Two Months

Because of the changes in the Northern Border, the limited sequence of the marriage alliance seemed to have been postponed. Since his father didn't care, Xu Yuan chose to travel back to the Imperial Capital while enjoying the scenery.

Although the northern war situation was shrouded in gloom, the territory of the Great Yan remained peaceful and beautiful.

Before chaos erupts, let's take a look at this beautiful land with Big Ice Block and Xu Xinyao.

Then,

Xu Xinyao took advantage of Xu Yuan's inattention and ran away.

She left him a letter, saying she wanted to continue her travels to see if all the sects in the world were truly the same, and then secretly slipped away under the cover of night.

After traveling with Xu Yuan for more than half a month, Big Ice Block also left when passing through Daqing Prefecture to find the cave that Xu Yuan had mentioned and to bring back the items to the Sword Sect to find his master.

The two women left one after another, Xu Yuan, alone and with his soul, traveled from the southwest to the northeast, almost traversing the entire Great Yan.

Two months later, in the distant suburbs of the Imperial Capital, at Qibei Mountain.

As the sun rises and a gentle breeze caresses the air, the mountain mist drifting through the forest slightly disperses, revealing a building perched atop the mountain.

The morning after the rain in the mountains and forests was exceptionally tranquil. This was a solitary restaurant perched atop a steep cliff on the mountaintop. The building was nine stories high, with dragons and phoenixes carved on the walls, and melodious music emanating from within.

It's hard to imagine the amount of manpower and resources required to build such a structure atop this mountain.

However, this place is adjacent to the Imperial Capital and close to the power center of the Great Yan Dynasty. Nobles, wealthy merchants and tycoons gather here, and countless desires have given rise to countless luxurious dens of extravagance around it.

This building is a brothel under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Music Bureau, Perching Phoenix Pavilion. Most of the courtesans there are female disciples who survived the chaos of the Xuanqing Sect a few years ago.

She wasn't a female disciple who practiced martial arts as a novice, but a female disciple who was properly cultivating Cultivation Method.

Even after entering the mortal world, she still retains an ethereal, otherworldly air.

Many people enjoy this kind of atmosphere, and even though the price starts at a hundred taels a day, the brothel is still always packed with customers.

In the morning light, Xu Yuan slowly pushed open the door of the side room and went downstairs for his meal.

Outside the door was a long, narrow corridor, covered with an expensive red carpet, and the air was filled with a faint, alluring fragrance.

As soon as Xu Yuan stepped out of the elegant pavilion, he heard a slightly cold voice coming from the corridor beside him:

"Young master, please have some self-respect!"

"."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Judging from the voice, this sounds like a courtesan named "Chu Jingyi" from the Imperial Music Bureau.

He stayed there for three days, only hearing the other person play the guqin a few times through a screen. It was very beautiful, and the player's skill was very high, but they never met.

He's using the name Zhou Chen now, but she's the top courtesan at the Perching Phoenix Pavilion, supposedly the daughter of a deceased high-ranking member of the Xuanqing Sect. She doesn't have that kind of status.

Thoughts flashed through my mind,

Xu Yuan then heard a casual male voice:

"Haha, sorry, sorry, this young master's hand slipped."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan glanced to the side and saw three people standing not far away.

A young man in a loosely draped brocade robe was blocking the way of a graceful woman whose face was veiled by a thin gauze, and his hand was slowly withdrawing from her lower body.

A man with an effeminate air stood quietly behind the young nobleman.

The woman's eyes showed some annoyance, but she didn't lash out after glancing at the effeminate man.

The young nobleman looked at the fuming woman with great interest, chuckled, and then suddenly turned to Xu Yuan, who was not far away, and said with a smile:

"Brother Zhou, it's no fun just watching, why don't you join us?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's expression became somewhat strange, and he said:

"What a fine mood you're in so early in the morning! Why make things difficult for Miss Chu?"

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang grinned and patted the veiled woman's waist:

"Alright, with Brother Zhou pleading for you, you can leave now. Don't get in my way."

Humiliated, Chu Jingyi's chest heaved, but in the end she only snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Watching the slender figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Young Master Wang shook his head dismissively, turned around, walked up to Xu Yuan, and smiled:

"Brother Zhou, shall we have a meal together?"

Xu Yuan did not refuse the invitation.

This Young Master Wang was someone Ran Qingmo met at a top-class tavern in Mingze Prefecture after Ran Qingmo left.

At that time, a group of young scholars who had just passed the imperial examinations were drinking, composing poems, and discussing the world in a tavern. This Young Master Wang found the group too noisy and got into a quarrel with them. The courtesan came out to mediate, saying that an elegant gathering should be about making friends through literature and that they should compete in poetry.

