Chapter 230: Red House【Sweating Profusely】, Highland Hills Wine, the Mysterious Lady【Spirit】

"Young Master, is this your first time visiting us? Relax, I guarantee I'll make your night comfortable and pleasant~"

The young girl pulling on Jier's right arm whispered this into his ear the moment they stepped inside.

The girl on his left curiously stroked the Magic Amplification Bracer worn on Jier's left forearm with her hand; if this item were not activated, to the eyes of an uninitiated commoner, it would just be a beautiful, elegant, and unconventional decorative ornament.

Women love exquisite and pretty little things like this, especially the ones they do not possess themselves.

"What is this? It's so beau~tiful!" As she spoke, the girl carefully stroked the Magic Tool with her fingers, the cold, solid, openwork surface of the arm guard filling her with pleasant surprise.

"Heh, just an expensive and pretty little trinket," Jier said with a smile.

"I won't break it, will I? If it's too expensive, I won't be able to afford the compensation~~"

Jier waved his hand: "Rest assured, this thing is quite sturdy. Don't let its looks fool you; because of the materials used, even swords and blades cannot hack through it. Feel free to touch it, but don't think about taking it off my arm."

"Hehehe, how could that be? We aren't greedy people~"

The two girls said.

The three of them chatted about the beautiful arm guard while walking through the entrance corridor, which was brightly decorated and filled with ambiguous lighting. Jier noticed that in just these few steps, they had already turned left and right inside the building and passed through two places where wooden walls could extend from the ceiling or floor to partition the entrance corridor. Clearly, this Red House was designed quite differently.

An ordinary person might think this was a clever little design by the Red House to help guests gradually get into the mood, but Jier realized it was actually a defensive design.

Not only that, the narrow, winding corridor made it easy for those entering to lose their sense of direction, and with a sweep of his eyes, he noticed that the eyes of the figures in the provocative paintings hanging on the walls were not paint, but had been specially modified into peepholes.

Perhaps there was someone behind the paintings secretly watching them right now.

Thinking about these 'features' he had observed, Jier officially walked into the inner hall of the Red House while chatting with the two girls.

The hall was not very large, but it at least had a bar for selling drinks and a small performance stage.

At this moment, a young woman in a peculiar costume was on stage, skillfully twisting her body while stiffly reciting some dramatic lines that Jier found unfamiliar.

Jier did not know that the person she was imitating was actually a famous female hero from a legendary play, and the lines she spoke were also quite famous ones from that play. Of course, in any play, this long-deceased heroine was famous for her gorgeous appearance and her rather complex and tangled emotional stories. Naturally, she was being teased and portrayed in such an informal and unserious place.

Around the stage were long, inward-curving benches covered in soft fur, where a few scattered guests were drinking and flirting with the women of the Red House, occasionally letting out happy laughter and the coquettish, fawning sounds of the women.

The lighting in the room was provided by lamp holders protruding from the brightly decorated walls; they were oil lamps encased in high-purity transparent glass. The lamp oil was likely of good quality, as there was almost no black smoke or exhaust visible after burning, which kept the air in this windowless, enclosed Red House hall from becoming too difficult to breathe.

The smell of alcohol mixed with the fragrance on the women made Jier, with his keen sense of smell, feel somewhat uncomfortable, but it was still within a tolerable range.

Furthermore, a piece of music was drifting through the entire hall from an unknown source, which made Jier curious, yet there were no musicians performing in the hall.

"Young Master, come~ sit here. Which of us two would you like to keep you company? Or do you need both of us to accompany you through this night?" The girl on the right guided Jier to an inward-curving bench facing the stage and, with a casual push, sent Jier tumbling onto the bench covered in soft, thick fur.

Jier leaned back against the soft backrest of the bench: "You'll do. However, I came here because someone recommended I find the lady known as 'Spirit' who is most famous in your shop. Are you Spirit?"

Hearing Jier's question, the girl sitting beside him and the other one who hadn't gone far changed their expressions, their faces full of helplessness, though they quickly adjusted.

The other one swayed her waist and walked away, ignoring them, and went inside through a small door with a soft curtain on the side of the hall. The girl beside Jier answered with a helpless smile: "Of course, I'm certainly not. How could I possibly be as beautiful, as charming, and as famous as Sister Spirit~~"

"But there are simply too many men who want to find Sister Spirit; even on an ordinary day like tonight, you have to wait in line."

