Chapter 114: The Dongguan Kingdom’s Number One Songstress

"Mu Liao! Are you going back on your word?"

Mu Liao paused as he turned to leave. "You are merely a pawn in my hand. Are you worthy of questioning me?"

Yue Niang was left speechless. With her parents still in his grip, she could not afford to burn bridges just yet.

"Hoo!" Yue Niang took a deep breath, forcing her face into a blooming smile. "The young master is right. It was Yue Niang who lacked perspective."

*Thud!*

The heavy door of the woodshed slammed shut, plunging the room into absolute darkness.

Leaving the woodshed, Yue Niang walked straight to the door of Nan Yan’s private chamber.

"Nan Yan? Nan Yan!"

The door opened, and a burly man with a thick beard stepped out, hitching up his trousers. As he left, he spat on the floor toward the room. "Ungrateful little wench!"

The man collided with Yue Niang, but she managed to smooth things over with soft words and redirected him to another girl's room.

Yue Niang entered Nan Yan’s room with a displeased expression. The bed was in disarray, and Nan Yan sat on the edge, clutching two thin, cicada-wing-like scraps of fabric to her body, her eyes vacant and numb.

Torn shreds of clothing littered the floor, and angry red welts marred Nan Yan's smooth, delicate skin.

The moment she saw Yue Niang, Nan Yan exploded, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at her face!

"Ah! Get out! Get out! You devils! You will all meet a miserable end!"

Nan Yan unleashed every curse word she had ever learned in her life.

Yue Niang remained unmoved, picking up a scrap of cloth from the floor with indifference. "Once you enter the Pavilion of Wind and Moon, serving guests is only a matter of time."

She draped a quilt over Nan Yan’s shoulders. "Didn't you say you wanted to marry into a good family? The pavilion is full of wealthy men. Give yourself to them, and the next moment, you could be the concubine of a rich household. If you gain favor, you’ll enjoy a life of luxury forever. How, then, have I deceived you?"

Nan Yan’s hollow, fixed stare made Yue Niang’s scalp crawl. There was a primal, bestial ferocity in those eyes, and Yue Niang had no doubt that if she stayed a moment longer, Nan Yan would lunge at her and tear a piece of flesh from her body.

She gave a light snort. "A top courtesan? Hmph, just a plaything..."

She turned and left, swaying her feather fan.

As the door opened, the light from the corridor stripped away the last shred of Nan Yan's dignity. "Ah, Yue Niang..." she sobbed, weeping until she was a broken mess.

...

The guest who had just left Nan Yan’s room was a regular at the Pavilion of Wind and Moon, but it was his other identity that made Yue Niang treat him with such deference.

Who would have thought that a rough, uncouth man known for frequenting brothels was actually a ruthless bandit leader?

The man’s name was Hu Hai, and he was the nephew of a high-ranking imperial concubine. In recent years, using the concubine's reputation as a shield, Hu Hai had destroyed countless families and ruined many lives.

Two days prior, hearing that Nan Yan, the woman he had long coveted, had arrived at the Pavilion of Wind and Moon, he had immediately abandoned his concubines, hitched up his trousers, and rushed to the establishment.

To make her plan more secure, Yue Niang had secretly used Nan Yan’s body to bargain with Hu Hai. Telling Nan Yan the truth would have been useless—but what kind of place was the Pavilion of Wind and Moon?

That very night, Yue Niang told Nan Yan that a guest wanted to watch her dance. Nan Yan had been on her guard, but she was drugged, losing her innocence in a single night.

Hu Hai, satisfied after a night of debauchery, agreed to Yue Niang’s request and seized the opportunity that morning to drag A-Yue back to the pavilion.

Upon returning, Hu Hai wanted to continue his "romance" with Nan Yan, but the effect of the drug had only lasted for the night. When Nan Yan woke up, she began to wail and throw a tantrum, leading to the scene Yue Niang had just witnessed.

