Qin Ren looked at the boy, whose pathetic appearance was enough to make one's teeth itch. His temper flared, and he was just about to stride over and slap him twice to teach him a lesson—when suddenly, the boy let out a miserable scream, fell to the ground, twitched twice, and went still.
Qin Ren walked over and found that the boy's face had been smashed into pulp by a spiked meteor hammer the size of a fist. Brain matter oozed out everywhere. Whoever did it was clearly vicious and precise.
He glanced around. The pedestrians moved along as if nothing had happened, their faces indifferent. Qin Ren sighed and muttered to the corpse, "The jianghu is a dangerous place. Just because you carry a sword doesn't mean you won't die... damn it." With that, he stepped onto the main street and turned into a narrow alley lined with signs like "Fragrant Courtyard," "Jade Pavilion," and "Spring Blossom House."
From his past life watching films, Qin Ren instantly recognized this for what it was: the legendary red-light district. Tonight, the Third Young Master decided—he would finally taste something he'd been denied for thirty-eight years across two lifetimes: a woman.
As he walked deeper in, each brothel had alluring women standing outside, boldly soliciting customers. Well-dressed men were pulled in with laughter and flirtation.
Of course, they tried pulling Qin Ren too. Seeing his face, the painted women would giggle, swaying their bodies as they cooed:"Oh my, handsome brother! How can you be this good-looking? You're going to drive every other man to jump off a building! Looking for a girl? Look at this chest, this face, this tiny waist… guaranteed satisfaction! Hey, hey, why are you leaving? You lookin' down on me? Screw you! May Heaven curse you with impotence, shrinkage, and exhaustion, damn it!"
Qin Ren pinched his nose and quickened his pace. As the Third Young Master of the Qin family, when had he ever smelled such... street-level funk? The mixture of body odor and cheap perfume was enough to knock out an ox. Some of them, when they smiled, their makeup fell off in flakes, revealing leathery, sun-cracked faces like dried mud. His appetite was thoroughly destroyed.
While deftly dodging more garish attempts at flirtation, he suddenly noticed something at the end of the alley. His eyes lit up.
A massive sign glowed under red lantern light. Upon it were two powerful characters: "Pleasure Hall." The calligraphy was bold and sweeping, clearly penned by a master. Compared to the vulgar names of the other establishments, this sign was refined and direct—it said all that needed to be said.
Flanking the sign was a matching couplet:
Left: "Drunk in the Pleasure Hall, a young man chases fleeting joys."Right: "Lying on the Fragrant Bed, a maiden offers her charm freely."Banner: "Seek Pleasure, Embrace Joy."
Qin Ren burst into hearty laughter and pointed at the couplet. "Interesting! Very interesting! Just for that couplet alone, this young master has to go in and have a good time!"
He marched straight toward the entrance. This place had class. No vulgar courtesans at the gate—just four elegant girls standing in a neat line. As Qin Ren approached, they bowed in unison and greeted sweetly, "Good evening, young master."
One of the girls stepped forward with a delicate smile and asked, "May I ask your name, sir? Will you be staying the night or just having flower wine?"
In the lingo of the Great Qin Empire's brothels, "staying the night" meant booking a girl until morning; "flower wine" meant a meal, a quick tumble, and then leaving.
Qin Ren grinned shamelessly and stroked the girl's smooth cheek. "Name's Qin. Of course I'm staying the night. Just a quick roll in the hay and leaving? That's not my style. Say, why don't the four of you keep me company tonight?"
The girl giggled. "Young master is naughty. We're just greeters—we don't serve guests. And even if we did, how could someone like me be worthy of sharing a night with a man like you? But tonight, you're in luck. Our top courtesan, Lady Xiangyue, is making her debut. Are you interested in placing a bid?"
Qin Ren blinked. "Debut? Isn't that for getting married?"
The girl winked and laughed sweetly. "You're such a tease, sir. Girls like us don't get married. If a rich man takes us in as a concubine or maid, that's already a blessing. In our world, a debut means the girl is still a virgin and will serve her first client tonight. The man who wins the bid becomes her 'first husband.' It's a rare opportunity—Lady Xiangyue is a stunning beauty. Not only does she master the four arts, but her singing voice is said to be divine. To be her first… is a chance few will ever get."
Qin Ren's eyes lit up, his head nodding furiously. "I'm in! Of course I'm in! Lead the way—hell, I've got money to burn! If anyone's gonna be her first husband, it's gonna be me!"
The Third Young Master's inner wolf had awakened. He thought, I've been a virgin for two lifetimes. My first woman must be a virgin too. Otherwise, it'd be a damn shame. As far as he was concerned, tonight's prize was already his.
The girl led him inside. After passing a carved screen, the main hall of the Pleasure Hall opened up before them.
The place was already packed. Every guest wore fine robes, adorned in gold and jade—wealthy to the core. Many carried weapons, suggesting they were rich martial artists.
The floor was covered in red carpet, tables made of rosewood, with snacks and fruits laid out. The air was thick with fine wine. At the south end stood a large stage, ten meters long and five wide, raised three feet above the ground. A red silk curtain still concealed what lay behind.
The girl asked gently, "Would Master Qin like to wait here in the hall or head up to a private box?"
The Third Young Master, naturally, would not sit with the rabble. He nodded and handed her a silver note worth a hundred taels. "Get me the best view in the house."
Her eyes sparkled with delight. She led Qin Ren to the second floor, where a private booth offered a perfect view of the stage.
"Bring me the finest food and wine," Qin Ren said as he pinched her delicate hand and gave her firm bottom a playful squeeze. He wasn't hungry, but with so much cash, not spending it felt like a burden.
The girl rolled her eyes and giggled as she left. Qin Ren reclined in his chair, staring at the veiled stage beyond the window, wondering when this woman-auction-for-virgins would finally begin.