The illusory realm's opening hadn't provided detailed information, but Li Qiuchen estimated the trial only lasted the length of this one night.
Otherwise there would be no reason for an unending series of plot developnts to trigger just while he was trying to take a quiet nap with his wife.
So tonight had to be the night for clearing the trial. Either he got through them, or they got through him.
The young woman standing in the doorway wore a plain white jacket-skirt, her gaze empty, her bearing cool and distant, like a divine statue that could be admired from afar but not approached. She stood in stark contrast to Zisu.
If the rich course didn't work, they were sending in the light course?
Li Qiuchen was genuinely curious about what Lord He did in his daily life.
"Sister Yilan..."
Qingqing poked her small head out from behind Li Qiuchen and muttered quietly, "Why is the Mistress still awake at this hour?"
The woman in white looked at her once, silently, and Qingqing fell imdiately quiet.
"Scholar, please follow ."
Her voice was translucent and still, like mountain spring water.
Li Qiuchen smiled and asked, "May I bring Qingqing along?"
"You may."
"Then please lead the way."
The woman in white led Li Qiuchen through halls and corridors and into one of the manor's larger buildings. Looking ahead, it was lit up brilliantly inside, the candlelight making it bright as day.
Walking into the main hall, Li Qiuchen looked up to find a young woman in rich crimson robes with a gentle, refined bearing seated in the central chair. Beside her stood a young girl about Tang Xiaoxue's age, with loose yellow hair framing her face, looking completely innocent and unworldly.
Well.
How exactly should he describe Lord He as a person?
Never mind, good person, safe and sound life, not much else worth saying.
When the mistress saw Li Qiuchen enter, she rose with a smile. "Forgive
for disturbing scholar's rest. I must apologize. However, I just heard that Zisu borrowed scholar's wayfaring coin, and used it to find out whether that villain is living or dead. In a sense, this has resolved a deep worry that has hung over every person in our manor. So I specifically invited scholar here to offer my personal thanks."
Li Qiuchen waved a hand. "It was a small matter, not worth ntioning. In any case, that wayfaring coin was a token of affection I gave to my wife, and it was she who passed it on to Miss Zisu. There is no need to thank . If thanks are owed, they belong to my wife."
Qingqing, walking behind Li Qiuchen, straightened her posture with pride.
The mistress glanced at Qingqing and shook her head. "This girl has absolutely no discretion. The very mont she t you she revealed all the household's secrets to a complete stranger. It's only fortunate that scholar has a good heart. If you had been a bad person, how would anyone in this manor have remained intact? Not punishing her is already rcy. How could there be any thanks to give her!"
"As for the arrangent between the two of you, it was no more than a spoken promise. Scholar need not take it so seriously. Each of the sisters in my manor has her own particular qualities. Tonight, scholar may choose any of them to spend the night with, as a way for us to repay scholar's kindness."
All of it for free?
Li Qiuchen shook his head firmly. "They say even a single night as husband and wife creates an obligation lasting a hundred days. Having promised to be Qingqing's husband, I have no intention of looking at any other woman."
The mistress covered her smile with her hand. "Scholar needn't worry that we are still planning to take your yang energy. To repay scholar's kindness, I've already spoken with everyone. Tonight it will simply be genuine service. No harm will co to scholar's body."
This considerate? Not even asking for yang energy?
Li Qiuchen said with respectful curiosity, "With the Mistress showing such warmth, this student genuinely doesn't know how to decline. If I may ask, how many sisters are there in this manor? Could you introduce them to ?"
The mistress smiled. "Just these few sisters who depend on each other. You've already t all of them today."
"Zisu, Yilan, co in."
The two won pushed open the door and entered.
The mistress rested a hand on the head of the young girl beside her, and said to Li Qiuchen, "This is little Ying. And then there is Qingqing. Scholar may reconsider your choice. One of them, or two... all is permissible. Tonight, we sisters will make certain scholar has no regrets."
Five Lotus Manor, five female ghosts, all accounted for.
The mature one, the blank-faced one, the childhood sweetheart type, the married woman, and the...
Li Qiuchen drew a deep breath.
Who said this slip had no difficulty? The difficulty was thoroughly present.
What had Master Qin ant? What did he an by this was simple for him?
Simply because he had extensive experience managing young misses?
Whether he could hold up through this round, he honestly wasn't sure.
It seed like any choice would leave so regret behind.
Leave regret behind, and wouldn't that damage the Dao Heart?
He was not going to let a Trial Failed screen pop up on him at the last mont after all of this. If that happened, he would sooner give up cultivation entirely and fight this to the death.
"If I said I intend to remain faithful to Qingqing alone, I imagine the Mistress would not accept that either?"
The mistress smiled. "With all of us sisters gathered here, if scholar truly holds firm in his original commitnt, that is genuinely admirable character and we would not make things difficult for scholar. However, each of us sisters considers herself no less than Qingqing in any respect, and Qingqing simply had the advantage of going first. If scholar truly chooses only Qingqing, we would need a reason we can accept."
Li Qiuchen raised an eyebrow. "Is faithfulness not a legitimate reason in itself?"
