Liu Jin had sent a letter in advance before her departure, informing Liu Qi that her party would arrive at Chunfeng Du in a few days. In the letter, she reiterated the matter of Qin Jiujiu.
Upon receiving her previous letter, Liu Qi had already begun searching for Qin Jiujiu's whereabouts in the city.
However, there had been no news for days.
Chunfeng Du was a mixed bag of people, making investigations difficult.
This place was not as strictly regulated as Xi Liu City. In Chunfeng Du, all sorts of illegal transactions were conducted in secret. It wasn't that the authorities didn't care, but these activities had developed over many years and were deeply entrenched, making them difficult to control.
When Liu Qi first arrived here, he was only fifteen years old. At that time, he was ambitious and had not failed to try.
Under his management, things had improved considerably, but there were some things he could not oversee in every detail.
However, Qin Jiujiu, as a mere woman, if she was as exceptionally beautiful as Liu Jin described in her letter, it would likely be disadvantageous for her here.
Liu Qi put away the letter and also went out.
Qinghuan Du.
As she approached the main entrance, Qin Jiujiu saw the golden characters on the plaque in the darkness—Qinghuan Du.
It seemed this was the name of the place!
Looking at this rather poetic name, she felt an inexplicable unease in her heart.
A name like this did not seem fitting for such a dark place.
Upon arriving here, they seemed to no longer worry about being seen entering the road. Apart from the cloth stuffed into their mouths and the ropes binding their hands, their eyes were still free.
Perhaps they felt that once they entered here, no one could escape!
Qin Jiujiu observed quietly from the corner of her eye.
They passed through many corridors, and the decoration style of these corridors was very similar to those she had seen in Nanfeng Guan in Xi Liu City.
Apart from the dim lighting, everything else here seemed to be very similar to the decoration and layout of Nanfeng Guan.
Soon, a steaming pool appeared before their eyes.
"Undress them!"
Qin Jiujiu looked at the woman who had spoken. Her face showed no superfluous emotion, as if she were completing a task.
It was likely that they were accustomed to such situations.
It seemed this place was not a clean place!
Looking at the frightened expressions of the other young ladies, they were either forcibly brought here or sold.
"Yes, Mama Cai!"
Upon receiving the order, the maids quickly approached them.
"Young ladies, upon reaching this place, you must obey orders. If you do not wish to suffer, you must listen obediently!"
The threat was obvious, but it was effective.
Qin Jiujiu saw the clear fear in their eyes, but after the maids untied them, no one dared to resist.
They looked at each other, likely observing the others, waiting for someone else to make the first move.
Someone still tried to resist. Just as her clothes were about to be removed, a young lady pushed away the maid in front of her and attempted to escape.
But when she opened the door, several figures in black clothes appeared, successfully scaring her back.
No wonder that old woman was so calm just now!
The swords in their hands, unsheathed, glinted under the moonlight, appearing capable of taking a life in an instant.
Now, no one dared to try this tactic, and they all became quiet.
They were manipulated into stripping naked and entering the bath.
As they were all unmarried young ladies, they were naturally extremely embarrassed. No one dared to look around, except for Qin Jiujiu.
She did not intend to steal a glance. After all, they were all women, and there was no difference!
However, to her surprise, the moment she looked, she was shocked.
The figures of these young ladies were all excellent, each one plump and fair-skinned. Although her own skin was fair and her figure was considered good, she was only fifteen years old. Compared to these women, her figure was somewhat lacking.
She quickly averted her gaze.
Apart from responding to Mama Cai, these maids were as silent as mutes, saying nothing more.
They merely mechanically helped them to wash. The pool was sprinkled with flower petals and was steaming, but the water temperature was just right, making the soak comfortable.
Mama Cai had already left. No one spoke in the room.
Although they had been in the same carriage during the journey these past few days, given the circumstances, they had not spoken much. Everyone was very wary, and they had not talked.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Jiujiu felt her skin was about to wrinkle, and the bath was finally over.
Although bathing like this was very comfortable, one could not endure soaking in water for too long.
During this time, she had been carrying water to her room and washing in a wooden bucket, which was indeed not very comfortable.
Therefore, this bath was truly enjoyable!
Just as they emerged from the bath, clad only in bathrobes, with large areas of their skin exposed to the air, the door suddenly opened, and the sound of footsteps approached.
It sounded like a rather grand affair.
The atmosphere instantly tensed, and Qin Jiujiu held her breath, listening to the commotion outside.
The maids who had been serving them in the room retreated, but only to the outside of the screen, not out of the room.
This room was very large. Qin Jiujiu heard many footsteps entering from outside, indicating that many people had entered the room. However, looking through the screen, she could vaguely make out the scene outside.
They stood in neat rows, holding trays, with something unknown on them.
However, based on her guess, she could already draw a conclusion.
It was likely clothing brought for them to wear.
As expected, the maids who had just left re-entered from behind the screen, followed by a group of new faces. Qin Jiujiu glanced at them. On the trays they held were clothes.
They were all pale moon-colored ruqun, and the fabric looked smooth, likely made of silk.
The maids who had originally served them for washing stood by their sides, each accompanied by a maid holding a tray.
Qin Jiujiu noticed that the maid in front of her was the same one who had served her for washing. She then looked at the others around her, and it seemed to be the same for them.
Like the maids holding the trays, they were all around twenty years old. Their appearance could only be described as ordinary, at least far from the women who had been kidnapped with her.
They each picked up the dresses from the trays. Looking at this action, Qin Jiujiu felt an inexplicable panic. She tightened the bathrobe wrapped around her chest and looked at the maid beside her.
"Miss, please remove your bath robe!"
Qin Jiujiu listened to the maid in front of her speak in a light tone and looked up at her. The maid's face was expressionless, and her emotions were indiscernible. This made Qin Jiujiu think of Xie Jing.
At this moment, she inexplicably wished he would appear here, appearing before her mysteriously as he always did.
The other young ladies seemed to have heard the maids in front of them speak and took a step back, appearing somewhat resistant.
Qin Jiujiu was not as resistant. After all, the era she came from was vastly different from this one. Although she also found it strange to undress in front of strange women, she had been naked just now, but she had been in the water, so there had been some concealment.
Now they were to undress completely and stand before them, which was quite an awkward situation.
Qin Jiujiu was silent for a moment, but then decided to break the deadlock.