The courtyard gate burst open as a large squad of constables rushed in.

“Move aside! Move aside! Arresting fugitives…” The squad leader habitually waved his staff and shouted.

No one paid him any attention.

People were busy crowding around the stage, too lazy to even turn their heads. Those squeezed in the back pounded the backs of those in front, while those squeezed in front pounded the stage boards. Everyone was red-faced and thick-necked, shouting wildly in various ways, creating layered waves of sound that drowned out all other voices.

“What’s this! What’s this! Don’t you see the officials here? Move aside! Move aside! We need to… ah! What… what kind of dance is this?” The squad leader pushed forward, struggling to part the crowd. One glance at the dance on stage and his eyes went straight.

One look seemed peculiar, the second look and he couldn’t look away, the third look and he couldn’t help but stop and watch with great interest while leaning on his staff. After a while, the constables realized their companion had disappeared somewhere. When they looked again—ha! He was crawling at the front of the stage, keeping time with his hands!

The chanting ended with a long “ah—” as if extremely exhausted yet indulgently liberated. The crowd couldn’t help but also let out an “ah…” and exhale a long breath. On stage, Jing Hengbo hooked the wooden rod and spun around once, her crimson skirt tracing a rainbow-like trajectory. The crowd roared their approval, with the constables’ voices especially loud.

The madam came on stage beaming to take a bow, introducing her as a new girl. Almost immediately, the audience below began howling, competing for the right to spend the night with her.

Only then did the constables remember their task of pursuing criminals. They parted the crowd and questioned the madam, then pointed at Jing Hengbo on stage asking about her background when they saw a young woman in a gray jacket.

“The girl you mentioned—this humble woman hasn’t seen her. Just now, Fenglai Qi’s courtyard gate was only opened by you gentlemen; no one else entered. All the patrons in our courtyard can testify to this. As for this one, she’s a girl Fenglai Qi bought with great expense!” The madam smiled with her whole face trembling with fat, showing the constables an account book she’d just prepared. “Look here—bought from Anzhou for thirty taels of silver a month ago. This humble woman kept her secretly hidden upstairs practicing dance, only bringing her out today to meet the gentlemen. Look at her appearance, her figure, her soul-stirring allure—if not for Fenglai Qi, who could have taught such an outstanding girl?”

The squad leader looked Jing Hengbo up and down. Jing Hengbo, coiled around the rod, gave him a seductive wink.

The squad leader stroked his chin, also feeling that such charm was impossible for ordinary families to possess. To say she hadn’t been trained at Fenglai Qi for several months—even he wouldn’t believe it.

“Does she look like her?” he asked the pawnshop owner.

The pawnshop owner’s expression was quite confused. Earlier, Jing Hengbo had worn a jacket and headscarf, and he’d been preoccupied, so he hadn’t seen her face clearly. The woman before him now was enchanting and naturally seductive—no matter how he looked, she seemed like a courtesan trained by Fenglai Qi. He couldn’t bring himself to say “it looks like her.”

Moreover, though the pawnshop and Fenglai Qi weren’t far apart, there were still three or four courtyards between them. In that short time, the woman carrying emerald gemstones couldn’t possibly have run here and conspired with the madam to perform a dance.

Fenglai Qi’s madam had always been fierce—offending her would bring considerable trouble. The pawnshop owner hesitated for a long time, rubbing his hands: “This old man… doesn’t think it looks like her.”

“Then let’s go, we still need to check other places!” The squad leader stared hard at Jing Hengbo, swallowed his saliva, and waved his hand to lead his men away.

“Remember to visit often, sir.” Jing Hengbo played her role well, waving a small handkerchief and sending them off with a seductive voice. The madam, who had broken out in a cold sweat, wanted to kick her.

As soon as the constables left, the men who hadn’t dared breathe loudly rushed forward with silver in their hands.

“I want this girl!”

“One hundred taels! Tonight she’s mine!”

“I’ll pay one hundred fifty!”

“Such a charming beauty—aren’t you embarrassed bidding hundreds? One thousand taels!”

“Think you’re the only one with money? I’ll crush you with cash! Two thousand!”

…

The madam was all smiles and busy hands, but still didn’t forget to turn back and whisper: “Girl, as we agreed—I helped you lie, so you stay at my Fenglai Qi…”

Jing Hengbo sat in a chair with her legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds, her upper and lower lips fluttering as she spat out a pile of shells, smiling sweetly: “Sure.”

