Chapter 839: The Courtesans and their Clients
Chapter 839: The Courtesans and their Clients
A thick fog, permeated by the aura of an evil god, enveloped the area. It reminded Mo Hua of the sinister mist that had once shrouded the small fishing village.
Mo Hua had a hunch that he was getting closer to what he sought.
Hidden within the mist that blanketed the Yan Shui River, there might very well be an altar.
Moreover, the aura here was much stronger than what he had encountered at the Demon Cave in Bi Shan or the river god temple in the fishing village.
This altar was definitely out of the ordinary! Mo Hua's eyes gleamed with anticipation, but at the same time, a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. It was as if something "terrifying" lurked within the depths of this mist, harboring an unknown danger.
"What could it be...?" Mo Hua frowned slightly.
The spirit boat continued to navigate through the thick fog, surrounded by the oppressive darkness of the night that seemed to seep through everything.
After a while, the boat came to a halt.
The fog seemed to have thinned slightly.
However, Mo Hua's soul stirred, as if something was constantly tantalizing his inner desires.
This temptation was subtle, and if not for Mo Hua's cultivation of the Startling God Sword and Blood Prison Eye Technique, sensing the seven souls of his vital soul, he might not have noticed this subtle change at the soul level.
"The mist has thinned, but the desires have intensified."
"The dense fog on the outskirts was meant to prevent prying eyes..."
"...while this inner mist, though seemingly thinner, subtly entices one's 'desires,' stimulating excitement..."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.
After the boat stopped, everything outside fell silent. Moments later, there was a soft knock on the door, and a voice whispered, "Honored guests, please keep the door closed and do not venture outside."
Mo Hua glanced at Ye Hong, who furrowed his brows in confusion, equally perplexed by the situation.
This was Ye Hong's first time here as well, and he had no idea what rules or secrets were hidden within the Yan Zhi Zhou.
"Let's stay inside for now and observe quietly," Mo Hua suggested.
"Mmhmm," Ye Hong nodded in agreement.
After a moment, the sound of water could be heard from outside again, sparse at first but gradually drawing closer.
It seemed like other boats were approaching, and soon after, light and graceful footsteps could be heard, indicating that someone had boarded the ship.
Mo Hua could faintly sense a cloying fragrance, indicating that the newcomers were likely a group of women.
At the same time, soft and alluring voices floated through the air, captivating and enchanting.
Mo Hua frowned, realizing that the "business" of the Yan Zhi Zhou was probably about to commence.
After the incense stick burned out, the commotion outside ceased.
Then, there was another knock on the door. "We apologize for the wait, honored guests. You may proceed to your seats now."
The person outside spoke briefly before leaving, and then proceeded to knock on the next door, repeating the same message.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor as everyone exited their rooms and made their way to the main hall.
Mo Hua thought for a moment before turning to Ye Hong and saying, "I'll go take a look. You...stay here for now and don't go out."
Although Ye Hong had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, his cultivation level meant very little on the Yan Zhi Zhou.
Moreover, his appearance clearly showed that he had spent most of his time managing family affairs rather than engaging in combat. His experience and skills in dealing with dangerous situations were limited.
Not to mention, with the vengeance for his children weighing on his heart, his emotions were turbulent. If they encountered any trouble, he might not be able to control his feelings and act rationally.
Therefore, it was better for him to remain in the cabin.
Ye Hong hesitated, torn between his desire for revenge and his rational mind. Finally, he gritted his teeth and bowed deeply to Mo Hua, "Then...I entrust this matter to you, Young Master."
Mo Hua nodded in response, and then he carefully opened the door, concealing his aura.
As soon as he opened the door, a cloying fragrance assaulted his senses, mixing with the fog and the underlying desires, making his heart itch with anticipation.
Mo Hua focused his spiritual sense inward, calming his breath and guarding his mind, dispelling stray thoughts and suppressing his worldly desires.
There were already quite a few people outside, gathered in small groups, making their way towards the main hall.
Mo Hua, disguised as a servant, quietly followed along.
The cultivators around him, stirred by their desires, were too excited to pay any attention to Mo Hua.
Even before they reached the main hall, the faint sounds of music and dance could be heard. As they entered the hall, Mo Hua looked up and saw that the stage that had hosted the daytime performance was now presenting a different program.
A group of vivacious women, their faces obscured by translucent veils, danced gracefully to the melody of the strings. Their clothing was sheer and revealing, showcasing their snow-white bodies.
The men in the hall gazed at them with lustful eyes, completely entranced.
Mo Hua stared at the performance for a while, but soon lost interest.
Is that it?
What's so captivating about scantily-clad women prancing around?
Mo Hua shook his head in mild disdain.
However, now that he was in the main hall, he decided to use this opportunity to gather some information.
So, he continued his charade as a servant, concealing his aura and standing in the corner. Occasionally, he would pour tea or serve wine to the guests, blending in seamlessly.
