The black-dressed woman let out a cold laugh, saying, "If you want me, you will need me to take a liking to you first."
She then turned her gaze toward Li Musheng, and the creases at the corners of her eyes gathered together as she smiled warmly, saying, "Our Hundred Fragrance Pavilion does not only have ladies. We also have a number of fine-looking young men. Paying your debt with your person is also an option."
Hearing this, the scarred man erupted with indignation, saying, "What on earth? She actually gets to be choosy?"
Even so, he had not entirely lost his reason and knew the black-dressed woman was not someone to trifle with. He refrained from charging over and slapping her twice and telling her to go look at herself in a puddle.
At that point Li Musheng glanced at the black-dressed woman and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Your taste is not bad. But at your age, setting your sights on something so much younger, you have not one shred of self-awareness."
Then Li Musheng pointed at the hemp-robed elderly man beside him and said, "And while we are at it, I said before that this old gentleman is booking every courtesan in your Hundred Fragrance Pavilion. Every single one, to be clear. You have only brought six. Do you think that is acceptable?"
At those words the black-dressed woman fixed her gaze on Li Musheng, the smile on her face not wavering in the slightest, and said slowly, "I do appreciate a spirit of youth and boldness. But the other three courtesans are currently attending to honored guests of Falling God Peak. These six are all that are available tonight. There are no more."
"Each of these courtesans is valued at one thousand gold, making six thousand in total. Whether or not you engage their company, not a single coin of six thousand gold may be withheld."
The black-dressed woman spoke without raising or lowering her voice, but her words carried a tone that left no room for argument.
To come to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion without getting within arm's length of a single woman, and then owe six thousand gold for the privilege, was about the most humiliating way to die he could think of.
At that point Li Musheng turned to look at the hemp-robed elderly man beside him, saying, "I will say again what I said before. At your age, old man, this is the time for boldness of thought and action. Can you truly say you have no thoughts of your own on this matter?"
Hearing this, before the hemp-robed elderly man could speak, the little girl in pink said with a cold face, "You made this mess yourself. Why should we clean it up for you?"
Then the little girl seemed to think of something, and suddenly broke into a grin, saying, "Though, from what I can see, that madam has clearly taken a liking to you. You could simply stay in the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion and pay your debt with your person. You would probably not die, just suffer quite a lot."
Li Musheng let out a light laugh, rubbed his chin, and said, "You understand rather a lot for someone so young. But you have mistaken one thing. If I were the one paying the debt, it would not be me suffering. It would be the ladies here."
At those words, the scarred man and the hemp-robed elderly man beside him both blinked, while the black-dressed woman across from them had eyes that lit up.
"What absolute rubbish. Anyone can boast."
The scarred man gritted his teeth. He truly could not understand why Li Musheng could look so perfectly at ease when death was practically at his door.
But very quickly, his expression shifted suddenly, as though he had seized hold of a lifeline.
He snapped his head around to look at Li Musheng beside him, and in an eager whisper said, "Young Master Li, you actually have money on you, don't you? Six thousand gold is nothing to someone like you, is it?"
The main reason this thought had occurred to him was that when they had first encountered Li Musheng, his associates had all been extraordinarily capable, which suggested Li Musheng himself must come from wealth or high standing.
Li Musheng, however, glanced at him and delivered a straight blow, "You are reading too much into things."
At those words, the hope that had just begun to kindle in the scarred man's heart went out immediately.
His face went a distinctly unpleasant color, and he grabbed at his own head with both hands, staring at Li Musheng and shouting, "Then you must have something to rely on. Otherwise what gives you the nerve to swagger around like this?"
"I am begging you. If you have the ability, just kill everyone here. This is pure torment. To not even be given a chance to enjoy yourself before dying, what kind of way is that to go?"
Hearing this, Li Musheng's eyelid twitched slightly, and after the scarred man finished his outburst, he slumped heavily back into the armchair.
He then gave himself a hard slap across his own face.
No matter how capable a person was, picking a fight with Falling God Peak in Hundred Refinements City left only one outcome. It was hardly even worth thinking about.
And here he had somehow lost his mind enough to hope Li Musheng might resolve the situation. He would be better off spending the time thinking about how to die with some dignity when the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion made its move.
At that point the hemp-robed elderly man considered for a moment, then turned to look at Li Musheng, saying, "If young master truly has something to rely on, this old one asks for a clear answer. If not, then this old one has no choice but to take his leave first."
Hearing this, Li Musheng was entirely unruffled, and waved a hand, saying, "If at this point you are truly content to walk away without having enjoyed a single thing, that would show your self-discipline is truly beyond the ordinary. I will not stop you."
The hemp-robed elderly man narrowed his eyes slightly. The little girl in pink beside him tugged at his sleeve, the meaning perfectly plain. She clearly wanted the hemp-robed elderly man to leave directly.
And yet the hemp-robed elderly man looked at Li Musheng for a long moment, then leaned back in his armchair against the mink-fur cushion.
Then the hemp-robed elderly man looked at the six beautiful courtesans standing in the hall and extended a hand to stroke his beard, saying, "Would each of you ladies come and pour this old one some wine?"
Seeing this, the little girl in pink's mouth fell open, and for a moment she was completely speechless.
At that moment, the scarred man heard the hemp-robed elderly man's words and immediately came roaring back to life, calling out to the courtesans at full volume, "Yes, yes! Pour the wine, and not just wine either, get over here now, come sit on my lap!"
The scarred man had seen the hemp-robed elderly man make his move with his own eyes and knew the man's martial cultivation was unfathomable. When Li Musheng had swept him up and brought him into all this, the scarred man had always felt the hemp-robed elderly man was no upright and righteous sort. He just had not been able to get a clear read on the man's intentions.
Now the hemp-robed elderly man had shown his true colors, and he and the scarred man were cut from the same cloth. With the man's high martial cultivation, perhaps he could hold things together in the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion for a while.
In which case, the scarred man might yet seize an opportunity to have a proper time of it. Anything was better than coming to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion and leaving his life there without having done a single thing.
In the brightly lit, lavishly appointed hall, the six young women did not move. It was plain they had not taken a liking to the hemp-robed elderly man or the scarred man.
At that point the black-dressed woman's gaze settled on the hemp-robed elderly man. She could naturally sense that there was something very unusual about the elderly man before her.
But then again, if he had no capability at all, how would he dare come to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion and make trouble?