Moon Red Pavilion

The next morning, Second Senior Brother Jiang Zhong announced that he would take Chen Qinglin and Chen Qingshi to see the County Town's unique sights.

The two disciples of Martial Uncle Lin Hua, Lin Yun and Zhou Bai, had vanished early that morning.

As for First Senior Brother Xie Jingjiang, he said he was going to visit a friend and told them to enjoy themselves.

Jiang Zhong took the two of them along the bustling streets and narrow alleys, showing them local sights and customs, and all kinds of snacks.

As afternoon approached, he led the two of them to a lively place, a sly look on his face.

The shouts of vendors filled the air. Snack shops, bookstores, teahouses, riddle stalls, and throngs of visitors lined both sides of the street. It was bustling with people everywhere.

After squeezing through the crowd, they arrived in front of a pavilion.

The old building had green tiles and gray brick walls, with upturned eaves and sweeping corners. Its architecture was distinctive and lavish to the extreme.

It had red railings, intricately carved doors and windows, and brightly colored murals. The pavilion rang with the symphony of all kinds of instruments.

Several beautiful women dressed in dazzling, luxurious clothes leaned against the railings, teasing passersby from time to time.

Above the pavilion's entrance hung a plaque bearing the words "Moon Red Pavilion."

Below it was a line of text: "The moon shines bright each month; every night, the lights glow red."

Chen Qinglin glanced at his second senior brother. So, Jiang Zhong, with your thick brows and honest eyes, who would've thought you were this kind of person?

So this was the "unique sight" in the County Town you'd been talking about.

"Young master, come in and have some fun..."

A woman in pink and white beckoned to Chen Qingshi. His face instantly turned scarlet, and he couldn't get a word out.

"I'm taking you two youngsters to broaden your horizons today," Jiang Zhong said, looking at them.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate, Senior Brother? If Master finds out... we're done for." Chen Qingshi stammered.

But his eyes weren't looking at the woman across from him. It seemed he wanted to go, too.

"If you don't tell him, and I don't tell him, how would Master find out?"

"Right, Qinglin, Junior Brother?" With that, he hooked an arm around Chen Qingshi's shoulder and led him toward the entrance.

Chen Qinglin had no objections. To tell the truth, he was quite curious to see what it was like.

"Ah, welcome, honored guests!" The moment they stepped through the entrance, a male attendant hurried over to greet them.

"I'm here to see Miss Cuihong. And find two good girls for my junior brothers while you're at it."

"So you're a guest of Miss Cuihong. Please, come upstairs." He led the way into the pavilion.

Stepping into the brothel was like entering another world.

The lavish hall was draped with pearl curtains, and candlelight flickered as the music of a zither drifted through the air.

The brightly colored murals on the walls made the whole place feel even more alluring. The faint scent of powder made it feel as if one were floating among the clouds, far removed from the world.

They passed a covered walkway hung with colorful flags. Ancient melodies reached their ears, and the faint aroma of wine wafted toward them.

A group of elaborately dressed beauties passed beneath the walkway, their voices lilting like birdsong.

All kinds of people bustled about, tipping servants, carrying dishes, and welcoming guests. The rising and falling notes of strings and pipes made the whole brothel seem even more enchanting.

The attendant led them along, chatting with Jiang Zhong, and brought them to a tastefully decorated room on the second floor.

Then he asked Chen Qinglin and Chen Qingshi, "Do you two gentlemen have anyone in mind?"

"Not really. Please find someone who's good at playing the zither." Chen Qinglin was curious about brothels, but he had no desire to explore the origins of life with one of the women there.

Chen Qingshi had no particular preference, so the attendant found a girl for him.

"Please wait a moment, honored guests. The ladies will be here shortly." After making the arrangements, he closed the door behind the three of them and went downstairs.

Chen Qingshi let out a long breath. He'd been so nervous just now. Jiang Zhong, on the other hand, was clearly a regular. He brought over some snacks and chatted with the two of them.

Before even a quarter hour had passed, a brothel attendant brought the women to their door and knocked.

Three women entered. The one dressed in pink went over to Jiang Zhong.

"My lord, it's been so long since you last came to see me."

"But here I am now."

Jiang Zhong very familiarly drew the woman into his arms. She must have been the Miss Cuihong he'd mentioned.

Of the other two women, one wore a pale purple dress and came to sit beside Chen Qingshi. The woman in yellow and white came over to Chen Qinglin.

"I'm Xia Qing. It's a pleasure to meet you, young master."

"This must be your first time here, wouldn't you say?"

The woman bowed to Chen Qinglin.

"How can you tell, Miss Xia Qing?"

"If someone as handsome as you had come here before, I'm sure I wouldn't have forgotten him."

"You flatter me, Miss Xia Qing."

"What would you like to hear, young master?"

"Play whatever piece you're best at."

"Yes, young master."

The sound of the zither soon filled the room.

The music flowed and lilting, like a winding stream carrying delicate notes along with it. Sitting there listening, he felt refreshed and at ease.

No wonder brothels had flourished for centuries.

He was so entranced that he lost track of time.

It was late into the night before the three of them finally left, content.

If Chen Qinglin and Chen Qingshi hadn't been there—and if Xie Feng hadn't come to the County Town with them—Jiang Zhong probably wouldn't have gone back tonight.

The three of them walked back slowly, slightly tipsy.

Sigh, another day wasted.

Starting tomorrow, no more drinking!

When he opened his door the next morning, he saw Lin Yun and Zhou Bai huddled in a corner, whispering with Jiang Zhong.

One glance at their lecherous expressions was enough for Chen Qinglin to know what they were talking about.

He gave them a look of disdain as he crossed the courtyard and began his morning training.

When the three finished talking, arms slung over one another's shoulders, and were about to head out, they saw Xie Feng returning from outside, his face livid as he stared at them.

Oh no, we're dead!

Jiang Zhong and the others thought Xie Feng had overheard their conversation.

But he merely scolded them, telling them to get ready over the next few days. If they failed to show their true ability on the day of the Martial Arts Competition, he'd make them pay when they got back.

Then he praised Chen Qinglin, who was practicing martial arts.

"Qinglin, you're the one who puts my mind at ease. Take it easy for the next few days, and go see the sights in the County Town."

"When the time comes, give it your all and teach those brats from Changfeng Martial Arts School a good lesson."

With that, he went back to his room.

Master must have run into trouble when he went out this morning.

Chen Qinglin turned around and saw Second Senior Brother Jiang Zhong gazing at him with a reproachful look.

"Junior Brother! You saw Master and didn't warn me..."

"Senior Brother, Master came back from outside. I didn't see him either."

"By the way, what was Master talking about with Changfeng Martial Arts School?" Chen Qinglin hurriedly changed the subject.

Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Zhong heard that, he immediately explained.

"Changfeng Martial Arts School is in Fenglin Town, right next to ours. Our two schools have been neck and neck in the rankings for years."

"But Changfeng Martial Arts School has more disciples in the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm than we do, and they've had the upper hand over us these past few years."

"Master probably ran into the head of Changfeng Martial Arts School," Jiang Zhong said quietly, glancing at Xie Feng's room.

"So that's what happened. No wonder." Chen Qinglin looked enlightened.

"Want to spar, Senior Brother?"

"Maybe not, Junior Brother..."

"Come on, come on!" Ever since he'd discovered that sparring with others raised his proficiency faster, he'd often challenged his senior brothers back in Qingyan Town.

Even Senior Sister Wu Jianxue avoided him these days. He'd clearly been holding back, matching his swordsmanship to each of their levels.

Sigh, life really was as lonely as snow!

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