Chapter 1478: The Brothel

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Chapter 1476: The Brothel

After the banquet ended, Iron Mountain Tiger and the others left in a drunken stupor. Before departing, they expressed profuse gratitude to Mo Hua, their benefactor who provided food and clothing.

Mo Hua could only advise, “Save your spirit stones, don’t squander them. Use them mostly for cultivation to secure a better future.”

Iron Mountain Tiger and his companions nodded repeatedly, bowed to Mo Hua, then left arm-in-arm, bidding farewell.

Afterward, Mo Hua pondered for a long time and still decided to go to Fortune Pavilion to find Manager Zhao.

By then, night had fallen, and the darkness was deep.

But Houtu City was as bustling as ever, its night market brightly lit. Inside Fortune Pavilion, many young masters and ladies were strolling through the night market, spending spirit stones lavishly.

Manager Zhao was still attending to customers, discussing business.

However, his trade primarily revolved around formations, emphasizing practicality. It wasn’t the kind of popular merchandise like luxurious spiritual artifacts, beauty-enhancing pill medicines, or women’s cosmetics. Thus, before long, the counter became deserted.

When Mo Hua entered, Manager Zhao was lounging in a rocking chair in front of the counter, looking utterly idle.

Only when Mo Hua approached did Manager Zhao show some surprise, saying, “Young Master Mo, you haven’t returned home?”

Usually, after the burial ceremony and the welcoming feast, Mo Hua would return home early. After all, he had a domineering senior sister at home, and Young Master Mo had to go back and report.

But today, it was already so late, and Young Master Mo still hadn’t returned.

Mo Hua said, “There’s something I’d like to ask.”

Manager Zhao understood immediately. He called over a steward to watch the stall for him, then personally led Mo Hua upstairs to the second floor.

The vast majority of these young masters and ladies strolling the night market were superficial and ignorant of formations.

Young Master Mo was different. Moreover, not long ago, Manager Zhao had just received a batch of ill-gotten goods from Mo Hua.

Who the big client was, Manager Zhao could still distinguish clearly.

Upon reaching the second floor, Manager Zhao dismissed the attendants, lit a lamp, and asked Mo Hua, “Young Master Mo, what is the matter?”

Mo Hua handed the wanted poster given to him by Iron Mountain Tiger to Manager Zhao.

Manager Zhao took it and examined it carefully.

Mo Hua asked him, “Do you know this person, Manager Zhao?”

Manager Zhao looked at the face, frowned in thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No impression.”

Mo Hua silently watched Manager Zhao.

Manager Zhao felt uneasy under Mo Hua’s clear gaze and couldn’t help sighing. “I really have no impression… After doing business for so long, when have I ever lied to you, Young Master Mo?”

Mo Hua neither affirmed nor denied it.

Manager Zhao asked again, “Has this person offended you, Young Master Mo?”

Mo Hua shook his head. After thinking, he honestly said, “I got this lead from Iron Mountain Tiger. It says the Dao Court Division has issued a secret order to apprehend this bandit named Liǔ Sān, with a reward of four million spirit stones.”

“Four million…” Manager Zhao was also startled. “That much?”

Mo Hua nodded, then tempted Manager Zhao, “If you tell me information about this Liǔ Sān, and I get the reward, I’ll split it with you fifty-fifty.”

Half would be two million spirit stones.

Manager Zhao was clearly tempted, but ultimately sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to earn spirit stones; I truly don’t know.”

Mo Hua glanced at Manager Zhao but said nothing.

Manager Zhao scrutinized Liǔ Sān a few more times, frowning. “This matter… seems off. This person looks utterly ordinary. How could he possibly be worth four million spirit stones?”

“Moreover, even if this person truly committed a grave crime, the Dao Court Division rarely offers four million spirit stones as a bounty.”

“At least in all my years in Houtu City, I’ve never seen any Dao Court Division so willing to splurge on spirit stones.”

The meager profits of the Dao Court Division are barely enough for them to keep for themselves; how could they possibly give them away to outsiders?

Mo Hua pondered, “Manager, are you suggesting this isn’t a warrant issued by the Dao Court Division?”

