novelraw Chapter 209-2: Wandering Samurai, Idyllic Pleasure Quarter (2)
Chapter 209-2: Wandering Samurai, Idyllic Pleasure Quarter (2)
[You proceed along the deserted street. The sinister, dilapidated houses on either side gradually become more refined, though their doors remain tightly shut. Only the black lanterns hanging from the eaves are especially conspicuous.]
[Soon, you arrive at your destination.]
[Amidst the scattered lantern light, the street before you is resplendent with blossoms. Towering pagoda-like pavilions stand grandly, vermilion wooden railings, dark green glazed roof tiles, beast-headed eaves, carved beams and painted rafters.]
[Many carriages are parked outside the pavilions. The expressionless coachmen stand by, and you notice their eyes are pitch-black, no whites visible.]
[At both ends of the street, more than a dozen armored guards are stationed.]
[You have discovered the Fire-Worshipping Pleasure Quarter Guards!]
[The guards holding long spears block your path. Looking toward the pavilions, you can faintly see countless figures moving about inside, clamorous as a boiling cauldron.]
[With their pitch-black eyes, they glance at the ninja mask hidden under your hood. One guard informs you that with your status, you must pay 10,000 Spirit Essence to enter the Idyllic Pleasure Quarter.]
“10,000 Spirit Essence? Why don’t you just rob me!”
Lin Xun was both furious and aghast as he counted the balance in his pouch.After wiping out a group of thieves, his Spirit Essence savings had risen past forty thousand.
Now, the admission fee alone would consume a quarter of his total assets. If he paid outright and then encountered any extra charges, he might not be able to afford them.
[You shake your head and quietly retreat, hiding in a corner at the end of the street to observe in secret…]
It wasn’t that Lin Xun had any particular fondness for brothels and song houses. It was simply that, since ancient times, the patrons of such places were of every sort, high and low, making them the best places to gather information.
He hadn’t forgotten the hidden quest to rescue his senior sister. Perhaps in the Pleasure Quarter, he could find clues regarding the No-Illusions Shrine.
[A noble in splendid robes, supported by guards, staggers out of the Pleasure Quarter. He drags his obese body up into a carriage with difficulty.]
[The coachman snaps the whip, and the carriage quickly vanishes down the street.]
[With your pockets empty, will you leave, or remain here waiting?]
[Having yet to savor the foreign delights, you are clearly unwilling to depart so easily.]
[You quietly wait in the street. Perhaps some passing noble will take pity and grant you a little charity, allowing you to spend a spring night.]
[…]
[A samurai in martial attire sways as he emerges from the Pleasure Quarter. He shoves away the guard attempting to help him, cursing under his breath.]
[He shakes his head, clogs clacking, and stumbles forward, heading straight toward the street corner where you are hidden…]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes and moved quickly.
[Hiding in the corner of the street, you form hand seals with both hands, turning gracefully. A pair of dim eyes suddenly opens wide.]
[Your figure vanishes without a trace!]
[The Fire-Worshipping Wandering Samurai staggers into the shadowy corner. He spits onto the ground right beside you, then undoes his belt to relieve himself. The two swords, one long and one short, tied at his waist, sway unsteadily…]
[Silently, you creep behind him. The sharp raptor talons glint coldly in the moonlight!]
[You muster all your strength, thrusting forward. The claws pierce straight into his back.]
[Since your martial skills are not yet fully trained, wielding the Golden Roc Raptor Claws feels somewhat awkward and stiff, making it difficult to unleash their full power.]
[Even so, the soft armor hidden under his long robe cannot withstand the assault.]
[The samurai’s body suddenly goes rigid, then collapses without a sound…]
[You have defeated the Fire-Worshipping Wandering Samurai. Your experience has increased slightly.]
[You have obtained Indomitable Fading Chunk of Spirit Essence *1.]
[You look down at the fallen samurai shell…]
[Fire-Worshipping Wandering Samurai: As the lowest-ranked retainer with samurai status, he stands a grade above foot soldiers. After spending all his pay in the Idyllic Pleasure Quarter, he was pitilessly ambushed by a certain ninja on his way home. He died of a fatal wound through the chest. Compatibility 126% (+55%).]
