Shangguan Yin and Yun Xiao raised their eyebrows. Who was Shen Jin'an to be personally accompanied by the top courtesan? This place truly had its secrets. Regardless of the nature of those secrets, it was unusual for the top courtesan to attend to Shen Jin'an. Could it be?
A flash of cold light gleamed in Yun Xiao's eyes, her lips pressed tightly together, exuding a chilling aura.
Could it be that this Wanxi Pavilion belonged to the Shen family? Where did they get so much money? This was a grand undertaking.
When Murong Kai had established the Rouge Pavilion, all the women in the establishment were his subordinates. It had taken him two years to build the Rouge Pavilion into the foremost establishment in the capital.
Yet, this Wanxi Pavilion had become so popular in such a short period. This required an enormous amount of capital and manpower.
Although the Shen family was the Minister of Personnel, where did they acquire so much wealth? Transporting these beautiful women from the South to this region would cost a fortune.
"I'm afraid the Minister of Personnel truly has a hidden agenda. What lies behind him? Why go to such lengths to establish this Wanxi Pavilion?"
Yun Xiao murmured, and Shangguan Yin also sensed the gravity of the situation. He rested his chin on Yun Xiao's head, and they both fell into quiet contemplation.
At this moment, Ziyang and Zhuifeng also returned, reporting in hushed tones, "Master, there are indeed many high-ranking officials in the pavilion."
This news deepened Yun Xiao's suspicion. Furrowing her delicate brows, she slowly spoke, "Murong, is there such a possibility?"
"What do you mean?"
Shangguan Yin's dark pupils were like cold stars in the midnight sky, shining with an icy brilliance.
Yun Xiao spoke coldly, her voice seeming to emanate from hell.
"Is it possible that Shen Jin'an is also part of the Xishan Skeleton Blood Bandits, and the person orchestrating this might be Ye Jingyi?"
Upon Yun Xiao's words, not only Shangguan Yin was startled, but Liu Xing, Jing Yun, Ziyang, and the others behind them were all filled with trepidation.
Could it be that Ye Jingyi had returned? This seemed impossible. They had heard that his martial arts were crippled by the Empress. How could he possibly return?
However, there were many bizarre occurrences in this world. Just as their master had easily recovered his internal energy after losing it, it wouldn't be surprising if Ye Jingyi had also recovered his abilities through some miraculous skill.
But the thought of his return conjured images of a bloody storm to come.
This person was not easy to deal with. In the past, they were in the shadows, and he was in the open. But now, he was in the shadows, and they were in the open, making them vulnerable to hidden attacks.
"We must apprehend Shen Jin'an immediately and investigate whether this Wanxi Pavilion is a Shen family property. Furthermore, as the son of Minister Shen, Shen Jin'an must know some undisclosed secrets."
"Alright."
Shangguan Yin nodded. But how to approach Shen Jin'an now? Shangguan Yin concentrated, an idea forming. Holding Yun Xiao, he instructed his subordinates, "Later, you will come up one by one. Which room is Shen Jin'an in?"
Liu Xing quickly reported, "On the second floor, in the innermost room."
Shangguan Yin, tearing at Yun Xiao's clothes with one hand, buried his face in her neck, kissing and biting her as he ascended the stairs.
His state was quite pronounced. Those waiting for the top courtesan to perform were constantly shouting. Some, overcome by lust, pressed the women beside them onto the nearby tables, their hands roaming freely, all while continuing to yell.
Shangguan Yin carried Yun Xiao to the second floor, where the atmosphere became much quieter. Passing each room, they could hear the sounds of coy moans emanating from within, the sounds of men and women engrossed in their pleasure.
Despite having shared intimate moments with Yun Xiao many times, the sounds of ambiguous panting still stirred a flicker of desire within Shangguan Yin.
Yun Xiao, worried that Shangguan Yin might inhale an aphrodisiac, thus complicating matters, quickly poked his face with her small hand. Her sharp nails dug into his flesh, finally bringing the man back to a semblance of clarity.
However, facing the person he loved and suppressing his desire was indeed a difficult task.
Before they reached the innermost room, they heard the tinkling sound of a beaded curtain. Shangguan Yin quickly turned his head, pressed Yun Xiao against the wall, and buried his face in her embrace.
The woman who approached was stunning, with bright, clear eyes and a face as beautiful as a crescent moon. She wore a vibrant crimson gauze dress, her inner garments subtly visible, with only a small bodice tightly encasing her chest.
Her entire being was a tantalizing play of concealment and revelation, extraordinarily alluring, truly a natural beauty.
It was enough to make any man lose himself, and as Shangguan Yin and Yun Xiao waited for her to pass, they moved swiftly towards the innermost room. They lifted the door curtain and rushed in. Yun Xiao, in turn, kicked the door shut and leaped from Shangguan Yin's embrace.
In the elegant room, divided into inner and outer sections, the person reclining on the soft couch heard the commotion outside and stirred, speaking, "My darling, you've returned. Come closer and accompany me."
As he spoke, Yun Xiao recognized the voice of Shen Jin'an.
She had clashed with Shen Jin'an twice before, so she was familiar with his way of speaking. A cold glint flashed, and she nodded to Shangguan Yin.
Shangguan Yin's figure flickered, and he was already inside. With one hand, he pressed Shen Jin'an's acupoint, rendering him immobile. He then grabbed him and yanked him out, tossing him aside like a sack of rags in front of Yun Xiao.
This person, clad in inner garments, could only be Shen Jin'an.
Upon seeing the person seated by the table, it was the foolish daughter of Prince Yun, now the Empress of the Eastern Qin, the one who had beaten him to the point of being bedridden for half a month. Shen Jin'an couldn't help but tremble, pointing at Yun Xiao.
"I didn't provoke you! Don't hit me!"
Yun Xiao looked at him with cold disdain. What a pathetic display, good for nothing but whoring.
At this moment, there were two knocks on the door, and a voice from outside said, "Master."
Yun Xiao recognized the voice of Liu Xing and said in a deep tone, "Enter."
Shen Jin'an, who had been pleased by the knock on the door, turned pale upon hearing it was this woman's subordinate. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. Unfortunately, he could do nothing but speak.
Moreover, he was too terrified to even call out. If he did, this woman would surely strike lethally. To facilitate his rendezvous with the courtesan, he had also sent his subordinates far away.
He figured no one would dare to disturb him at this moment. Was he to meet his end today?
Yun Xiao cast a cold glance at Shen Jin'an and leisurely reached for her scalpel from her leg. It glinted silver, as cold as ice.
Shen Jin'an was so terrified that he wet his pants, a loud sound accompanying the rush of liquid, followed by a foul odor.
Yun Xiao was so enraged that she almost punched him to death. Was this all the courage he possessed? He was so ostentatious in normal times; he could at least hold on for a bit longer.
At this moment, the people outside entered. Liu Xing, Zhuo Yue, Zhuifeng, Jing Yun, and others stood together in the room. Shen Jin'an's face grew even paler, and he looked as if he were about to faint.
Yun Xiao wanted to question him and would not allow him to faint. The silver light flashed, and with a swift movement, the scalpel grazed Shen Jin'an's cheek, shaving off a lock of his hair. It then shot towards the wall behind him, embedding itself deeply. Following this was her voice, as cold as ice.
"Try to faint, and I'll end you with this knife!"