After saying goodbye to Tang Lingyu.
Gu Cheng changed into a black robe embroidered with cloud patterns, stepped out of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and headed straight for the flower district in southern Tianshui City.
After passing through several bustling streets, the air gradually filled with an intoxicating scent of powder and perfume, while the buildings lining the road grew ever more refined and extravagant.
This was Tianshui City's most famous den of indulgence, where every pleasure house in the city gathered.
The warm afternoon sun gilded the long street in an ambiguous glow. Though it was still early, the flower district was already thronged with people, lively and bustling.
Shops stood shoulder to shoulder on both sides, and girls dressed in all their finery leaned in their doorways, smiling at passersby. Their lilting voices and sweet laughter filled the street with life.
The cries of hawkers, the calls of shopkeepers, the notes of strings and flutes, and the chatter and teasing all merged into one great din, as though every joy in the world had gathered here.
Even though Tianshui Prefecture had been unsettled lately, the flower district remained awash in song and dance, like a paradise untouched by the world, without the slightest trace of tension.
Gu Cheng strolled along, taking in the sights, until he finally stopped in front of a resplendent restaurant.
Its gold-lettered sign glittered beneath the sun, bearing the three grandly sweeping characters "Spring Breeze Tower."
He walked in at his leisure. Inside, carved beams and painted rafters displayed the height of luxury.
The guests coming and going were dressed in silks and finery, spoke with polish, and carried themselves with an air of wealth.
There was none of the squalor or vulgar perfume of low-class brothels. Instead, the place felt more like an exclusive club, with luxury and taste on display at every turn.
Though Gu Cheng was a newcomer, he had intelligence provided by Elder Huang's remnant soul, as well as the wealth of "knowledge" left behind by that lecherous senior.
He knew the pleasure quarters of Tianshui City like the back of his hand.
From what he knew, these establishments were divided into ranks.
The more upscale the venue, the more it cultivated refinement. Most of the girls there were courtesans who sold their art, not their bodies, and naturally, the prices were higher.
And the Spring Breeze Tower, where he now stood, was the finest establishment on the entire flower street.
Gu Cheng entered quietly in ordinary clothes, but his striking bearing and handsome face still shone like a star in the night, drawing the eyes of guests and girls alike.
Some bolder girls even came up to flirt, hoping to win the favor of this handsome young gentleman.
Gu Cheng frowned slightly and silently activated the Hidden Origin Art.
An invisible wave of divine sense spread from his body like a thin veil, shrouding his presence.
The eager gazes gradually lost their focus, and the restless thoughts in those girls' minds faded away.
Gu Cheng nodded in satisfaction and walked farther inside.
In the Spring Breeze Tower's central hall on the first floor stood an elegant stage. The musicians on it were playing and singing, drawing guests from upstairs and down to stop and lose themselves in the flowing melodies.
The performer onstage was not the Spring Breeze Tower's top courtesan, Lady Tianyin, but another young and beautiful courtesan.
She looked no older than sixteen, and her simple white robes accentuated her pure, captivating face. Like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, she stirred the heart with pity.
Her slender fingers danced lightly across the strings. The melody flowed, her singing rang clear, and the guests around her listened in a daze, as though the music had stolen their very souls.
Gu Cheng stood to one side and listened for a moment.
With his master-level skill in music, he could tell that although the courtesan's playing was practiced, it was merely competent, with little to dazzle the audience.
Clearly, these old lechers weren't appreciating the music at all. They were bewitched by the beauty of the girl.
Gu Cheng shook his head and turned his attention away from the performance.
At a thought, his divine sense quietly unfurled like a rising tide, instantly forming an invisible net that enveloped the entire Spring Breeze Tower.
Every sound, scent, and sight within the building became streams of information flowing into his mind.
Whether it was the guests seeking pleasure or the bewitchingly beautiful girls, even their breathing and heartbeats were within his perception.
Suddenly, Gu Cheng's brow furrowed slightly.
Beneath the Spring Breeze Tower's heady revelry, he keenly sensed four auras that stood out from their surroundings.
They were lying in wait in the shadows, their auras carefully concealed as though they had merged with the darkness. Only their keen eyes swept the building like falcons, marking them as formidable guards with no small degree of cultivation.
"Innate Realm..."
Gu Cheng thought to himself, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
A pleasure house had so many experts on its payroll!
Even some remote county towns didn't have this many Innate Grandmasters, did they?
More astonishing still, one of the elegant rooms at the very top of the Spring Breeze Tower was shielded from his divine sense by some kind of secret art.
If he had to guess, that was Lady Tianyin's private chamber.
Gu Cheng's gaze shifted. The last place he'd encountered that could block his divine sense had been the lord's residence in Iron Cloud City.
And back then, the Rebirth Sect had been secretly holding a Blood Sacrifice ritual there...
"Interesting..."
His curiosity about Lady Tianyin's hidden secrets only deepened.
Just as he reined in his divine sense and prepared to use the Qi Gazing technique to investigate...
Whoosh—
An exquisite teacup, wrapped in a gust of force, flew from behind the carved railing on the second floor.
It traced an elegant arc through the air and struck the head of the courtesan playing the zither in the middle of the stage.
"Ah—!"
The woman's scream rang through the entire Spring Breeze Tower. Warm blood poured from her forehead, instantly staining her white robes red.
The flowing melody stopped abruptly, leaving only the strings humming and trembling.
"!!!"
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. After a brief silence, deafening shouts and cries erupted.
"Lady Ya'er!"
"Which bastard dares to cause trouble in the Spring Breeze Tower?!"
Seeing the beauty injured, the guests slammed their hands on the tables and rose to their feet, glaring furiously at the second floor, wishing they could tear the culprit limb from limb.
A silver-haired young man lounged against the railing of a second-floor private room. Dressed in brocade and fine robes, with a jade pendant at his waist, he was clearly someone of wealth and status.
He neither dodged nor flinched beneath the crowd's fury. A mocking smile even played at the corner of his mouth, as if he didn't take the anger of these nobodies seriously.
Behind the young man stood a black-clad man, his eyes half closed. Though he said nothing, he carried an imposing air that commanded respect.
"Oh? Someone from Famous Sword Villa?"
Standing in a corner, Gu Cheng watched it all without revealing himself.
At the sight of the man's distinctive silver-white hair, he recognized him at once.
Most of the Spring Breeze Tower's guests were wealthy and influential, and Gu Cheng was far from the only one who knew how to recognize such a figure.
Once they realized who the silver-haired young man was, most of their anger quickly dissipated, replaced by deep apprehension.
After all, Famous Sword Villa was one of the greatest powers in Tianshui Prefecture. Ordinary people like them could hardly afford to provoke it.
For a moment, an eerie silence settled over the Spring Breeze Tower...
Before you continue