Chapter 493 - 248: Upper Two, the Ferryman, Bai Qiuyue

Chapter 493: Chapter 248: Upper Two, the Ferryman, Bai Qiuyue

「In front of the Yan Chun Building.」

The two young women were well-trained; though inwardly puzzled, they still stepped forward to draw them in.

"Sir," they began, seeing that the white-haired Elder Divine Doctor had an extraordinary air about him and must be the head of the family. "Are you... here for a few drinks?"

"Nonsense!"

The Elder Divine Doctor’s beard shot out as his eyes widened in anger. "Have you ever seen anyone bring their whole family to a brothel?"

The two young women shook their heads blankly. ’He’s right,’ they thought.

No one would be so brazen.

"See! There you have it!" Following the plan, the Elder Divine Doctor waved Yin Qingqing, Xi’er, and Ye away. "This elder is going inside to cultivate my character, release my inner frustrations, sublimate my ambitions and passions, and befriend those of a similar mind! You are all to leave at once! Do not disturb this elder’s refined pursuits!"

Xi’er’s mouth fell open. ’This doesn’t seem to be part of the plan,’ she thought.

But on second thought, if you decoded what he was saying, it wasn’t wrong.

Upon hearing this, the two young women shuddered and reflexively squeezed their thighs together. The bold, domineering air the Elder Divine Doctor was exuding now attracted the attention of many onlookers.

Inside, some patrons heard the Elder Divine Doctor’s wild rant and couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up, shouting out:

"Well said!"

"Marvelous!"

"A man of noble character!"

One young man who looked like a Scholar burst into tears, shaking his head as he drained the wine in his cup. "I am ashamed of my own inadequacy!"

Just then, Red King, holding the Orange Cat—who was rolling its eyes in utter disdain—put on a look of pure innocence. "I want to go too!"

"Excellent! This elder will take you inside to broaden your horizons!"

The two young women thought the boy was a little on the young side.

They whispered to each other.

"He seems a little too green!"

"But Fragrant Maiden’s tastes are... eclectic. You never know..."

"True!"

Their discussion concluded, the two young women smiled brightly, each taking one of the pair—the elder and the youth—by the hand. "This way, you two!"

The Elder Divine Doctor tossed out handfuls of bank notes. "Get this elder your finest private room."

Ever since the Elder Divine Doctor had grasped the essence of Red King’s ’money talks’ philosophy, the way he threw cash around had begun to vaguely echo Red King’s own style. Before long, word that a wealthy master and his young heir had arrived at the Yan Chun Building reached the ears of its madam.

Once inside the private room on the second floor, Jun Buxiao stood coolly in a corner. As mentioned before, without his mask, he looked like a complete imbecile who had no idea how to interact with people. Standing there stone-faced with his arms crossed, he looked exactly like a bodyguard.

Before long, the madam of the house entered, fanning herself with a small, floral fan. She was dressed in bright, splendid clothes and had maintained her appearance well; though over forty, she looked to be in her early thirties, possessing the unique charm of a woman in her prime.

Situ Yong and Zheng Xiu exchanged a glance, the file on this woman flashing through their minds simultaneously. This madam was the retired courtesan who had single-handedly founded the Yan Chun Building. Her sharp, glistening eyes sized up Situ Yong and Zheng Xiu for a moment before finally landing, fixed intently, on the young man’s face.

As for Jun Buxiao, with his posture of a mere subordinate, he was completely ignored by the madam.

"Well now! This handsome young master, you’re a new face. You’re not from around here, are you?"

Situ Yong appeared thoughtful for a moment, then looked at the madam with amusement. "Oh?"

Shortly after the madam’s arrival, a pretty young woman brought in several plates of exquisite snacks and set them on the table. The Orange Cat leaped from Zheng Xiu’s arms onto the tabletop, pawed at one of the beautifully arranged little dishes, then looked back and let out a dissatisfied meow.

"Mrrroow! Mow!"

’This is nothing compared to fried fish cakes!’

Zheng Xiu glared at the Orange Cat.

The Orange Cat refused to eat.

It was a protest.

The madam’s attention was drawn to the Orange Cat’s peculiar antics for a moment. Then Zheng Xiu spoke: "We’re from the Imperial City."

SHHH! The madam sucked in a sharp breath. "So you’re a young master from the Capital City!" She quickly adopted a wry smile. "Alas, since you’re a young master from the big city, I’m afraid the girls in my humble establishment won’t be worthy of your notice!"

"I hear you have a courtesan here, one who is a master of the four arts. As it happens, I am somewhat skilled in Danqing myself, and I wish to exchange pointers with Fragrant Maiden."

Hearing this, Situ Yong had to suppress a laugh, his mouth twitching. ’If you’re here for a girl, just say so. Why come up with such a lame excuse?’

’The young master is still too inexperienced.’

Sure enough, the madam paid no mind to the young master’s claim of being "somewhat skilled in Danqing." The truth was, most men who came to the brothel looking for a girl pretended to be cultured. Some claimed to be chess masters, some claimed to be painters, some claimed to know the zither, and some even claimed to be experts in rope art. It was all just a ploy to get close to Fragrant Maiden. The madam had seen it all a thousand times before.

A glint appeared in the madam’s eyes. Thinking the two of them were unaware, she began to explain Fragrant Maiden’s rules for choosing a patron.

It was just as Jun Buxiao’s inquiries had revealed. The legendary Fragrant Maiden—said to be a model of productivity who received guests every night, all year round—chose her patrons not by wealth or looks, but solely by ’affinity.’ If she felt a connection, even a street beggar could enter her silken canopy for a night of romance. She was an odd one.

But it was precisely this strange rule that drew so many people to her, hoping to win her favor.

"Rules?"

’This is considered a rule?’

Zheng Xiu suddenly understood. Perhaps this ’not being picky’ was, for someone on the Path of the Orchid, an incredibly harsh rule in itself. ’Having to accept anyone... that rule must be agony.’

Nodding to himself, Zheng Xiu held his hand out to Situ Yong.

Situ Yong got the hint and placed a heavy pouch on the table.

’Good thing I had Yin Qingqing bring enough silver.’

Zheng Xiu opened the pouch and took out a long, narrow gold ingot.

"I have a bad habit," he said.

"When things don’t go my way, I like to spend money."

Under the madam’s shocked gaze, the young man moved slowly, pulling a second gold ingot from the pouch and stacking it on top of the first.