Li Chen nodded and watched Old Hou leave.
Xiao Ying was getting tired too. Yawning, she said to Li Chen, "Big brother, my sister and I are leaving now."
Li Chen said, "Wait a little longer. Oh, your madam is here."
As they spoke, the madam hurried over after a servant told her Li Chen wanted to see her. In this line of work, whoever had money was king, and she naturally had to come whenever called.
"Young sir, how was everything? It's already late. Are you planning to turn in? I'll have someone prepare a fine room for you and cook a few dishes..." the madam greeted him warmly.
"No need for food or wine. What I wanted was..." At this point, he glanced at the sisters, Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, beside him.
The madam's smile gradually faded. "Young sir, you're not getting ideas about Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, are you?"
Li Chen said, "Of course not. I'm absolutely not that sort of man."
The madam curled her lip. "I don't know what sort of man you are. All I know is, if men could be trusted, sows would climb trees! Let me lay down the unpleasant facts first: these two daughters of mine are very expensive."
Hearing this, Xiao Die and Xiao Ying covered their mouths and giggled at the side.
The madam's face darkened as she scolded them. "You two little hussies are going to be the death of me! Don't tell me you've been deliberately seducing this young sir."
She really was a little angry. She treated these two lovely sisters as money trees and had no intention of selling them cheaply, but she could not afford to offend a customer either. Wasn't deliberately tempting him, then refusing to let him have a taste, just asking for trouble?
Li Chen said, "Come here and lend me your ear."
Curious, the madam did as he asked. But as Li Chen whispered a few words into her ear, her expression shifted repeatedly, growing increasingly strange.
"You can do that?"
Without batting an eyelid, Li Chen said, "That's right. Have you made up your mind? Only a fool turns down money. No outsider will know anyway, and it won't stop your money trees from earning money later. If you're really worried, just stay beside us and watch."
Hearing this, the madam immediately gave Li Chen a look that said, I never imagined you were that sort of man.
Only after a long while did she say sheepishly, "You're right. Only a fool turns down money. But you proposed all this yourself. Don't turn around afterward and accuse the Hundred Flowers House of swindling you, and don't go spreading stories that sully my daughters' innocence!"
She beckoned Xiao Die and Xiao Ying over and gave them a few quiet instructions.
The lovely sisters had been standing to one side, looking perfectly innocent. But after hearing the madam's words, their faces flushed like rosy clouds, and they shyly lowered their heads.
The next day, You An did not emerge from the rear courtyard until the sun was already high, stretching his limbs with a smug look on his face.
Just then, the madam passed through the corridor ahead. You An hurriedly called her over. "Hey, madam! I was just looking for you."
The madam seemed to be muttering something. Turning to look, she immediately put on her customary false smile. "Oh, you're awake, honored guest. What, are you heading back now? Do come by whenever you have time."
You An laughed and cursed. "Every trip here means I've got to kill another Demon Beast to earn the money back. That's work I risk my life doing! Come by whenever I have time? Are you trying to get me killed?"
The madam gave a dry laugh and hastily said, "You must be joking, honored guest."
You An said, "Enough nonsense. Settle the bill."
But the madam said, "Honored guest, I was just looking for you. The two men who came with you have already paid your bill. Oh, and they asked me to tell you to find them at the inn once you got up."
"They already paid?" You An scratched his head, feeling rather embarrassed now. "What's going on? I told them it was my treat."
The madam could not care less and turned to leave. Suddenly, something else occurred to her, and she looked back to ask, "Say, honored guest, don't blame me for being nosy, but does that young sir who came with you have some... private difficulty?"
You An was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"
The madam immediately realized she had said something she should not have and hastily changed tack. "Nothing. Sorry for the trouble, but could you pass a message along to him for me too? Tell the young sir to come by whenever he has time."
At this point, she actually began to look rather hopeful. "If... if he wants to see me, that's fine too..."
Without waiting for You An to agree, she walked away, swaying her hips.
You An was truly baffled. "What the hell was all that? Am I still half asleep?"
"Bah, that old woman sticks her nose into everything. Now she's got me all confused. I couldn't understand a damn word!"
Scratching his head, You An left, grumbling and swearing.
As soon as he returned to the inn, he saw Old Hou talking with Li Chen in the main hall. He hurried over and urgently asked, "Little brother, what's going on with you?"
Old Hou said, "You An, what are you going on about out of nowhere?"
You An glanced at him and hesitated briefly, but still asked tentatively, "Say, little brother, the madam at the Hundred Flowers House asked me to tell you to visit her often. Just what did you do? Why does she act like you're one of her patrons?"
"Ahem... cough, cough..." Hearing this, Old Hou could not hold back a choking laugh.
Li Chen waved a hand, utterly unconcerned. "More money than sense. How could she not want me to come back? But let me make this clear now: I'm not going there again. Next time you're unbearably thirsty for women, go by yourself. Don't bring me along."
He had accompanied You An earlier for the sake of their friendship and to give him some face. But now that they were in private, he could lay things out beforehand and make his position clear.
Although You An was sometimes muddleheaded, he was not truly an unreasonable fool. He hastily promised, "All right, all right. Go if you want, don't if you don't. It's up to you. But you still haven't told me what actually happened."
Li Chen glanced at him and briefly explained what had happened the previous night.
After hearing him out, You An's eyes widened. Then, with a startled exclamation, he sprang excitedly to his feet.
"What? You measured those two pretty sisters from head to toe? Little brother, I don't mean to criticize, but you were far too generous! You didn't actually do anything. Wasn't that the same as giving the madam money for nothing?"
Li Chen said, "That's the Body Deconstruction Great Art!" Measuring the structural details of the human body was precisely Body Deconstruction in the Puppet Dao. There was nothing wrong with that. Its significance was no less than building strength and developing one's physique in the martial Dao.
You An said, "You really got the short end of the stick. That old woman actually dared charge you a thousand Talisman Coins? Does she really think we're easy to bully just because we're from out of town?"
Old Hou said, "Enough, You An. Sit down first and let Brother Li explain. It's not as if you haven't learned what sort of person he is these past few days. He's already a Craftsman at such a young age. How could he be a muddlehead like you?"
Old Hou was defending Li Chen. Among their group, Li Chen occupied a very special position: he was young, yet held the title of Craftsman conferred by the Creation Sect.
Often, even Old Hou, their acknowledged leader, regarded him as their hope for the future.
Li Chen, however, was entirely unconcerned. With one calm remark, he made his reason for doing it clear.
"I did it to practice the Skin-Painting Art!"