Chapter 11: Harmony Mode
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As soon as Wang Jingyuan entered the Spring Breeze Pavilion, he was immediately surrounded by several people. Everyone, whether on the second-floor balcony or in the foyer, had clearly witnessed the scene just outside the door—including the stack of silver notes Wang Jingyuan had shown.
If the two men hadn’t been carrying swords, looking every bit like wandering martial artists, the young ladies would have long since started teasing and trying to attract customers. Now that the troublesome young woman had left, if not now, then when?
...
An hour later, Yue Lingshan returned from the horse market and saw Wang Jingyuan just coming out of the Spring Breeze Pavilion. He was squatting by the doorway, his gaze vacant, seemingly drained of all strength and means.
He had found some tobacco leaves from somewhere and had carelessly rolled a cigarette, silently puffing away with his head bowed.
Though annoyed by Wang Jingyuan’s visit to the brothel, Yue Lingshan couldn’t help but approach him and ask irritably, “Out of money?”
Wang Jingyuan looked up in a daze and said, “No, I didn’t spend much at all.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to die?”
Wang Jingyuan stubbed out the cigarette and said, puzzled, “I don’t understand. Isn’t this place supposed to be customer-centered? Shouldn’t all customer requests be accommodated?”
Hearing this, Yue Lingshan’s temper flared, “Spill it—what exactly did you do?!”
Wang Jingyuan replied honestly, “I just wanted to spar with them, but none of them agreed.”
“Spar?!”
An hour earlier...
Upon entering the Spring Breeze Pavilion, Wang Jingyuan was welcomed by a group of scantily clad young ladies, calling out enthusiastically, “Sir! Young hero! Young master! Daddy!”
Soon after, the madam of the brothel personally came out to greet him and started asking about his preferences.
Wang Jingyuan, being a man from a modern era, was different from the youth here who preferred tender young girls barely blossomed into their prime; he only accepted adults.
He sized up the madam, who looked about twenty-four or twenty-five—a woman past her prime but still somewhat alluring—and said, “No need to choose. It’s you.”
The madam’s heart fluttered at his handsome and refined appearance but she quickly regained her composure. “You flatter me, young master. I still have business to attend to and cannot leave even for a moment.”
Of course, there was another reason: the madam’s protector was her longtime lover. Although she managed the business here at the Spring Breeze Pavilion, she did not personally entertain guests. Such matters, however, were not openly discussed with Wang Jingyuan.
He did not insist but said, “Alright then, arrange someone over eighteen for me.”
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The madam was a bit surprised. At first, she thought the young master preferred her because she looked well preserved, but it turned out he liked this particular type. Still, customer requests had to be met.
Soon, a table was prepared with wine and food, accompanied by a young lady, and they were led into Wang Jingyuan’s private room.
Upon seeing the girl, Wang Jingyuan eagerly stepped forward. “Let me see what this is about. I don’t know if this game’s hot coffee part is practical or just CG.”
But when Wang Jingyuan tried to make a move, the girl suddenly became pixelated. Where he tried to touch was hard and cold, like a marble wall.
[Warning: Restricted content is currently unavailable!]
Wang Jingyuan’s face immediately fell. “Isn’t your selling point hardcore realism? How can this be realistic? Even if you gave me a quick-time event mini-game of rocking the bed, I’d tolerate it, but you just outright banned it? What’s going on?”
What made it worse was that, outside, there were plenty of mods and anti-censorship patches on forums, but now that he was inside the game, where was he supposed to find any such patches?
Suddenly, Wang Jingyuan had a bright idea. He recalled that Yue Lingshan was also a woman, and during a previous sparring session, when he delivered a particular kick to her backside, the feedback had been remarkably elastic and lively.
That was definitely not censored game content. So then...
Censorship doesn’t apply during combat mode!
That made sense. If the censoring always applied, whenever a female NPC stripped to fight, he’d be met with a hard, pixelated wall—how could they fight like that?
Wang Jingyuan flipped his hands and drew two daggers, offering one to the young lady. She took it awkwardly, and he held the other in his hand.
“Let’s play a little game. I want you to keep stabbing me, stay in combat mode, and then I...”
Before he could finish, the girl screamed and threw down her dagger, fleeing like the wind. Soon after, the madam entered the room.
She had just seen the girl run off to the backyard and didn’t have time to investigate before coming to apologize to Wang Jingyuan.
“Please forgive me, young master. I don’t know what she did wrong today...” The madam’s words faltered as she noticed the dagger stuck in the floor and the other in Wang Jingyuan’s hand.
“Young master... what is this?”
Wang Jingyuan casually placed the dagger on the table. “Nothing. I just wanted her to spar with me while also... sparring in another way. Before I could finish, she ran away.”
The madam shivered. “You mean spar as in...?”
“Just simple attacks. I worried she wouldn’t be strong enough to stay in combat mode, so I gave her a dagger.” Wang Jingyuan glanced at the other dagger on the table. “This one is for my defense—after all, catching blades barehanded is too much for me.”
He looked at the madam with bright eyes. “Why don’t you try instead? I promise I’ll only defend, no counterattacks.”
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With a thud, the madam knelt down. “Please, great hero, have mercy and spare this humble one!”
Seeing the madam kneeling before him, Wang Jingyuan felt a sudden loss of interest. Later, even with a generous reward offered, no young lady in the entire Spring Breeze Pavilion would agree to spar with him.
He ended up eating alone in the private room. The madam, fearing he might suddenly get “in the mood,” only sent in a pimp after he finished eating to tell him that this meal was on the house.
It felt like a send-off to the afterlife.
Even in the game, Wang Jingyuan could not accept such forced gameplay. He finished his meal quickly and left the Spring Breeze Pavilion. Passing the gate, he asked the gatekeeper for some tobacco leaves, rolled a cigarette casually, and squatted by the door smoking alone.
Until Yue Lingshan returned.
She eyed him suspiciously. “What sparring?”
“Each of us with a dagger. She attacks, I defend, staying in combat mode. But as soon as I drew the dagger, she got scared and ran.”
Hehe, Yue Lingshan laughed, her eyes crescent moons. “What were you thinking, looking for sparring partners at a place like that? That’s... never mind. If you want to spar, just come find me.”
Wang Jingyuan looked her over. “Maybe you don’t quite understand yet... never mind. As for you, maybe in two years.”
He then turned to look at the two horses Yue Lingshan had brought back from the horse market. Something seemed off about one of them.
“This one is... a mule?”
Yue Lingshan looked a bit embarrassed. “Who told you to annoy me? You should be grateful I bought you a mule.”
What else could Wang Jingyuan say?
A shrimp-hearted pig.
Brilliant!