Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. Jian Xingzhi frowned. “Why so quiet? Know you’re in the wrong?”
“Master,” Qin Wanwan felt somewhat aggrieved. “Look carefully—right now, is it you who needs me to rescue you, or me who needs you to rescue me?”
Speaking, Qin Wanwan raised her hand and gestured around in a circle. “After just one night apart, you’ve become the leader of this assassin organization. With such capabilities, if even you could get stuck here, what would I accomplish by coming? Wouldn’t I just be delivering myself to death? But I still came!”
Qin Wanwan’s tone shifted as she recalled her own heroic deed and began admiring herself. “Knowing that if Master had gotten into trouble, coming here would be certain death for me, I still worried about you and came to Fengya Pavilion’s entrance to investigate. Such behavior is simply sharing life and death together, mutual devotion, supremely brave! Master,” Qin Wanwan raised her head and made a fist-pumping gesture in the air, “was I brave or not?”
Jian Xingzhi was stunned speechless by Qin Wanwan. All the male courtesans present looked over, gazing at Qin Wanwan with admiring eyes.
If they hadn’t just seen her running away at top speed without looking back, they might have actually believed her.
“You…”
Jian Xingzhi always felt something was wrong but couldn’t pinpoint it. After hesitating for a moment, he saw Huanxi rush in urgently. “Master, prepare quickly. In two more people, it’ll be your turn.”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi’s expression immediately changed. He glanced at the person beside him and ordered coldly, “Make arrangements.”
Before Qin Wanwan could react, she saw Jian Xingzhi lift his hem and hurriedly lead people into the inner chamber, calling to Qin Wanwan, “Beicheng, come in.”
Qin Wanwan quickly followed inside, watching dazedly as Jian Xingzhi sat before the vanity. The group of men who had looked full of murderous intent moments ago began applying makeup and dressing him. He extended his foot for one man to paint his nails, stretched out his hands for two other men to put on bracelets, tilted his head for one man to apply eyeshadow, while his hair was grabbed by another man who curled it with a heated iron rod.
“In a moment, have Huanxi take you to the main hall. I’ll win the courtesan championship in one go, be noticed by the City Lord’s Manor butler, and enter the City Lord’s Manor. That’s when you need to come out and stop it.”
“Then what?” Qin Wanwan listened seriously to her script. Jian Xingzhi pressed his lips to test the lip paper, turned his face for someone to apply blush, and seriously instructed her, “Then after you get injured, quickly escape. Before running, remember to shout that you’ll definitely come back to rescue me.”
“Why would I shout that…” Qin Wanwan didn’t understand. “What’s the purpose?”
“To make them strengthen their defenses!” Jian Xingzhi said this as if it were perfectly logical, not feeling there were any logical problems. “After I enter the City Lord’s Manor, you can come rescue me again, then get captured by them and become their prisoner!”
“And after that?”
“After that, I’ll work hard to rescue you. Don’t worry, I won’t let you die.”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
She knew it—she’d have to take the blame again.
As they spoke, Huanxi rushed in again. “Master,” he ran urgently to Jian Xingzhi. “Let’s go, everything’s ready.”
“Let’s go!”
Jian Xingzhi stood up, leading a group of people while lifting his hem and rushing out.
Qin Wanwan took a moment to recover before quickly following, walking out with Jian Xingzhi. “Master, after all this trouble, what exactly are we trying to achieve?”
“Enter the City Lord’s Manor, of course.” Jian Xingzhi glanced at her. “I’ll infiltrate first, then you come in.”
By getting arrested and imprisoned??
Qin Wanwan was full of questions, raising doubts about this unreasonable plot. “Can’t we just go in directly? Why must we be so roundabout?”
“Ask your little sprite.” Jian Xingzhi led her backstage, observing the man currently playing the qin on stage.
