113: AT YUEXING PAVILION

AT YUEXING PAVILION

LUO YAN followed behind the girl wearing yellow robe.  Her name was not written on top of her head, just like a normal NPC should have.  He started to wonder if she was an NPC or another player.1

But the problem was, aside from his team mates and that Alucard, he's not familiar with the faces of other players who also attended the King's party.  Then if we took into consideration the fact that their features might be slightly altered just like him to fill the roles they were given, then it would be even harder for him to recognize them.   

He shook his head.  He shouldn't worry about that right now.  The more pressing matter right now was how he could survive this performance without other NPCs finding out that he's not the real 'Shishi'.  

From the things this girl had been blabbering since earlier, tonight there was a banquet celebration at Prince Lin Rong's manor.  He was the only living brother of the current Emperor.  Today was his 60th birthday.  So tonight's celebration was a bit special.  In more ways than one.

Yuexing Pavilion was invited to perform at the birthday banquet.  All the important people in the town of Tenghou would be attending.  Not only that, some important people from the capital might also come.  So the courtesans from Yuexing Pavilion couldn't afford to make any mistakes in tonight's performance.

As the star, Shishi would definitely be the main focus of the performance.  Which meant that the success of it hinged on her.  Or in this case, on Luo Yan.  

But first, he needed to properly walk in this clothes first.  The robe was too long.  He felt that he would trip on its helm at any second.  That would certainly be one embarrassing sight.  So he tried to walk as carefully as he could, making his pace much slower.

The girl wearing yellow robes looked back at him and frowned in dissatisfaction.  "Shishi, what happened to you?  You're walking like a turtle."

Luo Yan stopped a bit.  Then he raised his chin and straightened his back.  "Stop talking nonsense and just walk."

The girl pouted.  "Fine.  You don't have to be so cold."

They continued walking and Luo Yan let out a relieved breath.  This time, he no longer worried if he would trip or not and just simply walked in a normal pace.  If he felt that the helm of his robe would get in the way, he tactically lifted it up.  Making sure that his small movement wouldn't be noticed.

On their way, they met a number of young girls.  All looked at Luo Yan with admiration in their eyes.  It's like those little girls seeing their favorite idol.  No, that was not the most important.  He also couldn't see any names on top of those little girls.  Which could only mean one thing.  In this door, there's no way to tell if someone was an NPC or a player.

There were five doors and 21 players.  If those players were evenly distributed, then there would be at least four players in each door.  So, there's a chance that aside from him, there would be three other players in this blue door.  It would be advantageous for him if he could recognize those players.  After all, if one them was particularly black hearted, they could pose as an NPC and possibly interfere with any kind of investigation he planned to do. 

Luo Yan ignored the little girls and continued his to follow the girl in the yellow robe.

She turned left and they walked to a straight corridor that connected the building they were just in to another building.  Luo Yan suspected that the building they just walked from was where the rooms of the courtesans and those training to be one were in.  While the connecting building was where the courtesans entertained the guests that came to the pavilion.

As if to prove his conjecture, when they reached the said building, he saw a stage on the first floor where two girls were performing.  One was playing the guqin while the other was singing.  There were guests sitting on tables around the stage and watching the performance.  The floor they were in was most likely the fifth or sixth floor.  Luo Yan glanced around and saw girls, both in simple and elegant clothing, went in and out of different rooms.  Those were probably the private rooms for the pavilion's guests.

"We should hurry.  Madam Ru and the other girls are already waiting outside," the girl in the yellow robe said.

As they walked, a drunk man suddenly came out of one of the rooms near them.  When he saw Luo Yan, his eyes immediately brightened.  

"Ah, isn't this Shishi?" He walked towards Luo Yan and held his arm.  "Come and entertain me and my friends."

The girl in the yellow robe immediately interfere.  "Dear guest, my apologies but Shishi is not allowed to entertain anyone tonight."

The man glared at the girl.  "Shut up!  Do you know who I am?  If I told her to entertain me, then she should be more than glad to do it!"

"Let go," Luo Yan said coldly.

The man stopped speaking and turned to Luo Yan.  "You…"

Luo Yan glanced at the man and copied Su Yuqi's 'the look'.  Looking at him as if he's the lowest scum on earth.  "You want me to entertain you?  Hah!  Don't make me laugh.  You're not even worthy of the toes on my feet.  So don' touch me with that dirty hand of yours."

The man unconsciously let go of him.  

Luo Yan bypassed him and turned to the girl.  "Let's go."

"Yes!" the girl said and walked to his side.  "Only you could give a beat down like that."

Of course.  If Luo Yan had to act, then he'd do his damn best not to go out of character.

When they reached outside, they saw a tall woman wearing a simple yet elegant white robe standing beside a row of carriages.  She looked to be in her 40s.  But because of good maintenance, she looked about ten years younger.  There's no doubt that this woman used to be a courtesan herself.

"You're late," the woman said in disapproval.

"My apologies," Luo Yan only said.

"Get inside the carriage.  We're leaving."

After saying that, the woman climbed up in the leading carriage.  

Luo Yan followed behind her.  Still wondering what he should do with that blasted performance.

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