What common powder and rouge, seductive bad women, daring to touch my little junior sister?
That brothel woman's pale, delicate hand was clamped by Mo Hua like a "pig trotter," a look of surprise on her face.
Bai Zixi's gaze was also somewhat subtle.
Just then, another brothel woman in pink, seeing Mo Hua's handsome face, couldn't help but soften and lean toward him, her hands reaching to embrace Mo Hua's waist.
Mo Hua hadn't reacted yet.
Bai Zixi's eyes flickered, and she also picked up her chopsticks, clamping the woman's hand to prevent her from touching her little junior brother.
This scene became somewhat strange for a moment.
A group of brothel women stared at Mo Hua and the other with odd expressions.
Mo Hua snapped back to reality, coughed twice, put down his chopsticks, and ordered, "You all withdraw first. Come back later. We have important matters to discuss."
The women looked puzzled but dared not defy the guest's orders. They bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, young master." Then they filed out.
But once behind the screen, they covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and muttered, "Two men, what could they have to chat about? Could it be... and they have to do it in a brothel, letting the girls watch? How kinky..."
"Alas, these days, not only do women compete with women for men, but men also compete with women for men..."
"Those two young masters, who knows who is competing for whom..."
"Speaking of which, those two young masters are really handsome. Even if I had to stop being a sing-song girl and serve them for the night, I'd be willing..."
"You think all the good things will fall into your lap? You're dreaming..."
The women's gossip was low, muffled by the screen, not reaching the room.
But Mo Hua and Bai Zixi both had strong divine sense, and every word landed clearly in their ears.
In the elegant room, the two sat side by side.
Mo Hua's face was slightly red under the candlelight.
Bai Zixi, for some reason, also felt a little uncomfortable.
The atmosphere in the room became inexplicably ambiguous.
Until Bai Xiaosheng walked in, seeing the room empty, with Mo Hua and his Little Grandaunt sitting together, neither drinking nor talking, he was somewhat surprised. "What's wrong? Where are the girls?"
Mo Hua coughed and said, "I told them to withdraw first."
Bai Xiaosheng exclaimed, "No way, you don't fancy any of them?"
These were already a group of quite beautiful and talented sing-song girls from the Jade Fragrance Pavilion.
He had used his own connections to call them over, all to sing and dance for his Little Grandaunt.
You, Mo Hua, were just along for the ride.
And now you, mere Mo Hua, still aren't satisfied? Do you want to switch to another batch?
Mo Hua didn't want to switch, but rather...
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and asked Bai Xiaosheng quietly, "The Jade Fragrance Pavilion is a brothel, right? Is a brothel just this?"
Bai Xiaosheng rolled his eyes, wanting to chop Mo Hua with his sword.
What do you mean, "Is a brothel just this"?
What more do you want?
With Little Grandaunt present, could I possibly take you to lose your virginity? How dare you think of that? You're aiming too high!
Bai Xiaosheng said, "Didn't I tell you before? In brothels, there are still sing-song girls. They genuinely sell their art, not their bodies, making a living through song, dance, and musical skills."
"Although it's a place of pleasure, not everything is about indecent transactions."
"Of course, most sing-song girls eventually can't escape the fate of turning into courtesans, but at least while they are sing-song girls, they have to follow the rules."
Mo Hua pondered.
Bai Xiaosheng said firmly, "If you want to see courtesans, that's impossible."
He didn't really care if Mo Hua saw courtesans, but for Little Grandaunt, it was out of the question.
Bringing some sing-song girls before Little Grandaunt to sing and dance was already a great sin.
If he were audacious enough to let courtesans who engage in flesh trade dirty Little Grandaunt's eyes, he would be beyond redemption.
Mo Hua said, "What sing-song girls and courtesans? I wasn't asking you about that..."
Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback.
Mo Hua shook his head and said, "I told you, I'm here for serious business. Who cares about sing-song girls or courtesans? I don't know what unclean thoughts you have in your head all day..."
Hearing this, Bai Zixi also looked at Bai Xiaosheng with some doubt in her eyes.
