The Number One Courtesan (2)

The sound was absolutely deafening. The moment the words "Marquis General's Mansion" were displayed, it had a miraculous effect. The noisy crowd instantly ceased their commotion, and in a flash, everyone turned to look in one direction. Becoming the center of attention, Shi Xiaotian was stunned. He never expected Yue Qianchou to pull this stunt.

At the entrance of the "Myriad Flower Pavilion," an officer, his hand on the sword at his waist, looked over in surprise. The servant-dressed Yue Qianchou, whom he was calling out to, naturally didn't attract his attention. Seeing Shi Xiaotian in his brocade robes, however, shocked him. Although Shi Xiaotian, as the third young master of the Marquis General's Mansion, rarely appeared in public, the officer had seen him on several occasions.

As a soldier, the Pillar State General, who had fought year after year on the western frontier, was undoubtedly an idol for all soldiers of the Huaxia Empire and enjoyed high prestige among the people. Especially last year, when his two million-strong Great General, divided into six routes, decisively defeated six kingdoms, forcing them to sign a ceasefire and peace treaty, his Pillar State General reached its zenith. In their hearts, the Pillar State General was the guardian deity of the Huaxia Empire.

"Make way!" the officer shouted, his voice tinged with excitement. The civilians, their faces beaming with joy, eagerly pushed their way to both sides, afraid of blocking Shi Xiaotian's path. With a wave of his hand, the officer summoned two groups of soldiers protecting the ' Myriad Flower Pavilion), who surged into the cleared passage and formed neat lines on either side to guard him. The officer strode up to Shi Xiaotian, unfurled his cloak, knelt on one knee, gripped his sword hilt, and proclaimed loudly, "This humble general, Yuan Fei, City Guard Patrol Commander, greets the Third Young Master."

"Greetings, Third Young Master!" The two rows of guards and the guards of the Myriad Flower Pavilion all knelt down on one knee with a "whoosh" and shouted. It is unclear which commoner knelt down first, but the people who spread throughout the entire street all knelt down with difficulty, because it was too crowded. They shouted one after another, "This humble person greets the Third Young Master... This humble person greets the Third Young Master..." The shouts rose and fell, and it could be heard that they were all from the bottom of their hearts.

Shi Xiaotian was somewhat embarrassed; using the name of the Marquis General's Mansion to come to a brothel was hardly an honorable thing. Yue Qianchou was immediately dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the Pillar State General to have such high prestige among the army and the people, and he couldn't help but regret his actions. To have such a respected Great General treated like this... his conscience couldn't bear it. After all, he had been a soldier in his previous life, and he knew that a general so revered by the people couldn't have achieved such a feat without experiencing countless battles. Yue Qianchou felt genuinely ashamed for damaging a general's reputation in this way.

The nobles and wealthy people who had entered the "Myriad Flower Pavilion" earlier were also startled by the continuous shouts outside. The Third Young Master? Whose Third Young Master had arrived that could cause such a commotion? They all sent their servants to squeeze to the door to inquire. The soldiers and civilians of the entire street knelt down, but the two young men dressed as master and servant stood out from the crowd, leaving the servants speechless.

At this moment, Shi Xiaotian couldn't help but glare at Yue Qianchou with a hint of reproach, while the latter gave an awkward, apologetic smile. Shi Xiaotian then channeled his True Essence and shouted, "Fellow villagers, please rise! I, Shi Xiaotian, am unworthy of such a grand gesture!" His voice boomed throughout the street, drowning out the sounds of everyone else offering their greetings.

The soldiers and civilians were taken aback. What a loud voice! No wonder he's the son of the Pillar State General, like father, like son! The crowd thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Third Young Master!" and then struggled to their feet.

"Commander Yuan, please rise quickly." Shi Xiaotian reached out to help Yuan Fei. Hearing the former's loud voice and seeing him come to help him, the latter secretly felt a surge of competitiveness, wanting to see if he had real skill or just a loud voice to intimidate. However, he was surprised to find himself completely powerless to resist, easily lifted up by the other man. What incredible strength! His gaze swept over the sword at Shi Xiaotian's waist, and he thought to himself, "No wonder, it's due to his upbringing!"

Seeing their commander stand up, the soldiers also stood up. Yuan Fei waved his hand and said, "Third Young Master, please!"

"You're welcome!" Shi Xiaotian cupped his hands in greeting and followed Yuan Fei, Yue Qianchou slunk behind. Once inside the Myriad Flower Pavilion, Yuan Fei remained outside to keep watch, while a pimp led the master and servant inside.

