I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

Ziyang, holding a paper fan, stood gracefully in the center of the banquet hall.

A man holding a shamisen sat upright to her side and slightly behind.

"Geisha" refers to the female geisha who plays the shamisen and sings songs. They do not wear their hair in a bun, do not wear heavy makeup, and wear simple kimonos.

According to Ziyang, the dance she will perform next is "Gion no Sou," the most representative and classic geisha dance in Gion.

Having prepared himself, Ziyang turned his head to the side and gave a look to the area behind him.

The local man nodded in response, then turned the plectrum in his right hand and gently plucked the strings, and melodious music immediately began to play.

The light and pleasant melody, like flowing clouds and water, drifted out gently and melodiously.

This local musician was exceptionally skilled at playing the zither. Under her skillful plucking, beautiful notes danced and lingered in the banquet hall, much like glistening beads of all sizes falling onto a jade plate, or like a babbling brook.

Ziyang danced gracefully, swaying her hips to the music.

In an instant, after Ziyang appeared, the entire audience fell silent once again.

Qing Deng was no stranger to geisha dance.

He had previously seen geisha performances on various occasions, including high-class restaurants in Edo and private banquets of powerful figures.

To be fair, he didn't really like the songs and dances of geisha.

In his view, the geisha’s song and dance performances were too soothing and too slow-paced, and watching too many of them would make him want to sleep—until this moment, his opinion completely changed.

Aoto… no, all the guests present, including Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji, were all intently watching Shiyo dance, not even blinking… or rather, they forgot to blink.

What kind of dance moves are these?

It looks just like a colorful ribbon fluttering in the wind!

It looks just like a circling phoenix!

Her slender waist, seemingly fragile enough to break at any moment, swayed gracefully like a water snake. Even when dressed in heavy clothing, one could clearly feel the fleshy softness of her waist.

The paper fan in her right hand fluttered nimbly up and down, as if it might transform into a beautiful butterfly at any moment, fluttering wildly.

Her delicate little feet lightly stepped on the tatami mat, revealing glimpses of her fair and rosy soles.

A vibrant youthful energy swept across Qingdeng's face.

Her light and graceful dance moves possess a pure, approachable, and pleasing charm, while also being elusive and captivating.

It makes one feel as if they are on a riverbank with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine, surrounded by flowers, where a beautiful and pure young girl passionately yet gently expresses her understanding of music and her appreciation of beauty.

Even Qingdeng, who had seen countless song and dance performances, couldn't help but be captivated by the indescribably perfect dance moves.

Sight, hearing, smell... all the senses in the body were concentrated on Ziyang, on this stunningly beautiful woman who seemed to be a fairy descended from heaven.

Only after Ziyang finished his dance did his five senses return to his body, allowing him to regain control of his body.

After finishing the dance, Ziyang's breathing remained steady.

She lowered herself and bowed respectfully to those around her.

"I've made a fool of myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, silence descended upon the banquet hall, and the entire place fell silent.

About five seconds later, a wave of enthusiastic applause swept over Ziyang.

Ziyang smiled slightly and bowed again.

……

……

With the geishas by their side, the atmosphere of the banquet changed completely.

After performing their talents in singing, playing instruments, and dancing, all the geisha, including Ziyang, dispersed to attend to each guest.

This is one of the services offered by geisha.

In addition to performing songs and dances to entertain guests, geisha are also responsible for drinking and chatting with guests, and playing zashiki games with them.

So, looking at everyone present, who is qualified to be Ziyang's companion?

The answer to this question is obvious at a glance.

"Lord Tachibana, I have long admired your name! I admire you greatly! I have always wanted to meet you in person! Today, my wish has finally come true!"

As Ziyang poured wine for Qingdeng, he said this in an excited and enthusiastic tone.

Her wine-pouring technique was truly masterful.

Her gaze remained fixed on Qingdeng, and she didn't glance at the wine jug in her hand once.

Despite this, her hands holding the wine pot were incredibly steady. The wine, like a gentle stream, traced a beautiful parabola in mid-air before falling perfectly into the cup without spilling a single drop.

"Your heroic deeds of defeating the Extermination Group and annihilating the Shimizu clan have truly inspired me!"

Ziyang was surprisingly talkative.

