Chapter 970: Most Distinguished Guest
When he saw the lively and fresh beauties before him, the dissatisfaction Pei You had felt during this journey instantly vanished. He instead showered Gao Ying in praise. “Brother Gao is reliable after all! Following you was the correct choice.”
Gao Ying couldn't help but say, “You were staring daggers at me the entire time here. Now, you know what I was doing, right?”
Pei You chuckled in embarrassment. “This little brother is still young and naive. I’ve learned a lot today.”
Zu An didn’t have much of an interest in the maids. The girls from his previous world wore even less to swimming pools. This was only enough to get those without any experience going. He immediately felt a sense of superiority when he thought of that.
Since Gao Ying had been there before, and they didn’t want others to hear what they were saying either, they didn’t have any maids accompany them.
The maids couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Even though they all wore masks, they could tell that these young masters were exceptional. Furthermore, the three men were all tall and strong-looking, making them much more appealing than most of the guests they usually received.
They had all been full of excitement, wondering which one of them would be chosen. Not only would they make quite a bit of service charge, serving such a guest was a kind of pleasure in itself. However, all of them had experienced strict training and didn’t reveal any of their emotions on the surface. They left after a slight bow.
…
The group soon arrived at a place filled with dazzling gold and jade. Everything was brightly lit, the previous dim atmosphere nowhere to be seen. The various shining lights made Zu An feel as if he had arrived at one of those Macau casinos he had seen on tv. As expected, the rich do the same simple things for fun!
The people on this floor were flushed red with excitement, their eyes all somewhat bloodshot. Zu An could tell it was a casino even without Gao Ying’s introduction.
Zu An noticed that the chips used on the table were all quite sizable in amount. The lowest value chip was worth a thousand taels of silver. No wonder Gao Ying had said that the ones who played here were all the wealthiest folk. How could ordinary people withstand this level of squandering?
Many people present had maids in their arms. The maids played with their guests with charming smiles on their faces. Pei You’s eyes widened when he saw that, and he exclaimed, “Rotten, degenerate, simply offending public morals!”
Gao Ying immediately exposed him and remarked, “You’re saying you wish you were them, right?”
Pei You chuckled in embarrassment. “Why would I like something so vulgar? I need someone of courtesan queen level at the very least, right?”
Gao Ying replied, “There’s an Immortal Flower Park upstairs, and every single courtyard there has a girl at the courtesan queen level. Furthermore, there are even young ladies from the fiend races and the southern border. Of course, it’ll depend on whether or not you have the skills to make those girls serve you.”
Pei You raised his head and stuck out his chest, boasting, “What a joke! Girls immediately go completely weak when they see me.” After saying that, he asked Zu An, “Brother Zu, where are you planning to go?”
He was always the center of attention because of his family background and looks. Unfortunately, if there was a freaking superstar like Zu An right next to him, he really couldn’t have as much confidence that those girls would choose him.
Zu An shook his head with a smile. He wasn’t all that interested in the pleasure quarters.
“Why doesn’t brother Zu have some fun on the first floor? You can gamble for anything here, and in all kinds of different ways,” Gao Ying said with a smile. “I heard that brother Zu won a few million in Brightmoon City with just ten taels of silver; you’re simply the reincarnation of the gambling deity! How about you show them some of your skills here too? The house is made up of good-for-nothings anyway and deserves some losses.”
“You won a few million taels with just ten taels of silver?” Pei You’s eyes widened. “Brother Gao, you’re joking, right?”
“You can go back and ask Sir Sang if you don’t believe me. He was the governor of that area back then,” Gao Ying said.
Pei You looked at Zu An for confirmation. Zu An said with an apologetic expression, “It’s all exaggerated. I actually started with more than ten taels of silver.”
Pei You was speechless. What the hell are you trying to say? Doesn’t that mean you really did win two million taels of silver? F*ck, I really don’t feel special anymore standing around this guy.
He had always been the best among his peers growing up. Yet only after he met Zu An did he realize just how large the world was. If the other party was only a bit better than him, he might feel the motivation to catch up. But the gap between them was so big that it was enough to leave him in despair. He felt nothing but admiration at this point.
“Brother Zu, why don’t you give it a try? Let us see your incredible style for ourselves.” Pei You’s eyes were shining. Even his desire for northern girls was momentarily forgotten.
Zu An shook his head, saying, “Forget it, I don’t have much interest in these things. I have some other things to take care of today too.” He headed straight upstairs afterward. He didn’t have a Luck Pill anymore, so wouldn’t he just be embarrassing himself if he went now?
However, his words were instead enough to convince his two companions. He doesn’t even think money laying around is worth picking up? Just when will I be able to reach this level?
Even though the two of them were from outstanding clans, even a clan like the Chu clan had almost suffered a crisis because of money, so who would refuse extra money? Even the smallest gambling chip here was worth a thousand taels, so if one really won, they would win at at least ten million!
