Chapter 67: Secrets of the Village
Seeing the waiter’s sudden change in demeanor, Lin Tianlu, as if he had expected this, discreetly placed a few copper coins on the corner of the table.
The waiter’s eyes lit up, and he quickly pocketed the money with a nervous chuckle. “Thank you, Sir! Thank you, Sir!”
He glanced around, then leaned in and whispered,
“Sir, where did you hear about this?”
Lin Tianlu stroked his chin. “I just arrived in Ganchang Village today. I overheard some merchants talking about it on the street. But judging by your reaction, it seems like it’s a taboo subject, not to be discussed openly?”
“It’s not exactly forbidden, it’s just… very strange.”
The waiter’s face was troubled. “After all, it involves several deaths. People in the village don’t want to talk about it. They just warn outsiders to be careful and not wander around at night.”
He said seriously, “Sir, since you paid me, I have to warn you.
It’s not safe here lately. After you finish your meal, go back to your inn and don’t go anywhere deserted. And even if someone knocks on your door at the inn, don’t open it.”
“What will happen if I do?”
“I’m not sure. But I heard from some neighbors… that people who opened the door went mad, their faces turning pale, their bodies wasting away. They died a few days later, raving and delirious.”
He shuddered. “And they say their deaths were gruesome, their bodies surrounded by filth.”
“I heard that some officers and martial artists came to help?”
“They all disappeared.” The waiter shook his head, his face pale.
But he quickly added, “But I heard that someone saw one of the missing martial artists on the street last night. He was carrying a large cleaver, stumbling around aimlessly. Someone noticed him because of the sound of the blade dragging on the ground.”
Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened. “So those martial artists might still be alive?”
“I don’t know. It could just be a rumor.”
The waiter shook his head repeatedly. “Just be careful, Sir. Stay at the inn and don’t wander around at night. You should be safe.”
“Alright—”
Bang!
A sudden thud from outside caught their attention.
They looked out the window and saw a scholar being thrown out of the brothel, landing on the ground with a groan.
“Get out of here!”
Two burly men, dressed as guards, shouted at him menacingly, striking him with their staffs before returning to the brothel.
“What was that about…”
“Just a poor soul without any money.”
The waiter said softly. “Ever since that brothel opened, they’ve been throwing people out like that. They’re mostly men who have spent all their money but still refuse to leave.”
He chuckled. “But some men have fallen in love and tried to buy the girls out. Although their intentions are good, they usually don’t have enough money. They get rejected repeatedly, and like that poor scholar, they end up beaten and thrown out.”
“How pitiful.”
Lin Tianlu asked curiously, “Are the women in that brothel really so charming that they can captivate men’s hearts?”
Since arriving in this world, he hadn’t had any experience with brothels, so he didn’t know what to expect.
“The Spring Surge Workshop is quite famous.”
The waiter’s eyes lit up with admiration. “A poor servant like me can’t afford to visit such a place, but I’ve glimpsed them while serving tea and snacks. The women playing music on the stage, their skin is as smooth and white as tofu…
Although they’re not exceptionally beautiful, there’s something alluring about that brothel, something that keeps people coming back for more.”
His eyes suddenly widened, his voice filled with excitement.
“But I heard there’s a legendary beauty inside, incredibly seductive and charming. Even the county magistrate is smitten with her and visits her often. But she’s never appeared in public. No one has ever seen her.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned strange.
“The county magistrate, visiting a brothel?”
“It’s just a rumor, hahaha… just a rumor.” The waiter quickly backtracked, chuckling awkwardly.
“That’s quite a marketing strategy.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled softly.
But at that moment, a commotion erupted in the back of the restaurant.
“We’re going out tonight! What’s there to be afraid of!”
“A true man doesn’t fear rumors! We won’t be intimidated by these stories!”
Lin Tianlu turned his head and saw a group of men, dressed as martial artists, arguing amongst themselves. They were discussing the recent deaths in Ganchang Village.
The waiter’s face paled, and he quickly bowed. “Please excuse me, Sir. I’ll go and calm them down.”
“Go ahead.”
Lin Tianlu didn’t stop him. He had already gathered enough information.
He glanced out the window and saw the dejected scholar who had been thrown out of the brothel earlier, limping towards the restaurant. He collapsed on the steps, staring blankly at the Spring Surge Workshop.
“Xiao Xin…”
“Brother, don’t be so heartbroken over a woman. You need to be practical.”
