Forced to become a pure and innocent female pharmacist in order to cultivate immortality.

The Nanling area was originally the first place in the Tang Dynasty to exile people, so Jianglin City has the largest brothel street in the entire Nanling.

It is estimated that there are nearly 100,000 convicted women here, who were punished and exiled here by the government. Most of the gold and silver they earn from entertaining guests will be confiscated by the government.

When the government punishes criminals, it usually imposes fines. If a family can pay enough fines, they don't need to come here. But if they can't afford it, they have no choice but to come here and earn enough fines before they can leave.

But very few women who enter such places can actually leave; those who know, know.

Oh, and also, not all the women in the red-light district are prostitutes. There are different types of women here, such as singers, dancers, talented women, courtesans, and bar girls. Those who actually engage in prostitution are generally of average looks and older.

One thing is certain: even those who don't primarily engage in prostitution cannot guarantee that they will retain their chastity.

Chastity is a joke in itself here.

As they walked, Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue finally broke free from the women's encirclement and arrived at a place where there were no women soliciting customers.

Moreover, most of the people who come here are dressed in fine clothes, and the worst are merchants and scholars from poor families.

"Oh, I'm finally out of that uncomfortable place." Ye Liuyun sniffed herself. She was covered in the smell of rouge and powder, which was really unpleasant for someone like her who didn't wear much makeup.

"What's wrong? Isn't this the kind of place you men like to come to? Can't stand it?" Lin Aoxue couldn't help but tease Ye Liuyun, who looked disheveled.

Ye Liuyun had to refute this statement.

"Me? Please, I am indeed very curious about this place, but that doesn't mean I'm so desperate. Besides, having you by my side is enough; I wouldn't be able to handle more," Ye Liuyun said.

What she said was the truth. Now that she's a woman, one partner by her side is enough; having more is useless.

"How do you feel when you look at those women?" Lin Aoxue turned around and asked the women who seemed like machines.

Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun immediately stopped smiling.

"I don't know, but I can tell they're just doing a job they have to do. This is a prison, a prison specifically for women," Ye Liuyun said seriously.

Lin Aoxue smiled slightly.

“What you said is quite accurate. In my previous life on Earth, I read some history books that said our country was like that in ancient times. Now that I see it, it is exactly as the history books say. I suddenly wondered, could this Tang Kingdom be our ancient Tang Dynasty?” Lin Aoxue guessed.

Ye Liuyun immediately denied her guess.

"That's definitely impossible. You're overthinking it. This world is at most a parallel world similar to the Tang Dynasty. Anyway, let's not talk about that. This isn't our business. Look at this place. It feels very different from other places." Ye Liuyun shifted the topic from the heavy subject to the huge and exquisite architectural complex in front of them.

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Lin Aoxue also turned her gaze to the signboard of the exquisite pavilion.

"Qunfang Palace, a brothel with such a name, I don't know if it's mockery or what. The plaque has the official seal of the government, so this should be a brothel directly managed by the government," Lin Aoxue said.

Ye Liuyun also observed carefully, no wonder the people who came to this place were all of extraordinary status.

"Can you sense the aura of many cultivators?" Ye Liuyun asked.

"Yes, there are quite a few of them, and many of them have familiar auras. It seems they've all come here," Lin Aoxue said.

After saying that, Lin Aoxue strode over.

But when they got to the door, they were stopped.

"Young masters, the entrance fee is one tael of silver," a tall and burly gatekeeper said.

Upon hearing that the entrance fee was one tael of silver, Ye Liuyun wanted to say that it was too expensive to even enter this place, and it was definitely not a place that ordinary people could afford.

However, Lin Aoxue did not hesitate at all and threw two taels of silver into the box next to her.

“Let’s go. This place should be different from other places,” Lin Aoxue suggested.

And so the two of them entered the enormous Hall of Beauties. Once inside, the place was brightly lit and resplendent with gold and jade, and it didn't look like a brothel at all.

It's huge, with four floors. The first floor is a casino, but it's not a regular casino. The casino is run by young and beautiful women, and there are also many women who accompany the gamblers. These women, dressed in flamboyant attire, are definitely the prostitutes here.

Almost every man was holding a pretty girl in his arms. These girls didn't resist; they did whatever the customers wanted. These were all bar girls. Generally, those who became bar girls were those with average looks and no outstanding talents. That was all they could do.

Unlike other brothels, the women in Qunfang Palace do not sell their bodies, but at the same time, they have no chance of leaving this place unless they are pardoned by the government.

"You can play like this?" Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue were stunned when they walked in.

“The smell of alcohol on this floor is too strong; I don’t like it. Let’s go to the second floor,” Lin Aoxue said immediately.

The first layer was too tainted by greed, lust, and alcohol, which Ye Liuyun didn't like either.