Qin Wanwan knew he was also doing tasks. She glanced at the stage, trying to gather more information. “Fine, we’ll split up then. But Master, how will you handle these subordinates of yours?”
“Handle them?” Jian Xingzhi turned around. Behind him, the male courtesans instantly knelt in a row, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. “Mas… Master…”
“Oh shut up, I’m not going to kill you.” Jian Xingzhi waved his hand and turned to look at the stage. “We’ll talk after I win the courtesan championship.”
“Courtesan championship?”
Qin Wanwan finally realized something was wrong. She turned to look at the elegantly qin-playing man on stage and suddenly remembered. “Master, what are you planning to perform to win the courtesan championship?”
“My unique skills, of course. Don’t worry,” Jian Xingzhi patted Qin Wanwan’s shoulder. “Every time I perform, the whole house applauds. Your master excels at everything—winning a courtesan championship is child’s play. Huanxi,” Jian Xingzhi gave Huanxi beside him a look, “take Miss Gu down and arrange a good seat for her. In a moment,” Jian Xingzhi warned her, “rescue me, but absolutely must not succeed.”
As if she could succeed.
But success was difficult while throwing the match was easy. She immediately nodded. “Master, rest assured. I’ll definitely fail.”
After the two made their plans, Huanxi led Qin Wanwan away. Just as she was leaving, Jian Xingzhi suddenly called out, “Wait.”
Qin Wanwan turned back to see Jian Xingzhi looking her up and down before asking a seemingly random question. “New dress?”
Qin Wanwan nodded blankly. “Ah.”
Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. “Not bad. When we get back, Master will buy you a few more.”
Before Qin Wanwan could process this, she heard the stage announce Jian Xingzhi’s name. “Next contestant, from Fengya Pavilion, Jian Xingzhi.”
Jian Xingzhi ran up lifting his long hem. Huanxi reminded her, “Miss Gu, let’s go.”
Qin Wanwan snapped back to attention. Huanxi led her toward the VIP seating.
38 seemed to sense something and asked quietly, “Master, will you help him with this task?”
“I’ll help,” Qin Wanwan sighed. “For the sake of pretty clothes, if I don’t help him, won’t his points go negative?”
“Master is so kind!” 38 quickly flattered her. “Helping him is helping yourself. He’s the core figure in your destiny—helping him solve problems will get you what you want.”
Ha.
Qin Wanwan didn’t want to argue with these stupid systems. If she didn’t help him, what else would she do?
But Qin Wanwan didn’t want to dwell on it. She followed Huanxi upstairs.
Fengya Pavilion had two floors, with VIP seats on the second level. As Huanxi led her upstairs, he quietly told her, “Lord Cuilu is in the room next to yours. We opened a hidden viewing hole in the partition so you can observe Lord Cuilu.”
“You’re truly meticulous,” Qin Wanwan said with a spirit of goodwill toward others, quickly praising Huanxi. “In the assassin profession, you’ll surely have a bright future.”
Hearing this, Huanxi’s movements stiffened. He laughed awkwardly. “Miss misunderstands. We… we’re all male courtesans of the pavilion, not assassins.”
“Huh?” Qin Wanwan was bewildered. “You… looking like this, you’re not assassins?”
“To be honest,” as soon as Huanxi mentioned this, his eyes reddened. He unconsciously began acting coquettishly to complain. “This servant wasn’t like this before. It’s just after Father… oh no, after Master came, he forced us to act like rough men. Miss…”
As Huanxi spoke, he lowered his head to wipe away tears. “If you have time, please talk to Master. We only know these refined arts—we really can’t do these violent things. Today in the courtyard, Master personally taught people, and over a dozen brothers ended up in the medical hall on the spot…”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
Jian Xingzhi, truly worthy of you.
As Huanxi spoke, he realized he’d said too much. He quickly wiped his tears, sniffled, and said, “I won’t say more. Master is already on stage. Please watch first.”
