Chapter 23: The Most Flamboyant One

The ground floor was in an uproar. Madam Liu was weaving through the crowd, soothing the guests and offering various incentives. The popularity of the house tonight was truly overwhelming. The main hall was packed to capacity, yet more guests kept pouring in through the doors.

As soon as a newcomer entered, they would ask, "Is Miss Chujian free tonight?"

Before the brothel maid could answer, someone nearby snapped, "Do you have ten thousand taels of silver on you? If not, shut your mouth. We’re all still waiting!"

Soon, everyone knew the story: a young tycoon had suddenly appeared and dropped ten thousand taels the previous night to secure a meeting with Miss Chujian. At this very moment, he was in her private chambers.

"Who on earth is so wealthy and extravagant to throw away ten thousand taels just like that? Could it be some young nobleman from the inner city?" The crowd buzzed with speculation.

Liu Songjin, furious and humiliated, shouted, "That brat is just an apprentice at a pharmacy! He’s a pauper! Are you all blind? Can't you see that?"

He was met with a barrage of insults.

"He’s a pauper who can drop ten thousand taels at once—how much can you cough up, you son of a bitch? A hundred taels? You’re not even worth a pauper’s fart! Your eyes are the ones that are blind! Bullshit!"

"This bastard must have lost his mind. He wanted to eat shit earlier and tried to drag us into it, and now he’s jumping around like he’s the king of the world. It’s absolutely disgusting!"

"Young Master Liu, a gentleman’s word is his bond. Didn't you say you were going to eat shit? I just came from the latrine, and it's still steaming. Go have your meal and stop jumping around here."

"Brother Liu, hurry up! Go before a dog steals it!"

Liu Songjin, driven to madness, shrieked, "Fuck you all!"

"Beat him up!"

"Beat this son of a bitch to death!"

The crowd rolled up their sleeves and swarmed him, raining down punches and kicks. Liu Songjin scrambled to cover his head and fled the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion in shambles. Yang Qian and his companions, terrified, slipped out the back door.

When Luo Zijun came downstairs, Madam Liu was pacifying a gray-haired old man. "Master Yuan, it is not a matter of money. Miss Chujian is truly unwell and not in a state to receive guests. As for Master Luo, besides booking her in advance with ten thousand taels last night, he and Chujian have known each other for quite some time..."

"It’s all about the money! Ten thousand taels, ha! While I may not have that much, my talent is worth far more than ten thousand taels! If you let me see Miss Chujian today, I guarantee I will write her an even better poem! A gentleman’s word is his bond!" The old man was clearly agitated.

Madam Liu rolled her eyes internally. Since when could you trust the promises of a scholar? Enough with the "gentleman's word" nonsense. That Young Master Liu earlier had sworn on his life he would eat shit and even invited everyone to join, yet he ran off without taking a single bite.

"I must see Miss Chujian! If you won't let me, I shall die right here!" The old man threw himself on the floor, ready to make a scene.

Madam Liu had run out of patience. Her expression turned cold as she addressed the bouncers nearby, "Drag him out!"

"Hmph, I tried to be polite, but he insisted on acting like a fool. Don't let him in ever again!"

Two burly men grabbed the old man and tossed him out the door. Madam Liu muttered a few more curses, but as she turned, she spotted Luo Zijun descending the stairs. She froze, her face full of surprise. "Master Luo, why have you come down?"

Luo Zijun replied, "Miss Chujian is unwell, and I did not wish to disturb her further. Besides, it is getting late, and I should return home."

"This..."

"Thank you, Madam, for your hospitality today. I shall return another time."

Luo Zijun walked past her toward Su Bie and his two companions. Madam Liu stood stunned for a few seconds, wondering, *Could he and Chujian have had a falling out? That shouldn't be; Chujian has always been gentle, and he is the one who wrote that poem for her...* Puzzled, she turned and headed upstairs to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey? Brother Luo, why are you down so soon?" Wang Dafu and his two friends looked at him in utter astonishment. The others nearby turned their gaze toward him as well.

Luo Zijun said deliberately, "Don't ask. I spent ten thousand taels just to see her through a beaded curtain and a screen; I didn't even see her face. I found it boring, so I came down. I suspect it will take another ten thousand taels to see Miss Chujian's true face."

"But in truth, although I only saw her silhouette, I can confirm that Miss Chujian is a beauty through and through. Her figure is impeccable—she truly lives up to the name 'Heavenly Immortal'."

He decided to play along with Madam Liu and drive the price up. If he did this, when he brought Xu Xian here to have fun in the future, Madam Liu would likely be even more delighted and treat him with greater respect.

"Tsk tsk, ten thousand taels and you didn't even see her face?"

