Once his thoughts had settled, Feng Xiu did not linger.
Instead, he followed the corridor downward, searching carefully for any trace of Chen Wanniang.
The Drunken Red Pavilion had six floors built around an open center. Closed doors lined both sides of the corridors, with lewd cries and heavy panting coming from behind them.
Search TWKAN on Google
Now and then a door opened, letting out a dim red glow that revealed two pale bodies tangled together before it quickly shut again.
Feng Xiu passed the rooms without expression, though his ears caught every unusual sound.
Chen Yuan had said that Chen Wanniang was fiercely unyielding. Two months had passed.
If she still refused to take customers, they would likely break her legs and sell her to the Beggars' Gang as a lowly prostitute.
Zhou Xiao and he had split up: she went to investigate the Liu Lineage, while he searched the Beggars' Gang.
As he reached the fifth floor, broken sobs came from a room around the corner.
The voice was hoarse, as though its owner had been crying for a long time. Feng Xiu pushed the door. It was unlocked.
Inside, a frail woman huddled in a corner of the bed, her clothes torn and her face streaked with tears.
When she saw him enter, she shrank into a ball, her lips trembling too badly to speak.
But she was not Chen Wanniang. Feng Xiu turned and left.
There was a courtyard behind the Drunken Red Pavilion. He had checked it before coming in; it held only the servants' quarters.
Perhaps he could find a trace of her there, Feng Xiu thought.
His figure blurred as he made to leave.
Bang!
Suddenly, a terrible crash sounded from below.
"Catch that little bitch!" someone roared.
A young man ran