Chapter 240: A Pack of Beasts

Spring Pavilion, spring light is boundless.

Whatever Beauty Bathing Pool, Qunfang Doushouchang, Thousand-Gold Prison Torture, Beauty Horse-Riding Garden, Hundred-Flower Jade-Foot Dance, and so on, everything is available, dazzling one's eyes.

Luo Zijun did not dare to continue watching.

Because the scene was truly too cruel, too perverted, and furthermore, he clearly felt waves of chill coming from behind him.

"Fang Yi, the two of us rushed here this morning and haven't eaten yet; our stomachs are a bit hungry. First, find us a place to eat something and rest for a while."

He said hurriedly.

Fang Yi had originally intended to take them to visit the next venue named "Is the Daughter Beautiful," but upon hearing this, she smiled and quickly said, "Fine, then I will first take the two Young Masters upstairs to rest for a while."

She called over a maid and instructed, "Chunyin, take the two Young Masters to the VIP room upstairs to rest and serve them well; if there is any negligence, bring your head to see me!"

The maid named Chunyin hurriedly and respectfully agreed.

Fang Yi then said to Luo Zijun with a face full of smiles, "Young Master Yan, you two go up first; I will go instruct the kitchen to prepare some of the manor's signature dishes for you and bring two pots of good wine."

Immediately after, she suddenly smiled and said, "Have the two Young Masters ever eaten the Beauty Jade-Body Banquet? Would you like to try it once?"

At this moment, Bai Qingtong, who had not spoken the entire time, suddenly said in a rough voice, "We haven't eaten it; what is a Beauty Jade-Body Banquet?"

Fang Yi smiled as she looked at her and said, "It is just a beauty who has just bathed, lying naked on the table to serve as a platter; those dishes are all placed on her body. It is perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Would the two Young Masters like to try it?"

Luo Zijun said, "What if she suddenly farts?"

Fang Yi immediately laughed until she trembled like a flower branch, tapped him, and said, "Young Master Yan loves to joke. The girls who perform the Jade-Body Banquet cannot eat for three days beforehand and can only drink some honey water, so how could they fart? If she really does fart, Young Master, rest assured, we will beat her to death on the spot to apologize to you."

Luo Zijun said, "Forget it, next time."

Fang Yi said, "Then do the two Young Masters need girls to accompany you for drinks and service? The Baihuawu over there, as well as the places the two Young Masters just saw, the girls inside can all be chosen at will."

Luo Zijun said, "Not for now; we will come out to play after we finish eating and rest for a while."

Fang Yi smiled and said, "Fine, as you wish, Young Master."

She did not disturb them further, gave a few more instructions to the maid named Chunyin, then smiled, said her goodbyes, and left to welcome the next guest.

"Two Young Masters, please."

Chunyin led the two upstairs and arrived at a private room.

At the very back of the private room was a balcony, separated by a golden, resplendent beaded curtain. Looking down from the balcony, below was an open-air bathing pool.

In the pool, a group of women wearing thin, gauze dresses were playing and frolicking in the water.

Just as Luo Zijun stood at the railing and watched for a few moments, the women in the pool all looked up and waved, calling out coquettishly, "Young Master, come down quickly and play; let's bathe together, we will help Young Master scrub his body."

As they spoke, several of the women directly shed their gauze dresses, revealing snow-white, proud jade bodies.

Just as Luo Zijun was observing, a hand suddenly reached out from behind him, pinched his waist, and pulled him back into the room.

"Hiss..."

Luo Zijun hissed twice and said, "Third Miss, why do you also like to pinch people?"

Bai Qingtong was wearing a Mask, her eyes looking at him coldly as she said, "Brother-in-law, who else likes to pinch you?"

Luo Zijun said, "Xiaohuan, Zhiyuan."

Bai Qingtong let out a cold snort, her tone mocking as she said, "I really couldn't tell; brother-in-law is actually a regular at the Brothel, an old hand among the flowers."

Luo Zijun hurriedly explained in a low voice, "It's all fake; I was pretending on purpose."

Bai Qingtong said, "Pretending on purpose? With such proficiency, can it be faked?"

