5 Chapter 5

Because Ning Shu could not stand the smoky and foul atmosphere in front of her, which was like a cowboy parlor, Zixiao still sent away the men who were drinking with regret despite her repeated insistence.

"Young Sect Master, didn't you come here to enjoy yourself?" Zi Xiao picked up a red fruit and put it into his mouth with a bored look, looking very disappointed. "Then why did you come to a place like this? If you want to eat delicious food, I know a better restaurant~"

"How, how could they be here to enjoy themselves?" Ning Shu's face flushed red. If she had been slower in chasing them away, those young men would have kissed her. She was now in a state of extreme stress and couldn't even communicate politely.

"Zixiao! I've told you so many times that I'm here to research the market! I made a promise to my mother this time! I'm definitely going to collect more love threads and bring them back!"

"Okay, okay, I misunderstood this time." Zixiao raised her hands and made an apology: "But sister is kind enough to remind you, oh, if you want to find a good lover who can condense the thread of love, then you have definitely come to the wrong place~"

She leaned over to Ning Shu's ear and whispered, "Let's go find the good seedlings raised by those old stubborn people. The more serious they look, the easier it is to deceive them!"

Judging from her appearance, it is unknown how many innocent boys she has deceived. Ning Shu is even worried that she will be struck to death by thunder when she goes through the thunder tribulation.

"Alas, I don't want to deceive those people's feelings, Sister Zixiao." Ning Shu held her forehead and sat back weakly. She felt a strange sense of helplessness about "having a generation gap with the young people" and sighed tiredly.

"I repeat, I'm here to find a more efficient way to collect love threads, not to fall in love. Also, please don't deceive others' pure feelings. You will suffer retribution if you are too mean, Sister Zixiao."

Zi Xiao didn't know if he'd heard it or not, so he spread his hands indifferently and said, "Well, if we come to a place like this, not to seek pleasure or romance, then may I ask what exactly our kind young master is doing here?"

Finally, we can get to the point! All that has just happened was a complete waste of time! Ning Shu perked up and immediately stated his request righteously: "I'm here to see the show."

"Performance?"

"Yes, entertainment performances, whether it's singing, dancing, or opera, we welcome everyone. As long as it doesn't involve those, well! I want to watch all of those." Ning Shu pointed to a terrace extending from the private room, from where one could see several men and women in light gauze dancing to the music in the hall on the first floor.

Ning Shu walked a few steps to the railing and looked down. Although she was clearly watching such a vulgar and reckless dance, there was no evil thought in her eyes: "I want to know the most popular performance forms and the best performance standards here, to lay the foundation for my subsequent plan to collect love threads."

Looking at Ning Shu's serious expression and determined eyes, Zixiao was slightly stunned, then raised his eyebrows slightly.

Is this little girl serious?

After all, I'm young, and I want to do something that no one has done in thousands of years...

"Really? Since the Young Master is working so hard, I, as a subordinate, can't be a drag..." Zi Xiao sighed softly and stood up, poking Ning Shu's cheek with his slender fingers: "Then leave it to me. I will take you to experience the most exciting performances in the entire Never-Sleeping City."

In the next few days, Zixiao took Ning Shu to visit every theater, dance hall and brothel in the city that never sleeps, and watched all the singing and dancing performances they could see.

Although most of the contents were somewhat erotic, Ning Shu felt that this city that never sleeps was indeed a city developed by its entertainment industry. The songs and dances in every store had their own unique characteristics, which were dazzling.

For example, now, Ning Shu, Zixiao and others were sitting on a brightly lit flower boat. A gentle breeze blew over the lake, bringing just the right amount of coolness to the guests who were dizzy from drinking.

In the center of the cabin, a woman with her face covered by a red veil was dancing barefoot. She had a string of small golden bells tied around her ankles. Her cheerful dance steps were accompanied by the crisp and pleasant sound of the bells. Her body was as bright as the red clouds, and she looked like a butterfly lingering among the flowers.

Unconsciously, all the guests' attention was drawn to the woman. Although the face of the woman in red could not be seen clearly, her pair of smiling eyes were as bright and passionate as two burning flames. There was a faint pink color at the corners of her eyes, which was charming and made people more curious about her face under the veil.

Ning Shu admired the woman performing various graceful and smooth dance moves on the stage, and couldn't help but exclaim, "These ladies are really competing with each other for beauty. Hasn't this city that never sleeps ever held a beauty pageant?"

"Are you talking about choosing an oiran? Of course there is." Zixiao leaned back on the table in a relaxed manner, tapping her bright red nails to the beat of the music.

"For example, Miss Liu Pianpian, who is dancing right now, is the most beautiful lady in Yuanyang Pavilion. I don't know how many immortals and mortals would spend a fortune just to see her. If it weren't for the relationship with the sect, we wouldn't be able to get a boat ticket today."

"So that's how it is..." Ning Shu stroked his chin and fell into deep thought. After a while, he raised his head and asked, "Then, if this Miss Liu Pianpian joins my path of love..."

