From a slave to the Great Qian Martial Saint

I long to ascend to the heavens and grasp the bright moon, and together with you, journey home amidst the colorful clouds.

Lanyue Tower was one of the most famous brothels in Yongqiu City.

Coincidentally, it was also the brothel where Shen Bi had taken refuge.

What a coincidence, we just happened to come to Lan Yue Lou.

Chen Shi looked at Gu Chenglie, increasingly puzzled. What was he going to do?

"Why are you staring at me like that? What else can you do in a brothel? Don't worry, I'll pay for everything tonight."

Seeing Chen Shi's suspicion, Gu Chenglie smiled and stepped inside.

Chen Shi hesitated slightly, then followed him inside.

Yes, what else can one do at a brothel?

But the question is, why did Gu Chenglie bring him to a brothel?

Gu Chenglie had a grudge against him. Even though he was restrained by Li Qinghan and wouldn't actively cause trouble for him, why would he befriend him or even invite him to brothels?

Could it be that seeing him become the steward, Gu Chenglie is assessing the situation and wants to turn hostility into friendship? This isn't Gu Chenglie's character!

Whatever their purpose, we'll find out soon enough.

Why should we be afraid of him?

"So many people."

While they were pondering, the two entered Lan Yue Tower.

Looking up, the lobby on the first floor was already packed with people.

It was only early night, yet there were already so many people. Chen Shi was surprised. Was the business of brothels so easy to run?

"Oh my! Third Master Lie! You've arrived! What a distinguished guest!"

An exaggerated, slightly shrill voice rang out, and a woman dressed in flamboyant clothes, resembling a colorful rooster, came over with a joyful expression.

Judging from her demeanor, she must be the madam of this Lanyue Tower.

"Aunt Zhang, your skin has gotten even paler these past few days."

"Oh dear! Third Master Lie, please stop teasing me, I'm all wrinkled up."

The madam waved her handkerchief, instantly scattering a large cloud of face powder, and enthusiastically led Gu Chenglie inside, then suddenly said...

"Third Master Lie, you've come at the perfect time. Tonight is the perfect night for Miss Shenbi's evening chat. With your talent, you could certainly compete for her affections later."

A late-night chat?

Chen Shi, who was standing next to him, was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but think of something.

I've heard Zhao Dacheng say before that although Shen Bi sells her art but not her body, it's not entirely hopeless. If you want to pursue her, you can first have a late-night chat with her, and if you hit it off, things will naturally fall into place.

However, these late-night talks are not cheap; each one costs a thousand taels of silver.

In Chen Shi's view, it was simply a way to swindle money from these pretentious rich kids.

Looking at all these people in the lobby, could they all be here to have a late-night chat with Shen Bi?

Chen Shi was secretly amazed again; Shen Bi truly deserved to be one of the four most beautiful courtesans in Yongqiu City.

It must be said that there are a lot of rich suckers in Yongqiu City.

"Don't just focus on entertaining me, I mainly brought him here tonight to have some fun."

Gu Chenglie smiled and pointed to Chen Shi beside him.

"Who is this gentleman? He looks unfamiliar."

The madam glanced at Chen Shi, then looked at Gu Chenglie with a questioning expression.

"You don't even recognize him? You're truly blind."

Gu Chenglie gave a light snort and said in a serious tone.

"His surname is Chen, and he's the newly appointed steward of our Jing'an Marquis's residence!"

"Steward Chen? Oh my! It's truly an honor to have Steward Chen grace us with his presence at Lan Yue Lou!"

The madam stared wide-eyed, her face full of exaggerated flattery, and showered Chen Shi with compliments.

"The newly appointed steward of the Marquis of Jing'an's residence is not yet twenty years old, and his talent and ability have long been known throughout Yongqiu! Meeting him today, he truly is a divine figure, extraordinary indeed!"

"Mrs. Zhang is joking."

Chen Shi's expression remained unchanged as he calmly uttered a single sentence.

"They're still a bit reserved, but it's alright. The girls will relax after they have some fun with Manager Chen."

The madam smiled and turned to Gu Chenglie again.

"Oh, by the way, Uncle Qi is here tonight too."

"Oh, Brother Qi is here too. Quickly lead me over."

Gu Chenglie looked pleasantly surprised and quickened his pace.

"Hehe, Third Master, you don't know yet, do you? Master Qi is our Miss Chenbi's number one admirer."

With a smile and a hint of smugness, the madam led Gu Chenglie to the private seating area.

Uncle Qi? Brother Qi?

Chen Shi pondered to himself, wondering who was worthy of being addressed as "elder brother" by Gu Chenglie.

