Twin Lotuses

Trees have roots, and water has sources.

The corpse workers at the Cui Family Mill must also have their origins, though it's unknown if they came from the hands of someone from Yinmen or from fellow Corpse Drivers.

Smelling the familiar scent, Xu Qing guessed that the other party's lodging wouldn't be too far away, and it might even be within Cuiyun Tower itself.

Sticking to the principle of "may my well not interfere with your river," he didn't want to investigate the source of the incense smell.

Composing himself, he arrived at the private room in the embroidery building. Xu Qing sat by the window. In front of him, a crimson Shu brocade curtain hung down. Pushing aside the curtain and hooking it up, one could see the lively scene below the winding corridor.

The main hall of Cuiyun Tower occupied a considerable area. Some guests enjoying tea and entertainment sat at the tea stalls below, watching young women perform enchanting songs and dances on the stage.

On the upper floor, there were braziers and warm tents, where guests could enjoy the company of beautiful women.

Xu Qing heard faint footsteps, so he lowered the curtain and turned to look at the screen painted with hibiscus blossoms.

The private room he had booked had an elegant name: "Paired Hibiscus."

It was named this because the top courtesans of this pleasure house were not one person, but a pair of twin sisters who served together.

At this moment, the two sisters stepped lightly, their feet like lotuses, and gracefully emerged from their room.

Xu Qing glanced at them. One wore a purple silk skirt and had a charming figure, while the other wore a pink blouse and white skirt and had a delicate and pretty appearance.

"What are your names?"

"I am Zixi, and this is Qiaorui."

When Xu Qing had chosen his entertainment earlier, he had found the name of the establishment familiar. Now, seeing these two girls and hearing their names...

It was precisely the place the County Magistrate's daughter, who possessed the "Tofu Grinding Holy Body," frequented!

Tsk, Cuiyun Tower truly had everything.

Xu Qing's spirits lifted, and he began to ask the twin flowers about their special skills and what techniques they excelled at.

The broad-minded Zixi smiled charmingly, swaying her slender waist, and handed him a program booklet with illustrations.

He poured a cup of tea. The misty steam, accompanied by bursts of fragrant wind, wafted towards him. Among the many services, Xu Qing chose Cuiyun Tower's signature items: "Twin Sisters Play Hibiscus" and "Spring Boudoir Lament."

He quietly finished watching the first performance and found that it was essentially a play about two phoenixes vying for a prize.

The second performance was a song. It told the story of two women in their chambers longing for love, often playing music together. Of course, during the singing and playing, there were segments where the women would share their feelings and relieve their inner restlessness.

"The candle flame flickers and dies, a painted face, slightly drunk. Restless desires, shed silken threads, looking down at the wilting spirit. The tide rises, the tide recedes, sleeping sweetly in the moonlit cage."

Even Xu Qing, with his vast experience from his previous life, had to admit his knowledge was limited.

With this singing and these figures, it was no exaggeration to call it art.

During the intermission, Xu Qing tapped his teacup, signaling the Big Teapot to bring more candles.

The Big Teapot, unable to see clearly through the curtain, could only ponder inwardly, Why are the candles burning so quickly today?

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but speak up to remind him:

"Sir, please take it easy. Don't wear our girls out. If they get hurt, you'll have to compensate us."

As dawn broke, Xu Qing, his experience further enhanced, walked out of Cuiyun Tower.

During his time there, he had used the "Thirteen Methods of Chastity Discrimination," a secret technique passed down in the imperial court, to observe many of the girls who showed themselves. However, it was unfortunate that the twin flowers of the Hibiscus Tower were not virgins. Even the courtesan in the No. 1 pavilion, Jinluan Pavilion, who was known for selling her art but not her body, showed signs of having lost her virginity long ago.

But then he thought about it and felt at ease. In a place like this, a pleasure house, where could one find truly chaste girls?

