The Den of Debauchery, Tianhuan Pavilion.
A youth with a stunning and gorgeous appearance sat on the edge of the bed. His sheer gauze robes were half-covering and half-revealing, and his face was ashen.
Rong Xuanhe let out a long sigh.
As an eighteen-tier minor web-drama actor who constantly took on absurd scripts, it took him only a single minute to accept the fact that he had transmigrated.
Yet it took him a full day, and he still had not digested the reality that he had transmigrated into what looked like a pleasure house and was about to be auctioned off.
Not everyone could smile and keep a cheerful disposition when facing a devastating starting scenario.
At the very least, he couldn’t.
Transmigrating to this ghost of a place, they didn’t give him food, didn’t give him rest, forced him to wear this flimsy outfit that covered nothing at all, and didn’t even hand out the standard-issue system that everyone else apparently got.
Haha, damn it all. He should have known long ago: if you walk often by the river, how can your shoes not get wet?
This was probably the retribution for always accepting brain-dead transmigration dramas.
【Beep beep, detected that the host is trapped in the dust of the world with an unyielding heart. The Saving-the-Fallen-Dust System has been successfully bound.】
A mechanical voice rang out abruptly in his mind.
“?”
Rong Xuanhe dug into his ear: “Saving what? Say that again?”
【Please rest assured, Host. This system is well-versed in the binding rules, possesses rich experience in rescuing those in the dust, and has successfully rescued over a hundred men from the dust. It is your best choice for leaving the life of sin behind.】
Hearing the words “leaving the life of sin behind,” Rong Xuanhe smiled very reluctantly: “You can just say you can save me without adding all those prerequisites.”
He hadn’t even jumped into the sea yet!
The system continued to broadcast: 【Currently, the host has three choices to leave this life behind. First, find a good match and escape the bitter sea. Second, save up money to redeem yourself and escape the bitter sea. Third, prove your loyalty with your death and escape the bitter sea. Please make your choice.】
Rong Xuanhe closed his eyes: “Can I choose none of them?”
He had only transmigrated for a day; where was he supposed to get a good match or money? He might as well just turn around and jump off a cliff.
The system turned a deaf ear: 【Very well, Option One has been recorded for the host. Please select a good match as soon as possible. This system will assist the host in conducting a character assessment to help you escape the dust of the world early.】
“Can you understand human speech?”
Before Rong Xuanhe could say anything else, the door was heavily knocked on twice.
“Knock, knock.”
Rong Xuanhe raised his eyes to look, but before he could speak, the person outside pushed the door open without a shred of politeness.
“Are you done tidying up?” The madam put her hands on her hips, a pair of slanted eyes glaring at him: “Dawdling and dragging your feet, you’re the slowest one here! Let me tell you, don’t harbor any crooked thoughts. If you manage to run out of this door today, I’ll change my last name to yours!”
Rong Xuanhe rolled his eyes: “I know.”
The very first moment he transmigrated, he had tried to run away, and the result, of course, was failure.
In a place barely the size of a palm, the guards, patrollers, customer-pulling pages, and handymen added up to a full hundred people. The moment he jumped over the window, three or four guards had already gathered below, pulling long faces and asking him where he thought he was going.
Rong Xuanhe visually measured arms that were thicker than his own waist and obediently climbed back inside.
Little life came first.
“Consider yourself sensible.” The madam let out a cold snort, pulled him around to inspect him closely from front to back, and only then did her expression ease slightly. “Perform well for me tonight. If a distinguished noble is willing to make a bid, you’ll be climbing up a high branch, understand? Which of the distinguished guests coming to our Tianhuan Pavilion isn’t rolling in wealth, with immortal pills and spiritual herbs at home more than they could ever eat or use? You, look at this, you’re about to live a good life.”
Rong Xuanhe tugged at the clothes on his body. It was practically half-hidden like a shy maiden holding a lute, wearing them being even more teasing than wearing nothing at all.
