Chapter 36: Brothel: How About I Attend to You Personally?
After carefully analyzing Chen Fuhan’s infected blood, Ye Jiuge found that, in addition to Red-crowned Crane, it contained a poison called Icy Vigor Powder.
Strictly speaking, Icy Vigor Powder was an aphrodisiac, not a poison. Upon consumption, it allowed a person to feel as though he or she were in paradise and live as if in a dream. It made a man more powerful in bed and increased a woman’s pleasure.
This aphrodisiac also had another use that was often neglected: It could be used to suppress different toxins. However, sexual intercourse caused suppressed poison to break out with amplified effects.
Su Yufeng had used the Icy Vigor Powder on Chen Fuhan to humiliate Fifth Concubine before she brought over her servants to catch them in the act. Chen Fuhan would have died from the poison in bed, and Fifth Concubine would have never been able to cure herself even if she had jumped into the Yellow River.
However, Su Yufeng had miscalculated: she had not expected somebody to interfere and knock Chen Fuhan unconscious. Before Chen Fuhan could humiliate Fifth Concubine, Ye Yuxuan had nearly beaten him to death, which was why he was killed when Xing Hua kicked him.
Icy Vigor Powder was scarce in the capital, and only the best brothels used it to spice things up. It was unclear which brothel Chen Fuhan had been in when he fell into the trap.
Privately, Ye Jiuge investigated Chen Fuhan’s recent whereabouts and heard that he had made some money a while ago and hooked up with a courtesan from the Drunken Cloud Pavilion. “Drunken Cloud Pavilion” sounded like the name of a restaurant, but it was one of the three best brothels in the capital.
The courtesan, Lady Yun, was an intriguing woman. Although she was stunningly beautiful, she chose her customers casually. If she felt an affinity for one who caught her eye, she treated him equally, regardless of his background. Hence, many vain, ordinary men tried their luck with her.
Ye Jiuge decided to investigate Lady Yun’s background. She changed into a man’s attire and disguised herself as the graceful son of a nobleman. Shaking her fan, she arrived at the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, which was located on Hua Street.