Chapter 311

Chapter 311: Am I Beautiful?

Most important of all, no matter how small and pretty, a hairpin is metal and has weight. How could something that big rest against his chest without him noticing? [This is like seeing a ghost.]

“Who slipped this into my clothes?”

Jiang Liu Shuang looked the hairpin over from top to bottom, then looked at the people around him. He had changed into these clothes only this morning and had been out all day. That meant only the people with him…

Especially-

He stared at his not-so-bright brother, his suspicion plain.

Jiang Liu Bin wasn’t smart, but he wasn’t blind. With such obvious suspicion aimed at him, if he couldn’t guess what his third brother was thinking, he would truly be a fool. He hurried to say: “Third Brother, don’t look at me like that. I haven’t come near you all day.”

People in the Martial World might be rough and like to sling arms over shoulders, but those in the Martial Alliance didn’t have that habit.

Jiang Liu Shuang thought that was true. His silly brother didn’t have the skill to get close without being noticed.

Then he took a straight shot from that same silly brother: “Third Brother is so fickle, hugging left and right every day. Maybe some miss slipped it into your robe. Or maybe you bought it for one of your sweethearts but forgot because you have too many.”

Everyone in the Martial World knew that the Jiang Clan’s five young masters each had their own character and hobbies. The eldest was steady, did things by the book, and his martial arts were the same. He had no taste for women, but he would accept an arranged marriage when the time came. He had just gotten engaged not long ago, and they said he would marry after the New Year. While many men fool around before marriage, the eldest young master had kept himself clean, making many Martial World girls secretly yearn for him.

The second, Jiang Liu Yi, was refined and elegant. Though from the Martial World, he was cool-tempered and noble, with extraordinary bearing. His martial arts were strong-stronger than the eldest’s-and he was a model among the younger generation. Like the eldest, he didn’t care for women.

As for the fourth and fifth, they were still too young to tell.

But the third young master? He was a famous libertine. He had countless fair friends. Wherever he went, he might not bother making friends with the local gentry, but he would certainly win the hearts of the Flower House misses. In a world ruled by men, a little romance did no harm, but too much made good families keep their daughters far away. In short, proper girls stayed clear of Jiang Liu Shuang. Simply put, he was wildly, absurdly flirtatious.

So when his silly brother looked at him with suspicion, Jiang Liu Shuang actually showed a hint of guilt in front of him. He shrugged and said: “Hey, it’s nothing.”

He decided he must have accidentally pocketed something from one of his lady friends. It still felt a bit off, but this wasn’t the time to worry about it. He handed the banknote to the madam and said: “Call the best misses upstairs.”

“The best” meant the top courtesan.

The madam, seeing the banknote worth a hundred taels, smiled until her eyes bent to slivers. She inched closer to Jiang Liu Shuang, brushing against him here and there in ways that were hard to notice before she drew away. Even a man used to women like Jiang Liu Shuang didn’t feel anything odd.

Soon the top courtesan arrived, bringing five or six beauties, each with her own charm. Jiang Liu Shuang waved his hand. He didn’t speak, but the men knew what he meant: choose the one you like.

Jiang Liu Bin turned green as he said: “Third Brother, this isn’t right.”

Jiang Liu Shuang snorted: “Kid, this is a refined pastime. Why do you act like it’s a monster?”

Jiang Liu Bin said: “Third Brother, I only think it’s late. Even if we won’t ride back, we should rest.”

He kept feeling that something bad would happen tonight. [Something will go wrong tonight.]

Jiang Liu Shuang thought his brother had been thoroughly poisoned by that woman’s words. He didn’t explain more, only told himself: [After tonight, he’ll see she’s a fraud.]

When he couldn’t persuade his brother, Jiang Liu Bin, though worried to the bone, had no choice but to watch his third brother charm left and right-drinking the wine a girl on his left offered, then eating the treats a girl on his right fed him.

Night deepened.

The ones pretending to be refined finished the songs and poems and, after discussing “life philosophy,” finally decided to do the real business. Jiang Liu Shuang pushed his silly brother into an empty room and got ready to spend a spring night with the top courtesan. The other Martial World men each took a girl to a quiet room to settle their “life matters.”

Jiang Liu Shuang embraced the beauty on the bed. The two whispered close, and they were about to burst into flames. It should have been hot-blooded, but he suddenly felt a chill. Still flushed with desire, he didn’t think much and swept his big hand, ready to tear the beauty’s clothes.

Just then a soft, drifting girl’s voice sounded: “Third Young Master, am I beautiful?”

She was the top courtesan, so of course she was beautiful. Without thinking, Jiang Liu Shuang answered: “Beautiful.”

He flicked his hand, and the bed curtains dropped.

A laugh as clear as silver bells rang out: “Third Young Master, you haven’t looked at me carefully yet!”

Icy fingertips poked Jiang Liu Shuang’s chest as the woman’s voice turned resentful: “Are you like this to everyone?”

The heat in his body froze under that cold touch, and he shivered. He lowered his eyes to look at the woman on the bed.

Then he screamed: “Ah!!!”

On the bright red bed, there was no beautiful courtesan. There was only a female ghost with a rotting face, both legs and arms twisted at wrong angles. A huge hole gaped in her belly, as if it had already swallowed his body. Where eyes should have been-eyes that ought to be bright and charming-there were only two black pits. Now and then, white maggots wriggled out.

She “looked” at Jiang Liu Shuang, who had scrambled to the foot of the bed, and her mouth stretched into a weird grin as she said: “Third Young Master, didn’t you praise me for being beautiful? Why are you so scared?”

She kneeled and sprawled on the bed, propping herself on her elbows. Her neck stretched to an impossible length, and her rotting face pressed up to Jiang Liu Shuang’s as her grin grew wider: “Third Young Master, didn’t you want a spring night? Come… on…”

Jiang Liu Shuang finally roared: “What are you-get out!”

At last remembering he knew martial arts, he kicked out. On any other day, that kick could have sent even a stone flying. But the woman didn’t move at all.

And-his foot was stuck inside the hole in her belly!