"It's impossible to condense love, forget it." Zi Xiao bluntly explained to the whimsical young lady: "No matter how famous Liu Pianpian is, it's just word of mouth among some playboys. Even if her dancing is stunning, only the twenty or thirty people on this boat can appreciate her. What's more -"

At this point, Zixiao looked with disdain at the drunken men holding their wine glasses and making a fuss. Ning Shu naturally shifted his gaze over there. Those men gathered together and in the middle of a conversation, they all revealed obscene smiles, and looked towards the center of the stage with lustful greed in their eyes.

There were even a few daring guys who timidly glanced at Ning Shu, and their lustful looks made Ning Shu feel sick.

They are all wealthy businessmen who spend money lavishly, so why are they so wretched after getting drunk? Ning Shu rolled her eyes.

Zixiao threw the wine glass in his hand towards the people who were peeking at him. The white porcelain pieces flew off in different directions. Listening to the suppressed cries of pain, Zixiao raised an eyebrow in disdain: "Besides, do you think a man like that could have feelings for others?"

Ning Shu understood.

Just like what Sister Zixiao said before, how could a man who came to a place like a brothel be a good person? Even if Miss Liu Pianpian's dancing skills were the best in the world, she would never meet someone who truly appreciated and admired her.

The guests were only attracted by her beautiful appearance; no one cared about her real talent.

Zi Xiao looked at Ning Shu's sudden silence and his expression softened as he asked, "Are you heartbroken? Do you want to save her?"

When she was young, she couldn't stand these things and tried to save some women who had fallen into prostitution. But later she found that even if she redeemed these poor people, they actually had nowhere to go.

Although the Way of Love does not value spiritual roots, cultivating immortals still depends on personal understanding and perseverance, and is destined to be a path that only a few people can embark on.

Most of these women have lost their relatives, and some were even sold by their relatives. Apart from the ability to please others, they have no ability to make a living, leaving such a beautiful but weak woman to fend for herself... Apart from going back to their old profession, they have no other choice.

However, the young master is young after all. If she feels sad and wants to save people, then it would not be a problem for the Hehuan Sect to take in another orphan girl. So Zixiao put on a teasing look:

"Oh, I didn't expect that the young master would actually fall for the head courtesan. Okay, sister, I'm very open-minded. I will redeem Miss Liu Pianpian right away..."

"But, even if we save this person, it won't change anything." Unexpectedly, Ning Shu's tone was very calm when he spoke again.

Zixiao was stunned for a moment, then he looked at the person in front of him carefully. The young sect leader who had just reached adulthood had his brows furrowed, and although his face was heavy, he did not show indignation. He was wearing an orange dress, and a butterfly hairpin with pearls and jade swayed gently in his black hair. Although he still looked like an innocent and lively little girl, his eyes revealed a maturity that did not match his age.

She pursed her pale pink lips tightly, as if she were truly thinking seriously. "Not to mention the rest of the world, I can't even redeem every man and woman in the City That Never Sleeps. So if I really want to save people, I have to give them other skills to make a living."

It's hard to be happy when you know so much at such a young age...

Zixiao sighed lightly and was already thinking about how to comfort Ning Shu: "Young Sect Master, the boys and girls here have only learned these singing and dancing since they were born. This is not..." something that can be achieved overnight.

"Then let them sing and dance!" Ning Shu clapped her hands excitedly, her clear eyes slightly curved to reveal a bright smile: "Let them dance for those who know how to appreciate it! This world can't be full of drunken, sleazy uncles, right? There must be an audience who truly enjoys singing and dancing!"

Ning Shu smiled with a glint in her eyes, and the butterfly hairpin on her head swayed as she tilted her head. She seemed to really think this was a great idea, and her cheeks were tinged with excitement.

"Let them get real cheers and applause, Sister Zixiao, don't you want to see it?"

Real cheers and applause?

Zixiao turned to look at the stage, where the courtesan Liu Pianpian had just finished her last move.

She leaned forward, her slender waist curved into a beautiful arc, the sleeves of her arms spread out to both sides, the flowing gauze and her raised right leg spun around together, and then stopped steadily. The breeze outside the window blew up the corners of her skirt, arousing even more excited cheers from the spectators around her.

Such graceful and exquisite dancing skills were just white thighs in the eyes of those drunkards, which was like playing the lute to a cow.

"However, how could those audiences who know how to appreciate things come to watch these 'indecent' performances?" Zixiao began to think about the practicality of this matter.

Ning Shu seemed to have thought about this problem a long time ago. She said confidently, "It's easy. Just have a big enough gimmick!"

"A gimmick?"

"Yes!" Ning Shu also blinked like Zi Xiao, but unfortunately his imitation was not very good. It looked more like a grimace than a wink. "A gimmick! For example... the Hehuan Sect's first disciple-taking ceremony open to the public!"

【Author’s words】

Ning Shu: This is our He Huan Sect's first talent show—no, it's the disciple-recruiting ceremony! Contestants with exceptional performances will ascend to immortality right on the spot! Don't miss it if you're passing by! Any interested cultivators coming to watch? [Sprinkle flowers]