Lin Tianlu offered some words of advice.
The scholar glanced at him, his voice filled with sadness. “You don’t understand.”
“If I don’t understand, why don’t you enlighten me?” Lin Tianlu chuckled, taking a bite of his food. “What’s so special about this brothel that you’re so smitten?”
“The Spring Surge Workshop is different from ordinary brothels.”
But the scholar quickly shook his head. “They don’t engage in those kinds of activities. The women there mostly play music, recite poetry, and sing. They’re always separated from the guests by screens and stages, never crossing any boundaries. It’s more like a place for listening to music.”
“Oh?”
Lin Tianlu was intrigued.
That did sound quite respectable.
Perhaps it was like a modern-day music hall or theater?
“I met Xiao Xin there a few months ago and was captivated by her grace and intelligence. But my advances have been rejected.”
“Is the brothel preventing her from leaving?”
“No… I can’t afford her redemption fee.”
“…”
Lin Tianlu was speechless. “Then you should focus on working and earning money.”
The scholar’s expression darkened. “But I can’t bear to be apart from Xiao Xin. The thought of her being bought out by someone else while I’m away… it makes me anxious.”
“If you truly love each other, don’t you believe she’ll wait for you? Or is the brothel intentionally trying to separate you?”
“This, this…”
Seeing the man’s conflicted and embarrassed expression, Lin Tianlu shook his head.
He had initially thought that this handsome scholar, dressed in simple clothes, was the protagonist of a tragic love story. But it turned out he was just a delusional freeloader.
He expected rewards without any effort. Did he really think the brothel would just give the girl away for free just because he was persistent?
This was a business, not a charity.
Lin Tianlu lost interest in the conversation.
“—Hmm?”
But he suddenly sensed something unusual about the scholar.
Was that… Yin energy?
It was very faint, almost undetectable.
Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment, then flicked his finger, dispersing the trace of Yin energy within the scholar’s body.
Bang!
At the same time, a muffled explosion came from the top floor of the Spring Surge Workshop, as if something had shattered.
…
Inside a room veiled with azure silk curtains, steam filled the air.
A naked woman with long, slender legs stepped out of a bathtub, her movements alluring. As a gust of Yin wind blew past, the water droplets on her body instantly evaporated, revealing her smooth, jade-like skin.
She brushed her long, black hair back languidly and stretched her arms. A young girl quickly draped a silk robe over her shoulders, covering her body and accentuating her curves.
“Sister Ren, that scholar, Liang Wei, came to see Sister Xiao Xin again.” The girl pouted. “He’s so persistent. Can’t we just get rid of him?”
“Xiao Xin is also hesitant.”
The beautiful woman spoke softly, twisting her hair into a bun. “I gave them one last chance. Could he resist the influence of the Yin technique and earn money honestly?… It seems he can’t.
A scholar like him, with nothing but empty words and a pretty face, unable to earn money, take care of a family, or take responsibility… Xiao Xin will eventually see through him, realize that he’s not someone she can rely on.”
“Hee hee~ Sister Xiao Xin should see the true faces of these scholars! They’re only after her body, pretending to be all refined and cultured. How hypocritical!”
“It’s not fair to generalize—”
The beautiful woman suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she noticed cracks appearing on the incense burner on the table.
Bang!
The burner exploded, shattering into countless fragments, making the girl beside her scream in terror.
“H-how could the Yin-Gathering Burner—”
The beautiful woman’s face was filled with shock. She quickly walked over to the window and looked down at the restaurant below.
At that moment, a handsome, fair-skinned scholar looked up at her, a apologetic smile on his face, raising his wine cup in a gesture of respect.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she gripped the window frame tightly.
“Sister Ren, what happened?! Could it be that letter we received this afternoon—”
“Quickly prepare my clothes and the jade guqin! Tonight… we might have a distinguished guest!”
The beautiful woman smiled seductively at the man below, bowing gracefully. But her heart turned cold.
“Since he’s determined to eliminate us, then I’ll gladly accept his challenge!”
…
Lin Tianlu drained his cup and raised it towards the woman upstairs, a silent toast.
Seeing her smile and retreat into the room, he put down his cup, his expression curious. “Could that be the legendary beauty?”
She was indeed quite beautiful.
But why wasn’t she wearing any clothes in this chilly autumn weather?
However…
“This small brothel seems to be hiding something.” Lin Tianlu glanced at the dejected scholar stumbling away and chuckled. “It seems I have something to do tonight.”
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