"Should we go take a look?"
Bai Zixi asked Mo Hua quietly.
Having been protected by her family and elders since childhood, she had scarcely experienced such adventures. Looking at the dark jade bed mechanism, she couldn't help but feel curious.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly. "Let's go take a look."
Since Uncle Gu and the others had gone down, he couldn't rest easy without checking it out himself.
From the time they first met, Uncle Gu had been the Dao Court Department's workhorse and scapegoat, taking on all the dirty and tiring tasks.
Now, even more so. In these perilous times, he had been dispatched from Ganxue Prefecture to Houtu City in Kun Prefecture to oppose the Earth Sect and major families—it was practically exile. It would be strange if anything good came of it.
Moreover, that suspicious Liu San was likely down there as well.
Mo Hua, with Bai Zixi, jumped down from the beam, slightly released his spiritual sense to probe the jade bed's opening, and sensed no dangerous aura. He said, "Junior Sister, follow me."
Bai Zixi nodded, then shook her head. "No, I'm the senior sister. You follow me."
Her little junior brother had never undergone body tempering and had been precious since childhood; he couldn't afford to bump into anything. If he encountered an ambush and got hurt, it would be trouble.
Mo Hua was about to argue, but seeing his senior sister's resolute expression, he could only sigh. "Fine, you're the senior sister. I'll listen to you."
Bai Zixi nodded in satisfaction.
Then, activating her movement technique, she jumped into the trap pit.
Mo Hua followed closely, jumping down as well.
Fortunately, the tunnel was relatively safe. In the darkness, they didn't fall for long before landing lightly.
Mo Hua squinted and looked around, slightly surprised.
The scene below partially matched his conjectures but was clearly different.
Mo Hua had thought the jade bed mechanism in Miao'er's boudoir would lead to some secret place.
And that secret place would likely be the non-existent "Jade Spring Pavilion."
But the scene before him was clearly off.
Inside the tunnel, dozens of prison cells were built with refined iron bars and sealed with formations.
Through the bars, each cell had a luxurious large bed at its center.
On the beds were shackles for binding people, along with a mess of strange items of unknown use.
If Mo Hua guessed correctly, this should be a small, private "Union prison."
Union Sect demon cultivators captured robust men with value for harvesting, locked them in this pink prison, bound them with chains, and used them as cauldrons daily until their yang energy was exhausted and they died.
The air was thick with the scent of cosmetics, mingling the pleasure and terror of male and female cauldrons, the pain and despair of death—filthy, chaotic, and defiled.
Mo Hua reached out to cover his junior sister's eyes, to keep her from seeing such filth.
But a sweep of his spiritual sense showed the cells were empty, with no one imprisoned nearby or being harvested, so he relaxed slightly.
The entire Union prison seemed to have been vacant for a while.
Whether all the "desire slaves" had died from harvesting or for other reasons, he didn't know.
Mo Hua's mind stirred. He sensed Uncle Gu's aura in the distance. Looking up, he saw the prison ceiling also had refined iron beams. He pointed upward and whispered, "Senior Sister, let's go up."
Bai Zixi nodded.
Then, concealing themselves, they activated their movement techniques and silently stepped onto the beams.
Both were experts in formations and knew where the formations on the beams were placed, so they could easily avoid them.
Moving along the beams for a moment, the view opened up.
Mo Hua and Bai Zixi looked down together. Below was the largest cell in the entire prison.
But it was more like a lavishly decorated "hall" for viewing.
In the hall was another luxurious bed with pink gauze and red curtains, a mattress of phoenix feathers—splendid yet exuding depravity.
Only this bed in the entire Union prison was not empty.
On the bed, a man was bound with heavy chains. He was sallow and emaciated, his yang energy nearly depleted.
So severe was his deficiency and thinness that only from the outline of his face could one roughly tell this was the Liu San from Mo Hua's wanted order.
At that moment, led by Miao'er, Gu Changhuai had reached the depths of the Union prison and saw Liu San, weak and barely human.
Gu Changhuai said, "The key."
The bound Miao'er dared not disobey and said weakly, "It's already... in your hand..."
The key to the jade bed mechanism and the Union heavy locks was the same white jade key, which Miao'er carried on her person and Gu Changhuai had seized.
Gu Changhuai glanced at Gu An.
Gu An nodded, took out the white jade key, searched around Liu San's body for the lock, inserted the key, and turned it three times.
With a flash of formation light, the mechanism began to move. Soon, the heavy chains on Liu San opened one by one.
