Chapter 159: Samples in the Slave Pavilion
「The next day.」
In the early morning, the streets and alleys of Ganshan City were especially bustling.
Breakfast stalls had set their tables so far out they nearly reached the middle of the street.
Tang Wen and Wu Hao blended into the crowd and entered a breakfast shop.
A few minutes later, the square table before them was laden with meat congee, pork chops, noodles, and side dishes—a veritable feast.
No one found it strange.
Many of the customers were Martial Artists.
It was common for them to have massive appetites.
The shop was noisy and crowded. Tang Wen chewed his food, listening in on the conversations around him.
"Shopkeeper Zhang, are you heading to the Slave Factory too?"
"A new batch is out! I have to go."
"Boss Li, congratulations on your recent success! Business at your brothel has been booming. It’s enough to make a man jealous."
"Master Wang, no matter how well my business does, I’m still selling wine from your Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall, aren’t I? But why aren’t you at home brewing? Are you also going to see the new slaves?"
Giant Rock referred to the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall.
It was one of the five major factions in the Outer City.
"Ugh! Don’t even ask. Our Vice Commander recently developed a new wine. He says it’s from an ancient recipe, calls it ’Wuliangye’ or something. But the grains have to be stomped by foot!"
"What?" The listener suspected he had misheard.
His voice was a little loud, drawing the attention of the other patrons.
The brewer from Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall explained, "I’m on my way to the Slave Factory to buy a batch of ’clean’ slaves. They have to be virgins, between fourteen and sixteen years old. After I buy them, they’ll bathe daily and eat a vegetarian diet for the rest of their lives. Then I’ll have them stomp the grain."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Wen saw the expressions on the crowd’s faces soften.
The looks of confusion, doubt, and disgust they had upon first hearing "stomped by foot" were replaced by expressions of approval, as if to say, ’Not bad,’ ’That could work,’ or ’No problem.’
’Jade-like feet, after all! If you know, you know.’
"Master Wang, can I reserve a batch of this wine?" someone asked quickly.
"Ooooh~" Everyone turned to look at him.
They all wore looks that said, ’Well, well, you’ve shown your true colors.’
The man who had asked for the wine hurriedly tried to save face. "Drinking is a refined pastime, don’t get the wrong idea! A refined pastime, you understand?"
What followed was a lot of blustering nonsense.
Laughter erupted inside and outside the shop, filling the air with a jovial atmosphere.
「Half an hour later.」
Tang Wen and Wu Hao followed the crowd to the entrance of the Huang Family’s Slave Pavilion.
The two dismounted, and a stable hand came forward to take their horses.
At the entrance of the Slave Pavilion was a literal "cashier" box. To enter, one had to either pay an entrance fee in silver or show proof of status.
When they reached the door, Wu Hao presented his token, identifying him as a Commander of the Black Water Gang.
Tang Wen followed his example and showed his own token.
It was worth noting that while the Black Water Gang had the rank of Vice Commander, there was no specific token for it. The token he carried was also engraved with the title of Commander.
"Honored guests, this way, please."
A greeter at the door called out.
His appearance was plain, with nothing remarkable about him.
Except for his eyes, which would flash with a keen light from time to time.
He had only needed a single glance to determine the authenticity of Tang Wen and Wu Hao’s tokens.
Few would dare try to fool him with a fake.
Two maids in green robes stepped forward to guide them to the second floor.
The upper floor was designed with a square, continuous hallway, lined on both sides with small, individual rooms.
The layout was just like a hotel from Tang Wen’s past life.
In front of each room was a standing frame, holding a white paper with black writing.
Curious, Tang Wen glanced at one of them. When he read the words, he froze as if struck by lightning.
He stopped in his tracks, stunned.
[Lot 1: Ages 16–20, Virgins, Above-Average Looks, Skilled in Bedroom Skills. Quantity: 945]
The green-robed maid noticed Tang Wen’s daze. She took his arm and guided him to the side of the hallway to make way for others.
"Honored guest, this is only the first room."
Tang Wen still hadn’t fully recovered. "There are more than nine hundred people in that room?"