Bai Xiaosheng sucked in a breath of cold air and sighed inwardly. He shouldn't have engaged with Mo Hua. This kid had trapped him again.
Now his reputation in Little Grandaunt's eyes had definitely fallen again.
That treacherous minister Mo Hua has ruined me!
Bai Xiaosheng said irritably, "You come to a brothel without looking for girls, so what are you here for?"
Mo Hua said, "I'm looking for a man."
Bai Xiaosheng's face turned purplish-red.
Mo Hua secretly handed a wanted poster to Bai Xiaosheng and said, "Look for this man. He's a wanted criminal..."
Bai Xiaosheng was truly speechless at Mo Hua.
How could there be such a person in this world, always toying with people's minds?
He took the wanted poster, glanced at it, and his gaze suddenly focused. He fell silent.
Mo Hua looked profound and asked in a low voice, "Have you seen this man before?"
Bai Xiaosheng pursed his lips.
Mo Hua gave his junior sister a look.
Bai Zixi then softly called out, "Xiaosheng."
Hearing his name spoken by an "elder," Bai Xiaosheng felt as though his soul had been touched, his scalp tingling. He sighed helplessly, "I've seen him."
Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.
Bai Xiaosheng had actually seen this Liu San? It seemed he knew quite a bit about the Jade Fragrance Pavilion, probably having visited often.
Mo Hua asked, "How did you come to know Liu San?"
Bai Xiaosheng said, "It's not really acquaintance. I've only seen him a few times."
Mo Hua pressed, "And then?"
"Nothing else," Bai Xiaosheng frowned in thought and said, "Really, it was just a few brief encounters a long time ago. Back then, he called himself Young Master Liu, and he frequented the Jade Fragrance Pavilion. He was quite romantic and carefree. Then, at some point, he suddenly disappeared, and I never saw him again..."
Mo Hua asked, "That's all?"
Bai Xiaosheng glanced at Mo Hua, "That's all."
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said, "This Liu San must have had a purpose in coming to the Jade Fragrance Pavilion. Regardless of his purpose, if he wanted to stay, he must have had a lover here, otherwise it would be impossible to remain..."
Bai Xiaosheng's face turned ugly.
This was the most annoying thing about Mo Hua—his mind was too quick.
Mo Hua asked him, "Who was Liu San's lover in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion?"
Just as Bai Xiaosheng was about to speak, Mo Hua said, "Your grandaunt is here. Don't lie."
Bai Xiaosheng gritted his teeth, "I don't know..."
Mo Hua turned to Bai Zixi, about to tattle on Bai Xiaosheng.
"But..." Bai Xiaosheng said fiercely, "I've heard some gossip..."
"What?" Mo Hua asked.
"This Liu San seemed to be an old flame with a girl called Miao'er here in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion. He spent quite a few spirit stones on her," Bai Xiaosheng said.
Mo Hua was taken aback, "You mean... Miao'er?"
Seeing Mo Hua's expression, Bai Xiaosheng frowned and said, "You know her?"
Mo Hua was silent.
Bai Xiaosheng's heart stirred, and he suddenly said with a half-smile, "This Miao'er is a courtesan, selling her body for pleasure. You know her? Could it be..."
Hearing this, Bai Zixi again looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was startled and quickly said, "Nonsense!"
Seeing that his junior sister was still looking at him, Mo Hua felt a bit uneasy and explained, "It's not related to me. When I was stealing—doing business before—there was a person whose lover in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion was also called Miao'er..."
Bai Xiaosheng didn't believe it, "Really such a coincidence?"
Mo Hua said, "Believe it or not."
Mo Hua remembered this matter fairly clearly.
The name Miao'er was something he had heard for the first time during his initial tomb raid, from a tomb robber called the "Scholar."
When the Scholar died, he was still muttering this name "Miao'er."
But the problem was, the Scholar said he went to the Jade "Spring" Pavilion, so the Miao'er he mentioned should be from the Jade Spring Pavilion.
