The first floor of the Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion was draped with pink gauze curtains, falling like a waterfall from the ceiling. Rose petals drifted down from above, showering down in large heaps at intervals, making people feel as if they were in a sea of flowers.
The air was thick with the scent of rouge, powder, and alcohol. Drunken men with flushed necks and lewd grins could be seen embracing the women beside them, and after some intimate moments, they would impatiently lead them into private rooms.
Xu Mu and the other two stood frozen, silently observing the dazzling, decadent scene before them, uncharacteristically lost for words.
"What are you dawdling for? Serve wine to the esteemed guests!" Inside the Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion, a charming woman with a few wrinkles on her face, swaying her voluptuous body, walked up to Li Zao with a very enthusiastic smile.
"No need."
Li Zao pushed away the two women he had been holding, crossed his arms, and glanced at the decadent spectacle around him with disdain. He said flippantly, "The premiere pavilion of the Imperial City is nothing more than this. It looks no different from any ordinary brothel."
The woman, upon hearing this, did not get angry at all. She merely covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled coyly. Looking at the three of them, she said, "You jest, honored guest. If you wish to see something different, please follow me upstairs."
"Our Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion has eight floors, and the scene on each floor is unique. Any pleasure you can imagine in this lifetime can be enjoyed here," httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The plump woman swayed her waist, leading them through a throng of women, and then arrived at a staircase. She said with a smile, "However, I must say something upfront. While the sights upstairs are beautiful, they are indeed not something ordinary people can afford. The women on the second floor are generally fifty taels more expensive than those on the first."
Li Zao asked, "Gold?"
The plump woman was taken aback for a moment, then covered her mouth and laughed, "You joke, honored guest. Even the ladies on the seventh floor do not cost fifty taels of gold for a night. Of course, it is silver."
Li Zao nodded and said, "Then take us to the eighth floor."
The plump woman sized up Li Zao, then observed Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu. As she led them up the stairs, she chuckled and said, "Esteemed guests, the eighth floor is not a place one can simply ascend. You need to spend a sufficient amount on the seventh floor, up to ten thousand taels of gold, before you qualify to go to the eighth floor."
"Oh? Then what is the price for the ladies on the eighth floor? Don't tell me it's a hundred times more," Xu Mu raised an eyebrow, glancing at the women on the second floor playing the zither with affected elegance, and asked with a sigh.
Ten thousand taels of gold, even for him now, was not a sum he could casually part with. If given to ordinary people, ten thousand taels of gold could provide for hundreds of people for a lifetime without worrying about food and clothing, but here, it only bought an entry qualification!
Upon reaching the third floor, the noise had significantly subsided. The lighting was dim, and most of the patrons were people of status who did not get drunk and make a scene. They were mostly engaged in toasting and conversing loudly, with women playing music beside them, creating a rather peaceful scene.
"One million taels of gold could allow for complete indulgence elsewhere, but in our Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion, it is considered nothing."
The plump woman smiled slightly and turned to Xu Mu, saying, "There are only sixteen ladies on the eighth floor, and each of them has a remarkable background. These ladies have no fixed price; how much you spend is entirely up to the honored guest's discretion."
"Oh?" Xu Mu said with some surprise, "So, if I offer her one tael of silver, she will come?"
The plump woman covered her mouth and smiled again, as if she had seen Xu Mu's inexperience. Her voice was gentle as she said, "Honored guest, you must understand that sometimes, the things without a price are the most expensive."
"If you wish to have these sixteen celestial maidens accompany you for drinks, play music, dance, discuss intimate matters, or even have an intimate encounter on a pleasure boat, it all depends on the competition among you guests."
"Our Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion values the happiness of our guests the most. Therefore, the eighth floor is also called the Elysium, Paradise. The minimum spending for each person is no less than one hundred thousand taels of gold, with no upper limit on spending."
"Once, a wealthy merchant spent over seventeen million taels of gold just to play chess with Xian'er Jiu, the top courtesan of our Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion."
The plump woman stopped and turned to face Li Zao and the other two, smiling. "Esteemed guests, you have reached the seventh floor. Please spend a sufficient amount here, ten thousand taels, to proceed to the eighth floor."
Li Zao and the others glanced at the scene on the seventh floor and found it no different from the other six floors, except that the decorations were more exquisite, the wine was more fragrant, and the women were of higher caliber.
Li Zao's expression was calm as he asked,
"The courtesan you just mentioned, is she Xian'er Jiu?"
The plump woman nodded and smiled, "Precisely. Miss Xian'er Jiu only performs her singing and playing every nine days. At this very moment, the guests on the eighth floor should be captivated by her singing."