This body was pitifully thin, and the bright red gauze robe hung loosely over it, making his figure look haggard and bone-thin. The skin exposed to the air, such as his wrists, ankles, and even through the gaps of his collar, was covered in a crisscross network of blue and purple bruises that even facial powder couldn’t cover up. There was also a scar on his wrist that looked like a burn, throbbing with pain whenever he moved.
He pulled up a smile: “What you said is right, I will definitely be obedient.”
The madam nodded in satisfaction, went to knock on several neighboring rooms to whip them into shape as well, and then leisurely descended the stairs.
“Clang! Clang!”
The delicate little bell in the building was struck, reminding the distinguished guests that the evening banquet was about to begin.
Tianhuan Pavilion was the largest pleasure house in the Den of Debauchery, holding an auction every year named “The First Bloom of Fragrance.”
To put it bluntly, it was an auction for those matured furnace cauldrons or gorgeously stunning slaves. All of these people were bought at low prices by Tianhuan Pavilion from various impoverished remote places; they had no background and no backing, so they could be manipulated however anyone pleased.
A pimp stood guard at the door, and a page boy came in to tidy up and organize for Rong Xuanhe. Rong Xuanhe stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.
The guards at Tianhuan Pavilion were airtight, and with zero spiritual power, finding an opportunity to escape was as hard as ascending to heaven. But if he didn’t run, there was a real chance he would be forced into the life.
【The host does not need to worry. The system possesses exclusive technical patents for character evaluation and will certainly find the most suitable good match for you tonight.】
Rong Xuanhe raised his eyebrows: “Don’t you start acting all high and mighty now.”
When the madam was here, the system didn’t even let out a single sound. The moment the madam left, it got energetic.
Turns out it only knew how to bully soft persimmons!
The page boy couldn’t hear the dialogue between Rong Xuanhe and the system. Seeing the sickly young man staring blankly into the mirror, he couldn’t help but comfort him: “My lord doesn’t need to worry too much; you are not the supreme beauty of this pavilion. Even if you are lucky enough to be selected, given your aptitude, you probably won’t catch the eyes of those immortal manors.”
Rong Xuanhe’s movements paused: “What did you say?”
The page boy sighed, wearing an expression that seemed to say he was doing this for his own good: “My lord shouldn’t dislike my blunt words. Sometimes, not being chosen by an immortal manor is actually a blessing. With mediocre aptitudes and mediocre faces like ours, living a mediocre life might not be a bad thing. I heard that furnace cauldrons in immortal manors even fight each other, you know.”
A mediocre face.
“What?”
Rong Xuanhe slowly turned his head, staring at the page boy for two whole seconds.
The page boy was looked at until he felt inexplicably creeped out: “My lord?”
The young man took a deep breath and smiled: “This is the first time I’ve ever heard someone call my face mediocre.”
He changed his mind.
Hearing their conversation from outside the door, the pimp leaned against the doorframe and sneered: “Got pretty high aspirations, huh? Let me tell you, beauty is the thing this place lacks the least. Better learn to put yourself in your proper place, or else I don’t mind helping you see reality clearly.”
He looked Rong Xuanhe up and down like he was sizing up a piece of merchandise, lust flashing across his face: “A little primary fragrance-bloom like you, I can still swallow down.”
Rong Xuanhe glanced at him and ignored him. The system chimed in at the right moment.
【If the host wishes to change to other options, we also have e-books available for study, such as How to Hollow Out a Patron’s Wallet in Three Days, A Hundred Ways to Hide Gold, Silver, and Valuables, and High-End Negotiation Techniques.】
“Who wants to study?”
The youth raised his eyes, grabbed the loose gauze robe on his body, and sneered: “I’m going to debut in the center position.”
【Received, currently helping the host customize. Wait.】
【What did you just say?】
“I said.”
Rong Xuanhe cleared his throat and said in a ringing voice, “My fate is up to me, not the heavens! I am going to debut in the center position, I am going to be the absolute lead!”
