Chapter 35: Huaying Pavilion

As soon as Duan Rong returned to his dormitory, he collapsed onto the bed. The light of the afternoon's scorching sun shone through the carved windows covered in thin cloth onto Duan Rong's face. Duan Rong casually grabbed a small stack of rice paper, covered his face with it, and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, Duan Rong saw a long-haired youth with a slender back and a tall, lean build, working tirelessly in a dilapidated courtyard, diligently practicing his painting skills.

He constantly copied and traced, and as the years passed, the worn-out brush tips he had used piled up into a small basket...

Two hours later, Duan Rong woke up abruptly.

He recalled the experiences of the thin scholar in his dream and felt quite moved.

Although it is said that literature is for the poor and martial arts for the rich, the spirit of climbing upward is consistent throughout.

In that dream, Duan Rong clearly felt a fierce determination to refuse to accept his fate and to climb upward. Although that scholar did not become a master, at the very least, he relied on his own two hands to ensure his family had enough food and clothing...

"Life is not easy..."

Duan Rong suddenly felt his stomach rumbling. He left the dormitory to check the sky and estimated it was around the Hour of the Dog (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM), already past the time the cafeteria served meals.

Duan Rong had no choice but to leave the Escort Agency, order a bowl of wontons and two sesame cakes by the street, and wolf them down.

After Duan Rong finished eating and drinking, he felt a warmth in his stomach. He paid the bill and returned directly to the dormitory of the Escort Agency.

He lit the oil lamp, prepared the dyes, laid out the rice paper, and began to work.

Duan Rong painted for another whole night. Only when the sky was slightly bright did he finally look at the two paintings in front of him and smile.

They were still the two full-body portraits of the father and daughter, Xiao Zongting and Xiao Baijiao, but these two were clearly an improvement over the previous two.

Not only was the Artistic Conception profound, but the figures were also more lifelike, as if they had souls.

Duan Rong's brushwork, which fused Primary Level Masterful Brushwork and Primary Level Brushwork Like a God, combined with his modern PS aesthetic concepts, could be said to have completely broken through the technical barrier.

"Having broken through the technical barrier, the next step is the issue of the application scenario..." Duan Rong's fingers rubbed together subconsciously; in fact, he already had the answer to this question.

However, he was still somewhat hesitant.

Although the most convenient way to obtain high profits is to earn money from the wealthy, after all, there are many disputes in front of brothels!

Duan Rong's gaze hardened, as if he had made up his mind. "High risk, high reward!"

Duan Rong put away the rice paper in front of him, pulled over another sheet of white paper, and held the brush, his wrist suspended above the paper as he moved. After about half an incense stick of time, Duan Rong looked at the simple lines on the rice paper, smiled slightly, put down the brush, rolled up the rice paper, and walked out of the dormitory door.

Duan Rong first ate breakfast by the street, then headed straight for a carpenter's shop at the end of the street.

As soon as Duan Rong arrived at the entrance of the shop, he saw an old man with a refined, thin face sitting in front of the door drinking tea.

This carpenter's shop, named Li Ji, was opened by a father and son surnamed Li.

The son, Xiao Li, was about thirty years old, tall and sturdy, and quite robust.

The father, Lao Li, was over fifty years old with graying hair. Because he had worked for many years, his back was a bit hunched, but his spirit was very vigorous.

The one drinking tea in front of the door was none other than Lao Li.

Duan Rong walked over quickly and said, "Manager, take a look, can this thing be made?"

Duan Rong handed a rolled-up sheet of rice paper to Lao Li.

Lao Li was taken aback, not expecting business to come so early in the morning. He took the rolled paper and smiled, "Customer, sit down, have a cup of tea first."

Duan Rong sat on a rattan chair without standing on ceremony, but he did not drink the tea; instead, he fixed his eyes on Lao Li.

Lao Li slowly unfolded the rice paper, only to see a structural diagram of an Artifact drawn with clear and simple ink on the white paper.

