14: Listening to music in the brothel

The streets were bustling with people.

Perhaps because the Junlin Banquet was approaching, young Geniuses from all over Great Jin were flocking to the capital, creating a lively scene.

"Young Master, I heard that Tianxiang Tower recently welcomed an unparalleled courtesan, whose mastery of the zither and painting is exceptional, and whose talent is extraordinary. She only sells her art, not her body. How about we go see her?"

With a full belly comes lustful thoughts, Li Yuanbao suggested.

Xu Ziqian's hand, which was fanning himself, immediately paused.

Wu Ning thought for a moment; with nothing else to do, listening to music at a brothel seemed like a good idea.

"Then let's go experience that courtesan's zither skills."

The three immediately changed direction.

Turning a street corner, Wu Ning twitched his nose and suddenly caught a whiff of spicy hotpot.

Looking up, he saw a grandly decorated hotpot restaurant not far away, doing a booming business with an endless stream of diners.

"Fatty, how's your family's hotpot business doing?"

Wu Ning asked.

At the mention of this, Li Yuanbao immediately became excited.

"Business is incredibly good! All thirty-plus hotpot restaurants in the entire capital are packed every day!"

"We've divided ingredients into ordinary and rare. Ordinary ingredients can be paid for with silver, while rare ingredients require Spirit Stones."

"Now, the hotpot restaurant's reputation has spread far and wide. Recently, many outsiders have even come specifically for it..."

The Li family had been merchants for generations and certainly had a knack for business.

The hotpot recipe wasn't difficult and could easily be imitated, a point they had naturally considered.

To counter this, the Li family found another way: they planned to monopolize several important spices used to simmer the hotpot base.

They even directly sold pre-mixed spice packets, which only required simple simmering.

By controlling the source, they indirectly dominated the hotpot market.

This was their vision.

Li Yuanbao spoke with a triumphant gleam in his eyes:

"Young Master, the hotpot business has earned over eight hundred thousand taels of silver and more than thirty thousand Spirit Stones in the past few months. We split it fifty-fifty. You were in seclusion before, so I delivered your monthly silver and Spirit Stones to Butler Fu."

Wu Ning recalled Butler Fu mentioning it briefly before, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time.

To a Cultivator, silver was worthless.

The Spirit Stone share was only a few thousand per month, and Butler Fu thought Wu Ning wouldn't care for such a small amount of Spirit Stones, so he didn't elaborate.

Wu Ning waved his hand and said, "You don't need to give me fifty percent anymore; ten percent is enough."

Although he didn't care for it, after he left, this would be a source of income for the people in the Prince's Mansion.

"How can that be? Even brothers settle accounts clearly. Young Master, you provided the recipe; ten percent is too little."

"Moreover, the hotpot restaurant's business, relying on the Prince Yan's Mansion's name, can also reduce many troubles for us. Fifty percent is only right."

Li Yuanbao shook his head. Although he knew Wu Ning didn't care for this money now, whether someone wanted it was one thing, and whether you gave it was another.

The Li family could not be insatiably greedy.

"Then thirty percent," Wu Ning thought for a moment and said.

"Alright!"

Li Yuanbao no longer insisted.

The three quickly arrived at Tianxiang Tower. Several brightly dressed women stood at the entrance and immediately surrounded Wu Ning and the other two when they saw them.

Wu Ning used to be a regular at Tianxiang Tower, not to mention the other two.

The three walked into Tianxiang Tower, surrounded by several women. Mama Chai, having been informed, came out with a smile, waving her perfumed handkerchief, and hurried to greet them.

"Oh, Young Master Li, Young Master Xu, and Prince Yan's Young Master, it's truly been a long time since this humble servant last saw you!"

Mama Chai was a middle-aged woman, around forty, still graceful and well-preserved. She was said to have been a courtesan in her youth.

Li Yuanbao directly tossed her a gold ingot, a full ten taels. "Mama Chai, I heard you have a new courtesan here?"

