Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

The black Ford turned out of the alley and drove along the street in the south of the city towards the Qinhuai River.

Jiangning is much quieter at night than during the day. There are fewer pedestrians on the streets, and most of the shops are closed, with only a few restaurants and teahouses still lit up.

Dim streetlights hung from the utility poles along the roadside, their light dim and yellowish, illuminating only a short distance.

After driving for about 15 minutes, we could see the Qinhuai River in the distance.

The banks of the river were brightly lit, with strings of red lanterns hanging under the eaves of the pavilions, their reflections shimmering on the water.

Several painted boats glided slowly across the river, carrying faint sounds of string and wind instruments and women's laughter, which drifted in the night breeze.

Sixi Hall is located on the north bank of the Qinhuai River. It is a three-story wooden pavilion with upturned eaves and two huge red lanterns hanging at the entrance. The plaque in the middle reads "Sixi Hall" in gold.

The brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of a master calligrapher.

Several black cars were parked at the entrance, and a few rickshaws were waiting to pick up passengers. The rickshaw drivers squatted against the wall, smoking and chatting.

Old Liu parked the car, and Li Jinrong got out, straightened his collar, opened the folding fan, and slowly waved it twice.

"Let's go, it's my treat today, don't try to save me money."

Chen Mo got out of the car, put his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the signboard of Sixitang.

The Wanhua Tower and Yanzhi Pavilion in Jinshi, and the Sixi Hall in Jiangning are all very similar.

Tie Kun got out of the passenger seat, looking quite composed.

He's traveled all over the country for over twenty years; what kind of situation hasn't he seen?

The waiter at the door, with sharp eyes, spotted three people getting out of the car and hurried over with a beaming smile: "Gentlemen, please come in! Do you know any girls?"

"No, this is my first time here." Li Jinrong took out a few silver dollars from his pocket and casually tossed them to the waiter. "Find a private room and call a few girls over, the best of the best."

The waiter took the silver dollars, his eyes lighting up, and nodded repeatedly: "This way, gentlemen, please. It's a quiet, scenic seat on the second floor overlooking the river."

The three men followed the waiter upstairs.

The interior of Sixi Hall is even more magnificent than the exterior. Upon entering, you are greeted by a large mahogany screen carved with a pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, its lacquer surface gleaming.

Beyond the screen was a spacious hall with a dozen or so round mahogany tables covered with embroidered tablecloths. Each table had a vase of fresh flowers and a bronze candlestick.

In front of the main hall is a small stage covered with a red carpet, and behind it is a huge gold-leaf screen painted with portraits of ladies.

The lobby was already quite full of guests, mostly businessmen in long gowns and officials in suits.

There were also a few officers in military uniforms, with pistols at their waists, surrounded by two or three girls, drinking and playing drinking games, making quite a scene.

The air was thick with the smell of smoke and women's perfume, making people feel somewhat drowsy.

The sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from upstairs and downstairs, mixed with women's laughter and men's toasts.

The waiter led them up to the second floor and stopped at the door of a private room at the very back. "Gentlemen, please. This is the best private room in our Sixi Hall. Open the window and you'll see the Qinhuai River. The view is simply unparalleled."

The private room wasn't large, but it was exquisitely decorated.

A round mahogany table, several armchairs, an embroidered tablecloth on the table, a set of blue and white porcelain tea set and a pot of warmed yellow wine.

A traditional Chinese ink painting of landscapes hangs on the wall, depicting the night view of the Qinhuai River, and is inscribed with "The Twelve Beauties of Jinling".

In the corner stood a screen, behind which was a soft couch covered with brocade bedding.

The three people sat down at the table.

The waiter brought tea and fruit platters, and then brought out a roster with the girls' names and introductions written on it, along with small black-and-white photos.

Li Jinrong took the booklet, flipped through a few pages, and his eyes lit up.

"This one's good, this one's fine too... Oh, they're all good."

Tie Kun sat down beside him, slowly sipping his tea, glancing at the booklet. "Mr. Li, you can decide. I'm easy to please."

Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, took a peanut from the fruit plate, and popped it into his mouth.

The waiter soon brought in four girls.

The leader was a woman in her early twenties, wearing a pale yellow cheongsam, with a pretty face, and holding a pipa in her arms.

Three young women followed behind, each with their own unique charm.

"Gentlemen, these are some of the best young ladies from our Sixi Hall."

The waiter introduced them with a smile, "This is Miss Wanjun, who plays the pipa the best. This is Miss Yulan, who can sing Kunqu opera. This is Miss Haitang, who is proficient in poetry and songs."

"This is Miss Peony..."

"Alright, alright, stay here." Li Jinrong waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the girls' faces. "Miss Wanjun, sit here."

Wan Jun smiled slightly, sat down next to Li Jinrong while holding her pipa, and poured him a cup of wine.

Magnolia sat down next to Tie Kun, Begonia sat down next to Chen Mo, and Peony served wine and tea to them.

Haitang sat down next to Chen Mo, about to speak, when he spoke first: "Can you sing?"

Haitang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, what would you like to hear, Master?"

Haitang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, what would you like to hear, Master?"

"Anything is fine, just sing what you're good at."

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, raised it towards her, and smiled faintly.

Haitang felt relieved. Although this man looked cold, he was actually quite easygoing.

She cleared her throat and softly hummed a Jiangnan folk song, her voice gentle and melodious.

Wanjun tuned the pipa strings, and with a pluck of her slender fingers, a clear pipa sound rang out in the private room.

She played "Spring River Flower Moon Night," her fingering skillful and her tone clear and crisp, intertwining with Haitang's singing and drifting in the night breeze.

Chen Mo held his teacup, listening to the music, his gaze lingering on Haitang's face for a moment.

When the other person approached him just now, he smelled not only the scent of cosmetics, but also a very faint, cool, and strange odor.

There was a very faint gray patch between her eyebrows, not a bruise, but a mark left on her face from long-term practice of some kind of yin-attribute cultivation technique.

Chen Mo had seen this approach in the files of the Inspection Bureau.

Yin-Yang School.

Or it could be called the Yin-Yang Harmony Cult; the name is different, but the methods are largely the same.

Using sexual relations or physical contact as a medium, they absorb yang energy to replenish yin, steal essence, and nourish themselves.

Those with deep cultivation can make the men they are being harassed completely unaware, thinking that they have been indulging in too much wine and women and that they will be fine after a good night's sleep.

Those with shallow cultivation and crude techniques will severely damage the vitality of the men they pluck, causing them to fall ill for ten days to half a month at best, and even shortening their lifespan at worst.

Chen Mo glanced at Wan Jun and Yu Lan again.

Wan Jun sat next to Li Jinrong. Although she was elegant, her breathing rhythm was off.

Inhaling deeply and exhaling shallowly, each breath is half a beat slower than normal; this is a characteristic of practicing a certain breathing technique.

Yulan leaned against Tiekun, smiling sweetly.

Peony didn't seem unusual at all. A quick scan with my divine sense revealed her to be an ordinary person, probably a real courtesan in Sixi Hall, used to cover her tracks.

Sixi Hall, on the surface, is a brothel on the banks of the Qinhuai River, but in reality, it is probably a stronghold of the Hehuan Sect in Jiangning.

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and already knew what was going on.

They just didn't say it outright.

This has nothing to do with him.

But Li Jinrong has to keep an eye on things.

"Miss Begonia".

Chen Mo put down his teacup, took a lychee from the fruit plate, and slowly peeled it. "How many years has your Sixi Hall been open?"

Haitang thought for a moment and said, "I heard it's been around for decades. I arrived late, so I'm not too sure. But my sisters told me that Sixi Hall has always been very famous in Jiangning, and many high-ranking officials and nobles love to come here."

"Oh." Chen Mo nodded and handed her the peeled lychee. "Try it."

Haitang's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked down at the lychee, then looked up at Chen Mo. She parted her lips slightly and took the lychee into her mouth, her lips inadvertently touching her fingertips.

A soft, warm touch, with a touch of...