This whole affair didn't affect Qin Yuesheng and his party in the slightest; they ate and drank as they pleased.
Once they were full, Du Beilun was the first to stand up and said, "The time for the flower queen selection should be about right now. Let's go outside and take a look, guys."
Above the second floor of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion, the central areas were open, allowing one to view the scenes below by standing in the corridor.
When Qin Yuesheng and the others arrived at the corridor outside the private rooms, they found that the Celestial Immortal Pavilion was already bustling with activity, with numerous merchants and socialites standing behind the corridor railings, watching the many refined courtesans and ladies on the high stage on the first floor.
"Yuesheng, I've already chosen the sixteenth from the left, don't pick the same one as me," Du Beilun couldn't help but remind him.
Qin Yuesheng followed the direction he indicated and saw a woman in a light blue long dress. Her figure was delicate, her features gentle, possessing a pitiable grace.
In the Celestial Immortal Pavilion, only the Courtesan had the privilege of wearing red or purple, refined courtesans wore blue, and the foremost ladies wore green. This delineated the different classes of brothel women, with those who merely stood at the entrance to receive guests being the most unfortunate.
"Oh, so have you all chosen someone?" Qin Yuesheng asked the other young men.
Headed by Lu Juncheng, they each declared their chosen targets to avoid selecting the same one and losing the fun of betting.
After they all announced their picks, Qin Yuesheng began to scan the numerous beautiful women on stage, all in their youthful prime. Their beauty was at its peak, like a blooming garden, each flower—whether peony, lily, or daffodil—had its own unique allure.
After a moment of searching, Qin Yuesheng finally pointed to a woman standing at the edge of the stage, a cold beauty with a voluptuous figure and slightly heroic features. She wore a blue dress, marking her as a refined courtesan who sold her art but not her body.
"Her, remember her for me, in case I forget whom I picked later," Qin Yuesheng said casually.
Du Beilun gave her a few looks, surprised, "Huh! Why is she participating in the flower queen selection? It's unbelievable."
Qin Yuesheng turned to him: "You know her?"
"Of course, I know her. She is Murong Yuhan, the only daughter of the Meixue Twin Heroes. When the Meixue Twin Heroes were slain by the infamous Bloodhand Butcher, she was left with no parents and no means of livelihood, so she came to the Celestial Immortal Pavilion as a refined courtesan, making a living by playing instruments and painting."
On the surface, the flower queen selection seemed to be about selecting a new Courtesan, but there was an unwritten rule that every woman who participated, regardless of whether she won or not, had to give herself to whoever invested the most in her during the process.
This person could be anyone—a dying old man, a smelly beggar, or a foolish young master. If you participated in the flower queen selection, you had to comply. Otherwise, the rules of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion would be broken.
Murong Yuhan had always preserved her purity over the years. As a refined courtesan, she never allowed guests to touch her body, regardless of how much others were willing to spend to break her rule, all attempts failed.
Over time, people watched the young girl, once delicate and lovely, mature into the graceful woman she is now.
No one expected that Murong Yuhan, who had preserved herself for so long, would participate in the flower queen selection.
Doesn't this mean...
"Yuesheng, hehe." Du Beilun grinned slyly, "How about we swap?"
"Sure," Qin Yuesheng nodded, "If you help me gather information about those four pallbearers, I'll let you have this woman."
Upon hearing this, Du Beilun's expression changed instantly, stifle any further words.
Competing with Qin Yuesheng for Murong Yuhan might just cost him some money, but seeking out those four pallbearers might cost him his life. The choice was clear.
Amidst the lively sound of drums and gongs, the flower queen selection hosted by the Celestial Immortal Pavilion officially began. A voluptuous and enticing madam, with a narrow shoulder, wide hips, and a bee-like waist, ascended the stage with a fan in hand. Her mere figure was worth fifty taels of silver.
"Gentlemen, tonight is the Celestial Immortal Pavilion's quarterly flower queen selection. I'm sure you're all familiar with the rules and the gameplay, so I won't bore you with details. The flower queen selection has officially commenced."
With these words, a multitude of young maids in their teens carrying baskets of flowers appeared. Each had a board for ink and paper hanging from her neck to serve as a registry.
This was not Qin Yuesheng's first time attending the flower queen selection at the Celestial Immortal Pavilion, so he was well-versed in the gameplay.
Everyone who invested, regardless of whether it was ten gold as the minimum or more, had a young maid beside them. These maids were responsible for recording your investment and collecting the money, to be tallied later.
The women vying for the Courtesan title would take turns showcasing their talents on the stage to win smiles from the guests below and attract attention from the guests upstairs, prompting them to spend extravagantly.
