The Bureau of Entertainments.
Amidst the clinking of cups and the flow of wine, several graceful musicians moved between the tables, refilling drinks with soft smiles.
On the second floor, behind a string of pearl curtains, sat a woman playing the zither. Her waist was slender, her brows delicately arched, and between them lingered an inescapable sorrow.
This woman was none other than the most famous courtesan of the Bureau, Zhu Xiuxiu.
In terms of beauty, Zhu Xiuxiu was not a peerless enchantress. She was refined and gentle, her bearing elegant and dignified like that of a noble daughter raised within high walls. Skilled in music and poetry, her demeanor was graceful and serene, carrying a soft allure that few could resist.
In the Bureau of Entertainments, however, her beauty placed her far above the rest.
After all, most women here were the families of disgraced officials who had been exiled, not captives bought by traffickers.
And in a world where martial strength determined one's fate, a woman of truly breathtaking beauty, if she lacked cultivation to protect herself, would have long since been seized and ruined. Her end would have been miserable beyond words.
No woman of such looks could have lived safely working here.
Even in the shadow of the Imperial Palace, lawless men were everywhere.
Take Zhu Xiuxiu herself, until recently, she had been treated as the personal property of the Northern Garrison Prince's heir, Gu Fangchen. Others knew this well and dared not summon her lightly.
No matter how that foppish young master had toyed with her, she was still his woman.
Yet with Gu Fangchen's identity recently thrown into question, Zhu Xiuxiu had been made the object of ridicule and sport. Had it not been for the repeated chaos that followed, her fate would already have turned grim.
The only thing that spared her was the rumor that the Grand Preceptor seemed to favor Gu Fangchen. Because of that, her humiliation had so far been limited to performing music and songs.
Had Gu Fangchen failed to secure his title as heir in court the previous day, everyone connected to him would have been dragged down together.
Below, several well-dressed young nobles were gathered, a thin booklet open before them, discussing animatedly.
"Look, look! The newest printed issue of the Lesser Heaven List! Gu Fangchen really is ranked tenth! So it wasn't just rumor!"
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the record.
The Sky-Eye Division always took time to process changes on the Heaven Ranking before officially publishing them.
Thus, when news first spread that Gu Fangchen had leapt from being a cripple unable to cultivate to a Sixth Grade expert, many dismissed it as fabrication.
After all, experts had diagnosed his meridians and dantian as completely destroyed, and he had been poisoned as well. Yet now, he had suddenly become a Half-Step Grandmaster.
It was simply too absurd to believe.
Even after confirmation that he still held his title as heir, some continued to doubt his strength.
But now, there was no denying it.
"What do we do now...? About that Xiuxiu girl, should we, uh, let the young marquis call her back?"
One of them glanced nervously toward a richly robed man whose expression was dark and cold.
That man, called the Young Marquis, was Ji Peng, son of Marquis Dingyuan Ji Chuan, one of Princess Xiao Yinghao's veteran generals.
Since Xiao Yinghao and Gu Yuandao had long been bitter rivals, Ji Peng and Gu Fangchen had likewise clashed repeatedly.
If anyone could be called Gu Fangchen's number one enemy, it was not Xiao Yi, but this man.
Another noble scoffed.
"What are you afraid of? So what if he's heir again? He's only Sixth Grade, who doesn't have a Sixth Grade retainer or two at home?"
"Exactly. And she's just a prostitute from the Bureau of Entertainments. He probably doesn't even remember her."
Ji Peng had indeed felt some unease at first, but their words reassured him.
Gu Fangchen had merely circled back to his former position.
Was being Sixth Grade really that extraordinary?
They were born into power and privilege, men of status who commanded blades, not wielded them.
Even Gu Fangchen himself had been like that once.
And even if his former frivolity had been an act, would he truly care so much about Zhu Xiuxiu? She was just a plaything.
Now that he had risen to prominence, those sordid indulgences of the past should be buried quickly, as if they never happened.
