Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

As night fell, the main hall of Zuixiang Pavilion was brightly lit with candles and lamps.

Su Yue sat upright in the center of the high platform, with an ancient zither placed in front of her.

She wore a plain white dress with a thin veil over it, and her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, revealing a section of her fair and slender neck.

The candlelight slanted across her face, revealing her neatly drawn eyebrows, like distant mountains sketched out.

The bridge of the nose is straight with smooth lines.

The lips are a natural light red, without any makeup, and are delicate and moisturized.

Her jawline is sharp and clean, giving her a cool and sophisticated look.

Her skin was so white it was almost glowing, and even the bluish veins under her temples were clearly visible.

She kept her eyes down the entire time, her expression indifferent, and didn't look at anyone in the audience.

In just one glance, the entire audience was instantly stunned.

Zhao Yong froze in mid-air, holding his wine glass, motionless.

Li Mingyuan held the wine glass to his lips and then stopped completely.

The maid Qingzhu was distracted and lost in thought, causing the wine pot to tip over and the wine to spill out of the cup.

At this moment, Su Yue slowly raised her hand.

Her wide sleeves slipped down, revealing her snow-white forearms, which were particularly dazzling in the candlelight.

Slender fingertips gently landed on the strings, pausing for a brief moment.

All the noise, laughter, and commotion in the hall vanished instantly.

The first note of the piano slowly rose from the fingertips.

Inside Zhao Yong's private room, Chen Mo held his wine glass, but hesitated to take a sip.

This courtesan is indeed beautiful, even more beautiful than the internet celebrities and stars of Earth.

I have to get this woman tonight!

The sound of the piano spread slowly, penetrating everyone's hearts.

The audience was completely captivated. Some people knocked over their wine glasses, spilling wine all over the table without even noticing; others leaned back in their chairs, their bodies limp, their eyes fixed on the stage, completely lost in thought.

When the piece was finished, the entire audience was completely silent; not a single person spoke.

Su Yue slowly rose, bowed slightly, and quietly retreated to the zither table.

The madam swayed her hips as she walked onto the stage, her silk handkerchief twirling with a "slap" sound, her wrinkled face beaming like a chrysanthemum.

She pointed at Su Yue in the center of the stage, her voice so shrill it could pierce your eardrums.

"Gentlemen! The main event of the evening is here! Our new courtesan of Zuixiang Pavilion, Miss Suyue, is both beautiful and talented. Tonight, we'll see which lucky gentleman will be able to take her home! The rules remain the same: the highest bidder wins, starting at one thousand taels!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lobby erupted in chaos.

A skinny man in the back row, as thin as a monkey, jumped up like he'd been injected with adrenaline, waving a wooden sign and shouting wildly:

"1200! I'll bid 1200!"

Before he could even stand up straight, a fat middle-aged man in a blue silk shirt grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back to his chair like a chick.

"You dare to ask for 1,200? Don't you know where you are? With your paltry sum, even a glance from a young lady would be too shabby. You'd probably have to sell your house and land when you get back, and you wouldn't even have a bed to sleep in!"

Everyone around laughed, and the whispers were full of teasing.

At this moment, Master Zhou cleared his throat and slowly raised his sign: "One thousand five hundred."

Manager Sun immediately followed up: "Two thousand taels!"

Master Zheng joined in the fun, raising his hand: "Two thousand five!"

The price soared to three thousand taels. Master Zhou threw down the bidding paddle, picked up his teacup, took a sip, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

Seeing this, Manager Sun and Master Zheng also stopped.

In the scramble, only two remained: Li Mingyuan and Zhao Yong.

Li Mingyuan gritted his teeth and persevered, counting down three thousand five, four thousand, four thousand five. The wooden sign creaked as he gripped it, his knuckles turning frighteningly white, and sweat dripping down his forehead.

Everyone around could see clearly that the Li family had long since fallen into ruin; he was simply putting on a brave face.

In contrast, Zhao Yong leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs high, and wore a sly smile, showing no sign of urgency.

Four thousand six, five thousand, five thousand five—each time a sign was raised, it felt like a slap in the face to Li Mingyuan.

The price surged to six thousand taels. After raising his paddle, Zhao Yong turned and looked at Li Mingyuan's private room with a half-smile. His eyes were like needles, clearly mocking him.

"With your abilities, you dare to compete with me?"

The madam immediately understood the situation, her voice suddenly rose, and she deliberately glanced in Li Mingyuan's direction.

"Young Master Zhao is so generous! Six thousand taels! Anyone else bidding?"

She changed the subject abruptly, smiling like a cunning old fox.