So the two went up to the second floor, but were stopped again because they had to pay to go up.

"Second floor, admission fee: two taels of silver," the guard gestured.

"This? Does it cost money to go up each floor?" Ye Liuyun was stunned.

The guard wasn't angry, after all, many of the guests were visiting for the first time.

"Young masters, it looks like this is your first time visiting our Qunfang Palace. The girls on the first floor are the least attractive and have no special talents. They mainly accompany guests to gamble. It costs ten taels of silver to hire one girl to play with you," the guard explained.

Ye Liuyun became curious, so he asked again.

"What about the upper floors? Could you tell me about them?" Ye Liuyun asked curiously.

"Hehe, the second floor is the dance hall, where there are girls who can sing and dance, so the prices are naturally higher. The third floor is the refined hall, where the girls are all talented women who are good at writing, playing chess, painting, and composing poems. As for the fourth floor, I can't say about that," the guard explained.

After hearing this, Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue immediately exchanged a glance. They were thinking that they were quite clear about the distinctions between a brothel and a private establishment.

Lin Aoxue paid another four taels of silver and went upstairs with Ye Liuyun. Once on the second floor, the strong smell of alcohol and the noise were gone.

The venue is divided into several areas, all set up in the form of stages. On the stages, there are many dancers performing various dances, as well as some elegantly dressed women playing and singing on various musical instruments.

The atmosphere here is significantly better than downstairs. And despite how noisy it is downstairs, once you come to the second floor, it's as if there's soundproofing, isolating the sounds from downstairs.

"Hey, this place is interesting," Ye Liuyun said with interest.

"Let's go take a look," Lin Aoxue said.

So the two of them walked toward the nearest stage, and as soon as they arrived, they heard beautiful singing. Of course, the songs being sung were different from those on Earth, and they weren't pop songs.

The guests sitting here listened to the music quietly, and not many people made any noise.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad, give me a 10 tael of silver as a tip." Some guests, satisfied with the song, immediately ordered their attendants to give a tip.

The dancers on this floor are all entertainers who earn money entirely through tips from customers. However, there are many guards standing in the shadows, each holding a stick of incense, seemingly watching every customer who enters the venue.

Every time the incense in their hands is almost burned out, it means it's time to leave. A guard will then walk up to the corresponding guest and tell them that it's time.

What does this mean? It means that you can't stay here forever. If you want to continue listening, you have to pay even if you don't tip. There's a time limit.

"Young masters, if you wish to listen, please enter. Here, it costs five taels of silver to listen to a piece of music for half an incense stick's time." Just as Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue were watching from a distance, a guard came over and explained the rules to them.

Ye Liuyun's face twitched for a moment. Wasn't this just like going to an internet cafe on Earth, where you have to pay when the time comes?

"Oh, sorry, we're not familiar with the rules here since it's our first time," Ye Liuyun said.

"Yes, I understand, but please, gentlemen, choose a place and take your seats as soon as possible. We are just following orders, so please don't make things difficult for us," the guard said.

This tells them that they either have to leave or choose a venue to watch the performance; they can't just stand at the entrance and watch for free.

"Okay, okay." Ye Liuyun quickly gestured for Lin Aoxue to go inside. After they went in, they were followed by guards all the way until Lin Aoxue saw a place for sword dancing and then they stopped.

"This place is interesting, Liuyun, let's go take a look," Lin Aoxue said.

This place is interesting to Ye Liuyun, but with his wife by his side, he can only be careful.

The stage they were looking at featured two spirited women sparring, but their sparring wasn't a proper swordsmanship competition; it had a strong dance element to it, though it was clear that they were both skilled.

Chapter 241 Youthful Impetuosity (5000 words)

Lin Aoxue and Ye Liuyun found a place to sit down, and at the same time, they gave the guard of Qunfang Palace behind them ten taels of silver to buy an incense stick.

When the incense and candles have burned down to half their original value, they will come to remind the couple whether they want to renew their subscription. If they do not renew, they must leave.

The service was quite attentive.

Ye Liuyun sat next to Lin Aoxue, watching intently as the woman danced with a sword on the stage. It wasn't just a sword dance on stage; there were also many musicians playing music beside the stage.

In this place of entertainment and pleasure, a woman must master a skill in order to live a good life and have some autonomy. If she can't do anything, no matter how beautiful she is, she is just a worthless vase.

Such women will only see their status decline further. Women in the Hall of Beauties cannot be redeemed, no matter how much money they receive, because all the women here are guilty of crimes.

She was very different from the ordinary women who sold themselves into prostitution.

On stage, two women displayed graceful figures and gentle movements, perfectly blending dance and swordsmanship. They then engaged in a duel to the melody of a musician, a duel that combined dance and swordsmanship.