If it doesn't concern me, I'll stay out of it.

Xu Yuan, who was sitting to the side watching the drama unfold, wanted to see if this Young Master Wang could replicate the classic.

For example, someone might try to show off by spouting a few famous lines from ancient poetry gatherings, only to be proven wrong in the end.

But Xu Yuan miscalculated.

Before the courtesan could finish speaking, the Young Master Wang slapped her across the face, sending her flying seven or eight meters with a thud, crashing into his table.

"I've been in a bad mood lately, and you want me to write a poem? Fine, I'll do it for you! Men, tear this building down!"

He has quite a bit of the flair he had back in the Imperial Capital.

The two became acquainted because of the incident involving smashing the table.

After learning that their destination was the Imperial Capital, the two decided to travel together. Perhaps due to their similar temperaments, they talked and traveled along the way, and a month has passed since then.

In addition, Xu Yuan also discovered that this Young Master Wang seemed to be very wealthy, even wealthier than him.

Walking downstairs,

Young Master Wang smiled familiarly at Xu Yuan and said:

"Brother Zhou, this Chu Jingyi is quite the wild horse. If we weren't heading to the capital today, I would really like to give her a good talking to."

Xu Yuan glanced at him noncommittally:

"With your wealth, why wouldn't you do this?"

Young Master Wang waved his hand:

"This is the Imperial Music Bureau right under the Emperor's nose. I can just flirt with them casually, but if they really do it, the Patrol Division will most likely come after me."

"The imperial court established this Imperial Music Bureau to make money. If they are willing to spend money, then it's a business. If they alarm the Patrol Division, then it's probably because they haven't spent enough money."

Xu Yuan surveyed the layout of the brothel. "Moreover, Brother Wang, you don't actually believe that all the courtesans here are so-called remnants of the Xuanqing sect, do you?"

Young Master Wang was taken aback:

"Brother Zhou, what do you mean?"

Xu Yuan's gaze swept over the female disciples dressed in various colors, and he whispered:

"Some died in the war, some were captured and slaughtered, some escaped, and other sects ransomed some of their old friends and children. There were hardly any left, not even one in a hundred miles. How could there be so many beautiful female disciples?"

"That makes some sense."

After listening, Young Master Wang narrowed his eyes and smiled, "This, is this what Brother Zhou was referring to as packaging?"

Xu Yuan curled the corners of his lips:

"I guess so, but these women are quite talented; at least their looks and figures Higher Vehicle."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang seemed to suddenly remember something and stared at Xu Yuan with great interest:

"Brother Zhou, you said this kind of news shouldn't be common, right? Especially those children of high-ranking Xuanqing Sect members who were bought off. This should be considered treason, and if it's investigated, it will likely implicate many important officials."

Xu Yuan glanced sideways and met Young Master Wang's gaze, then grinned:

"Yes, Chengyu, how did you know?"

After saying this, they looked at each other for a moment, then both burst into laughter.

The three entered the Qifeng Hall. The effeminate man quickly walked a few steps and asked the maid to prepare some breakfast.

Xu Yuan and his companion went directly into the main hall and took their seats.

Young Master Wang sat back in his chair, legs crossed, watching the graceful Xuanqing female disciple on the stage:

"A pheasant packaged like a phoenix can be transformed into a swan. Tsk tsk, this business is really lucrative. No wonder my brothels aren't doing well. I'll get one myself sometime."

Xu Yuan, sipping his morning tea, reminded him:

"To make this money, you need the backing of the Imperial Music Bureau. Even if an ordinary person could actually find female disciples, no one else would believe it."

Prince Wang raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, and after a moment, he said with emotion:

"Having frequented such places of entertainment for so many years, I only knew how to spend money and never imagined there were these hidden tricks. Thanks to you, Brother Zhou, I've learned a lot these past few days."

"Posture?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan quickly waved his hand. "Brother Wang, you're learning postures here, not from me."

"." Young Master Wang.

With a chuckle, Young Master Wang tapped the table:

"Brother Zhou, we've known each other for a month now, Imperial Capital is just a stone's throw away. You don't need to play dumb with me."

"Oh?"

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Young Master Wang shook his head helplessly:

"Brother Zhou, you've seen me managing some chambers of commerce along the way, and your insights into business are quite unique. Would you consider coming to help me?"

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, about to reply, when he heard Young Master Wang continue:

"I can tell that Brother Zhou's family must have some influence, but I don't care."

Having said that,

Young Master Wang gently placed a jade pendant engraved with the character "three" on the table beside him.

Everything's sorted out. Regular updates will resume tomorrow.