Chapter 11: Xiao ier
Lin Xiaowan returned to the private room on the third floor, feeling quite satisfied with tonight’s performance. That Honggu indeed had so skill.
With all sorts of arrangents, the debut tonight had achieved remarkable results.
Such talent in stage design—even if placed in her original world—would have made one a renowned figure.
Before long, the door was knocked. Honggu entered almost stepping on excitent, her face radiant, looking several years younger than usual.
“Miss Xu! It’s done, a huge success!” Honggu lowered her voice, yet could not conceal her delight. “You left early—you didn’t see the reactions below! So many pairs of eyes were staring straight at you! It has only just ended, and already countless people have been asking about you, both openly and secretly… tsk tsk, the prices they’re offering—each more shocking than the last!”
A subtle stir arose in Lin Xiaowan’s heart, and a trace of hidden anticipation surfaced.
The opportunity for large-scale Dual Cultivation had finally co?!
How many could there be tonight? At last, she could use the Primordial Yang of these nobles and even disciples of cultivators to rapidly increase her cultivation…
However, Honggu’s next words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing her freshly ignited thoughts.
“But I’ve turned them all down!” Honggu’s eyes glead with shrewdness, her tone decisive. “The easier sothing is obtained, the less it is worth. We must keep them hanging, raise their appetite higher and higher! Let them itch with desire yet be unable to obtain it. I have a feeling tonight’s increase is only the beginning.”
Lin Xiaowan understood—this was indeed a common thod in the pleasure quarters to raise one’s value.
Her expression remained unchanged as she gave a slight nod.
However, Honggu’s tone shifted, and a trace of helplessness and apprehension appeared on her face. “Only… there is one person we truly cannot refuse, and dare not refuse.”
“Who?”
“The second young master of the Qin Family, Qin Bai.” Honggu sighed softly. “You saw it too—he was sitting right in the front earlier. Not only is he one of the Qin Family, one of the backers of Drunken Immortal Pavilion, but also… sigh, in short, soone we absolutely cannot afford to offend. He has already sent word—at Midnight Hour tonight, he will co to your room to spend the night.”
Lin Xiaowan felt no disturbance in her heart—she even thought this might be a good beginning.
Qin Bai possessed a spiritual root and was also a mber of a great family. The quality of his Primordial Yang would surely far surpass that of ordinary people.
She nodded. “I understand.”
Seeing her so calm, Honggu was instead a little surprised. Then, with the concern of soone experienced, she stepped forward and softened her tone. “My good girl, today is, after all… your first ti. Don’t be nervous or afraid—it’s only natural! Every woman goes through this. Though Young Master Qin has a sowhat romantic reputation, he is not a crude man who doesn’t know how to cherish beauty. Just follow along a bit, don’t resist too much, or you may suffer.”
Lin Xiaowan lowered her eyes at the right mont, her long lashes trembling slightly, a faint blush rising on her face—feigning a trace of innocence and unease from inexperience—as she softly responded with an “Mm.”
Seeing this, Honggu felt sowhat reassured. After giving a few more instructions, she hurriedly left—she still had to deal with those guests outside, all stirred up with different intentions.
The door closed, and the room returned to silence. The blush on Lin Xiaowan’s face instantly faded, replaced by clarity and calm.
The opportunity for Dual Cultivation had arrived—and the target was even a Qin Family disciple with a spiritual root. This was better than expected.
However, another, more hidden matter surfaced in her mind.
The Profound Essence Scripture had a peculiar trait—every night at the Midnight Hour, her body would undergo an extrely subtle transformation. Her damaged Primordial Yin would actually restore itself to perfection, returning her to an intact state.
This seed to be so mysterious self-protection chanism of the Profound Essence Scripture, intended to lock in the Primordial Yin and lay the purest foundation for cultivation.
For cultivators, this was naturally an enormous benefit—it ant she could almost endlessly utilize this “innate foundation.”
But in this Drunken Immortal Pavilion, if a courtesan were a virgin every single night? That would not be a curiosity—it would be sothing demonic and sinister, enough to bring catastrophic disaster.
These past few days, she had been trying to control it—to slow down or even stop the “restoration” of her intact state at the Midnight Hour.
The process had gone far more smoothly than she expected. It seed the Profound Essence Scripture itself possessed a certain “restrained” nature, allowing her to interfere with this periodic “reset.”
Otherwise, she might truly have had to “handle” it herself every day—that would have been the real trouble.
Just as she was deep in thought, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the corridor outside, accompanied by a woman’s raised voice, tinged with tears, approaching from afar:
“Xu Fu! Xu Fu, you vixen, get out here! Was it you?! Was it you who seduced Young Master Qin away?!”