But the Miao'er who was involved with Liu San was from the Jade "Fragrance" Pavilion, and coincidentally her name was also "Miao'er."
Could the Jade Fragrance Pavilion and the Jade Spring Pavilion be the same place?
Were these two Miao'ers the same person?
Or were they not the same person, just coincidentally sharing the same name?
After all, in places of pleasure, women named "Miao'er" seemed quite common.
Bai Zixi said, "So, we need to find this Miao'er?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.
Both Liu San and the Scholar had some connection to "Miao'er." This shouldn't be a coincidence. They had to ask.
But Bai Xiaosheng said, "No."
Mo Hua asked, "What's not?"
Bai Xiaosheng said, "You can't go find this Miao'er."
"Why not?" Mo Hua asked.
Bai Xiaosheng said irritably, "Didn't I say it? She's a courtesan, different from sing-song girls.
Little Grandaunt's status—how could she meet a courtesan?
"I can't possibly take Little Grandaunt to meet this Miao'er!" Bai Xiaosheng insisted.
Bai Zixi nodded, then suddenly said to Bai Xiaosheng, "Then don't come. Junior brother and I will go."
Bai Xiaosheng's mouth fell open, his heart pained, "My grandaunt, please don't cause trouble. If something goes wrong, the ancestor will beat me to death."
Bai Zixi took out a folding fan from somewhere, shook it, and said calmly, "You've mistaken me. I'm not your grandaunt. I'm now Young Master Bai."
Bai Xiaosheng was choked up, thinking it was over. His grandaunt's playful side had emerged.
It was all that damn Mo Hua's fault, corrupting Little Grandaunt.
Bai Xiaosheng glared viciously at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua said helplessly, "Why are you staring at me? It's not my fault."
Bai Xiaosheng sneered, "You're the root of all evil."
But Bai Zixi said, "Enough. The important matter comes first."
Since Little Grandaunt had spoken, Bai Xiaosheng dared not say more.
"But..." Mo Hua hesitated, looking at Bai Xiaosheng, and asked, "Where is this Miao'er?"
Bai Zixi also looked at Bai Xiaosheng.
Bai Xiaosheng sighed, "I really don't know this time."
Mo Hua glanced at Bai Xiaosheng's expression and guessed he wasn't lying this time, so he said, "Go call the girls from before back in."
Bai Xiaosheng didn't know what Mo Hua was up to again, but he could only ring the bell on the table. Soon, four or five sing-song girls filed in, bowed gracefully, and said softly, "Greetings, young masters. Greetings, Great Master Bai. What are your orders?"
Mo Hua then asked them, "Is there a girl called Miao'er here?"
One of the girls, dressed in green, looked at Mo Hua with sparkling eyes and said softly, "To tell you the truth, young master, there is a Sister Miao'er."
Mo Hua said, "Your Great Master Bai wants to watch this Miao'er's singing and dancing..."
Bai Xiaosheng glared at Mo Hua again but dared not speak.
"Could you invite this Miao'er over?" Mo Hua said, then took out several bags of spirit stones and gave one to each, "This is for your trouble."
That green-clad girl, receiving Mo Hua's spirit stones, showed joy on her face, then said with some regret, "Young master, Sister Miao'er... is different from us. She does other things. We might not be able to invite her. We don't deserve your reward..."
Mo Hua said, "It's fine. These are from Great Master Bai. Take them first."
Only then did the sing-song girls thank him profusely and accept the gifts.
In the brothel, courtesans earn more money; the more open they are, the more they make.
As for these sing-song girls, if they didn't become top stars with patrons supporting them, they usually had a plain life with limited income.
The spirit stones Mo Hua gave were quite generous, and they couldn't refuse.
Mo Hua then said, "If you can't invite her, that's fine. But can you tell me where Miao'er lives?"
"This..." the green-clad girl hesitated.
Mo Hua sighed, "You don't understand. This Great Master Bai, ever since he caught a glimpse of that Miao'er, has lost all appetite and sleep. All he thinks about is meeting Miao'er again. Even just sitting and drinking together, listening to a song, would be enough. Right, Great Master Bai..."
