"Sister-in-law, please get up! If an outsider sees you like this, it'll surely start rumors!"
Xiao Yang was a little baffled, too.
Was refusing an invitation really such a big deal?
"Ninth Highness, you don't understand. Your Third Brother has a fiery temper! If I fail to complete my task, I'll definitely be punished when I get back. At best, I'll be whipped dozens of times. At worst..."
As she spoke, Qiao Niannu seemed to remember something horrifying. Her eyes filled with fear, and her delicate body trembled.
It seemed Third Prince Xiao Li was even crueler than Xiao Yang had imagined.
"All right, I'll go!"
Xiao Yang nodded helplessly.
"Thank you."
Qiao Niannu's face filled with gratitude. Only then did she straighten up and leave.
After she was gone, Huangli said with a worried look, "Young Master, Third Prince is extremely cruel. Every year, over a hundred maids are beaten to death by him, and many more can't bear the torment and hang or drown themselves!"
"He's hosting a banquet tonight, but I doubt he has good intentions! It's too dangerous for you to go alone. Why not take me and Guard Zhao along? At least we can look out for each other."
"That works."
Xiao Yang nodded.
Although he was now a Third-grade Martial Artist and had the Thousand Mile Divine Travel Talisman to save his life, Third Prince Xiao Li had a fearsome reputation. There was no harm in bringing extra help.
At dusk.
Xiao Yang left the prince's residence with Zhao Changkong and Huangli, heading for Tianxiang Pavilion.
Zhao Changkong's arm was injured and hadn't fully healed, but he could at least move about freely. Besides, Xiao Yang had no other attendants at his disposal.
Xiao Yang had changed into a blue silk robe embroidered with cloud patterns. At a glance, he looked every bit the young master of a noble family.
To be on the safe side, he also wore the Mysterious Scale Ten Thousand Dragon Armor beneath his robe.
Quite a few young women along the road were drawn to him, casting flirtatious glances his way.
"Guard Zhao, what specialties does Tianxiang Pavilion serve?" Xiao Yang asked.
He had been in this world for quite some time, but had spent most of it cooped up in the prince's residence. The dishes there were exquisite, but nowhere near as varied as the food in his previous life.
He was starting to miss soy-braised pork knuckles, red-braised pork, spicy chicken wings, spicy crayfish, and charcoal-grilled lamb skewers...
"Your Highness, Tianxiang Pavilion isn't a restaurant. It's in Pleasure Lane..."
Zhao Changkong scratched his head awkwardly.
Pleasure Lane?
Xiao Yang was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood. So Tianxiang Pavilion was a brothel!
In his previous life, he'd just been a wage slave and couldn't afford such places. He'd only heard some older colleagues talk about those all-inclusive business clubs they visited on work trips!
Naturally, the Great Xia Dynasty had no shortage of places for pleasure, and they were divided into different ranks.
The lowest were called "whorehouses." They were staffed by women who had grown old and lost their looks. Some didn't even have proper beds, just straw mats, and their customers were laborers.
Next came the "Entertainment Houses." The women there were somewhat attractive and performed, so guests could drink tea and listen to music.
Above those were the "brothels." The women there were not only beautiful, but also had to study poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They didn't just sell their bodies; they also provided their clients with emotional companionship.
But a night with one of them wasn't cheap. It cost at least several months' income for an ordinary person.
So their clients were usually officials, wealthy merchants, and members of the upper class.
And Xiao Yang knew that above the brothels was another kind of establishment called the Music and Dance Bureau.
Most of the women there were the wives and daughters of disgraced officials, and some were even princesses and consorts from enemy states.
There, it was all about status—not something money alone could measure!
"Your Highness, we've reached Pleasure Lane," Zhao Changkong said gravely.
The three of them turned into an alley, and a lively scene immediately unfolded before them.
On either side stood more than a dozen taverns and pavilions, all brightly lit and festooned with decorations. The air was thick with the scent of powder and perfume.
At the entrances, male touts and madams called out to customers. Upstairs, scantily clad beauties held handkerchiefs and flirted with passersby.
"Good sir, come in and have some fun!"
"What a handsome young master! Let your big sister take care of you!"
"On such a beautiful night, why not come in and enjoy yourself?"
The girls had all set their sights on Xiao Yang, putting on their best smiles and vying for his attention.
A handsome young master like him, especially one who could compose poetry, was very popular in places like this. He might even get to enjoy himself for free...
"A bunch of vixens!"
Huangli clenched her dainty fist and muttered a curse.
Zhao Changkong, meanwhile, looked like a raw recruit. His face was bright red. He wanted to look at the beauties in their skimpy outfits, but was too embarrassed...