Gu Changhuai approached Liu San, checked his breath and pulse, then looked into his eyes.
Though Liu San's qi and blood were depleted, his pulse was still present. But his eyes were vacant, as if still immersed in some bone-deep pleasure, drool at the corners of his mouth.
Gu Changhuai frowned and asked Miao'er, "What's wrong with him?"
Miao'er said aggrievedly, "How would I know..."
Gu Changhuai's gaze was as sharp as a sword. Miao'er was startled and murmured, "Perhaps... excessive pleasure warped his sea of consciousness, drowning him in a blissful dream from which he can't wake..."
Gu Changhuai said coldly, "Who told you... to harvest him like this?"
Miao'er met his gaze and said with a half-smile, "He came to me himself, wanting to experience pleasure in my body. But he lacked self-control, indulged himself, and ruined his own Dao heart. Who can be blamed?"
"He is a man; I am a courtesan. Since he wanted it, if I refused, I'd be ungracious."
"But I gave it, and he didn't know restraint, demanding endlessly until his body and mind collapsed. Can that be blamed on me?"
Miao'er sneered, "You men always blame women for your troubles, as if you're so innocent..."
Gu Changhuai remained indifferent.
Words from women in this world were rarely trustworthy, let alone from a she-demon of the Union Sect.
Union Sect she-demons wore a veneer of lust but were essentially man-eating yakshas. Their attractive appearances made them more dangerous; one could never be too careful.
Especially here in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion.
Gu Changhuai's gaze darkened.
According to his intelligence, the Jade Fragrance Pavilion was one of the Union Sect's major strongholds in Kun Prefecture.
This place was dangerous; they shouldn't stay long.
There was no need to waste words with this "Lady Miao" who had "consumed" who knew how many men.
After a moment's thought, Gu Changhuai quickly said, "Take both of them. Leave as soon as possible."
This wasn't the place for interrogation. They would bring them back to their own turf and question them slowly.
Gu An stepped forward to bind the emaciated Liu San with soft rope.
This was for control, in case Liu San posed any danger, and for protection, to prevent him from moving rashly and courting death.
Gu Quan and Pu Diansi escorted Miao'er toward the exit.
Gu Changhuai, with the highest cultivation, took the lead.
But as soon as he turned and took a few steps, his expression changed slightly. He pointed and condensed a wind blade, striking at Pu Diansi behind him.
Pu Diansi was stealthily drawing a short sword to stab Gu Quan.
Caught out, he had to change his move, using the technique "Metal-Stone Hand." His hand turned into a large palm of metal and stone, catching Gu Changhuai's wind blade.
His Metal-Stone Hand, inherited from an esteemed lineage, was highly refined and powerful. He grabbed the wind blade and crushed it.
But Gu Changhuai's wind blade was from the Gu family's ancestral techniques; even a casual strike was not weak.
Moreover, Gu Changhuai's cultivation was deeper than Pu Diansi's.
Though Pu Diansi crushed the wind blade with his ultimate art, his palm still ached severely, and the Metal-Stone Hand had cracks.
"As expected... worthy of someone sent by the Dao Court... truly troublesome."
Despite breaking Gu Changhuai's strike, Pu Diansi felt a flash of wariness.
Meanwhile, Gu Quan sensed the anomaly and quickly drew his blade to strike Pu Diansi.
Pu Diansi's eyes flickered. He used his Metal-Stone Hand again, easily deflecting Gu Quan's attack, then reached back, pulled Miao'er into his arms, and quickly retreated, creating distance from Gu Changhuai and the others.
Miao'er, held in Pu Diansi's arms, gave him a coy look of feigned reproach.
Pu Diansi's fingers held a key, which he ran along Miao'er's waist.
As a Diansi of the Dao Court Department, he was familiar with its locks.
In the blink of an eye, all the chains on Miao'er were unlocked and fell to the ground.
The she-demon they'd worked so hard to capture was freed by him.
This series of changes, though seemingly complex, took only a few breaths.
Gu Changhuai glanced at Miao'er, then turned to Pu Diansi, asking coldly, "What do you mean by this?"
Pu Diansi sighed, "Forgive me, Gu Diansi. You're sent from above with a bright future. I'm just a local Diansi; I still need to make a living. I dare not bet everything and recklessly follow you..."
Gu Changhuai's gaze sharpened. "So you pretended to join me while secretly colluding with the Union Sect, using Liu San as bait to lure me here?"
