Chapter 42: The Courtesan's Challenge!
Page 1 of 3
Shen Lang raised one finger, his face alight with madness.
“Give me ten million, and I’ll sell the divine artifact, then disappear without a trace!”
Hiss...
Seeing that Shen Lang seemed serious, He Renchao’s expression turned extremely grim.
Shen Lang’s heart gave a slight jolt. “Did I ask for too much?”
Just as he was wondering whether to lower the price first, lure the buyer over, and then kill him for his treasure, He Renchao unexpectedly offered a solemn suggestion.
“Brother Lang, ten million may sound like a lot, but I think you could ask for more.”
“After all, everything costs money when you’re out in the world. Ten million won’t last long!”
What the hell?
Shen Lang was dumbfounded.
He had seen sellers voluntarily lower their prices.
But he had never seen a buyer demand that the price be raised.
And judging from He Renchao’s serious expression, Shen Lang could not help wondering whether this fellow had truly become friends with his former self.
While he was still puzzled, He Renchao’s next words made the corners of his mouth twitch.
“However, anything above ten million has to be split fifty-fifty between the two of us. What do you think?”
“You really are a genius!”
Shen Lang’s praise contained no exaggeration whatsoever.
He found He Renchao quite agreeable.
If properly cultivated, the fellow could handle all the dirty and tiring work for him in the future.
He Renchao, naturally, had no idea that Shen Lang had already taken a liking to him. He merely gave a sheepish grin.
“Can’t help it. My family won’t give me any money, so I have to find ways to get some.”
“No problem. Anything above ten million, we split fifty-fifty.”
“But you have to contact the buyers for me in secret. No one else can know.”
“Don’t worry. Your brother knows what he’s doing!”
He Renchao nodded excitedly.
He had already decided that his first buyer would be his father.
He was going to make the old bastard bleed properly!
At the same time.
Inside the top courtesan’s room on the highest floor, An Yiyao gazed at Shen Lang, who was seated in a private booth on the second floor. A grave look flashed through her eyes.
She had come to Return Cloud City to obtain the treasure she desired from the secret realm that was about to open.
However, because of her special identity, she needed the help of others.
At that moment, she saw Shen Lang and He Renchao displaying sinister smiles.
She spoke calmly. “Qingyou, you have received Shen Lang before. What do you think of him?”
At the mention of Shen Lang’s name, disgust flickered in Qingyou’s eyes.
“Miss, that Shen Lang is a shameless, despicable, base lecher. He is utterly unfit for respectable company!”
“Oh?”
It was the first time An Yiyao had heard Qingyou judge anyone so harshly, and she was somewhat surprised.
“What did he do to you for you to resent him so much?”
“Miss, look at my legs. They’re still bruised!”
“That bastard pinched them!”
“Tell me, why is he such a pervert?”
Looking at the bruises on Qingyou’s snow-white jade legs, An Yiyao was momentarily stunned.
After all, men behaving improperly was hardly unusual in their profession.
But someone like Shen Lang, who had acted so directly—and had actually resorted to pinching—was a first.
This struck her as rather peculiar.
“So he really is a rather unusual man.”
“What’s so unusual about him?” Qingyou asked unhappily.
An Yiyao narrowed her eyes.
“At least he isn’t like all those other men, whose pretentious behavior is nauseating.”
“But...”
Qingyou instinctively wanted to say more, but An Yiyao waved her off.
“That’s enough. I understand what you mean. We’ll proceed according to the original plan.”
“If that man truly has some ability, I wouldn’t mind speaking with him.”
Seeing that An Yiyao had already made up her mind, Qingyou still had a bellyful of complaints, but she could only leave the room helplessly.
“The top courtesan Qingyou is coming out!”
At that moment, Qingyou stepped out of the room, and the atmosphere in the First Pavilion instantly reached its peak.
More than a hundred scholars and martial cultivators shouted excitedly.
Even He Renchao wore an animated expression.
“Brother Lang, this top courtesan Qingyou is quite something too!”
“Tonight, you handle An Yiyao. I’ll take Qingyou!”
Looking at He Renchao’s excited appearance, Shen Lang’s lips curled into an amused smile.
From the first moment he had met Qingyou, he had realized that she was no ordinary person.
So he had used a few minor tricks he had learned from his former life in entertainment establishments to test her.
Instead of leaving, Qingyou had coquettishly fawned over him.
Shen Lang had immediately suspected that something was wrong with her.
At the time, however, Zhou Yu had arranged for her to be there.
Shen Lang had assumed Zhou Yu wanted to test something.
But now it seemed that Qingyou’s background was far from simple.
Just as he was wondering what factions Qingyou and An Yiyao belonged to, Qingyou spoke in a playful tone.
“Oh my, so many people have come. I’m afraid Miss An won’t be able to entertain them all.”
“Does anyone want to be the first to spend the night with Miss An?”
Her words instantly sent the entire hall into an uproar.
The cultivators shouted at the tops of their voices.
“Me! I’m willing to be the first to spend the night with Miss An!”
“Get lost! The first time has to be mine!”
“Who do you think you are? You can’t even afford a private booth, and you dare dream of Miss An?”
At just the right moment, He Renchao stood up arrogantly and began scolding the people below.
Page 2 of 3
Shen Lang merely smiled and said nothing.
He knew Qingyou had said it deliberately.
Her purpose was to heat up the atmosphere.
After that, she could fleece the biggest fools.
And things unfolded exactly as Shen Lang had expected.
When Qingyou saw that the scene was gradually turning into a martial arena, she pretended to be shy.
“Oh my, gentlemen, don’t frighten Miss An.”
“How about this? I have a question. Everyone can write down the answer they come up with, and then Miss An can choose among them. What do you think?”
Upon hearing Qingyou’s proposal, the cultivators felt that it was fair.
Someone immediately stepped forward and asked, “Miss Qingyou, what is the question?”
“The question is very simple!”
Qingyou swept her gaze across the room and spoke in a low, lingering voice.
“If Miss An wished to leave this life behind, how could she become the principal wife of a wealthy and influential family?”
The hall erupted.
As soon as Qingyou posed the question, everyone present fell into a daze.
They had come here to seek pleasure.
In their eyes, neither An Yiyao nor Qingyou was anything more than a plaything for their amusement.
Even if they liked the women very much, they would never bring them home as their principal wives.
After all, even if they themselves did not care, they could not withstand the gossip.
And for a wealthy, prestigious family, such a thing was even more unthinkable.
Just as everyone felt that the question was deliberately difficult, Zhou Hao lowered his wine cup with an amused smile.
“Write it down!”
The servant beside him immediately picked up his brush and ink, waiting solemnly for his master’s answer.
“To become the principal wife of a wealthy and influential family, one need only take three steps!”
“First, Miss An can find a daughter of a prestigious family and assume her identity!”
“Second, Miss An can arrange a chance encounter with the aristocratic young master she wishes to marry!”
“Third, Miss An can use her own charm to conquer him until he takes her home as his wife!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant beside him immediately announced, “My young master has a plan!”
The hall erupted once more.
When everyone saw that someone had already provided an answer, they all turned toward the source of the voice.
But when they realized that the speaker had emerged from the Zhou family’s private room, many people lowered their heads, unwilling to provoke them.
Seeing this, He Renchao’s face turned livid.
“Damn it, that brat Zhou Hao got there first. Looks like we won’t have a chance to enjoy her tonight.”
Hearing this, Shen Lang smiled knowingly.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Page 3 of 3