AVL Chapter 47

After more than half an hour, Xi Jianlan still hadn’t returned. Sheng Jiao stood up without a word and walked out.

 

Ying Zhuo said coldly: “Shixiong told us to wait here.”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t even acknowledge him and swept out like the wind.

 

Ying Zhuo watched his retreating figure, silently grinding his teeth.

 

With Xi Jianlan’s abilities, he’d probably already broken into the third floor. Sheng Jiao walked with an impassive face to find the stairs leading to the third floor and was about to go up.

 

The three young men in the corner who were waiting to watch Xi Jianlan make a fool of himself were about to doze off when they saw this and hurried to stop him.

 

“Hey hey! Wait! Fellow lustful daoist!”

 

Sheng Jiao looked over expressionlessly.

 

The three were stunned, frightened by that cold gaze and shivering in unison.

 

Sheng Jiao treated Liu Changxing’s grim sword intent as nothing, his robes fluttering as he stepped onto the third floor.

 

The three young men looked at each other and laughed dryly.

 

“Hahaha, this one is definitely a great expert! Void Return realm!”

 

“Too scary. It’s definitely not that we’re cowards.”

 

“Yes, yes, maybe even the Great Ascension realm.”

 

The great expert surnamed Sheng walked up to the third floor with a dark face. Before he’d taken two steps, a sharp sword intent suddenly struck, its cold gleam hitting Sheng Jiao’s protective barrier. The sharp ripples instantly shattered the teacups on the table to powder.

 

Sheng Jiao’s gaze didn’t move at all as his thumb lightly flicked Winter Snow’s sword guard.

 

“Clang”—a crisp sound.

 

Sheng Jiao said coldly: “Where is Xi Jue?”

 

Liu Changxing’s sword was already unsheathed, the cold intent in his eyes like the last ray of sunlight covered by dusk as he said lightly: “After not seeing each other for so long, don’t you want to catch up with an old classmate?”

 

Sheng Jiao was completely impatient.

 

Winter Snow, only half an inch unsheathed, suddenly let out a violent humming. Even its sword intent carried cold, sharp blue lightning patterns, and the pearl curtains hanging by the bed whirled and flew away.

 

Liu Changxing hadn’t been able to get that sickly Xi Jianlan to draw his sword, but now seeing that Sheng Jiao was actually preparing to fight him, he immediately became excited and boldly drew his sword to charge forward.

 

“Clang—”

 

A crisp ringing sound by his ear.

 

The jade crown in Liu Changxing’s hair shattered on impact, his black hair flying wildly and covering his entire face.

 

Liu Changxing: “……”

 

Sheng Jiao methodically sheathed his sword.

 

He had only drawn once, without a single word of nonsense, and still said: “Xi Jue.”

 

“Xi Jue, Xi Jue.” Liu Changxing’s excitement had just risen before being forced down. He sheathed his sword with a dark face, saying coldly: “All you know is calling for Xi Jue. Is he your sword or your dao companion?”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t want to waste words with a pure sword cultivator like Liu Changxing. The Tianyan pearls in his hand flashed with crackling light, suddenly pointing toward a room nearby.

 

Liu Changxing was stunned.

 

Sheng Jiao wasn’t as delicate as Xi Jianlan and was too lazy to engage in a battle of wits with Liu Changxing. He strode forward with brute force.

 

“Wait! Wait!” Liu Changxing hurried to stop him. “If you want to enter, you must take one sword strike from me!”

 

Sheng Jiao frowned, seeming to find this statement very confusing.

 

Hadn’t he already cut off Liu Changxing’s jade crown just now?

 

Liu Changxing noticed Sheng Jiao’s gaze seemed to be wandering over his disheveled long hair. Tears began flowing down without warning as he said incredulously: “You actually humiliated me like this!”

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

“Boom—”

 

Separated by only a wall, Xi Jianlan was shaken and stumbled, steadied by someone nearby.

 

The tower master of Hongchen Shijun Tower was simply called Hongchen—a seductive and beautiful woman.

 

She wore red robes with heavy makeup, her waist swaying gracefully as she led Xi Jianlan forward. Fanning herself, she occasionally glanced at Xi Jianlan’s face, clicking her tongue: “…It’s still that face of yours. In all my years in Nine Heavens City, I’ve never seen someone so… tsk.”

 

As Hongchen spoke, she admiringly touched Xi Jianlan’s cheek, liking what she saw more and more.

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan was currently using the face he’d worn when escaping from Sheng Jiao at Guchangsi Temple—the red mole at the corner of his eye was striking, and when his lashes swept down, they seemed to spread that bright red into an enchanting blush.

 

His toes went numb from the tremor. He looked back, wondering if Sheng Jiao had grown impatient and was breaking down the door.

