Song Qiming's pupils suddenly shrank, his breath caught, and he sat stiffly in place like a mummy.
A brothel?
This place wasn't far from the academy, but how did they end up in a brothel?
The Madam twirled the handkerchief in her hand like a flower and joked, "I haven't seen anyone. Are you gentlemen looking for someone?"
The man's gloomy gaze swept over every corner of the courtyard, stopping when his eyes landed on a cabinet placed in the corner.
As his soles ground against the coarse dirt, the Madam followed his gaze in confusion.
"Madam, may I take a secret peek at the esteemed guests you mentioned?"
The newcomer's jet-black hair was swept up in a high chignon, adorned with a kingfisher feather hairpin. A red peony painted between her brows was as bright and delicate as blood. In terms of looks, she was a thousand times more beautiful than Concubine Su of the Liao Manor.
Aside from the similar style of her clothes, she didn't have a trace of the seductive or frivolous air of a woman of the night.
Pei Yuyan's gaze swept over the faces of the six thugs. Her eyes crinkled as she offered a gentle smile.
The Madam excitedly stepped forward and grabbed Pei Yuyan's hand. "Xiyan, have you thought it through?"
Pei Yuyan suppressed the disgust in her heart and didn't pull away. "Madam is right. Once you enter a brothel, there's no way out. It's better to make myself comfortable."
The six men stared blankly at Pei Yuyan, looking as if their souls had been snatched away.
The leading man changed direction and walked towards Pei Yuyan, asking the Madam, "Is this a new girl?"
The Madam's expression shifted slightly. She immediately shielded Pei Yuyan behind her and spoke politely, "Gentlemen, this is the top courtesan I bought from the capital, thousands of miles away. She is proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and she is still a virgin. You must definitely come to her debut ceremony in three days."
The leading man licked his thick lips with a yellowed tongue, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Why wait three days? I'll pay. This girl's first night belongs to me today."
The Madam tightly gripped her handkerchief, a trace of coldness appearing on her face.
She had spent a fortune to buy this girl. Her first night was worth its weight in gold and had to be maximized in value. How could she hastily sell it to a street thug?
"You must be joking, sir. The news of the new top courtesan's debut ceremony at Beauty Pavilion in three days has long been announced. How could I dare to go back on my word?"
Hiding inside the cabinet, Song Qiming clenched his hands tightly. His palms were sweating, and his brows were furrowed into a tight knot.
Why haven't these people left yet?
Has Hu Fengye found my sister yet?
The leading man shoved the Madam roughly aside. Pei Yuyan's eyes darted like a startled bird as she quickly backed away in alarm.
Seeing this, the Madam shouted, "Men, come out here! Throw these unruly bastards out of my place!"
Five burly, thick-waisted men armed with wooden clubs rushed out from the room behind her.
The two groups instantly clashed in a chaotic brawl.
Hiding behind the door, Pei Yuyan cast a subtle glance at the discarded cabinet in the corner.
Inside the cabinet, Ji Youming whispered, "Once they beat each other half to death, we'll make a run for it."
Song Qiming shook his head. "If the people of the brothel find out we brought this trouble here, we'll be in deep water."
"We'll wait until everyone leaves, then sneak out."
Unable to see outside, the two could only judge the progress of the battle by the sounds.
With their ears just a fingernail's width away from the cabinet door, they concentrated intently, silently cheering for the brothel's thugs to beat the men up and throw them out.
A heavy force crashed into the cabinet door. The already flimsy wood shattered into four pieces.
Song Qiming and Ji Youming simultaneously covered their ears and dodged to the side.
"Boss, they're here!" a man shouted toward the brawling crowd.
Song Qiming kicked the man flying, decisively grabbed Ji Youming's hand, and scrambled out of the broken cabinet. "Run!"
The Madam looked astonished. Two scholars had actually sneaked in. When did they hide there?
Seeing them trying to escape, the leading man ignored the brothel's thugs and turned to attack the two scholars.
The cold gleam of a blade flashed across Song Qiming's eyes. His heart trembled, and his body reacted instinctively, faster than his brain could process.
In a split second, he yanked Ji Youming behind him with his left hand while his right hand attempted to snatch the dagger from the man.
The prepared leading man twisted his wrist and slashed out forcefully with the blade, looking as though he meant to chop off Song Qiming's arm.
The sharp edge tore through Song Qiming's thick padded jacket. Even though he reacted fast enough, the opponent still managed to slice a ten-centimeter gash on his arm.
Seeing it was only a light wound, the man lunged at Song Qiming with his dagger again.
Song Jinzhao, who had followed their footprints all the way here, locked her eyes onto the bloody dagger and forcefully threw the longsword in her hand.
With a sharp whistling sound piercing the air, the blade of the sword sank into the man's right arm, causing the dagger to drop to the ground.
"Sister!" Song Qiming turned his head. Seeing the figure he had been praying for, his eyes trembled with emotion, and he cried out in pleasant surprise.
Song Jinzhao pushed off the ground, closing the distance in a few strides, and pulled her sword out of the man.
After kicking him to the ground, she stepped on his fingers with her boot and drove her longsword forcefully through the palm of his hand.
"Ah!" The man's face twisted in agony as he shrieked, rolling and struggling on the ground.
Shielded behind the Madam and the brothel's thugs, Pei Yuyan stood with her mouth agape. Her body seemed frozen, her soul seemingly sucked out of her in an instant.
The other five men rushed forward to gang up on Song Jinzhao, but she struck them down in a few quick moves, drawing blood from every single one of them.
Ji Youming froze completely in place, his mind going entirely blank.
At this moment, his eyes held nothing but the heroic figure of Song Jinzhao standing with her sword, looking like a goddess descending to the mortal realm to save him from the abyss.