With the hall already noisy and crowded, no one gave him a second glance.
Mo Hua quietly observed his surroundings.
After a while, he began to piece together what was happening.
This was a "transaction," and the women on stage were the "commodities." The so-called song and dance were merely a means for the "commodities" to showcase themselves.
As commodities, they were naturally graded in quality.
The women on stage were also divided into different tiers, with varying "values" and catering to different cultivators.
Mo Hua couldn't be certain if they were truly forced into this situation.
With just a few glances, Mo Hua could only guess that some of the women were indeed there against their will.
Though their faces were veiled, a layer of sorrow and reluctance lingered in their eyes.
However, others were different.
Some wore expressions of cold detachment or nonchalance, while others seemed accustomed to this environment, and a few even exuded cunning, their eyes filled with allure as they flirted and fawned over the men.
There were even some women who appeared cheerful and delighted.
Their joy seemed to stem from the satisfaction of having their beauty admired and pursued by so many men, fueling their vanity and self-absorption.
"The human heart is indeed complex..." Mo Hua sighed softly.
Aside from the women, the men in the room also varied.
Some were indeed here for the indulgent pleasures of wine and women.
They savored the delicious food, drank fine wine, and watched the dancing women on stage with entranced, lustful eyes.
Some men stared with drooling desire, beckoned for an attendant, and pointed at the dancing women, after which the attendant nodded and left to make arrangements.
Soon after, the man would get up and return to his room, and the dancing woman on stage would be replaced by another.
Though Mo Hua didn't fully understand what transpired behind closed doors, he could guess what was happening.
This was one type of man.
But there were also others who were completely different.
Their interest didn't seem to lie with the women at all. Instead, they held their wine cups and went around socializing, flattering and ingratiating themselves with others, forming connections.
They formed cliques and factions.
Within the Qian Xuezhou realm, there were circles within the circles of the various sects.
The private interactions and friendships formed between disciples of different sects and noble families created another layer of connections.
Outside, socializing and making acquaintances might be considered ordinary.
But here, drinking and engaging in carnal pleasures together forged extraordinary bonds and relationships.
These men were all scions of noble families and exceptional talents of their sects, endowed with extraordinary potential and a bright future ahead of them. Many would likely assume important positions within their families, sects, and even the Dao Court and Central Dao Court.
By indulging in carnal pleasures together, they formed alliances that would benefit them in the future, allowing them to help each other and pursue their personal interests.
Those from prestigious backgrounds could further enhance their status by forming connections.
Those from less prominent families had even more incentive to actively seek out and cultivate these relationships to expand their network.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
No wonder the ticket price was so high, a whopping 100,000 spirit stones.
This ticket wasn't just for "entertainment."
In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, this ticket to the Yan Zhi Zhou was equivalent to an "entry pass" to the upper echelons of society.
Mo Hua scanned the room once more.
He didn't recognize most of the cultivators present, but their youthful appearances and arrogant demeanors immediately marked them as disciples of noble families and sects.
They likely hailed from the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Flows, and possibly even some of the Hundred Gates and their subordinate families.
Mo Hua's heart sank as he realized the situation might be even more serious than he had anticipated...
Aside from these individuals, there were also some disciples who stood out as unique.
They possessed profound cultivation and extraordinary auras. Instead of paying attention to the women on stage, they focused on drinking by themselves, seemingly indifferent to the "common" women performing.
As Mo Hua served tea and water, he secretly observed this group.
When the wine had flowed for a while, some attendants approached and respectfully spoke to these disciples of evidently higher status.
The room was noisy, and Mo Hua was at a distance, so he could only vaguely make out phrases like "it's ready" and "please come this way."
These individuals seemed to understand, and they quietly got up and left the banquet hall, heading toward the exit.
Some of the servants followed them.
Mo Hua's heart stirred.
"Something's going on!"
He thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing in contemplation, before he quietly shifted his position and seamlessly blended into the group that was leaving.
There were quite a few servants in the group, so one more or less wouldn't attract attention.
Moreover, his actions were natural and confident, and since he had been serving in the hall for some time, no one suspected him.
The screening process for the Yan Zhi Zhou was extremely strict when boarding the ship.
However, once onboard, the rules seemed to relax significantly.
Perhaps it was because the passengers were all considered "honored guests," and strict enforcement might offend them.
The group quietly left the hall, moving through the corridors and onto the deck, where the night fog hung thickly, obscuring the river and the surrounding scenery.
The bright lights of the spirit boats sailing on the misty river took on an eerie quality in the night.
The boats were connected by iron chains, upon which narrow bridges allowed cultivators to move between the vessels.
At that moment, not only Mo Hua's boat but all the spirit boats had their "special guests" gather on the decks, making their way toward the center of the connected boats.
