Shinobu Kocho dismissively swatted away Horitake's hand as he tried to pinch her nose, speaking with a hint of indignation:
"Exactly. Disguised as a servant, I've also scouted quite a bit of intelligence. I learned that over the past two days, there's been something unusual about the kitchen and warehouse area of this shop."
Horitake laughed and retracted his hand, praising her as if coaxing a child, "As expected of Sister Shinobu, your movements are just as fast as mine."
Suddenly, Shinobu grew alert, looking at Horitake with a peculiar gaze. "Horitake, I learned this from the other servants. Where exactly did you get your information?"
"Uh..." Horitake replied somewhat awkwardly, "I heard it from two bath girls."
"Oh? Two bath girls?" Shinobu's smile grew increasingly dangerous. "And how are those two bath girls doing now?"
"Sleeping soundly on the fifth floor."
"Indeed, Horitake-san. You certainly aren't stingy with your money, are you? Getting invited straight to the fifth floor with two girls to serve you... and now they're 'sleeping soundly.' It seems you really wore them out!"
Horitake couldn't hold back anymore; he had to defend himself, or his reputation would be ruined.
"Sister Shinobu, what are you thinking? Am I that kind of person? To get enough intel, I had to spend a bit more to go to the high-end section and find high-ranking attendants. We only ate and drank; as for anything... excessive, I didn't do a single thing! The reason they're unconscious is that I knocked them out. After all, I could only sneak out once they were quiet, right?"
Shinobu looked at Horitake suspiciously. "You really didn't do anything else?"
"Really!"
Horitake spread his arms wide, showing he had a clear conscience. "If you don't believe me, you can come over and smell me. If I had done 'anything else,' there would definitely be a specific scent on me."
It would have been better if Horitake hadn't mentioned it. Once he did, Shinobu actually became quite interested. She leaned in close to him, sniffing intimately without any hesitation.
As she sniffed, her brow furrowed. "There truly isn't that kind of scent... however, you have quite a lot of women's perfume on you—two different ones, in fact. It seems your 'close contact' wasn't exactly minimal."
"That couldn't be helped! Hugging and leaning is unavoidable in that setting. I was on the fifth floor with two girls; you can't expect me to act like a stone statue and refuse every gesture, can you?"
Shinobu took a step back, seemingly accepting his explanation. "Fine. It looks like you didn't do anything else, Horitake."
For some reason, Horitake suddenly felt a surge of irritation. "Wait... Sister Shinobu, even if I had done something, what of it? Didn't you tell me before? One pays, one serves—it's just a common transaction. Once it's over, everyone goes their separate ways; it has nothing to do with feelings. So even if I did, what's the big deal!?"
To his surprise, Shinobu replied with a sweet smile, "Yes, it's fine. Even if you did, I wouldn't be angry."
"Really fine?"
"Really fine. It's just a transaction, it doesn't matter."
Horitake fell silent.
At this moment, the ultimate test of whether a man is "straight-brained" or "dense" had arrived. The question was: Did Sister Shinobu really think it didn't matter?
If you actually believe it doesn't matter, you're doomed.
Clearly, she was speaking in opposites. She might say it, but you absolutely cannot listen to it literally, understand it literally, and definitely not act on it! Women are creatures who often say the opposite of what they feel; you can't just follow their words—you have to understand the intent beneath them.
Sigh... Horitake felt a bit mentally exhausted.
Dating is tiring. Dating three women is even more exhausting!
Horitake waved his hand and placed the headscarf back over Shinobu's head, hiding her stunning beauty. "Alright, alright, enough talk. This is an urgent mission—is it really okay for us to dally like this? If we keep wasting time, the Flame Pillar's younger brother's life might be at risk, and his 'purity' might be in danger too! No more nonsense, let's go."
After speaking, he walked out of the empty corridor and turned the corner. Shinobu tied her scarf tight, hiding her face, and resumed her hunchbacked posture, following closely behind Horitake.
As he walked, Horitake grumbled irritably:
"I thought this Demon was hiding in some high-end part of the shop, so I had to disguise myself like this, spend a fortune, and hire expensive girls just to get intel. Who knew this Demon was so pathetic that it's hiding in the bottom rungs of the shop? You disguised yourself as a servant, didn't spend a penny, and still got the info. So what did I spend all that money for? Was it all for nothing? What a loss... a massive loss!"
Shinobu, maintaining her hunchbacked disguise, followed steadily behind. Listening to his indignant grumbling, she nearly burst out laughing.
In truth, what Shinobu didn't know was that when Horitake said "loss," he wasn't talking about the money. He was talking about the fact that he didn't actually get to enjoy the two bath girls. Since the money was spent and couldn't be refunded, and yet he hadn't enjoyed the service due to his self-control and restraint... wasn't that a massive loss?
The two of them had completely different moods and disguises, but their destination was the same.
Soon, Horitake and Shinobu arrived at the kitchen area.
Although it was a bathhouse and a den of pleasure, guests still needed to eat and drink. Therefore, the kitchen was a vital part of the establishment. From the outside, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. Head chefs, sous chefs, and assistants were all drenched in sweat, working hard to pump out dish after dish for the guests.
For a servant like Shinobu's disguise, her presence here wasn't strange at all. However, Horitake was dressed like a prestigious guest. Why would a guest come to a place like this? Wasn't he afraid of the dirt, the mess, or the noise?
A kitchen assistant quickly ran over, bowing deeply and asking cautiously, "Sir, why have you come here? Someone of your status shouldn't be in such a chaotic and noisy place. May I ask what business you have?"
Horitake gave a distant smile, scanning the entire kitchen as he replied:
"It's nothing. I'm just here to look for someone."
"Look for... look for someone? Is there someone you know working here? Just tell me who you're looking for and their name, and I'll call them over for you immediately!"
"Oh, no need. It seems I remembered incorrectly. I've looked around and haven't found the person I was seeking."
As he spoke, Horitake had already silently activated his Spiritual Vision.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"