Amidst laughter and a jovial atmosphere, the three of them toasted one another, cup after cup, draining them to the bottom.
But one must not forget—Horitake was cheating. Every time the alcohol entered his mouth, he used minute traces of electricity to stimulate the liquid, causing the alcohol to evaporate completely before it hit his throat. What he was actually swallowing was nothing but water!
The two bath girls, however, were drinking the real deal.
As the levels of sobriety shifted, Horitake grew increasingly adept at feigning drunkenness, while the two girls, their faces flushed a deep crimson, were truly beginning to lose their senses.
This was exactly what he wanted. If they weren't drunk, he couldn't ask the difficult questions.
Once Horitake confirmed that their minds were sufficiently clouded, he maintained his casual, chatty demeanor and began to probe indirectly, asking if anything strange had happened at the bathhouse over the last few days.
Had they been stone-cold sober, such abrupt questions would have certainly raised suspicions, and they might not have told the truth.
But now, in their drunken state, their guard was down. Between Horitake's coaxing and his refills of their cups, they slowly spilled everything they knew in a hazy, muddled stream of consciousness.
From this, Horitake managed to extract several pieces of highly useful intelligence.
He might have looked bleary-eyed, but his mind was crystal clear. He had already cataloged the relevant information and etched it into his memory.
As the conversation continued, he realized he had gathered enough. To prevent the girls from becoming wary or having any complications arise, Horitake smoothly steered the topic back to trivial matters, chatting about anything and everything under the sun—even throwing in a few off-color jokes.
The two bath girls didn't notice a single thing wrong. They had no idea they had accidentally revealed a wealth of internal secrets about the bathhouse.
In their eyes, the mood had reached its peak. The flirting had progressed to a point where the next step was inevitable.
The guest's behavior—acting drunk and lecherous—was perfectly normal.
They couldn't just eat and drink all night; it was time to show the true "depths" of their establishment's hospitality.
Even though Tao Yao was quite drunk, she hadn't forgotten the procedure or her professional duties. She gave Chu Ju a meaningful look.
Following Tao Yao's signal, Chu Ju stepped forward and proposed a talent demonstration, offering to play the shamisen for Horitake.
The high-ranking bath girls of this establishment were all "doubly gifted" in beauty and art.
In terms of beauty, there was no question—looking at how Horitake had almost lost himself in the moment, it was clear their appearances were beyond reproach.
As for the "art," Chu Ju now had to prove her worth.
Even in her drunken stupor, the moment her hands touched the shamisen, the music flowed out instantly.
While Horitake, to this day, still couldn't quite get used to Japanese music, he had to admit her playing was excellent—rhythmic, elegant, and fresh.
Even if he couldn't fully appreciate the genre, he gave her plenty of face. Once Chu Ju finished her piece, Horitake clapped enthusiastically in celebration.
Beside him, Tao Yao clapped along while secretly observing his condition.
The guest's eyes were misty and unfocused, clearly captivated by them. His face was flushed red from the heavy drinking; he was obviously at his limit, utterly intoxicated.
But more importantly...
Horitake's right arm was now wrapped around Tao Yao's waist, pulling the charming older woman tightly against him. He was enjoying the sensation of her curves pressed against him, savoring the "soft jade" in his embrace.
Sensing all of this, and knowing the preliminary steps were complete, Tao Yao felt the time was right. She shot another look at Chu Ju.
Chu Ju understood, her cheeks flushing slightly.
It was time for the main event.
Tao Yao leaned into Horitake, her eyes like silk and her voice dripping with honey:
"Sir... isn't it about time we entered the bath?"
Hearing this, Horitake seemed to grow excited, even impatient. He nodded repeatedly while clutching his wine cup, signaling his agreement.
"Indeed, indeed! It is truly time for the bath."
With those words, Tao Yao went into action. she rose from Horitake's side and explained with a bright smile:
"Then, please wait a moment while we two sisters go and prepare everything for you."
Horitake nodded happily. "Good, prepare, prepare... prepare well."
Prepare what?
The bath water, of course. The large communal bath in the adjacent room was currently empty. Tao Yao and Chu Ju needed to go and set the "bath soup," control the temperature, and prepare the other necessities.
Once those were ready, the real business would begin.
Tao Yao stood up and walked toward the bathroom, while Chu Ju set aside her shamisen and followed to help.
As the two girls walked away with their backs to him, before they could even step into the bathroom, Horitake appeared silently behind them.
With a finger from each hand—tips flickering with purple arcs of electricity—he pressed them simultaneously against the back of Tao Yao and Chu Ju's necks.
The strike was so sudden the two girls had no time to react. Between the shock and the heavy influence of the alcohol, they slipped into unconsciousness instantly.
Rest assured, Horitake's strike caused them no harm; he had used an extremely low current just to stun and paralyze them.
As the girls collapsed, Horitake caught them by their waists, preventing them from hitting the floor.
After all, he was a man who knew how to "pity the fragrance and cherish the jade."
Carrying the bodies of the two beauties back into the main room, he laid them out side-by-side on the tatami mats so they could sleep peacefully. Fearing they might catch a cold, he even found the room's blankets and tucked them in.
And what about the Horitake who had settled them down?
Where was the slightest trace of drunkenness?
At this moment, Horitake's eyes were clear and his expression was composed.
He was a far cry from the lecherous drunk of moments ago; he had returned to normal. Or more accurately, he had been normal the entire time.
The lecherous act might have been a bit of "method acting," but he could stop it the moment it was necessary. The drunkenness was a complete sham; his red face wasn't from wine, but from electrical stimulation.
With these various methods combined, Horitake had completely deceived the two bath girls and obtained the intelligence he needed.
He sighed softly, looking down at the two women.
Chu Ju's face was flushed with wine, her small mouth slightly parted in a look of unintended allure. Tao Yao was even more intoxicated, her hair and hairpin slightly disheveled.
Horitake couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Good grief, he thought. Even unconscious and without awareness, these two were still so charming. It was enough to make anyone lose their self-control. They truly were professionals!
It was a good thing he had held back.
Otherwise, he definitely would have committed a "mistake" today!
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