Chapter 241: Unmoved

“Brother! Give me the handkerchief! Just look at that courtesan on stage—full of energy! Keeping it would be a waste for you! Listen to your uncle, you won’t be able to handle her—let me do the honors!”

“Give it to me! That old man thinks he can enjoy her for free? What a fool! I’ll pay fifty taels of silver—just hand over the handkerchief, and the money is yours!”

“Fifty taels? That’s nothing! I have a grand residence with three courtyards and ten acres of fertile land. If you agree, I’ll hand it over immediately!”

“Give it to me! I have three daughters—if you give me the handkerchief, I’ll marry all three to you! No dowry needed, and I’ll even throw in a house as part of the deal!”

Though the four Golden Guard agents standing around Gu Ning’an were imposing enough to keep the crowd at bay, they couldn’t suppress the burning desire in these men’s hearts. Each of them was practically willing to throw away their entire fortune just for a chance at that silk handkerchief.

Seeing Gu Ning’an remain unresponsive, the four agents surrounding him were at a loss for words.

After all, who wouldn’t be tempted by the voluptuous woman on stage?

It wasn’t just Zhou Zhongtian and the others—even Feng Wei felt that Gu Ning’an was being absurd. With such a rare opportunity in hand, refusing would be an absolute waste!

Up on the stage, the voluptuous woman fixed her seductive gaze on Gu Ning’an, her eyes filled with intrigue.

Of course, she knew that Gu Ning’an was also a Golden Guard agent.

Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have cared—even if a Golden Guard commander himself were present, she wouldn’t have batted an eye.

Yet, after her dance, she was shocked to discover that the man in white, who had been watching her from the very beginning, remained completely calm.

It wasn’t the kind of fake composure that self-righteous scholars feigned. His gaze was as still as a deep well, utterly unshaken.

Even the master she revered so deeply had never been able to watch her dance without reacting—so why could this man?

She had considered the possibility that he might be a highly skilled cultivator. However, no matter how she looked at him, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary man with no cultivation.

To be cautious, she had even cast a hidden spell on the silk handkerchief. If Gu Ning’an touched it, she would be able to sense whether he was concealing his true strength.

Yet, the moment he caught it, the spell remained intact. This confirmed her suspicion—he was indeed just a mortal with no cultivation.

As the crowd waited in anticipation for Gu Ning’an’s reaction—

He simply tossed the silk handkerchief aside and, with a curt “Let’s go,” turned and walked away without a second glance!

The four Golden Guard agents were utterly stunned.

Zhou Zhongtian was the first to follow, his heart filled with admiration: There is always something to learn from others! To be so unshaken in the face of beauty—this is the kind of discipline I should cultivate!

Feng Wei hurried after them, silently apologizing to Gu Ning’an. After all, when he had led the group into this pleasure district, she had immediately assumed he was just another lecherous man.

The two sturdy guards followed at a slower pace. Though Gu Ning’an had warned them that the voluptuous woman was suspicious, they still couldn’t shake the feeling that… throwing away such an opportunity was a true waste.

The crowd, meanwhile, was left in a daze, staring at the silk handkerchief now lying on the ground.

Was this a dream? Had they seen wrong?

But when they realized that someone had really just discarded the chance to spend a night with the courtesan as if it were trash, their first thought was: What a waste!

Then, without missing a beat, they lunged for the silk handkerchief, fighting over it with frenzied desperation!

In an instant, the previously quiet pleasure district was thrown into chaos again. Men fought viciously, some even landing heavy blows on each other. Within moments, faces were bruised and bloodied.

Onstage, the voluptuous woman was just as stunned.

She had expected rejection—but not like this.

He hadn’t even bothered with a polite refusal. He had simply thrown the handkerchief away as if it were worthless!

For the first time in fifteen minutes, she began to doubt—was he really just a mortal? Or did men like him, who weren’t interested in beauty, truly exist in this world?

Irritated, she furrowed her elegant brows and cast a cold glance at the brawling men below.

With a mocking laugh, she turned on her heel and headed for the upper floors.

“Hey! Courtesan! Don’t go!” someone shouted, and the crowd froze mid-fight.

Without turning back, she left behind a single remark:

“The handkerchief was for a fated one. If that fated one has left, then no matter who holds it, it means nothing.”

Upon hearing this, those who had fought tooth and nail for the handkerchief nearly coughed up blood in frustration.

If someone hadn’t called out to her, they wouldn’t have known she was leaving!

Otherwise, they might have fought to the death over the silk handkerchief today, only to end up empty-handed in the end!

“Lords, no need to fret. There will be another chance tomorrow.”

“The days ahead are long. I shall choose another fated one tomorrow!”

“For now, why don’t you all return and rest? Otherwise, if fortune truly smiles upon you tomorrow but you lack the energy, I’ll be left sitting alone in bed, sighing in disappointment…”

The customers who had initially wanted an explanation were instantly entranced by the gentle voice. The frustration of “getting hurt without gaining anything” quickly vanished from their minds.

One by one, they hastily left the pleasure district, fearing that if the “meal” was truly delivered to their doorstep tomorrow, but their bodies were too worn out to partake, they would regret it immensely!

Meanwhile, Gu Ning’an and his group had arrived at South Corner Village.

This place lacked the indulgent decadence of before, yet it was still incredibly noisy.

Following the commotion to the village center, they found countless men, women, and children gathered on both sides of the street. Their expressions ranged from solemn to fervent to desperate, and their eyes glowed with an eerie light as they all focused intently on one spot.

At Gu Ning’an’s signal, the other Golden Guard agents slowed their pace and moved into the crowd, directing their gaze to the same point as the villagers.

Splash—drip!

The sound of flowing liquid hitting the ground rang out, and the already present stench of blood grew even stronger.

In everyone’s line of sight, a butcher, his entire body stained with bright red blood, wielded two broad pig-slaughtering knives as he butchered a pig before him.

The pig bore no restraints or bindings. Its body was covered in deep, gaping wounds, and its scalding, rancid blood poured onto the ground as though it were worthless.

And yet, despite this, the heavily wounded pig remained standing still, its expression eerily vacant, allowing the butcher to carve into it at will.