Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 297 White Egret
Looking at the large "Yichunlou" signboard, Zhou You couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

I'd always wondered how a brothel in that small town could pull off such extravagant things, even pole dancing. Sure enough, it turns out it's a chain business.
Seeing Zhou You's indescribable expression, Tao Le'an asked.

"I ask you, Master, have you been here before?"

"I've never been here, absolutely never!" Zhou You immediately denied it. "How could someone like me, a monk, possibly come to a brothel? It's all your imagination."

"Really?" Tao Le'an scratched his head. "I thought you had already come here, Daoist Master. After all, the Flower Dance at Yichun Pavilion is famous throughout Songzhou. Even people who don't like brothels will make a special trip to see it when they come to Songzhou."

"—Cough cough cough cough."

After a series of coughs, Zhou You spoke with a stern face.

"Let's not dwell on this little thing. What's next?"

"Indeed, it's quite conspicuous to stand here at the entrance. Daoist, please come with me."

Tao Le'an glanced around and noticed that several bystanders were watching, so he pulled Zhou You along and went in through a side door.

Upon seeing this, one of the idlers spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground.

"Bah! What kind of world is this? Even monks are going to brothels!"

The view inside was pretty much the same as what Zhou You had seen before.

After all, they are all chain brands, and the decoration is basically done according to the specifications. However, the problem is that Tao Le'an did not take Zhou You the main way, but instead went up the stairs of the storage room, then turned a big corner and found a servant who was taking a break.

After giving them a few instructions, the servant led the two back around again, this time straight to a side room before opening the door and letting Tao Le'an and Zhou You inside.

There was no one else inside, and the decorations remained the same, except that a round table was placed in the center, with several trays of delicate pastries on it.

Zhou You walked to the head seat without any hesitation and sat down. He picked up a few peach shortbreads and stuffed them into his mouth. Then, like a cow chewing on a peony, he gulped down the good tea on the table before speaking.

"Hey Lao Tao, all this secrecy was just to treat me to some snacks?"

Tao Le'an suddenly realized.

"I'm so sorry, it's my fault. I brought the Taoist priest to the brothel but forgot the most important thing—it's not appropriate to invite someone now. How about I order you a round of Flower Dance?"

"That's great! How can you come to a brothel and not listen to music?" Zhou You almost succumbed to temptation, but luckily he reacted quickly. "You've been talking about going to brothels ever since we entered the city. Could it be that... there are spies from your Zhenxie Division in these brothels?"

Tao Le'an didn't put on airs and readily admitted it.

"The Taoist priest is indeed a clever man. That's right, that's why I chose this city in the first place. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I was told that he had already left. I had no choice but to settle for the local prefect, which almost led me into a trap. Fortunately, on the very day we had our accident, he happened to have returned. I can use him as a way to get close to that prefect again."

Just then, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.

Because of his recent experiences, Zhou You subconsciously wanted to summon Duan Xie, but Tao Le'an immediately stopped him, making a gesture of calm.

Then this person looked up and said to the door.

"Is that a white egret? Come in."

Immediately, the door was pushed open.

A fragrant breeze wafted in, and a woman dressed in green walked in from outside. At that moment, it was as if flowers were in full bloom, or moonlight was spreading, and all the decorations lost their color, leaving only her radiant smile to be seen.

"I had a feeling when Xiao Wu said someone was looking for me, and sure enough, it was Erlang. What's going on today that made you, Commander-in-Chief, grace our little place with your presence?" Tao Le'an's bitter expression deepened at the teasing words.

"White Heron, stop teasing me. First of all, I'm just filling a position as commander, and besides, almost all of my men are dead. I'm basically all alone now."

As Zhou You watched this conversation, he felt that the woman looked increasingly familiar, and finally couldn't help but point her out.

"I remember now, you were the one who threw the embroidered ball at the temple fair!"

—It's no wonder he thought she was just a pretty girl when he threw the embroidered ball to her. She was only slightly better than the skin that Lady Bone was wearing, and far from being a beauty of unparalleled grace.

But now, although her appearance hasn't changed much, her temperament is completely different. If she was just a lotus bud waiting to bloom, she is now a peach blossom in full bloom. Even just getting close to her, you can feel her captivating beauty.

The woman was taken aback, but immediately recognized Zhou You, and then a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, it's you, young man! I was wondering why you didn't come to the building after catching the embroidered ball. Turns out you've come all the way to Zhongtai City."

Hearing her words, which were half-female resentment and half-teasing, Zhou You felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, I was in a bit of a hurry at the time, so I gave the embroidered ball to the boy next to me. What, didn't he go over there?"

Hearing this, the woman smiled even more brightly.

"Young man, you don't know this, but only the person who handled the embroidered ball can enter; others can't use it—but it doesn't matter, this custom still applies here. I just don't know who you want to choose, young man? Is it Lüya, Qingge, or... well, you call me a servant?"

The final sound was like honey, tickling the heart with a tantalizing allure.

However, there was no fluctuation of magical power in the surrounding area.

This isn't some kind of magic or spell; it's a talent this woman was born with.

The moment Zhou You realized this, his expression immediately turned serious.

But before he could say anything, Tao Le'an stopped the stunningly beautiful woman.

"Alright, alright, Egret, stop teasing the Taoist priest. He's still a novice and can't handle your 'big meat'."

Wait a minute, when did I tell you about this?

Zhou You's expression turned serious, and he immediately retorted.

"Who are you calling a virgin?"

Tao Le'an was even more surprised.

"Huh, could it be that the Taoist priest isn't?"

"Please call me 'pure and chaste,' thank you."

The woman seemed to have rarely seen such a scene, and she laughed heartily. After a while, she extended her slender hand, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and performed a gesture with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).

"Since you and Erlang are together, that makes things easier. My name is Bailu, which is also the name of a courtesan. I hope you will take good care of me."

(End of this chapter)