"You must be joking, honored guest. There are only ten ’samples’ in the room for customers to test."
"Samples?" The word hit Tang Wen like a ton of bricks.
’Humans can be samples?’
The maid gave a charming smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Then, as naturally as if she were introducing the fruit in her own orchard, she said:
"If you’re curious, why don’t you go in and have a look?"
Tang Wen looked at Wu Hao, but his companion’s attention had been captured by the beautiful maid at his side ever since she appeared.
He had her shaking with laughter with just a few words.
Seeing how engrossed they were in their conversation, Tang Wen walked directly into Room One.
Inside were ten beds, each shielded by a curtain.
A sharp, cloying scent assaulted his nostrils.
Tang Wen frowned and held his breath, watching as seven or eight of the curtains swayed rhythmically, accompanied by suggestive sounds.
He instantly understood what was happening.
A middle-aged woman sitting at a table by the door pulled plugs from her ears and greeted Tang Wen. "Bed nine and bed ten are still free. They haven’t had any takers yet! The honored guest can go give them a try."
Footsteps approached, and Wu Hao’s excited voice followed. "Brother, this little minx has got me all fired up. I’ll take number nine."
With that, he eagerly rushed forward and threw back the curtain.
"Welcome, Master!"
A woman’s soft voice drifted out.
Wrapped in a cheongsam, her figure was revealed: a slender waist and alluring curves.
Her face was fair-skinned, with large eyes and willow-leaf brows. Rouge colored her lips an inviting pink.
She would undoubtedly be considered a beauty anywhere.
Seeing the joy in her eyes, Tang Wen felt a wave of disorientation.
The curtain fell. He took a deep breath and immediately walked toward bed ten.
’How is that possible? How could a woman about to become a prostitute have that kind of expression in her eyes? To be happy about it?! It’s utterly absurd.’
Bed ten. He pulled back the curtain. A fragrant scent washed over him.
A beautiful young woman with an exceptional figure happened to look up.
For a moment, their eyes met.
A faint light shimmered in her eyes.
Without a doubt, it was also an expression of joy.
Tang Wen’s brow furrowed deeply.
"Please, sit down, Master. Allow this servant to undress you."
Her delicate, pale hands pressed against his chest.
"You’re happy to see me."
Tang Wen grabbed her slender wrist, his eyes locked on her watery gaze.
The woman smiled. "Of course, Master. This servant is naturally happy to see you."
"Even if it means going to a brothel with me, to serve hundreds or thousands of men day and night?"
The woman blushed. "A clumsy person like me can’t do anything right. I can’t learn Martial Arts, nor can I master the arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting. I’m only good for serving others. Otherwise, wouldn’t my life be completely useless?"
She said it with complete sincerity.
Tang Wen suddenly understood: these women’s minds had been twisted.
’To put it simply, they’ve been successfully brainwashed.’
’That’s why they’re so submissive and willing. They even see it as their life’s purpose.’
"What if I were to hit you?" Tang Wen squeezed her wrist slightly.
A red mark appeared on the fair skin around her wrist.
"Master, please be gentle, okay? This servant is afraid of pain."
"Fuck!"
Tang Wen released her.
The woman rubbed her hand and resumed undressing him.
Tang Wen’s thoughts were in chaos. ’This woman feels happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy, but her entire worldview is warped beyond recognition.’
He turned to leave, but suddenly felt a coolness on his chest.
’This woman really has been trained. She’s an expert at taking off clothes.’
Looking at the woman’s blinking eyes, his anger subsided, replaced by an inexplicable irritation.
"Forget it! You’re coming with me!"
"Huh?"
Tang Wen pulled the woman from bed ten out of the room.
The middle-aged woman at the door was not pleased. "Honored guest, this is against the rules! You’ve finished your ’test,’ and we don’t charge for it. You can just leave. But you can’t take the person with you. She’s a sample."
His action was like taking a test-drive car on a road trip without telling anyone.
"How much?" Tang Wen looked directly at the green-robed maid.
She hesitated for a moment. "One thousand five hundred silver."
"No! No! This one isn’t for sale!"
The middle-aged woman spread her arms, blocking the doorway.