Unlike her ethereal beauty when she danced earlier, as if she had descended from the heavens to the mortal realm, Ziyang, who was now attending to Qingdeng, wore a gentle smile, her cheeks adorned with an approachable expression, her delicate beauty still captivating, and her charming smile unchanged.

Qingdeng smiled and said modestly:

“Miss Ziyang, I was just doing what I was supposed to do.”

After saying that, he took a sip of his drink and then casually asked:

"'Ziyang'...that's a really nice name for the flower. Did you choose it yourself?"

"um, yes!"

"Why did you choose this name? Do you really like hydrangeas?"

In Japan, "Ajishang" is the name of a flower. The hydrangea is also known as the snow hydrangea.

Ziyang gently shook his head.

"No, the reason is not complicated. It's just that my real name is related to hydrangeas, so I named myself 'Ziyang' (meaning hydrangea)."

"Oh? May I ask what your real name is?"

Ziyang blinked her beautiful eyes, revealing a playful expression.

"Lord Tachibana, it is very impolite of you to ask a geisha's real name."

Qingdeng chuckled to himself.

"I apologize for my rudeness. I don't often associate with geishas, ​​so I'm not very familiar with your customs."

"Lord Tachibana, do you rarely go to the red-light district?"

"Well, for some reasons that I can't go into detail about, I've always kept my distance from places of ill repute like red-light districts and pleasure quarters."

"I see... That's such a pity..."

Ziyang lowered her red lips, a look of melancholy appearing on her face.

"I also hope to have more contact with the man I admire in the future..."

As she spoke, her small hands climbed up Qingdeng's waist, gently stroking and sometimes kneading it.

At the same time, she narrowed her eyes, her gaze alluring.

*******

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

Updated promptly at 13 PM! What? You say it's already 15 PM? Oh dear, the time difference in R'lyeh is getting bigger and bigger... (leopard slapping its belly.jpg)

Damn, I really want to go to Kyoto to do some research! To see how real geisha perform and serve their guests—don't get me wrong, I really want to do this for research, I have absolutely no lewd thoughts! (Leopard.jpg)

Chapter 583 I, Ju Qingdeng, am absolutely not a lecherous man! [4500]

Ziyang's movements were very discreet.

Because Aoto sat in the main seat, facing the Shinsengumi generals and high-ranking officials of Kyoto who were seated below.

Therefore, from everyone's perspective, they could only see the front of Qingdeng and Ziyang, who was attending to him.

The only person who could see Aoto's side and back was Matsudaira Katamori, who was sitting next to him.

Because Matsudaira Katamori was focused on drinking and didn't notice Aoto's movements, no one except Aoto himself noticed Ziyang's restless little hand at this moment.

Ziyang's little hands were a little cold, as if they had been touched by winter frost.

Even through the clothes, Qingdeng could clearly feel the cool, delicate touch.

She didn't roughly knead or stroke like she was petting a cat.

Instead, it was like a massage, sometimes with force, sometimes with gentle caresses. The neatly trimmed nails brushed against Qingdeng's back, causing a ticklish sensation, yet also giving a strange sense of comfort.

Her sudden touch caught Qingdeng off guard, causing him to freeze abruptly.

The next instant, as if by reflex, he quickly raised his eyes and nervously and cautiously observed Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji not far away.

Upon discovering that the three women appeared normal and had not noticed what was happening, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he looked at Ziyang beside him and forced a bitter smile that was a mixture of helplessness and relief.

Thank goodness! Sanako and the others didn't find out!

Suddenly engaging in extremely intimate interactions with guests—this is a common geisha technique used to flirt and attract customers.

The geisha industry is just like the internet industry in the 21st century—it's incredibly competitive.

There is never a shortage of young and beautiful girls in the city, nor is there a shortage of impoverished families who are so poor that they have no choice but to sell their daughters.

A geisha's career typically ends around the age of 30.

No matter how famous you were before, if you want to continue being a geisha after the age of 30, you will automatically be demoted and become an accessory to young and beautiful famous geishas.

You might be doing well today, but tomorrow a woman who is more beautiful and has better singing and dancing skills than you will emerge and steal your customers, leaving you with nothing to eat.

Geisha must learn culture, etiquette, makeup, poetry, and musical instruments. If they pass the training, they can officially perform on stage at the age of 16.