Mo Hua bowed his head and followed quietly, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at the center of the fleet, where a larger, more lavishly decorated, and extravagant ship awaited.
Everyone boarded the grand vessel.
Among them, many had donned masks at some point, concealing their faces as if they didn't want to reveal their true identities.
Of course, there were also those who remained unabashedly unmasked.
Upon boarding the grand ship, Mo Hua's anticipated "grand spectacle" failed to materialize.
Instead of an extravagant hall, the interior of the ship was surprisingly understated, featuring numerous secluded chambers.
From the outside, all the chambers appeared similar.
The special "guests," each holding a token, proceeded to their respective chambers and entered, only to remain secluded within.
Mo Hua had no way of knowing what transpired behind those closed doors.
As the group continued forward, the number of people dwindled as more and more guests retreated into their rooms.
Seizing the opportunity as they passed a corner, Mo Hua casually turned and discreetly slipped away, vanishing without a trace.
After his disappearance, Mo Hua found a secluded corner in the ship's cabin and hid, contemplating his next move.
This ship was nothing like what he had expected.
All the secrets were divided and sealed within individual chambers, leaving him unsure of where to begin his investigation.
Even if he wanted to search, he didn't know which room to start with.
If he made a mistake and was discovered, he would be in grave danger, stranded on the Yan Shui River with no escape.
More importantly, how could he possibly break into these chambers?
Mo Hua approached one of the nearby chambers and, with his eyes darting around, used the Heavenly Machine Derivation technique several times, gaining a rough understanding of the situation. He breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Thankfully, it's just a second-grade formation..."
This ship was prepared to accommodate Foundation Establishment cultivators and only operated within the Second-Grade State. Therefore, the second-grade formation was sufficient.
Although it was a second-grade formation, it was comprised solely of high-level second-grade formations, indicating that considerable effort had been put into its creation.
The types of formations were also diverse, including the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, as well as reinforcement, soundproofing, and projection formations. There were even isolation formations to prevent wall-penetration, covering all bases.
Mo Hua had a solid foundation in second-grade formations and a wide range of knowledge. While he could decipher these chamber formations, it would be a time-consuming process.
Moreover, with people constantly walking up and down the corridor, he would undoubtedly be discovered if he attempted to tamper with the formations.
He had no opportunity to work on them undisturbed.
"Is there another way?"
As Mo Hua pondered, he suddenly heard approaching footsteps. Quickly, he gathered his thoughts, held his breath, and hid himself from view.
Although many areas of the grand ship were covered by projection formations, it was impossible to cover every inch.
A master of stealth like Mo Hua, who was also a skilled formation master, could easily identify the locations of the projection formations.
Thus, finding a safe spot to hide without being detected by the projection formations was not a difficult task for him.
Mo Hua remained hidden and silent.
Soon, a figure walked past him.
It was a woman dressed in a pink robe, her figure graceful and exuding a faint floral fragrance.
She didn't notice Mo Hua and continued walking past him.
Mo Hua didn't pay much attention to her at first, but his eyes widened slightly as he caught a glimpse of her face. She seemed vaguely familiar...
Why? Mo Hua was perplexed.
He racked his brains, trying to recall where he had seen her before, and then it hit him.
The Hundred Flowers Valley!
This pink-robed woman was a disciple of the Hundred Flowers Valley.
Previously, through Hao Xuan, he had tried to contact Wang Chen to board the Yan Zhi Zhou via a restaurant in Gui Shui City, but to no avail.
On his way back, he had noticed a horse carriage from the Hundred Flowers Valley leaving the city and decided to follow it, eventually leading him to the valley itself.
Several beautiful female disciples had disembarked from the carriage and entered the valley, one of whom was the pink-robed woman who had just walked past him.
"Hundred Flowers Valley..."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him, and he quietly followed the woman.
With her graceful gait, she navigated the corridors of chambers with familiarity, indicating that she was well-acquainted with the layout of the ship.
After about an incense stick's worth of time, she stopped in front of a chamber and knocked on the door.
After a moment, the door opened, revealing a woman with delicate features, her face heavily made up.
This woman was none other than Hua Ruyu!
Mo Hua was taken aback.
So, she was also on the ship!
Hua Ruyu looked around and, seeing no one else, chided softly, "What took you so long?"
"I..."
Before the pink-robed woman could respond, Hua Ruyu shook her head and said, "Come in and talk."
"Mmhmm."
The pink-robed woman nodded and entered Hua Ruyu's chamber.
Hua Ruyu closed the door behind her.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
"I can't hear anything..."
There was definitely something amiss with Hua Ruyu's presence on the Yan Zhi Zhou, and there was likely a secret between her and this disciple from the Hundred Flowers Valley.
But with the door closed, he couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation...
"I need to find another way..."
The chamber was adjacent to the corridor, and the door was tightly shut. The walls didn't seem like they could be easily breached.