"Then there's no need for so much trouble. I want only the best," Li Zao threw out a thick stack of banknotes, totaling exactly ten thousand taels of gold, and then walked up the stairs to the eighth floor without looking back.
The plump woman was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, "Ten thousand taels can get the ladies on the seventh floor to accompany you with three large pots of wine. Are you three sure you don't want to stay and see?"
Xu Mu didn't look back, laughing as he ascended the stairs and shouted loudly, "What's the point of having them accompany us for drinks? I want to drink wine poured by Miss Jiu herself today!"
"Not just anyone can drink the wine of Fairy Jiu'er." The space on the eighth floor was much smaller than the previous seven, but it was still full of people. A man with a fierce countenance, dressed in luxurious attire, glared at Xu Mu and his companions who had just ascended the stairs, saying with great displeasure.
Those who could afford to spend on this floor were all people of status. They were currently immersed in the graceful, enchanting, and ethereal dance of the goddesses beside them, their minds entranced. Xu Mu's sudden remark had shattered their illusion, naturally causing them some irritation.
Xu Mu and the other two ascended the stairs, looking around at the people in the room. They noticed that both men and women were staring at them. Xu Mu, however, did not pay them much mind. His eyes were fixed on the center of the eighth floor, on the woman seated before a zither.
The woman's face was half-veiled by a light gauze curtain. Her eyes were bright, and she wore a qipao woven from green silk, which perfectly accentuated her figure. Her snow-white skin, tinged with pink, was exposed to the air, seemingly exuding a pear-like sweetness.
Although her face was not fully visible, for some reason, the moment Xu Mu saw this woman, he became somewhat infatuated, as if something had stolen his soul.
Seeing this, everyone in the room sneered contemptuously.
"Where did this country bumpkin come from? He's already acting like this just by looking at Miss Jiu before she's even spoken."
The man in luxurious attire with the fierce countenance, who had spoken earlier, sneered again. The stunning woman beside him smiled sweetly and offered him a drink of wine.
The smooth wine flowed into his mouth, its silken texture and soul-refreshing aroma made the fierce man feel as if he were walking on clouds, and he couldn't help but let out a comfortable groan. His cheeks flushed instantly, and he leaned back drunkenly against the stunning woman's chest.
However, his eyes remained fixed on the woman playing the zither in the center, and a lustful smile appeared on his face.
Xu Mu merely blinked in a daze, then quickly regained his senses. However, he had to pretend to be entranced. He found a place to sit at random, picked up the wine beside him, and while drinking, he grinned foolishly at Xian'er Jiu.
Soon, Xian'er Jiu finished her piece, and many faces showed expressions of lingering satisfaction.
"Miss Jiu'er's melody transports me to the immortal realm of Yaochi. The rhythm and flow of the music are perfect, like a breathtaking landscape painting unfolding before my eyes. Truly, this music should only exist in heaven, and is rarely heard on earth!"
A stout, dark-skinned man who looked like a nouveau riche, speaking with a lisp, stood up and laughed heartily. He used all his oratorical skills to praise Xian'er Jiu.
"After this piece, I am still unsatisfied. I wonder if Miss Jiu would honor me by taking me on a pleasure boat to play another ten or eight tunes?" the lecherous boss chuckled vulgarly, waving a thick stack of banknotes.
"Take this three hundred thousand taels of gold as a reward for Miss Jiu'er's performance!"
"Thank you, honored guest."
Xian'er Jiu sat at her seat and nodded slightly at the man. The other men present also showed expressions of disdain. They thought this man had some wealth, expecting to go on a pleasure boat for only three hundred thousand taels. It was sheer fantasy!
"After listening to Miss Jiu'er's melody, the music of all women in the world has become bland and uninspired," a young man wearing a black mask and luxurious attire placed a thick stack of banknotes on the table and said with a smile. "I am Lin Xue of Dao Guan Mountain. This piece is priceless. This one million taels shall be my humble offering."
"I'm having such a good time today. It's my first time in the Imperial City, and I've met Miss Jiu'er. These five hundred thousand taels are a gift for the young lady!"
"I am willing to offer two million taels for this piece, and I only hope Miss Jiu'er can play another song, just for me!" another bearded man, drinking wine, stared at Xian'er Jiu with a covetous gaze.
After the piece concluded, to save face, all the men present simultaneously placed money on the table, often in the hundreds of thousands or millions. The serving women in the room watched with envy. It would take them countless nights to earn such amounts, but for the courtesan seated in the center, these were merely commonplace.
Seeing that it was almost time, Xian'er Jiu stood up, bowed slightly to everyone, and then began to speak in a soft voice, "I thank all the gentlemen for their generous rewards."
"However, I am feeling unwell today and may have to return to the pleasure boat early. I will not be able to perform a dance for you all."