Luo Zijun changed the subject and said in a low voice, "Third Miss, this place is a den of iniquity, treating women like animals. Moreover, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg; I fear there are even more heinous things. We must find a way to destroy this place as soon as possible."

Bai Qingtong looked at him and said, "Indeed, we should find a way to destroy this place as soon as possible, otherwise, I fear brother-in-law will be a regular here in the future."

Luo Zijun said, "How is that possible? Am I that kind of person?"

Bai Qingtong said, "Just now, when brother-in-law was watching those performances, you were watching with great interest, especially the last Hundred-Flower Jade-Foot Dance. I pinched brother-in-law several times, but brother-in-law didn't react and couldn't bear to leave."

"Did I?"

"You did!"

"..."

Luo Zijun said, "I was intentionally displaying the lecherousness a bad man should have, otherwise people would be suspicious."

Bai Qingtong huffed, "Intentionally displaying it? Why do I feel like this is brother-in-law's true nature?"

Luo Zijun did not want to bicker with her anymore and simply shut his mouth.

Bai Qingtong made a few more sarcastic remarks, but seeing that he did not speak, she did not continue. She sat down on a chair, was silent for a while, and said, "Brother-in-law, the owner of this place is bold enough to defy heaven and does not take human life seriously, launching so many cruel programs. I fear it is not something Lai Da alone dares to do. It is very likely that there is an even more powerful figure behind him."

Luo Zijun said, "Jia She is definitely involved, and it may even implicate more nobles. Therefore, relying only on what the two of us have seen to report to the authorities will likely be useless; instead, it will alert the enemy and make them take precautions."

Bai Qingtong said, "Then what does brother-in-law intend to do? When we just entered, I secretly observed that there are many guards in the shadows here, and their strength is not to be underestimated."

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment and said, "We must first find out who is behind Lai Da, and then find out the situation of the guards here. If the government cannot be relied upon, then we can only..."

"Only what?"

Bai Qingtong looked at him and asked.

Luo Zijun said, "We can only think of other ways. If we can't arrest people, making this place go out of business is also an option."

Just as Bai Qingtong was about to speak, Chunyin knocked on the door outside and said, "Two Young Masters, the food has arrived."

Luo Zijun said, "Come in."

The door was pushed open.

Chunyin lowered her head, brought two maids in carrying the dishes, placed them carefully on the table, then retreated and closed the door.

When the two were talking just now, they stood very close and spoke in very low voices, afraid that someone might be eavesdropping.

Only then did they each sit down properly, preparing to eat something.

"There won't be any problems with this food, right?"

Luo Zijun suddenly said.

Bai Qingtong said, "There shouldn't be. This is a place for making money, not a place for harming people. Even if they do harm people, they would never dare to harm distinguished guests from the Inner City, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stay open for so long."

"That's true."

Smelling the enticing aroma of the dishes, Luo Zijun was indeed finding it hard to resist.

Bai Qingtong was also feeling somewhat hungry.

The two of them ate their food while whispering to discuss their strategy, then each poured a few cups of wine to drink.

Coming here without drinking wine would arouse suspicion.

After Luo Zijun was full, he stood up and said, "Third Miss, sit here for a while; I will go out and look around."

Bai Qingtong also stood up immediately: "I will go with Brother-in-law."

She then huffed: "Brother-in-law, you aren't planning to sneak off to watch the Hundred-Flower Jade-Foot Dance, are you? Or go down to take a Yuanyang bath with those women?"

"What are you saying?"

Luo Zijun glared at her, having no choice but to take her with him as he left the room.

Chunyin, who was guarding outside the door, hurriedly led the way, introducing things along the path with a face full of respectful and humble smiles, even when speaking of those cruel matters.

There were not many guests today, and there were not many programs either.

However, there were people guarding every spot, and when the group walked over, the programs began immediately.

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

When they arrived at a dark room, they heard the sound of a whip cracking inside.

A man guarding the entrance saw them and hurriedly opened the door with a face full of smiles, asking: "Do the two guests want to go in and play? The woman who just arrived is a martial artist; it is said she is even a chivalrous woman famous throughout the pugilistic world. Her temper is quite stubborn, and no matter how she is beaten, she won't make a sound. The two guests can go in and try."

Luo Zijun looked inside from the doorway.