Qin Wanwan nodded. She wasn’t good at comforting men who cried at the drop of a hat anyway. After seeing Huanxi off, she entered the private room where a servant was already waiting. When Qin Wanwan entered, he bowed to her, served tea, and said respectfully, “Miss, please sit here.”
Qin Wanwan sat by the window. She turned to glance at the adjacent room and used her divine sense to detect three people there—one woman sitting with two others standing. The seated woman had Divine Transformation cultivation, while the two standing had Nascent Soul cultivation.
After probing with her divine sense to gauge their cultivation levels, Qin Wanwan withdrew and turned to look at the stage.
On stage, the host was introducing Jian Xingzhi, who stood to one side looking extremely confident and not at all stage-frightened, as if he’d seen such scenes countless times.
Qin Wanwan reclined in her seat, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and waited for Jian Xingzhi’s performance, actually finding it somewhat entertaining.
After introducing Jian Xingzhi, the host turned to him. “So, what talent will Young Master Jian bring us today? What will he use to move the hearts of our honored guests and earn their precious votes? Let’s give the stage to Young Master Jian!”
The audience below erupted in thunderous applause.
After all, at this kind of event, appearance was most important. In a gathering mostly of mortals, Jian Xingzhi’s face was practically unstoppable.
“This young man has spirit.”
Qin Wanwan cracked melon seeds, hearing a voice from across the way—apparently that Cuilu, her tone quite appreciative. “His appearance isn’t bad either. The City Lord likes spirited children like this.”
Of course.
Qin Wanwan rolled her eyes. With Jian Xingzhi’s looks, even uglified, he was still Jian Xingzhi—who wouldn’t like him?
As soon as Cuilu finished speaking, Jian Xingzhi’s voice came from the stage. “Everyone, today I’ll show you the most beautiful side of men, which is naturally—” As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi suddenly shed his long outer robe, leaving only a pure white single layer. He proudly raised his head, clenched his fists, flexed his muscles, and struck a martial arts starting pose. “Strength!”
The atmosphere in the venue instantly ignited. Applause thundered like rolling waves. Qin Wanwan stared dumbfounded at Jian Xingzhi as someone brought up a bench, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator carried up a huge boulder. Jian Xingzhi pointed at the bench. “Today my first act—chest crushing boulder!”
With that, he lay on the bench, had them place the boulder on top, and looked calmly at the cultivator holding the large hammer with his handsome eyes, encouraging him. “Come on!”
This is bad.
Qin Wanwan realized what was happening and immediately crawled to the hidden viewing hole to spy on Cuilu next door. She saw Cuilu holding a teacup, staring blankly at Jian Xingzhi, seemingly shocked.
One hammer strike down, and the boulder on Jian Xingzhi’s chest shattered to dust. He calmly stood up and, amid everyone’s cheers, raised his hand to steady the crowd. “Second act—blindfolded dart throwing!”
A person bound to a spinning wheel was pushed onto the stage. Jian Xingzhi covered his eyes with black cloth, pulled ten darts from his sleeve, and began throwing with his eyes closed.
The audience below erupted in cheers, but these cheers were abnormally excited—the kind of excitement you’d see from street performance crowds, completely out of place with the previous courtesan selection atmosphere.
The various courtesan selection contestants who had just been playing instruments and dancing stared blankly at Jian Xingzhi. After he performed twenty consecutive backflips, they numbly raised their hands to applaud.
Amazing, truly amazing.
At that moment, Qin Wanwan saw Cuilu frown, seeming displeased.
She turned her head, raised her hand to block the viewing hole, set up a barrier, and painfully asked the servant attending her in a low voice, “What do people usually perform at courtesan selections? Didn’t anyone tell him?”
“They did,” the servant’s face showed bitterness. “He said men who play instruments, dance, paint, or play flutes have no appeal. He wanted to use extraordinary methods to win spectacularly.”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan raised her hand to cover her forehead.
