Wang Chen couldn't help but give Xiao Guizi—who had brought him here—a sidelong glance—"Are you kidding me with the name Purple Mansion Superior?"
This Lichun Courtyard was clearly a Courtesan House.
Although the sky had only just darkened, the hundreds of steps-long pavilions were already adorned with giant red lanterns.
Stay tuned for updates on empire
The lantern light reflected onto the meandering river beside, illuminating one ornate pleasure boat after another, while the sound of stringed and woodwind music, accompanied by the coquettish laughter of women, gently wafted across the glistening water.
On the nearby arched bridge, a teenager on horseback happened to pass by, and all along both banks, the Red Buildings opened one after another of their glass windows.
Woman after woman, some coquettish, others coy, and still others radiant, leaned out, waving embroidered handkerchiefs at the young man.
The air was thick with the cloying scent of rouge and powder.
The young man's face turned red with embarrassment, and he hurriedly spurred his horse away, leaving behind a trail of silvery laughter.
This was hardly the most affordable inn— it was clearly a den of vice that could enthrall the soul and devour fortunes!
Wang Chen had already decided—if Xiao Guizi didn't give him a good explanation, then he would be the one to give an explanation!
"Superior, is this your first time in Lotus City?"
Xiao Guizi caught Wang Chen's murderous stare, but he showed no fear; instead, he smiled even more broadly.
Wang Chen nodded: "That's correct."
If it weren't his first time in Lotus City, he probably wouldn't have been targeted by such a slippery character.
Wang Chen was curious to see just how this fellow would continue to try to fool him.
"It's good that it's your first time!"
All Xiao Guizi said with a laugh was, "Our Lichun Courtyard offers a big discount to first-time visitors. Just select any girl to listen to her play, and you can stay in the courtyard for free for three full days."
"Tea is included, and this offer is exclusive to Purple Mansion Superiors!"
The courtesan houses of Lotus City really know how to play the game!
Wang Chen finally understood the other party's strategy—it was a ploy to bait new customers.
It was not so much about fleecing as it was about ensuring Lichun Courtyard wouldn't suffer a loss. If one or two out of every ten newcomers couldn't resist the temptation and fell into a trap of pleasure, then they would make a lucrative profit.
But Wang Chen suspected there was a catch: "How many Spirit Stones does it cost to select a girl to listen to the music?"
"Ten Spirit Stones for one 'two-hour period'."
Xiao Guizi grinned: "The girl I'll arrange for you is the best deal in the entire Red Sleeve Fang. I guarantee your satisfaction!"
That did sound quite cheap!
Wang Chen said, "Then I might as well stay for a night and see."
Sleeping in a Courtesan House was indeed a novel experience for Wang Chen, and considering he would be leaving soon, he thought he might as well treat it as a diversion.
Xiao Guizi exclaimed joyfully, "I'll arrange it for you right away."
No sooner had he stepped through the grand entrance of Lichun Courtyard with Wang Chen than a green-clad lad from the house yelled out, "An honored guest has arrived—girls from upstairs and downstairs, come out to greet him!"
No sooner had he finished speaking, and accompanied by bursts of fragrant breezes, a flock of girls swiftly gathered around.
Xiao Guizi, with a look of disgust on his face, shooed away the women, exclaiming, "Quit dreaming! This guest has already chosen little Lian, you all better go wash up and hit the hay!"
He successfully reaped a collection of rolled eyes and scorn, as well as some sarcastic taunts.
"It's little Lian again, Xiao Guizi, when will you save enough Spirit Stones to buy her freedom?"
"Heh, maybe you should save some Spirit Stones to fix that scarred face of yours first!"
"Xiao Guizi, you're being rather unkind with this."
Yet no matter what the others said, Xiao Guizi strode ahead with his head held high, parting the women in front of him and leading Wang Chen into an elegant private room on the second floor.
The moment they were seated, a maid brought them steaming, aromatic Spiritual Tea.
Wang Chen was feeling a bit thirsty and took a sip from the teacup.
Actually, it wasn't half bad!
Xiao Guizi bowed and said, "Please enjoy your tea, the young lady will be with you shortly."
Wang Chen smiled and put down his teacup before tossing fifty Low Spirits onto the table, "Thirty are for you, ten for the young lady, and the last ten to buy some snacks."
"You are so generous!"
Xiao Guizi swiftly pocketed the Spirit Stones, nodding and bowing at Wang Chen, "You watch, I'll take good care of everything!"
Before even half a cup of tea was finished, a gentle voice came from behind the screen in the private room, "Esteemed guest, I am Lian. I am honored by your patronage. May I know what kind of songs you would like to hear?"
Wang Chen said, "Sing whatever you like, I'll listen to anything."
The Lian in the inner chamber responded, "Alright, then I'll start with a song called 'Drunken with Falling Blossoms.'"
She gently plucked the strings, and the pleasing sound of the zither was like pearls rolling on a silver plate, creating a very special kind of charm.
The next moment, Lian sang softly along with the melody, and her voice was incredibly mesmerizing.
Even someone with Wang Chen's mighty Divine Soul and strong will could not help but be moved!
Such a singer, and she's only ten Spirits for two hours?
He was so entranced that he didn't even notice Xiao Guizi bringing in the snacks.
At the end of the song, Wang Chen couldn't help but applaud, "This song should belong to the heavens, how often could one hear such music in the mortal world!"
Lian said, "You flatter me too much, esteemed guest."
Wang Chen said, "Then continue singing, please."
Lian paused for a moment, "Um, alright."
Out of all the guests she had entertained, nine point nine out of ten would ask her to remove the screen after the first song,
wishing to catch a glimpse of her true face.
And either they left abruptly or were grossly disappointed!
Lian was well accustomed to this reaction.
She never expected Wang Chen not to follow the usual pattern, leaving her, who was prepared for the usual, almost losing her composure on the spot.
The songstress with the beautiful voice steadied herself and continued to sing for Wang Chen.
And into her singing, she poured even more emotion.
Cultivators are mortals, too, and a true connoisseur is hardest to find; Lian, steeped in the life of the Courtesan House, knew all too well how rare it was to meet a guest who truly appreciated her songs.
Thus, she treasured the time this evening even more.
After a full two hours of listening, Wang Chen felt as if his ears had just had a wonderful massage.
It was absolutely delightful!
He tossed another fifty Spirit Stones onto the table, "I'll take up all your time tonight; go back and rest early."
Wang Chen summoned his guide, "I'm tired, take me to the guest room."
Xiao Guizi was initially shocked by Wang Chen's generosity, but he quickly recovered and promptly said, "Alright."
After Wang Chen had left, a slender girl with skin whiter than snow emerged from behind the screen.
Her appearance was actually quite attractive, but a large dark red birthmark on the left side of her face completely ruined her beauty.
It is said that if a woman is accidentally invaded by an Evil Wraith during pregnancy, the child will be born with various anomalies.
The ghost mark is one of them.
This special birthmark is extremely difficult to remove; even scraping off a layer of skin with a knife wouldn't eradicate it—the new skin would still bear the mark.
To fully eliminate it, nothing less than the intervention of a Golden Core True Person would suffice!
That was the reason for Lian's low fee.
She stood staring blankly at the Spirit Stones laid out on the table, seemingly deep in thought, and for a moment, she was lost.
PS: While others rest during the National Day holiday, I'm moving house, too exhausted for words. Please forgive the recent lack of updates; I'll return to the regular schedule tomorrow.