The voice was very familiar—it was the girl next door, nad Xiao ier.
It seed the news that Qin Bai had changed his destination tonight had already reached her ears.
The door was knocked on rudely.
Lin Xiaowan frowned slightly but did not respond imdiately.
Seeing that she did not open the door, Xiao ier grew even more furious. “Don’t hide inside and stay silent! I saw everything! When you left the stage, you deliberately moved toward Young Master Qin! And even turned back to smile! Acting all aloof, but underneath you’re just a shaless flirt! Using such despicable tricks to seduce n!”
So… that natural seductive charm of hers had been an act?
Lin Xiaowan had no interest in this kind of jealous quarrel, but hearing Xiao ier’s exasperated state outside, a trace of mischievous amusent arose in her heart.
She leisurely walked over and opened the door.
Outside, Xiao ier had clearly just cried. Her makeup was slightly smudged, her beautiful eyes red and swollen as she glared at Lin Xiaowan through gritted teeth. Behind her stood two flustered little maids.
Leaning against the doorfra with her arms crossed, Lin Xiaowan sized her up before speaking in a clear, cool voice: “Sister ier’s words are quite interesting. Where Young Master Qin chooses to go—is that sothing I, a newcor who has only been here a few days and has not even spoken to him, can influence? Sister has been serving Young Master Qin for quite so ti, I presu—if you cannot keep his heart, why bla instead?”
“You!” Xiao ier choked on her words, her face flushing red. “Don’t try to be sharp-tongued here! If not for your deliberate showing off today—”
“Showing off?” Lin Xiaowan lightly interrupted, a faint smile curling her lips. “Do you an playing the zither? That was Honggu’s arrangent. Or the clothes? Those were also prepared by Honggu. If Sister thinks it was showing off, perhaps you should ask Honggu why she arranged for to ‘show off’? Or could it be…”
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear, “that Sister feels she has danced for so long, yet is not as good as my single piece on the zither… and so feels unwilling to accept it?”
The words struck directly at the heart.
Xiao ier trembled with anger, pointing at Lin Xiaowan. “You… how dare you! Just a newcor who has only just appeared, and you dare to be so arrogant!”
“Newcor or not, what matters is who the patron likes.” Lin Xiaowan straightened, her tone calm—yet all the more infuriating.
“You say Young Master Qin likes you?! Wishful thinking! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Xiao ier, unable to argue, began to verge on throwing a tantrum. “Young Master Qin personally said he likes the most!”
Lin Xiaowan had deliberately attracted Qin Bai purely for the sake of Dual Cultivation. She had not the slightest intention of competing for favor, so she spoke without any psychological burden—naturally standing in an undefeated position.
After a few exchanges, Xiao ier was rendered speechless, a surge of frustration clogging her chest. Both aggrieved and furious, she burst into tears with a wail, stamping her foot. “You… you’ve gone too far!”
Just as the quarrel escalated, Honggu hurried over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the scene, her head imdiately began to ache.
“Oh my little ancestors! What is all this about now!” Honggu quickly stepped forward, first pulling the tearful Xiao ier aside and soothing her gently. “ier, stop crying, your makeup is all ruined… whatever it is, let’s talk properly.”
Xiao ier sobbed as she complained, nothing more than accusations that Lin Xiaowan had deliberately seduced and spoken harshly.
While patting Xiao ier’s back to comfort her, Honggu looked up at Lin Xiaowan, who still stood with arms crossed, appearing completely unconcerned, and said helplessly, “Oh my good girl! You should say a little less as well.” Then she turned back to Xiao ier and spoke softly, “ier, be good. You know Young Master Qin is one of the major patrons of our Drunken Immortal Pavilion. If he says he wants to see soone, how could I dare say ‘no’? You’ve always been the most sensible—try to understand my difficulties. Tonight his interest is with Xu Fu, perhaps just for sothing new. In a few days, he might rember your good again. Don’t cry anymore—go back to your room first. I’ll have soone bring you a bowl of chilled lotus seed soup to cool you down.”
With both coaxing and reasoning, mixing benefits with emotion, she finally managed to persuade the sobbing Xiao ier back to the neighboring room.
Lin Xiaowan had only been teasing her. Seeing her leave, she closed the door again.
In the corridor, Honggu leaned against the door and let out a long sigh. Rubbing her temples, she took out a bronze mirror and looked at herself.
“How did I grow another wrinkle? Oh dear, this… there’s another one… sigh! I was once the top courtesan of this pavilion, yet now I’ve fallen to this state. Managing these girls is truly exhausting…”
Covering her face, deeply distressed, Honggu put away the mirror and walked downstairs.
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