Chapter 43 Adding Fragrance to the Red Sleeves
Finding no trace of the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers in the Xuanling Sea, Su Yunyu went directly to Ye Xiaoxiang's Golden Inlaid Knife. As the number one merchant guild in the world, it must have extensive information network.
However, he had to disguise himself every time he came to the human world, but each time he disguised himself, he could not make his appearance exactly the same. Therefore, the steward did not recognize him at first.
It wasn't until the token was presented that he suddenly realized that this person had been keeping his true identity hidden all along.
Even Xiao Shuying, who was standing next to Su Yunyu, was looked at by the steward with considerable surprise several times.
It hasn't been that long, how come it's suddenly become so open and majestic...
"So you are an honored guest. I am truly sorry for not welcoming you properly."
Su Yunyu disregarded the formalities and went straight to the point:
"I wonder if the Golden-Inlaid Knife has any news of the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers?"
"Blue Phoenix Tail Feathers"
The steward was somewhat surprised. Azure phoenixes were extremely rare in the Three Realms, and few people had even seen one. Their tail feathers were even more priceless.
"I'll go ask around for you," the butler said, as a wailing sound came from upstairs. He explained, unfazed.
"Someone has come to challenge our president today."
He shrugged and said, "It's obvious we failed."
"..."
No wonder Song Honghua was so arrogant throughout his life; it seems his opponents were simply too weak.
After a short wait, Song Honghua came over himself, laughing loudly as he tried to embrace Su Yunyu passionately. Xiao Shuying glanced at him sideways, stepped forward to block him, exuding a strong sense of aloofness.
"I wonder if the guild leader has any news about the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers?"
Song Honghua was a江湖人 (jianghu person, a man of the martial arts world), quick to avenge wrongs and unconcerned with trivial matters, so he didn't care at all, stroking his stubble and laughing again:
"What a coincidence! There's an auction at Biyue Tower tonight, and the final treasure is a blue phoenix tail feather."
Biyue Tower...
Xiao Shuying's eyes darkened; this was the power of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
A few days ago, Tianji Pavilion sent him a letter.
The prophecy he left behind came true, and even though he wore a mask at the time, his words still revealed his identity.
Therefore, he specifically stated in his letter that Tianji Pavilion would treat him as an honored guest.
If the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers are in the hands of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion...
Xiao Shuying slowly curved her lips into a smile, having come up with a good idea.
That same evening after returning to the inn, he did not go to the auction with Su Yunyu, but went directly to the Tianji Pavilion.
She found the same person she had traded with before, but this time Xiao Shuying didn't wear the mask with blue face and fangs. She simply took out the letter and showed it to him.
Upon seeing the letter, the man in black was initially filled with respect, but upon recognizing Xiao Shuying, he immediately became even more deferential.
"May I ask what brings you here, esteemed guest?"
The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has no Pavilion Master; instead, it is divided into seven Star Lords based on the Big Dipper. The black-robed man before us is the Star Lord of Xuanji Star, or simply Xuanji.
As the most brilliant and dazzling star in the Big Dipper, it is also the most powerful one in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
This deal is perfect for him, so Xiao Shuying got straight to the point and asked:
"I need something for tonight's auction at Biyue Tower."
Xuanji answered without hesitation: "I wonder which item you need?"
"Azure Phoenix tail feathers".
It was the most precious item at tonight's auction, possessing immense value whether used for refining or medicinal purposes. Yet, Xuanji accepted it without a second thought, despite its immense value:
"Sure, I'll send someone to deliver it to you right away."
“Wait a minute,” Xiao Shuying objected.
"It doesn't need to be delivered to me; I just want others to have a harder time getting it."
Xuanji, observing the situation, immediately offered a suggestion:
“I can make it available for reservation, but if a serious buyer wants it, they need to fulfill one of the buyer’s requirements, which is not so easy.”
Whom do you intend to appoint as the pre-booked buyer?
When it came to tripping someone up, Xuanji had countless ideas in mind, and immediately suggested:
“I have a suitable candidate under my command, the owner of Hongxiu Tianxiang.”
