As soon as the words “brothel” were mentioned, Chu Hanjin’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Clearly, he was reminded of the embarrassing moment when they had hastily escaped upon arrival, drawing attention from the crowd.

Yue Lin chuckled, “No need to be embarrassed. That girl, Xiao Die, might be connected to Young Master Zhou’s death. We need to investigate.”

Despite the seriousness of the investigation, Yue Lin couldn’t help but add a bit of mischief in his tone.

Chu Hanjin closed his eyes for a moment and said, “I have certain precepts to follow.”

Yue Lin thought for a moment, “True. No doubt the Rongku Sect is keeping a close eye on us right now. If you’re recognized, rumors of ‘Lord Yue Zhao spending the night at a brothel’ could get you into serious trouble. You’d face punishment again. It’s inconvenient for you, so I’ll go alone.”

Chu Hanjin asked, “You’re going alone?”

Yue Lin looked him in the eye and said, “I’ve never had any improper thoughts about others.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin wasn’t particularly concerned about that.

After thinking for a moment, his face expressionless, he took out the bell that Yue Lin had previously given him and tied it around his wrist. “If anything happens, call me.”

Yue Lin agreed and, after finishing the meal, left the inn.

Chu Hanjin sat in the chair, eyes lowered, gazing at the bell on his wrist as he held his breath, waiting quietly.

He listened to the sounds of the bustling street—the cries of vendors, casual conversations, laughter, and the occasional jingling of bells, all mixed together. Among them, he could faintly hear Yue Lin’s breathing.

A female voice called out, “Sir, please come inside!”

Clearly, Yue Lin had arrived at the brothel.

Yue Lin’s voice followed, “I’ll have a pot of flower tea.”

“Sure, sir, please have a seat.”

Once the people left, Yue Lin spoke softly, “This flower tea costs thousands of coins. The first thing you do when entering a brothel is spend money; otherwise, you won’t get to see the girls.”

Chu Hanjin raised his eyes slightly, “There’s no need to explain.”

Yue Lin chuckled softly on the other side, “Alright.”

After a while, there was the sound of someone leading him to a seat, “This way, please!”

On the way, a woman’s voice could be heard, “This gentleman is so handsome!”

“Sir, won’t you have a drink with me?”

“Sir, look at me~”

The voices were sweet and flirtatious. It wasn’t uncommon for both men and women in such a place to speak so openly.

Yue Lin didn’t respond immediately and said, “I’ll drink my tea first.”

After that, he found a quiet spot. Chu Hanjin could hear the sound of the tea lid being lifted as Yue Lin continued, “Around this time, someone will come to strike up a conversation. If you want to spend the night with someone, you offer them a drink. The cost of the drink is essentially the price for the night.”

Chu Hanjin replied, “There’s no need to explain.”

Yue Lin laughed again, “Hmm, let’s wait for now.”

“Wait for what?”

“If Xiao Die is really involved with Young Master Zhou’s death, there are many eyes and ears in a brothel. Surely, we can gather some information. We’ll wait for someone to come and talk.”

He sat drinking tea for a while before a sultry voice approached, “Sir, drinking tea all alone? Would you like me to keep you company?”

Yue Lin replied, “I heard there’s a boy named Xiao Die here. He’s quite handsome. Why haven’t I seen him?”

The woman scoffed, “Another one looking to pull strings, huh? How unlucky.”

With that, her voice faded away.

Yue Lin sighed, “She left.”

Chu Hanjin hesitated for a moment before asking, “What does ‘pulling strings’ mean?”

Yue Lin paused for a moment and then replied, “It means someone who enjoys the company of men.”

…But why call it ‘pulling strings’?

Just as Chu Hanjin was about to ask, he suddenly realized what it meant. His brows furrowed, and his ears flushed red.

In the brief silence, Yue Lin lightly coughed, “Someone else is coming.”

There was no denying that Yue Lin’s handsome face attracted attention. Many people came to talk to him. After some back-and-forth, it seemed someone had noticed his interest in Xiao Die and sat down beside him.

