LABMY CH63

The naive and innocent Tang Tang, though confused, still agreed to prove himself to Jian Yuanbai.

But clearly, this was neither the right time nor the right place for such proof.

Because that ghostly scream had already drawn the attention of the hunchbacked man, who was urging everyone to come out.

“What was that scream just now? Did something happen to one of the guests?”

Qing Shiyi stepped out, slightly flustered, and replied,
“This guest suddenly fainted, so I was startled and screamed.”

As she spoke, she propped the door open, revealing Wang Songwen, who had collapsed inside.

“Old Wang?”

Qiu Leshan hurried over and helped Wang Songwen lean against the wall, asking sternly,
“How did he faint?”

Qing Shiyi clutched her chest, looking terrified, “I… I have no idea why this guest suddenly passed out.”

“I’ll take him to the hospital right away. If anything happens to my friend, we’ll hold you accountable.”

Just as Qiu Leshan finished speaking, Wang Songwen slowly woke up,
“I’m fine.”

Wang Songwen felt a little embarrassed. He didn’t suspect anything unusual about his fainting and simply blamed it on the excitement of being so close to a woman for the first time.

But how could he admit that out loud? He could only say,
“I just have low blood sugar.”

Since Wang Songwen said so, Qiu Leshan couldn’t say much else. Though he felt a little suspicious—after all, he’d known Wang Songwen for so long and had never heard of him having low blood sugar.

The hunchbacked man glanced at Qing Shiyi but didn’t press further.
“Since there’s nothing serious, please head downstairs to the main hall for tonight’s ‘Courtesan Selection.'”

Jian Yuanbai glanced at Wang Songwen, who was still dazed and clearly captivated by Qing Shiyi. He had a feeling this lustful fool would definitely choose her later.

There were three other unfamiliar faces who also joined the “Courtesan Selection” tonight.

Jian Yuanbai, being a ghost, could easily tell that these three were alive.

The reason he was willing to play along with this game was that, apart from the people here for fun and those participating in the Celestial Master’s assessment, the remaining nine courtesans were all humans as well.

If he acted rashly, innocent people could get hurt.

And most importantly, the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes hadn’t shown up yet.

On the stage, a beam of light shone down, and Tang Tang appeared in a light blue gauze dress.

Surrounded by mist, the stage created the illusion of a shimmering blue water surface.

Tang Tang was barefoot, his toes lightly tapping on the “water,” creating delicate ripples. His flowing dress and graceful figure made him look like a beautiful peacock fish, swimming and dancing in the water.

One by one, the other courtesans also stepped onto the stage, each wearing dresses of different colors.

However, none of them could outshine Tang Tang in his light blue dress, dancing on the watery stage.

The moment he appeared, he became the center of everyone’s attention.

After the dance, the courtesans introduced themselves one by one.

“I choose Tang Tang!”

A fat, greasy man slammed the table, causing the wine cups to shake and spill a few drops of liquor.

“I want Tang Tang! Don’t any of you dare compete with me!”

As he spoke, the man staggered toward Tang Tang, reaching out to touch his face.

However, his hand caught nothing but air.

Tang Tang quickly dodged, fear flashing in his eyes as he took a step back.

The greasy middle-aged man grinned, “Oh, this shy little thing… I love it.”

He reached out to grab Tang Tang again, but this time, his wrist was firmly seized by a strong hand.

A sharp pain shot through his wrist, as if his bones were about to be crushed.

Jian Yuanbai said coldly, “Sorry, Tang Tang is mine.”

The middle-aged man cursed, “Who the hell are you? Hiding behind a mask and acting all mysterious.”

“Aren’t we bidding? I’ll offer two tokens.”

Jian Yuanbai stood protectively in front of Tang Tang and said indifferently,
“Three.”

“Four!” the middle-aged man shouted.

Tang Tang, terrified, clutched Jian Yuanbai’s sleeve and hid behind him, peeking out timidly before quickly retreating again.

The middle-aged man, already drunk and affected by the spiked incense in the hall, became even more aggressive.

“I’ll bet all my tokens!”

He sneered arrogantly, “Let’s see what you can do now.”

The man threw all seven tokens toward the hunchbacked man and said,
“You handle it. My words are final.”

Jian Yuanbai narrowed his eyes.

When the man placed the seven tokens, there was no strange reaction from his body.

Could he have guessed wrong?

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

Just as Jian Yuanbai was about to speak, the hunchbacked man interrupted him with a grin, “Don’t worry, sir. Tang Tang will be in your room tonight.”

“Why don’t you head to your room first? I’ll send her to you right away.”

The middle-aged man glanced at Jian Yuanbai’s physique, and upon receiving confirmation, he did not argue further. With a cold snort, he turned and left.

The hunchbacked man then looked at Jian Yuanbai and said, “Guest, please come over here with Tang Tang. I have something to discuss with you.”

He led Jian Yuanbai and Tang Tang to a corner and whispered, “I know you fancy Tang Tang. Actually, there’s still room for maneuver in this situation.”

“That guest is already drunk. When the face is covered and the lights are off, how would he know whether it’s Tang Tang who goes in?”

