Chapter 896 - 497: The Wheel of Fortune Turns (Double-Length) (Part 2)

[If you stay, what kind of work can you do?]

According to the rules, if you’re a guest, you don’t need to work.

In Flower Moon Building, what else besides guests is there?

There are only courtesans.

So Zhu Pingniang knows, her Ah Bai isn’t staying to keep her company, but to... join Flower Moon Building.

"?"

Zhu Pingniang is completely confused now.

"If you can be here, why can’t I?" Li Zhibai asked.

"Even for me, I used a decoy at the beginning." Zhu Pingniang said.

"Decoy?"

Li Zhibai tilted her head.

Zhu Pingniang said, "That’s not important."

"Ah Bai."

"Hmm?"

"If I inform Profound Sword Bureau now, telling the junior brother you want to be a courtesan, do you think he’d bring everyone he can to tear this place down?" Zhu Pingniang said.

Li Zhibai blinked.

Sikong Lixu is the kid she watched grow up, indeed he calls her ’Aunt Grandma’, but why mention him now.

"My Aunt Grandma, aren’t you aware of your own identity?" Zhu Pingniang gritted her silver teeth, took a deep breath, and pointed at herself: "Me, a Remnant of Hehuan Sect."

"It’s Muyu Peak." Li Zhibai reminded her.

"So whatever ridiculous thing I do, it’s understandable." Zhu Pingniang said with a forced smile, "But what about you?"

What kind of person is Ah Bai?

How many juniors does she have now?

If people knew Ah Bai joined her brothel, Zhu Pingniang would be eaten alive by those old fogies!

Just think about it, for people of extremely high status, it’s already hard to accept seeing their elders visit brothels.

Then if their elders become courtesans...

Zhu Pingniang can’t imagine, but she knows this isn’t something she can handle alone.

"Tong Jun, since when did you care about other people’s opinions?" Li Zhibai was a bit surprised.

"Honestly, I don’t want you to stay." Zhu Pingniang said truthfully.

The opinions of outsiders are just tools she’s using to convince herself, she herself... is also resistant.

This is her Ah Bai, unlike her, a bad woman steeped in three of the Five Remnants.

"Unless, you tell me the reason why you’re staying, and it has to convince me." Zhu Pingniang looked seriously at Li Zhibai, honestly, she still didn’t understand why Li Zhibai suddenly wanted to join Flower Moon Building.

Very strange.

"Ah Bai, let me remind you." Zhu Pingniang pointed in the direction of the banquet hall: "Yun Qian isn’t one of my courtesans, even if you come, you won’t see her."

"...?" Li Zhibai.

She clearly knows Yun Qian isn’t a courtesan.

Why say this?

Zhu Pingniang sighed: "That’s why I don’t understand what you’re thinking."

What on earth is going on?

Is the sky going to fall?

Zhu Pingniang put her hand on her forehead to shield from the little rain above, saying, "So Ah Bai, you came all this way just because on a whim, you want to join my Flower Moon Building?"

"It’s not on a whim." Li Zhibai can understand Zhu Pingniang’s inability to accept, but she has indeed made up her mind.

You could say, from the moment she discovered Shi Qingjun in the banquet hall, regardless of Zhu Pingniang’s agreement, she wouldn’t leave here.

Zhu Pingniang could tell Li Zhibai was serious, helplessly: "Can I ask why?"

"Stay here, to see... what’s special about your girls." Li Zhibai said, then remembered the Sect Leader’s gentle attitude towards those girls, and paused.

"Is that so..." Zhu Pingniang pondered.

If Li Zhibai wants to stay and observe for a while due to her unstable Dao Heart earlier, she can understand.

But why specifically join?

That’s what Zhu Pingniang can’t comprehend.

Wanting to see the lifestyle of courtesans doesn’t mean becoming one, right?

Could it be... because of herself?

Because she became a Class Leader in the brothel, so Li Zhibai wanted to join her?

Zhu Pingniang couldn’t help but doubt.

Does she have that much face?

Seems not?

"Have you thought it through?" Li Zhibai shook her head: "Is there anything I can do?"

She’s informing, so Tong Jun just needs to answer her.