[Do you wish to possess this shell?]
This was precisely the shell Lin Xun had been after.
By acquiring a samurai shell, he could save his Spirit Essence, progressing ever deeper down the path of freeloading.
He opened the panel to check its attributes.
Overall, the samurai shell’s stats were slightly higher than a Genin, but inferior to a Chunin shell.
However, as a retainer with samurai standing, it was clearly wealthier than a ninja. He carried two samurai swords, a tachi and a wakizashi.
The samurai also possessed a special skill.
[Heartless Flow Swordsmanship (Fine+): The sword art of the Heartless school…]
This skill’s description was much the same as Heartless Flow Ninjutsu, including methods for cultivating Qi.
Lin Xun waited a long while, but no memories awakened within the shell, so he set off to handle serious business.
[You fasten your belt and straighten your clothes a little, then once again stagger toward the Idyllic Pleasure Quarter…]
[The guards at the street entrance dare not support you, nor question why you have returned. They can only watch as you step into a courtesan house.]
[Inside the pavilion, the lanterns blaze brightly, sensual music never ceasing. In the first-floor hall, guests come and go, some having finished their affairs and departing, others nobles entering with eager anticipation.]
[The pimp, known as the gatekeeper, upon seeing you leave and then return, hurries forward to inquire whether the courtesan’s skills were lacking, leaving you unsatisfied.]
[You cannot help but nod.]
[The gatekeeper rubs his bald scalp and cautiously asks which kind of courtesan you desire this time.]
[You, the enthusiastic Apostle, how will you choose?]
[1. An older instructor who, in her youth, once worked as a courtesan herself. She is extremely experienced and, after aging and losing her looks, became a trainer. Fee: 10,000 Spirit Essence]
[2. A young newly-debuted courtesan who has never received a guest. She is a candidate for the oiran rank, and some say she may one day rise to become an tayu. Fee: 50,000 Spirit Essence]
[3. A tayu, a top-ranked courtesan in her prime, fully proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Naturally, her fee is exceedingly steep. Fee: 100,000 Spirit Essence]
Lin Xun scratched his head.
After just killing the samurai and picking up another 10,000 Spirit Essence, the sum in his pouch was a little over fifty thousand.
However, even a landlord’s household had no surplus these days. Spending fifty thousand Spirit Essence just to gather information felt rather extravagant.
Being frugal by nature, he pressed the first option.
Someone older was just as well, having seen so much of the world, she would surely know where the No-Illusions Shrine was located.
[The gatekeeper gave you a somewhat puzzled look, suspecting he had misheard. The noble lord who always preferred ‘newly-debuted courtesans’ was suddenly changing his tastes?]
[You glared and barked loudly, “What! I’m tired of unripe fruit. Can’t I switch up my palate?”]
[The gatekeeper bowed repeatedly in apology and scurried away in a flash.]
[Before long, he returned, leading in a woman of mature years. Her face was plastered with such thick powder it looked like she’d been painted white, but even so it couldn’t conceal the deep creases crossing her skin.]
[You have discovered the Fire-Worshipping Courtesan House Instructor!]
[The old courtesan bowed to you and led you into a small room on the second floor of the pavilion.]
[…]
[Under the dim yellow lamplight, she began to help you undress, only for you to firmly catch her hands.]
[You pointed to the sake cups on the table, gesturing that you should finish the drinks first.]
[The courtesan shot you a flirtatious look, though ‘look’ was perhaps the wrong word, as her eyes, like everyone else’s, were pure black.]
[She lifted the sake and exchanged toasts with you. Before long, her cheeks were flushed pink, her face glowing red.]
[Your mind was still occupied with the matter of the No-Illusions Shrine. When the moment seemed right, you finally asked the question.]
[But to your surprise, the courtesan drained her cup in one gulp, gave a drunken hiccup, and then slumped face-first onto the table.]
[Soon, snores as loud as thunder filled the room…]
???
Lin Xun stared in stunned disbelief.
“What? I didn’t even ask yet, how can you just pass out?”