Mama Chai took the gold, her face instantly beaming. "Young Master Li, are you referring to Miss Liu Yiyi? Please, the three of you, upstairs. Miss Liu Yiyi will be here shortly."

Mama Chai led the three into a luxurious private room and then instructed someone to bring tea and refreshments.

"Please wait patiently, Young Masters. Miss Liu Yiyi will arrive soon."

Mama Chai exited.

Wu Ning's expression was indifferent. In the past, he used to feel very happy coming to Tianxiang Tower; even if he couldn't eat, just watching was enjoyable.

Now that he could eat, he felt as if he had a phobia, no longer interested in these common, vulgar women.

He even felt repulsed.

His horizons had broadened!

Not long after, a maid knocked on the door, and then a woman in a green dress entered. Her temperament was gentle, carrying an air of scholarly refinement. She wore a veil over her face, yet it couldn't hide her stunning beauty in the slightest.

Nor could it block Wu Ning's gaze.

She had a pair of exceptionally beautiful almond eyes, her skin was crystal clear and snow-white, like a lotus in clear water, without any makeup. Her features were exquisite, and her face was flawless.

Wu Ning observed her, and a hint of interest arose.

He had seen many courtesans, but this was the first time he had encountered such a naturally pure and beautiful woman, with an air of scholarly refinement.

However, this woman's figure was a bit lacking; like a willow swaying in the breeze, she was slightly too slender.

"This humble one, Liu Yiyi, greets the three Young Masters."

Liu Yiyi curtsied gracefully.

Xu Ziqian stepped forward half a pace. "Miss Liu Yiyi, please rise!"

"I am Xu Ziqian. I have long heard of Miss Liu Yiyi's talent. Today, I have the honor of meeting you. May I be so fortunate as to hear you play a tune?"

"It would be Liu Yiyi's honor."

Liu Yiyi lowered her gaze and smiled faintly.

Two maids carried in a sandalwood guqin. Liu Yiyi sat by the window and ran her fingers over the strings.

The zither music flowed, lingering and melodious, like the tinkling of a spring, or the rippling of water by a spring breeze, rising and falling, winding and turning.

The melody was cheerful and elegant, yet subtly tinged with sadness.

Xu Ziqian listened spellbound.

Though Wu Ning did not understand music, he could still feel the wonder of the zither's sound. This Miss Liu Yiyi's zither artistry was rarely matched in the entire capital city.

Li Yuanbao took out a pot of spirit wine and filled cups for the three of them. He only liked beautiful women, not listening to music.

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside.

Wu Ning frowned and immediately set up a barrier, isolating all noise.

But a moment later, the private room door was actually kicked open.

Bang!

A door panel shattered directly, and many wood splinters flew into the room.

Wu Ning's thoughts stirred, and all the wood splinters stopped in mid-air, then shot towards the person who kicked the door, instantly piercing his five limbs.

"Ah--!!"

A shrill scream instantly echoed throughout Tianxiang Tower.

The zither music in the private room abruptly stopped.

Li Yuanbao was furious. "What the hell! Which bastard is it?"

Xu Ziqian's expression also turned cold.

"Damn it!"

A Hua Fu Youth walked into the private room with a sullen face, angrily questioning, "Who are you people, daring to injure my man? Are you looking for death?"

Li Yuanbao was stunned for a moment. "Where did this bumpkin come from? He doesn't even recognize us."

"Who are you calling a bumpkin, you fatso? This Young Master is the Young Lord of the Yang family from Qingling Commandery. Do you want to die?"

A subtle hint of killing intent flashed in Yang Xu's eyes, but he was not a reckless person. The capital was filled with hidden Dragons and crouching tigers. Before clarifying the situation, acting rashly was foolish.

It wouldn't be too late to investigate their background afterwards and then send people to teach them a lesson.

Although the Yang family was not afraid of trouble, the Yang family was the Yang family, and he was him.

If someone went crazy and killed him, even if the Yang family avenged him, he wouldn't be alive.