sovbooks Chapter 1: The Top Courtesan of the Pleasure Pavilion, the Kind Who Can Shake the Bed Down
Chapter 1: The Top Courtesan of the Pleasure Pavilion, the Kind Who Can Shake the Bed Down
"Mmm~ Ah..."
The air was thick with smoke, carrying the mixed smell of cheap incense and sweat.
Zhang Ping leaned against the window, a half-smoked cheap cigarette between his fingers, his gaze lazily sweeping over the bustling street below.
The shouts of laborers and peddlers were completely out of place in the quiet of the attic.
Behind him, on the creaking wooden bed, the woman lay naked, her body spread out in a stark pattern. Sweat from their intense lovemaking soaked through the coarse bedding, and her face still bore the marks of her previous sexual encounter.
"snort."
Zhang Ping withdrew his gaze from the street and fixed it on the woman, a silent smile curving his lips.
A long-lost sense of joy welled up in his numb heart.
In this world where demons roam freely and mortals struggle in the abyss of suffering, Zhang Ping was once an insignificant one among them.
But now, things seem to be a little different.
He silently recited the command in his mind, and a simple panel quietly appeared in his vision:
Zhang Ping
Age: 20
[Realm: None]
[Branding: Donkey whip marks (63%)]
[Donkey whip marks: Significantly increase the volume and strength of the lower limbs.]
This panel was the only thing he brought with him when he inexplicably fell into this world.
It's incredibly strange; it allows him to use the organization of a foreign being as a guide, supplemented with specific materials, to brand it onto his own body! Once the branding is successful, he can steal some of that being's characteristics.
If you use a dog's nose as the starting point and the auxiliary material to form the pattern, you can get a dog's nose pattern, which greatly enhances the sense of smell; if you want the speed of a galloping horse, you can also brand a horse's leg pattern.
What's even more amazing is that this power of the mark is not static. The more it is used and the more frequently it is practiced, the more its power grows slowly, like a seed sprouting.
About half an hour later, the woman on the bed seemed to slowly descend from the clouds back to reality, lazily getting up and dressing.
Zhang Ping caught a glimpse of her unfolded clothes; the stitches were fine and the fabric subtly shimmered, far superior to his own faded coarse cloth.
The woman, dressed neatly, took a few thin gold leaves from an exquisite embroidered purse at her waist and casually scattered them on the messy bed.
He then turned around and disappeared silently behind an inconspicuous hidden door in the corner of the wall.
Zhang Ping calmly watched the few golden leaves shimmer in the dim light. He knew that the plump madam was already waiting outside the hidden door.
Sure enough, with almost no pause, the faint sound of footsteps and the obsequious "This way, sir!" confirmed his guess.
This is... the "livelihood" left to him by the original owner, a way to survive in this damned world.
The gap between the rich and the poor here is as wide as an insurmountable chasm, and danger is everywhere. Meanwhile, those with power and status have endless ways to enjoy themselves.
Huanle Pavilion is the largest den of iniquity in Lingchuan County. It is said that its influence is so deep that it even has branches in neighboring counties.
The original owner of this body made a living here, and as for what exactly she did... it goes without saying.
When Zhang Ping transmigrated, his soul was inhabiting a body that had just died from exhaustion in bed, almost scaring the "client" to death on the spot.
As a result, he was severely punished by the madam for a month before he could "go back to work".
At first, he was in a state of utter misery. It wasn't until he gritted his teeth and saved up some spare change, and painfully bought that pungent donkey whip from a butcher on the street, that he finally gathered all the strange materials he needed and successfully branded the donkey whip pattern onto the panel. Only then did his situation slowly improve.
After two months, relying on the "capital" brought by his Indian heritage and all sorts of tricks he had seen online in his previous life, he finally managed to keep these ladies completely at ease.
She even became the top courtesan at the Pleasure Pavilion!
That sense of pride I felt just now stemmed from this.
After dismissing the madam, who was from some unknown noble family in the city, the plump figure quickly returned.
Her shrewd eyes swept across the room and landed precisely on the gold leaf that Zhang Ping hadn't had time to put away.
Without saying a word, he reached out his thick hand and grabbed it.
"Tsk tsk, this quality is worth at least ten taels of silver!" The madam weighed it in her hand, but instead of joy, a hint of displeasure appeared on her face.
"How many times have I told you! When you're working, be sweet-talking and coax the customers into giving you tips! Why can't you understand, you blockhead?" She lowered her voice, her tone carrying an undeniable threat.
"Master An has sent several death warrants already, each time demanding a higher price! If you continue to be so ungrateful, don't blame me for being ruthless and selling you off like a piece of fatty meat!"
Zhang Ping's heart sank, and his face instantly darkened. He managed to squeeze out three words through gritted teeth:
"understood."
Master An... the head of the An family in Lingchuan County, a Grand Martial Master in the late stage of the Flesh Refining Realm!
He built his vast empire from scratch, owning restaurants and casinos throughout the city, and had a large entourage of thugs.
In Lingchuan, apart from the government offices and a few tough martial arts schools, who dares to mess with the An family?
What's worse is that this old man has a preference for homosexuality, and very few of the men he brought into the An family have ever come out alive.
Zhang Ping's appearance was at best decent; in the past, he certainly wouldn't have caught Master An's eye.