Other people’s refined gentlemen have no appeal, but his chest-crushing boulders, blindfolded dart throwing, and consecutive backflips do?!
No, she had to do something. She must make the plot continue, have this Cuilu take a liking to Jian Xingzhi, buy him with a high price, then she’d compete with Cuilu for him, get defeated and flee in panic, shouting “You just wait, I’ll definitely come back!” before leaving.
Looking at Cuilu’s expression, she clearly didn’t like men like Jian Xingzhi. Qin Wanwan immediately turned to the servant beside her. “Do you know what kind of men Butler Cuilu likes?”
The servant was stunned, then blushed. “This servant heard…”
“Speak.”
“This servant heard Father Qingzhu say that when Butler Cuilu selects people, she likes those who are pure outside the bedroom but in bed…” The servant didn’t continue, then lowered his voice. “So to please Butler Cuilu, Father Qingzhu spent a fortune to buy a Seduction Bone Insect, saying he planned to use it on Master, but we don’t know if he used it or not…”
“Seduction Bone Insect?” Qin Wanwan frowned. “What’s that?”
“It’s, well, something for training people,” the servant said with lowered head. “People infected with the Seduction Bone Insect carry a strange fragrance. After the insect is planted, whoever feeds them a drop of blood will make that person extremely sensitive to the blood-feeder afterward. Each month they can only calm down after drinking the blood-feeder’s blood, and they’ll be dependent for life.”
This thing sounded rather stimulating.
But this thing probably reflected Cuilu’s taste in selecting people.
Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, glanced at Jian Xingzhi who was still on stage performing a palm strike breaking ten bricks, and quickly had the servant find someone. “Do you have any picture albums, specifically of beauties, with less clothing, more provocative poses, but not spring palace paintings?”
“Yes.”
If brothels lacked anything else, they had plenty of such stimulating items.
“Bring them, quickly!”
Qin Wanwan urged the servant, who immediately had someone fetch the albums. After getting them, Qin Wanwan closed her eyes, visualized Jian Xingzhi’s Celestial Realm face in her mind, placed her hand over the face of the person in the album, and began chanting an incantation.
Moments later, the face in the album transformed into Jian Xingzhi’s appearance.
Qin Wanwan glanced at the album. On the cover was a man half-reclining on a small couch, with red silk passing from his wrist to strategically cover key areas. Beyond that, he wore nothing, his eyes looking forward in a dazed manner, appearing extremely alluring.
And this face was now Jian Xingzhi’s.
Moreover, it was the Upper Realm Jian Xingzhi—you could vaguely see it was the same person now on stage, but compared to the stage performer, this version had an additional touch of aloof stunning beauty.
But an album was still an album, completely lacking the aura of a real person. However, it was enough to fool these people.
Qin Wanwan looked at the album with satisfaction. The servant who saw the picture froze. Qin Wanwan selected a few mediocre spring palace paintings, changed the people in them to today’s contestants, then handed the albums to the servant. “Quickly have Huanxi deliver these albums to Cuilu. Tell them it’s a gift from Fengya Pavilion for selecting the courtesan champion and casting votes.”
Hearing this, the servant immediately understood Qin Wanwan’s scheme. He nodded. “Miss, rest assured. This servant will handle it immediately.”
With that, the servant withdrew. At that moment, Jian Xingzhi finally finished his performance. The entire competition venue had been completely transformed by him into a variety show scene. Everyone applauded vigorously and cheered loudly. Jian Xingzhi nodded with satisfaction, walked down from the stage barefoot carrying a wooden sword, draped on an outer robe, and happily ran toward Qin Wanwan’s room.
Qin Wanwan lay against the viewing hole spying on Cuilu and saw her chatting lazily with the person beside her. “Today’s courtesan selection is really rather boring. With candidates of this caliber, how can I choose anyone for the City Lord?”