Pu Diansi sighed, "Not lure... I didn't deceive you. Liu San is indeed in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion. Now you've gotten what you wanted and found Liu San."
"My intention wasn't to deceive you but to 'invite.' Only by this method could I invite you, Lord Gu Diansi, to the Jade Fragrance Pavilion."
"Invite?" Gu Changhuai sneered. "And then what?"
Pu Diansi said solemnly, "Naturally... for a good thing..."
"What good thing?" Gu Changhuai asked.
Pu Diansi smiled, "What good thing could there be at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion but the pleasure between man and woman?"
Gu Changhuai's gaze turned icy.
Pu Diansi sighed, "Gu Diansi, don't think ill of me. I truly don't mean you harm."
"I'm looking out for you, providing you with benefits."
"All you need to do is pick a beautiful lady in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion, stay one night, enjoy one night of bliss, and tomorrow morning, act as if nothing happened."
"You can leave freely, and you can take Liu San with you."
"No one will harm you or obstruct you. There will be no danger."
"You don't have to pay any price—not even spirit stones. Just sleep with one lady here, and it's all good for everyone."
Pu Diansi spoke earnestly, as if truly concerned for Gu Changhuai.
Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, his eyes flashing. He said calmly, "Has everyone in the Houtu City Dao Court Department, from top to bottom... slept at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion?"
"Impossible..." Pu Diansi sighed and shook his head. "What kind of place is the Jade Fragrance Pavilion? Its ladies are all stunning beauties. How many spirit stones does a night of romance cost? How could just any Tom, Dick, or Harry enjoy such pleasure?"
"Only a great man like you, Gu Diansi, can receive such treatment."
Seeing Gu Changhuai silent, Pu Diansi smiled lightly. "The night is still young. Gu Diansi can visit the Spring, Flower, Snow, and Moon pavilions one by one. If you fancy a lady, just nod, and she'll accompany you tonight, I guarantee she'll serve you well."
"If you think these courtesans are unclean, that's fine too. The Jade Fragrance Pavilion also keeps many talented and beautiful 'pure courtesans' who perform but don't sell their bodies."
"But if you take a liking to one, after tonight's affair, she'll become your exclusive courtesan, serving only you for life, waiting only for your favor in this pavilion."
For most men, this would be an immense temptation; few would be unmoved.
But Gu Changhuai remained silent.
Just then, Lady Miao beside Pu Diansi, with flowing eyes and a seductive manner, said, "Of course, if Gu Diansi has no interest in these ordinary women, Miao'er can also use every skill to spend a romantic night with you."
"As long as you don't disdain my humble looks, whatever game you wish, I'll play along, as long as you're satisfied..."
Miao'er looked at the stern, handsome Gu Changhuai with affectionate eyes.
A flash of jealousy passed through Pu Diansi's eyes, but he said nothing.
Gu Changhuai was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "What if I'm unwilling?"
Miao'er's smile deepened.
Pu Diansi's expression gradually cooled. He sighed, "Gu Diansi, this isn't up to you. Tonight's romance at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion—you'll enjoy it whether you want to or not."
Gu Changhuai said flatly, "Oh? Do you think you can stop me?"
Pu Diansi showed a wary look. Though they hadn't worked together long, he knew Gu Changhuai's strength.
But tonight's setup had little to do with him; he was just the guide. The real host entertaining Gu Changhuai was someone else.
Pu Diansi smiled. "Gu Diansi, you don't really think I'd lure you into a trap with just this preparation, do you?"
Miao'er looked at Gu Changhuai's upright figure and said seductively, "Gu Diansi, tonight, if you don't touch the karma of man and woman in this Jade Fragrance Pavilion, you won't be able to leave."
Gu Changhuai's pupils contracted.
Almost simultaneously, a thick, cloying scent of makeup surged. Around them, in the shadows, the large beds in the gloomy cells slowly split open from the middle.
One by one, figures emerged from the beds' passages.
These cultivators exuded strong auras, both male and female. The women were seductive and gaudy; the men had powdered faces and heavy yin energy. They wore garish, androgynous robes, their auras indistinct between yin and yang. One look revealed them all as Union Sect demon heads.
Leading them was a gloomy, powder-faced man in ornate women's clothing with a woman's hair bun, his gaze venomous.
His cultivation was at the peak of the Golden Core, even seeming only a step away from the Yuhua stage. His spiritual energy surged, hinting at the momentum of ascending flight.