"S-Spring Fragrance Garden?!" Lin Feng stared dumbfounded at the opulent three-story building ahead. It was draped in peach-red lanterns, casting an alluring, hazy glow. The faint sounds of feminine laughter and flirtatious banter drifted out, mingling with the subtle scent of powder and rouge hanging in the air, inducing a heady intoxication.
He turned to Zheng Kai. "Zheng Kai… we… did we come to the wrong place?"
Zheng Kai chuckled. "No mistake at all! This is the place. Hehe…"
Lin Feng was incredulous. "You… you said you wanted to 'treat' us… and you brought us to… a brothel?!"
"Exactly." Zheng Kai nodded, then gave Lin Feng a strange look. "Where else would be more suitable for 'enjoyment'?"
Lin Feng: "…"
Seeing Lin Feng's stunned and flustered expression, Zheng Kai seemed to finally understand, looking at him with utter disbelief. "Hold on, Lin Feng, don't tell me… you've never been to a place like this?!"
"I…" Lin Feng felt suddenly judged. Even Zhang Fangzhou and the others were staring at him with peculiar expressions. Indignantly, he retorted, "I'm a respectable, principled young man, alright? How could I let such a place of fleeting pleasures cloud my mind?"
"You really haven't been?" Zheng Kai gaped at Lin Feng as if he were an alien, then 'gasped' dramatically. "You can't possibly be… a virgin, right?!"
Lin Feng: "…"
"…"
Lin Feng's silence was practically a confession. The others fell silent for a few seconds. Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers looked utterly astonished. Zheng Kai, struggling to hold back laughter, choked out, "No way? Lin Feng, you… you're actually a virgin? A twenty-year-old virgin?"
"I'll kill you. Say that word again, and I'll kill you! I promise, you wouldn't survive a single strike from my sword…"
Lin Feng flushed crimson with embarrassed fury.
"Hahaha!! Alright, alright… I won't say it… won't say it…" Zheng Kai's face was red from suppressed laughter. He pulled Kou Yuxuan closer. "Perfect! You can keep my little brother here company! I brought him tonight specifically for his 'coming-of-age ceremony'! You can join him… haha!!"
Kou Yuxuan's face was also flushed. He had been stealing both excited and apprehensive glances at the Spring Fragrance Garden. Hearing their exchange, he now looked at Lin Feng with a hint of newfound kinship in his eyes…
Lin Feng: "…"
Zheng Kai waved his hand dismissively. "Enough standing around like idiots outside! Come on! Let's go in!!"
Without waiting for objections, he hooked an arm around Kou Yuxuan and Lin Feng, pulling them towards the entrance. Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers trailed behind, faces alight with excitement.
And so, Lin Feng was 'half-dragged, half-willing' into the Spring Fragrance Garden with Zheng Kai. Or perhaps, a spark of curiosity and anticipation flickered deep within him too – though he would certainly never admit it.
…
Zheng Kai led the way with practiced ease, the other five following like entourage. The customs of Xia Kingdom were relatively conservative, but the women inside the Spring Fragrance Garden wore only thin gauze, their pale skin tantalizingly visible beneath. It was enough to make anyone's blood run hot. Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers' eyes were glued from the moment they entered. Kou Yuxuan's face remained flushed as he glanced around nervously. As for Lin Feng… well, he was inside now. Pretending to be a prude would be hypocritical. Might as well look.
Zheng Kai was the picture of composure amidst them. He made straight for the staircase upon entering, showing no apparent interest in the surrounding women.
The second floor was noticeably quieter than the first. However, the faint sounds emanating from the rooms lining the corridors were far more… blush-inducing.
Yet Zheng Kai didn't stop on the second floor either. He continued upwards to the third floor. On the way, they passed two young men descending. Lin Feng's casual glance revealed something startling: these two were also cultivators…
"Ahhh! If it isn't Young Master Zheng! You've finally returned! The girls have been pining away without you!"
