Chapter 248: Even Courtesans Have Rules

A faint, delicate fragrance of makeup drifted through the air as the woman moved.

It was not an overpowering cosmetic scent but rather leaned more toward the natural fragrance of flowers.

The woman wore a long, blue-green dress, her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. Her bright, lively eyes carried a hint of curiosity.

Her attire was refined, yet there was an almost imperceptible trace of allure about her.

“I am Yuling. Greetings, sir.” Introducing herself, Yuling refilled Gu Ning’an’s cup before taking a seat beside him.

“How much for the flower wine?” Gu Ning’an glanced at the woman and asked directly.

Yuling was momentarily startled before responding, “Two qian of silver.”

Gu Ning’an retrieved two qian from his sleeve and placed them on the table, then continued drinking on his own.

Seeing that he seemed uninterested in conversation, Yuling forced a somewhat awkward smile and said, “Sir, please don’t misunderstand. I approached because I wanted to ask—how is it that you remain so unaffected by the woman on stage?”

Gu Ning’an raised a brow. “What do you mean, miss?”

“To be frank, sir, I was once the top courtesan of Yanhuo Alley…”

“The moment that woman arrived, she immediately stole the spotlight!”

“That in itself isn’t surprising—after all, in a place like this, newcomers will always replace the old… But ever since she came, the entire West Corner Village has spiraled into chaos—it has turned into a debauched den of lust!”

“That is not normal!”

Leaning in slightly, Yuling lowered her voice and continued, “To be honest, sir, I was quite impressed when you rejected that woman’s advances yesterday.”

“That’s why I had the audacity to seek your advice—how does one resist that woman’s charms and help these men remember their homes?”

Ignoring the first part of her statement, Gu Ning’an instead asked, “Why do you want them to remember their homes?”

Yuling sighed. “You may laugh at me, sir, but though I am a courtesan, I do not wish for the place I reside in to be filled with nothing but depravity.”

“Yanhuo Alley is indeed a place where men come for pleasure, and the more guests we have, the better our earnings.”

“But the truth is, every girl here—myself included—is only doing this because we have no other choice. Without this work, we wouldn’t survive.”

“Providing pleasure is one thing, but many of us still abide by a code: we may take their money, but we do not destroy their families, nor do we taint the character of our land.”

“To break a family apart is no different from killing the golden goose—it will bring misfortune upon us.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an began to understand her reasoning. He hadn’t expected that despite her profession, Yuling adhered to her own set of principles.

Taking money, but not ruining homes. Bringing pleasure, but not corrupting the land…

After some thought, Gu Ning’an nodded. “In that case, I can teach you a trick.”

Yuling leaned in closer, excitement flashing in her eyes. “Please, sir, tell me!”

“The method may be troublesome, but just follow my instructions.” With that, Gu Ning’an whispered into Yuling’s ear.

After listening, Yuling furrowed her brows. “Sir, will this really work?”

“Those men seem completely bewitched!”

Gu Ning’an replied, “It’s a bit troublesome and not guaranteed to work, but if you wish to help the village, you can give it a try.”

“I understand.” Yuling nodded repeatedly. Just as she was about to stand, the plump woman approached with graceful steps.

“Sir, you rejected me yesterday, but I’ve been thinking about you ever since!” As she spoke, the plump woman reached out, attempting to place a hand on Gu Ning’an’s shoulder.

However, her hand froze in midair—no matter how hard she tried, she could not bring it down!

This was not because she lacked cultivation but because his cultivation far surpassed hers!

A man of such formidable strength—why would he be mingling among ordinary travelers?

After a long pause, the stiffness in her hand gradually faded. Retracting her hand, she respectfully bowed to Gu Ning’an while transmitting a message via secret technique:

[Lustful Ghost under the Black Throne, greets you, sir… I was blind before and have offended you. May I ask what brings you here?]

Gu Ning’an took a sip from his cup and responded via sound transmission: “I’m just an External Agent. Just make sure you don’t use your power to harm or kill people.”

What kind of External Agent has power like yours?!

Suppressing her inner complaints, the voluptuous woman replied: “Sir, the spiritual essence of this place is extremely important to my master. If you refrain from interfering, once my master succeeds, we will offer you a generous gift and treat you as an honored guest.”

Gu Ning’an asked: “Who exactly is your master?”

“That… I cannot reveal in detail…”

“However, sir, have you ever heard of the Flood Dragon¹ Emperor of Northern Huangtian?”

After saying this, the voluptuous woman closely observed Gu Ning’an’s expression.

Any cultivator or being from Great Wu would undoubtedly know about the two Great Demon lords of Northern Huangtian! She deliberately mentioned the Flood Dragon Emperor’s name to intimidate him.

Yet, even after hearing that name, the white-robed man remained completely unperturbed.

He merely responded in a calm, indifferent tone: “A great demon has no use for spiritual essence. Your master is connected to the Flood Dragon Emperor?”

“Yes! My master has an extraordinary relationship with the Flood Dragon Emperor. I ask that you show some respect!”

“As long as you don’t cause trouble or take innocent lives, I won’t interfere.”

With that, Gu Ning’an waved his hand dismissively. “Step aside, don’t disturb my drinking.”

The voluptuous woman’s expression froze. After a moment, she respectfully bowed and said, “Then I won’t disturb you any further.” She quickly turned and left…

Their exchange lasted only a few breaths, and to the onlookers, it simply looked like the voluptuous woman had approached eagerly, then hesitated to touch Gu Ning’an, stared at him for a while, and finally left dejectedly after he coldly dismissed her.

This made the spectators grit their teeth in frustration!

Even though the woman sitting at his table was a courtesan and quite beautiful, she still couldn’t compare to the voluptuous madam!

Rejecting her once was bad enough—twice?!

If you just wanted to drink, go to a tavern! Who comes to a brothel just to drink?!

The crowd silently cursed Gu Ning’an before following after the voluptuous woman…

Watching Gu Ning’an with admiration, Yu Ling’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she said seriously, “Sir, I truly respect you!”

Gu Ning’an chuckled and shook his head.

Yu Ling then lifted her skirt slightly and walked toward the enthusiastic crowd.

As she reached a black-faced burly man, she lightly patted his shoulder.

When he turned around, looking bewildered, Yu Ling smiled and whispered, “Master Liu, since we’re familiar, let me tell you a little secret.”

The burly man grumbled impatiently, “What secret? Don’t waste my time—I’m watching the flower courtesan!”

Yu Ling leaned in and murmured, “You’re still watching? A fortune-teller came today and said that the courtesan on stage is a Star of Calamity. Watching her too much will bring bad luck, drain your wealth, shorten your life, and—most importantly—make you impotent…”