My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Chapter 16.
"Big Brother Anle, please, I'm begging you! I really can't stand to continue eating the food served by the kitchen staff anymore!"
"That's right, that's right! Father says the food contains Spiritual Qi and is good for our bodies, but the taste… Ever since trying Big Brother Anle's dishes, those things don't taste as good anymore!"
Back then, Yan Anle was a little over nineteen years old, still spirited and holding expectations for what his 'advantage' as a transmigrator would be. Before him stood an eleven-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy, both his siblings. Their names were Lingrong and Wuji.
"Lingrong, Wuji," he called to them, a helpless smile on his face as he patted their heads. "Be good. Father and Mother mean well. You are still growing and your Spirit Roots are still developing. Eating Spirit Cuisine and other special medicines should be your priority right now."
The children protested and made a fuss, forcing the still-youthful Yan Anle to compromise and promise to prepare something light that they could have after dining with their parents.
All of that happened a long time ago.
In the present, the aged Yan Anle shook his head with a bitter expression. 'At that time, I was already not allowed to sit at the dining table with them. I am the one who deluded myself into thinking those cheap parents of mine still cared about me. They already held me in disregard at that point and must have indoctrinated Lingrong and Wuji with the same ideas over the years.'
"Young Master…" Dou E called from the side.
He glanced back at her and shook his head. "Come on, let's go."
Leaving the clan warranted no excessive checks from the gatekeepers on normal days. Coupled with the commotion caused by the news of an imminent war, the duo was completely ignored, and their departure was uninhibited.
As they walked along the city streets, Yan Anle could not help but notice some changes to the city, though, overall, the notable shops and establishments remained. At some point, he could not help but raise a question that had been brewing at the bottom of his heart. "Say, Dou E, do you think one of the Flourishing Sects and a Great Clan would really go to war over something as intangible as an engagement? Would that not be unreasonable?"
"Young Master, in the eyes of those high above, 'face' is, in most cases, more valuable than spirit stones." Dou E's thoughtful response came shortly. "But you are right—it is a bit unreasonable and exaggerated. There must be more to the story that we remain unaware of."
Yan Anle exhaled audibly. "I wonder what exactly 'he' did to stir up this storm."
After a moment of silence, Dou E changed the topic. "Young Master, before we get there, would you like to know some things to watch out for?"
Yan Anle snapped out of his internal considerations. "Mm. Do tell."
Time flew by, and soon Dou E's steps slowed to a halt before a four-story building with notable traffic. She announced, "Young Master, we are here!"
Yan Anle, already assaulted by the sound of music and laughter, as well as the scent of wine, read the words on the plaque above the entrance: "Blissful Sanctuary."
'Bliss…' He repeated internally, recalling a certain vagabond. 'That system should have been caught and dealt with by now, right?'
He did not dwell on it much before boldly walking toward the entrance. After the two entered, the two guards shared a look, a silent understanding passing between them. If not for the fact that the old man was accompanied by a Foundation Establishment young lady, they would have probably stopped him to ask, "Old sir, are you sure you are in the right place?"
Still, they did not dwell on it much. Although the brothel was a place that primarily catered to cultivators, it was not too uncommon for wealthy mortals to show up occasionally. Even though he was on in years, that Foundation Establishment young lady could protect him from being played to death by the establishment's girls, right?
As soon as Yan Anle crossed the threshold, he found that what he had heard from outside was but a muffled and blurry version of the truth. Many men of various ages were accompanied by beautiful ladies of various aesthetics as they made merry with wine, meat, and music. There was a central stage with girls putting on a dance performance to the music.
It was quite a commotion. However, there seemed to be a mysterious force that prevented most of the noise within the establishment from disturbing the streets.
'Perhaps this is an application of a legendary array?' he guessed.
Suddenly, two youthful women in provocative clothing approached him, their mannerisms suggestive.
"Dear guest," one of them, clad in blue, called to him as she clung to his right arm. "Is this your first time here? How about you let this little sister show you around?"
The other one, her figure hugged by a green dress, caressed his back with her fingers, her prominent bosom pressed against his left arm. "Dear guest, I have learned a new dance recently and have yet to show it to anyone. Want to be the first?"
Yan Anle gulped. He had imagined what it would be like in such a place, but actually experiencing it was like jumping from swatting flies to wrestling tigers. His heart rate increased and his throat felt dry.
Dou E was naturally agitated at this sight and even entered an attacking posture, but she stopped herself at the last moment. She was the one who had suggested coming here in the first place, after all. In the end, she could only offer a reminder, "Young Master, I believe it would be best to scout candidates from above."