After all, Gu Chengrong is already dead.

With a raised eyebrow, he thought, "Could it be Feng Qi?"

The previous Marquis of Dingyuan had three sons, all of whom were legitimate sons: Feng Qi, Feng Ji, and Feng Lin.

Feng Qi could read at the age of three, compose poetry at the age of five, and write prose at the age of ten. He was known as a child prodigy from a young age. As he grew up, his poetry and prose became more and more outstanding, and many old scholars were ashamed of their own inferiority.

Feng Ji, along with his twin brother, had already reached the sixth-rank minor grandmaster realm at a young age and was known as the "Feng Family's Steed"!

Gu Tingliang had chosen Feng Ji as the perfect match for Gu Hanying. Chen Shi had never met Feng Ji before, but unexpectedly encountered Feng Qi here.

"Brother Qi!"

In the private seating area, Gu Chenglie called out and walked towards a man dressed as a scholar.

He looked to be in his thirties, with a dignified appearance and imposing presence, but his attire was rather ordinary.

Chen Shi frowned secretly. Could it be that he had guessed wrong earlier, and it wasn't Feng Qi?

"Third Brother Lie, you've come too."

The man turned his head and saw that it was Gu Chenglie, so he immediately smiled and waved.

"Come, let's sit together."

"Aunt Zhang, bring some more fine wine and dishes!"

Gu Chenglie gave an order to the madam, looked the man up and down, and couldn't help but smile.

"Why is the eldest son of the Marquis of Dingyuan dressed so differently than usual?"

"What do you know? To win Miss Shenbi's heart, you need talent and learning, not power and money! I deliberately dressed like this to set aside my status as a member of the Marquis of Dingyuan's family and to impress Miss Shenbi with my talent and learning alone."

Feng Qi looked smug, and then solemnly warned Gu Chenglie.

"Third Brother Lie, you didn't come here for Miss Chenbi too, did you? Let me tell you, my feelings for Miss Chenbi are genuine, you can't take her from me!"

"Hehe, no, why would I fight you for it?"

Gu Chenglie smiled, but glanced at Chen Shi beside him.

Listening to the two men talking, Chen Shi was certain that the man was Feng Qi.

It seems the madam was right; Feng Qi is quite fond of Shen Bi, truly deserving of being her number one admirer. But what he just said sounded utterly ridiculous to Chen Shi.

He said he didn't rely on power or money. If it weren't for these things, he wouldn't even have the chance to see Shen Bi. After all, a single night talk would cost a thousand taels of silver.

And now he talks about sincerity, which is even more ridiculous. If I remember correctly, Feng Qi already has a wife, and apparently two concubines as well. If he gets Shen Bi, how will he handle it? Is it possible that he will divorce his wife and marry Shen Bi instead?

Of course not. At most, she would be a mistress kept outside the mansion, or at most a concubine.

"By the way, Brother Qi, let me introduce you."

Just as he was inwardly scoffing, Gu Chenglie suddenly pointed at Chen Shi.

"Chen Shi, our household's newly appointed steward."

"Oh, you're Chen Shi."

Feng Qi glanced at Chen Shi and couldn't help but nod.

"I heard that the new steward of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion is not yet twenty years old, and he is indeed a handsome and talented man."

"Uncle Qi, you flatter me."

"The Dingyuan Marquis's family and the Jing'an Marquis's family have been on good terms for generations. They come to visit when they have time."

Feng Qi said something casually, then waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the second floor.

Chen Shi stood aside without saying much.

Gu Chenglie smiled, seemingly lost in thought.

The new food and wine had been served, and Gu Chenglie invited Chen Shi to sit down. Although there was a difference between master and servant, when you're out having fun, there's no need to be so formal.

Moreover, since Gu Chenglie invited Chen Shi, Chen Shi could also be considered a guest.

As time went on, the lobby became more and more crowded, most of whom had come to see Chen Bi.

As one of the four most beautiful courtesans in Yongqiu City, Chen Shi knew that Shen Bi was very famous, but he did not expect her to be this popular.

Of course, most people were just there to watch the spectacle; not many could afford a thousand taels of silver and were willing to part with it.

Bang!

Just as the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) arrived, a gong suddenly sounded.

"It's starting! It's starting!"

Feng Qi slammed down his wine glass, his face full of excitement, staring eagerly at the second floor.

When did it begin?

Just then, a woman dressed as a maid appeared from the second floor, looked down at the lobby, and spoke directly.

"Miss Chenbi will be meeting friends tonight!"

As he spoke, he swiftly dropped a scroll of text, which was the first line of the couplet.