Watching the group of profligates enter Yanbo Tower, Lu Zhaoling descended from her carriage.
Just moments ago, those men had been half-doubting Zhu Minghao's claims. In response, Zhu Minghao had boldly declared that he would go inside and strip off his clothes to show them exactly how fast his wounds were healing and just how miraculous the medicine's effects were.
"Let's go take a look," Lu Zhaoling said, walking toward the main entrance of Yanbo Tower.
Qingyin and Qingbao were rooted to the spot in shock.
"Miss, you absolutely cannot do that!"
"Miss, a smelly man's body is nothing pleasant to look at. You'll get a stye in your eye if you see that!" Qingbao cried out in a panic.
Zhu Minghao was going to strip down to show those young lords his scars, but who knew how far he would go? Their mistress was a young, unmarried lady; she shouldn't catch even a glimpse of such a thing.
Lu Zhaoling couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you two thinking? I don't have that kind of peculiar hobby."
Given Zhu Minghao's lifestyle a youth already depleted by wine and women, with grey shadows under his dull, lifeless eyes and a body clearly hollowed out by excess what could there possibly be worth seeing?
"Then, Miss, what do you mean?"
"We'll go in, find a private room, and just listen to the sounds," Lu Zhaoling explained. "I saw other female guests going in earlier. If we enter like this, we shouldn't stand out too much."
"It's true that Yanbo Tower has female guests, though they are few," Qingyin noted. "I've heard that some of them are noble wives or mothers coming to catch their husbands or sons."
Nonetheless, she produced a veil. "Miss, perhaps you should wear this?"
After all, unmarried young ladies rarely frequented such places. Most women here were either married or possessed a less-than-reputable name.
Lu Zhaoling nodded and donned the veil.
However, even with her face hidden and only her eyes visible, she remained exceptionally striking. Her posture was too refined; even without seeing her features, people were instinctively drawn to her. Her eyes were like pools of crystal-clear lake water, pure and tranquil. With the veil, she carried an air of mysterious, celestial grace.
The moment they stepped through the door, a waiter hurried over to greet them.
Female guests were rare, and most who came did so to settle scores, which often led to trouble. However, when the waiter saw Lu Zhaoling, he froze for a moment.
"This young lady... are you here looking for someone?"
She didn't look like a wife out to catch a wayward husband; her hair was styled in the fashion of an unmarried maiden.
"I heard Yanbo Tower is quite elegant. I was curious and wanted to see for myself," Lu Zhaoling replied.
"Of course, that is no problem at all. Shall I arrange a private booth over by the Waterside Pavilion for the lady?"
There was even a Waterside Pavilion here?
Lu Zhaoling naturally agreed.
It turned out that Yanbo Tower was a place of hidden depths. Beyond the main entrance lay a courtyard with steps leading up to rooms on both sides. Passing through the courtyard and a circular gate, one found a man-made pond lined with flowers and ornamental rocks. Beside the water sat a raised platform, and just past that was the Waterside Pavilion.
The pavilion featured railings and a row of large windows sealed with vibrant, colored liuli. As the light hit the liuli windows, they shimmered with beautiful colors.
Qingyin and Qingbao, assuming Lu Zhaoling had grown up in the countryside and might not know what it was, whispered a brief explanation to her.
Lu Zhaoling was slightly surprised to see such exquisite liuli at this time. She had assumed the Great Zhou Dynasty didn't possess such craftsmanship yet.
The private rooms in the Waterside Pavilion were clearly high-end. Lu Zhaoling had agreed to come here primarily because she suspected Zhu Minghao and his group would be nearby.
Sure enough, the moment they entered their booth, they heard a raucous commotion coming from next door.
Those playboys hadn't bothered to close their windows or their door. They were being so loud and disruptive that there was no need for the girls to strain themselves to eavesdrop.
"Miss, it might be best to close the door. There are many young lords from prominent families here today. If someone wanders into the wrong room, they might offend you."
The waiter was still a bit worried. Business was booming today, and this was the last private booth available; otherwise, he never would have placed Lu Zhaoling here.
Perhaps he should try to persuade them to leave?
Seeing such a beautiful girl, if she caught the eye of one of those profligate sons, trouble was bound to follow.
Lu Zhaoling seemed to read his mind. "It's fine. Just bring us a pot of good tea and a few plates of dim sum."
Seeing how calm she was, the waiter had no choice but to comply.
Once the tea and snacks were delivered, Qingyin moved to shut the door.
"Leave it open, and the window too," Lu Zhaoling instructed.
"Miss, if we do that, anyone passing by will see you at a glance..." Qingyin said worriedly.
"It doesn't matter. Didn't we come here to find someone? I'm not here just to taste tea. If the doors and windows are tightly shut, how will I see that Third Master Liu?"
Qingbao poured tea for Lu Zhaoling. "We will definitely protect you, Miss."
Both she and Qingyin practiced martial arts; what was there to fear?
Would Zhu Shizi actually dare to do anything to Lu Zhaoling, given her connection to Prince Jin?
"Sit down and have some snacks with me," Lu Zhaoling invited them to join her.
The noise next door was substantial.
Zhu Minghao had pulled open his robes, exposing his torso to the group.
The whip marks were still there, but they had faded significantly.
"Look at this! Don't you see how effective the medicine is? Every one of these wounds was bleeding originally. That dead girl's hands are damn cruel! When I used other Jinchuang Ointments, the healing was slow as hell..."
Dai Xu thought Zhu Minghao was being a complete idiot.
Even if the medicine was good and the scars had faded, they were still perfectly visible. Showing them off like this was essentially just giving everyone a clearer look at exactly how badly the second Miss Lu had thrashed him.
To be whipped into such a state by a slip of a girl how did he have the face to flaunt it?
Dai Xu really didn't know whether to call him stupid or just thick-skinned.
"Yo, this whip mark here looks pretty serious. There's still a scab that hasn't fallen off..." A greasy-haired young lord leaned in. His meddlesome hand reached out to pick at the scab on Zhu Minghao's back.
As he got closer, he paused. Wait? What is that weird smell?
Despite his confusion, his busybody fingers had already flicked the scab away. The moment the scab fell, a yellowish liquid seeped from the wound.
Instantly, the foul stench intensified a hundredfold.
The young lord let out a gagging "yue" sound, nearly losing his lunch.
He scrambled back, shouting in agony, "Zhu Shizi, did you fall into a latrine? You reek!"
He looked at his own finger the one he had just used to pick the scab...
Where did this disgusting habit of mine come from? He cursed himself even as he reflexively brought his finger to his nose for a sniff.
"Blegh!"
This time, he actually vomited.
"To hell with you! Song Si, you're disgusting!" The people nearby cried out in alarm, jumping away and cursing loudly.
"Wait, something's wrong! It really is a stench! It's coming from Zhu Shizi!"
Zhu Minghao slammed his hand on the table. "Bullshit! I bathed just last night and used fragrant soap!"
His back began to itch slightly, and he instinctively twisted his arm to scratch it.
With that single scratch, several bloody gashes instantly appeared across his back.
As soon as the blood surfaced, the itch became unbearable, and the stench grew even more pungent.
"You must have used stinky soap! This is revolting! Zhu Minghao, are you doing this on purpose just to disgust us?" Dai Xu pinched his nose and backed away.
At that moment, another group of people arrived at the Waterside Pavilion. Hearing the commotion, they walked over. The person in the lead turned his head and spotted Lu Zhaoling.
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