It was just that Lao Li had been a carpenter all his life and had never seen this thing.

"Customer, what kind of object is this? The structure is not complicated. It is just that I beg your pardon for my ignorance, as I have never seen this item before." A strange look flashed in Lao Li's cloudy eyes.

"Manager, this thing is called a Sketching Stand; you just need to make it according to the drawing," Duan Rong replied with a light smile.

Lao Li looked at Duan Rong. This youth had a square face and bright eyes, with a dark complexion. He did not look very old, but his expression was calm and he answered with ease, unlike the dull and honest children of ordinary families.

"Alright then... alright then..." Lao Li nodded in agreement. "It's just... this new thing will be slower to start... I'm afraid it will take some time..."

"That's fine. Can you have it done if I come by during the Hour of the Monkey (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM) this afternoon?"

"The Hour of the Monkey, that can certainly be done."

Seeing that Lao Li had readily agreed, Duan Rong smiled and said, "Then it's settled, I will come by during the Hour of the Monkey."

"However... customer, we require a deposit when ordering items at the shop... you see..." Lao Li looked at Duan Rong and said with a sincere expression.

"How much is the deposit?"

"For an object of this size and complexity, if it were an old item, it would be two coins of silver, but for a new item, an extra coin must be charged, totaling three coins of silver. The deposit is one coin, and the remaining two coins are paid upon delivery."

Duan Rong paid the deposit, gave Lao Li a few instructions, and left.

Duan Rong left the carpenter's shop and returned to the Yuanshun Escort Agency, where he practiced Stance Training in the Martial Arts Arena for an hour and a half.

Duan Rong finished his practice, his eyes looking a bit listless. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and could clearly feel a sense of physical depletion and exhaustion.

It was not like when he previously practiced the Internal Breath First Layer, where every time he finished, he would feel refreshed, and although his body was tired, he could feel an inner vitality surging out.

Duan Rong rested for a while, and after eating lunch, he read some miscellaneous books in the dormitory. Timing it for the Hour of the Monkey, he left the Escort Agency and headed toward the Li Ji carpenter's shop.

When Duan Rong arrived at the shop, the Sketching Stand was already finished. Duan Rong tried it out; the workmanship was first-class, and it used high-quality wood.

It could be folded and carried, making it easy to transport.

This Sketching Stand was actually just a folding tripod with a drawing board, and it was not very complicated to make.

Duan Rong paid the balance and spent another dozen copper coins to buy a small folding stool. He folded the easel and the stool, tucked them under one arm, and walked back to the Escort Agency.

Huaying Pavilion was the largest brothel in Xiangu County.

It was a two-story wooden tower-shaped building with flying eaves and upturned corners, carved beams and painted rafters. Once night fell, it would be brightly lit, with the sounds of singing and music drifting out.

This was a place of enchantment, as well as a den of extravagance, where young masters who threw away thousands of gold and lecherous old men were everywhere.

The madam who owned this Huaying Pavilion was named Hu Huanhuan. This woman was originally a famous courtesan in a Prefecture City.

However, that was already more than twenty years ago.

The current Hu Huanhuan was already old and faded, no longer in her prime.

But it is said that back in the day in Yuanyang Prefecture, she was a top courtesan for ten years, and could be said to have been unrivaled in popularity for a time.

Later, after her beauty faded and she grew old, she returned to her hometown where she had drifted in her youth and opened this Huaying Pavilion.

Hu Huanhuan is skilled in the art of seduction, and over these past few years, he has cultivated Lian Ying, Mei Ying, Ju Ying, and Lan Ying, the Four Great Flower Shadows.

This has caused countless romantic youths and gluttons for lust to submit beneath the pomegranate skirts of the Four Great Flower Shadows, willing to become their subjects.

The reputation of Huaying Pavilion has spread far and wide to nearby prefectures and counties.

It is unknown how many wealthy households have lingered here, or how many playboys have seen their families ruined and lives destroyed because of it...

(End of chapter)