Chapter 74

Although Niu Zhaoshan's voice was light, Fan Binqi could hear it clearly. Seeing the yearning in Niu Zhaoshan's expression, he couldn't help but feel a bit more anticipation.

Until now, Fan Binqi was still unclear about what this mysterious and hidden "Heaven on Earth" meant. However, in his view, Niu Zhaoshan, as his subordinate official, had no grudge against him and would certainly not harm him.

Seeing Fan Binqi's appearance, Niu Zhaoshan smiled slightly and knocked on the gate of the courtyard.

In a moment, the gate opened wide, and the true appearance of "Heaven on Earth" was finally revealed to Fan Binqi.

Unlike the low-key exterior, the courtyard was extremely large, seemingly connecting the entire alley. The interior was luxuriously decorated with red lanterns and curtains everywhere, and the faint sounds of music and strings provided a feast for the ears, making one feel comfortable and lazy.

If it were just that, it would be fine, but what truly made Fan Binqi gape in astonishment was that as the gate opened, the first thing he saw were over twenty beautiful women, each alluring in their own way, but dressed uniformly. They were lined up on both sides, kneeling to greet Fan Binqi and Niu Zhaoshan with smiling faces, calling out in sweet voices, "Welcome to Heaven on Earth."

Fan Binqi stared blankly at these beautiful young women, somewhat dazed, unable to look away.

It wasn't that he had never seen such beautiful young women before, but their attire was truly too alluring.

The bright red outfits had straight lines, connected from top to bottom, tightly hugging their chests, waists, and hips, fully displaying their figures. Their white, tender arms were bare, and the hem of the dress was split up to the hips, revealing their long, white legs. The neckline was open, and when they bowed, the undulating peaks of their chests were faintly visible, with soft, white skin shining!

This attire, seemingly conservative and dignified, was actually full of allure, making one want to imagine what the alluring bodies beneath it looked like. It was precisely the cheongsam that became popular in later times.

The sudden appearance of so many beautiful young women, all dressed in such captivating attire, with their alluring expressions and soft voices, was a temptation never before seen in this era. The impact on Fan Binqi's senses was undeniable.

...

Niu Zhaoshan, who had seen this scene for the second time, was more resistant, but he still had a moment of daze.

"Who designed such attire? It's too alluring, making one's heart race just by looking at it..."

Thinking this, Niu Zhaoshan still resisted the temptation and turned his gaze to Fan Binqi, who was still staring blankly. He couldn't help but smile and remind him, "Lord Fan! Lord Fan!"

At Niu Zhaoshan's call, Fan Binqi finally came to his senses. Seeing Niu Zhaoshan looking at him with a smile, he felt a bit embarrassed and said, "These young ladies... their attire is quite special, I was momentarily distracted, Lord Niu, please don't mind."

Niu Zhaoshan nodded understandingly and said, "Don't be embarrassed, Lord Fan. The first time I came here, I was even more flustered and took a long time to recover."

As he spoke, Niu Zhaoshan led Fan Binqi deeper into "Heaven on Earth." Passing the two rows of women at the gate, Fan Binqi, fearing further embarrassment, kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, but his expression was stiff, and he couldn't help but glance around from time to time.

Although he was increasingly puzzled about the origins of "Heaven on Earth," Fan Binqi forgot to ask.

Suddenly, Fan Binqi seemed to notice something and stopped, looking at one of the women in surprise.

Seeing Fan Binqi's unusual reaction, Niu Zhaoshan asked, "Lord Fan, what's wrong?"

Fan Binqi whispered, "Look at the fourth woman on the left. Isn't she Miaohong, the top courtesan of Yanhong Tower? I heard that many people in the capital, both in and out of the court, are her admirers. She disappeared after being redeemed a few days ago. How did she end up here?"

Niu Zhaoshan smiled and explained, "I thought you were surprised for another reason. I forgot to mention that in this 'Heaven on Earth,' apart from the guests who come daily and some male attendants in the annex, there are no other men. All the reception and service are provided by beautiful women, most of whom are top or popular courtesans from various brothels, both in the capital and from other places..."

In later times, women providing service was a common situation, but in this era, it was shocking and unprecedented. Fan Binqi couldn't help but gape in astonishment.

Looking ahead, he indeed saw that although they were only in the front courtyard, all the busy figures moving about were beautiful women in cheongsams, each alluring, and apart from the two of them, there were no other men in sight!

Seeing this, Fan Binqi was shocked and felt uneasy. Like most officials of this era, he didn't resist frequenting brothels, but he was a clean official with little spare silver. This "Heaven on Earth" used famous courtesans even for serving tea and water. How much silver would it cost to be a guest here?

Thinking of this, Fan Binqi hurriedly asked Niu Zhaoshan, "Lord Niu, how much silver does it usually cost here?"

As he spoke, his gaze towards Niu Zhaoshan also carried a hint of suspicion, clearly doubting Niu Zhaoshan's intentions for treating him here.

Niu Zhaoshan, however, said reassuringly, "Lord Fan, rest assured. The expenses here are indeed high, and you and I can't afford them. But the manager here is a close friend of mine. I brought you here, so you don't need to spend any silver."

"Really?" Hearing this, Fan Binqi became even more suspicious.

However, under the watchful eyes of the beautiful women on both sides, Fan Binqi was somewhat reluctant to leave.

Niu Zhaoshan, seemingly oblivious to Fan Binqi's suspicious expression, continued to smile and said, "Lord Fan, you can rest assured. Today, neither of us will need to spend a single coin. I have no ulterior motives; I just admire your character and wanted to treat you here."

Pausing, Niu Zhaoshan added enticingly, "Lord Fan, do you know why it's called 'Heaven on Earth'? Because here, there's nothing you can't imagine that can't be done. Whatever your desires, they can be fulfilled. What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg..."

Just as Niu Zhaoshan was speaking, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar hurriedly appeared from the corner of the courtyard and quickly walked towards Fan Binqi and Niu Zhaoshan.

Pointing to the middle-aged man, Niu Zhaoshan smiled and said to Fan Binqi, "This is Xie Rong, the manager of this 'Heaven on Earth.' When he was down and out, I helped him, and we are very close. With him taking care of us, we have nothing to worry about here."

However, when Xie Rong reached the two of them, he didn't give Niu Zhaoshan any face and said directly, "Lord Niu, why are you here today? It's really unfortunate, we're fully booked. Can you come back tomorrow?"

Hearing this, Niu Zhaoshan's smug smile instantly froze.