Manager Zhao thought for a moment, then shook his head. “It could also be issued by the newly arrived… those Dao Court officials.”

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened.

“The willingness to offer four million spirit stones indicates that Liǔ Sān must be hiding some crucial secret, making the Dao Court Division desperate to find him.”

Manager Zhao looked at Mo Hua. “These waters might run deep.”

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

Manager Zhao said no more, having offered all the caution he could.

Mo Hua then brought up another matter: “Manager Zhao, do you know about the Jade Spring Pavilion?”

Manager Zhao’s pupils tightened. “Have you been there?”

Mo Hua replied, “No.”

Manager Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Mo Hua found it strange. “Is that place dangerous? Should one not go there?”

Manager Zhao hesitated for a moment before sighing.

“As the ancient saying goes: ‘A beauty of sixteen, soft as silk, wields a sword at her waist to slay ordinary men. Though no heads are seen to fall, in secret, she drains the marrow from your bones.'”

“The land of tenderness is a hero’s grave, luring the heart and corrupting desire. Within the intimacy of the boudoir lies a crimson powder hell.”

“In every sense, it is a ‘life-threatening place’… the more enchanting, the more perilous.”

Mo Hua looked at Manager Zhao suspiciously. “Manager, you seem to know so much. Do you go there often?”

Manager Zhao hurriedly replied, “Nonsense! How could that be?”

Seeing Mo Hua’s lingering doubt, Manager Zhao sighed awkwardly.

“I… in my line of business, I deal with cultivators from all walks of life. I’ve only heard about it… but I’ve never actually been there myself.”

Mo Hua asked, “Isn’t business all about socializing? And if it’s socializing, how could one avoid such places?”

Mo Hua had some experience in this regard.

Manager Zhao was taken aback. “My business is entirely legitimate!”

Mo Hua coughed lightly, hinting that Manager Zhao had just organized a tomb robbery, with the stolen goods still in his possession.

Manager Zhao’s expression stiffened, and he could only sigh. “To be honest with you, Young Master, I’m in business because I love wealth. But once anything involves women, it usually leads to financial loss.”

“Therefore, those who love wealth do not engage in wealth-draining activities.”

Mo Hua was taken aback, pondering this carefully, and found Manager Zhao’s reasoning quite sound.

Iron Mountain Tiger had visited the Jade Fragrance Pavilion once and lost over eight hundred thousand spirit stones.

Manager Zhao, being fond of wealth, naturally wouldn’t set foot in such wealth-draining places.

Mo Hua asked, “Then, Manager Zhao, do you know where the Jade Spring Pavilion is?”

Manager Zhao shook his head. “I’ve never been there, so naturally, I don’t know.”

Mo Hua pressed further, “What about the Jade Fragrance Pavilion?”

Manager Zhao’s expression remained unchanged. “How would I know about Jade Fragrance, Jade Spring, or Jade Autumn… I’ve never been to any of them.”

After saying this, Manager Zhao looked at Mo Hua, who was as flawless as jade, and said earnestly: “Young Master Mo, it’s best if you avoid such places as well. You, Young Master, cultivate yourself like jade. Don’t let seemingly tempting things tarnish your purity.”

Manager Zhao spoke these words with genuine sincerity.

Mo Hua nodded in agreement.

He knew full well that Manager Zhao must know something, but it was just inconvenient for him to say it.

After chatting a bit more, Mo Hua bid farewell and left Fortune Pavilion.

As he left, Mo Hua looked at the brightly lit surroundings and the richly dressed crowd, suddenly feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

After a moment of thought, he remembered that the Fortune Pavilion he was familiar with, along with the entire market street, was the scene of daytime.

But now, it was the night market, Fortune Pavilion in its nighttime state.

Aside from going out to tomb-raiding, Mo Hua usually kept a very regular routine, visiting the market during the day and discussing business with Manager Zhao. But as soon as night fell, he had to return home.

Therefore, he rarely saw Fortune Pavilion at night or the brightly lit streets, so it naturally felt a bit unfamiliar to him.

