunned for a moment to see the room full of people, but then he saw the Divine Doctor striding toward him, practically sharpening his blades.

"AHHH—"

Mo Kuang’s stomach churned, and his blood-curdling scream echoed through the inn.