After saying this, she raised her right hand and waved toward the bar: "I'll ask about the situation for you. By the way, Young Master, what would you like to drink while you wait? The weather is so hot, I'd like to drink some Highland Hills Wine from the Eastern Province? Is that alright?"

Jier didn't mind: "I like drinking ale. Do you have any good ale here? Give me a big, full glass! If you have ice, add it in. As for you, just have whatever wine you wanted."

Hearing Jier's reply, the girl blinked, and with a smile on her face, she summoned a waiter from the bar. After whispering to order the drinks and asking about the queue for the lady known as Sister Spirit, this young girl, whose name Jier didn't even know, leaned in close to Jier's side and whispered into his ear.

"There are still two guests in line. Honestly, I heard that just to have a drink and chat with our sister for a while, she charges a high price of one Gold Coin. When will I ever be like that? That would really be so much easier~"

"Heh, that just shows she has real skill and uniqueness. You have to know, if it's just cuddling and hugging like this, or other things, any woman can do it, so where would the uniqueness come from?"

Jier reckoned that most of the women and waiters in this Red House did not know what the true business here was, thinking it was just a place like other Red Houses on the street that sold sex for money.

In fact, this was an intelligence trading point specifically for selling information. The owner behind this shop should be someone with an information network and power; of course, Jier even thought it might be the Thieves Guild.

After all, the Thieves Guild could deploy infiltration forces and personnel even on the remote Shanglu in the Western Province; in a place like the Southern Province, they would certainly arrange Jiedian and personnel in every prosperous trading location.

One must know that in places like Dorn Town, the Thieves Guild was even a direct part of the local power structure, directly controlling the Dark Side forces behind the entire town. This Wierstu Checkpoint was located at an important trade pass, so it would naturally have the influence of the Thieves Guild.

"That's true, what a depressing topic~ Ah, the drinks are here. This is your ale, Young Master. Whoa, it's actually the rare ale from the Re-gan Kingdom in the south. I wonder if you'll be able to get used to it?"

Jier's eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up the large glass of ale on the small table in front of the bench.

This ale glass was different from the others; it was crafted from a type of wood with slight red grain, and one could feel a sense of suppleness when touching it. He sniffed this ale from the south; the scent was somewhat different from the ale of the Saint Hors Kingdom, but Jier couldn't say exactly how.

"What's the story with this Aofēilìnè ale?" Not knowing, Jier asked someone who did.

"I heard this ale tastes very different from ours; it has a fiery, burning sensation. Those who like it really love it, and those who don't find it completely undrinkable. Young Master, take a small cup and taste it in small sips first. If you can't drink it, you can change it. After all, when you're out having fun, you must enjoy yourself and treat yourself well~"

Jier didn't believe it, and without using the small cup the girl took out from under the small table, he picked up the ale and gulped it down.

As soon as it entered his mouth, a fiery, burning sensation filled Jier's entire mouth. This didn't seem like ale brewed from wheat at all; it was as fiery as liquor brewed from chili peppers!

But Jier quite liked spicy food, and the entry of this stuff actually made him feel refreshed. He gulped down half of it in one go.

"Refreshing—!" Jier said with a smile on his face.

He smacked his lips and took another sip: "I actually quite like this stuff. The fiery heat mixed with the clear, cool fragrance of the liquid—although it's hard to describe, it tastes quite good in the mouth. It's strange, yet it makes one able to accept it."

"Ha, then you are just the type of person who can accept this kind of drink. I heard that people who can drink this kind of wine are all straightforward heroes. Young Master, are you such a hero?"

"Me? Perhaps. What's the story with your wine? I see you're drinking it with great enthusiasm."

The wine from the Eastern Province in the expensive glass bottle looked deep in color, with a rich fragrance that didn't dissipate wantonly, seemingly carrying a sense of strong historical depth.

The flushed girl picked up a small cup, poured a glass for Jier from the bottle, and then carefully fed it to him herself: "Taste it and then I'll tell you~"

The wine entered his mouth, and the rich fragrance filled his palate. It was neither sour nor overly sweet, and the liquid flowed in his mouth like blood. As it flowed down his throat, one could clearly feel its presence.

Jier's eyes lit up: "This is good stuff! This is the best wine I've ever had."

The girl feeding him the wine breathed a sigh of relief and said carefully: "Of course, but good things come with an expensive price. Young Master, it costs one Gold Coin per bottle. Would you like some more?"

