At the entrance of Guanyue Tower, several girls watched the three men who stood unmoving. Especially upon seeing Jiang Moran and Fengqingzi, two young gentlemen of extraordinary bearing, they could not take their eyes off them.
Chattering eagerly, they immediately crowded around them and greeted them warmly:
“Are you three young masters here for a meal?”
“Oh, Sister Cui, what are you saying? If they aren’t here for a meal, could they be here to 'have' us instead?”
“Haha, you cheeky girl.”
This bold and playful banter caught Fengqingzi completely off guard. When had a young virgin like him ever seen such a display? It wasn't that he had never dealt with the opposite sex before, but his dealings had been strictly literal—meaning they only ever fought.
Zhang Ming and Jiang Moran were fine with it, having long grown accustomed to such things. In an era where people could barely even afford to eat, who had the luxury to fuss over proper etiquette?
A girl led the three of them into the establishment and escorted them to a private booth on the second floor. She asked them to wait for a moment and then took her leave.
The location was excellent. From here, they could watch the dancers on the stage on the first floor, or they could draw the curtains to tryst with a lover—effectively killing two birds with one stone.
Zhang Ming said to Jiang Moran and the other, “I’ve heard that the wine here at Guanyue Tower is unparalleled. I already ordered a jar, so let's try it together later.”
Jiang Moran nodded. Good wine and dancers to watch; no wonder so many people came here to spend money.
Fengqingzi suddenly spoke up, “Brother Zhang, is it really fine for you not to be acting together with the other agents...?”
“Don't worry. What use could a mere Bronze-Rank like me possibly be in a situation like this?”
Indeed, Fengqingzi thought to himself. Yet, the other party tagging along with them out of nowhere still made him overthink things.
“By the way... do you two know about the annihilation of the Prince's Residence?”
Fengqingzi's fingers froze, and his heart gave an instinctive jolt. Did he discover something?!
Sitting to the side, Jiang Moran's gaze fell upon Zhang Ming. Was this a probe, or was it just a casual remark...?
“My lords, this is Spring Tea Wine, a specialty of Guanyue Tower.”
A cheerful greeting broke the slightly frozen atmosphere. The girl who had just left stood to the side with a flask of wine, introducing it with a beaming smile.
As the lid of the flask was opened, an intoxicating aroma of wine blended with the fragrance of tea wafted toward them, dispelling the tension in the air.
Just a single whiff was incredibly refreshing.
Jiang Moran picked up a cup and took a light sip. It tasted of sweet tea upon entry, followed by a perfectly subtle, mellow kick. Even after swallowing, the flavor lingered pleasantly on his palate.
It made one's head feel light as if floating on a cloud. Watching the dancers below spin gracefully like falling flowers made it an incredibly comfortable experience.
“Reward! Give thirty silver taels to the dancer below!”
A man in the private booth opposite them, having just downed a few cups of wine, roared down toward the stage with glazed eyes.
Upon hearing this, the dancer bowed slightly in the man's direction. As she bent forward, the fair skin of her cleavage, which was already barely concealed, was fully revealed.
This sight excited the man even further, and he immediately barked out another reward of ten silver taels!
If Su Jinfeng were here, she would likely chime in with a “brilliant.”
Using wine to intoxicate people, making them watch the dance in a daze, and stirring up the deepest desires of men's hearts—it got them to throw their shining silver around as if it were worthless paper.
Guanyue Tower truly lived up to its reputation!
Zhang Ming had also drank a few cups of Spring Tea Wine. Though a flush of drunkenness now colored his face, his eyes remained perfectly clear.
He also looked down at the dancer, whose movements were deliberately seductive. Her outfit was exceptionally loose, offering fleeting glimpses of skin as she danced.
While it wasn't as explicit as a brothel, it was far more teasing and provocative.
He gently set his wine cup on the table and spoke in a mysterious whisper, “You two, do you know the relationship between this dancer and Prince Ning?”
Jiang Moran also set down his wine cup, raising an eyebrow slightly as he waited for him to continue.
He gave a soft chuckle and continued, “This dancer is actually Prince Ning's lover. It began the very first time Prince Ning came to Guanyue Tower for a drink; he took a liking to her at first sight and splurged three hundred taels of silver to reward her.”
“Ever since she found out this morning that Prince Ning's entire household had been slaughtered, she cried for the entire morning. If the shopkeeper hadn't pressed her so hard, I'm afraid today's patrons wouldn't have been lucky enough to see her perform.”
Fengqingzi turned to look at the dancer. Indeed, amidst the swaying light and shadows, her eyes appeared somewhat red and swollen.
“What a devoted woman.”
Zhang Ming nodded in agreement. “Exactly. This morning, she even came to the Six Doors' men to ask about the culprit.”
“It's a pity, though. Prince Ning was highly unpopular, and the commoners are keeping their mouths shut about the killer who stood outside the Prince's Residence this morning. Other than knowing he was a man, they don't know a thing.”
“Oh, and by the way, while he was standing outside the Prince's Residence, everyone inside was killed. The culprit should consist of two people...”
As Zhang Ming spoke, he picked up his cup and downed it in one gulp. A strange, sharp light flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at the men before him.
“...or more.”
Jiang Moran stared straight back into his eyes with a deep, unfathomable gaze. Unexpectedly, Zhang Ming was completely unable to read any emotion from it.
“You...”
Jiang Moran kicked the table hard, sending Zhang Ming and his chair sliding several meters backward.
At the exact same moment, a burly man passing by their table drew a broadsword from his waist and hacked down viciously at the spot where Zhang Ming had just been. The blade reflected Jiang Moran's indifferent face.
The assassin's strike missed, and he was just about to pull the broadsword back when Fengqingzi moved even faster. He formed a claw with his hand, seized the man's throat, and gave it a violent twist.
With a sharp snap, the assassin died on the spot.
Only after finishing the deed did he realize he had actually forgotten to leave the man alive; his actions just now had been purely instinctive.
Jiang Moran saw through his thoughts and said, “Don't worry, there are plenty more of them here.”
As soon as his voice fell, dozens of people filed out from various parts of Guanyue Tower, weapons in hand, staring at them with bone-chilling intent to kill.
...
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