He then took off his keepsake and handed it to Xiao Shuying:
"Take this to her, and she will do as you say."
The prophecy Xiao Shuying gave him last time was very helpful. Although he didn't quite understand why this person could make such accurate predictions, Xuanji was impressed.
The token was a token depicting the Big Dipper, with the star Xuanji (璇玑) flashing on it. Xiao Shuying stroked it briefly, then asked before accepting it:
"A beautiful woman adds fragrance to one's sleeves"
Xuanji laughed, her figure beneath the black robe revealing interest:
"Hongxiu Tianxiang is the largest brothel in Yexiaoxiang, but behind the scenes, it's a place for intelligence gathering."
"..."
Seeing that Xiao Shuying seemed to be considering his options, Xuanji guessed that he probably didn't like these unorthodox methods, so she added:
"Don't worry, my 'Red Sleeve Adds Fragrance' is the most proper place."
Xiao Shuying then accepted the token.
Meanwhile, at the Biyue Tower on the other side, the auction was held as scheduled, and the place was packed, but the attendees were not there for the Azure Phoenix Tail Feather.
The Azure Phoenix's tail feathers were originally intended to be the grand finale, so Biyue Tower deliberately concealed the information, and only a few prominent figures knew about it.
Sitting in the private room, Su Yunyu was dazzled by the dazzling array of treasures before her. Thinking of the pile of spirit stones in her own spatial storage, she was just about to indulge in her lavish lifestyle when System 111 said:
[A pile of junk, which was clearly in the original owner's space]
"...What do you know? It's all about the ritual!"
That being said, Su Yunyu really didn't want to bid on things she already had.
The auction was long and boring in the beginning, and Su Yunyu was getting sleepy. Since Long Aotian wasn't around, she didn't need to maintain her persona, so she simply pretended to doze off.
So no one saw anyone walk over to the auctioneer and give him some instructions, nor did they see the auctioneer's surprised expression.
After waiting for the so-called big reveal, Su Yunyu, having had enough sleep, was full of energy and ready to bid in one fell swoop after the bell rang.
On the stage came a piece covered with red silk, its mysterious appearance exciting Su Yunyu. It seemed to be the tail feather of the Azure Phoenix.
The auctioneer lightly tapped the gavel, then unveiled the red silk and, with a delighted expression, introduced:
"The last item, Grade Nine Black Iron!"
Su Yunyu froze as she stared at the cold, dark iron.
Strange, the information Jin Cuodao gave shouldn't be wrong.
Without waiting for the auction to end, he left the private room and went straight to find the owner of Biyue Tower:
"Why was the last item black iron, and not a phoenix tail feather?"
The poster seemed to have anticipated this question, but after examining Su Yunyu's disguised appearance, he first thought it was strange, but then asked back very naturally:
"How did you know we would be auctioning the tail feathers of the blue phoenix?"
Upon hearing the news that it was Jin Cuodao, the landlord's gaze deepened even more. He hadn't expected that this person would have a relationship with Song Honghua. Otherwise, why would Song Honghua have told him such a secret?
What's more, the matter of the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers is truly strange. The auction was going well when the Star Lord sent someone to instruct him to remove it immediately and to follow the prepared answer if anyone asked.
As for what constitutes a prepared answer...
The original poster coughed a few times, then said regretfully without batting an eye:
"Actually, these phoenix tail feathers were originally intended to be auctioned, but they have already been bought by someone at a high price."
"oh"
Upon hearing this, Su Yunyu was immediately indignant. What did he mean by "buy it at a high price"? He could have clearly offered an even higher price. How could he miss out on the Azure Phoenix Tail Feather because of this?
"We don't know who this buyer is."
Given how rare the Azure Phoenix's tail feathers were, Su Yunyu knew that besides this one, she probably wouldn't be able to find a second one, so she simply gave it her all.
The original poster, with a deep gaze, answered again:
"It is Deng Nanshuang, the owner of the Hongxiu Tianxiang Pavilion."
*
The towering building in front of me is extremely luxurious, both tall and otherworldly. It has a plaque that reads "Adding fragrance to the room with red sleeves." Inside, the lights are bright and the soft fragrance wafts into your nose just by standing in front of the door.