"Is she really a celestial being descended to earth?"

The crowd whispered among themselves, growing ever more curious and itching for a glimpse of the mysterious Miss Chujian.

Luo Zijun said to Su Bie and the others, "You three enjoy yourselves. I must head home; my sister and brother-in-law are waiting."

Zhang Yitian hurriedly stood up and bowed. Wang Dafu insisted, "Brother Luo, don't leave! If you didn't see Miss Chujian, there are plenty of other girls! Didn't we agree? I'll find you the most alluring girl tonight, and we'll party until dawn."

"Haha, no thank you. Brother Wang, you enjoy yourself." Luo Zijun waved his hand and left with a smile.

Su Bie watched his retreating back, then glanced at the floor above, his eyes flickering. Ten thousand taels? That seemed unlikely. If he didn't pay and still managed to make Miss Chujian invite him, there could only be one explanation. He couldn't help but recall the words he had heard when he visited the pharmacy earlier.

"This Brother Luo is truly no simple man..."

In a third-floor private room, Madam Liu hurried inside to ask what had happened. Both the mistress and her maid shook their heads, looking confused. Then, a maid came up to report what Luo Zijun had said downstairs.

Madam Liu realized what had happened. "Chujian, did you meet Master Luo behind the beaded curtain and the screen?"

Liu Chujian replied weakly, "I... I was about to come out..."

Bi'er, the maid, said indignantly, "Miss was shy because it was her first time meeting someone, so she was acting reserved. Who knew that guy would leave after saying a few words, not even giving Miss a chance to come out..."

Madam Liu sighed. "Master Luo wrote you such a beautiful poem, and you invited him yourself—why act so reserved? Now, he probably thinks you were disrespecting him or playing games."

Liu Chujian panicked. "I... I didn't mean to..." Then, she quickly added, "I... I will go apologize to him."

The maid outside said, "Master Luo has already left. His friends offered to find him the most alluring girl to spend the night with, but he refused and left straight away."

Liu Chujian: "..."

"What a stingy man, hmph!" Bi'er pouted.

Madam Liu consoled her, "Forget it, let him go. When he comes back next time, we'll apologize to him."

Just then, the maid added, "Oh, I forgot to mention, Master Luo also praised Miss Chujian. He said that although he didn't see her face, he was certain that she was a total beauty with a perfect figure, worthy of the title 'Heavenly Immortal'."

Liu Chujian froze. "Really?"

The maid nodded. "Master Luo even said in front of everyone that it would probably take twenty thousand taels to see Miss Chujian's true face."

A smile spread across Madam Liu's face. "This Master Luo is a fascinating person. Next time he comes, I will personally select the most alluring girl for him, free of charge!"

Liu Chujian glanced at her and said nothing.

The late spring night had a slight chill. As soon as Luo Zijun arrived home, he sensed that the atmosphere was wrong. His brother-in-law, Li Zhengshan, stepped out of the room with a large bowl, squatting by the hallway, slurping noodles while watching him with a gloating expression. The maid, Xiaohuan, stood by the kitchen door, her expression complex. His sister, Luo Jiaorong, held a broom, glaring at him with a dark face.

"Sister..."

"Don't call me sister!"

Luo Jiaorong was so angry her face turned pale. She glared at him and demanded, "Tell the truth, where did you go tonight?"

Luo Zijun realized with a sinking heart that his senior sister must have snitched on him. "I went with some friends to discuss poetry and listen to music." He had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain.

"Heh, discuss poetry and listen to music..." Luo Jiaorong sneered, tightening her grip on the broom. "Then how come I heard you were planning to go to a brothel, find the ten most alluring girls, look at their feet one by one, and then 'spar' with them?"

Luo Zijun: "???"

"Sister, don't listen to that girl Su Qingling's nonsense! That's slander! Naked slander! I clearly said I was going to find one... ugh, pfft, I never said that at all! It was my friend who said it, I didn't—ah! Sister, spare me..."

"I'll beat you to death!"

Luo Jiaorong raised the broom and swung it down, shouting with rage, "The most alluring, is it? The most alluring, is it? I'll let you find the most alluring! I'll let you look at their stinky feet one by one! I'll let you spar with them! See if I don't beat you to death!"

Luo Zijun: "..."

Li Zhengshan, still squatting in the hallway, laughed so hard that the noodles he was eating sprayed out of his nose, only to be sucked back in and swallowed. His expression shifted, and he began to retch.

Xiaohuan quietly pouted. Her young master would rather go to a brothel than touch her. A spark of curiosity ignited in her heart: *What exactly is 'the most alluring'? Why does he want to look at feet?*

*Hmm,* she thought, *the young master does seem to have a penchant for feet.*