Chapter 454: Sneaking In

Passing servants who saw him thought he looked pitiful and gave him a few extra glances.

"I don't understand why the Princess and Prince Consort don't seem to like the Eldest Young Master."

"The Eldest Young Master is clearly a good person!"

"Maybe they just can't accept him right away."

"If it were her, she also couldn't suddenly accept newly appeared relatives; there needs to be a process."

"That's right, the Princess and Prince Consort are fine people, the Eldest Young Master is also fine, and they'll surely become a good family in the future."

"Shh, don't be so loud; if the Eldest Young Master hears, it'll be bad—he'd be heartbroken!"

"Yeah, let's hurry."

Mu Mingcheng heard the discussion not far behind him and curled his lips.

That's exactly the effect he wanted.

Soon he will be the legitimate Eldest Young Master of the Grand General's Manor, with two months left.

Mu Mingcheng lifted his head, surveyed the manor, and smiled with victory in hand.

So he won't let anyone obstruct him!

At night, Myriad Fragrance Pavilion is bustling; as Jingcheng's second-largest brothel, it sees crowds every night.

So bustling, Gu Rongjin knew that as soon as he appeared he'd become the focus of everyone's attention, and within half a day word of his visit to the brothel would spread everywhere.

So he still chose the cowardly way of sneaking in secretly.

"Do you have to be so timid? Just disguise yourself," Yun Jinglou mocked.

"I'm so handsome and graceful that any disguise would immediately give me away,"

Gu Rongjin, hiding in the dense tree behind Myriad Fragrance Pavilion to observe, replied irritably.

Yun Jinglou scoffed: "You're just too lazy to disguise yourself."

"Just know that, stop the nonsense, and go down when the time is right," Gu Rongjin said.

"If you don't go in disguised, how will you gather information?" Yun Jinglou asked, "Are you just guessing blindly?"

"With our intelligence we can't even guess where they're hiding—isn't that a bit of a failure?" Gu Rongjin countered.

"That's true." Yun Jinglou laughed and nodded.

They exchanged a glance, tacitly understood, and simultaneously fixed their gaze on one spot.

As the lanterns were first lit, Myriad Fragrance Pavilion, immersed in drunken revelry, had no idea two people had silently slipped inside.

Myriad Fragrance Pavilion is huge, its grounds about the size of a prince's mansion, its highest floor five stories, making it the tallest place in Jingcheng aside from the Bell and Drum Towers, with pavilions, terraces, artificial hills, and flowing water.

Its splendid lights never go out; half of the capital's prosperity seems to come from here.

This brothel, open only three years, has already become one of Jingcheng's top pleasure districts.

Gu Rongjin darted to the front of the top fifth floor, hidden in the night he gazed at the uppermost level: "Do you think the top floor is Fanghua or Xixi?"

"Xixi, I'd say—the least likely place is the most likely; such an obvious spot is usually thought to be where important people are, with tight guards making entry hard." Yun Jinglou said.

"You clear the way, I'll bring up the rear." Gu Rongjin said, showing he agreed with Yun Jinglou's view.

"Why not the other way around?" Yun Jinglou didn't understand.

"Because you're straightforward and forceful, making a big commotion, whereas I move lightly and leave no trace." Gu Rongjin laughed.

"If that's the case, we should actually do the opposite."

"You're the one drawing fire, big brother."

"All right, little brother, since you've said that."

Having said that, Yun Jinglou truly rushed to the front.

When he reached the top floor unobstructed, he corrected himself inwardly: actually he isn't that blunt—hasn't anyone noticed?

"Since you've come, young master, why are you sneaking around?"

A pleasant voice came from a room on the top floor.

……

It seems they were overconfident and guessed wrong; not only is Xixi here, but it looks like an important person is present too.

That voice must be Miss Fanghua, right?

Although he's never heard her speak.

Since they've been discovered, Yun Jinglou boldly pushes the door open!

This room isn't like an ordinary brothel room; Yun Jinglou doesn't know, he's never been here, but it's quite elegant, with a beautiful, graceful young woman sitting inside, her fingers resting on the guzheng; as she lifts her gaze to him, a flicker of doubt crosses her eyes.

It seems she didn't expect the visitor to be Yun Jinglou.

"Miss, with that expression, am I not the person Fanghua wanted to see?" Yun Jinglou smiled, curling his lip.

Fanghua also laughed: "Indeed I didn't expect it to be Sir Yun."

"You know me?"

"Sir, don't you know this humble woman?" the woman with flowing glances said, full of charm.

Yun Jinglou: "You're certainly no mere maiden."

"So in Sir Yun's eyes, I'm a formidable figure?"

While they were arguing in the room, Gu Rongjin had already slipped behind the screen; sensitive to secret passages, he quickly found the hidden passage in the attic of the top floor, this passage endless and pitch-black.

Gu Rongjin lit a match for light, moving forward; there were no mechanisms—either the person he sought wasn't inside, or the people here were so overconfident no one would think to look here.

After walking not long, light appeared ahead; Gu Rongjin extinguished the match, took a few steps, and the view opened up.

This is a simply furnished room, no one present, but it's clear someone once lived here.

Gu Rongjin looked around; the tea on the table was still steaming, indicating someone had just been here.

They had left in a hurry.

Did you expect them to come?

Or was it the impostor on Vermilion Bird Avenue who deliberately lured them here?

If so, you should have acted by now, right?

Gu Rongjin thought it more likely that the people had been temporarily moved away.

Looks like we'll come up empty-handed today...

I didn't expect them to be so careful and yet still be exposed!

But looking at it now, at least these people don't seem intent on killing Xixi.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside; Gu Rongjin left at top speed; when he reached outside, he carefully listened for the source, pinpointed a direction, flashed over, and unexpectedly saw an unexpected person!

"Xixi?!"

Hearing someone call her, Xixi looked up and instantly beamed: "Young Master Jin?!"

Gu Rongjin leapt down, gave Xixi a once-over: "You alright?"

"What's wrong with me?" Xixi doubted for a moment, then suddenly realized: "How did you know my arm was injured? That's too amazing! But it's already healed, just a light scratch."

Gu Rongjin thought Xixi was overly cheerful from every angle, not at all like someone who'd been imprisoned for days.

Could it be fake?

"Sorry for the rashness." He reached out and lifted the skin between Xixi's chin and neck.

Not a human skin mask.

"What's wrong?"