Hearing those words, the clouds accumulating in Yan Anle's mind cleared up instantly. On their way there, Dou E had already told him that the girls on each floor were segregated by cultivation level. The first floor was the domain of Early to Middle-stage Qi Refining courtesans, while the second floor was for Late-stage Qi Refining and Early-stage Foundation Establishment.
Personally, he would have preferred his hostess to be of the Core Formation Realm for starters, but, as the systems had taught him, business is not something to be rushed. It is like building a brick house—you first ensure there is a sturdy foundation before placing the blocks. So, he had decided to settle for Late-stage Foundation Establishment or, at worst, Middle-stage. These could only be found on the third floor of the establishment, not down on the first.
"Right, excuse me, ladies," he said with a small smile as he put in some effort to free himself from their paws. "Maybe we can get to know each other some other time. Today, I'm here on business."
The two courtesans gave him aggrieved looks as they commented on how regretful it was. Their acting was so real that any man without his wits would give up whatever he was doing just to soothe them. Yan Anle shook his head inwardly and bid them farewell.
Soon, the centenarian-maid pair reached the stairway, and Yan Anle felt a pinch on his shoulder, forcing him to wince. "Hey, what was that for?!"
Dou E pouted. "Young Master seemed so excited earlier. So, you like those kinds of dresses and sweet whispering?"
Yan Anle glanced down at the entryway, where those two ladies, like their coworkers, had already found another set of targets to latch onto. Seeing him look that way, Dou E snorted coldly. "Young Master, I advise you not to harbor the idea of indulging in those things in this place. The ladies here are said to cultivate the art of extracting Yang to supplement Yin. Unless the Young Master's cultivation base is higher than theirs, your prospects may be harmed."
Yan Anle coughed and retorted, "What gave you the illusion that I want to procure their services? I was only confirming that their words earlier were merely superfluous. And indeed, I was correct!"
Dou rolled eyes but did not press him further.
Shortly, they arrived on the second floor. Yan Anle merely took a cursory glance before turning to the stairway that led up to the third floor. Unlike the first and second floors where guests could come and go as they pleased, there were four guards stationed here. They stopped the duo from walking in directly.
Yan Anle glanced down at the crossed spears before turning to Dou E, flashing her an inquisitive look. Dou E's brows knitted slightly, and she asked the guards, "What do you mean by this?"
She thought grimly, 'It couldn't be because my cultivation is only Early-stage, could it?'
The guards were not the ones to give the answer; they treated the duo like air. Instead, it was a certain young man stumbling out of the second floor who spoke. As he spoke, his arm remained snaked around the waist of a courtesan who would have been mistaken for a doting mother were she seen on the streets. "Hehe! Trying to proceed to the third floor without having a Bliss Token? Keep dreaming!"
Yan Anle and Dou E turned to him, chorusing, "Bliss Token?"
Hearing their question, the young man, a bit intoxicated, snickered but did not say anything. Instead, his attention returned to the mature woman's body, which he massaged and caressed shamelessly.
"Dear guests," the mature lady enlightened them, gasping as she endured her client's public ministrations. "The first and second floors are open to all customers, but to get to the third and fourth floors, you need to... obtain the Bliss Token." She let out a soft moan. "There are two types: White and Red. The White is for the third floor, and the Red is for the fourth floor. To obtain the White Bliss Token, all you have to do is have an expense record totaling the equivalent of 200 low-grade spirit stones. As for the red one, not only must you spend 500 low-grade spirit stones, but you must also be referred by one of our sisters from the third floor."
"This..." Dou E trailed off. '200 low-grade Spirit Stones! From hunting Demonic Beasts and completing some other missions, I only make twenty to forty low-grade Spirit Stones a month. At the lowest estimate, that is worth five months of my hard work! And that is if I choose not to consume any Spirit Stone, neglecting my cultivation completely.'
Yan Anle's lips twitched slightly, and he muttered to himself, "What an open scheme! Even brothel owners need to have business acumen, it seems."
The intoxicated young man grew impatient. "Come on, big sister. Don't waste any more time on these fellows. It has been a few weeks since I last exchanged pointers with you. My ears have been itching to hear you beg for mercy. Let's go, let's go!"
As the woman and her client continued on, Yan Anle and Dou E turned to each other. The latter asked, "Young Master, what now?"
"What else?" Yan Anle smacked his lips. "We have to break the piggy bank."
"Piggy... bank?" Dou E cocked her head to the side. 'Young Master is using strange words again.'
At the same time, a few feet from them, Yuruo glanced at Bingruo questioningly, and the latter shook her head, responding via Divine Sense, "I don't know what a 'piggy bank' is either."