"Let's try from the outside, then?"
Mo Hua recalled that on the waterside of the boat, there should be some open doors and windows.
He nodded, memorizing the location of the secret room before finding his way to the end of the corridor and turning a corner to locate a ventilated window.
Mo Hua climbed out through the window and, hugging the wooden beams of the boat, made his way to the room where Hua Ruyu was staying.
As expected, there was a window overlooking the river outside the room.
However, this window was tightly closed, offering no glimpse of the interior nor any sound from within.
"I need to break the formation on the window."
Usually, the formations outside a spirit boat were more intricate than those inside.
Breaking the formation from the outside was much more challenging than doing so from within.
Mo Hua hesitated, examining the formation on the door and windows, only to be surprised to discover that it was a Divine Mist Formation.
Moreover, beneath the Divine Mist Formation was a Divine Lock Formation, within which lurked a faintly sinister aura, as if some demons were sealed within.
Mo Hua pondered this, his eyes narrowing in realization.
The external defense of the Yan Zhi Zhou must be stronger than the internal defense.
Therefore, someone had set up a dual divine formation outside this large spirit boat, along with sealed demons, to prevent prying eyes.
On the outside of a large spirit boat, even the most complex ordinary formation could be broken by someone.
But divine formations were different; they were almost lost to the annals of history, and hardly anyone could understand them. Adding sealed demons into the mix made it virtually foolproof.
Mo Hua nodded in agreement. "It's indeed a good idea."
He then proceeded to unravel the divine formation, and at the same time, the demonic thoughts sealed within the formation entered his sea of consciousness, only to be swiftly crushed by him.
As for the other formations, he still needed to find a way to deal with them.
But the divine formations were a different story; they were much simpler.
After unraveling the formation, Mo Hua took out a small dagger and carefully dug a small hole in the window, then peered inside.
Now he could see what was happening inside the room.
There was a bed with red satin sheets, a painted phoenix screen, a rouge vanity table by the bed, and exquisite jade ornaments all around—clearly a lady's boudoir.
At that moment, Hua Ruyu and the pink-robed disciple were sitting at a table, their lips moving as they conversed, but Mo Hua couldn't make out what they were saying.
"I can't hear anything?"
Mo Hua frowned.
There seemed to be a soundproofing formation inside the room as well.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took out a silver needle and wrapped it with a piece of wire. He inserted the needle into the gap in the window, right at the crux of the soundproofing formation, and engraved a Hear-Sound Formation on it with micro-carving techniques.
He then coiled the wire around the end of the needle and placed it next to his ear, allowing him to hear what was being said inside the room.
...
"Don't overthink it..."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Our looks and figures are gifts from the heavens to us women, so we should naturally make good use of them..."
"But..."
"There's nothing wrong with that..."
"Think about it, you don't come from a prestigious background. If you were to marry normally, you could only wed an ordinary man. With your looks, how could an ordinary man be worthy of you?"
"The Yan Zhi Zhou is different. The cultivators who come and go are all talented gentlemen from noble families. Even if you can't marry them, having a few nights of intimacy with them won't put you at a disadvantage."
"Seize the opportunity and don't waste your beauty..."
"Let go of those meaningless self-respect and sense of shame, and you'll be able to experience the sweetness of it all..."
"Yes, Teacher..."
"Don't call me 'Teacher' here."
"Yes, Sister."
"Alright, you can go now. Zhao Gongzi is waiting for you."
"Mmhmm."
The pink-robed disciple nodded. Whether she had resigned herself to her fate or had a change of heart, her expression eased up, and she gracefully left the room.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
What a teacher she was, truly skilled at "educating" others.
She had no shame herself, and she was using these excuses to corrupt others.
After the pink-robed disciple left, Hua Ruyu was alone in the room, and she began to undress and prepare for a bath.
Mo Hua didn't find it interesting, so he didn't intend to watch anymore.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Hua Ruyu's expression turned slightly solemn, and she put on a robe before walking to the door and peeking out. Her face lit up with a smile as she welcomed the visitor into the room.
The visitor was a masked man with an empty sleeve, seemingly having lost an arm.
"He's lost an arm..."
Mo Hua's pupils contracted.
He didn't need to think much to recognize the man who entered the room and immediately removed his mask, revealing his handsome but somewhat sinister face.
Hua Ruyu walked up to him, and the two embraced, their eyes filled with deep affection.
"Why did you come so late?"
"Were you missing me...?"
"Yes, I missed you terribly."
"My dear Miao'er..."
Their words were full of longing.
Mo Hua felt his teeth ache from the sweetness, and he even felt a bit nauseous.
A moment later, he drew in a cold breath as he realized the truth.
It really was Water Devil!
And this Water Devil was having an affair with Hua Ruyu! What a despicable pair!
(End of Chapter)
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