Corridor

After a series of tragic howls, ...

The ochre-colored fields had been splattered with a thick layer of blood.

Corpses in terrifying states littered the ground, some chopped into several pieces, others cleaved in two, and some crushed into a pulp as if squeezed by a giant...

Blood continued to seep from beneath the corpses, forming a crimson stream, soaking brightly colored organs in a hellish scene.

Sasori loosened his fingers. Kneeling before him was a portly man, none other than Naganuma Kento.

Beside him was another dirty-looking boy, his features obscured. The boy was trembling, as if standing before two flesh-eating demons.

But Naganuma Kento's expression was as usual, without the slightest fear.

Because his mind had already been controlled by Sasori's Sub-Brain Sand Control. On Souya's suggestion, the Sub-Brain Sand Control created by Sasori could not only seal certain important memories, but also directly control the minds of the weak, turning them into living Puppets.

This was very useful for gathering information, as it was a way to ensure the truthfulness of the information.

The aftereffects of this method would naturally cause irreversible damage to the subject's brain.

However, as long as this state could be maintained for a period of time, it would help them accomplish the purpose of their trip.

"As for you..." Souya looked at the boy.

"Lord, it's not my fault! I was forced to come here!"

"It was all that guy who bewitched me! He said that if I killed you, he would give me enough money to redeem my sister from the Courtesan House!"

"Lord, spare me!" The boy's body suddenly trembled, and he quickly begged for mercy.

"Offending you is a crime deserving death. When I earn enough money to redeem my sister, I will come before you and commit suicide!" The boy slammed his head hard on the ground.

Souya glanced at the shallow pit that appeared on the ground, and his guess was confirmed.

"There's no need to commit suicide. If I redeem your sister, will you let me use your life from now on?" Souya looked at the boy's hunched back.

"Really?!"

"Yes! Lord, as long as you redeem my sister! My life is yours!" The boy suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining on his dirty face.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Mori Kazuhiro, Lord!" The boy said excitedly.

"Sasori, I'll take him for a trip first. Do you want to come along?" Souya turned his head and asked.

"No! I'm not interested in this kind of thing. I'll go to the workshop first. Here's the Puppet for you. Contact me through it when it's time to meet up." Sasori's gaze lingered on Mori Kazuhiro for a moment.

Then Sasori took out a delicate bird-shaped Puppet from his backpack. It was only the size of a palm, but it was exceptionally exquisite.

"Sasori, keep a low profile!" Souya didn't forget to remind him.

Sasori glanced at the scene of corpses and nodded without saying a word.

Ehara City, this is the most famous city in the Land of Artisans. The reason for its fame is not because it has highly skilled artisans.

On the contrary, it is because a large number of idle rich young masters and a large number of people who come here for its reputation gather here.

The west gate of Ehara City is a place called the Returning Willow Corridor.

The west gate happens to be where the river enters Ehara City. The water network here is dense, and many green willow trees are planted on both sides of the street.

It looks normal during the day, but at night, the entire street of the west gate is hung with various enchanting lights, tempting the passing guests.

There are wooden doors on every side street after entering the west gate. The wooden doors on the street are Courtesan Houses, also known as Zhang Shops. The closer to the middle road, the higher the level, and the further to the sides, the lower the level.

Extending to the deep ditch by the high wall is where the prostitutes hang out. In Ehara City, the highest-level Courtesans are called "Courtesan", "Ehara Tayu".

Most of these Courtesans come from poor families with girls aged 5 to 10. Their parents can get about 400,000 yen after selling them.

If they are female relatives with a higher status, the price will naturally be several times higher.

In addition to doing chores, cleaning, and serving high-ranking Courtesans, the girls who have just entered must also learn how to please guests, speak the jargon, and write "love letters".

It is said that they also have to learn to hide alum in their sleeves for use when tears are needed.

This way, they can put on a pitiful appearance when necessary to win the love of wealthy patrons.

According to the boy Mori Kazuhiro, his father was a gambler. After falling into the trap of the casino boss, he owed more than one million in gambling debts.

For ordinary people, this was already a huge sum of money. He had no choice but to sell his wife and children to escape the casino boss's pursuit.

Mori Kazuhiro led Souya to the west gate of Ehara City in a hurry.

"Entrance fee!" Two arrogant samurai, with swords at their waists, spread out their palms fiercely, collecting fees from passers-by.

Souya expressionlessly paid the entrance fee for two people and walked into the west city under the suspicious eyes of the guards.

Obviously, Souya's calm expression and clean clothes made them a little afraid. After all, they could occasionally encounter some big shots who came to the west city to try something new. If they annoyed them, they would be in big trouble.

After entering the city, the first thing that came into view was a black stone arch bridge spanning the river. The atmosphere of age was very heavy in the erosion of the river water.

Looking out from the high point in the middle of the bridge, there were rows of courtyards in front, from small to large, and then from large to small, very neat. If you looked at the west city from the side in the distance, it looked like a low pyramid.

Mori Kazuhiro walked into an alley with ease, and Souya followed behind.

On both sides of the alley facing the road were rows of fences, behind which many women were kneeling properly.

Their faces were painted with somewhat exaggerated makeup, and they wore brightly colored clothes, but they exuded a sense of cheapness.

They all looked at Souya with smiles on their faces as he passed by.

Along the way, some of the bolder ones flirted while licking their lips, and some even pulled down their kimonos from their shoulders, lifting their thighs straight up and hooking them on the railing, dancing and "entertaining" themselves.

Although Mori Kazuhiro had seen these scenes before, he was still blushing from the impact of these large-scale displays.

Souya, on the other hand, watched with great interest. After all, what he had seen on the screen before felt distant, unlike the reality of what he was seeing now.

He later learned that the place where these Courtesans were confined was called a Zhang Jian Shi.