Not Happy, Goose Test, The End of the World.
These were three people who could be considered top-tier in a certain sense.
Nicknamed the Three Dirty Villains, as the name implies, they indulged in all manner of eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. They never committed major crimes, but they were constantly up to petty mischief.
Whether in appearance, behavior, or even their martial spirits, they lived up to the name perfectly.
But Ma Hongjun honestly didn't want to get involved with them. He wasn't the type to meddle in others' business unless it affected him personally.
That is, until the red-haired boy heard those three unmistakable descriptions.
Though these three really were quite revolting, he had to admit—the description was spot on.
The moment he heard it, he knew exactly who was being talked about.
"Excuse me, if I remember correctly, those three are all soul masters, right?"
The young man looked helplessly at the three men scratching themselves and howling in front of the hotel door, sighing deeply.
"And you three... why are you even at a hotel with three girls? Wait... okay."
Because he had seen the bold words clearly written beneath the hotel sign:
Limited-Time Hot Springs Open!
Turns out, no matter which world you're in, girls can't resist the words hot spring and limited time.
"Seriously... never mind."
Shaking his head, the red-haired boy quietly stood up, pretending he hadn't seen anything, and followed after the three men.
"What?! You want ten coins just for doing nothing? Why don't you just rob us?!"
At the hotel entrance, Bu Le stared wide-eyed at the smiling waiter.
"Yes, sir. On the opening day of the hot springs, ladies enter for free. Men are charged ten silver soul coins."
The waiter nodded with a polite smile.
As if saying: Yes, we're robbing you. If you've got a problem, don't come in.
Bu Le immediately got angry, rolling up his sleeves to teach the waiter a lesson, but was quickly stopped by E Kao and Tian Ya.
"Don't delay the business."
Tian Ya shook his head at Bu Le, forcing a smile onto his greasy face.
"Is it okay if we don't pay? We'll just go in and have a good time without doing anything. That's allowed, right?"
Even with his thick skin, he couldn't help blushing a little after saying that.
The waiter was momentarily stunned. Probably because he had never encountered anyone so shameless.
Even you don't believe what you just said, do you?
"Alright, alright. You two are unbelievable. I'll pay."
E Kao sighed, pulled out thirty silver soul coins, handed them to the waiter, and the three of them were finally allowed in.
"Hmph! Just wait! One day, I'll tear this place down!"
Bu Le swung his arms in extreme frustration, spitting toward the waiter's back.
"Calm down. This place is said to be owned by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. If you want to die, don't drag us down with you."
E Kao glanced sideways and grew visibly more worried.
"By the way, Bu Le, have you found out who those three girls are? Let's hope they're not princesses from some powerful clan."
For some reason, E Kao had a bad feeling from the start.
Like something big was about to go wrong.
"What are you so afraid of? What princess would come to Soto City? Wouldn't they go to Heaven Dou Imperial City instead?"
Tian Ya scoffed with a perverted grin.
"Besides, we're not doing anything. We're just admiring the view. It's kind of fun, right?"
Bu Le licked his lips and nodded.
"Exactly! What's this called? It's called appreciating art!"
"You really get me, haha~"
"Enough nonsense. Let's go look around!" The two men pushed the hesitant E Kao and marched into the hot spring.
Ten minutes later, the three of them stumbled back out, trembling, faces blank, as if they had just witnessed a nightmare.
E Kao swallowed hard, shaking his head in a daze.
"Absolutely terrifying… that kind of mental impact…"
Tian Ya's hands trembled as he unzipped his pants and looked down at his shriveled member, his face a mix of despair and disbelief.
"Even if Xiao Taohong came to spend a whole month with me, I don't think I'd ever get it up again…"
Anyone would be traumatized after walking in full of excitement, only to be greeted by a crowd of naked old men and women over fifty, soaking in the hot springs and greeting them with enthusiasm.
That overwhelming contrast left Tian Ya psychologically scarred.
Suddenly remembering something, he grabbed Bu Le by the collar and growled:
"This is the best you were talking about?! Damn it! That intel cost a gold soul coin! You got it from Xi Yang Hong?!"
"No... that shouldn't be right. That guy wouldn't lie to me…"
Bu Le let himself be grabbed, mumbling in despair.
He was just as stunned, still struggling to recover.
"Let's go ask the guy at the front."
E Kao was relatively calm. Dragging the other two along, he stormed up to the smiling waiter, who calmly pulled out a price list—as if he had been expecting them.
The three of them instinctively looked at the board and saw the large print:
Public Hot Spring Area Admission: 10 Coins
Private Room Hot Spring Area Admission: 1 Gold Soul Coin
"F*ck! You're playing us!!"
Bu Le erupted in fury and lunged at the waiter's collar—only to see the man calmly lift his lapel and reveal an embroidered symbol.
Upon seeing that, Bu Le instantly calmed down. He silently pulled out three gold soul coins and handed them over.
Just three gold soul coins.
Fine. I'll endure it.
The waiter smiled like a blooming flower, pocketing the coins and bowing slightly.
Even if we let you into the private area, there's still nothing to see.
What, you gonna break into someone's room?
Bu Le gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as he turned away from the smug waiter.
As long as they could enjoy the real experience, it would all be worth it.
Not far away, the red-haired boy sipped his juice, watching the pitiful figures of the three men stagger away in horror.
Good thing I was cautious, or I'd be getting an eye infection right now.
With someone like Miss Ning's status and wealth, how could she possibly use a public hot spring?
"Ten silver soul coins and one gold soul coin... whew. Good thing I haven't spent much recently."
"No, I'm going to ask Ning Rongrong to reimburse me later."
Ma Hongjun paid reluctantly and followed the three men inside.
He didn't know where Xiao Wu and the others were, so he could only play it by ear.
On the third floor, just as he was about to continue walking, the light suddenly dimmed.
Three figures silently surrounded him, blocking off all routes.
E Kao's face darkened as he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"You've been following us since the street. What, do you have a grudge with the Three Dirty Villains?"
The red-haired boy tensed up, heart sinking.
This... might be trouble.