Chapter 361: Qianyao

Hongyu smiled triumphantly; clearly, her use of reverse psychology had been effective.

Every guest capable of reaching the fourth or fifth floor had extremely high consumption, which was also beneficial for Hongyu.

Following Hongyu to the fourth floor, the space here was larger, the guests fewer, but the atmosphere was even better.

Hongyu said, "Could the guest take out the paper from just now and let me have a look?"

Cheng Feng had no objections; as for the matter of exposure or the like—

The young lady on the third floor had said that quite a few people used this kind of paper, and Cheng Feng also hoped Hongyu could help him narrow down the scope.

Hongyu moved with lotus steps, walking elegantly to a carved wooden table, gently pulling out a chair to signal for Cheng Feng to sit.

Cheng Feng sat down as instructed and took the slightly aged paper from his bosom,

slowly spreading it out on the table; the paper was blank, yet a faint scent of sandalwood wafted from it.

Hongyu's gaze instantly became sharp and focused,

and her slender fingers brushed lightly over the paper's surface, as if she were recalling something.

A moment later, she frowned slightly, then smoothed it out again,

a meaningful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth: "This kind of paper is generally used by the top courtesans in the Red Beauty Pavilion."

"They are all on the fifth floor, and one cannot see them without being a high official, a noble, or from a wealthy, powerful clan."

"Every Huayin on the fourth floor possesses unique skills."

"Among them, there are also two who use this kind of paper. Could it be that you, Young Master, are looking for the young ladies Qianyao and Shang Yan?"

Hearing that there was positive news, Cheng Feng did not deny it: "This was given to me by a friend, who asked me to come and see for myself."

Hongyu smiled: "Then your friend's taste must be excellent."

Cheng Feng nodded slightly, noncommittal toward Hongyu's praise,

his mind entirely on that piece of paper which might guide him to the answer.

"Indeed, that friend has always had extraordinary insight, and this time it was also he who strongly recommended I come here."

A flash of curiosity crossed Hongyu's eyes, but she did not continue to press, turning instead to say: "Since your friend holds them in such high regard, why not let me introduce you."

"There are eighteen Huayin on the fourth floor, each with outstanding talent and their own merits."

"Among them, Qianyao, as the Top Card of the fourth floor, is Proficient in all things—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and is especially skilled at entering the Dao through melody; a single tune can stir the soul."

"And Shang Yan, ranked second, excels in poetry and song; she speaks in verse and every word is a gem, which is truly breathtaking."

Hearing this, Cheng Feng's heart stirred; he realized this might be a good opportunity to come into contact with more information.

"Then, Lady Hongyu, who do you think is superior among them?"

Hongyu smiled slightly and shook her head: "That I cannot say for sure. However, since you have the intention, why not visit them one by one? Perhaps you will have your own judgment."

"Qianyao is currently playing the zither in her private room; if you are interested, I can introduce you."

Cheng Feng pondered for a moment and then nodded.

Relying on his own strength to find clues about the paper was clearly not enough; perhaps he could obtain some leads from these Huayin.

What's more, Cheng Feng was playing with his cards face up; even if he could lure the snake out of its hole, it would be worth it.

Following Hongyu's lead, Cheng Feng arrived at the private room where Qianyao was located.

Inside the room, the zither music was melodious, like the tinkling of a spring or a spring breeze brushing the face, making one feel relaxed and happy.

Qianyao was about twenty years old, dressed in plain clothes, sitting upright before an ancient zither, her fingers dancing on the strings as if conversing with the instrument; every note contained deep emotion.

The elegant, soaring zither music slowly drifted out from her hands.

Her brows revealed an unfathomable etherealness, and her ink-black hair faintly brushed against her pale crimson lips.

Cheng Feng stood quietly to the side, listening to this movement from the soul.

As the tune ended, Hongyu stepped forward and whispered the reason into her ear.

Qianyao slowly raised her head, her gaze as clear as water, looking toward Cheng Feng with a faint smile: "You are a new face, Young Master. I heard from Hongyu that there is some small matter I might be able to help with?"

Cheng Feng was taken aback; he had not expected Qianyao to be so direct.

He looked at Hongyu, and Hongyu nodded silently.

Cheng Feng understood and admitted it frankly: "I am new here and wanted to see Heimu Prefecture, but I did not expect Lady Qianyao's zither music to be so moving."

Taking out the paper directly, Cheng Feng explained in detail: "I made a bet with a good friend to take this paper and find its origin."

"But there are only a handful of people in the Red Beauty Pavilion who can use this kind of paper, so I asked Lady Hongyu for help. Whose hands did this paper come from?"

Qianyao asked curiously: "Using paper to find a person? That is interesting. Does this bet have a stake?"

Cheng Feng nodded: "Naturally. Small bets are for amusement, large bets hurt the body; we took ten thousand taels of silver as the stake."

Hongyu had never heard of this matter, but it did not matter.

She was just a pimp, seeing if she could help Qianyao.

She would just safely remain her own wooden stake.

Hearing that a small private bet could involve ten thousand taels of silver—

A flash of surprise crossed Qianyao's eyes, then she returned to calm, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth: "Young Master Cheng is certainly generous; I imagine you are a person of wealth or status."

"However, although this paper is unique, it is not without traces. In the Red Beauty Pavilion, besides the few top courtesans, only Shang Yan and I use this quality of paper."

"Judging from the appearance of this paper, it should be a recently released type."

"Whenever a guest needs it, they naturally use it, but recently, those on the fifth floor are mostly the younger sons of wealthy families and playboys, who are not very interested in paper."

"Only the two top courtesans practice daily."

"And then there are the highly talented friends who have visited Shang Yan and me."

"Locked down to the remaining four people so quickly."

Cheng Feng's eyes brightened, seemingly quite expectant of Qianyao's analysis: "Then, in your opinion, Lady Qianyao, whose hands is this paper most likely to have come from?"

Qianyao lightly stroked the zither strings, thought for a moment, and said slowly: "If we are talking about where paper circulates most widely, it would be the study and the painting room."

On the fifth floor, Chudan Dan and Yu Feng'er practice calligraphy and painting respectively, diligent every single day.

As for Shang Yan, she is quite fond of poetry and songs.

Everyone needs to use paper, and it is a commonly used item.

If your friend relies on money, he is naturally a distinguished guest of the fifth floor.

If he possesses exceptional talent, he might not necessarily have a pleasant conversation with Shang Yan."

Hongyu listened with great interest from the side, secretly admiring Qianyao's intelligence in her heart, while also becoming more curious about Cheng Feng's background.

She interjected: "In that case, how should Young Master Cheng narrow down the scope of the person he is looking for?"

Cheng Feng smiled slightly, appearing confident, "Based on my friend's personality, I have a rough idea."

Cheng Feng looked at Qianyao, a flash of gratitude appearing in his eyes, "Miss Qianyao, thank you for clearing up my confusion. If not for you, I fear I would still be searching blindly in this Red Beauty Pavilion."

Qianyao smiled lightly, her voice like a spring breeze brushing against one's face, "Young Master Cheng is too polite; I merely offered a few words."

Furthermore, this wager is quite interesting, and I also want to see what the final result will be.

Does Young Master Cheng have a method?"

Cheng Feng thought to himself: "I just came out to fish; if I go to meet Shang Yan again, that should be about enough."

On the surface, he said confidently: "I do indeed have a bit of certainty."