T/N: This chapter was translated by Elysian Pit. I DO NOT own the translation and all credit goes to the original translator. I’ve picked up this novel to continue from where the previous translator left. Thank you ❤️❤️
Seeing Qin Wanwan unresponsive, Jian Xingzhi frowned, “Why don’t you speak? Does your conscience hurt?”
“Master,” Qin Wanwan opened her mouth with a bit of aggrievement, “You look carefully, right now, are you the one that needs me to save you, or am I the one that needs you to save me?”
Qin Wanwan pointed her finger around, “Only after a night’s absence, you have become the leader of this assassin organization. Can’t you see how capable you are? If you failed to make it, what would become of me if I came here? Offering myself to the butcher? But you see, even with that possibility, I am still here, aren’t I!”
Qin Wanwan changed the topic halfway and went to praise her heroic undertaking, “I knew that if something happened to Master, coming to this place would be the same as death, but regardless of that, I was worried about you. That’s why I circled the Fengya Pavilion’s entrance. Such a move was like stepping between the line of life and death, it’s an extremely brave feat! Master,” Qin Wanwan raised her eyes and made a fist mid-air, “Aren’t I very brave!”
Jian Xingzhi was dumbfounded by Qin Wanwan’s praise of herself, and all the servants present gazed at her with admiring eyes.
If it weren’t for the way they saw her sprinting so fast all the way back just now, they would have believed her.
“You……”
Jian Xingzhi felt something was wrong with her words, but couldn’t put his finger on it. He contemplated for a moment and a second later, Huanxi rushed in, “Master, please make your preparation, it will be your turn after two more people.”
Upon hearing this, Jian Xingzhi changed his face. He glanced at the person next to him, and coldly ordered, “Arrange it quickly.”
Qin Wanwan didn’t have time to react when she saw Jian Xingzhi leading the people to the inner room in a hurry. He didn’t forget to call her while moving, “Beicheng, come.”
Qin Wanwan swiftly tailed behind him. In the room, she watched Jian Xingzhi as he sat in front of the dresser. A group of men who were still murderous to her not long ago began to put makeup on him.
Jian Xingzhi stretched out his feet to let them paint his nails, extended his hands to let them wear the bracelets for him, and raised his head to make it easier for them to paint the eyeshadow. His hair was combed by another man and curled with a hot red iron bar to style his hair.
“Later, Huanxi will take you to the lobby, and I will take the title Queen of Flower Selection in one fell swoop. The City Lord’s steward will pay attention to me and take me to the City Lord’s mansion. At that point, you need to come out and stop it from happening.”
“And then?”
Qin Wanwan listened attentively to his script, Jian Xingzhi pursed his lip to put on the lipstick from the paper and angled his face to the side for the blush-on. He instructed her earnestly, “And then, when you get injured, escape right away. Remember to yell that you will definitely come back to save me before you escape.”
“Must I yell that…?” Qin Wanwan was puzzled, “For what?”
“In order to make them strengthen their defense!”
Jian Xingzhi logically answered without feeling there was any logical problem in between, “After I enter the City Lord’s mansion, you can come to rescue me, and then get caught by them and become their prisoner.”
“After that?”
“After that, I will try to save you. Be at ease, I won’t let you die.”
Qin Wanwan: “……”
She understood, she had to take the fall for him again.
As he spoke, Huanxi hurried in again, “Master,” he went to Jian Xingzhi’s side, “Please go, it’s time.”
“Let’s go!”
Jian Xingzhi stood up, followed by a group of people carrying the hem of his robes.
Qin Wanwan paused for a while then quickly followed Jian Xingzhi as he walked outside, “Master, what are we trying to accomplish by tossing and turning for half a day like this?”
“Our objective ah, that is, entering the City Lord’s mansion.” Jian Xingzhi glanced at her, “I will sneak in first, then you sneak in too.”
What was the part of ‘sneaking in’ from being arrested and imprisoned?
Qin Wanwan’s mind was filled with question marks, questioning the unreasonable plot, “Can’t we just go in? Must we be so roundabout?”
“You complain to the fairy then.” Jian Xingzhi took her backstage and stared at the man playing the Qin on the stage.
Qin Wanwan then comprehended that he was also doing tasks. Her gaze darted to the stage and she tried to dig for more information, “I see, then we’ll split up, but Master, how will you deal with these men of yours?”
