161: Bai Jingjing

Lu Chen stood before the magnificent entrance of Yihong Pavilion, his height already an impressive 1.8 meters.

His handsome Face, still with a hint of youthfulness, showed a composed demeanor unsuited to his age.

"This Young Master looks new to us~" The doorman, a pimp, grinned, his Face full of wrinkles, "The girls at our Yihong Pavilion are the best in Feiyun City..."

Lu Chen coughed lightly, the tips of his ears slightly flushed.

Although he had lived two lives, he had never once visited such a place of pleasure.

The moment he stepped over the vermilion-lacquered threshold, a rich scent of cosmetics mixed with alcohol assailed him, and the sight before him made him freeze—completely unlike the frivolous and unrestrained image he had imagined, pearl curtains shimmered between the three circular floors, and dozens of Glass palace lanterns illuminated the hall as if it were daytime.

In the main hall downstairs, a musician in an pale pinkish purple-colored gauze dress was playing 'Spring River Flower Moon Night,' her slender fingers plucking the strings, producing clear, melodious pipa sounds like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

On the second-floor corridor, several dancers with Startled swan buns danced gracefully to the sound of a flute, their water sleeves fluttering, stirring up wafts of fragrance.

There were even some private seats behind carved screens, where scholars and literati could vaguely be seen composing poems with pure courtesans.

"Young Master Wang has awarded Miss Liuying one hundred taels of silver for her performance!" The madam's shrill voice pierced through the music.

A Young Master in brocade robes stood up from a private seat on the west side and casually tossed a silver ingot into the lacquered tray held by a maid.

Laughter erupted from the east.

A tipsy merchant was hugging and kissing a girl in red; the girl wasn't annoyed, instead, she held a grape in her lips and fed it to him.

Seeing this, the pimp leaned into Lu Chen's ear and chuckled, "Young Master, if you prefer elegance, we have pure courtesans skilled in all four arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting; if you desire a more vibrant and lively experience, we also have several red courtesans here, their skills in serving men..."

At Yihong Pavilion, there were both elegant and inelegant options.

Ultimately, whoever offered the most silver in tips would have the woman accompany them into a private room for exclusive performances.

It could be said that emotional value was maximized.

Lu Chen scanned all the women, carefully examining each one's neck, from the green-clad singer playing the zither to the pink-skirted girl leaning against the railing and flirting, but he never saw the rumored white jade Guanyin pendant.

"Please welcome tonight's main attraction, Miss Bai Jingjing!" The madam's voice suddenly rose.

All the guests in the hall immediately fell silent, even the girl who was feeding wine stopped her movements.

The vermilion-lacquered carved door in the center of the third floor slowly opened, and a woman in a moon-colored long dress gracefully stepped out, bathed in the glow of the Glass lamps.

Bai Jingjing? That name is interesting, I'm still Supreme Treasure!!

Bai Jingjing wore a rare flying bun, with golden silk step-shakers dangling over her forehead, making her oval Face appear even more noble and striking.

Most striking was the gilded, silver-inlaid sword hanging at her waist—this was hardly an attire a courtesan should possess?

Lu Chen felt a sense of familiarity, but for a moment, he couldn't recall who she resembled.

The pipa music suddenly surged like clashing weapons and charging horses.

Bai Jingjing drew her sword from its scabbard, and a cold gleam cut a bright path through the warm colors of the hall.

Her dance was completely different from the soft, boneless movements of the previous girls; every leap carried a sound of cutting through the air, and wherever her sword pointed, it was as if a thousand troops and ten thousand horses were surging forward.

Good heavens!

How was this a dance to please men? It was clearly a battlefield martial display, a troop review!

"Good! Heroic and spirited! A true heroine!!" A thunderous cheer suddenly erupted from the second floor.

Lu Chen turned to look and saw a young man, about fifteen or sixteen, standing up and slamming the table, his muscular physique faintly visible beneath his dark-colored tight-fitting clothes.

The young man had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes; a one-inch long scar on his left forehead, far from appearing ferocious, added a touch of wild defiance.

