Chapter 18: Changing Faces

Liu Liwa could feel Miss Liuyun’s deep sense of helplessness. He felt like a puppet doll, controlled by others.

Ah, in the jianghu, one often had little control over their own fate. Liu Liwa once had to deliver toilet paper to Yufeng in the restroom and carry a chamber pot for Furong. Such shame and humiliation made tears fall inside his heart drop by drop…

Miss Liuyun sat back down in front of the qin table. The four accompanying girls prepared again, and the qin music drifted out once more. This time, the melody was even sadder, filled with desolation and helplessness.

But after waiting for a while, the crowd only heard the qin music without any singing. Miss Liuyun did not start singing for a long time. Everyone grew curious. Young Master Ye even pushed away the wine cup a girl offered him, his anger rising. This was clearly a sign of disrespect toward him.

Shen Zuijin glanced at Young Master Ye and took another step forward. At the same time, Liu Liwa noticed that Wang Meng, the security manager who had been hiding in the shadows, had also moved closer at some point. This man was like an iron tower, his bushy beard like steel needles, fierce and intimidating, radiating a murderous aura.

The guests naturally did not notice this unusual change, but the employees of Intoxication Pavilion did. The two major figures of Intoxication Pavilion, nicknamed “Black and White Impermanence,” had both appeared. They were here to pressure Miss Liuyun. Liu Liwa cursed inwardly—this black-hearted pleasure house!

Even though Miss Liuyun was in the middle of a performance, her face fell, showing immense distress. Her willow-like eyebrows were tightly furrowed, as if she had made a difficult decision. Finally, she parted her vermilion lips to sing, but the moment she opened her mouth, everyone present was stunned.

The voice that had once been as melodious as a nightingale leaving a valley or clear water dripping on stone was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a hoarse and muffled sound, like the cawing of crows on an ancient tree or a toad forced to swallow salt…

After the initial shock, the crowd quickly realized that this voice was also coming from Miss Liuyun. The lyrics were still sorrowful and mournful, but the voice was unbearable, like the wailing of a resentful spirit.

“Crash!” Finally, Young Master Ye could no longer contain his anger. He overturned a table, sending cups and bowls shattering to the ground with a grating noise. Young Master Ye was furious. He believed Miss Liuyun had done this intentionally to embarrass him. How could he not be angry?

Other guests also stood up. Some pseudo-fans began cursing loudly: “Damn it, what kind of awful noise is this? It sounds like someone broke a clay pot.”

“Yeah, yeah, this kind of voice is clearly meant to disgust us.”

A troublemaker among them even stirred the pot: “Oh, now I understand why Miss Liuyun only performs one song each time. So this is her true voice!”

“That’s right, and here I was spending a fortune to support and reward her. I’ve been cheated! Intoxication Pavilion, return this master’s reward money now!”

It wasn’t just them. Even staunch fans like Lord Zeng and Brother Chun were both shocked and furious. They didn’t feel Miss Liuyun had deceived them, but their fan goddess had suddenly fallen from grace. Their faith crumbled, and they couldn’t accept it for a moment.

Young Master Ye was even more enraged. He shouted, “Damn it, this is clearly meant to embarrass me! What are your intentions?”

With his outburst, the entire Intoxication Pavilion descended into chaos. Curses and shouts rose and fell. The other girls stood by watching the commotion, thinking to themselves, “You deserve this, Miss Liuyun, for being the Flower Queen, always so aloof and arrogant.”

Shen Zuijin shot a fierce glare at Liuyun and quickly stepped forward to pacify the furious Young Master Ye. Meanwhile, the iron-tower-like security chief Wang Meng leaped onto the stage and reached out to grab the frightened, fearful, and aggrieved Liuyun. She could only clutch her throat, unable to make a single sound.

Liu Liwa was also startled by Wang Meng’s actions. Judging by his posture, he seemed intent on killing Liuyun. This was too harsh! Even if she was the top earner who had made them a lot of money, it was outrageous. Even a general who made a mistake on the battlefield wouldn’t be executed for a single defeat.

Was this how all pleasure houses were—so dark and ruthless with human lives? Or was it only Intoxication Pavilion that was like this? If so, Intoxication Pavilion was truly terrifying.

On one side, Young Master Ye was in a rage, smashing anything he could get his hands on. He was convinced Liuyun’s awful voice was a deliberate attempt to humiliate him. On the other side, Wang Meng, fierce and intimidating, stood on the stage as if he were about to execute Liuyun on the spot to make an example of her. The once joyous and lively Intoxication Pavilion had instantly turned upside down.

Shen Zuijin kept trying to calm Young Master Ye: “Young Master, please calm your anger. I will make Liuyun apologize to you.”

As she spoke, she shot a glance at Wang Meng. The burly man directly reached out to grab Liuyun’s hair bun. Miss Liuyun was terrified, one hand clutching her throat, the other frantically waving, trying to show that it wasn’t intentional and that she really couldn’t make a sound.

Liu Liwa watched as Wang Meng’s large hand seized Liuyun’s hair. The beautiful, fairy-like woman looked utterly pitiful and helpless. Liu Liwa was furious. This was treating people like dirt! When she made money for them, she was a treasure; after one mistake, she became worthless weed. Liu Liwa was no chivalrous hero, but he couldn’t suppress his empathy and his discomfort with how quickly people’s attitudes changed. In a surge of anger and reckless courage, he couldn’t help but shout, “Stop!”

His shout seemed to span five octaves, surpassing dolphin calls, like the cry of a whale in difficult labor. It shook dust from the roof beams and made others’ eardrums ache. The noisy scene instantly fell silent. Countless eyes focused on him—a nobody in a gray long gown, a lowly Brothel Steward.

His “Stop!” was clearly directed at Wang Meng. And coming from a criminal who had just been demoted to slavery in the pleasure house, it made the security manager lose face. Wang Meng’s bronze-bell-like eyes widened. He released Liuyun and charged toward Liu Liwa.

Liu Liwa’s mind raced. He turned away, ignoring Wang Meng, and instead walked toward Young Master Ye. At that moment, Young Master Ye was holding a wine pot, about to smash it violently to vent his anger. Liu Liwa grabbed Young Master Ye’s hand. Everyone held their breath, unsure of what he was about to do. Even Shen Zuijin was stunned. Then they heard Liu Liwa say, “Young Master Ye, stop! You mustn’t smash that wine pot. What if you cut your hand? What would we do then?”

Ugh… Everyone felt like vomiting blood. At a time like this, this guy was still scrambling to flatter. Shen Zuijin’s face turned pale. Wang Meng had already rushed forward. Liu Liwa seemed completely unperturbed. Still holding Young Master Ye’s hand, he said, “Young Master Ye, please calm down. This humble servant has only one question. Please answer it, and then you may do as you wish.”

Huh? Young Master Ye was taken aback, curious about what this young attendant could possibly ask him at such a moment. But remembering how he had praised him as ‘handsome and dashing,’ he decided to give him a chance. Young Master Ye shook off his hand and said, “What is your question?”

Liu Liwa clasped his hands and said, “I dare to ask Young Master Ye, what is the real purpose of coming to a pleasure house?”