Small Town Villa, Meeting the Courtesan Again

Creak!

Shen Han opened the door.

Cao Lin, dressed in fine robes, strode into the room carrying a wooden box, his face glowing with delight.

"Judging by the Young Gang Leader's expression, I assume Gang Leader Cao is out of danger?"

Shen Han invited him to sit, smiling faintly.

Cao Lin cupped his hands and said, "Indeed. My father has been brought back from the brink of death. Doctor Shen, your medical skills are truly remarkable; I did not choose the wrong person!"

"Since that is the case, our task can be considered complete."

Shen Han's fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop.

Seeing this, Cao Lin replied, "Of course. I came here specifically to escort the two of you down the mountain."

As he spoke, he opened the wooden box.

Inside lay twenty-five portions of medicinal herbs wrapped in yellow paper, along with a silver banknote worth one hundred taels.

"Doctor Shen, the herbs you requested are all here."

Cao Lin handed the wooden box to Shen Han. "The banknote is the payment for Brother Feng Hao."

Shen Han glanced at the contents. These were the ingredients for the Marrow-Cleansing and Tendon-Forging Water he had asked the Green Garment Gang to procure three days ago. The Green Garment Gang certainly had extensive connections; they had obtained the herbs with ease.

"Young Gang Leader Cao, we accept these items. Farewell."

"Please, this way."

Cao Lin personally led the way, escorting Shen Han and Feng Hao down Stone Ox Mountain before the sun set.

"Doctor Shen, have you heard of Guan Shu?"

As they entered Stone Ox Town at the foot of the mountain, Cao Lin suddenly turned back and blurted out the question.

"Guan Shu? I have heard the name."

Shen Han certainly remembered her.

This woman was the top courtesan of Miaoyu Pavilion in the county seat. She claimed to be well-acquainted with Doctor Lu Qiling and had even come to the clinic looking for him.

Cao Lin gave a mysterious smile and chuckled, "To thank you for saving my life, Doctor Shen, I have invited Guan Shu to Stone Ox Town. Tonight, she is yours."

"This... that won't be necessary."

"It is no trouble at all. Meanwhile, I have also prepared two ladies from Miaoyu Pavilion for Brother Feng Hao."

As they spoke, they arrived at an inconspicuous courtyard.

The courtyard was about twenty meters wide, flanked by a pharmacy on the left and a pawnshop on the right. At the northernmost end of the courtyard stood a two-story wooden building.

As soon as they entered the building, two young women greeted them. They were indeed wearing the Neon Gauze Dress of Miaoyu Pavilion, looking delicate, pretty, and charming.

"Take good care of Brother Feng."

Cao Lin immediately ordered.

"Yes!"

The women reached out, one on each side, and ushered Feng Hao into an inner room on the ground floor.

Only then did Cao Lin say to Shen Han, "Doctor Shen, the top courtesan Guan Shu is waiting for you upstairs. Please."

Shen Han did not move.

"I am but a humble doctor; I fear I cannot afford such luxury."

Cao Lin laughed heartily and draped an arm over Shen Han's shoulder. "What are you saying, Doctor Shen? Just enjoy yourself; the Green Garment Gang has already settled the bill.

Doctor Shen, hurry upstairs.

Countless men would spend a fortune just to catch a glimpse of Guan Shu. Tonight is a beautiful evening, and she is here to serve only you. I shall take my leave."

Fine, I'll go up and take a look... Shen Han thought to himself. Playing the lecher is out of the question, but I can ask her about Doctor Lu.

He strolled up to the second floor.

It was an elegant, antique-style room draped in pale pink silk. In the corner stood a large bed, but strangely, instead of a vanity table, there was a massive bookshelf packed with all sorts of books.

"Doctor Shen, you have arrived..."

A graceful woman sat before the bookshelf, her slender fingers turning the pages of a book.

It was indeed Guan Shu!

Shen Han mused that the courtesan's stage name was quite fitting.

Guan Shu stood up and said, "Doctor Shen, I trust you have been well. My greetings to you."

She bowed slightly toward Shen Han.

Every gesture she made exuded the true essence of a top courtesan.