"Ah Bai, even though you’re very pretty, but my place also teaches the Six Arts for Women." Zhu Pingniang returned to her senses, reason gradually returning.

Earlier she forced herself to calmly talk with Li Zhibai, it was unavoidable.

"You know me." Li Zhibai thought Zhu Pingniang knew her, so she’s waiting for her response.

"Madam Class Leader?" Zhu Pingniang said cautiously.

The boss is naturally her, the Class Leader.

Li Zhibai: "?"

"Ah Bai, don’t look at me like that, this is the only possibility, it’s not that I want to take advantage of you." Zhu Pingniang’s fingers turned white from squeezing, even if she were killed, she couldn’t let Li Zhibai really become a courtesan.

Even knowing she couldn’t make Li Zhibai give up, she wanted to solve the problem.

Being a regular courtesan won’t do, nor a steward, because once you enter, you’ll end up tainted, sullying her Ah Bai’s reputation.

Thinking it over, only the identity of ’Madam Class Leader’ is most suitable, because by then even if the news spread, those who hear it won’t truly believe Li Zhibai joined the brothel, they’ll think it’s just herself, a neurotic bad woman, pulling Li Zhibai into her antics.

So, it’s the only choice, Zhu Pingniang has thought it through.

She knows that if it’s something Li Zhibai has decided on, no matter how ridiculous, she can’t change Li Zhibai’s mind.

"Can’t I be a regular courtesan?" Li Zhibai gave Zhu Pingniang a strange look.

"Can’t you consider me?" Zhu Pingniang was annoyed; she furiously tugged Li Zhibai’s sleeve: "To let you stay here, the mental pressure I have to bear, you still want to be a regular courtesan, are you trying to make me jump into the river."

It seems like if Li Zhibai didn’t agree, Zhu Pingniang would jump off the painted boat.

"...Indeed." Li Zhibai accepted Zhu Pingniang’s whining behavior.

She also knows how absurd it is for her to stay in Flower Moon Building, more absurd than when she first played the Seven Strings.

After all, this whole thing is her whimsy; Tong Jun is the ’victim’, so she must be indulged a bit.

"But why Madam Class Leader?" Li Zhibai asked.

"Ah Bai, bearing such pressure, don’t you give me some sweetness?" Zhu Pingniang tugged at the corner of her mouth: "Then I’ll dismantle Flower Moon Building overnight and take the girls up the mountain."

She knows she can’t stop it, so she’s trying to make herself accept it better.

If she can temporarily let Li Zhibai stay with a strange identity, she’ll bear any pressure.

"Of course, just telling the girls below like this, it’s a joke." Zhu Pingniang explained.

She wouldn’t truly overstep boundaries.

"Mainly, my status is still high with those girls; Ah Bai, if you want to quickly integrate... Using an identity related to me would be better." Zhu Pingniang said, "Quickly integrating would make it easier for you... to observe the girls here?"

Zhu Pingniang said it while deeply bewildered.

What’s so interesting about the girls in the brothel that Li Zhibai would come?

"Integrating... hmm." Li Zhibai thought Tong Jun made sense, wanting to join Flower Moon Building instead of just observing, is to use the most intimate way to closely interact with the girls here.

If the Sect Leader often visits.

It’s possible...

She might also have the chance to play a round of clever cards with her?

"So why can’t I be the sister?" Li Zhibai asked.

"Personal reasons, personal reasons." Zhu Pingniang rubbed her eyebrows: "I won’t ask your reasons, you... please indulge me a little."

Otherwise, she really can’t bear the pressure.

Actually, aside from personal reasons, just being the sister is still inappropriate, since her sister regularly performs.

Still have to be tied to herself, attracting all attention to herself.

Ah Bai... just let her mess around in the building.

Zhu Pingniang’s brows knitted.

She never thought, one day it would be her indulging Li Zhibai’s whims... maybe it’s the wheel of fortune turning.

"Whatever you want." Li Zhibai softly shook her head.

"One more thing." Zhu Pingniang looked at Li Zhibai.

"What."

"Your staying here... or rather joining, does Chang’an know? Or... how are you going to tell him?"

Tell him.

Chang’an, your husband wants to join the brothel?