Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 32

The invitation clearly stated the detailed address. Pleasure Pavilion was located behind a tavern in Taoyuan Town, connected to the establishment.

Ji Weining retrieved two black cloaks with subtle patterns from her Qiankun bag. She draped one over her arm and threw the other over Su Jin’an, fastening it securely before putting on her own.

“Are we going in stealthily?”

“Yes, we just need to reach the room mentioned in the invitation.” Ji Weining extended her hand, and Su Jin’an took it.

Ji Weining deliberately slowed down the spellcasting process, allowing her to observe the steps of the invisibility technique.

“So that’s how it works.” Su Jin’an understood the intention behind the slowed demonstration and watched carefully.

Ji Weining took her time, meticulously drawing each formation. Among them were several that Su Jin’an recognized, layered together to form the invisibility spell.

“I’ll teach you more later.” Su Jin’an’s spiritual power was still insufficient, and her foundation wasn’t fully solidified. Using spells carelessly could easily lead to mistakes, which would be too dangerous.

Ji Weining summoned a bamboo flute from her sleeve. With a tug, she pulled Su Jin’an into her embrace. A formation beneath their feet swiftly controlled the flute, carrying them out of the room and quickly arriving at the tavern.

A plaque above read: “Hundred Joys.”

After dismounting the flute, they passed through the tavern and followed the directions on the invitation to find the designated room. The surrounding noise was chaotic. Pushing open the prearranged door, they found the room still empty.

From their seats at the table, they could see a bed, sheer curtains, a bronze mirror, and a qin.

“Senior Sister, are you sure this is the place?” Su Jin’an didn’t understand these items, nor could she see what was so unusual about the tavern. She hadn’t even realized that such a place existed behind it, and even now, she couldn’t quite grasp it.

“Don’t you get it? These things aren’t openly acceptable in the mortal realm.” Over the years, Ji Weining had heard plenty about such matters but rarely intervened. In places like this, any kind of transaction was possible. “There’s probably another layer inside. This might just be the reception area.”

“Has Senior Sister heard of this place before?”

Ji Weining nodded.

“I’ve heard of it before frequent deaths occur here.” Every time a murder case was mentioned, the name Pleasure Pavilion came up, something ordinary people avoided at all costs.

“Has Senior Sister ever investigated?” Su Jin’an ran her hand over the wooden furnishings and examined the decorations around them.

Ji Weining hesitated. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Given the name, wasn’t it clearly a brothel? The patterns on the invitation suggested it, and now, the surroundings confirmed it was exactly that kind of place.

“I feel this place isn’t solely for that purpose.”

“How so?”

“The wood used here is cheap, not luxurious material, though the craftsmanship is quite good.” The patterns and paint made the wood appear far more extravagant than it was.

Su Jin’an was about to continue when she heard noises from next door ragged breathing and, upon closer listening, the sound of dripping water.

Ahem. Ji Weining poured a cup of water and was about to taste it when she noticed something off as she brought it closer.

“Junior Sister, there’s something wrong with this water.”

Ji Weining handed the cup to Su Jin’an.

With one sniff, Su Jin’an identified the issue Aphrodisiac Powder.

The noises from next door grew increasingly peculiar, now mingled with a woman’s sobbing. Another woman’s voice drifted through, carrying a coaxing tone, “Giving up already?”

The bed creaked and thumped against the shared wall.

“Xiao Shi, you can do it.” A third woman’s voice emerged, raspy and strained.

The two of them sat facing each other across the table. Su Jin’an even began to reconsider her earlier judgment perhaps this place was so barren that it had to be this shabby.

“They seem to be having quite the fun.” Su Jin’an averted her gaze, unsure how to look at her companion, unable to decipher what she was thinking.

Ji Weining tentatively asked, “Hmm? Junior Sister, do you want to play like that too?”

“I, I can split into two bodies.” As she spoke, Ji Weining channeled her spiritual energy, and an identical copy of herself emerged from her seated form. The duplicate crouched before Su Jin’an, gently touching her face, then added thoughtfully, “Perhaps we could even try with a few more.”

Splitting one’s body consumed immense energy and spiritual power, pushing the limits of both forms. Only those with profound spiritual strength could achieve such a feat.

“I think, we don’t need that many.” Su Jin’an covered her face with her hands, then added, “If Senior Sister wants to, she can challenge herself occasionally on her own.”

“Only by myself?” Ji Weining’s expression fell.

“Wait for me.”

“Wait until I’m feeling better.” She knew why her senior sister was holding back and was acutely aware of her own physical condition.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you, Junior Sister.”

Both the original and the duplicated body simultaneously bit their lower lips, pressing them with their tongues, then nibbled on Su Jin’an’s earlobes, deepening the marks from the morning. The pressure from their jaws made her feel a pain just shy of what a mortal could endure.

A knock came at the door, someone had arrived.

Reluctantly, Ji Weining released Su Jin’an, the two versions of herself standing on either side of her.

“My mistress requests your presence.” A woman’s clear voice carried through the door, its trailing notes laced with laughter, like the melodious call of a nightingale.

“Come in.”

Su Jin’an could no longer tell which Ji Weining had spoken.

The door swung open, and a woman in red robes entered, lightly patting a round fan. Her demeanor was alluring, and upon seeing the two Ji Weining and Su Jin’an with flushed earlobes, she looked startled before bowing respectfully. “This humble servant, Tan Yan, pays her respects to the three immortal masters.”