"It is certainly legitimate. But we cannot accept it."
The mistress smiled gently. "We have seen a great many n in this world. Talk of lifelong faithfulness strikes us as nothing but empty performance. If scholar could swear an oath, guaranteeing that every word you speak cos from genuine sincerity with nothing concealed, and that failure to uphold it would an your prospects for achievent and advancent in this life would end here, then in that case... we might be able to accept it."
Li Qiuchen felt a sudden sharp alertness.
This was a trap.
On the surface it spoke of success in the examinations, but in reality it referred to his trial rating.
Once he accepted this frawork, if he told a single untruth after swearing the oath, his composure score would inevitably suffer damage.
But a trap was not necessarily all bad.
The existence of a trap ant he had made contact with the actual substance of the question.
After a mont's thought, Li Qiuchen said with a smile, "Swearing that oath isn't difficult."
Qingqing imdiately beca anxious. "Husband! You..."
"It's all right. Husband and wife are one. Trust your husband."
Li Qiuchen smiled at Qingqing, then turned back with a serious expression. "However, before I swear any oath, there is one condition. The Mistress and each of the young ladies may also hold nothing back from . For every truth I speak, you speak a truth in return. Whoever speaks a falsehood automatically withdraws from this ga and ceases to trouble my wife and . What do you say?"
The mistress exchanged glances with the won present, then nodded with a smile. "Scholar's ga has a certain appeal. Whoever speaks falsehood loses their standing and withdraws. I find it quite fair. Though the rules are perhaps a bit rough around the edges. My suggestion would be..."
"If you can't handle the ga, just say so."
Li Qiuchen smiled. "Everyone here is a person of standing. A mutually willing ga of wits is an elegant affair. But if small, underhanded tricks were to be employed, all the interest would be lost. Would it not be entirely reasonable for a young lady of that sort to be refused by ?"
"And how would scholar determine whether what we say is true or false?"
"The young ladies themselves know in their own hearts whether they are speaking truthfully. If you were all to conspire together to deceive , an outsider, I would have no way to stop it. But I believe my wife is absolutely not on the sa side as the rest of you."
Li Qiuchen turned to look at Qingqing. "Wife, can I trust that you are on my side?"
"Of course! If any of them dares tell a lie, I'll expose it on the spot!"
Qingqing said with righteous conviction, "Husband and wife united, nothing can stand against us!"
The mistress sighed. "You girl, always leaning the wrong way. et one man and you forget who you are entirely. Do the bonds of sisterhood built over so many years really count for less than one night with a stranger? Very well. How does this ga begin? Please demonstrate for us, scholar."
Li Qiuchen smiled calmly and said to Qingqing, "Wife, I'll ask you one question, and you may ask
one in return. Neither of us is allowed to lie. That counts as one round. Does that work?"
Zisu laughed mockingly from the side. "How do you know your own wife won't deceive you?"
"She's perfectly welco to deceive . I'll believe whatever she says. What of it?"
"Husband~"
Qingqing's eyes brimd with moved tears. "Don't worry. I would never deceive you. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you everything."
"Have you ever had another man before?"
"Absolutely not!"
Qingqing's tone was completely firm. "Husband is the first man I've ever had in my entire life!"
Li Qiuchen nodded with a smile. "Good. Now it's your turn to ask
sothing."
Qingqing looked blank. "What should I ask you?"
"Anything at all."
"Then husband, do you still have money in your pocket?"
"I do."
"Hehehehe."
Watching this ridiculous couple perform their mutual adoration in front of everyone, Zisu couldn't help an exaggerated eye-roll. "There's throwing a ga and there's throwing a ga. Qingqing, have you any dignity at all?"
"If no one has any objections, let's formally begin. Those who prefer not to speak truthfully are welco to withdraw voluntarily."
Li Qiuchen cleared his throat and took the initiative to settle himself into the seat across from the mistress. "All this conversation has left my mouth rather dry. Mistress ntioned tea. Where might that tea be?"
The mistress smiled. "I didn't expect scholar to actually co for the tea. How remiss of . Qingqing, go boil so water and brew scholar the finest tea leaves we have. The rest of us will keep scholar company in conversation."
Qingqing imdiately beca anxious. "Husband, perhaps you could bear with it for now. If I go to boil water, and the others try to deceive you, there'll be no one here to help you tell truth from lies."
"It's fine. Go boil the water."
Li Qiuchen smiled. "Even if they deceive , I'll take it for the truth and that's that."
Once Qingqing had reluctantly taken her leave, and the other young won had gathered around, Li Qiuchen turned his gaze directly to the mistress and spoke without preamble. "May I ask the Mistress's na?"
The mistress looked mildly surprised. "Has the ga already begun?"
"If you feel it has, then it has."
"Scholar is truly considerate of others. My given na is Hongluan. Though scholar may continue to address
as Mistress. This question need not count toward the ga."
"Very well. Then I'll substitute a different question. Miss Hongluan, are you truly the young mistress of Five Lotus Manor, the one who beca a widow on the very first night of her marriage?"
The mont Li Qiuchen asked it, an imdiate change passed across the mistress's expression.
[NEXT CHAPTER]
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