Shen Han smiled. "I truly never imagined that Miaoyu Pavilion had a secret outpost in Stone Ox Town."

"No, this place has nothing to do with Miaoyu Pavilion."

Guan Shu replied, "This pavilion is merely a place for me to relax from time to time.

Doctor Shen, you are highly regarded by Young Gang Leader Cao, so you must have exceptional talents.

I have always admired capable men in this life. Come, this glass of wine, I offer to you."

As she spoke, she personally poured a glass of wine from the flagon.

"I have a poor tolerance for alcohol."

Shen Han did not take it. "Miss Guan Shu, I came upstairs to see you with no ulterior motives; I simply have a question I would like to ask."

"Please, speak."

Guan Shu slowly set down the wine glass.

Shen Han said with a serious expression, "What exactly is your relationship with Doctor Lu Qiling from my medical clinic?"

"Hehe..."

Upon hearing this, Guan Shu covered her mouth and laughed. "Doctor Shen, to think you would ask about another man right in front of me."

Shen Han remained calm, observing her eyes.

Guan Shu showed no signs of anything unusual and said slowly, "Doctor Lu is shrewd, capable, and a man of fine appearance; I admire him very much.

It is just that he disappeared for no apparent reason.

Whenever I think of this, I find myself lost in thought, feeling deeply saddened for a long time."

She doesn't seem to be lying... Shen Han thought to himself.

But he could not be entirely certain; after all, she was a courtesan of the brothel, and acting was her specialty.

"However, I am not sad anymore."

"Oh?"

"Because now there is Doctor Shen. I am clear that you are even more outstanding than Doctor Lu, and I would like to share a cup of nuptial wine with you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she gracefully offered the wine glass.

As her body drew closer, a refreshing fragrance of wine drifted toward him.

"Miss Guan Shu, the wine is unnecessary."

Shen Han refused once again and stepped away toward the bookshelf. "To be honest, I enjoy reading in my spare time. I wonder if I might take a look at these books?"

Guan Shu was stunned. "Doctor Shen, please, help yourself."

"Many thanks!"

Shen Han did not stand on ceremony and began searching through the bookshelf.

His reason for wanting to look at the books was simple: to see if he could find any suitable secret manuals!

Up to this point, the cultivation technique he mastered was the Ancient Sun Technique, and his martial arts included the Angry Dragon Divine Fist and the Sky-Splitting Blade Technique. It was clearly a bit thin; he lacked finger techniques, sword arts, archery, leg techniques, light-body skills, and so on.

Since there was a bookshelf here, why not try his luck? If he found a secret manual, he could easily find an excuse to borrow it.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

There were many books on the shelf, over a hundred in total, but without exception, they were all strange and bizarre novels.

For example, Dancing Universe: the growth story of a dancing youth.

Mysterious Architecture: an introduction to mysterious buildings scattered throughout the Xuanzhao Kingdom.

Douluo Great Deer: a myth about a deer that becomes a spirit.

Who Let Him Be Idle: a call for laborers to work hard and not be idle.

Debate on Stars: a debate regarding celestial phenomena.

Supreme Cauldron: a mystery-solving story involving an alchemy furnace.

The Rolling Man of Da Feng: a description of the hardships faced by the lower-class residents of a fictional nation.

No Sauce at Night: a warning to the common people on why they should not use soy sauce for dinner.

Shen Han searched for a full quarter of an hour, but regretfully, he did not find any books related to martial arts manuals.

"Miss Guan Shu, until we meet again."

With that, he did not linger any longer, opening the door and heading downstairs.

Guan Shu felt helpless and could only let him leave. She sighed softly and placed the wine glass back on the table.

"Senior Brother Shen!"

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Feng Hao waiting at the entrance. Clearly, Feng Hao had not been mingling with those two women either.

"Let's go!"

The two exchanged a glance, sharing a silent understanding.

But just as they had not gone far from Stone Ox Town, under the cover of night, Feng Hao suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, I left the medicine chest in the villa! Senior Brother Shen, wait for me a moment, I will go retrieve it immediately."

With that, he dashed off toward Stone Ox Town in a flash.