But as long as she finished this final task for Mu Liao, she, Yue Niang, would be free. All the affairs of the Pavilion of Wind and Moon would no longer concern her.

Yue Niang took a deep breath of fresh air. "I have spent most of my life in this brothel. Manyue, you are almost free..."

For decades, everyone had called her Yue Niang, but how many truly knew her real name, Manyue? If she thought about it carefully, Mu Liao was perhaps the only one who even remotely knew.

The marketplace was plastered with "Missing Person" notices.

"A-Yue! A-Yue?"

"A-Yue!"

Jin Ling and Lian Wu were both slick with sweat. "How are we supposed to find her in this aimless wandering?!"

Jin Ling plopped down onto a stone bench, abandoning all decorum. Lian Wu was slightly better off, but she was exhausted.

"Do you think A-Yue, being new to this place, could have been snatched by someone..."

Luo Yue couldn't help but mentally applaud Lian Wu. She had been worried about how to bring it up. Oh, dear Lian Wu, you are truly brilliant!

Lian Wu was still fanning herself with her hand, having spoken without thinking.

Luo Yue feigned a worried expression, leaning toward Hong Niang and dropping a hint. "It’s not entirely impossible. But why would it happen exactly when the Master returns?"

Hong Niang was sharp; with Luo Yue’s prompt, she understood immediately.

A name began to surface in Hong Niang’s mind. "You two keep looking. I just remembered one more place."

"Huh? Oh, alright!" Lian Wu supported her aching back and rose to lean on Jin Ling as they continued their search.

Luo Yue watched Hong Niang’s retreating back, deep in thought. The Pavilion of Wind and Moon must have been prepared long ago; if they rushed in blindly, it might be difficult to handle.

"Jian Jian, follow Hong Niang and the others. Find a way to lead them."

Little Jian Jian was small; besides it, Luo Yue could not easily reveal herself.

The white-furred mouse scurried off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Now, whether they can grasp the truth is up to the Master and Hong Niang..."

Luo Yue followed in the footsteps of Jin Ling and the others.

...

"Master! Hong Niang has a suspicion, I don't know if—"

Before Hong Niang could finish, Gu Ying cut her off. "I already know where A-Yue is. Take your people to the Pavilion of Wind and Moon and block the entrance. I will arrive shortly!"

Hong Niang was stunned, but immediately reacted. "Yes!"

Just moments ago, Gu Ying had received word from a scout that someone had seen a man carrying A-Yue into the Pavilion of Wind and Moon. Regardless of the details, the pavilion was the prime suspect.

Gu Ying would rather search the wrong place than miss a single chance.

He had already lost his sister once; he could not lose her again.

Gu Ying disguised himself, donning black night-patrol gear. The sky had darkened completely, and he blended perfectly into the night.

The only spot of white on him was the head of a white-furred mouse, hidden inside his sleeve.

Gu Ying himself could hardly believe it. No one would know that just as his scout reported the news, this white-furred mouse had scurried to his feet, carrying a sign that read: *A-Yue is in the Pavilion of Wind and Moon, I know the way.*

It was the peak of the night, with the red-light district bustling and vibrant.

The Pavilion of Wind and Moon was packed with intoxicated revelers, their faces flushed with drink.

Gu Ying seized the chance to slip into the back of the pavilion. Every accessible entrance was surrounded by guards, leaving Gu Ying feeling helpless.

[Fly up from here, then follow my directions!] Little Jian Jian was losing patience with working alongside such a dense oaf.

He looked like a sharp man, so why did he act so foolishly at critical moments?

"Who is speaking!?" Gu Ying asked, on high alert.

[Me! In your sleeve!]

Little Jian Jian did not fear that this man would capture it for study; when it came to escape techniques, it had never lost!

Gu Ying looked down to see the small, beady eyes of the white mouse staring at him. He could no longer view the creature in his hand as a mere mouse.

No! It was a mouse spirit!