Chapter Sixteen: Mistakenly Entering a Brothel

The moonlight was hazy, like a soft white veil dispelling every shadow. As I walked with my head down in the narrow alley, I suddenly smelled a strong yet strangely pleasant fragrance.

Following the scent to the end of the alley, I saw a large red wooden sign carved with the words "Qingfeng Zui" in vigorous calligraphy. The name exuded a certain elegance, piquing my curiosity, and I walked in to see what it was all about.

I found a place to sit and casually called over a waiter, ordering a few bottles with elegant names like Bamboo Leaf Green, Lotus Flower Bud, and Pearl Spring. For some reason, as soon as the wine arrived, everyone around me started looking in my direction. Ignoring them, I poured myself a cup and took a sip.

The taste was sharp—no, more like piercing. It felt as if a fire, frozen by the cold, was suddenly released by the warmth of my lips, burning fiercely in my mouth. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, struggling to swallow.

Why was this wine so awful? A single sip felt like it was taking half my life. Frustrated, I grabbed the nearby tea and drank a few cups, staring at the bottles of wine in distress.

The waiter seemed to notice my discomfort and politely asked if I wanted him to take the bottles away.

"No, I'm not done drinking," I immediately refused, stubbornly pouring another cup and drinking it.

The sharp, stimulating taste almost made me cough the wine back up. However, this time I detected a faint sweetness and fragrance after swallowing, making it somewhat less intolerable.

So, I mustered my courage and poured a third cup, then a fourth. Eventually, I felt dizzy, as if lying on fluffy clouds, losing count of how many cups I'd had.

It was like falling into a warm embrace. My face felt hot, and everything around me seemed shrouded in mist, like being in a fairyland.

In this hazy dreamscape, many truths suddenly became clear to me.

So, this was "wine," the supposed remedy for all worries and sorrows mentioned in books. It turned out it was never a bitter medicine—it just became something you grew accustomed to, no longer discerning the five flavors.

Books contained both truths and falsehoods. Talented men and beautiful women were indeed a good match. Love growing over time was true. But the idea that unrequited love always goes unnoticed was false. If only one person is pining, how can it be considered unfeeling? How can it be called love?

In my drunken stupor, I pondered all these sorrows and, embracing the tranquil darkness, closed my eyes with a clear conscience.

I don't know how long I stayed in that peaceful darkness when a blinding light suddenly pierced through. I felt like an infant being forcibly torn from a warm swaddle.

"Ugh… who is it?" I couldn't even open my eyes. Just as I managed to sit up, a heavy, dizzying pain hit my head.

Looking down, I found that my originally male attire had been replaced with a bright embroidered dress. I hurriedly reached out to steady myself on the bed. The bedding was soft and smooth, unlike ordinary household fabrics.

"Who, who, who are you? Do you even know who you are?" a sharp voice echoed before the person appeared.

With a shrill sound, a heavily made-up woman briskly walked in, handing me a cup of tea. "Little girl, drink this tea to sober up."

I looked at her, took the tea, and sipped it. "Pfft," I spat it out on her. "It's hot!" I exclaimed, opening my mouth and waving my hand to fan away the heat.

"Sorry, madam, I didn't mean to," I muttered through my open mouth, barely able to form coherent words.

"It's okay, it's okay! I'll set it aside to cool before you drink it," she said, wiping the tea from her clothes with a handkerchief. She sat beside me and began lecturing earnestly, "I've seen many young girls like you, heartbroken and trying to drink like a rough man. Fortunately, I found you last night and brought you back. Otherwise, if some ill-intentioned person had seen you, it wouldn't have ended well."

I smiled awkwardly at her, "Oh, really? Thank you for saving me. I have things to do, so I'll be going now." With that, I ignored my dizziness and jumped out of bed, trying to run out.

Before I could reach the door, the woman swiftly grabbed my arm, twisted it, and pinned me down. I was too dizzy to resist.

She looked at me with a sinister smile, her wrinkles and exaggerated makeup making her look even more menacing.

"Oh, little girl, you're still drunk. You're not sober enough to leave yet. But your strong and healthy aunty here can handle a little girl like you." She proudly raised her head, revealing a vivid flame tattoo on her neck.