Ji Peng was merely doing the burying for him.
Taking Zhu Xiuxiu was nothing more than a gesture of spite. Once he tired of her, she could be discarded into a pauper's grave.
The thought soothed him. He laughed loudly, joining the others in lewd jesting.
Their coarse laughter filled the hall, nearly drowning out the mournful melody from the zither above.
Suddenly, the madam of the Bureau appeared from behind the upstairs corridor and whispered a few words to Zhu Xiuxiu.
Her lifeless eyes flickered with surprise, her fingers striking a harsh note, "zheng!", a sharp twang that cut through the noise below.
Ji Peng's face darkened.
"Your Bureau grows bolder by the day. Do you have a death wish?"
The madam immediately hurried forward with a forced smile, lifting the beaded curtain.
"Sirs, please forgive us. Miss Xiuxiu has been redeemed. From today on, she will no longer perform here."
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
"You old hag, are you mocking us? Everyone here is a criminal's descendant, slaves for life! No one leaves this place. Who would redeem her?"
The madam kept her ingratiating smile.
"It was His Highness the Heir who granted her freedom. By his special decree, Xiuxiu's slave status has been removed. From this day forth, she is a free citizen under Heaven."
Ji Peng's eyes narrowed dangerously as he fixed his gaze on the fragile figure above.
"A free citizen? So what? If I want her, do you think you can keep her from me?"
He sprang upward in a flash, crossing the room in an instant, reaching for her,
"Boom!"
Ji Peng was hurled back violently, crashing through tables and chairs before crumpling to the floor amidst a cloud of dust, his fate uncertain.
His guards' faces drained of color. They sensed a terrifying aura and immediately recoiled.
"Fourth Grade?!"
An old figure chuckled darkly as he landed in the center of the hall.
It was none other than Blood Sage Hu Wenxin, the slave Gu Fangchen had recently taken under his command.
A Sixth Grade expert might serve as a family retainer, but a Fourth Grade one stood beyond that, an ancestral figure within a noble clan.
Where had such a person appeared from?
Behind the beaded curtain, Xuexiang stepped forward wearing a veil, her chin lifted with the composure of a senior maid.
"His Highness the Heir said she is now a free citizen. Therefore, she is a free citizen. Whoever dares disturb Miss Xiuxiu's life, this is what awaits them."
With that, she placed a golden box into Zhu Xiuxiu's trembling hands.
Tears welled up in the courtesan's eyes, spilling freely down her cheeks as she clutched the box to her chest.
"Thank you, Your Highness..."
After years of degradation and witnessing the mysterious deaths of her fellow sisters, all she had ever hoped for was a path to survival.
Never had she dreamed she might one day regain her freedom.
Even if this was merely the Heir's way of flaunting his newfound authority, to her, it was the greatest gift life could offer.
...
"You... actually came?"
Zhao Wenyuan's face twitched as he looked at the handsome young man sitting comfortably across from him, sipping tea as though it were his own home.
When he'd heard that his father had personally invited Gu Fangchen over, he had prayed that the man would simply forget about him.
But no, Gu Fangchen had arrived at the Zhao residence the very first moment he could.
A true friend indeed...
If only he didn't have those two incriminating yin-yang jade pendants in his possession, it would have been perfect.
Gu Fangchen blew across his cup, his tone casual.
"You don't seem happy to see me. Fine. Keep the two jades for yourself, then. I'll be on my way."
He made as if to stand.
Zhao Wenyuan quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait, wait! How could that be? I'd be honored if you visited every day!"
"Here, take the jades, please."
He forced a bitter smile.
"I've cooperated as much as I could, Your Highness. With your power now, you could call white black if you wished. I'm just a humble proofreader at best, I can't help you anymore."
Gu Fangchen smiled thinly.
"Really? A mere proofreader can't help me... but what about the Sky-Eye Division's Thousand-Eyed A-Class Division?"
Zhao Wenyuan's expression froze instantly.