Xiao Yang kept his eyes straight ahead and strode proudly toward their destination—Tianxiang Pavilion!
It was the grandest brothel around, lavish and magnificent, with gold and jade everywhere.
"Sorry, gentlemen. Third Prince has booked the entire place tonight. No entry without an invitation!"
The doorman spotted the three of them approaching and immediately spoke up.
"Here."
Xiao Yang pulled out an invitation. It was the one his sister-in-law, Qiao Niannu, had given him.
"So it's Ninth Young Master! Third Prince is already waiting for you. Please, come right this way!"
The doorman immediately bowed and ushered the three of them inside.
Soon, they arrived at a banquet hall on the top floor.
It was a full thousand square meters, lavishly adorned with gold and jade, with winding streams for floating wine cups.
"Ninth Brother, you're finally here!"
Third Prince Xiao Li greeted him from the dais.
He had the look of a hawk and a wolf.
His gaze was sharp and piercing, sending a chill through anyone who met it. He was hard to look at, like a ravenous wolf ready to pounce.
Besides Xiao Li, there were more than a dozen Blood Wolf Guard commanders present. Each wore a saber at his waist, and every one was a hardened warrior who had slain over a thousand enemies on the battlefield.
Thud, thud, thud!
Xiao Yang climbed the dais step by step and took the empty seat opposite Xiao Li.
Zhao Changkong and Huangli followed close behind and stood at his back.
"Everyone's here. Let the Thousand Charms Banquet begin!" Xiao Li waved his hand.
The musicians soon began playing a seductive tune.
Rows of women in gauzy dresses filed in. They had lovely faces, slender waists, and long legs; every one of them was a rare beauty.
There were hundreds of them—nearly every girl in Tianxiang Pavilion had been brought out. It was enough to dazzle the eyes.
The Blood Wolf Guard soldiers couldn't hold back. They immediately plunged into the crowd of beauties, each grabbing a few and bringing them back to their seats to drink and carouse.
For a while, the hall rang with coquettish laughter.
Xiao Yang frowned at the chaotic scene, but said nothing.
"Ninth Brother, is there anyone you fancy?" Third Prince Xiao Li asked.
"Third Brother, I'm not interested in this sort of thing." Xiao Yang shook his head.
"Of course! I heard Second Brother's beloved Female Master Teacher, Yan Ruyu, is head over heels for you. Naturally, you wouldn't be interested in ordinary women like these!"
"Bring out the headliners!" Xiao Li ordered.
As soon as he spoke, ten stunning beauties entered from outside. They were so gorgeous and well-proportioned that they could have been celebrities in Xiao Yang's previous life.
Unlike the other girls, who were dressed provocatively, these women were covered up from head to toe and looked like refined young ladies.
Yet their seductive, flirtatious gazes gave them an alluring contrast.
"This humble servant, Shishi, pays her respects to Ninth Young Master!"
"This humble servant, Xiaoxian..."
"This humble servant, Wan'er..."
"..."
The ten headliners came before Xiao Yang and bowed gracefully. Every smile and gesture seemed carefully choreographed.
Good grief!
Was this how they tested officials?
Xiao Yang could even hear Zhao Changkong behind him gulping repeatedly. It seemed the man's trousers had grown tighter...
"My Ninth Brother is visiting Tianxiang Pavilion for the first time. Take good care of him. Why haven't you offered him a drink?" Third Prince Xiao Li said.
Soon, one of the headliners came before Xiao Yang with a wine cup.
"Ninth Young Master, would you honor me by sharing a cup with me?"
"Sorry, I've been practicing martial arts lately, so I don't drink at all." Xiao Yang shook his head and politely declined.
The headliner knew her lowly status and could only withdraw, not daring to press him.
"Offer him another!"
Third Prince Xiao Li's expression hardened as he snapped in displeasure.
"Ninth Young Master..."
The second and third headliners came forward, heads bowed as they respectfully offered him wine.
But Xiao Yang remained unmoved.
"Since Ninth Brother refuses to drink, then there's no reason for them to stay alive!"
Suddenly, Third Prince Xiao Li whipped the saber from his waist and lunged!
"Not good!"
Sensing danger at such close range, Zhao Changkong instinctively tried to counterattack.
But Xiao Li was a Fifth-grade Martial Artist, and he was too fast. Zhao Changkong couldn't possibly stop him.
Clang!
The next instant, the blade flashed and blood sprayed.
Xiao Yang remained seated, completely unharmed.
But—
Thud! Thud! Thud...
The three headliners' heads dropped to the floor.
Before you continue