The Good Girls of the Brothel

Spring Full Pavilion was the only brothel in Yuhang Town.

Originally, even if Yuhang Town had prostitutes, they were merely loose prostitutes and undercover courtesans, unable to take the stage. Since Spring Full Pavilion opened its doors, its elegant surroundings and first-rate service had swiftly made it a gathering place for local "literati and esteemed scholars."

This was the haven of tenderness for Yuhang Town's men, and the thorn in the eye of Yuhang Town's women. Whenever night drew near, wives in every household had to keep a close watch on their husbands, lest they find some excuse to stroll twice around the street where Spring Full Pavilion stood.

Most people had no chance to enter, but wandering around nearby and watching those scantily clad "good girls" leaning on doors and railings, flaunting their charms—sometimes perhaps even catching a flirtatious glance—was wonderful enough.

Young Master Wang Longqi, a seasoned literatus and esteemed scholar, had once said that Spring Full Pavilion was not inferior in the slightest to those brothels and pleasure houses in Hangzhou Prefecture.

What he had naturally compared was the most crucial part of a brothel—good girls.

A large brothel needed talent in every respect. Inexperienced young girls newly entered into the dust of the world, charming mature women hardened by countless battles... These girls, who fulfilled customers' every kind of demand, could only be considered lower-tier good girls. Above them, there had to be popular courtesans worthy of display.

The requirements for popular courtesans went far beyond beauty. To make a name for oneself in the entertainment world, one needed skills that could make people's eyes widen. To be cherished like a treasure, one had to be both beautiful and talented.

And Spring Full Pavilion had several such popular courtesans.

Last night's deceased had been one of them.

"The deceased was named Ruan Hongmei. Her stage name was Mei Xiang, and she was a popular courtesan at Spring Full Pavilion."

Standing outside the elegant, meticulously crafted pavilion, Li Xinyi introduced her.

She deliberately pursed her lips and added, "When we go in later, don't let your eyes wander, okay?"

"Mm." Li Chu nodded.

Literati and esteemed scholars had always enjoyed gathering at night. During the day, Spring Full Pavilion's entrance was deserted and passersby were few. No one entered or exited through its two open little doors. Inside was quiet, carrying a lazy powdery scent.

Now and then, one or two women with disheveled clothing opened their windows, stretched, yawned, got some air, then shut them again.

But today, those closed windows immediately opened once more.

A sleepy-eyed good girl rubbed her eyes, then instantly turned around and screamed, "sisters—"

Li Xinyi had still miscalculated.

When Li Chu entered the brothel, the issue was not whether he would look around, but whether others would look at him.

Elsewhere, even if women developed affection upon seeing a handsome man, at most they would give him a shy, coquettish glance.

But the girls in a brothel cared nothing for that. In the blink of an eye, a flock of beauties surrounded Li Chu, chirping around him in a noisy crowd. They were only one step away from reaching out to touch him, which made Li Xinyi extremely angry.

Li Chu blinked. He too lacked experience dealing with this sort of situation, so he could only use a cold expression to signal keep strangers away. Fortunately, fierce-browed Li Xinyi stood beside him and helped drive the crowd back.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Acting like you've never seen the world." A lazy voice came from behind the crowd.

The good girls immediately restrained themselves and stepped back one after another. The newcomer apparently carried considerable authority.

Only then did Li Xinyi breathe a sigh of relief and look toward where the crowd had parted.

It was Spring Third Madam, the boss of Spring Full Pavilion.

It was said that Spring Third Madam had once been a popular figure in Divine Luo City. Later, after saving enough money, she bought her own freedom and came to Yuhang Town to open Spring Full Pavilion.

Divine Luo City was the second-largest city in the He Luo Dynasty. Unlike Chaoge, it lacked the Imperial Capital's solemn majesty, and its entertainment industry was exceptionally developed. It had always been known as the "Flower Capital," a place of boundless romance.

The annual Flower Capital Assembly was also the greatest grand event in the He Luo Dynasty.

Spring Third Madam truly deserved to be from Divine Luo City. The good girls she trained were each and every one professional, allowing Spring Full Pavilion to make its name in such a short time.

She was currently dressed in perfectly ordinary homewear: a white silk cross-collar blouse, with plain-colored inner garments and long trousers. Her clothes were utterly unremarkable, yet her plump figure could not be concealed at all. Her breasts were like peaks, her buttocks like a full moon; even after years as a boss, her willow waist had not grown fat. She was tall as well, swaying gracefully as she walked, with an innate seductive charm.

In comparison, the good girls around her immediately seemed vulgar.

She had seen Li Xinyi that morning, so she smiled with eyes like crescent moons. "Officer Li, hadn't the yamen already come to investigate and determined that Mei Xiang took her own life? The body has also been put away. Why have you come again? Oh, and you brought such a handsome little Daoist priest. Are you here to perform rites for Mei Xiang?"

Seeing her subtly flirtatious manner, Li Xinyi's gaze was not very friendly. With a stern face, she said, "It has been concluded that Mei Xiang took her own life. We came because of other matters. This is Young Daoist Li from Virtuous Cloud Temple. I specially invited him here to exorcise evil. Show some respect."

"Oh? What else is there?"

"Take us to Mei Xiang's room, and I'll discuss it with you in detail. With so many people gathered around, you all... what a mess."