And it wasn’t just Fortune Pavilion or the street before him. As Mo Hua gazed into the distance, he saw that even at night, some parts of Houtu City were still aglow with lights, shimmering like flowing gold and jade, with fragrances drifting slowly through the night.

Day and night in Houtu City were two different worlds.

Mo Hua lived in the daytime—a normal, ordinary, rule-abiding cultivator, hustling to earn spirit stones.

But in the nighttime, there existed another world, one that was inverted, mysterious, and unknown.

“Day and night, light and darkness…”

A thoughtful glimmer shone in Mo Hua’s eyes.

…

The next day, Mo Hua sought out another person to inquire about Jade Spring Pavilion: Bai XiaoSheng.

Mo Hua was almost certain that this unreliable scoundrel Bai XiaoSheng must also know some inside information.

When Mo Hua found Bai XiaoSheng, he was still busy organizing a gambling game. Seeing Mo Hua, he was first startled, then wore a look of disdain.

Mo Hua took Bai XiaoSheng to a private room in a nearby teahouse and ordered a pot of tea.

As Bai XiaoSheng sipped his tea, he asked, “What’s the matter?”

Mo Hua inquired, “Do you know Jade Spring Pavilion?”

Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua and replied indifferently, “No.”

Mo Hua nodded.

This Bai XiaoSheng dared to lie to him.

He silently noted this down in his mind.

Mo Hua asked again, “What about Jade Fragrance Pavilion?”

Bai XiaoSheng wanted to brush it off, but he realized that Mo Hua was not someone who would allow himself to be fooled twice.

Besides, this one couldn’t be brushed off anyway.

So Bai XiaoSheng said, “The largest brothel in Houtu City is Jade Fragrance Pavilion.”

Mo Hua asked, “Where is it?”

Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Between the north and west of the city, there’s a border area. Within that border, there’s a long flower street, and the tallest brothel on that street is Jade Fragrance Pavilion.”

Suddenly remembering something, Mo Hua asked, “You once told me that among Kun Province’s Top Ten Beauties Ranking List, there’s a courtesan. This courtesan…”

Bai XiaoSheng said, “Are you talking about Yu Nujiao?”

Mo Hua nodded. “Yu Nujiao… she wouldn’t happen to be the top courtesan of Jade Fragrance Pavilion, would she?”

Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Of course. Only a large brothel with significant backing and influence can produce a top courtesan.”

“How could a small or medium-sized brothel possibly produce a courtesan? Even if you managed to, she wouldn’t stay. People seek higher places, and courtesans are no different.”

Mo Hua followed up with another question, “Then, is Jade Spring Pavilion related to Jade Fragrance Pavilion? One in the open, the other in the shadows?”

Bai XiaoSheng still insisted, “I told you, I’ve never heard of this Jade Spring Pavilion of yours. Besides, running a brothel itself is already ‘dark,’ how can there be any further distinction between light and dark?”

Mo Hua gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” then asked: “What kind of person is this Yu Nujiao?”

Bai XiaoSheng sighed, “I’ve only met her once. She’s an exceptionally beautiful woman.”

“How beautiful?” Mo Hua pressed.

Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Words are always inadequate; it’s hard to describe.”

“What about the portrait you painted of her? Let me see it,” Mo Hua said.

Bai XiaoSheng looked surprised. “What? Has even the esteemed Mo Hua been stirred by springtime desires?”

He had thought this monstrously talented Mo Hua was a different breed altogether, incapable of being moved by ordinary mortals.

Mo Hua’s gaze turned somewhat cold.

Not daring to tease further, Bai XiaoSheng wisely took out a portrait of the beauty and handed it to Mo Hua. “I haven’t finished it yet; you can only see the general outline.”

Mo Hua took it and glanced at it. The courtesan’s features were delicate and alluring, yet her eyes held a pure and lively sparkle, exactly the kind of woman every man in the world would adore.

However…

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Bai XiaoSheng asked.

“I feel like she looks somewhat familiar,” Mo Hua said.

“That’s normal. When it comes to beautiful women, all men find them familiar,” Bai XiaoSheng remarked, then retrieved the portrait from Mo Hua’s hands, unable to resist adding with a sigh: “It’s just a pity that ink and brush are lifeless, and paintings are ultimately tangible. Tangible things cannot convey the intangible, moving beauty in a woman’s expression.”