“Wasn’t that Jian Xingzhi quite good-looking?” The person pouring tea for Cuilu thought aloud. “Though he’s rather uncouth, his appearance…”
“What good is good looks?” Cuilu sighed. “No charm at all. As soon as he opened his mouth, I was reminded of my brat at home when he was eight years old—makes me want to hit him. How could he serve anyone?”
Exactly right.
Qin Wanwan mentally agreed with Cuilu.
As Cuilu spoke, Huanxi knocked on the door and delivered the albums.
Cuilu casually received the albums, about to say something, when her eyes went wide.
She stared blankly at Jian Xingzhi in the album as blood flowed from her nose.
“Lord Cuilu!”
Seeing Cuilu’s nosebleed, the servants immediately panicked. Those fetching handkerchiefs fetched handkerchiefs, those bringing water brought water. The room descended into chaos. Watching Cuilu’s wooden, dazed expression as she stared at the album, Qin Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief.
Thinking the matter was settled and Cuilu would summon Jian Xingzhi to the manor, she finally relaxed. Turning around, she saw a young man crouching behind her. Startled, she instinctively wanted to cry out but was stopped by him raising his hand to cover her mouth, forcing the sound back.
Qin Wanwan slowly calmed down. Seeing she’d realized who it was, Jian Xingzhi finally lowered his hand and gestured with his chin toward the viewing hole. “How’s the situation?”
“Very good.”
Qin Wanwan saw he was wearing only a single layer, draped with a blue outer robe, his face covered in fine beads of sweat. She frowned with some disgust. “Why do you look like you were fished out of water?”
With that, she tossed her handkerchief to him. “Wipe yourself.”
Jian Xingzhi wasn’t polite. Taking her handkerchief, he wiped the sweat from his face, stood up with her, quite proud. “How was my performance?”
“Very good.”
Qin Wanwan supported herself as she stood. Since the matter was resolved anyway, she was too lazy to dampen Jian Xingzhi’s confidence. Jian Xingzhi believed her completely, using her handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his neck. “They all say to play the qin and paint. I say, what could move hearts more than being strong!”
“Oh.”
Qin Wanwan sat to the side to pour tea. After wiping his sweat, Jian Xingzhi returned the handkerchief to her. “Here you go.”
“Don’t want it anymore.” Qin Wanwan turned her head. As her movement stirred the air, she strangely caught a scent from the handkerchief.
This scent was a subtle fragrance similar to orchids, but with an indescribably alluring undertone.
Qin Wanwan was stunned for a moment, stood up, and moved closer to Jian Xingzhi.
Jian Xingzhi instinctively backed away, blocking Qin Wanwan who was sniffing around. “What are you smelling?”
“Why are you so fragrant?”
Qin Wanwan was puzzled. “You weren’t this fragrant before.”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi froze. He seemed to remember something, his face alternating between pale and flushed. “Why do you care about this? Quickly prepare for your part. Soon Cuilu will take a liking to me. As soon as she makes an offer, you go out and say you’re taking me away!”
“Oh.”
Qin Wanwan nodded. Jian Xingzhi tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve. “I’m going to wait for them to announce the rankings. I’m off.”
With that, Jian Xingzhi walked out. Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, her eyes widening. “Could he have been infected with the Seduction Bone Insect?”
That wasn’t something Jian Xingzhi should have.
But with Jian Xingzhi’s appearance, he clearly was meant to be sent to Cuilu. Qingzhu died so quickly, and now Jian Xingzhi carried this strange fragrance…
Qin Wanwan’s mind filled with chaotic thoughts, and she actually felt somewhat guilty.
“Yesterday I shouldn’t have abandoned him…”
Qin Wanwan pondered. “Although he’s selfish and domineering, as a person… he’s actually not bad. He even thought about buying me clothes. Was I being too excessive?”
“But he hit you. If not for him, you wouldn’t be here.” 38 reminded Qin Wanwan. “Master, you’re really too soft-hearted.”