Li Xinyi swept a glance around her and frowned. Compared to those good girls, her attire today made her look like a young lady of a prominent family.

"Fine, come with me." Spring Third Madam agreed, then turned and waved her hand. "Disperse, disperse. Look at every one of you, as though you were born without ever seeing a man."

"It's just that we've never seen such a handsome man," one good girl muttered softly.

"Tomorrow, I'll send you to Virtuous Cloud Temple to become a nun!"

Spring Third Madam gave her a glare. Even as she scolded her, she raised a hand and slapped her plump buttocks with a thump.

The two followed her upstairs. After taking two steps, Li Chu said with great seriousness, "Our temple is not accepting people right now."

Spring Third Madam glanced at him and smiled with narrowed eyes. "Young Daoist, you really are interesting."

Li Xinyi looked at her smiling face, then at her chest.

Facing a great enemy.

The second floor was where the popular courtesans' rooms were. Every bedroom was far larger than those downstairs and came with a hall, each hall bearing an elegant name.

The moment they went upstairs, they heard a pleasant sound of the zither. It was not loud, like a trickling stream, yet deeply moving, unconsciously calming one's heart and mind.

After passing through the front courtyard, they saw the zither player on a terrace in the center of the pavilion.

She was a woman dressed in lotus-colored thin gauze. Her body was hidden behind an eight-panel screen, revealing only a graceful silhouette. Behind her were drifting clouds and distant sky; before her sat a jade zither.

The scene carried a profound artistic mood.

Li Chu suddenly stopped there for a moment.

He felt that this woman looked somewhat different, yet he could not say what exactly was different. Looking more closely, he saw that an extra veil covered her face, making her features impossible to discern.

Spring Third Madam smiled again. "This is Green Vine, a newly promoted popular courtesan here. But Green Vine only sells her art, not herself. Not only will she not sell herself, she refuses even to show her face."

"Oh." Li Chu acknowledged her, then wanted to continue walking.

Suddenly, the zither fell silent. Green Vine withdrew her slender jade fingers and asked, "Young Daoist, do you want to see my face?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, lovely to hear.

"That won't do." Spring Third Madam hurriedly shook her head. "You said so yourself back then: whoever saw your face would be the one you had to marry."

Green Vine rose to her feet. Her robes fluttered in the wind through the courtyard as she smiled. "If Young Daoist is interested, then it would not hurt to let him see."

The meaning behind her words was rather thought-provoking.

Then Li Chu spoke seriously again. "There is absolutely no need."

Li Xinyi immediately smiled and pulled him away.

Leaving only Green Vine alone, disheveled in the wind.

Spring Full Pavilion's interior layout was vast, so they walked quite a distance before reaching Mei Xiang's bedroom.

As one of the popular courtesans, Mei Xiang's bedroom was also spacious and elegant, with a hall and inner and outer rooms.

Mei Xiang's maid had also been summoned. The little maid was only twelve or thirteen this year. Though she had already been frightened for some time, she still cried miserably as soon as she was questioned.

"I slept in the outer room last night, while Miss slept in the inner room. She was perfectly fine before going to sleep. Who knew, who knew why she would silently hang herself!"

Spring Third Madam stroked the little girl's shoulder and patted her, then shot Li Xinyi a displeased look. "You clearly asked all this this morning. Why must you drag the child through it again?"

"Because Mei Xiang's death was suspicious." Li Xinyi answered calmly. "When she took her own life, she was holding a copper coin, correct?"

"Yes. The copper coin was also taken away by the yamen's constables," the maid answered.

Li Xinyi fell silent for a moment, then said, "We can determine that Mei Xiang will become a vengeful spirit after death."

"Ah?"

Spring Third Madam was greatly startled. She had seen much of the world and knew what a vengeful spirit was.

After being shocked for quite a while, she finally shook her head. "That can't be right. Mei Xiang had never suffered any great grievance in her daily life. Even if she had things weighing on her heart, where would such enormous resentful qi come from?"

"That is what I want to ask you." Li Xinyi said, "Whom had Mei Xiang borne grudges against in her daily life? Who did she most want to take revenge on?"

That was the crux of the matter. Although Mei Xiang had died in Spring Full Pavilion, wherever her resentful qi gathered was where her vengeful spirit would keep going. To prevent her from harming anyone, they had to find the source of her resentful qi first.

She stared at the little maid as she asked. Frightened by her gaze, the little maid kept shaking her head, unable to say anything.

Spring Third Madam held the little maid and answered, "The girls in our establishment only come into contact with so many people. Mei Xiang was proud and aloof by nature, and her relationships with several popular courtesans in the pavilion were not very good. But to say she would turn into a ghost just to take revenge—that truly seems unlikely."

Li Xinyi thought for a moment and changed her question. "Then did Mei Xiang ever complain to you about anything? Before she took her own life last night, did she curse anyone? You were always by her side, so you should have heard something."

The little maid sniffled twice, pondered for a while, then said, "Miss did curse someone last night, saying he was wolf-hearted and dog-lunged, cold and heartless, unmindful of old affection..."

"Who?"

"It was... it was the Wang Family's Seventh Young Master."

Thank you to Unlucky Star of Calamity for the two-thousand-point recommendation ticket red packet.