Mo Hua looked at Bai Xiaosheng.
Bai Xiaosheng's expression was blank, but inwardly he had already cursed Mo Hua to hell.
That green-clad girl seemed a bit moved. After thinking it over, it didn't break the rules.
In a brothel, it was common for men to admire women, spend money and time pursuing them.
The green-clad girl then said, "Miss Miao'er is in the second courtyard, in the 'Flower' building, the second of the four buildings named 'Spring, Flower, Snow, Moon.' But you should know, the second courtyard is different from the front courtyard. You can't just go in. You need a token from the mama."
"Spring, Flower, Snow, Moon..." Mo Hua repeated softly, his heart stirring slightly, then nodded, "Good, thank you."
That green-clad girl glanced at Mo Hua's face, her cheeks blushing slightly, and said, "It's my honor to serve you, young master."
Mo Hua gave her another bag of spirit stones and said, "You may withdraw. Great Master Bai and I have some matters to discuss."
"Yes." The sing-song girls then left.
Mo Hua said to Bai Xiaosheng, "Stay here. I'll go check the second courtyard."
Bai Xiaosheng frowned, "How will you get in?"
Mo Hua said, "I am an array master. I've already looked; the arrays here can't stop me."
Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback, "When did you look? How can they not stop you? What are you going to do?"
Mo Hua didn't explain much but looked at Bai Zixi, seemingly hesitant.
Bai Zixi said, "I'm going too."
Her tone was light but carried an undeniable force.
Mo Hua sighed, "Alright."
Although taking his junior sister along was not entirely safe, leaving her here was also not appropriate.
Mo Hua was accustomed to keeping valuable people or items close to him.
Bai Xiaosheng said, "I'll go too."
Mo Hua shook his head, "You can't."
"Why not?" Bai Xiaosheng asked.
"Can you turn invisible? Can you sever karma and eliminate aura?" Mo Hua asked.
"I..." Bai Xiaosheng was helpless, "No..."
Simple invisibility he could manage, but it would only fool low-level cultivators; in the eyes of high-level ones, it was full of holes.
After all, unlike the cunning Mo Hua, he didn't rely on stealth for a living.
As for karma and such, needless to say, he wasn't skilled either.
His boy attendant could come and go unseen, but that was the attendant, not himself.
Mo Hua nodded, "Exactly. You stay here, eat meat, drink wine, and watch the sing-song girls dance. Junior sister and I will be back soon."
Bai Xiaosheng still wasn't at ease.
Mo Hua added, "If trouble arises, go outside and find Rong Zhenren."
"Rong..." Bai Xiaosheng was startled, then understood, sighed, and said, "Fine."
Mo Hua turned to his junior sister and said softly, "Let's go."
Bai Zixi nodded lightly, "Mm."
Then, amid dimming light and lingering mist, the two disciples vanished right in front of Bai Xiaosheng.
Bai Xiaosheng stared at the empty room for a long time, silently sighing.
Meanwhile, outside the private room.
Having disappeared, Mo Hua and Bai Zixi walked one behind the other along the pink corridor, passing unsuspecting men and women, moving forward.
In the corridor, people gathered in twos and threes, a bit congested.
After walking for a while, Mo Hua thought for a moment, then suddenly turned and took his junior sister's hand.
Bai Zixi was startled. Her fair, slender fingers twitched, instinctively trying to pull away, but the effort was very slight.
Mo Hua said softly, "There are quite a few people. Don't get lost."
Bai Zixi hesitated for a moment, felt the warmth from Mo Hua's palm, then stopped struggling and murmured softly, "Mm."
Her voice was very soft, very gentle, like a heavenly sound. Mo Hua's heartstrings trembled.
Then he slowly sighed in relief, openly holding his junior sister's hand.
Hand in hand, invisible, they headed deeper into the Jade Fragrance Pavilion toward the "Spring, Flower, Snow, Moon."