Chapter 33: Master Is So Superficial!
Yaoqin lowered her gaze to the talisman in her hand, its surface crumpled from the tightness of her grip.
The blood qi sealed within it was violently turbulent and incredibly aggressive, yet in essence, it felt nearly identical to the energy within the Blood Qi Spirit Stone Chu Xingchen had given her.
The only difference was that this talisman's blood qi had been weaponized—actively molded for attack—whereas the spirit stone's version was more stable, subdued.
And with how rapidly Chu Xingchen's cultivation had grown lately…
She had chosen not to question him out of trust.
But now, the more she thought about it, the more it didn't add up.
The Qingfeng Sect's territory was quite far from Yuzhou City.
How could they possibly take such a risk to act so close to the city? That would be nothing short of courting death—it made no sense strategically or politically.
Unless… unless they were pursuing Chu Xingchen.
But if that were true, how could Chu Xingchen live so leisurely within Yuzhou, unbothered and unguarded? Clearly, he was confident that whatever happened was cleanly handled and left no traces behind.
Chu Xingchen was many things, but he was not stupid. If someone had truly tracked him here, he would have noticed long ago. With the kind of reckless trouble he used to cause, he'd be a corpse already if he were careless.
That could only mean one thing—Chu Xingchen was hiding something from her.
Or worse, he had turned to demonic cultivation.
Yaoqin tightened her grip on the talisman, her eyes glinting coldly. "I'm going out. If anything happens, handle it yourself until I return."
Her maid looked startled. "Miss, you're not taking me with you?"
"No." Yaoqin picked up her outer robe and replied curtly.
A-Ling opened her mouth as if to protest, but when she saw her mistress's firm expression, she could only sigh helplessly and watch her disappear through the door.
——————————
Once more, Yaoqin looked down at the small piece of paper in her hand—the address Chu Xingchen had written for her.
After confirming it, she lifted her gaze to the closed four-courtyard residence before her.
This was his home now.
She raised a hand and knocked lightly.
A reply came swiftly.
"Coming~!"
The voice was feminine—not Chu Xingchen's.
The heavy door soon creaked open, revealing a young girl with a pure, bright smile. But upon seeing Yaoqin standing outside, the girl froze for a moment before retracting her smile.
"Did you knock on the wrong door?" she asked politely.
Yaoqin frowned slightly, her tone cool and direct. "Does Chu Xingchen live here?"
Li Yingling blinked, taken aback by the beautiful woman's frosty bearing.
Who was this? She'd just dropped her master's name so casually!
Could she be one of his old flames?
Or worse… an enemy?
Most importantly, how was she supposed to answer?
Did her master even want people to know he lived here?
The real problem was that this woman clearly had cultivation—strong enough that Li Yingling, even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, couldn't see through her realm at all.
"That name… sounds familiar," Li Yingling said cautiously, trying to circle around the question. "What do you need from him?"
"I have something to discuss with him," Yaoqin replied, her voice cold.
"What kind of matter?"
Yaoqin's brows knit together. "And what business is that of yours? Does he live here or not?"
Li Yingling forced a warm smile onto her face, her eyes curving gently.
"Of course he lives here—but tell me first, elder sister… what's your relationship with my master?"
"I can't quite recall that name," Li Yingling said sweetly. "But my younger brother has a great memory—he'll definitely know whether Chu Xingchen lives here. Wait right here, I'll go ask him."
Before Yaoqin could respond, the girl promptly shut the door in her face.
Inside, Li Yingling rushed across the courtyard and knocked hurriedly on her junior brother's door.
Moments later, Li Xingtian opened it, frowning slightly. "Senior sister, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"There's a woman at the door looking for Master," Li Yingling whispered quickly. "I don't know what she wants. Go find him right now and tell him a cold, beautiful woman is asking for him."
"If she's here to cause trouble, give me the signal when you return—I'll tell her he doesn't live here. But if she's his lover… tell Master to come back immediately!"
Li Xingtian's brows twitched. Was his senior sister overthinking this a little too much?
Still, seeing the seriousness in her expression, he nodded. It was better to be cautious than sorry.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll go out the back. You hold her off."
"Be careful," Li Yingling reminded him.
"You too," Li Xingtian replied, before slipping toward the back gate.
He already had a good idea where their master might be.
Whenever Chu Xingchen went out, he always told them where he was headed—so they could find him if anything happened.
And at this hour, there was only one likely place.
The goulan teahouse.
Ever since the incident with the corpse he'd accidentally fished up, Master had said he needed to "temper his mental state."
But… how did listening to songs from courtesans temper anything?
Li Xingtian frowned, deeply unconvinced.
Listening to women sing wasn't cultivation—it was corruption!
Still, he made his way out quietly, glancing around to ensure no one followed him before heading toward the entertainment house.
For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a few streets were nothing; he arrived within minutes.
At the entrance stood several flirtatious women dressed in revealing clothes, their bodies swaying as they strummed lutes and sang suggestive lines.
Even a glance at the doorway made it clear this place was anything but decent.
Disgraceful! How could Yuzhou City allow such debauchery to exist?
Master's confused, Li Xingtian thought grimly. These women are all seductive tricksters who feast on men's lust!
His expression darkened. He had long since transcended the allure of base desires.
Still, entry cost money.
A young servant noticed him approaching and hurried forward. "Master, here to enjoy a performance?"
Li Xingtian didn't bother replying—he slipped a few taels of silver into the boy's hand and walked straight inside.
One glance at the scene made him grimace.
Every table was occupied by men clutching courtesans, their hands wandering inappropriately.
Disgusting.
But soon his eyes found a familiar figure in the far corner.
His master.
To his surprise, Chu Xingchen wasn't behaving like the others.
Instead, he sat calmly with a cup of tea, smiling gently as he conversed with a courtesan holding a pipa.
No indecency. No lewd gestures.
He looked like a scholar at a poetry gathering.
Relieved but still puzzled, Li Xingtian approached quietly.
————
Chu Xingchen set down his teacup, savoring the fragrance.
The courtesan across from him gazed at him with open admiration.
"Sir, you truly are a man of great talent," she said softly, her tone almost reverent. "Your insight and knowledge… this little woman is deeply impressed."
Before her sat a man unlike any she had met—his poise refined, his words cultured, his demeanor that of a true gentleman.
Most patrons were crude and greedy, their eyes full of lust and their mouths spouting vulgar nonsense.
But this man… this man discussed poetry, astronomy, history, and philosophy with equal grace.
In her trade, there was rank even among courtesans.
The cheap ones, who lured men at the door, needed only to sing and smile.
But she was a top courtesan, trained since childhood—not only in music and dance, but in poetry, conversation, and subtle charm.
And yet, this time, she was the one being charmed.
His voice, his bearing, his eyes that shimmered like starlight…
She was supposed to enchant men for a living, but now she felt as if she were the one ensnared.
Sitting before him, she felt warmth like spring sunlight.
Chu Xingchen set his cup down gently, noticing the sparkle in her eyes.
He smiled faintly.
So his charm still worked after all.
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