Even if there were, they would be rare, like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, a rare treasure that one might encounter only once in a thousand encounters.

Leaving Changdeng Street, Xu Qing walked through the market as if nothing had happened.

At a breakfast stall, a group of diners were discussing the fire at the Cui Family Mill last night.

"I heard dozens of people died, is that true?"

"Don't talk nonsense. The management has already come out to clarify. What died were dozens of donkeys and mules, not people!"

The speaker said it without thinking, but the listener took it to heart.

Xu Qing was puzzled. He had personally seen the patrol officers from the Yamen go to the mill. The Cui Family Mill's use of walking corpses instead of donkeys and mules must have been known.

But why did it seem like the matter hadn't been exposed at all?

He arrived at a food stall and ordered a bowl of steaming duck blood soup, sprinkled with chopped scallions and cilantro, which smelled quite good.

He sat at the stall, continuing to listen to the diners' discussions.

Unfortunately, the people who followed were all discussing trivial matters and petty squabbles. None of it could stir Xu Qing's emotions.

When he had transcended corpses and observed life, he had seen far more exciting major and minor events than the common folk of the city. His palate had long been refined, and these half-baked, raw newcomers were not enough to satisfy his appetite.

Listening to the gossip from the streets, Xu Qing blew on the foam of the duck blood soup. Just as he was about to taste it, a Guangzhong Treasure Blade, a hand's width wide and three feet three inches long, was suddenly placed on the dining table in front of him.

"Old Zhang, one bowl of lamb offal soup per person, two flatbreads, and add extra scallions!"

Zhao Zhonghe sat down across from Xu Qing in a boisterous manner. They were separated by a long table, and their eyes met.

At this moment, Zhao Zhonghe was covered in the smell of smoke and fire. If one sniffed carefully, there seemed to be the scent of roasted corpses as well.

His knuckles were thick and the back of his hand was covered in charcoal-black grime, clearly showing he'd just come from a fire and hadn't had time to clean himself up.

"What are you looking at!"

Zhao Zhonghe, already in a foul mood, glared at Xu Qing. Seeing the other man lower his head and quietly drink his soup, he spat and repeated the same words he'd said when he first met Xu Qing—

"So effeminate, smelling of powder, pah!"

"..."

Xu Qing stopped drinking his soup, slowly raised his head, and looked at the other man.

He was under the Mute Dog Curse and had sprinkled powder to mask the zombie scent. It did smell similar to perfume, but what business was it of Zhao Zhonghe's?

Seeing Xu Qing look at him, Zhao Zhonghe snorted. It was unclear where all his anger was coming from.

These two had disliked each other from the start, and Xu Qing was also feeling annoyed now.

It was one thing for Zhao Zhonghe to pick fights with him repeatedly. He could even tolerate him flaunting the Dream Lover Staff that Xu Qing coveted. But to eat his lamb tripe soup and then meticulously pick out every piece of cilantro from the bowl!

That, Xu Qing could not stand!

Xu Qing, looking for any excuse, found a reason and got up to pay the stall owner.

"How much?"

"Eight wen."

"Here's twenty wen, no need for change."

Taking out a string of copper coins, Xu Qing used the Stealthy Theft and Sun-Stealing technique to pocket the thin stick the stall owner used for cleaning chimneys as he left.

As he passed Zhao Zhonghe, he used the same trick again, a classic switcheroo, swapping the chimney-cleaning stick for his own Dog Beating Staff.

Then, he swaggered away.

When Zhao Zhonghe finished his lamb soup and was about to get up to pay, he reached for his waist and immediately felt something was wrong.

The feel was all wrong!

He ran his hand over his beloved staff, then lifted his hand and lowered his head.

Whoa! His hand was covered in black soot!

The stall owner happened to see this and quickly waved his hand, saying, "If Constable Zhao likes this staff, take it. I'll just make another one later..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhonghe's face instantly turned even blacker than the soot on his hands.