At midnight, all the young maids returned and began to tally each participant's investment, with the highest becoming the new Courtesan of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion. Though called a selection, it was essentially a money-making scheme, filling the coffers without a doubt.
Yet many could not resist, eager to spend on supporting their favored brothel women, sending them on a path as the Courtesan. For some, it brought joy, and for others, the hope of eventually enjoying their company. This was how ordinary people played.
Young masters like Qin Yuesheng took a different approach—they competed to the end, throwing money around. Regardless of whether their chosen target became the Courtesan, they would enjoy a night of passion either way, relishing the experience.
Soon, a line of young maids approached Qin Yuesheng and the others.
There's no need for these young men to say much; the guards behind them immediately summoned the group of little maidservants, handing out a large pile of silver notes as a deposit.
"Young Master, how much should we give first?" It was Cao Zhengchun's first time accompanying Qin Yuesheng on such an outing, and he was not quite familiar with the customs, so he awkwardly whispered the question to Qin Yuesheng.
"Two hundred taels." Qin Yuesheng looked below and said indifferently.
In this world, one tael of gold is equivalent to ten taels of silver. A deposit of ten taels is a hundred taels of silver. Those who personally participate in the Courtesan Festival are typically either wealthy or noble, with a starting deposit of ten taels and no upper limit.
If ordinary people engage in this, the money spent would essentially go down the drain.
There were twenty-four women standing on the high platform, while there were at least hundreds of guests present. If you truly intend to help your chosen target win the title of courtesan, you must contend not only with other guests who have chosen the same woman but also with the investors of many women.
The speed at which money is squandered can only be described as spending money like water.
Qin Yuesheng excitedly gripped the railing.
This game is quite thrilling, spending money like water indeed.
To prevent some noble young masters from selecting a target and then everyone else realizing they can't compete and choosing other goals, the Celestial Immortal Pavilion keeps the selections of individuals secret as the utmost confidentiality to enhance the excitement.
Seeing many little maidservants beside individuals fervently writing, Qin Yuesheng knew these people had started giving money again.
"Three hundred taels." Du Beilun instructed the guard behind him, simultaneously taking a small wooden box from his chest, opening it to take out a small pale red pill and swallowing it.
His guard immediately handed over three one-hundred-tael silver notes to the little maidservant responsible for recording Du Beilun's contributions, who promptly tucked them into the flower basket she was holding.
Qin Yuesheng was intrigued by the small pill Du Beilun consumed because he detected a familiar scent from it.
Medicinal herbs.
"What are you eating?" Qin Yuesheng asked.
"A Small Rejuvenation Pill. Didn't I get injured last time? My father sent someone specifically to the West Qi Mountain Temple to buy it. It helps with the recovery of flesh wounds."
"Made from medicinal herbs?"
"Certainly."
"Give me one to try." Without waiting for Du Beilun to respond, Qin Yuesheng grabbed a Small Rejuvenation Pill from the wooden box and popped it into his mouth.
"Yue, Yuesheng, you just..." Du Beilun was dumbfounded. He had seen people snatch chicken legs and bear paws, but never medicine pills. What kind of food lover is this, to snatch even healing pills?
All-Purpose Essence +5
Qin Yuesheng's eyes lit up.
A single Small Rejuvenation Pill could provide five points of All-Purpose Essence; the effect was more potent than eating medicinal herbs raw.
Given that consuming a complete fifty-year-old ginseng only added five points of All-Purpose Essence.
The effect of the pill was terrifyingly powerful.
"Beilun, why don't you sell me all your Small Rejuvenation Pills here?"
In front of Du Beilun, Qin Yuesheng snatched the wooden box from his hands, and seeing there were still eight Small Rejuvenation Pills left inside, naturally didn't hold back. Qin Yuesheng tilted the wooden box over his mouth like eating candy, letting all eight pills fall into his mouth.
All-Purpose Essence +40!
Du Beilun was utterly stunned and speechless.
"Or I could send someone to the West Qi Mountain Temple tomorrow to buy Small Rejuvenation Pills to return to you," Qin Yuesheng said with a satisfied smile, patting Du Beilun's shoulder.
"No, there's no need, I still have many at home. If you need more, I can send you some later after I go back." Du Beilun, bewildered, touched his hair.
I don't know what's gotten into Yuesheng, and I dare not ask.
Having gained forty-five points of All-Purpose Essence at once, Qin Yuesheng was in great spirits and immediately turned on the super assistant to allocate some points.
But just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion, and a group of ruffians wielding knives and clubs surged in from outside. Their fierce aura instantly silenced the entire first floor of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion, causing everyone to pause their actions and close their mouths, even the performers singing and dancing on the high platform fell silent.