Chapter 122: I’ll Drain My Glass First, Out of Respect!

Seeing this, Xiuhua rested her delicate hand on Baili Mo’s chest and whispered something in his ear. In an instant, the tips of Baili Mo’s ears turned beet red, which made Biyue and Xiuhua giggle, adding a touch of suggestive intimacy to the air.

Just as Baili Mo was lost in his own thoughts—or perhaps waiting for something—a scream echoed from the adjacent room. With the heightened hearing of a cultivator, he immediately recognized it as Lotus’s voice.

It was, after all, a reputable brothel, so the soundproofing was quite effective; aside from that single cry, no other sound followed.

However, hearing that scream, Baili Mo abruptly sat up, much to the annoyance of Biyue and Xiuhua, who began to pout and act coy.

"Young Master, what is the matter? Have we two sisters failed to please you?" Biyue asked, pouting coquettishly.

"Is that the room where Miss Lotus is staying?" Baili Mo asked the two young women.

If Yu Daoyi were here, he would have already pounced on these two well-endowed women, never minding such trifles. For those endowed with such assets, as the saying goes, one should not neglect the smallest of opportunities; one must use every inch of length, attacking from left and right, meeting from front and back, until, eventually, one drives straight in and makes a name for oneself—or, well, in this case, a brothel, so perhaps no name to be made, which was a pity. Only after a long, rhythmic, and exhaustive labor, culminating in a torrent, could one truly "preach the way and bestow the essence." For a self-proclaimed veteran like Yu Daoyi, this was mere routine.

Yet, mentioning another woman in front of one was a grave taboo. Yu Daoyi had learned this lesson long ago—well, twenty years ago, to be precise. Had his previous life not ended so soon, he might have boasted that he had known it for a lifetime. It was simply a pity that Baili Mo was nothing but a naive youth devoted to ascetic cultivation, lacking that spark of worldly wisdom.

"It is, but what is so strange about that?" Xiuhua replied with some dissatisfaction, clearly annoyed that this greenhorn did not know how to cherish having two such beautiful women at his side.

"I... I heard a scream," Baili Mo said foolishly, earning him a round of muffled laughter from the two women.

"What is so strange about that? This is a brothel. No matter how much screaming goes on between a man and a woman in a room, it is nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps, Young Master, you will hear us two sisters screaming soon enough," Biyue said, covering her mouth with one hand while her other extended a slender, jade-like finger to tap lightly against Baili Mo’s chest, her movements heavy with suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Baili Mo blushed again, completely at a loss for words. Back on the mountain, his junior sister would never have uttered such bold remarks; she would have been more likely to pummel him with her fists.

"Come now, we sisters haven't properly served you yet. Soon, Young Master, you’ll be far too comfortable to care about such trivial matters." Biyue and Xiuhua each took one of Baili Mo’s hands. The cool, soft, and tender sensation was all he could focus on.

Though they spoke thus, Baili Mo still felt uneasy. With his cultivator’s spiritual sense, everything happening next door could not escape his perception. However, his master had warned him that prying into the affairs of others was the act of a petty person, not one who followed the path of cultivation, so he forced himself to hold back.

Led to the side of the bed by Biyue and Xiuhua with slow, gentle movements, Baili Mo remained dazed as the two women shed their outer garments. Their shoulders were half-bare, their dark hair cascaded like waterfalls, and they wore only undergarments that barely contained their figures. Their long, fair legs appeared before him. Both wore shy expressions, biting their lips and looking down, posing in a way that invited him to pamper them at will.

A nameless, wild fire surged in Baili Mo’s heart. His lower self began to stir, ready for action. Biyue and Xiuhua tugged gently on his hands, swaying slightly, waiting for his embrace.

Never having seen such a tempestuous display, Baili Mo’s mind went blank. His body took control of his reason, and a trickle of saliva escaped his handsome, upright face. His dazed expression made the two women giggle as they leaned against his rigid frame.

With their fragrant scent filling his senses, Baili Mo’s breathing grew heavy. Relying on his cultivator’s constitution, he pulled them both onto the bed, eliciting two soft cries of surprise.

Yet, just as he was about to proceed, another scream from Lotus pierced through the wall, instantly sobering him. Looking at the two beautiful flowers beneath him, ready to be plucked, Baili Mo bit his tongue and retreated, causing Biyue and Xiuhua to look at him with grievance, even suspecting that this man, who looked like a celestial being, might have some sort of deficiency.

Baili Mo finally remembered that he was a man of the Dao. If his master were to find out about such daylight debauchery, he would surely be beaten to death. No, this would not do.

*Daytime is too crowded. I should come back at night instead...*

Unable to let go of his concern for the woman who had captured his interest at first sight, Baili Mo shook his head and turned away from the alluring sisters on the bed. Instead, he released his spiritual sense to look into the next room, worried for the woman as elegant as a lotus.

*Besides,* he reasoned with himself, *if I don’t say anything and you don’t say anything, who would know? I am doing this for justice!*

In the next room, the layout was identical. A man with a pale complexion, clearly exhausted from overindulgence, wore a lewd grin as he slapped Lotus to the ground, causing her pipa to crash to the floor.

"Lotus, tell me, why won't you just submit to me? This is a brothel! There is no room here for someone like you who only sells their art and not their body! Don't act so high and mighty," the man said, patting Lotus’s face with a grin.

"Master Zhao, the Madam promised me. I am only here to do odd jobs; I am not truly a part of this brothel," Lotus said, forcing a smile.

"What a joke! A farce! Working in a brothel and claiming you aren't a part of it? 'Selling art but not the body'?" Master Zhao mocked.

"Master Zhao, please, have some self-respect. I am only here to play the pipa to make a living; I am truly not that kind of woman." Seeing this, Lotus could only hold her ground.

"At the end of the day, isn't it all for money? Come with me, and you'll have all the money you could ever want. I am Zhao Wenshang, son of the great General Zhao Yuan, the commander of Chang'an! I have both power and influence!" Zhao Wenshang boasted triumphantly.

"I may need money, but I will not debase myself! Master Zhao, I am leaving." Lotus struggled to her feet, picked up her pipa, and turned to go.

"And what if I don't let you leave?" Zhao Wenshang chuckled obscenely and clapped his hands. Two men dressed in black emerged from the shadows of the room and blocked the door.

"I was born into a prestigious family. My father and mother have always granted me my every wish; I have never lacked for anything. Even when I have done wrong, no one has ever been blind enough to cause trouble at the Zhao estate."

"And I have never felt that anything was wrong with that. Since I was born into such a position, if others are useless, that is their own fault. We were born with different starting points."

"Lotus, do you believe me? No matter what I do to you, nothing will happen to me, because I am the son of Zhao Yuan. So, be sensible and cooperate with me; perhaps I might even reward you with a few coins. Otherwise, you could die here, and no one would say a word."

"As for that so-called Madam of yours, that old procuress is only interested in money. She wouldn't dare interfere with my affairs; she is too busy trying to please me. Lotus, since you came here, you should have been prepared for this, shouldn't you?"

Zhao Wenshang walked up to the silent Lotus, patted her face in mockery, and reached out to tear the veil from her face.