As dusk settled, the Myriad Flower Pavilion brothel was packed with guests. Alluring women, their bodies gleaming, moved about with beaming smiles, carrying platters of fruit, wine, and various delicacies. Hearing that the third young master of the Marquis General's Mansion had arrived, the already seated nobles and nobles gathered downstairs to greet him. In terms of status and rank, such a display was unnecessary; many nobles and nobles held higher positions than the Pillar State General. However, the Pillar General was a powerful figure wielding the most powerful military force in the empire—a man whose mere presence could shake the entire Huaxia Empire. He was far more influential than those nobles who held titles in name only.

Shi Xiaotian greeted everyone with an air of elegance, switching between "that young prince" and "this young prince" with remarkable ease. Yue Qianchou Shi Xiaotian, impressed by his upper-class background. He had truly witnessed the prestige of the Marquis General's Mansion today, and a new plan formed in his mind.

The area where everyone was located was an enclosure with a sizable performance stage in the center and two tiers of seating. The upper tier consisted of open private rooms, while the lower tier had a row of single tables set up for banquets. This was presumably the venue for tonight's grand performance of singing and dancing to catch a glimpse of the courtesan. Shi Xiaotian arrived late, and the private rooms upstairs had already been taken. However, there was no need to worry; someone who knew better would give one up.

The two were in a private room on the second floor, one sitting and one standing. Standing behind Shi Xiaotian was Yue Qianchou, of course. A servant couldn't sit with his master in public, could he? The Myriad Flower Pavilion had sent over some courtesans, Yue Qianchou found them too unattractive and used the excuse that the Third Young Master didn't want to be disturbed to kick them out. He was used to seeing beautiful women in the Cultivation World and naturally wasn't interested in the so-called beauties here. If he hadn't wanted to see the most sought-after courtesan, he probably would have turned around and left.

A little later, the performance on the central stage began. The sounds of zithers, flutes, and drums filled the air as a dozen or so graceful women danced, drawing cheers from the crowd. Yue Qianchou had expected a striptease or something, but after wandering around for ages, there was nothing interesting at all. One group would leave, then another would come up, each with their own variations, completely lacking any semblance of a brothel's decorum. He couldn't understand what those nobles and royalty were so excited about. Yue Qianchou wanted nothing more than to throw a grenade down on stage, to make those flamboyant women hurry up and leave, so that the so-called courtesan could come up and see for herself. If she wasn't good, she could leave as soon as possible, saving everyone's time. This brothel was just too boring!

The music played by the musicians lacked any passion; it sounded like a lullaby to his ears, making him drowsy and yawning repeatedly. He didn't know how much time had passed, but just as he was drifting into a semi-conscious state, the commotion around him startled him awake. The lonely, light music that reached his ears was surprisingly refreshing. Looking around, he saw that the surrounding nobles and royalty were all craning their necks to look from the railing.

"The courtesan has come out!" Shi Xiaotian said softly, and walked to the railing to watch. Yue Qianchou's eyes lit up; he had been waiting for this moment for so long, and he followed her.

In the depths of the city lights, a figure in a light, red palace gown gracefully approaches. A long white jade hairpin adorns her high, jet-black hair, its ends drawing veils of red gauze across her face, her delicate features peeking out from beneath, alluring yet indistinct. Her fair, jade-like hands cradle a simple zither, gently pressing down on one breast, emphasizing the prominent curve of the other. The red gauze covers her shapely hips, attempting to conceal her long, slender legs, yet the allure is inadvertently revealed with each step she takes.

A beautiful woman dressed in red and white lightly stepped onto the stage, placed her zither on the prepared zither stand, nodded slightly to those around her, and then sat down gracefully. Two slits appeared in the red veil on either side of her hips, revealing her fair, delicate thighs.

"Bravo!" someone shouted, clapping their hands in response, which immediately drew a great chorus of applause. Yue Qianchou finally perked up and clapped vigorously. Damn it! Finally, he saw someone who was pleasing to the eye. Although he couldn't see her face clearly, her figure was top-notch! The two-person private room was in a good location, with the courtesan directly facing them, allowing them to enjoy her at their leisure.

Ten jade-like fingers pressed down on the strings, gently plucking out a clear and Linglong melody, and the surroundings immediately fell silent. Yue Qianchou nodded; the initial tone was somewhat melancholic, but still somewhat interesting, at least bearable. The melody lingered, and suddenly, a face beneath the red veil began to softly sing. "I am a fox who has cultivated for a thousand years, a thousand years of cultivation, a thousand years of solitude..."

"Uh..." Yue Qianchou's smile froze instantly, then twitched slightly...

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