 

Hongchen pushed open a door and called to him: “Jiaojiao, come.”

 

Xi Jianlan instinctively responded: “Coming.”

 

After responding and coming to his senses, he nearly wanted to slap himself.

 

Xi Jianlan had thought Hongchen would take him to see Xun Niang, but stepping inside, he found it was a makeup pavilion.

 

Hongchen instructed a girl standing with lowered head nearby: “Yaoyao, do his makeup.”

 

The girl named Yaoyao bowed: “Yes.”

 

Xi Jianlan got a headache seeing the dazzling array of rouge and powder. The courtesan selection would probably only take a moment, but this makeup and costume fitting could take several hours.

 

“Miss Hongchen.” Xi Jianlan stopped Hongchen as she was about to leave, saying sincerely: “I won’t hide it from you…”

 

He hesitated, then said: “…I’m actually a man.”

 

Hongchen looked at him incredulously: “Dear, where did you get the confidence to think you disguised yourself as a woman well?”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan stopped softening his voice and asked in surprise: “You knew?”

 

“Of course.” Hongchen used her round fan to gently lift Xi Jianlan’s chin, staring at his face up and down like appreciating a painting, saying softly: “Besides, Southern Territory women are often petite in stature. Your figure is so tall and slender, and your features are obviously those of a man. Sister has seen countless beauties in Nine Heavens City all these years—did you really think you could fool me?”

 

Xi Jianlan looked at her with almost reverent eyes.

 

This was… the first time someone had called his figure tall and slender!

 

“Then why does sister still want me to compete for courtesan in the pleasure house?”

 

Hongchen covered her lips with her fan and laughed softly, casually opening a window nearby: “Jiaojiao, come look.”

 

Lan Jiaojiao was still happy about being called “tall and slender” and didn’t reject this name. He slowly walked over and looked down in the direction Hongchen’s fan pointed.

 

Below the pleasure house was a bustling long street, packed with people because of the upcoming courtesan competition.

 

The passersby were of all kinds—people from all thirteen provinces were there. It could indeed be called a mixed crowd.

 

Xi Jianlan glanced down but couldn’t see anything special.

 

Hongchen gazed down at the dense crowd below like watching ants, saying lightly: “Though the thirteen provinces have many great families and clans, most are still ordinary cultivators.”

 

Xi Jianlan leaned against the window frame, looking down carelessly.

 

“I spend hundreds of thousands of spirit stones every year to create a courtesan famous throughout Nine Heavens City. Someone like you relies on fate and luck—it can’t be forced.” Hongchen said slowly: “Chief among all courtesans, a peerless beauty, a beauty built from piles of gold, jade, and spiritual essence—how many wealthy families in all thirteen provinces do you think can enjoy such a treasure daily?”

 

Xi Jianlan smiled.

 

Hongchen used her fan to circle the people below, saying with a smile: “After all, they can’t enjoy my Shijun Tower’s courtesans. Whether you’re male or female doesn’t matter—as long as your face is beautiful, going out to show yourself once and making them lose their souls while being unable to obtain you—that’s what makes a true chief among all courtesans.”

 

Xi Jianlan… Xi Jianlan was amazed.

 

“Alright, dear.” Hongchen treated him like her most precious treasure, coaxing him with a smile: “Go get your makeup done. I’ll go tell Xun Niang.”

 

Xi Jianlan was about to speak when Hongchen smiled and walked away.

 

Gently closing the door, the woman waiting at the entrance followed behind Hongchen, her eyes cold: “Tower Master, that Lan Jiaojiao’s face—could it be an illusion or disguise? How could someone really look like that?”

 

“I’ve been in Nine Heavens City for decades—could my eye for beauty be wrong?” Hongchen smiled mysteriously. “Besides, even if it were fake, do you think I care?”

 

The woman fell silent.

 

Hongchen’s figure swayed gracefully as she walked, saying lazily: “Spread the news about Lan Jiaojiao participating in today’s courtesan competition. Also, double the price of those cloud lanterns on Pleasure House Street, and change the commission split with vendors to twenty-eighty. This money tree that delivered itself to our door will probably only stay one day—I need to take advantage and make a killing.”

 

As for what purpose the money tree had in coming to Hongchen Shijun Tower—that wasn’t important.

 

Money was the most important thing.

 

Xi Jianlan didn’t yet know someone was using him to make money. He sat there staring at the water mirror, his thoughts racing.

 

The girl Yaoyao who was applying his makeup held rouge and dabbed it on his face, but somehow her hands grew more and more unsteady, actually getting rouge in Xi Jianlan’s eyes.

 

Xi Jianlan frowned and covered his eyes.

 

Yaoyao’s face changed dramatically. With a “thud,” she fell to her knees, trembling like a sieve, terrified as she knocked her head on the ground: “Spare me, spare… spare me!”