"Young Master Li, such a beautiful woman, you mustn't miss her, or you'll regret it when you get back!"

A burst of laughter erupted in the lobby, and the murmurs grew louder.

"The Li family is going to lose all face!"

"I heard the Li family has almost mortgaged their shops; how can they compare to the Zhao family's wealth?"

"Exactly, why are you putting on such a show? If you don't have the money, don't come and join the fun!"

Li Mingyuan's private room was eerily quiet; you couldn't even hear someone breathing.

The madam began the countdown, each slap like a hammer blow to Li Mingyuan's heart: "Six thousand taels, once!"

"Six thousand taels, twice!"

She deliberately dragged out her words, waving her handkerchief towards Li Mingyuan: "Young Master Li, this is your last chance! If you don't bid now, the beauty will belong to someone else!"

The laughter grew louder, and the Li family had completely lost face.

For a long time, the private room remained deathly silent.

The madam clapped her hands and loudly set the tone.

"Six thousand taels, three times! Sold! Congratulations, Young Master Zhao, on winning over Miss Suyue!"

The entire venue erupted instantly, with shouts and commotion rising and falling.

"Young Master Zhao is amazing!"

"This money was so much fun to spend!"

Zhao Yong grabbed a wine jar and took a big gulp. The wine dripped down his chin. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and looked down at the whole room with a smug expression.

At this moment, new jokes began to circulate among the crowd.

"Young Master Zhao, you've bought this beauty for six thousand taels of silver; you'd better have the health to handle it!"

"That's right, such a beautiful woman is so delicate, you shouldn't overwork yourself every night, it's not good for you to ruin your health!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall erupted in laughter.

He has some miracle drug he bought, how could he not be able to withstand it?

Hearing these words, Zhao Yong was not angry at all. Instead, he laughed even harder, puffed out his chest, and looked very pleased.

He not only won the beauty but also his pride, completely crushing Li Mingyuan. He won this round thoroughly, feeling incredibly satisfied with every pore of his body!

Zhao Yong leaned back in his chair, his face flushed.

"happy!"

Two girls stood close to him, one on his left and one on his right, one massaging his shoulders and the other pouring him wine.

Chen Mo held his wine glass and spoke slowly.

"Young Master Zhao, I'm afraid the whole town will be talking about your glory tonight for the next six months."

Zhao Yong laughed heartily.

"That coward Li Mingyuan dares to argue with me? Does he even stand a chance?"

Chen Mo smiled as well.

"The moment you sit here, your presence overwhelms him, and his hand trembles as he holds up the sign."

Zhao Yong felt very comfortable after being patted on the back, and he picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp.

Chen Mo put down his wine glass and looked at him.

"Young Master Zhao, I won't beat around the bush. I've also taken a fancy to the courtesan; you'll have to give her to me."

The private room fell silent for a moment, and the two girls stopped what they were doing.

Zhao Yong's hand, holding the wine glass, hovered in mid-air, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

He stared at Chen Mo for a couple of moments, then put his wine glass on the table.

"Brother Zhang, are you trying to steal her from me? I spent six thousand taels of real gold. You think I'd just give you the beauty with a single word?"

"Even the most beautiful courtesan is a woman. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she has a price. It all depends on how much she is worth in Young Master Zhao's heart."

Chen Mo took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward. It was exactly the same as the bottle he had sold to Zhao Yong at a high price last time.

Zhao Yong glanced at it, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Zhao Yong's Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed his urgency.

"One bottle? You think you can get rid of me with just one bottle?"

Chen Mo then took out another bottle from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Zhao Yong's breathing quickened, and he leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the two bottles of medicine.

Chen Mo took out another bottle.

Three identical porcelain vases were neatly arranged on the table.

Zhao Yong stared at the three bottles of medicine, his Adam's apple bobbing several times.

He reached out and grabbed it, clutching it tightly to his chest.

"You son of a bitch."

Zhao Yong cursed, but there was no trace of anger on his face, only eagerness at getting what he wanted.

"She's just a courtesan. Since Brother Zhang likes her, I, Zhao Yong, am willing to grant his wish!"

"Young Master Zhao is kind and generous. I'll bring back a few more bottles when I go back to the village another day."

"Sure, sure. Arrange the best room for me, and bring two more girls. Tonight I'm going to show off my prowess."

Zhao Yong laughed heartily and left with the two women beside him.

They bumped into the madam and Su Yue outside the door.

"Take good care of my brother! He's my benefactor!"

"Yes, yes, I will follow Young Master Zhao's orders."

The madam smiled and agreed.

"Did you hear that? You are now Young Master Zhang's person. You must serve Young Master Zhang well."