Of course, since their performances are meant to please men, their clothing naturally exposes all the body parts that can be shown, but it doesn't actually seem that absurd.

To be honest, the two of them, who had been reborn from Earth, didn't find the women's clothing too revealing. You see, back on Earth, even the shortest skirts or any other kind of clothing would probably be more revealing than what these women wore in this era.

This is a matter of perception. The two women on stage, with their slender waists showing and their clothes being semi-transparent, are just like that.

At least Ye Liuyun's attention is generally not on them. She is not a lustful person, at least not a promiscuous person. It is impossible for her to be unable to take her eyes off a beautiful woman.

She was focusing on the overall presentation of the dance.

"Swordsmanship? You can do it like this? Interesting. Aoxue, shall we try it sometime?" Ye Liuyun transmitted his voice.

Lin Aoxue immediately retorted.

"No interest. My sword is for killing, not for dancing."

"Huh? You really have no fun? No, I think you were quite interesting when you were on Earth. How come you've become more and more boring since you came to this world? Hey! Do you think that now that I've become a woman, you've lost your desire to play around?" Ye Liuyun asked shamelessly.

Lin Aoxue was not a coy woman. Hearing Ye Liuyun's provocative words, she immediately said something very harsh.

"Nonsense! If you were a man, I could keep you in bed for three days and three nights, believe it or not? Don't play dumb in front of me," Lin Aoxue retorted.

These words made Ye Liuyun immediately touch her nose awkwardly. Recalling her relationship with Lin Aoxue in her previous life, she seemed to have always been at a disadvantage. Even after coming to this world, she was still unable to take the lead. It was really too difficult for her.

It can only be said that in matters of the heart, Lin Aoxue is more proactive, and over time it has become a habit.

However, just as the two were watching intently, an unexpected mess occurred.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, a group of people suddenly appeared on the second floor. A young man dressed in brocade robes walked over arrogantly, followed by many followers.

The guards on the road all changed their expressions.

"Eh? Young Master Wu, you've arrived." The guards from the Hall of Beauties on the way hurriedly stepped forward to inquire.

"Yes, where's Piaoxu? I've come to challenge her to a sword duel," the young man said in a deep voice.

Many of the guests around stood up and greeted the young man when they saw him. It was clear that he was someone of great importance; he was not like an ordinary nobleman.

Moreover, many people know him, which means that he holds a very high position among the young masters of Jianglin City.

"Ah? Miss Piaoxu and Miss Qingyang are performing a sword dance for the guests on stage," a guard from the Hall of Fragrances quickly said.

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wu immediately walked towards the stage where Ye Liuyun and the others were watching. His arrival was like a stone thrown into a pond, creating a huge ripple effect and turning the originally quiet second floor into a complete mess.

The key issue is that the guards simply didn't dare to stop them.

Why? Because this young master Wu is the son of Wu Yingwen, the prefect of Jiangzhou. His name is Wu Yingxiong.

In the Tang Dynasty, the ruler of a prefecture was a third-rank official, which was the highest rank in a local government.

His status in Jiangzhou Prefecture was equivalent to that of an emperor, which was incomparable to that of ordinary nobles. Nobles did not necessarily have power, but in the Tang Kingdom, the person who held real power certainly had a higher status than those nobles who had no power.

The actual controller of the Qunfang Palace is the local prefecture, so these guards dare not say much. In the secular world, power is everything.

"Oh, I see." Wu Yingxiong chuckled and strode over.

Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue naturally noticed the loud commotion behind them.

"Huh? Is this some important person? Why such a grand entrance?" Ye Liuyun muttered.

People who come to places like this are mostly young, unmarried men from wealthy families; married people wouldn't come to such places casually.

"I have a feeling that trouble is brewing," Lin Aoxue said.

Sure enough, after Wu Yingxiong arrived, he ignored all the guests present and leaped onto the stage, interrupting the performance of the two dancers and musicians.

The musicians were immediately alarmed when they saw the newcomers.

As for the woman on stage wearing a light green gauze dress, her brows furrowed noticeably when she saw Wu Yingxiong.

"Young Master Wu, could you please not disturb my work with Sister Qingyang?" the woman in the light green gauze dress said unhappily.

Clearly, this woman is the girl Piaoxu that Wu Yingxiong is looking for.

The young men below, who did not know Wu Yingxiong's identity, immediately became unhappy when someone interrupted the performance.

"Hey! Who are you? Why did you suddenly interrupt the two young ladies' performance? Where are the people from the Hall of Beauties? Is this how you maintain order? Why didn't you stop this person?" The guests stood up and questioned him.

Upon seeing this, the two dancers on stage quickly apologized to the guests.

"Gentlemen, please be patient. I will send him away immediately," the woman named Piaoxu said, urging Wu Yingxiong to leave.