Chapter 47: The Hundred Flowers Pavilion Reform: Foot Reflexology and SPA, All at Once!

"My lord, this concubine will help you dress..."

Early the next morning.

Shen Lang looked at An Yiyao, who was frowning and enduring her pain as she tried to get up, and waved his hand with a smile, "No need. You are still weak, you should stay in bed!"

With just these words, An Yiyao’s pitiful and alluring face instantly blushed down to the roots of her ears.

As the mistress of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, her cultivation base was actually much stronger than Shen Lang's.

However, Shen Lang's physical body was simply too formidable.

So much so that she, who mainly practiced the Dao of Allure, had fainted several times the night before.

In the end, it was only by begging for mercy that Shen Lang let her off.

Yet, considering her own identity and Shen Lang's ambitions, An Yiyao did not want to be seen as a fragile, delicate vase.

Struggling against her physical discomfort, she sat up. "My lord, what will you need my Hundred Flowers Pavilion to do next?"

"Gather intelligence and amass wealth, that is all!"

Hearing this, An Yiyao's brows furrowed.

Seeing her expression, Shen Lang raised an eyebrow instinctively. "What is wrong?"

"I will not hide it from you, my lord. Although our Hundred Flowers Pavilion has three thousand disciples, most of them no longer wish to follow me."

"Why?" Shen Lang raised an eyebrow.

"Firstly, the problem of income. The vast majority of their earnings are taken away by various brothels, leaving them unable to even gather enough resources for their own cultivation."

"Secondly, the matter of status. Although most of them are orphans, they all harbor a desire to return to a normal life."

"Once many of our disciples find a man willing to redeem them, they willingly sever ties with us and stop passing intelligence to me."

"Therefore..."

An Yiyao trailed off, looking at Shen Lang with a trace of anxiety.

Clearly, she was afraid that Shen Lang would deem her useless and abandon her.

Seeing her worry, Shen Lang walked over to the bed, brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, and said softly, "It's fine. I will solve all these problems for you."

"Can they really be solved?"

An Yiyao remained somewhat doubtful.

After all, she had been struggling in this trade for over a decade.

She knew all too well that trying to reform this industry was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Understanding her thoughts, Shen Lang spoke very directly, "Actually, your current difficulties stem mainly from your status."

"As long as you change your status, not only will you no longer have to fear gossip in the future, but many women will even compete to join your Hundred Flowers Pavilion!"

"How do we change it?" An Yiyao asked eagerly.

"It's very simple. We just need to make it so that men can no longer easily obtain your bodies, and that will break your current predicament!"

"This..."

Hearing this answer, An Yiyao felt a twinge of disappointment.

After all, she understood the logic that men should not be easily given what they wanted.

Yet in the pugilistic world, one's hands were tied.

Especially for the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

Even if their sole purpose was to gather intelligence, once they entered the brothels, how could they remain masters of their own fate?

Thus, wearing a perfunctory smile, An Yiyao placated him, "I will speak with the disciples."

Noticing that An Yiyao seemed quite disappointed in him, Shen Lang chuckled, "What will you tell them? Do you even know how to reform?"

"What do you mean, my lord?" An Yiyao looked at him, puzzled.

"I mean, starting today, none of the disciples in your Hundred Flowers Pavilion will work in brothels anymore!"

"Ah?"

An Yiyao was greatly shocked. "If we don't work in brothels, how are we supposed to survive?"

"We change our approach!"

Shen Lang said with utmost solemnity, "You can divide the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion into three categories!"

"The first category: women with exceptional figures and appearances. Select them, cultivate their talents, let them debut, and make them stars!"

"Stars?"

An Yiyao was somewhat bewildered. "What kind of profession is that?"

"Similar to courtesans who sell only their arts and not their bodies. However, their working stage will no longer be the small stage of a brothel, but the great stage of the Nine Continents!"

"Through their own talents and appearances, they will become goddesses in the hearts of men—objects of adoration, forever out of reach."

At these words, An Yiyao's eyes instantly lit up.

The reason disciples of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had always been subjected to criticism was because the venue of their service was the brothel.

Even though they emphasized that they sold only their arts and not their bodies, men who came to spend money in brothels still assumed they were just holding out for more cash.

But if they stopped performing in brothels and moved out into the open world, not only would their status be elevated, but whenever the disciples met their true loves in the future, they could marry them openly and proudly.

Not only would it not bring shame to their partners, but their partners might even feel immensely proud of marrying a female star.

Realizing this, An Yiyao looked at Shen Lang with eager anticipation. "My lord, what about the second category of disciples?"

"The second category: disciples with decent looks and good figures can join entertainment clubs and become hostesses!"

"Their main duties will be accompanying guests in drinking, singing, and gathering intelligence!"

"What is an entertainment club?"

An Yiyao asked excitedly.

After all, judging purely by the title of 'hostess', one could tell the status was remarkably prestigious.

To ensure a continuous stream of resentment and negative emotion values to fuel his cultivation in the future, Shen Lang explained very patiently:

"The so-called entertainment club is actually similar to a brothel."

"However, they do not offer overnight services; they only provide dining, drinking, and singing."

Hearing this explanation, An Yiyao raised an eyebrow. "Will men actually come to play?"

"Rest assured, as long as it is novel enough, people will definitely come!"

Shen Lang said with absolute confidence.

After all, he had a system.

And within the system were complete sets of KTV equipment.

He refused to believe that the men of the immortal cultivation world wouldn't want to experience a taste of modern extravagant living.

Seeing how confident Shen Lang was, An Yiyao said no more.

Instead, she asked the question she cared about most: "What about the third category of disciples—the ones who are not so good-looking? Where should they go?"

"If these disciples want to make money, they will enter the foot reflexology and spa clubs that we will open in the future."

"Have them wear veils, learn some massage techniques, and become technicians to give men massages!"

"Will anyone actually come to such a place?"

An Yiyao looked at Shen Lang with a peculiar expression.

In her view, Shen Lang's 'star plan' and 'hostess plan' were both exceptionally perfect, striking directly at the weaknesses of men.

Yet she felt that this third option of becoming a masseuse would attract no customers at all.

After all, what man would foolishly spend money on feet?

Understanding what An Yiyao was thinking, Shen Lang smiled instantly.

"You mustn't underestimate these technicians. In my view, if operated properly, they will become the cornerstone of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's intelligence network in the future."

"After all, no man can remain unmoved upon hearing: 'A gambling father, a sickly mother, a young brother, and an abusive husband'!"

Hiss...

Hearing the personas Shen Lang had arranged for the foot massage disciples, even An Yiyao, the mistress of the pavilion, could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

Usually, although they provided training, they had truly never considered exploiting men's sympathy in this manner.

She dared not even imagine it anymore.

Once Shen Lang's complete combination of strategies was unleashed, what man could possibly resist adding extra time to his session?

Realizing that the opportunity for the Hundred Flowers Pavilion to rise had finally arrived, An Yiyao bounded out of bed with extreme excitement and said, "My lord, I will go arrange everything according to your plan right now!"

With that, she turned to run out.

Yet as she reached the door, a thought struck her, and she turned back awkwardly. "Oh right, which literary master's Ci poetry do you want us to sing?"

"Sing a bird's poetry! Have the disciple with the best voice and the prettiest face sing 'The You of the Past'!"