“Ah Yu, how could you let her get so close to you?”
Before Shi Yu could even ask how he had managed to get upstairs, he was baffled by this sudden accusation.
“Senior Brother, why are you so angry? I would never let her come near me.”
Shi Yu explained helplessly. Mo Yuan seemed half-convinced by this explanation, but at least he stopped making a scene.
“So, how exactly did you get up here?”
Shi Yu turned his gaze toward Mo Yuan. If he remembered correctly, the Phantom Demon Pavilion was heavily guarded and certainly not a place one could easily infiltrate.
“By relying on my own wit and courage, of course.”
Mo Yuan wore a triumphant expression, looking at Shi Yu with immense confidence. Shi Yu did not buy it for a second; he had not heard any sounds of fighting earlier, so this man had clearly sneaked in stealthily.
“Tell me the truth!” Shi Yu raised his voice.
Mo Yuan pouted and reluctantly revealed the truth.
“Someone downstairs got drunk and caused a ruckus, so they all ran over there to deal with it. I seized the opportunity and slipped up while it was chaotic.”
Shi Yu finally heard a reliable answer. Knowing full well that Mo Yuan would not have just waited patiently outside for him, he did not dwell on it further.
Mo Yuan walked over to Green Pearl, observed her for a moment, and frowned. “What on earth are these ugly women trying to pull?” Shi Yu glanced at Green Pearl’s appearance and felt speechless at Mo Yuan’s taste.
Shi Yu recounted Green Pearl’s request from earlier. He had not even finished speaking when Mo Yuan flatly rejected it.
“Who would want to redeem her!”
Shi Yu clearly had no such intention either, so he hurriedly signaled for Mo Yuan to calm down.
“She must have been misled by the false identities Fuzhu created for us. They probably think we are merchants who came here for the sake of money.”
“Why not just wake her up and ask?” Mo Yuan’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, filled with disdain, and he gave Green Pearl a firm nudge.
Seeing this, Shi Yu immediately cast a spell to surround the room, preventing any noise from attracting others.
Green Pearl slowly regained consciousness. The moment she opened her eyes and saw the two men staring at her intently, she was so frightened that she scooted backward.
“Who are you people? How dare you cause trouble in the Phantom Demon Pavilion.”
Although Green Pearl said this, she lacked any real conviction. She knew deep down that anyone daring to act this way would not fear retaliation from the Pavilion, yet she still clung to a shred of hope.
Shi Yu and Mo Yuan were clearly not intimidated by her bluster. Mo Yuan continued to watch her with a playful expression.
“It would be best for you to be obedient, Miss Green Pearl, hmm?”
A look of panic crossed Green Pearl’s face, and she tightly pressed her lips together, refusing to speak.
“You do not really want to stay here, do you, Miss Green Pearl?”
Shi Yu spoke up suddenly. Recalling Green Pearl’s previous behavior, he sensed something was amiss.
Her attitude toward him earlier did not seem voluntary; perhaps there was a hidden agenda.
Green Pearl’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, as if she had not expected him to guess it.
Shi Yu took in this subtle change, becoming more certain of his suspicion.
“Is the condition for you to work for Jin Yi that you get to leave? Am I right?”
Shi Yu sat back down calmly, quietly waiting for her answer.
“What exactly are you trying to do?” Green Pearl remained cautious, keeping a close eye on their every move.
“Why not cooperate with us, Miss?” Shi Yu’s expression remained cool and detached, as if he did not care whether the deal succeeded or not.
Green Pearl’s resolve clearly wavered; she stopped speaking and lowered her head in thought.
Mo Yuan, feeling more relaxed now, suddenly remembered what he had seen while climbing through the window.
“Do you know who the man locked in the room on the right side of the first floor is?” Mo Yuan looked at Green Pearl, his eyes deep in thought.
At these words, Green Pearl’s body trembled slightly. The movement was small, but Mo Yuan noticed it immediately.
He looked back at Shi Yu, and the two exchanged a knowing look.
