Chapter 100 Deeply Entangled in Peonies

Two large men, dressed in identical dark red martial attire with short blades at their waists, guarded the stairwell. Standing on the left and right, they looked like two door gods.

Chen Mu glanced at them sideways, quickly assessing the situation.

They were clearly not ordinary guards; their breathing was steady and their temples bulged slightly, indicating they were trained Martial Artists who had at least touched the threshold of the Dao Entry Realm.

A Martial Artist with such cultivation was one in a hundred, yet here they were in the Peony Pavilion, content to act as guard dogs.

Chen Mu's thoughts raced. Feigning drunkenness, he staggered toward the stairwell, but the two large men immediately blocked his path.

"Sir, the third floor is for VIP private rooms and requires advance reservation."

The man on the left spoke in a low voice, his muscular arm barred across Chen Mu's chest.

Chen Mu looked up, hiccuped with blurry, drunken eyes, and fished a few pieces of broken silver from his robes to offer them.

"I'm looking for Yulang... He said he'd be waiting for me on the third floor... Could you two... make an exception?"

The man on the right sneered. Not only did he refuse the silver, but he also reached out to shove him.

"Can't you understand human speech? The third floor is not a place for the likes of you. Get lost!"

The moment the large hand was about to touch his shoulder, Chen Mu shifted slightly. Silently activating the Divine Void Step, he slipped past the opponent's fingers like a slippery loach.

At the same time, Chen Mu seized the man's wrist and slammed his right elbow into the man's ribs like lightning.

"Ugh!"

The large man groaned, his eyes rolled back, and his body slumped to the floor.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The man on the left hadn't even seen how his companion fell before Chen Mu turned toward him.

"You..."

The large man realized something was wrong and roared, throwing both fists out. The wind whistled as his punches carried the momentum of an unstoppable force.

Chen Mu did not dodge or parry, instead throwing a punch of his own.

There were no flashy Moves, no grand Aura, just the simplest, most unadorned straight punch.

Yet, it condensed all the Protective Aura of the Late Stage Dao Entry Realm, and incorporated the essence of the explosive speed from the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique.

It started later but arrived first.

"Boom!"

As the fists collided, a shockwave instantly exploded outward.

The large man felt an overwhelming force surge from his fist, instantly spreading through his entire right arm, before his body uncontrollably flew backward and slammed heavily into the wall.

The man slid to the floor, coughing up blood, his eyes filled with absolute shock.

"You... just who..."

Chen Mu didn't give him the chance to finish, closing the distance and chopping his neck with a swift, clean blow.

The entire process took no more than two or three breaths, without attracting any attention from downstairs.

Chen Mu dragged the two men into the shadows of the stairwell corner, straightened his robes, and proceeded up the stairs.

The third floor was completely different from the floor below.

The corridor was paved with thick Persian carpets that completely absorbed the sound of footsteps. The doors on both sides were tightly shut, each carved with exquisite floral and bird patterns, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted from the cracks.

Chen Mu suppressed his Qi, moving through the long corridor like a ghost.

He needed to find the location of the new courtesan and, more importantly, investigate the secrets hidden within the Peony Pavilion.

The door to the first private room was not fully closed, with ambiguous light spilling from the gap, accompanied by the occasional rustling sound.

Chen Mu glanced through the crack. The room was luxuriously decorated with beaded curtains hanging low, and a large carved bed sat in the center. A figure sat by the bed, back to the door, grooming in front of a mirror.

Chen Mu was slightly taken aback.

The figure had broad shoulders and a wide back, clearly an extremely sturdy man, yet he was wearing a pink gauze dress with several jeweled hairpins in his hair.

The man seemed to sense something and turned around, revealing a rugged face with a thick beard, yet it was caked in thick white powder with lips painted Yan Hong.

Most eye-catching of all, he was wearing a pair of white silk socks paired with pink embroidered shoes, which looked indescribably strange.

"Who let you in?!"

The man barked sharply upon seeing an intruder, causing the corner of Chen Mu's mouth to twitch involuntarily.

Seeing that Chen Mu didn't answer and kept staring at his feet, the bearded man became furious with embarrassment.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen a beauty before?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly lunged, his thick arms reaching for Chen Mu's shoulders with a swift, authentic grappling technique.

Chen Mu was prepared. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his feet moving slightly with the Divine Void Step, his figure ghosting past the opponent's attack.

He seized the man's wrist with his left hand and swiftly tapped the Jiquan acupoint under the man's armpit with his right.

The man's entire body went numb, and most of his strength instantly drained away. Just as he was about to shout, Chen Mu struck the back of his head with his palm.

"Bang!"

The bearded man rolled his eyes and collapsed, his gorgeous brocade robe and white socks scattering across the floor.

Chen Mu shook his head, exited the room, and gently closed the door.

In the second private room was a thin, heavily powdered effeminate man, who was embroidering with his pinky finger extended, humming a Jiangnan tune.

Upon seeing Chen Mu burst in, he was startled, then coquettishly scolded.

"What is wrong with you? Knock on the door!"

Chen Mu didn't waste any more words and did the same thing.

As the effeminate man slumped down, the embroidery needle in his hand still maintained the delicate pinching posture.

The third room, the fourth room...

Chen Mu checked six or seven rooms in a row, knocking out five or six male prostitutes.

The pretentious ones, the debauched ones, the affected ones—without exception, none of them were the person he was looking for.

Could it be that the courtesan was not on this floor?

Doubt rose in Chen Mu's heart, but he didn't stop, walking toward the deepest part of the corridor until he finally stopped in front of a vermilion wooden door carved with twin lotus flowers.

This door was different from the others; the door panels were thick, the wood was dark and dull, and a faint candlelight shone through the gap.

Chen Mu focused his senses. There was only one presence in the room, but it was steady and long, bearing a hint of martial Dao cultivation.

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and entered.

This room was much more spacious than the others, yet the furnishings were exceptionally simple.

Just a bed, a table, a chair, and a guqin.

An incense burner sat on the table, with wisps of blue smoke rising, completely different from the sweet, cloying scent of powder downstairs, appearing exceptionally refined.

A man in plain white robes sat with his back to the door, slowly pouring tea at a round table.

Hearing the door open, he didn't turn around, but spoke softly, his voice like a clear mountain spring.

"A guest comes from afar; please, sit."

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. He walked slowly to the table and sat opposite the man, only then seeing his appearance clearly.

He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a handsome and refined appearance, his features as exquisite as if traced by a fine brush.

His eyebrows were like distant mountains, his eyes like autumn waters, and every glance was full of charm.

Between his brows, there was both the heroic spirit of a man and the delicate beauty of a woman.

Chen Mu was instantly vigilant, not because of the beauty of the face, but because of the natural Aura the person exuded.

His manner was extremely natural, without a trace of the sycophantic behavior of those in the brothel world, nor any deliberately feigned aloofness.

Those clear, autumn-water eyes were limpid, looking at Chen Mu with just the right amount of curiosity and goodwill, as if he were truly hosting a guest who had wandered in by mistake.

"The night is deep; why has the guest come here?"

The man poured a cup of tea for Chen Mu, his movements flowing like clouds and water.

Chen Mu stared at him and said slowly.

"Looking for the courtesan."

The man was slightly taken aback, then smiled, as refreshing as a spring breeze, truly possessing a bit of a peerless, city-toppling charm.

"The guest is joking. Where would there be any courtesan here?"

"However, since you have come, you should settle in. Since Young Master has arrived, it is fate. Allow Qingyin to serve you tea."