“No matter how well I paint this portrait, it doesn’t even capture half of her real beauty.”

“Is this courtesan really that beautiful?” Mo Hua expressed a hint of doubt.

To be honest, the courtesan in the portrait was indeed quite beautiful, but nothing extraordinary—she couldn’t compare to his Little Senior Sister.

How could she possibly be as exaggerated as Bai XiaoSheng made her out to be?

Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua with disdain. “There’s no point discussing this with an amateur like you.”

If she weren’t beautiful, how could she be a courtesan?

If she weren’t beautiful, how could she rank on the Top Ten Beauty Ranking List?

This kid Mo Hua was just a monster, spending all day drawing Formations—what could he possibly know about beauty?

Mo Hua’s eyes shifted slightly, and he seized the opportunity. “If she’s really that beautiful, why don’t you take me to Jade Spring Pavilion to see her?”

Bai XiaoSheng choked on his tea.

What a crafty kid, scheming right to my face.

Bai XiaoSheng sighed helplessly, “She’s a courtesan. In all of Houtu City, the line of men wanting to see her stretches from the south gate to the north gate and circles the city walls twice. It’s not something you can just see on a whim.”

Mo Hua frowned. “That’s too exaggerated.”

Bai XiaoSheng sighed again, “That’s just how courtesans are… and that’s just how men are.”

Mo Hua shook his head.

Bai XiaoSheng added, “Besides, if I took you to a brothel to see a courtesan, do you think my Great-Aunt wouldn’t crush me with a single finger?”

Mo Hua paused, thinking to himself, “That’s true.”

Explaining it to Little Senior Sister would also be a problem.

Whether he was doing business, tomb-raiding, investigating cases, or keeping watch overnight, Little Senior Sister always tolerated him.

But if he wanted to go to a brothel, would Little Senior Sister agree?

Mo Hua fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Bai XiaoSheng patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and sighed: “Don’t dwell on those trivial matters. Focus on cultivation and studying formations properly. That Jade Fragrance Pavilion is an unclean place, full of disputes and trouble. It’s best not to go there, lest you get yourself into a mess.”

Mo Hua nodded, lost in thought.

Seeing that Mo Hua was pondering something, Bai XiaoSheng decided not to disturb him. “I’ll take my leave now,” he said before departing.

He still had to hurry off to set up a gambling den.

After Bai XiaoSheng left, Mo Hua thought for a long time and finally decided he should first inform his little senior sister about this matter.

After all, she was his little senior sister.

In the bamboo chamber of Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land.

Mo Hua found Bai Zixi, feeling somewhat guilty, and whispered: “Senior Sister, I might… perhaps… need to go to Jade Fragrance Pavilion.”

Bai Zixi was drawing an formation and asked upon hearing this: “What kind of place is Jade Fragrance Pavilion?”

Mo Hua lowered his voice even further: “It seems to be… a brothel.”

Bai Zixi paused, turned to look at Mo Hua, her stunning gaze carrying a hint of coolness: “Oh, good. At least you know to ask me.”

Mo Hua quickly explained: “I’m going for serious business.”

Bai Zixi asked: “Going to a brothel is serious business?”

“This…” Mo Hua, who was usually eloquent, found himself momentarily at a loss for words and could only sigh: “Truly, there are some matters I need to investigate.”

Bai Zixi asked: “What matters?”

Mo Hua said: “A fugitive. The Dao Court Division is offering a bounty, four million spirit stones.”

Bai Zixi gave a soft “hmm,” her tone slightly easing, and asked: “What else?”

Mo Hua replied: “There are some other matters, but I’m not certain about them yet, so it’s hard to say.”

Bai Zixi thought for a moment and asked Mo Hua: “Are you really going to Jade Fragrance Pavilion for serious business?”

Mo Hua’s gaze was clear as he nodded.

“Alright,” Bai Zixi gave a slight nod, her voice cool as she said: “Then I’ll go too.”

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, taking a while to process what his little senior sister had just said. With a look of shock, he exclaimed: “Huh?”