Chapter 926: A Belly Full of Evil Intentions

After a while, a maid came out and announced, "Please, Young Master Zu, Young Master Bi, and Young Master Yu, enter the inner room for a conversation. For the other young masters, Red Sleeves Pavilion has prepared courtesans to serve you..."

Hearing this, the crowd immediately burst into an uproar.

Everyone actually understood that there would definitely be several rounds of selection this time. For example, the initial name cards were a screening based on family background, wealth, and status. Then the drinking game was the second round of assessment, as no one wanted to choose a crude man; everyone preferred someone more refined. There would be a third round, but they weren't sure what it would assess.

In fact, it was expected that Bi Zi'ang and even Zu An would be chosen. Bi Zi'ang had been too famous in recent years, and Zu An's recent performance had been too outstanding, so their selections were widely anticipated and popular.

But what about Yu Nan? His face had just been nearly ruined by Zu An; how was he still qualified to be chosen? Was it because of his family background? Or his good looks?

Facing the agitated crowd, the maid seemed to have been prepared. She explained with a smile, "Please calm down, gentlemen. The selection criteria just now were based on performance in the drinking game. Young Master Yu's performance was remarkable; that was the key to his selection." The implication was clear: although he had lost face in the poetry duel with Zu An afterward, that was not part of the selection process.

Yu Nan also had a large following, and seeing this, Yi Zhibing and others quickly cheered him on, adding to the commotion.

Yu Nan stood up, brushing off his clothes, and followed the maid into the inner room with a blank expression. At this moment, his face was burning hot; he had expected his selection to be a foregone conclusion. He never anticipated such a string of mishaps, which made his advancement to the next round feel like charity. Speaking of which, it was all Zu An's fault.

Rage from Yu Nan +444444444...

At his level, he wouldn't act on impulse and storm off for the sake of "face." Since he had advanced to the next round, he knew that if he could ultimately win the beauty, he would completely erase today's humiliation. Leaving in a fit of pique now, on the other hand, would only make him a laughingstock.

On the other side, Bi Zi'ang walked in with a confident smile, looking perfectly at ease. His heart was overflowing with joy. Yu Nan was his long-time rival, and seeing him so humiliated today, Bi Zi'ang resolved to further humble him once they were inside.

As for Zu An, Gao Ying and Pei You were seeing him off, both offering words of encouragement.

Pei You said in a low voice, "Brother Zu, I'm counting on you for Miss Nanxun. You absolutely must win her heart, or if another man takes her, I'll be heartbroken."

Zu An was speechless. "When did Nanxun become yours? And that look of grief and indignation... Is this guy the legendary 'self-cuckold'?"

Gao Ying was much better. Although he admired Nanxun, he wasn't infatuated with her, and he knew his chances weren't great coming here today. He patted Zu An's shoulder, "Brother Zu, do us proud in there. Do it for all of us brothers."

Zu An: "..."

"What do you mean 'count us in'?" He never thought this seemingly upright man was also a closet pervert.

Just then, the Qin brothers walked over, smiling. "Ah Zu, we're rooting for you."

"Exactly! That Bi fellow and that Yu fellow, with their arrogant, nose-in-the-air attitudes, really deserve a good beating. I'd love to see the look on their faces when they lose to you."

The two brothers lacked literary talent, and after the first round, they already had a good idea of their standing. Being from a military family, they weren't overly obsessed with Nanxun either.

"Haha, I'll do my best," Zu An replied with a smile.

The three were enjoying themselves, but their smiles suddenly froze as they remembered Zu An's relationship with Chu Chuyan. Who supports their brother-in-law in pursuing a courtesan?

Realizing this, everyone awkwardly averted their gaze. They made excuses to leave and no longer mentioned their previous encouragement.

Zu An followed the maid into the inner hall, which was elegantly arranged. A refreshing, sweet fragrance permeated the air. This scent was not at all common or vulgar; rather, it was incredibly refined, subtle, and had a lasting, evocative quality.

Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan had already arrived in the room ahead of him. They were standing there, admiring the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, and the surrounding furniture. Both unconsciously sighed in admiration, "Miss Nanxun has exceptionally high taste."

One must know that they all came from the most prominent families in the Great Zhou Dynasty, so their discerning eyes were naturally very sharp. They could tell at a glance whether something was merely pretentious or genuinely refined. Their curiosity about the courtesan deepened. Logically, Red Sleeves Pavilion, no matter how much effort it exerted, shouldn't be able to cultivate such an innate sense of nobility. It was as if Nanxun wasn't a courtesan from a brothel, but a concubine from the imperial palace. As this thought arose, a strange look appeared in their eyes. Their desire intensified.