Upon hearing this, Jier didn't find the price unacceptable. He even thought about whether he should buy some specifically from this Red House to take with him? After all, the journey was truly boring, and if he could have a small glass of this wine every night when setting up camp, life would be wonderful, and the boredom of the journey could be reduced quite a bit by the anticipation of the wine.

"I'll take some. The price is worthy of its quality. By the way, do you sell this wine separately? If I can't drink wine of this quality on the road later, I feel like I won't be able to go on—" Jier asked with a chuckle.

The attendant girl's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded to indicate it was possible. In fact, apart from the income from receiving guests for overnight stays, the income from this kind of wine was the main bulk for a place like the Red House. The consumption of wine ordered by guests when she was attending to them was directly related to their treatment and income.

It even included their status and rights in the shop.

She had also seen the gem-encrusted Dagger worn at Jier's right waist, as well as the sound of Gold Coins clinking in his money pouch, judging that this young man who dressed ordinarily was a wealthy fellow, and since he didn't care much about his attire, he should be a carefree person.

Just as the two were discussing the quality of this Highland Hills Wine, a gorgeously decorated wooden door on the side of the hall was opened from the inside, and a bald, burly man with a fierce appearance and a tall, sturdy build was sent out by a tall, curvaceous lady wearing a silk gown.

However, the fierce-looking burly man did not act rudely when parting; instead, he bid farewell to the lady in a flattered manner. The two whispered something that seemed intimate, and then the burly man patted his chest hard, as if promising something.

"That one?" Jier whispered to the girl leaning against him, gesturing toward the lady.

"Ah, that is our most famous sister, Flower. Every day, many men from all over come specifically to find her. I don't know what kind of Magic Power she has that can bewitch you men to the point of madness. Many people come back to see her repeatedly, as if they can't eat or sleep if they don't see her for a day," the girl beside him complained in a low voice.

She leaned secretly into Jier's ear: "Actually, sister Flower never invites men to stay the night. I heard that just to have a drink with her, talk for a while, or touch her little hand, one has to spend Gold Coins to do it. How does she do it?"

Jier turned his head to look; the young girl's eyes were full of confusion. This was not a feigned expression; it was genuine bewilderment at something she could not understand or see through.

"Are you literate?" Jier asked.

The girl shook her head: "I never learned since I was little, and I don't usually have any use for it now, so why learn it? It would cost a lot of money, too."

"Then there's no helping it. If you want to understand the answer to your question, you can't do it without being literate and mastering knowledge," Jier shook his head.

Following this, a chubby Merchant walked into Flower's room. This Merchant was all smiles, bowing and nodding, while the lady Flower had no expression on her face, merely inviting the person into the room with a casual gesture; the chubby Merchant even had to turn around and close the door himself.

To an outsider, it would look as if the status of the service provider and the customer were reversed, which was quite strange.

"Look, it's just like that. These powerful men, one by one, suck up to sister Flower as if their Spirits had been bewitched. I dare say many of them would surely be willing to bow down and kiss sister Flower's toes."

Jier couldn't help but laugh: "It's not that extreme. Do I look like someone who would kiss anyone's toes?"

"Young Master, you?"

The girl looked Jier over carefully and shook her head: "You don't look like it. I feel like you are a great mountain, the kind of mountain from which giant boulders would fall. Towering and dangerous~"

"You got that right!"

The two had barely spoken two sentences when the door to lady Flower's room opened. The chubby Merchant had spent less than a minute from entering to leaving; it was truly astonishing.

Just like when he went in, the chubby Merchant had a fawning smile on his face, constantly bowing and nodding toward the room, his mouth full of farewells. This time, the lady Flower inside the room did not come out to see him off, nor did she even offer a single word of affectionate parting.

"It's my turn. This is the money for the Wine on the table. Wait for me here, and don't forget to help me get the Highland Hills Wine I asked for; I want to take it with me later."

Jier tossed two Gold Coins onto the table, stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to head over.

"How many bottles do you want?" the girl asked urgently.

"Hmm, let's start with twenty bottles. This is good wine; when you come across it, you have to take the chance to stock up a bit."

Jier opened the money pouch on his right side containing Gold Coins and let the girl take a look. Although the pouch wasn't full, it was clear there were several dozen Gold Coins inside.

?? There is nothing out of line in this chapter; I hope it survives.