Chapter 210: The Ultimate Hunter

The people of Shang Jing had never seen such a performance; Qiu Shui Niang on the stage could display her dance moves with such bewitching charm, yet she possessed an aloof, inviolable arrogance.

To have both bewitching charm and proud bones in one person is simply a deadly temptation.

When this segment of dance ended, the surroundings instantly filled with applause.

According to the rules, if the performance is good, the patrons of Ten Fortune Building can tip—gold and silver ingots, various jewels, handfuls of banknotes flew like snowflakes onto the stage, leaving those on stage overwhelmed.

Gu Jiu Ling nearly jumped to her feet, incredulously gazing at the pile of banknotes spread across the stage.

"My goodness, these Southern Qi nobles are so rich!"

"Just dancing this one piece, and they tip so much?"

"This money is too easy to earn..."

Xiao Yin was probably the only man who, after watching Princess Ya Lan's splendid performance, felt no stir of heart.

He turned his face to look at Gu Jiu Ling beside him and said, "Is this dance your choreography?"

Gu Jiu Ling smiled and said, "I choreographed this dance—how is it? Not bad, right?"

Xiao Yin furrowed his brow slightly; such a rich, alluring dance—how did her little brain come up with it?

"The choreography is not bad!"

"Thank you, Prince, for the praise!" Gu Jiu Ling is always happy when praised.

"Next time, after you give birth and recover your body, dance personally for me to watch!" Xiao Yin said lightly.

Gu Jiu Ling was momentarily speechless.

That old lecher!

Gu Jiu Ling silently cursed him, while Xiao Yin's lips curled into a smile; thinking of this lass dancing for him in that outfit, he was actually quite pleased.

Again a soft sound rose in the field; this time Qiu Shui Niang changed into a pure white gown and slowly walked onto the stage.

Zuo Feichen, standing beneath the stage, opened a box containing the dry ice the Princess Consort had mentioned; instantly mist swirled, the air hazy, as if a small fairyland.

Qiu Shui Niang, in gauze robes, wandered through the misty realm; even before she spoke, that atmosphere alone captivated the heart.

Zuo Feichen wore a mask and coarse cloth robe, concealing his identity.

He frowned slightly, never expecting the Princess Consort to assign him such a task—hiding this stuff beneath the stage.

Moreover, the Princess Consort spoke mysteriously, saying that this occasion of Princess Ya Lan's actions was also an opportunity to help him avenge his father.

As long as he could avenge and clear his father's wrongful accusation, let alone hiding here to release smoke for prostitutes, even personally serving her would be acceptable.

The woman on the stage, clear and cold as jade, with a faint sorrow in her brows and eyes, was utterly different from her previous bewitching allure, carrying an ethereal, otherworldly air.

When he previously helped her treat her wounds in the clinic, he at once recognized her identity: the princesses of the Fu Yu Guo royal family all bear a red phoenix birthmark, the size of a thumb, located beside the ear.

Ordinary people wouldn't notice unless they looked closely; his father had been a minor garrison commander on the Southern Qi frontier, whose wife came from Fu Yu Guo, so he naturally knew some things about Fu Yu Guo.

Seeing the lady's refined bearing and the birthmark behind her ear, he naturally guessed it was almost certainly her.

Unlike those men below, who were all swooned over by Princess Ya Lan, only Zuo Feichen coldly scrutinized the woman on stage, calculating his own gains and losses.

Princess Ya Lan at this moment slightly raised her arm, moving with the melody, her red lips parting slightly.

"When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup and ask the blue sky..."

The audience below was instantly stunned; this voice was nothing short of heavenly music.

Princess Ya Lan's voice naturally carried a hint of hoarseness; she slowly sang this 'Water Melody' piece, naturally making listeners entranced.

After the song ended, the audience below fell silent, then erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

"Her talent is superb! Her talent is superb!!"

In an instant, the people below went mad, various rewards raining onto the stage; according to the rules, whoever tipped the most would finally spend a good night with Qiu Shui Niang.

For such an absolute beauty, even spending one's entire fortune for a night together would be worth it!!

The other women on the stage had their faces darkened, yet also bewildered—where did this fox spirit come from, so wanton, not letting anyone else live?

Suddenly a cold, stern voice came from the private box, and as soon as it spoke it was filled with killing intent.

"What an absolute beauty, a lovely young lady! Bring someone! Reward!"

Two guards wearing the Third Prince's mansion attire lifted a box and walked toward the stage, then instantly opened its lid, spilling a chest of East Sea South Pearls onto the stage.

All around, gasps rang out.

Immediately followed by a box of night pearls.

A box of cat's-eye gemstones...

Princess Ya Lan lifted her gaze to the heroic man slowly emerging from the private box, his stature much taller and straighter than before, after so many bloody baptisms his body faintly bore a hint of brutal ferocity.

She clenched her slender jade hands hidden in her wide sleeves, fingertips digging deep into her palms, drawing out threads of blood that stained the white cuffs, yet in this hazy light they were indistinguishable.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her smile from looking broken.

When the men around saw Third Prince Xiao Wei step forward to claim this woman, they dared not show any further objection.

In the entire Jing Cheng, offending anyone is nothing compared to offending the Third Prince; if you offend him, you might have no place to bury your corpse.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at Xiao Yin, who leaned back in his chair with a sneering curl of his lips; even the craftiest hunter could not withstand the ultimate hunter appearing in the guise of prey.

Princess Ya Lan bowed, her expression remaining steady, without a trace of fear or timidity.

All her fear and despair had been nearly exhausted in that night of massacre, leaving only hollow hatred.

Xiao Wei's appearance instantly secured Qiu Shui Niang's absolute position in this courtesan contest; no one could shake it, and no one dared say a word against it.

Ruoxi, standing to the side, secretly inhaled, feeling that the silver she had previously received from the Princess Consort was really too easy to earn.

This courtesan contest fundamentally does not require Ruoxi to yield that so‑called courtesan title; this Qiu Shui Niang truly deserves the name.

Let alone being a courtesan, she could even serve as a consort in the palace.

Princess Ya Lan was helped onto a flower cart, touring the southern city's eighteen alleys once; the lowly masses naturally have their own joy, and even those high officials and nobles wanted to join the bustle.

That night, the Yunxiang Pavilion's doorway gathered so many people for the first time; as the lanterns were first lit, they decorated a flower pavilion to be extraordinarily brilliant.

In the topmost warm pavilion of the flower pavilion, Xiao Wei gripped Princess Ya Lan's throat and slammed her hard against the cold wall, his gloomy, deep eyes fixed on her.

Princess Yalan's heart jumped wildly, her body trembling slightly.

Six years later, she still couldn't control the fear deep in her heart.

She could not forget that bloody night, when outside came the wails of her clansmen, their pleas for mercy, and her father the king's blood blew into the tent on the fierce wind.

Inside the tent, the man before her tortured and humiliated her all night long, and she thought she wouldn't survive.

He forced her to face her father the king's corpse at the tent entrance, and wantonly humiliated her.

Unexpectedly, he actually felt a single pang of compassion for her, released her, and said he would give her the time it takes to burn an incense stick; after that incense burned, he himself would lead people to hunt her down.