Chapter 020: The Greedy Demons of Lust

Led by Shalin, the four of them quickly arrived in the hall. Although Du Fan had attended a similar party in the Northern Lands before, it was not a professional place for debauchery, and compared to this place, it seemed rather insignificant. The floor of the hall was covered with magnificent carpets imported from the Lanny Empire, and the air was filled with a mixture of the scent of wine and the unique spices of the desert, causing a drowsy feeling. Around the hall, there were over a dozen tables arranged in a circle, with a stage in the center where several women in pink gauze dresses were dancing gracefully. Their bodies were so soft it seemed they had no bones; with every slight movement, their gauze dresses would lift, revealing their alluring figures, extremely tempting. At the edge of the stage, several men holding glasses watched with great interest. Some, seeing the dancing women bend over, stuffed handfuls of gold coins into their chests, while others, even bolder, pushed the coins into more private areas of their bodies. Soon, the women’s delicate laughter mixed with the men’s loud chuckles—showing just how licentious things were. Beyond that, the tables were packed with various people: some in warrior attire, clearly mercenaries or adventurers; some with bloated bellies, obviously merchants or wealthy traders; and others with an air of nobility. When they saw Du Fan and his group approaching, they showed surprised expressions. These people were clearly nobles or officials of the empire. Some even looked embarrassed upon seeing Du Fan. After frowning for a moment, Du Fan recognized them as priests of the Holy Church. He wanted to go over and scold them, but considering where he was, he could only shake his head and sigh. Regardless, every one of these men had several women sitting beside them, whose hands kept stroking them, causing the women to laugh coquettishly and behave in a highly sensual manner. On one side of the hall, there was a small platform where a woman in white wore closed eyes and gently strummed a harp. Several men with seemingly proper expressions stood beside her, though their eyes showed lustful intent as they kept talking. Seeing this scene, Du Fan couldn’t help but stop and watch for a while.

Seeming to notice Du Fan’s expression, Prince Fischer turned to take a look and casually said, “That harpist—according to the rules here, she can perform but not be forced into anything. No matter who you are, if you want to approach such a person here, you’ll have to rely on your own skills. If anyone dares to use their power to bully others, they’ll likely be thrown out right away. Well… Is Lord Du Fan interested in that woman? If so, I can have Lady Shalin arrange it for you.”

Du Fan gave a bitter smile and said, “Better not. A gentleman doesn’t take what belongs to others… There are already so many people over there.”

Prince Fischer laughed heartily and said, “What a gentleman who doesn’t take what belongs to others… It seems Lord Du Fan is also well-versed in the culture of the distant Eastern Continent. Truly remarkable!”

While talking, the group, led by Lady Shalin, went into a corner of the hall. Once inside, the noise in the hall immediately faded, clearly indicating that the soundproofing here was excellent.

After going up the stairs, they soon arrived at a elegant pavilion with several individual tables around it. Prince Fischer and the others, being familiar with the place, quickly found seats. With no choice, Du Fan sat down next to Prince Fischer. Meanwhile, Lady Shalin stood respectfully at the entrance of the pavilion, waiting for Prince Fischer’s instructions.

After settling in, Prince Fischer didn’t rush to do anything else. Instead, he glanced at Du Fan and asked calmly, “Lord Du Fan, what’s your impression of this place?”

Du Fan sighed and said, “It’s okay, I guess.”

A strange look flashed in Prince Fischer’s eyes, but he quickly laughed and said, “Though this is a place of pleasure, hunting can’t compare to the fun here, right, Lord Du Fan?”

Du Fan nodded, about to say more, but Prince Fischer glanced again at Lady Shalin standing at the entrance and asked, “Lady Shalin, what performance have you prepared for us today?”

Lady Shalin smiled gently and said, “Prince Fischer gave clear instructions. How could I, Lady Shalin, fail to arrange everything properly?”

With that, she lightly clapped her hands, and soon, the sound of light footsteps came as a woman entered through a side door.

