Tone

The broker pushed open the gate. The houses here were expensive, so every so often, he would hire some women to clean them thoroughly.

It didn’t cost much, and whenever a tenant came to view the place, they would always see a spotless house.

If the place were covered in dust and cobwebs, the rent would surely be negotiated down.

These days, many people couldn’t even afford to eat, so a few copper coins were enough to find plenty of people willing to do the job.

The courtyard in front of the quadrangle had a small yard with a stone table and chairs under a tree.

The yard was also kept very clean, with no fallen leaves or weeds in sight.

“We have people come to clean here every few days,” the broker said, bending slightly and gesturing for them to go inside and take a look.

Li Yingling stepped in first, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

Naturally, it couldn’t compare to the scale of Li Yingling’s family home, but it was far better than the dilapidated temple they had been staying in.

At least it was clean and tidy, and she wouldn’t have to patch up a drafty door.

Li Yingling walked over to the stone table and lightly brushed her hand across it. Lifting her hand, she confirmed that there was indeed no dust.

She casually pushed open the door to the side room on the right and saw that it was also neatly arranged.

However, there was no mattress or bedding on the bed, though the desk and chairs were all in place.

Chu Xingchen also stepped into the courtyard, his eyes sweeping around before he turned to Li Xingtian beside him and asked,

“What do you think?”

“If Master thinks it’s fine, then it’s fine.”

Li Xingtian truly didn’t care much about where they stayed; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to sleep behind the broken-down temple.

The broker was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Master? The relationship between this group seemed different from what he had assumed.

“Master, this place is really nice,” Li Yingling said as she stepped out of the side room, her expression showing clear satisfaction with the house.

The broker quickly chimed in, “Of course! Ask anyone in Yuzhou City, and they’ll tell you this location and the house are top-notch.”

Seeing his eldest disciple’s pleased expression, Chu Xingchen decisively took out twenty taels of silver.

“We’ll rent it for six months. You can handle the paperwork and bring it to me later.”

The broker’s eyes lit up instantly, and he eagerly accepted the silver before respectfully handing over the keys to Chu Xingchen.

“Understood! Here are the keys. I’ll deliver the rental agreement to you tonight.”

After Chu Xingchen took the keys, the broker tactfully excused himself and left.

Li Xingtian, seeing that his master had rented the place, immediately carried his belongings inside and began arranging the pots, pans, and other utensils in their proper places.

“Master, why did you decide to come to Yuzhou City?”

Li Yingling asked curiously. She had originally thought her master would take her to some remote mountain.

Her question was quite astute. Chu Xingchen had his reasons for coming to Yuzhou City, though they were somewhat unavoidable:

“Good question… I’ll explain it to you all tonight. For now, see what’s missing and go buy what you need. We might be staying here for a while.”

As he spoke, Chu Xingchen untied the silver pouch from his waist and tossed it to Li Yingling.

“Got it, Master~” Li Yingling’s eyes sparkled as she caught the pouch. “Junior brother, come on, let’s go shopping!”

“Coming…”

Li Xingtian put down his bundle and stepped out of the side room, though his first glance was directed at his master.

Chu Xingchen nodded. “Go ahead. Go with your senior sister and buy what we need.”

“Yes, Master,” Li Xingtian replied with a nod.

With that, Li Yingling energetically led her junior brother out to shop.

She seemed to plan on buying quite a bit, as she even had Li Xingtian bring along the bundle he had just put down.

As the two of them gradually walked away, Chu Xingchen closed the main gate and quietly set up a few hidden formations in inconspicuous spots.

The formations weren’t particularly powerful—they only served to alert him if someone entered the area, allowing him to take a quick look using his spiritual sense.

Since they didn’t require spirit stones to operate, Chu Xingchen left a few strands of his own spiritual energy to ensure the formations would last until he returned.

Once everything was done, Chu Xingchen’s figure suddenly vanished from the center of the courtyard.

If you asked where the best place in Yuzhou City was,

it would undoubtedly be the Spring Blossom Pavilion, where the women were as abundant as the spring flowers.

With its gentle breezes and refined atmosphere, it had everything one could desire.

But if you asked where the most sophisticated place was,

it would have to be the Bamboo Jade Pavilion.

While the Spring Blossom Pavilion offered everything from high to low, from the indulgent to the restrained, anything that was too easily attainable couldn’t be considered truly elegant.

After all, anything that could be bought with money wasn’t much of a challenge for wealthy young masters.

The Bamboo Jade Pavilion, however, was completely different. Even the maids who served tea were untouchable and unapproachable.

As for the courtesans who specialized in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, they were even more aloof and proud.

Even if you offered a thousand taels of gold, they might refuse to see you, not even allowing a glimpse through a veil.

Very few people had ever seen the faces of the Bamboo Jade Pavilion’s courtesans without their veils.

But those who had seen them described the women as breathtakingly beautiful, like celestial beings.

Moreover, the Bamboo Jade Pavilion seemed to have powerful backing, as no one in Yuzhou City had ever managed to force its courtesans to meet someone they didn’t wish to see.

Thus, this unattainable level of sophistication was the pinnacle of what men pursued.

Anyone who had seen the face of a courtesan beneath her veil could boast about it across the entire Yuzhou City.

Strictly speaking, the Bamboo Jade Pavilion was divided into two parts. The front section, where guests were entertained with music, was the Bamboo Jade Pavilion itself.

Behind it, the residences of the courtesans were known as the White Jade Tower.

At this moment, Chu Xingchen was in the White Jade Tower—inside the private chamber of the courtesan Yaoqin.

The room was simple and unadorned, with no unnecessary decorations. Not even a trace of makeup or perfume could be seen.

At the tea table, Chu Xingchen sipped lightly on the slightly bland tea in front of him.

Across from him sat a young maid with a cute, round face and large almond eyes. She puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Chu Xingchen, who looked completely at ease.

The maid was in the middle of brewing tea.

Though Chu Xingchen was “sipping” the tea, he was more like a boar unable to appreciate fine delicacies. He knew the tea was expensive—something he probably couldn’t afford—so he took advantage of the opportunity to drink as much as he could without paying.

“Tsk, tsk,” Chu Xingchen finished the cup in one gulp but still couldn’t tell what was so special about it. Nevertheless, he felt qualified to offer his opinion:

“It’s too bland. Next time, don’t be so stingy with the tea leaves. You didn’t put enough in—it’s tasteless.”

The maid nearly fainted from anger, wanting to hurl the teapot in her hands at this shameless man.

Did he have any idea how expensive this tea was?!

Did he know that even this small amount was something her mistress had saved and rarely drank?

Normally, just smelling the aroma of this tea was a treat reserved for special occasions!

The maid snorted coldly and snapped, “If you don’t know how to drink it, then don’t!”

“Enough, Little Ling.”

A cool, feminine voice came from the doorway.

Little Ling immediately stiffened, quickly standing up from her seat and moving to the side, where she stood obediently.

Chu Xingchen looked up toward the door.

There stood a tall woman dressed in a flowing white gown, her face veiled with white silk. Her smooth black hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin.

Though her face was hidden, her icy, captivating eyes were breathtakingly beautiful.

Even without seeing her full features, it was clear that the woman before him was a peerless beauty.

She held a qin in her arms, her gaze fixed on Chu Xingchen as he sat in the chair.

“It’s been a while, Miss Yaoqin.”

Chu Xingchen was the first to greet her.