Especially his sharp, domineering gaze; an ordinary person would probably wet their pants just by looking at him.

Lu Chen felt that this young man was extraordinary and distinguished.

He couldn't help but sigh, no wonder some people could tell at a glance that he was the protagonist; this young man practically had the words 'protagonist' written on his forehead.

Every movement was full of charm; Lu Chen even forgot to watch Bai Jingjing's dance, his attention completely focused on the young man.

Bai Jingjing's sword dance concluded with its final move, and the entire hall erupted in cheers.

The madam, swaying her slender waist, walked onto the stage, her Face adorned with a fawning smile, and waved a silk handkerchief: "Esteemed guests, tonight Miss Bai Jingjing will offer her precious first time, to the highest bidder, starting at one hundred taels!"

The entire hall was in an uproar! Excited!!

"One hundred taels!"

"Two hundred taels!"

"Five hundred taels!"

Very intense!!

Just then, the domineering young man stood up: "One thousand taels!! All the money I have combined is one thousand taels, but I'm putting it out there, anyone who dares to bid higher than me, I will make them lose both their money and their life."

After speaking, he stood up, and behind him, a phantom of a white-browed tiger with hanging eyes condensed, its tiger eyes like lightning, its pressure like a mountain.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"Oh my god, what is this."

"Immortal, he is an Immortal!!"

Everyone cowered, not daring to provoke this young man.

Lu Chen, however, directly called out: "1100 taels!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire hall fell silent.

Everyone looked at Lu Chen.

Including the domineering young man.

The young man's angry eyes locked onto Lu Chen: "Brother! Give me some Face, cancel the bid, and consider it a favor that Chu Yu owes you, otherwise, I cannot guarantee what extreme things I might do!!"

A crimson Aura erupted from around Chu Yu, that materialized domineering Aura condensed in the air into a phantom of a fierce white-browed tiger with hanging eyes, its tiger claws shattering the blue bricks on the ground, its tiger roar shaking all the candles in the hall violently.

The immense pressure made all the guests present turn pale, and some of the more timid ones even collapsed to the ground.

"This is... White Tiger Hegemon Body! The Innate Hegemon Qi of the Chu royal family!" A knowledgeable person exclaimed in shock.

Lu Chen was not afraid in the slightest!

A faint golden Dragon Qi flowed out from within him.

Although the golden Dragon was not as aggressive as the fierce tiger, it carried an inherent majesty, effortlessly blocking the tiger's phantom three feet away.

The two Auras collided, producing a crisp sound like clashing metal, making the entire Yihong Pavilion tremble slightly.

"Dragon... Dragon Qi protecting the body?!" Chu Yu's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at the young man before him in disbelief.

The next second, Chu Yu actually burst out laughing, no longer interested in Bai Jingjing, but instead his eyes lit up at Lu Chen: "What a heroic Young Master! Brother! I, Chu Yu, have traveled north and south, and it's been a long time since I've met a Young Master with such spirit! I'll let you have this Bai Jingjing, may I ask your esteemed name, brother? And where are you from? I, Chu Yu, respect heroes the most, and today I must become friends with you!"

Lu Chen, seeing Chu Yu's attitude change so much, stepped forward and whispered into Chu Yu's ear: "My identity cannot be revealed, but I respect you as a true man, I am Lu Chen!"

Chu Yu's eyes lit up, excited, and he quickly leaned into Lu Chen's ear: "Thank you for your trust, Brother Lu, are you interested in a few drinks? This is the first time I've met someone who ignores my tiger's might and domineering Aura, I'm truly too excited, I've decided you're my friend!!"

Huh? Huh??

What's going on here!!!

All the guests at Yihong Pavilion were dumbfounded; weren't these two just at daggers drawn? How are they so intimate and whispering now!

Bai Jingjing was even more exasperated, she was clearly the main character, what was happening!!

Lu Chen whispered back: "Thank you for your favor, Brother Chu, but I do have important things to do tonight. Next time, if there's an opportunity, I'll treat you to drinks!"