The maid at the side said with a smile, "Please, young masters, take your seats first. Our young mistress will be here once she changes her clothes."

There was a small table in the center, with some exquisite dishes and wine laid out on it. Having come all this way, none of them were here just to drink and eat. Given their identities, they were also wary of the food and wine being tampered with.

Only Zu An, unconcerned, boldly took a seat. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat and drink, commenting as he went on which dishes were well-made and which were not.

"Isn't this guy afraid of being poisoned?" A strange glint flashed in Bi Zi'ang's eyes. Of course, he didn't know that Zu An was already immune to all poisons at this point. However, he still admired the fellow's daring spirit. He himself was indeed lacking in that regard.

"An uncouth lout." Yu Nan sneered inwardly. Miss Nanxun might be observing from a hidden spot. Such behavior would clearly cost him a lot of impression points.

After a while, Zu An couldn't help but grumble, "Why is it taking so long to change clothes?" He muttered inwardly, "Miss Nanxun isn't going to come out in a transparent outfit, is she?"

"My apologies for keeping you waiting, young masters." As the clinking of jade ornaments sounded, Miss Nanxun slowly walked out.

Everyone's eyes lit up. She had changed out of her previous sparkling, ornate gown, choosing instead a simple, elegant house dress. There was not a trace of a courtesan's worldly demeanor about her; instead, she exuded the respectable aura of a young lady from a good family.

"Miss Nanxun, you're too kind," Yu Nan said blandly, trying to salvage his impression points with her. "Looking at the arrangement of your room here is quite delightful; time flew by, and the wait was no hardship at all." His unspoken implication was also clear: he was not like crude louts such as Zu An.

Zu An's personality wouldn't let that go unchallenged. He immediately retorted with a smile, "Why are you just staring at a girl's private room arrangements for no reason? You sound like a pervert."

"I... You're talking nonsense!" Yu Nan's face instantly flushed red. He never expected the other party's counterattack to be so swift and precise, instantly painting him as a pervert.

Rage from Yu Nan +666!

Bi Zi'ang, observing from the side, had a faint smile playing on his lips. At the same time, he felt immensely relieved. He had actually wanted to say something similar to Yu Nan just now. Luckily, he hadn't spoken, or he'd be a pervert too now.

Nanxun quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Ultimately, it's my fault for taking too long to change. Please take your seats, gentlemen. I shall first penalize myself with three cups of wine." She then naturally took a seat beside Zu An. Seeing this, Bi Zi'ang, without batting an eyelid, sat down on her other side.

Yu Nan was instantly dumbfounded. Miss Nanxun was now flanked by those two guys on either side. Only one seat remained for him. "Those two bastards!"

Zu An ignored him. Instead, he looked at Nanxun with curiosity. Her face was still obscured by tassels, making her features unclear. Was she afraid Yu Nan and Bi Zi'ang would recognize her resemblance to Prince Qi's consort? However, according to his investigation, Prince Qi's consort rarely left her residence, so outsiders had almost never seen her. It was Prince Qi's principal consort who usually handled social engagements; she had no right to appear in public at all. "That's right," he thought. "Even if the two hadn't seen her, her connection to Prince Qi was too close. It was better to wear a veil."

Now observing closely, he had to admit she was an unparalleled beauty. With a long, fair neck, a slender, graceful waist, and a full, voluptuous figure... "Indeed, big is justice!"

At this moment, Miss Nanxun smiled slightly: "Although I come from a brothel, I am still a maiden. It makes me a little shy when a gentleman stares so intently without blinking."

Bi Zi'ang chuckled: "Ah Zu, you've been rude to the lady. Penalize yourself with a drink." He was afraid of being challenged and losing face, so he used a familiar address. He had just heard the Qin brothers call him that, and coupled with his belief that he had a connection through his sister, he used the same address to try and build rapport.

As expected, Zu An did not bristle as he had with Yu Nan. Instead, he smiled at him. "Young Master Bi is right, I'll penalize myself with a drink then."

Bi Zi'ang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems he truly is my sister's loyal dog. Then I can rest easy."

Zu An thought to himself, "I should at least give my brother-in-law some face. Otherwise, Linglong would be crying, making a fuss, and threatening to hang herself... oops, wrong scene, I meant hang herself."

Yu Nan, however, frowned deeply. "These two are in cahoots. I'm in trouble then."

Bi Zi'ang then said, "Miss Nanxun, we're not just going to sit here drinking, are we?" Zu An giving him face boosted his confidence. He gradually began to take control of the situation. Even Yu Nan perked up his ears. It was clear to everyone that there was a third round coming, but they didn't know what it would assess.