The hunchbacked man continued, “But since I’m helping you out, you need to show some sincerity, right?”

As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together, making a gesture for money.

Jian Yuanbai asked, “How much do you want?”

Tang Tang, standing by the side, grew anxious and wanted to reach out to stop Jian Yuanbai. However, out of fear of the hunchbacked man, he hesitated. The hem of his blue gauze skirt was already wrinkled from being nervously clenched, resembling crumpled salted vegetables.

The hunchbacked man grinned, “Of course, all the chips you have left.”

Jian Yuanbai also smiled, “Alright, all the chips then.”

“Guest!” Tang Tang exclaimed in shock, biting his lip under the hunchbacked man’s sinister, murderous gaze.

The hunchbacked man merely glanced at Tang Tang before turning back to smile at Jian Yuanbai, “Guest, you may now take your beloved Tang Tang to the room.”

Jian Yuanbai threw the remaining chips to the hunchbacked man, wrapped his arm around Tang Tang’s waist, and headed towards the room.

As they left, the remaining guests also made their choices. As expected, Wang Songwen chose Qing Shiyi, Qiu Leshan selected Xin’er as promised, while two unfamiliar faces picked Yin Lengchun and Liu Zhuqing, respectively.

In the room, Tang Tang asked softly, “How could you give away all the chips?”

“I told you before, using up all the chips would be extremely dangerous.”

His tone sounded like a harsh scolding, but his eyes betrayed his reddened rims.

Tang Tang continued, “You didn’t have to fight him for me. He’s going to die anyway.”

“But now,” Tang Tang’s voice trembled, “you’re going to die too.”

“Let’s run away.”

After suggesting escape, Tang Tang immediately denied it, “We can’t escape. It’s impossible.”

Before Jian Yuanbai could respond, Tang Tang suddenly lifted his head and said, “Let’s do it!”

Jian Yuanbai was stunned, only to be pushed onto the bed by Tang Tang.

Tang Tang straddled his waist and leaned down, kissing Jian Yuanbai’s Adam’s apple and neck with reckless abandon, tears streaming down his face.

“I actually liked you from the moment I saw you. I don’t know why.”

“If you’re going to die, I’ll die with you.”

“I can’t survive anyway. I’ve been pretending to be a woman for so many years. What if I encounter some disgusting client? I don’t want to harm others either.”

“I’m not very good at this. I only learned from other courtesans. They used to say I wasn’t of age and didn’t understand anything.”

“Wait.” For the first time, Jian Yuanbai felt flustered as he struggled to protect his clothes. “Explain clearly, what exactly is going on?”

While he managed to guard the upper half, the lower half was already under siege.

“So big,” Tang Tang mumbled to himself before opening his mouth.

“Hiss—” Jian Yuanbai gasped as his body arched uncontrollably.

His expression was filled with both desire and confusion. Looking down at Tang Tang, who was burying his head, Jian Yuanbai’s voice was low, hoarse, and seductive, “I wonder if you’ll still acknowledge me when you regain your memories.”

This feeling was too complicated, truly too complicated. It was like indulging in a luxurious feast while fearing it might be a last supper.

Unexpectedly, within five minutes, Tang Tang lifted his head. His lips were slightly chapped and swollen, and his eyes were brimming with tears.

“Even doing this hurts so much. Would suicide be even more painful?” Tang Tang asked.

Jian Yuanbai was utterly confused, “Why would you want to kill yourself?”

Looking at Tang Tang, who had already gotten up, Jian Yuanbai asked in disbelief, “You’re not just going to leave me like this, are you?”

Jian Yuanbai’s body was flushed with blood and filled with excitement, yet there was no one to help him release his pent-up energy.

Tang Tang looked at him in surprise, “We’re done.”

Staring at the innocent Tang Tang, Jian Yuanbai’s expression immediately darkened.

Just moments ago, he thought an amnesiac, innocent lover was easy to deceive. But now, karma had struck.

His face turned grim. What feast?

This was like being served a plate of salad as an appetizer, only to have the chef come out and say, “Sorry, there’s no main course.”

However, he knew this wasn’t the right moment to lose his temper. He said to Tang Tang, “Wait here for me.”

Then, with a heavy aura, he entered the bathroom and let cold water pour over him. While standing under the shower with his eyes closed, he sent a part of his spirit to check on the middle-aged man’s room.

The room was pitch dark, with heavy breathing and a woman’s soft moans mixing in the air.

Yet, Jian Yuanbai clearly saw that the woman beneath the middle-aged man was not some alluring beauty, but a pale, swollen female ghost with sunken eyes and a corpse-like face.

This place… actually allowed humans to mate with ghosts.

Jian Yuanbai intended to repeat his trick and knock the man unconscious, but it was useless.

The Yin energy he struck out passed straight through the man’s body.

Jian Yuanbai’s heart sank. His eyes flashed with a red light as he carefully observed the man.

Something was off.

The man was still alive, but…

It was as if his body was no longer under his control. His body was filled with strange, sticky, wandering energy that manipulated him to keep moving.