…

“Miss Da Bo, Old Master Yao from the south of the city sent someone to say he’s coming tonight and asks that you not see any other clients.”

“Alright.” Jing Hengbo spat out a sunflower seed shell, smiled and agreed, glancing at a girl not far beside her. The girl immediately got up happily and went upstairs.

A servant attentively brought Jing Hengbo a pot of the finest jasmine tea—the highest-priced variety on the market.

Jing Hengbo was now Fenglai Qi’s top courtesan, the hero who brought Fenglai Qi back from the dead. Her strange iron rod dance had instantly become the rage of the small city. People came in endless streams to see her, allowing Fenglai Qi, which had been completely suppressed by Yan’er Mei and Die Shuangfei, to quickly surpass those two establishments and become the city’s premier brothel.

So Jing Hengbo now got whatever she wanted in the building. Everyone fawned over and flattered her, afraid of displeasing this young madam.

She said she wanted to live in the top floor attic—as she wished.

She gave herself the stage name Da Bo, and though it sounded awful, it was as she wished.

She didn’t wait for clients in her own room, preferring to wander around the building, and she liked to hold the girls’ chins to look them over and touch them—also as she wished.

Fenglai Qi’s madam greeted guests at the entrance, watching Jing Hengbo wandering around, smiling with complete satisfaction.

Truly a blessing from heaven!

Ever since this girl mysteriously fell onto the stage, Fenglai Qi’s fortune had turned. Not only had business improved, but even the atmosphere inside the building had become harmonious. The other girls seemed to have lost their previous jealousy and scheming over clients, each one cheerful and satisfied daily, which was delightful to see and made business even more prosperous.

Normally, top courtesans were easily envied, causing many disputes, but this old pattern seemed ineffective with Jing Hengbo. She was extremely popular. Though the madam repeatedly warned the girls not to reveal Jing Hengbo’s origins, the girls didn’t need her reminders at all and fawned over Jing Hengbo completely. Sometimes the madam felt that their attitude toward Da Bo was less affection and intimacy than reverence, and sometimes their expressions even carried gratitude.

This was certainly peculiar, but the madam didn’t plan to investigate deeply. Heaven-sent good fortune—why be suspicious and ruin a good thing?

Jing Hengbo returned to her attic to groom and dress. Passing a second-floor room, she called out: “Jing Jun, feeling better today?”

A low, timid voice came from inside, hiding weakness from insufficient vitality: “After taking ginseng, I’m much better today, but that silver…”

“Don’t worry about the silver. I’ll have Dr. Yao settle accounts with me later.” Jing Hengbo waved her hand. Ignoring the grateful thanks from inside, she turned to a birdcage hanging above the door frame and struck an S-pose: “Er Gouzi, am I beautiful?”

“Bah.” The red parrot in the cage answered with full vigor.

“Shh!” Jing Hengbo whistled.

Er Gouzi shuddered all over, spread his wings, opened his eyes wide, trembled for a moment, then “plop”—dropped a pile of bird droppings.

Jing Hengbo had already jumped away giggling.

“Phew, much better.” Er Gouzi rubbed his belly and paced two steps with satisfaction.

“Sister Da Bo, don’t call it Er Gouzi, it’s called Qingjin…” The voice from the room was weak and helpless, “From ‘green collar, my heart yearns for you’…”

“‘In a moment of carelessness, all essence is lost.'” Jing Hengbo curled her lips, plucked one of Er Gouzi’s feathers and walked away triumphantly. “Stop reciting your sour poetry and just endure it!”

“Screw you, death-seeking vixen!” Er Gouzi jumped and cursed angrily.

“Qingjin!” came a mournful cry from the room. “I’ve taught you poetry and literature for so long and you can’t learn it, but why do you learn these crude colloquialisms so quickly…”

Jing Hengbo stuck the feather in her hair and had already gone far. Passing a third-floor room, she listened and heard no sound. Just as she was about to lean against the door frame and knock, suddenly a hand reached out from behind the door and pulled her in.

Jing Hengbo stumbled as she was pulled, startled: “Death wish! What are you doing all sneaky?”

“I have the information you wanted. I went to great trouble to find it out—pay up!” A pair of clean white hands were held out in front, with the index and middle fingers forming a circle. “Twenty taels!”

“How about it? Have they left? Where’s my suitcase? Did you find it?” Jing Hengbo’s eyes lit up as she grasped those snow-white hands, casually flattening the circle.

“Stop babbling—money!” The finger poked straight into her palm, the fingernail pinching and leaving marks with unrestrained force.

