614: The Brothel

The Brothel

"Is that really you?" the woman asked her. 

MIng Yue nodded before the doors creaked open and several yawning women came out. 

"Hm, what's going on? What's with all the fuss?" one of them asked. 

The woman turned around and pointed at Ming Yue while telling everyone else. 

"Look, it's Ming Yue! The girl that Cui Fen brought back, our temporary bodyguard for a few months!" she said excitedly. 

"What? Really?!"

Everyone perked up at the news and the courtyard was flooded with women, all of whom surrounded Ming Yue's group. 

"Oh, look at you! All grown up! How have you been?! How is everything?!"

"Who are all of these new friends of yours? And this girl, where did you find such a cute little child?"

All of them had nothing but warm smiles for her and that filled her with a homely feeling. Despite all these years, they still remembered her and treated her like one of their own. Soon after the greetings, the women parted as a much older woman walked through, looking at Ming Yue and her group. 

It was none other than the manager of the brothel. 

She sighed before resting a hand on the young woman's shoulder. 

"Hah, I heard from the news that you had died but it seems that either they were wrong or someone else shared your name but that doesn't matter. It's good to see you", she said. 

Ming Yue nodded and lowered her head. 

"I came to visit, I'm sorry if it was too sudden. Luan City has changed so much", she said. 

"Indeed, come inside, we'll get some snacks for you and the little one. And then, we can talk."

The manager then turned around, gazing at her workers. 

"As for the rest of you, as excited as you are now that Ming Yue has returned, all of you need sleep. There will be plenty of time for that at night."

There were collective groans and sighs from them all but they listened, going back into their rooms to rest. Hongyu merely watched them go before looking up at Ming Yue with a confused expression. 

The young woman just chuckled. 

"Don't worry, they're just tired, come on."

The manager gave a warm look before leading them into one of the back buildings of the brothel. 

"Sit."

It was a spacious room with a large table, fit for a private banquet. Ming Yue's group sat together, taking a corner while the old woman brewed a fresh pot of tea and brought out a few plates of cookies and other small snacks. She even brought a few plates for Xiao Yin and the other beasts. 

Setting everything down, she took a seat by Ming Yue and poured for the both of them. On the other side, Hongyu had a curious look on her face, studying the colorful snacks. 

"Go on, I brought them out for you." 

With the manager's words, her little hand moved to get a cookie bringing it up for a closer look before taking a small bite. 

The joy came in an instant when she tasted the mellow sweetness.

There was a smile on everyone's face as they watched. 

"What a sweet little girl. What happened?" The manager asked. 

Ming Yue looked at her, pausing before answering the question. 

"It's...complicated. I found her some time ago, she was alone so I picked her up."

"I see. You shouldn't have brought her here, it's too dangerous for a child now."

"The guard warned me about the same thing. Why? What happened? What changed since I've been gone?" the young woman asked. 

The manager sighed, revealing a dejected face. 

"Redmist Sanctuary, its power and influence have grown, especially with the lack of manpower from the guards and the surrounding sects. Almost every night there is a victim, a missing child, a dead body, a terrified person. You wouldn't believe the screams one could hear at night. We barely make any business though perhaps it's for the better", she said. 

Looking at the doors, she gazed in the direction of where the women were asleep. 

"We don't attract much attention so none of the girls have been hurt. Still, we're all afraid to make a sound at night. All kinds of evils come through here, the city just isn't as lively as it used to be."

"Do you know who they are?" Ming Yue asked. 

"To some degree but these evil cultivators come and go as they please. They could be here one day and somewhere else the next. But... some have decided to stay here and make this place theirs."

"Who?"

The manager hesitated to speak but she pressed her for answers.

"Fine, I don't know too much but I hear that there are three of them. People have begun to refer to them as the Three Fiends. One leads a gang that attacks and parades themselves in daylight, they delve into trafficking people and drug making. The second works alone, a killer who consumes the flesh of their victims. And the third one, possibly the worst, is a lecherous scum who preys on the young. They'll leave them alive and use them until death."

The old woman looked down at her cup of tea, taking a sip. 

"One by one, they came here a year ago, and up until now, no one has been able to deal with them", she said. 

"Why? How has nothing been done?" 

"They've tried, believe me, they've tried but we are just one in hundreds of other places riddled with such evil. How much manpower can be spared for us?" 

The room grew quiet when the manager said this. In her mind, there wasn't much hope of changing the situation around. Just as she said, Luan City wasn't the only instance of such atrocities, it was just one of many. 

But Ming Yue wasn't going to let it happen like this. 

"If that's the case, then they just need to be dealt with."

The old woman looked at her in shock and concern. 

"But you're so young and you have that child to take care of! It's too dangerous, much too dangerous", she replied. 

However, Ming Yue was undeterred. 

"Don't worry, it will be over soon enough." 

Her eyes were calm and collected, even giving the manager a sense of security. The old woman was taken aback but she relented, placing a hand on Ming Yue's shoulder. 

"Perhaps you really can help us, I just hope that you will all be safe", she told her. 

Ming Yue smiled before moving on to another topic. 

"Where is Aunt Cui? I'd like to pay her a visit", she asked. 

Pulling her hand away, the manager brightened up and answered. 

"Mm, Cui Fen and her husband opened up a little shop a few blocks away. It's a quaint little tea shop that they run together. As for Rou Er, she's been training at the Eternal Blade Sect up until recently, I hear that she returned for a bit. Despite the troubling times, they've been helping as much as they can." 

"Really, then I must go see them."0

"Hah, I'm sure that they'll be happy to see you." 

Ming Yue stood up, finishing her cup of tea and bringing Hongyu to the doors. Just as they were about to leave, the cultivator turned around and looked at the manager of the brothel. 

"If you ever need a guard again, just let me know."

She left these words before going and the old woman was alone now. She watched the group go before pouring herself another cup of tea. 

"If the rumors are true then... there is still hope for this city", she muttered. 

It took just a few minutes for Ming Yue to find the tea shop. It was small and had two tables with chairs outside. There was a signboard with the words "Moon's Tea" etched on it.

As their group approached the shop, a body suddenly flew out of the shop, followed by several other bodies. 

"Hmph, get out of my parent's shop or I'll beat you so hard, not even your mother will recognize you!" 

pqdm.com