【What?】
That face in the mirror was pale and thin, bearing a patchwork of old and new injuries, but its bone structure was exquisitely unreal, and his features carried an intoxicating, gorgeous vividness.
A sickly beauty was still a beauty.
He arched an eyebrow, touched his own face, and ground his back molars: “Say anything else, and they actually call my face mediocre.”
Before transmigrating, he relied entirely on his face to earn a living in the entertainment industry!
Thousands of miles away, Cangyi Mountain.
Inside a cave sealed for a hundred years, a pair of eyes snapped open.
Tianhuan Pavilion.
Battle drums echoed, and the zither strings played in ripples. The distinguished guests had all arrived, and the “First Bloom of Fragrance” auction was about to unfold.
At the corner of the fragrant steps stood seven or eight young men of handsome appearance and various demeanors. Rong Xuanhe quietly looked around and felt his competitiveness was still decent.
“Be more docile later.”
The madam instructed offhandedly: “Those lords are here to look at faces; your talents just need to be passable. When trying to climb a high branch, keep your horizons wide; don’t just scramble exclusively for people from noble clans. If you can catch the eye of a cultivator from a major sect, that’s still a good destination, understand?”
Everyone lowered their gazes and obediently answered in assent. Only Rong Xuanhe looked straight ahead, walking toward the lower floor with a firm gaze.
The madam grabbed him by the arm: “What are you rushing for?”
Rong Xuanhe said: “Going first leaves a deep impression.”
Given his previous death-defying attitude, the madam looked at him suspiciously for a moment and said, “So proactive? No way, you’re going second.”
The pimp next to them unhappily dragged him back and scolded in a low voice: “Behave yourself.”
Rong Xuanhe curled his lips downward, watching helplessly as someone else took the spot right before him.
Before long, the drumbeats quieted down, and the pipa strings began to play. The first person gracefully stepped to the rhythm of the drums and floated lightly downward.
He took out a long flute from his waist, lowered his brows, and let out a flute tune carrying a light melancholy. The refined and elegant ancient melody instantly purged the lingering, clinging atmosphere within the hall.
When the tune finished, a page boy carrying a box of flower-notes walked past the front of the distinguished guests. Interested patrons tossed jade beads into the box to exchange for flower-notes to toss onto the stage, though there weren’t many.
The youth bowed gracefully, a hint of disappointment seemingly lingering in his eyes.
Once he stepped down, Rong Xuanhe raised his head and walked up with confidence.
The candlelight grew flickering and dim, and the youth in the bright red gauze robe bent his knees to strike an opening pose, tilting his head slightly so that his stunning silhouette made everyone present hold their breath in unison.
Then, the youth began to spin.
Turning his head back, pivoting his body, wide sleeves fluttering, amidst a raining flurry of flower petals, his robes danced like a butterfly ready to shatter at any second.
Round, and another round.
Round, and another round.
Round, and another round.
【Why have you been spinning the whole time?】
The system spoke in a numb voice.
The youth was intoxicated by his own dance posture and said as a matter of course: “Dramas usually play out like this; it makes close-up shots convenient.”
【Alright.】
The youth spun round and round on the stage, the flower petals falling in a flurry, and that stunning side profile passed by in front of everyone like a copy-and-paste loop.
The VIP guests below went from initial amazement and breath-holding to gradually exchanging awkward looks.
A spectator couldn’t help pressing his brow, muttering: “So tiring. Exactly what did he put into this dance?”
A quarter of an hour passed, a thin layer of sweat slicked Rong Xuanhe’s temples, and the madam watching from the shadows turned completely dark in the face: “Go drag that disgraceful thing down here!”
Anyone who didn’t know better would think Tianhuan Pavilion’s training only amounted to this trick, only knowing how to spin in circles on stage.
Several page boys acknowledged the order and swarmed forward. Rong Xuanhe was struck with panic: “What are you doing? Are you trying to block me out in broad daylight? I haven’t finished dancing yet!”