“Damn Cui Jie, stop pinching. If you break the skin it’ll affect my skin’s beauty—watch me pinch you to death.” Jing Hengbo pulled out a small denomination banknote and slapped it into those palms. Only then did the hands withdraw.

“The people aren’t at the original location, and the suitcase is gone too.” Cui Jie took the banknote and tucked it into her clothes, speaking concisely.

This third-class girl Cui Jie from Fenglai Qi had ordinary looks. Along with Jing Jun, the second-class girl who composed poetry to the parrot, they were Fenglai Qi’s two treasures. They were also Fenglai Qi’s two girls with the worst business. Jing Jun came from an official family and had once been a pampered young lady. When her family fell into decline, she was tricked and sold into the brothel by her worthless brother. Her constitution was delicate—eight days out of ten she was sick, one day coughing up blood, leaving one day to compose mournful poetry to the moon while coughing seventy or eighty times. Whenever a client entered, Jing Jun would faint. Men came seeking pleasure—they wanted sweet words from delicate flowers and fragrance from soft jade. Who wanted to face a sick weakling with a mournful expression? Over time, she lost business and became a pure entertainer who sold skills but not her body, spending time with a few old scholars who appreciated her “delicate willow swaying in the wind, tearful flower-picking beauty” style, covering themselves with quilts for pure conversation.

Her days were miserable, with only an equally refined and delicate parrot for comfort in her wretched existence. But watching the parrot about to succumb to Da Bo’s corruption, transforming from refined delicacy to stormy wildness, had recently added several more coughs to Jing Jun’s repertoire.

Cui Jie came from street performing. She performed on the streets with her father and brother until they were both trampled to death by a rich young man’s startled horse. After killing them, the rich young man rode away. Cui Jie, who wasn’t present at the time, desperately rushed over and only saw a retreating figure. Penniless, she sold herself on the street to bury her father, selling herself into Fenglai Qi.

This girl who seemed simple-natured did all the rough work after entering Fenglai Qi but refused to take clients. Without taking clients, there was no income, so Cui Jie always seemed poor and developed a love of money. But no matter how constrained her life, she never thought of leaving Fenglai Qi. Some speculated she stayed here hoping to encounter her father’s killer, since such young masters had a high likelihood of visiting brothels for pleasure.

Jing Hengbo originally paid her no attention, but one night shortly after arriving, while stealing food in the kitchen, she encountered Cui Jie climbing over the wall covered in blood. Though startled, Jing Hengbo didn’t raise an alarm and immediately dragged Cui Jie into her room, secretly arranging for a doctor to treat her wounds. Cui Jie silently accepted her help, and when leaving, casually took Jing Hengbo’s thin enamel porcelain bowl. Jing Hengbo just laughed it off.

Later, learning that Cui Jie knew some martial arts, Jing Hengbo paid her to check whether those Dahuang people had left and if her suitcase had been taken. She hoped to retrieve the suitcase, which contained many important modern treasures, like her wonderful tight-fitting undergarments. Without them, she felt her life lacked excitement.

Hearing this news made her somewhat dejected. Now she could only hope the Left State Preceptor and others wouldn’t crack her password lock.

“Help me find out where they went.” She was a bit worried and instructed Cui Jie.

Cui Jie looked at her sideways and held out her hand.

“Didn’t I already give you money!”

“That was for the previous matter. This is new work.” When it came to money, Cui Jie’s mind was quite sharp. “Another twenty taels.”

Jing Hengbo slapped a small banknote on her forehead: “Go investigate for me! Now! Immediately! Right away!”

Cui Jie peeled the banknote from her forehead and tucked it into her clothes: “Oh. I can tell you immediately. They’re not at the original location anymore, but they seem to be in San Shui County town.”

“What?” Jing Hengbo was startled. The beautiful State Preceptor had come? Found this place? What to do?

“I ran dozens of miles in one night. I need to catch up on sleep. Get out.” Cui Jie pushed the dazed Jing Hengbo out the door, smoothly removing the chive-leaf gold ring Jing Hengbo had just put on her finger, and slammed the door shut.

Jing Hengbo, still immersed in the bad news, was oblivious to this. She wandered like a lost soul, passing one door and giving some loose silver, passing another door for small talk, passing yet another door to casually save a servant girl who was being beaten nearly to death. After finishing the people-friendly tasks she did almost daily, she returned to her room and began packing her belongings.

Preparing to flee!