“If you cooperate with us, Shi Yu can guarantee to fulfill your requests as much as possible.”
Shi Yu had roughly guessed Green Pearl’s background, and his eyes held a hint of pity and sincerity.
Green Pearl finally loosened her stance and slowly raised her head. “I have only one request: take him with us when we leave.”
Both men immediately realized that the “him” Green Pearl mentioned was the man Mo Yuan had seen earlier.
“That can be done, but you must show some sincerity first.”
Shi Yu returned to his previous demeanor, looking at Green Pearl with a touch of authority.
“There is a hidden chamber in the room on the far right of the first floor. Jin Yi often goes there, but I do not know how to enter it.”
Shi Yu started to get up to investigate, but stopped when he heard Green Pearl’s next sentence.
“If you want to go there, you must first bypass the room where he is locked up. There are several experts guarding it.”
Shi Yu froze in his tracks and gave a light laugh.
“Miss Green Pearl, you are quite calculating. Why do you not first explain why you insist on me redeeming you? I never wrote an answer.”
Seeing Shi Yu stop, a flicker of disappointment crossed Green Pearl’s eyes, but she had no choice but to compromise.
“Jin Yi found out about your identities. She seems to be particularly short of money lately, and she wants me to go back with you to secretly steal money for her.”
Listening to Green Pearl’s explanation, Shi Yu felt a wave of doubt. Running such a large brothel in the royal capital and still short on cash? What on earth required so much money?
“If that is the case, she cannot just be targeting me alone.”
Green Pearl nodded. “Most of the merchants who have visited the city have had her people planted in their households. You are new arrivals, so you are naturally no exception.”
“What is she planning to do that requires so much money?”
Green Pearl shook her head. “I do not know. She never tells us these things.”
Shi Yu pondered for a moment and felt it was unlikely that Green Pearl was lying.
“Get up first. I will redeem you, and as for that man, we will think of another way.”
Green Pearl finally stood up. Just as she was about to walk toward Shi Yu, she met Mo Yuan’s cold gaze.
“Behave yourself.” Mo Yuan stared at her, intimidating her slightly before looking away.
“You go out and wait for me first. Be careful and do not get caught.”
Shi Yu instructed Mo Yuan to leave. He then put back on his dazed, confused expression and brought Green Pearl to find Jin Yi.
Watching Shi Yu leave, Mo Yuan felt a sting of jealousy, but he obediently climbed out the window.
After stepping out, Shi Yu found a servant. “Where is Miss Jin Yi?”
The servant pointed to the room across the hall. “Miss Jin Yi is resting in her room.”
Shi Yu nodded, waved for him to leave, and led Green Pearl to the door of Jin Yi’s room.
“Miss Jin Yi.” Shi Yu knocked on the door gently.
The door opened quickly. Jin Yi was not surprised to see them at the door and immediately turned her gaze toward Green Pearl.
Green Pearl nodded affirmatively, and the smile on Jin Yi’s face deepened.
“Is there something, Young Master Shi?” Jin Yi asked, knowing the answer already.
“Miss Jin Yi, I would like to redeem Green Pearl.”
Jin Yi enthusiastically welcomed them inside and turned to take out the contract she had already prepared.
“Young Master Shi, it is Green Pearl’s good fortune to meet you. You can take her with you for one hundred thousand taels of silver.”
Shi Yu sneered internally at Jin Yi’s outrageous price, but he agreed readily and handed over the money.
The moment Jin Yi saw the silver notes, her eyes lit up; she was completely entranced, unable to stop smiling.
“You are very generous, Young Master Shi. You may take Green Pearl with you.”
While speaking, Jin Yi did not forget the real task. She seized the moment and signaled to Green Pearl with her eyes not to forget the plan.
Green Pearl saw the look and bowed her head slightly.
Shi Yu noticed this interaction but gave no indication, leading Green Pearl away.
The moment they stepped out of the Phantom Demon Pavilion, Mo Yuan rushed over impatiently, forcefully pushing Green Pearl to the side.