 

Xi Jianlan blinked his eyes. Tears washed out the bright cosmetics, leaving red circles around his eyes.

 

After finally recovering, he saw Yaoyao was so frightened she couldn’t even stand, constantly kowtowing and begging for mercy. Xi Jianlan almost thought he was some child-eating demon or fierce beast.

 

“It’s fine.” Xi Jianlan tried to soften his voice. “I don’t blame you. Get up.”

 

Yaoyao desperately shook her head, tears streaming down: “Please, please, I really… I didn’t see anything, wu, please spare my life.”

 

The smile on Xi Jianlan’s face gradually faded. As if remembering something, he leaned down slightly, his warm fingers gently lifting Yaoyao’s chin, gently yet forcefully making her raise her tear-streaked face.

 

He studied her with interest for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

 

“It’s you.”

 

Seeing him smile, Yaoyao trembled even more violently, closing her eyes as if facing death.

 

“What are you afraid of?” Xi Jianlan gently wiped the tears from her face, as tender as if treating a lover. “Didn’t I tell you then? As long as you don’t tell anyone, I won’t hurt you.”

 

Yaoyao stammered: “I… I won’t tell, I haven’t told! I haven’t told anyone!”

 

“Good girl.” Xi Jianlan said softly. “You kept your promise, so naturally I won’t break my word either, right? Come, stand up, don’t be afraid.”

 

Yaoyao looked like she was about to faint from fear, but was still coaxed by Xi Jianlan to stand up and continue applying his makeup with trembling hands.

 

Xi Jianlan’s appearance was excessively beautiful, every frown and smile full of charm, but Yaoyao didn’t dare look at his face at all. Her heart was uneasy, her mind full of that scene from three years ago.

 

At that time, a gentleman surnamed Qu had come to Hongchen Shijun Tower, specifically requesting the courtesan to play music and sing.

 

Lan Jiaojiao, dressed as a courtesan with a veil covering her face, was breathtakingly beautiful. She casually played with a round fan adorned with tassels, as if finally encountering something she’d long anticipated, smiling as she entered the private room where the distinguished guest waited.

 

Soon, the sound of a qin drifted out. Lan Jiaojiao played a song of bitter love known throughout the Southern Territory.

 

Yaoyao was still young then. Red Dust had instructed her to bring some refreshments inside. She was timid and afraid of disturbing the guest’s mood, so she silently pushed open the door, planning to place the items on the small table in the private room and leave.

 

Just as she carefully knelt down, she suddenly heard a faint “tss” sound.

 

The girl looked up slightly and saw a flash of red suddenly appear on the white screen covered with lewd songs and poems nearby.

 

It seemed like blood had splattered on it.

 

Yaoyao looked confused, hesitantly crawling forward two steps before finally seeing the scene behind the screen.

 

Lan Jiaojiao, wearing layers upon layers of courtesan attire, was kneeling on the ground, still elegantly playing the qin. Across from him, the gentleman surnamed Qu had already fallen, a large hole in his chest gushing blood.

 

Blood splattered everywhere—on the screen, table, and even the gorgeous hem of the robe, all marked with vicious red stains.

 

Lan Jiaojiao sat there as if nothing had happened, even cheerfully singing a little song.

 

“The gentleman has feelings, but they are baseless feelings. A poor family’s meager gift, this servant bought lip rouge with red gauze, helplessly, with blood…”

 

The little song stopped abruptly.

 

Yaoyao, whose mind had gone blank from fear, stared dumbly upward, meeting a pair of beautiful yet bewitching eyes.

 

Lan Jiaojiao’s ring finger, which had been playing the qin, was also stained with a drop of fresh blood. He stared straight at Yaoyao, then suddenly smiled with extreme gentleness, slowly raising his distinct finger joints to lightly touch that drop of blood to his lips, finishing the unfinished verse with curved eyes.

 

“…with blood stained.”

 

Coming back to her senses, Yaoyao saw Xi Jianlan’s face and was so frightened her hand trembled violently again, nearly getting rouge in Xi Jianlan’s eyes once more.

 

Xi Jianlan wasn’t angry. He took out a small box of lip rouge, dipped his ring finger in the bright red, and gently and softly dotted it on his pale lips.

 

Mm, osmanthus fragrance.

 

Yaoyao watched his movements with blank eyes, then suddenly collapsed silently.

 

Completely fainted.

 

Xi Jianlan: “…………”

 

What was happening?!

 

Xi Jianlan hurried to help her, but just as he bent down, he felt the Tianyan pearl on his tassel clasp earring suddenly turn.

 

Mechanisms clicked and whirred.

 

Xi Jianlan touched his earring in a daze.

 

Sheng Jiao was here?

 

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)