The room was dimly lit by an oil lamp. A woman with disheveled hair was tied up and hanging beneath the Liang, completely naked. A pot-bellied man was holding a whip, lashing out while cursing with filthy language.

Throughout the room, all sorts of torture instruments were placed, some of which still bore dark red bloodstains.

The man at the door smiled: "Rest assured, two guests, this woman was only sent here last night; she is very clean. You may use any of the torture instruments inside as you please; it doesn't matter if you beat her to death."

Luo Zijun withdrew his gaze and asked: "Was this woman bought, or was she snatched?"

The man accompanied him with a smile: "I am truly sorry, I cannot answer that question. But rest assured, guests, even if you beat her to death, it will not cause you any trouble; we can guarantee that."

Luo Zijun said nothing more and continued walking forward.

After looking at a few more places, he had intended to leave, but thinking that the time was too short and they hadn't spent any money to watch any programs, it might arouse suspicion, so he said to Bai Third Miss: "Third Miss, shall we go to the Qunfang Doushouchang to play?"

Bai Qingtong said deliberately: "How about we go to the Hundred-Flower Jade-Foot Dance instead? Haven't you always liked jade feet?"

Luo Zijun said awkwardly: "Have I?"

Bai Qingtong said: "How could you not? The maidservants in the manor all told me."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Chunyin, who was to the side, said respectfully: "How about the two Young Masters go play separately? One goes to the Doushouchang, and one goes to the Jade-Foot Dance?"

Bai Qingtong glanced at someone again and said: "Forget it, let's just go to the Doushouchang."

Thus, the two of them, led by Chunyin, went to the Qunfang Doushouchang, found their seats, and sat down to watch.

In the arena, several women draped in thin gauze with graceful figures were being chased by two strong wild oxen.

Those two wild oxen seemed to have been fed drugs; their eyes were red, and their tempers were extremely violent.

One of the women was directly knocked flying, then scooped up by the ox horns; as she fell, she happened to be pierced through the stomach by the horns, hanging there covered in blood.

The other women screamed in terror and fled.

In order to survive, they hurriedly tore off the brightly colored light gauze they were wearing.

Yet those two wild oxen still chased them violently.

It was clearly visible that those women were extremely terrified and afraid; they were not playing a game, but truly running for their lives.

Chunyin explained from the side: "These are all women who are disobedient, or women who haven't been liked by guests for a long time, or women who are ill, so they are made to perform down there."

Luo Zijun looked at the women screaming and running for their lives below and asked: "Is there a winner or loser?"

Chunyin also looked below, her eyes numb as she said: "There are weapons on the ground. If someone kills a wild ox, she can come out alive, though it is only out of the Doushouchang, not out of this manor. If no guest buys her, her final outcome is still to die here. Or die in the prison full of torture instruments, or die in the Hunting Courtyard in the back, or still die right here."

After a pause, she added: "Or perhaps, die in the Human-Beast Cage."

Bai Qingtong suddenly asked: "What is the Human-Beast Cage?"

Chunyin explained respectfully: "It is a large cage that keeps wild men and wild beasts. Either they are eaten, or... they become one of the wild beasts, turning into wild men."

Bai Qingtong was puzzled: "How can a person become one of the wild beasts? Will the wild beasts accept them?"

Chunyin lowered her head and said: "Those wild beasts are all male, and they are fed drugs every day. This program is what the guests like to watch the most."

Bai Qingtong blinked, seemingly still not quite understanding.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said: "Alright, stop talking, don't disturb my watching of the beast fight."

Chunyin hurriedly apologized in fear and lowered her head, retreating to a distance.

Luo Zijun whispered: "Third Miss, don't ask about certain things; we will sit for a while longer and then leave."

Bai Qingtong stared at him for a few moments, then frowned and pondered, seemingly having suddenly understood. Her blood surged, her lips trembled, and she clenched her fists.

"Be careful of being discovered by the martial artists."

Luo Zijun hurriedly reminded her.

Bai Qingtong snapped out of it, gritted her teeth, and whispered: "This group of beasts..."

Luo Zijun looked at a woman below whose neck had been pierced by a water buffalo and murmured in a low voice: "Beasts wouldn't do this..."

(End of chapter)