“Please lead the way.” Both Ji Weining nodded in acknowledgment, then took Su Jin’an’s hands and helped her up from the chair.

Following Tan Yan, their ears were filled with a cacophony of strange sounds along the way, the crack of whips, agonized screams, the dull clinking of bells.

In the room next to theirs, after they had left, the two women’s voices calmly resumed, “Xiao Shi, now can you tell us what you know?”

Tan Yan continued to stroll leisurely, softly remarking, “Our place is rather humble. If you three would like to give it a try, I can take you upstairs later.”

“No need. Let’s first hear what you want from us.” Ji Weining dared not stay long in this bizarre and rather improper place.

Tan Yan lowered her round fan, her eyes curving into smiles. “It’s just ahead.”

The two Ji Weining flanked Su Jin’an, gripping her tightly, afraid to let her stray even half a step away. This place was truly unnerving.

Tan Yan led them to the door and knocked. From inside came another woman’s voice light and cheerful, suggesting a lively personality. “Immortal Ji, Ah Huan would like you to come in alone.”

Ah Huan?

Both Ji Weining and Su Jin’an turned their gaze to Tan Yan.

Tan Yan chuckled and explained, “My master is named Xu Huan, the proprietor of the Hall of Union and Joy.”

“Ah Yan, stop joking around,” Xu Huan interjected from inside, eager to clarify and avoid any misunderstanding. “She is not my servant; she is one of the ladies of my establishment.”

“Can’t take a joke at all, how dull,” Tan Yan raised an eyebrow and fell silent, standing to the side.

She wants her to go in? Ji Weining looked at Su Jin’an.

“If we go in, we go in together. Just state your purpose clearly, and that will be enough.”

Xu Huan laid out her offer: “I possess a method that can greatly enhance your junior sister’s spiritual power without any harm.”

“You don’t even have spiritual power yourself. How can you make such a bold claim?” Ji Weining could clearly sense that everyone in the entire building lacked spiritual energy.

“Immortal, why not probe a little deeper?”

Ji Weining quickly activated the array in her hand and indeed detected a surge of spiritual energy enough to elevate Su Jin’an to the peak of the Golden Core stage.

“Spirit Pearls,” Ji Weining realized.

Xu Huan pressed again, “Do you want it or not?”

Su Jin’an tugged at her hand, pulling her back, signaling her not to act impulsively. She whispered, “Even without this spiritual power, I might still achieve a good ranking.”

This didn’t seem like a fair trade. The other party hadn’t even specified what they wanted, and the unknown was the most troubling part.

“What if I also have something that Immortal Jin’an desires?”

A woman in red entered the room, leaned close to Su Jin’an’s ear, and whispered, “Immortal Su?”

How did she know? Su Jin’an had never told anyone.

“I have a piece of information you wish to know, and it can assist you.” Su Jin’an hesitated. Privately, she wanted that answer, but she didn’t want Ji Weining to make the sacrifice for her.

Xu Huan asked once more, “May Immortal Ji come in now?”

Ji Weining noticed her hesitation, patted the back of her hand reassuringly, and agreed, “Fine.”

If this answer was important to her junior sister, then she was willing to try.

Ji Weining left a clone to stay with Su Jin’an, holding her hand. Su Jin’an remained silent, her emotions unreadable, unsure how to react.

She owed her more and more, and she truly didn’t know how to repay her.

“Let’s step outside,” Tan Yan led the two to another room to wait.

Ji Weining pushed the door open and entered, immediately greeted by the strong scent of sandalwood, an unexpected fragrance for such a place. The person seated inside wore a thin veil over her face.

Ji Weining frowned slightly and with a flick of her spell, knocked the veil away. So suspicious.

“Immortal, there’s no need to be so impulsive. I merely wished to discuss a piece of information with you.” With the veil gone, Xu Huan was revealed wearing a tight black assassin’s outfit, her features sharp and heroic, her hair tied high resembling a female general. She smiled playfully, her eyes curving.

“This is the cause of the country gentleman’s death. I killed him.” Xu Huan opened a folder on the desk, glanced at it, closed it, and tossed it down. Ji Weining caught it instantly with her magic.

Ji Weining was somewhat baffled. “Huh?”

She then opened the dossier, which detailed the poison the village gentry had been afflicted with, how he was poisoned, and the time of his death. It also described how the gentry’s son had been poisoned and ultimately met his end.

Even the constables had failed to uncover these details, yet here they were, laid out clearly.

“He committed far too many wicked deeds,” she remarked, tossing another dossier over for her to read.

As Ji Weining opened it, she saw the names of ordinary people who had once suffered under the gentry’s torment. Frowning slightly, she muttered under her breath, “He truly deserved to die.”

“I have already taken care of those harmed by him. What I seek now is your assistance in setting up a formation, after which I ask that you leave Taoyuan Town,” Xu Huan stated calmly. Then, as if reconsidering, she added with a light, almost joking tone, “Oh, no! I should say I beg you, honored immortal, not to return.”

Beg? Ji Weining sensed something amiss in her words. Why would she use the word “beg”? And what necessity was there that demanded she leave without question?

What exactly were they planning to do?

Support Even If You’re My Senior, It’s Still Forbidden