After 38’s words, Qin Wanwan’s movements paused. After a moment, she sighed. “Forget it, won’t think about it.”
Not long after Jian Xingzhi left the room, the competition entered the final scoring phase. Fengya Pavilion gave everyone a wooden box. Each contestant had their own wooden plaque—placing a contestant’s plaque into the box counted as voting for them. When voting, one would simultaneously make a bid. Whoever received the most votes would be the courtesan champion, and whoever bid the highest for a contestant could take that man away tonight.
Qin Wanwan unhesitatingly chose Jian Xingzhi, then made a minimum bid of one spirit stone.
Afterward, she lay against the viewing hole to observe Cuilu.
The album had a huge impact on Cuilu, but Jian Xingzhi’s performance also had a huge impact on Cuilu. So Cuilu held Jian Xingzhi’s plaque and another man’s plaque, somewhat hesitant and indecisive.
She’d already bid a price of 1000 high-grade spirit stones. Now she just had to choose whom to select. She wavered back and forth, placing Jian Xingzhi’s plaque on the wooden box one moment, then placing the other man’s plaque on it the next.
Each time Cuilu hesitated, Qin Wanwan grew more nervous. She watched Cuilu waver back and forth as time gradually passed and the wooden box’s glow grew increasingly faint.
This voting box had a time limit—if no vote was cast within fifteen minutes, it would lose its effectiveness.
Seeing time running out, Cuilu gritted her teeth and finally made her decision. “Forget it, albums aren’t as important as the real person. Let’s go with Fengqin.”
With that, Cuilu moved to place the other plaque into the wooden box.
Seeing this, Qin Wanwan didn’t have time to think. She flicked out a spell, and vines suddenly grew on the wooden box, grabbing Jian Xingzhi’s plaque and pressing it down directly.
At that very moment, a white snake burst through the wall from Cuilu’s hand, chasing straight toward Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan jumped back in shock, raising her sword to block the white snake’s strike. The white snake suddenly enlarged and slammed Qin Wanwan flying backward!
Jian Xingzhi only heard a loud crash from above. He looked up to see Qin Wanwan falling. Jian Xingzhi instantly appeared beside her, caught her with one hand, and tossed her upward while simultaneously pressing down on the white snake’s enlarged jaw with his other hand. His hand condensed sword qi and slashed across!
Thrown upward by Jian Xingzhi, Qin Wanwan hadn’t yet reacted when she heard a loud shout. “Miss Qin!”
As the voice fell, someone caught her waist and pulled her into an embrace.
Qin Wanwan looked up dazedly to see a young man’s handsome, upright face. He wore purple robes with a jade crown, his expression calm. Qin Wanwan murmured, “Daojun Xie…”
Fireworks went “bang” around them. Petals fell from above as the crowd cheered. Qin Wanwan stared blankly at the young man’s handsome face, feeling as if ambiguous background music played around them, making her heart race and her face heat up.
As soon as they landed, Xie Gutang withdrew the hand supporting her waist and smiled. “Miss Qin, long time no see.”
“Mm… Xie…” Qin Wanwan lowered her head, face flushed. Before she could finish speaking, there was a loud “crash” behind Xie Gutang. The ground shook violently. Xie Gutang instinctively steadied the stumbling Qin Wanwan, then frowned and turned around. At the moment he turned, before he could see anything clearly, someone kicked him directly in the face, accompanied by Jian Xingzhi’s furious roar. “Dare to molest my disciple—die!!”
—
**Author’s Note:**
**[Mini Theater]**
Jian Xingzhi: “Dare touch my wife—die!!!”
Qin Wanwan: “Husband, kneel!”
Jian Xingzhi immediately kneels: “Sorry, Daojun Xie. I generally don’t hit people, unless I can’t hold back.”
Xie Gutang: “…The times you ‘can’t hold back’ are a bit too frequent.”