“Sir, you’re looking for Xiao Die?”

Yue Lin replied, “He’s quite good-looking.”

“He is, but he already has someone. And since you only ordered a pot of flower tea, I doubt he’d take an interest in you.”

Yue Lin’s voice was calm, without a hint of acting, “Oh? He’s already taken?”

“His patron, you’d be shocked to hear, is here tonight.”

“Who is it? Who could shock me?” Yue Lin loudly placed his teacup down, acting like a prideful man who had been looked down upon.

The voice laughed, “You’d better not mess with him.”

After several rounds of back-and-forth, the person finally lowered their voice and said, “His benefactor is a powerful Immortal from the Rongku Sect, someone who could kill a person with a flick of his sleeve!”

Hearing this, Chu Hanjin felt something begin to click. Xiao Die’s lover was, unsurprisingly, the promiscuous Daoist Luo Yang.

Yue Lin let out a scoff, “Wasn’t it just recently that he was with Young Master Zhou? How heartless. The man’s dead, and he can’t even keep vigil for a few days. You people have no conscience.”

“Hey, sir, his lack of conscience isn’t my business. Don’t lump us all together. Besides, back then, it was Young Master Zhou who clung to him shamelessly, promising to buy his freedom and then backing out. We all had a good laugh about it. How is it that we’re the heartless ones?”

Chu Hanjin’s eyelid twitched slightly as he looked at the bell on his wrist.

He waited for Yue Lin to continue probing.

Unexpectedly, the voice turned sweet again, “I’m the most considerate of all. Want to come up to my room? I’ll show you just how much I care.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin frowned.

Was that a flirtation?

There was the sound of a chair being moved, followed by Yue Lin suddenly standing up, “Cough, cough. My wife is very strict, and she only gave me enough money for the tea. Maybe next time.”

Since the people at brothels were only after money, even though Yue Lin was quite good-looking, the lack of money left the woman disappointed. “Wife in charge of the money, huh? Sneaking around for fun? Tsk tsk tsk~”

The voice gradually faded away.

Yue Lin’s voice returned, “Did you catch anything?”

Chu Hanjin replied, “Luo Yang and Young Master Zhou were both Xiao Die’s lovers. Could it be that they fought out of jealousy, and Luo Yang accidentally killed Young Master Zhou, making it look like he died of illness?”

It did seem to be pointing in that direction.

Even when cultivators fought, there had to be a reason. Otherwise, bringing the case to the Dao Palace could result in expulsion from the sect and other severe consequences.

Chu Hanjin pondered for a moment. Could it be that the person who led him to Mobei was trying to uncover the truth behind Young Master Zhou’s death and accuse Luo Yang of his crimes? If a regular person reported it, the Rongku Sect might cover it up, but if Chu Hanjin were the one to expose it, the sect would have no choice but to take it seriously.

…Could that be their motive?

Suppressing his doubts, Chu Hanjin told Yue Lin, “You should come back now.”

Yue Lin responded, but before he could take more than a couple of steps, a sharp male voice called out, “Oh, it’s you?”

Chu Hanjin recognized it as Xiao Die’s voice.

“I heard someone’s been waiting for me, refusing to leave without seeing me. So devoted, huh? Turns out it’s you.”

After Xiao Die spoke, another voice chimed in, “Daoist friend?”

It was Luo Yang speaking!

Yue Lin replied calmly, “I wouldn’t say devoted. I do like men, but Xiao Die is the only boy I know here.”

Xiao Die snorted and asked, “You two know each other?”

Luo Yang’s voice carried a smile, “Of course we do.”

Yue Lin was the first to speak, “So you’re the patron?”

Luo Yang replied, “Patron is too strong a word. I just come by occasionally to chat, drink, and relax. But tell me, why aren’t you with Lord Yue Zhao? How do you have time to visit the brothel?”