Miss Nanxun clapped her hands. Soon, two maids approached, each carrying a box. She took a large crystal-ball-like object from one of the boxes and placed it in the center of the table.

Then she said, "Just drinking is indeed rather dull. How about we play a game together? This game is called 'Truth or Dare'."

Hearing the name, Zu An's expression became strange. "Odd changes, even unchanged?"

Nanxun was puzzled. The other two also looked at him in confusion.

"What did Young Master Zu say?" Nanxun asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," Zu An said with a smile. He had thought he'd encountered another transmigrator and wanted to give her a secret signal, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Nanxun then continued, "For women of our profession, the hardest thing to find is a sincere person. So I hope to use this game to find my sincere person..." Then she explained the rules of the game. They were basically similar to "Truth or Dare" in his previous life.

She pointed to a box the maid had brought over and said, "Later, everyone will draw slips of paper from this box. The slips have various questions on them. You must answer the questions on the slips honestly." Then she pointed to the crystal ball on the table: "This is a small magical artifact purchased at a high price from the Imperial Academy. When you answer a question, please place your hand on it. If you lie, it will glow red. In that case, you will be penalized three cups of wine."

Zu An knew her identity was suspicious. His first reaction upon hearing about the game was that she wanted to use the opportunity to pry into secrets. As expected, Yu Nan and Bi Zi'ang also frowned. Their identities were sensitive, and they subconsciously resisted such a game.

As if guessing their concerns, Nanxun said with a smile, "Gentlemen, there's no need to worry. If you encounter a question you prefer not to answer, you can skip it and either drink a penalty or choose a dare. The dare's content will be decided by the person who played before you."

Yu Nan and Bi Zi'ang then breathed a sigh of relief. They both smiled and said, "That sounds quite fun." They each praised Nanxun. Zu An gave a half-smile. "These two probably don't realize the massive trap hidden in this game."

Looking at Yu Nan, who was seated below him, Zu An's face also broke into a warm smile.

The game quickly began. Bi Zi'ang was the first to draw; his nature was always to strive for first place in everything.

"What are the three things you fear most?"

Looking at the question, Bi Zi'ang chuckled. He placed his hand on the crystal ball: "I, Bi, have never feared anything in my life." However, the other few people's gazes were all fixed on the crystal ball. They saw a dazzling red light emanating from it. Bi Zi'ang's expression subtly changed. He thought, "Could it be that there are things I truly fear deep down, but I'm not even aware of them myself?"

Nanxun smiled, pressing her lips together: "Young Master Bi, you'll have to drink a penalty." After speaking, she personally picked up the wine pot and poured him three cups.

"Indeed, I should be penalized," Bi Zi'ang chuckled. Given his character, he wouldn't cheat on this. He picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp. Then he coughed violently, his entire face turning red from choking. He then looked at the wine cup in surprise. "What kind of wine is this?"

Nanxun said with a smile, "This wine is a bit stronger than usual."

Yu Nan, on the other side, gloated, "Brother Bi usually seems quite capable, but he can't even drink three cups of wine?"

"Brother Yu, you jest," Bi Zi'ang replied, secretly fuming but showing no emotion. He picked up the remaining two cups and drained them, then gathered his inner energy to suppress the tumultuous sensation in his stomach. He finally understood that this game was probably not that simple. If he kept drinking such strong wine, he would get drunk very quickly. To drink less, he would have to tell more truths. A thought struck him. He decided not to tell the other two about the wine's true potency. He planned to watch them stumble too.

It took a while for him to calm down. Then he looked at the courtesan beside him: "Miss Nanxun, you should play too. Otherwise, it's not much fun for just us men." On this point, Yu Nan and Zu An, uncharacteristically, agreed with him.

Nanxun didn't decline. She smiled and also drew a slip of paper from the box. "Do you have any secret premonition about how you might die in the future?" Seeing this question, her expression subtly changed.

Yu Nan and Bi Zi'ang chuckled, "How could Miss Nanxun have prepared such a question?" Only Zu An was thoughtful.

Nanxun quickly regained her composure. She generously placed her fair, delicate hand on the crystal ball: "I have a premonition that I will be killed by a cruel man." After she finished speaking, the crystal ball showed no reaction from beginning to end, proving she spoke the truth.

"How could she have such a strange premonition?" Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan both frowned. The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew somewhat solemn.

Then Nanxun looked at Zu An beside her: "Young Master Zu, it's your turn next." Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan's attention was indeed diverted. They both looked at him, eager to see him make a fool of himself.