But once the reputation of the top courtesan of the Joyful Pavilion spread, it attracted not only lonely noblewomen in their secluded chambers, but also finally caught the attention of the An family.
The madam refused to release him several times simply because she wanted to keep this rare commodity under wraps and sell it for an astonishingly high price.
Zhang Ping knew that sooner or later, he would be packaged up as a gift and sent to Anjia.
The madam swayed away, leaving Zhang Ping standing alone by the window.
The noise outside the window seemed to be blurred through a thick layer of oilcloth.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.
This awful place is unbearable! We have to find a way to get out as soon as possible!
He turned around, preparing to pack his things and leave the small room filled with the smell of perfume and sweat, when the door was suddenly kicked open violently!
The madam returned, panting, her face a mixture of anxiety and excitement:
"Quick! Go wash yourself clean! Downstairs! A very important guest has arrived downstairs! Serve them well, and I'll grant you a day off!"
Zhang Ping's pupils contracted, and all the muscles in his body tensed instantly.
The Joyful Pavilion caters to both men and women, but the needs of female customers, especially those from prominent families, are more secretive and dangerous.
It's fine for ordinary men to do business, but how can the ladies and young women of the wealthy families in Lingchuan County let others know that they have been to such a place?
Therefore, the Joyful Pavilion secretly built a hidden lower level deep underground, with numerous secret passages, specifically to receive these VIPs who could not be seen in the light of day.
Zhang Ping didn't dare to delay and rinsed off the smell from his body as quickly as possible.
After grabbing some strong lavender and herbs to cover herself up, she was half-pushed and half-shoved by the madam and led to the cold and damp lower level.
The madam was already waiting outside a sealed stone room, with a figure completely wrapped in a large black robe standing beside her.
The hood was pulled down very low, revealing only a pair of eyes. Those eyes appeared unusually deep in the dim light of the oil lamp.
"Hehehe, esteemed sir, look at this! This is our top-notch courtesan! Her skills are impeccable, she's tough and durable, and I guarantee she'll satisfy you!"
The madam rubbed her hands together, her face beaming with smiles as she introduced the product, while simultaneously giving Zhang Ping a sharp glare.
The meaning couldn't be clearer: Kid, if you don't serve this ancestor well, you're dead!
Zhang Ping lowered his eyes.
To be able to enter the lower levels, one must spend an astronomical sum of money, or possess immense power that would silence even places like the Joyful Pavilion, preventing them from revealing their identities.
"...Okay." A deliberately lowered, hoarse voice came from under the black robe.
The madam tactfully withdrew, and the heavy stone door silently closed and locked.
Zhang Ping turned around and saw that the woman in black robes had already raised her hand and untied the sash.
The wide black robe slid down to the ground like water, revealing what lay beneath...
He blinked sharply, almost thinking he was seeing things.
Beneath the black robe, there was nothing! Not a single piece of clothing!
Even though he had absorbed the original owner's memories and had seen many unrestrained women over the past ten years, he had never seen such a bizarre... well, or rather, a bold fetish.
Thinking about the other person's possible identity, an indescribable sense of absurdity welled up in my heart.
But then, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning: Opportunity! This might be a perfect chance to escape!
"Let's begin."
The woman spoke again, this time using her original voice. Her voice carried an innate aloofness and nobility.
I subconsciously looked up. The hood had been removed, revealing a face that looked to be about thirty years old, with an oval face and very well-maintained skin that radiated the glow of someone who had been pampered for many years.
Her eyes were extremely unique; while her gaze was inherently cool and aloof, they possessed a naturally alluring, foxy shape.
A strange blend of aloofness and allure creates a breathtaking attraction.
Zhang Ping's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. This was the most... indescribable woman he had ever seen since he transmigrated.
My gaze involuntarily drifted downwards.
The sudden visual impact made his mind go blank, and all his calculations and thoughts of escape were squeezed out by the dazzling whiteness and fullness!
……
As dawn broke, it sparingly shone its light on the rooftops of Lingchuan County, which were scattered at varying heights.
The people in the city were like wound-up puppets, numbly pushing open their doors and beginning their daily struggle to avoid starvation.
The livelihoods in the city that could support a family had long been divided up by powerful clans, domineering martial arts schools, and greedy government offices.
The land outside the city is fertile and rich in resources, yet few dare to step out of the city gates easily.
Without him,
Outside the city, the land is desolate and ravaged by demons.
Ordinary people work from sunrise to sunset and only dare to work near the city walls. Once they go too far from the city,
At best, one may be infected by demons and evil spirits, becoming bedridden until one's life is exhausted and one dies.
In severe cases, they might be dragged into the wilderness and end up with no trace of their bodies!
Only the high-ranking martial arts masters in the city can protect the fragile peace of this world overrun by demons.
The main street gradually became crowded with people, and the noise awakened the sleeping city.
Deep beneath the Joyful Pavilion, in the secret stone chamber isolated from all light and sound, the intense commotion that had lasted all night finally subsided completely.
Outside the stone gate, the madam, who had been guarding all night and whose eyelids were starting to droop, suddenly jolted awake.
Just as I mustered my strength, the heavy stone door creaked open a crack, and half a head peeked out.
Zhang Ping's hair was messy and stuck to his temples.
His eyes held a deep weariness, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.
"The bed... collapsed, let's get a new one."
Madam: "..."