“Brother Zu truly is deep and immeasurable.” Gao Ying sighed in amazement.
When can I become like him… Pei You thought to himself that this level of boasting was something he couldn't learn even if he wanted to.
The two quickly followed Zu An up to the second floor. Compared to the first floor, the second floor’s lighting was much dimmer. But it was precisely that which created a more charming and gentle atmosphere. The sweet scent in the air and the gorgeously dressed young ladies in front of the different courtyards were difficult for any man to refuse.
Pei You said with a sigh, “Even the girls by the entrance are so pretty; doesn’t that mean that the girls inside are on a whole different level?”
Unlike the maids below, these girls didn’t cover their faces with masks. They were pretty, and all of them were beauties whom countless men would yearn for day and night in the outside world.
When he saw that Pei You’s eyes were almost glowing, Zu An said with a smile, “I’ll go upstairs on my own. Brother Gao and brother Pei should have some fun here. After all, we shouldn’t waste our time.”
Gao Ying wanted to go up with him, but after thinking for a bit, he realized the attendants were present and the other party’s cultivation was high. There wasn’t a high chance of anything bad happening. As such, he cupped his hands and said, “Then we’ll meet again tomorrow morning!”
Pei You obviously went to find a northern girl that suited his fancy, while Gao Ying decided to go back down to the first floor to play a bit.
Zu An continued upward. He was amazed by what he saw. The small mound they had entered shouldn’t be this large! Could it be that the mountain in the back had been hollowed out? He really wondered who had built something like this. It was definitely no small project.
Unlike the three floors below, the third floor had many men standing guard, examining every guest who came and went. Their auras seemed to be around the fifth or sixth rank, but that was already quite something. After all, the normal imperial guards at the capital were only at the fifth rank!
Zu An was quickly stopped by someone. That person wore a mask, but Zu An could tell he was a middle-aged man. His cultivation was a level higher than the other guards too. The man asked, “I am one of the managers of the third floor. Does our guest wish to play on the third floor?”
“Indeed.” Zu An spoke confidently and calmly.
“Due to the special nature of the third floor, we need some advance payment as a deposit. I hope that sir does not take offense to that.” The manager showed Zu An a professional smile.
“How much?” Zu An asked.
“A hundred thousand silvers. We take silver notes, and we also take precious items as assets for collateral. We have people specialized in appraisal here,” the manager said in a considerate manner. After all, there weren’t many people who brought that much cash with them.
“A hundred thousand?” Zu An thought to himself, No wonder this place is known as a money squandering place. They really don’t treat money like money!
He thought about using silver notes, but when he thought about how he still had to use those notes to buy materials, he changed his mind. He took out a sapphire gemstone the size of a pigeon egg and asked, “Is this enough?” It was one of the items he had found in the red dragon’s treasury back in Brightmoon City.
The manager’s eyes widened when he saw the gemstone in Zu An’s hands. His smile also became more sincere as he replied, “Of course it is. This is a chrysanthemum sapphire only found in the southern islands, and at its size, it can sell for over a hundred thousand silvers at the very least. If you are lucky, you can even sell it for more than two hundred thousand. I wonder if this esteemed guest is willing to have this item auctioned in our humble auction. We have quite a few guests today, so we promise that we can sell it at a price that will satisfy your respected self.”
Zu An was stunned. And asked, “We can even give you things to sell?” The red dragon loved to collect all kinds of shiny things. He didn’t expect it to have run all the way south for the sapphire.
The manager replied, “But of course. The third floor is a secure location for various distinguished guests to conduct business deals. Many guests have precious items they wish to sell, but selling the items in private exchanges would bring many misgivings, and they might not even find something they are really interested in. That is why our Hub of Freedom provides this service. Of course, we will take a small service charge. With so many guests gathered from all kinds of different places, there is a high chance that everyone will find something they are looking for.”
“Sure, help me auction this thing off then.” Zu An didn’t think this kind of gemstone would be too useful to him. It was something some upper-class women were fond of. He might as well sell it and buy some things he needed for cultivation.
The manager handed him a jade tile with a big smile; it was marked with the number ‘333’. He said, “Esteemed guest, please keep this with you. This jade token is provided to the Hub of Freedom’s most distinguished guests. If you see anything in the auction that you are fond of, you can raise this jade token to bid. Furthermore, with this jade token, any other expenses in the Hub of Freedom today will be free of charge. If you visit any other Hub of Freedom locations, you will also enjoy the highest level of treatment.”
An ear-piercing voice spoke up from behind them just then. “I say, isn’t your Hub of Freedom giving out these jade tokens willy-nilly now? I almost thought these jade tiles were pretty rare, but they now seem like something you can pick up off the streets.”