Reaching the third floor, Lin Feng's view opened into a relatively spacious hall. Before he could take it in properly, a voluptuous woman, radiating charm, approached them with a beaming smile. Her greeting was instantly recognizable – the standard opening spiel of a brothel madam.
But when Lin Feng habitually swept his gaze over the madam, he got a shock. She was actually a Foundation Establishment Level Eight cultivator!!
A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator… running a brothel?!
"Pining for me? Or pining for my spirit stones, you mean? Haha!" Zheng Kai laughed heartily before Lin Feng could fully process it. He addressed the madam: "Go on, bring out your most beautiful girls! Give my friends here the best treatment! Satisfy them, and the rewards will be generous! Also, bring fine wine and good food – we're a bit hungry. Let's eat first! A full stomach fuels desire, haha!"
As he spoke, Zheng Kai handed the madam a pouch of spirit stones. She peeked inside, and her smile widened impossibly. "Rest assured, Young Master Zheng! You and your esteemed friends will be thoroughly satisfied! Please, take your seats! The finest wine, the best food, and the loveliest girls will be with you immediately!!"
She bustled off happily to give orders. Zheng Kai led Lin Feng's group to a large round table within a spacious alcove on the right side of the hall.
Lin Feng was still reeling. He asked Zheng Kai uncertainly, "Zheng Kai, that madam just now… she's a Foundation Establishment cultivator, right? You gave her spirit stones? Does this place…"
"Of course," Zheng Kai replied, then paused, catching Lin Feng's murderous glare. He quickly amended, "…you didn't know? Well, makes sense." He grinned. "The third floor of the Spring Fragrance Garden caters specifically to cultivators. Payment here is naturally in spirit stones. The ladies here… they are quite attractive female cultivators… Some even know rudimentary dual cultivation techniques. Partnering with them can offer… considerable benefits. Hehe…"
"What?!" Lin Feng's eyes widened in disbelief. "Female cultivators… they engage in this kind of trade?"
Zheng Kai shrugged casually. "What's so strange about it? Just like the mortal women downstairs trade their charms for silver, these female cultivators trade theirs for the spirit stones needed for cultivation. Same principle, different currency."
"…" Lin Feng still found it hard to accept. He turned to see Zhang Fangzhou and the others nodding in agreement. Surprised, he asked, "You guys think this is normal? Don't tell me… you've been here often before?"
Zhang Fangzhou flashed a grin that screamed 'every man understands'. "Young Master Zheng is quite right, it's perfectly normal… Though, we never had the means to visit this third floor before. Not even once. We were… limited to the first or second floor, and not very often. Heh heh…"
Lin Feng: "…"
As they spoke, a chorus of melodious laughter approached. Looking up, they saw the madam leading a group of charming young women, each with distinct beauty, towards their alcove. Behind them followed servants carrying trays laden with various dishes.
The table was swiftly covered with an array of delicacies – all spirit cuisine. Simultaneously, a female companion took a seat beside each of the men – Zheng Kai, Kou Yuxuan, Zhang Fangzhou, Yao Wangtian, Xu Rong, and Lin Feng.
"Come! Everyone, a toast first!" Zheng Kai declared, his spirits high. He raised his overflowing cup. "Tonight, we indulge to the fullest! Rule number one: no expelling the alcohol with true essence! That ruins the fun! Come on! I'll lead the way!" He threw his head back and drained his cup in one go, drawing cheers from the woman beside him. Her ample bosom trembled perilously with each movement, making one fear the jade rabbits might escape their confines at any moment…
Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers looked equally excited. They echoed the toast and drained their cups. Even Kou Yuxuan, urged on by Zheng Kai, downed his drink. He probably drank too fast, coughing violently afterwards. The lovely girl beside him immediately began soothingly rubbing his chest, which only made his face turn even redder.
Seeing everyone had emptied their cups, Lin Feng didn't want to spoil the mood. He likewise tipped his head back and poured the liquor down his throat. A fiery trail burned its way to his stomach, and his head instantly felt woozy…
He really wasn't much of a drinker.