Yue Lin answered, “Lord Yue Zhao has a strict routine. He’s probably asleep by now.”

Luo Yang’s tone sounded like a sudden realization, “Lord Yue Zhao is pure and spotless, not one for these places. I get it now—you’re sneaking out to the brothel while he’s asleep, aren’t you?”

Yue Lin replied, “More or less.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin found this exchange rather odd.

It was as if Yue Lin and he were really a married couple, and Yue Lin was sneaking off to the brothel behind his back.

Luo Yang burst into laughter, “Good! Since you’ve taken a liking to Xiao Die, then—” He continued, “Xiao Die, make sure to serve him well tonight. Use all your tricks and ensure he’s thoroughly pleased, leave him wanting more.”

With the sound of two footsteps, Chu Hanjin heard the rustling of breath suddenly closer, like someone whispering in Yue Lin’s ear, “Daoist friend, Xiao Die is quite the delicacy.”

“…”

Hearing this, Chu Hanjin finally understood why something felt off.

—

Even though he didn’t fully grasp the concept of love, from the way Yue Lin acted toward him, it was clear that even the slightest flirtation from another man would enrage Yue Lin. What was that word again? Jealousy.

Yue Lin was extremely possessive and got jealous very easily.

Yet here was Luo Yang, casually offering up his lover without a second thought.

What a twisted, promiscuous person, Chu Hanjin thought to himself.

Yue Lin’s voice remained calm, unaffected, “You don’t mind sharing?”

Luo Yang’s voice was soft and lazy, “I’m more than happy to share.”

Yue Lin followed up, “What about Xiao Die?”

There was a moment of silence.

Then Xiao Die’s voice, tinged with anger, cut through, “Just say whether you’re going to sleep with me or not. What’s with all the questions!”

The anger seemed directed at Yue Lin on the surface, but it was clearly meant for Luo Yang. Like a child who didn’t dare defy their parents, Xiao Die could only throw a tantrum by smashing a toy, unable to openly rebel.

Yue Lin’s probing had given him a good grasp of the situation between the two.

Yue Lin’s voice sounded hesitant, “I heard that Young Master Zhou died of syphilis. You wouldn’t happen to be infected, would you?”

Xiao Die exploded, “You’re the one who’s infected! You’re the one with a disease! I’m perfectly clean! You’re full of nonsense. Are you sleeping with me or not?”

“I was just asking. Why are you so mad?” Yue Lin said nonchalantly, “Never mind, you’ve got quite the temper. You’re annoying. I’ll find someone else.”

As he began to walk away, Chu Hanjin overheard Luo Yang’s final words. His tone was gentle but chilling, sending shivers down the spine, “Xiao Die, what did I teach you? Who gave you the audacity to show attitude? Come in and take your punishment.”

It sounded like someone disciplining a disobedient pet.

Having gathered this much information, there was little more to uncover for now. Chu Hanjin said, “Come back.”

Yue Lin replied, “On my way.”

The sound of his footsteps descending the stairs reached Chu Hanjin’s ears, followed by a light clearing of his throat, “Luo Yang is definitely a twisted person.”

Chu Hanjin was about to share his speculations when Yue Lin suddenly added, “Someone’s following me.”

Chu Hanjin was startled, “What?!”

“Luo Yang’s got something to hide. He must suspect I’m investigating, so he sent someone to tail me, probably to see what I’m up to.” Yue Lin said, “Looks like I’ll need to find a way to throw them off.”

With that, he forcefully pushed open a nearby door.

Chu Hanjin was greeted by the sound of strings and flutes, the seductive atmosphere filling the air, followed by a chorus of voices calling out, “Sir, you’re here?” “Come, have a seat!” “The night is young and beautiful, sir~” “A night spent well is worth its weight in gold~”

Chu Hanjin, “…”

His mind conjured an image of incense floating in the air, silk curtains swaying gently, and the laughter and music of pipa and guzheng surrounding him.

Yue Lin let out a soft sigh.

Then he said, “Save me.”

“…”