Su Yunyu hesitated, wondering if she really wanted to go in and find the so-called master of the museum...
If it were a place like Jin Cuodao, he wouldn't feel any guilt, but having a beautiful woman by his side seems a bit improper...
no!
How could he give up because of such a small setback!
What's more, the women in Hongxiu Tianxiang are all beautiful!
Having been here for so long, he had become completely indifferent to beauty, so he might as well take this opportunity to appreciate some good looks.
So Su Yunyu stormed in, startling the madam at the entrance, who quickly stopped him with a forced smile.
"Honored guest, please wait a moment. You must pay before you come here."
"..."
So Su Yunyu took out a bag of high-grade spirit stones from her spatial storage. The madam's eyes lit up immediately, and she asked enthusiastically:
"What kind of girl would you like, esteemed guest? We have both heavily made-up and delicately beautiful girls, but the only difference is that we don't offer overnight stays..."
Su Yunyu interrupted her:
"No, I want to see your curator."
Hearing what she said, Su Yunyu felt much more relaxed. It turned out that this place wasn't the brothel she had imagined. That was good, she could accept it.
The madam looked at him with surprise, her eyes seeming to hold a hint of disbelief that the young man possessed such ambition. Su Yunyu vaguely guessed her strange thoughts and immediately spoke:
"Don't misunderstand, I have something important to discuss with you."
"Alright, alright," the madam said, but she still didn't believe there was anything important to discuss. She simply led the way while talking about the owner:
"Our owner is an incredibly kind person. If there are any girls who are starving or struggling to make a living, as long as they are willing to work, they can come to our establishment. If they are pretty, they can even become the top courtesan and earn more money..."
"Moreover, our curator is also a very beautiful woman. I'm not exaggerating, if you were to rank all the beauties in the world, she would definitely be number one."
The most beautiful woman in the world
Su Yunyu finally became somewhat interested, thinking that when that bastard Li Qingyuan set himself up as the number one beauty, there were actually other stunning beauties among them.
Seeing that he remained silent and didn't stop talking, the madam felt a little sorry for him.
Over the years, countless people have tried to find excuses and spend large sums of money to see the master, many of whom are more handsome than the man in front of them, but none of them have caught the master's eye.
I guess the person in front of me will be the same as before.
As they were talking, they arrived at a room on the top floor. The room was right next to the openwork roof, where the pale moonlight poured down and the sounds of string and bamboo instruments could be heard faintly. It was a wonderful place, a place where one could be in the world yet far removed from it.
The madam knocked on the door, and a clear, cold female voice came from inside:
"Enter--"
So the madam winked and gestured for Su Yunyu to go in, giving her a "good luck" look.
Su Yunyu thought this scene was indeed familiar. After a moment of silence, she pushed open the door and went in. She saw layers of gauze and satin hanging to the ground, and a strange fragrance wafted from every step.
It wasn't until the silken beaded curtain was lifted that Su Yunyu saw the so-called owner of the establishment. She was sitting in front of a mirror, applying rouge to her lips. This demure and demure side of her made Su Yunyu feel extremely uncomfortable and at a loss.
Before he could greet her, the curator, Deng Nanshuang, asked:
"Did you come looking for the tail feathers of the Azure Phoenix?"
"Exactly."
Deng Nanshuang chuckled, put down the rouge, and slowly stood up. Her black hair was loose, and when she turned around, Su Yunyu thought that she was indeed very beautiful.
However, perhaps because he had been looking at himself in the mirror for too long, he remained unmoved by such beauty.
“I have a great use for those blue phoenix tail feathers. As long as you are willing to give them up, you can name your price.”
Deng Nanshuang's gaze swept over his unremarkable face after his disguise. She pondered why the person with the Xuanji Token was making things difficult for him for no reason, and then guessed Su Yunyu's identity. Ultimately, she still proceeded as planned, hence her question:
"I do have a condition, but you're not good-looking enough to meet it."
-----------------------
Author's note: So chilly, so chilly [helpless]
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