Zu An, without a hint of worry, rummaged in the box. He pulled out a slip of paper: "If you were to describe yourself, which three words would you use?"

"Tall, rich, and handsome!" Zu An blurted out without thinking. "Still too few words," he thought. "If it were five, I'd say handsome, virile, wealthy, well-endowed, and leisure-filled."

Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan almost burst out laughing. Although they had never heard the term before, they were intelligent men and immediately understood its meaning. They thought, "Who are you to call yourself 'tall, rich, and handsome' in front of us?" Both looked at the crystal ball with amusement, hoping to see a red glow. But it showed no reaction at all, clearly confirming that the other party spoke the truth. Both instantly felt a bit of existential doubt. "Could this crystal ball be broken?"

Next, it was Yu Nan's turn. He figured the previous questions hadn't been hard to answer, so he drew a slip of paper with a relaxed expression: "Do you have any unusual hobbies or habits in your life?" Seeing this question, he almost cried out. "Why are their questions so easy, but mine is so difficult?"

Bi Zi'ang and Zu An watched him with schadenfreude. "You drew the question yourself, proving that your character is indeed questionable."

Yu Nan thought for a moment, then simply said, "I'll drink." How could he reveal his embarrassing secrets in front of others? Rather than invent a story and then drink anyway, he might as well drink from the start.

Nanxun, smiling, poured him three cups. Yu Nan picked it up and drained it in one gulp. Then his eyes widened instantly. He then spluttered, spraying it all onto the ground. He exclaimed in alarm, "What kind of wine is this? It's so strong!"

Nanxun replied, "This is a famous wine from the Northern Demon tribes. It's called 'Heaven's Inferno,' known for its potency."

Bi Zi'ang laughed: "Young Master Yu, have you been feeling weak lately? You can't even handle a small cup of wine?" The other party had just mocked him. Now he could return the favor twofold.

Yu Nan glared at him resentfully. He immediately understood that the other party had deliberately not mentioned it, just waiting to see him make a fool of himself. Suppressing his discomfort, he drained all three cups. He felt a burning sensation in his stomach, and it seemed as if fire would shoot from his mouth.

Next, it was Bi Zi'ang's turn again. The slip he drew this time read: "If there were a crystal ball that could tell you all the truths about yourself, your life, or your future, what would you want to know?" He thought for a moment and said, "Whether there is eternal life." As soon as he spoke, several people fell silent. For thousands of years, countless brilliantly talented and powerful individuals had pursued this answer. Unfortunately, no one had succeeded so far.

The question Nanxun drew was: "Do you have a beloved, and who is it?" This piqued the interest of both Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan. Only Zu An seemed to know something already.

"I don't have a beloved yet," she replied with a smile. Seeing no reaction from the crystal ball, both men collectively breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the lady hadn't chosen anyone yet. Their upcoming performance would be crucial.

The question Zu An drew was: "What is your most precious memory?" He thought for a moment and replied, "The journey to the secret realm." The others instinctively thought he meant *this* secret realm. Bi Zi'ang frowned. "Why would he consider that memory precious? Could something have happened between him and my sister?" However, this thought was dismissed as soon as it arose. "What is my sister's status? And she has always been proud and arrogant. How could she fancy such a person?"

Yu Nan, meanwhile, seized the opportunity to probe: "I wonder what wonderful experience during this journey to the secret realm made you cherish it so much?"

Zu An smiled but said nothing: "Young Master Yu, that's already a second question."

Having been rebuffed, Yu Nan huffed. He drew his own question: "What is your worst memory?" Yu Nan didn't hesitate: "Just now." Everyone knew he was referring to what had just happened outside. They couldn't help but laugh. Zu An laughed even harder. "Still too young," he thought. "Soon, that won't be your worst memory anymore."

With this little interlude, the atmosphere at the table grew lively.

After several more rounds, Zu An suggested, "These questions are too subtle. How about we stop drawing slips and ask each other questions instead?" Nanxun's eyes lit up. She was the first to agree: "Oh yes, that would certainly be more fun." She had originally intended to use this opportunity to probe into everyone's privacy. This way, she would have more room to maneuver.

Bi Zi'ang and Yu Nan hesitated for a moment. If it were at the beginning, they would definitely not have agreed. But now, after several rounds of drinks and with the atmosphere heating up, neither wanted to show weakness in front of Miss Nanxun. So they tacitly agreed.

A faint smile also appeared at the corner of the mysterious woman's lips, who was secretly listening from a hidden room next door. "That fellow probably has a belly full of mischief. I'm curious to see what he's planning to do."