This woman had a beautiful appearance, yet her face was cold, like ice that would never melt. She was wearing only a tight vest and a short skirt, revealing her pale skin, especially her slender waist, which was extremely attractive. As she walked lightly, she seemed like a piece of ice, but everyone could clearly sense a seductive aura about her.

Such a woman gave people two strange feelings: the first was the urge to slap her hard to make her stop being so arrogant, while the second was the desire to pull her onto the bed right away and ravish her to see if she could still remain cold-faced.

When Jerome saw this woman, his eyes widened. A rare smile appeared on his pale face as he pointed at her and said, “Ms. Shaline, I want this woman!”

Alex also wanted to say something, but when he saw Jerome speak, he shut his mouth, his expression unchanged.

Prince Fischer watched silently, saying nothing. He just smiled as he saw the cold-faced woman walk over to Jerome and sit down beside him. Then he turned to Alex with a smile and said, “Alex, Ms. Shaline’s arrangements get more exciting as they go on. It’s rare that you’ve come so many times and still don’t understand.”

With that, Prince Fischer gave Ms. Shaline a glance.

Shaline remained expressionless, only giving Alex a glance before clapping her hands again.

This time, another woman came out through the side door.

This woman was dressed differently from the previous one. She wore a corseted long dress, but upon closer inspection, the slit in the dress reached up to the base of her thighs. As she walked lightly, her long, graceful legs would occasionally appear, extremely tempting. Coupled with her beautiful appearance, every gesture of hers seemed to carry astonishing charm. As she walked slowly, it was as if she were constantly teasing the primal desires in men’s hearts.

Du Fan sighed inwardly. Although her clothing and expression created a strange contrast, she was incredibly alluring. It was likely that few men would see her without wanting to be with her.

Over there, Alex had already stood up. As Prince Fischer said, this man was straightforward in his nature. Instead of being polite like Jerome, when the woman approached him, he immediately reached out and pulled her close to him. Before she could even sit down, his hand reached her chest and rubbed it forcefully several times. The woman showed a pained expression, but at Shalin’s signal, she forced herself to laugh coyly and said, “My lord, aren’t you a bit too eager?” Alex grunted in response, saying little, but he loosened his grip slightly. Seeing this, Lady Shalin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She glanced at Prince Fischer with a smile and said, “Prince Fischer, I wonder how you plan to proceed?” Prince Fischer smiled faintly and replied, “What’s there to ask? I’ll follow the old routine, of course. Haven’t you understood by now after all these visits?” Lady Shalin giggled and said, “In that case, please wait a moment, Your Highness. You know Eva’s temperament—she was practicing swordsmanship just now. She only came up to change clothes after hearing that Prince Fischer had arrived. Please wait a bit.” Prince Fischer waved his hand and said, “It’s fine. If we need to wait, then let’s wait. I’m not in such a hurry for just a while…” Lady Shalin smiled gently, her gaze finally falling on Du Fan with a hint of amusement. She said, “Prince Fischer, there weren’t many people here before you arrived. I thought it was the old routine. I didn’t expect you to bring an extra young master. I wonder what plans you have for him?” Prince Fischer laughed heartily and said, “Come on… let me introduce him to you. This is Young Master Du Fan from the Green family… I’m sure you’ve heard of him before, Shalin. This is Du Fan’s first time here. I suppose you wouldn’t want to introduce him to some ordinary girls, would you? How about you bring that young lady out? The last time I came, you said she didn’t want to see guests. I wonder if she’s in the mood now?” Shalin gave a half-smile, glanced at Du Fan, said nothing more, nodded, and then slowly stepped back… Prince Fischer also glanced at Du Fan and said with a smile, “Young Master Du Fan, it seems you’re quite lucky. Maybe today that young lady will agree to see you… You should know that even when I first came, I didn’t get such treatment!” Du Fan frowned, not knowing what to say.

But just then, hurried footsteps were heard again from the side door, and immediately afterward, the door was pushed open with a bang!
Book 21: The Plague of the Empire