The page boys turned a deaf ear, grabbed his arms, snapped spirit-locks onto him, and dragged him downward. Rong Xuanhe struggled hard: “Let me go, I want to debut in the center position, let me go!”
The youth’s face flushed red, finally losing its deathly pallor, though his frame was too thin to resist being sandwiched between several page boys, making him look rather pitiful.
“Wait a moment.” A refined-looking cultivator in the front row reached out to block them: “Let him continue dancing.”
Just as Rong Xuanhe showed a touched expression, he heard the man say with difficulty: “Consider it a way to stabilize my state of mind.”
Not a single soul who understood him!
Just as he was about to strive to return to the stage, someone below suddenly let out a laugh: “Quite interesting, though.”
Rong Xuanhe looked toward the source of the sound. It was a middle-aged man, well-maintained with a beard, wearing clothing with flowing dark patterns. He sat in a very forward position, and at a glance, one could tell his background was no small matter.
That man rested one hand on the back of his chair, fingertips toying with a crystal-clear, exquisite jade bead, and carelessly tossed it into the flower-note box.
The servant beside him understood and pulled out a handful of jade beads to toss inside, clinking away in a cascade of crisp and arrogant sounds.
“This box of flower-notes, I’m buying him.”
The whole hall went silent for a moment.
The page boy hurriedly called out the bid, his voice carrying joy: “Master Li bids five thousand spiritual stones!”
Exclamations arose from the outer circle. Five thousand spiritual stones just to buy a furnace cauldron who only knew how to spin in circles? This Master Li was too generous.
Master Li lifted his chin, proudly surveying his surroundings: “Is anyone bidding higher than yours truly?”
Though a few people on the scene had shown interested expressions toward Rong Xuanhe, upon hearing this price, they also lost their momentum.
Master Li hooked his finger with satisfaction, like he was calling a cat: “Come here.”
The system spoke gloomily in his mind: 【Bidder detected. Shall we initiate the good-match assessment?】
Rong Xuanhe’s wrists were bound with thin spirit-locks, and the clinking sound of the jade beads just now felt like a ladle of cold water, finally giving him a realistic sense of having transmigrated.
Five thousand spiritual stones.
He didn’t have much concept of this number, but seeing the whispering hall instantly silenced, and looking at the lit-up expression of the madam, he roughly knew it must be a lot, lot of money.
Enough money to buy a person.
Seeing that Rong Xuanhe hadn’t budged his feet, Master Li’s eyes narrowed in displeasure: “What? Think it’s too little?”
He tossed another handful of jade beads into the box, the extravagant clinking impact tightening everyone’s hearts.
“Adding another thousand, is that enough to buy you?” he sneered.
The madam beamed with smiles, walking step by step down to the floor, reaching out to push him right into those arms: “My lord’s deep affection, actually willing to spend a fortune of a thousand gold just for you! Why don’t you hurry up and thank my lord!”
The pimp next to them also pushed him, unceremoniously grabbing the gauze robe on his shoulder and giving it a fierce yank downward: “Hurry up and go serve him, what are you pretending to do?”
Before the words finished, a drastic change abruptly occurred!
The bead curtains were suddenly shattered by a violent gust of wind, and all the candles in the hall dimmed simultaneously before violently surging higher, shaking intensely.
A streak of sword light pierced through the hall, slicing the pimp’s hand, the one holding Rong Xuanhe, completely off.
The pimp’s mouth was still open as that unclean hand flew outward, blood spurting in a torrent and splashing onto the youth’s pale cheeks.
Rong Xuanhe’s pupils shrank to pinpricks as he froze in place.
After a few seconds, the pimp looked down at his own bald wrist, belatedly letting out a shrill, miserable scream.
Rong Xuanhe’s body reacted faster than his brain, stiffly turning around to run. Before he could take two steps, he violently crashed into a white wall.