Chapter 359

Chapter 359: Miss Lian

The Spring Pavilion?

Wang Chen couldn’t help but glance at Little Guizi, who had brought him here—are you kidding a Purple Palace master?

The Spring Pavilion was unmistakably a brothel.

Though the sky had just darkened, the sprawling building, stretching over a hundred steps, was already adorned with large red lanterns.

The light cast a glow on the winding little river beside it, reflecting the colorful boats and the melodies of silk and bamboo instruments mingling with the enchanting laughter of women, softly drifting over the shimmering water.

On the nearby arched bridge, a young boy on a white horse happened to pass by as the red towers on both sides opened their glazed windows.

Women, some alluring, some delicate, and others strikingly beautiful, leaned out, waving colorful handkerchiefs at the boy.

The air was thick with the rich scent of cosmetics.

The boy blushed and hurriedly rode away, leaving behind a trail of silver bell-like laughter.

This was far from the most affordable inn; it was clearly a place that could ensnare souls and drain fortunes!

Wang Chen decided that if Little Guizi didn’t give him a proper explanation, he would make sure the boy regretted it!

“Master, is this your first time in Lian City?”

Little Guizi caught Wang Chen’s piercing gaze but showed no fear; instead, he smiled broadly.

Wang Chen nodded, “That’s right.”

If it weren’t his first time in Lian City, he probably wouldn’t have been caught by this slippery character.

Wang Chen was curious to see what other tricks the boy had in store.

“Perfect for a first visit!” Little Guizi chuckled, “Our Spring Pavilion offers fantastic deals for newcomers. Just order a girl to listen to some music, and you can stay here for three days free of charge.”

“Tea and snacks included, exclusively for Purple Palace masters!”

Lian City’s brothels were truly competitive!

Wang Chen finally understood the boy’s scheme; it seemed he was here to be taken advantage of.

But it wasn’t exactly exploitation; The Spring Pavilion wouldn’t lose out. If even one or two of the new guests succumbed to the temptation of the gentle embrace, they’d make a fortune.

Still, Wang Chen sensed a catch: “How many spirit stones does it cost to order a girl to listen to music?”

“Ten spirit stones for an hour.”

Little Guizi grinned, “The girl I arrange for you is the most affordable in all of Hongxiu Brothel, and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”

That was indeed cheap!

Wang Chen said, “Then let’s stay here for one night and see.”

Staying in a brothel was quite a novel experience for Wang Chen. Considering he’d be leaving soon, he decided to treat it as a bit of relaxation.

“Great!”

Little Guizi was delighted, “I’ll arrange it for you right away.”

As he led Wang Chen through the entrance of The Spring Pavilion, a young servant in green called out loudly, “The esteemed guest has arrived; all the girls upstairs and downstairs, come out to greet him!”

As soon as his words fell, a fragrant breeze swept in, and a group of charming maidens quickly gathered around.

"Go away, go away!"

Little Guizi waved them off with a look of disdain, shouting, "Stop dreaming! This guest has already chosen Miss Lian. You all should wash up and go to bed!"

He successfully garnered a series of eye rolls, scorn, and sarcastic remarks.

"Miss Lian again? Little Guizi, when will you ever save enough spirit stones to redeem her?"

"Haha, maybe you should save some spirit stones to treat that ghostly scar on your face first!"

"Little Guizi, that’s not very fair of you."

"Such virtue!"

Regardless of what others said, Little Guizi proudly pushed through the maidens blocking his way and led Wang Chen to a private room on the second floor.

As soon as they were seated, a maid served them hot, aromatic spiritual tea.

Wang Chen, feeling a bit thirsty, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

It was surprisingly good!

Little Guizi bowed and said, "Please enjoy your tea; the lady will be here shortly."

Wang Chen smiled, set down the teacup, and tossed fifty spirit stones onto the table: "Thirty for you, ten for the lady, and ten for some snacks."

"How generous of you!"

Little Guizi swiftly pocketed the spirit stones, nodding and bowing to Wang Chen, "You have excellent taste!"

Before he had even finished half his tea, a gentle voice came from behind the screen in the inner room: "Esteemed guest, I am mere girl Miss Lian. Thank you for your patronage. What kind of music would you like to hear?"

Wang Chen replied, "Sing whatever you like; I’ll listen to anything."

Miss Lian responded from the inner room, "Very well, then I shall begin with ‘Drunken by Falling Flowers’ for you."

She gently plucked the strings, and the melodious sound of the zither flowed like jade beads rolling on a silver plate, creating a uniquely enchanting atmosphere.

Next, Miss Lian sang softly along with the zither, her voice extraordinarily captivating.

Even with Wang Chen’s strong spirit and resolute mind, he couldn’t help but be moved!

How could such a talented singer only cost ten spirit stones for an hour?

He was so engrossed that he didn’t even notice Little Guizi bringing in some snacks.

As the song ended, Wang Chen couldn’t help but clap and exclaim, "This song could only exist in the heavens; how rarely does one hear it in the mortal world!"

Miss Lian replied, "You flatter me, esteemed guest."

Wang Chen said, "Then please continue singing."

Miss Lian paused for a moment, "Um, okay."

She had served many guests, and nine out of ten would ask to remove the screen after hearing the first song, eager to see her true face.

And the results were often either anger and leaving or great disappointment!

Miss Lian was already accustomed to this.

Unexpectedly, Wang Chen didn’t follow the usual routine, which almost caused her to lose her composure, even though she was mentally prepared.

Regaining her composure, the beautiful singer continued to perform for Wang Chen.

Her singing was filled with even more emotion.

Cultivators are still ordinary people; finding a kindred spirit is the hardest. Miss Lian, caught up in the world, understood how rare it was to meet someone who truly appreciated her songs.

Therefore, she treasured this evening.

Wang Chen listened for an hour, feeling as if his ears had just been pampered with a massage.

It was quite delightful!

"Very good."

He tossed another fifty spirit stones on the table, "I’ll cover your time for tonight; you should head back to rest soon."

"Little Guizi."

Wang Chen called his guide over, "I’m tired; take me to a guest room."

Little Guizi was momentarily stunned by Wang Chen’s generosity but quickly regained his composure and said, "Of course."

After Wang Chen left, a graceful girl with skin as white as snow stepped out from behind the screen.

Her appearance was quite nice, but the large dark red scar on the left side of her face ruined her beauty completely.

Ghostly scar!

It was said that a child born from a woman possessed by Evil Spirits during pregnancy would often show various abnormalities.

The ghostly scar was one of them.

This special mark was extremely difficult to remove. Even if one scraped off a layer of flesh, it would still grow back.

To completely erase it, only a Golden Core true master could help!

That was why Miss Lian’s fees were so low.

She stared blankly at the spirit stones on the table, lost in thought, as if enchanted.