The pattern was all too familiar to me—I had encountered it three years ago. It was the mark of the Xinghuo Sect.

"What do you intend to do?" I quietly channeled my spiritual energy to flush out the remaining intoxication, preparing to subdue her in one swift move.

She twisted my arm behind my back and pulled out a rope, binding my hands tightly. "Little girl, haven't you heard of repaying kindness? I don't want to hurt you. Obey me, and you'll live a life of luxury."

Why were members of the Xinghuo Sect disguising themselves as brothel madams? It couldn't be as simple as extorting money. I quickly realized and confronted her, "Are you trying to force me into prostitution in broad daylight?"

"I'm not forcing you; I'm convincing you to willingly help me attract customers. I can tell you've been hurt by a man. But think about it—if you help me with my business, you'll have any man you want. With your pretty face, the wealthy and powerful will throw plenty of silver at us. Why suffer over one tree when you can have a whole forest?" She reached out with her greasy hand to pat my face, the pungent scent of her powder making me turn away in disgust.

"I have money! I'll give you money. Let me go, and we both benefit." I quickly came up with a plan, trying to negotiate.

She laughed disdainfully and said, "Your little bit of money isn't enough to buy my tea. Besides, even if you had more money, it's only temporary. Gold and silver come from a money tree, and if I plant you right, I'll have everything I need."

This brothel madam had quite the business mind.

Frustrated, I silently cursed. Still affected by the alcohol, I couldn't muster my spiritual power. If I fought her now, I wouldn't even be able to protect myself. It would be better to pretend to comply and investigate further.

With this thought, I squeezed out a few tears and began to cry sorrowfully, "You're right, madam! That heartless man isn't worth my tears. I want to wipe my eyes, enjoy life, and make those men worship me."

After saying these shameful words, I lifted my head proudly, staring straight ahead.

"That's the spirit!" She immediately untied the ropes around me and patted my shoulder reassuringly. "There are many sisters downstairs learning how to capture a man's heart. Stop crying, and I'll take you down to get dressed up. Tonight, you'll share a room with Xin'er, and she'll teach you well."

I nodded, wiping away my tears with my sleeve, and followed her downstairs.

In the hall, after Madam Sun gave a few instructions, I followed a girl named Xin'er inside.

The women here were all beautiful, some playing the zither, some reading, others dancing. But they all had the same lifeless expression, like puppets mindlessly repeating their actions.

Xin'er pulled me aside, and we sat facing each other. She placed two books on needlework in front of me.

Were they really going to make me learn needlework again? During my three years at Qiong Yun, I dreaded these kinds of books, preferring swordplay. Needlework and practicing swordsmanship were equally detestable, but magical arts were practical and convenient, though Qiong Yun emphasized both sword and spell training.

While lost in thought, a sharp pain hit my head. I looked up to see Xin'er glaring at me, her cheeks puffed with anger. She pointed at the books again.

"Alright, alright, I'll study," I said reluctantly. Just then, a woman in a flaming red dress approached. She lifted her sword and struck my shoulder with the hilt.

"What are you doing!" I barely finished speaking before she struck me again. Furious, I grabbed the sword to throw it away.

Xin'er quickly stepped in front of me, pulling a silver ingot from her bosom and handing it to the woman in red. She bowed slightly. The woman nodded, pulled back her sword, and left.

Xin'er looked at me, shaking her head vigorously, then put her finger to her lips to signal silence. She pointed at the needlework books.

Was this how they controlled and manipulated the captured women?

It was inhumane, but to investigate further, I had to endure it. Grateful, I gave Xin'er a look and pretended to study the books.

As I flipped through the embroidery patterns, I noticed a line of small characters appearing in the blank space at the top: "Qingyue, what are you doing here?"

Wasn't this the little cheating spell I learned at Qiong Yun for written tests? Only I, Luo Yi'er, and Senior Brother Luo Xi knew it. Could Xin'er be Yi'er? I wondered and used the spell to ask quietly, "Are you Yi'er?"

Xin'er nodded slightly and wrote a few words in the book: "There are monitors. We'll talk when we return to our room tonight." I replied with an "Alright" and quickly erased the words with a spell.