“How will I deal with them?”
Jian Xingzhi turned around and the young men instantly knelt down in a row behind him, staring at him with tearful eyes, “Mas… Master……”
“Aish, shut up. I won’t kill you.” Jian Xingzhi waved his hand and twisted his head back to the stage, “Wait until I take the Queen of Flower title first.”
“Queen of Flower?”
Qin Wanwan noticed something was off. She glanced sideways at the elegant man playing Qin on the stage, then, she realized, “Master, what are you planning to perform to snatch that title?”
“Of course, I will showcase my unique skill, so don’t worry,” Jian Xingzhi patted Qin Wanwan on the shoulder, “Every time I perform, the whole audience will applaud. Master excels in everything, taking the Queen of Flower’s title is a piece of cake. Huanxi.”
Jian Xingzhi motioned to Huanxi next to him, “Take Young Sister Qin down and arrange a good seat for her. Wait there,” Jian Xingzhi warned her, “Make sure to try to save me, don’t succeed.”
He spoke as if she could pull it off.
While succeeding in saving him was not easy, failing was easy*. Qin Wanwan assured him with confidence, “Master, don’t worry, I will absolutely fail.”
[T/N: 放水 – fàng shuǐ. lit. let the water go/release the water. Mostly used in various competitions with the meaning of accommodating/deliberately not using full strength to let your opponent win.]
After their discussion, Huanxi took Qin Wanwan away. Before leaving, Jian Xingzhi stopped her again, “Wait.”
Qin Wanwan turned around and saw Jian Xingzhi sizing her up and down, asking something out of the blue, “New dress?”
Qin Wanwan nodded blankly, “Yeah.”
Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, “Not bad. Master will buy you two more pieces after we are done with this.”
Qin Wanwan was taken aback. When she reacted, Jian Xingzhi was already called to the stage. “Next, Fengya Pavilion, Jian Xingzhi.”
Jian Xingzhi stepped up with his long clothes and cheerfully reminded her, “Young Sister Qin, remember to stay on your seat.”
Qin Wanwan snapped out of her stupor and Huanxi guided her towards the VIP seat.
38 seemed to notice something and whispered to her, “Master, are you helping him with his task?”
“Yes,” Qin Wanwan sighed, “For the sake of pretty dresses, I will help him. If I don’t help him, he will have negative points, right?”
“Master is so kind!” 38 quickly flattered,” You are helping him and at the same time, you are also helping yourself. He is the centerpiece of your luck. Help him solve the problem, and you will get what you want.”
Ha. ha.
Qin Wanwan didn’t bother with this stupid System. In case she didn’t want to help him, did the System think she didn’t know what to do?
But, Qin Wanwan didn’t want to argue with the System, so she silently followed Huanxi.
The Fengya Pavilion had two floors, and the VIPs were on the second floor. Huanxi directed her towards the second floor and informed a hushed voice, “Lord Cuilu is right next door. We have created a small hole in the private room for you to make it easier to observe Lord Cuilu.”
“You are really thoughtful.”
Qin Wanwan praised Huanxi with the spirit of being kind to others, “In this assassination business, you certainly will have a bright future.”
Huanxi froze, then awkwardly laughed, “Sister Qin misunderstood, we… are all the servants of the building, not some sort of assassins.”
“Ah?” Qin Wanwan was confused, “You… you are all like this, aren’t you assassins?”
“Truth to be told.”
The tips of Huanxi’s eyes turned red as he mentioned this matter. He instinctively began to play coquettish and complained, “Previously, This Servant is not like this, after Father…no, Master came, We servants were forced to do these rough works, Sister Qin……”
Huanxi wiped his tears, “If you have time, please tell Master that we only know how to please people, and really can’t do anything harsh. Today, the Master personally trained people in the courtyard. More than a dozen of my brothers entered the hospital……”
Qin Wanwan: “……”
It is really as expected of you, Jian Xingzhi.
Huanxi realized he had said too much. He wiped all his tears and sniffed, “There is nothing else, Master has entered the stage, Little Sister can watch.”
Qin Wanwan nodded. She was not good at comforting this man who easily cries anytime and anywhere. She sent Huanxi off and stepped into the private room where there was already an attendant waiting for her. When Qin Wanwan came in, he bowed to Qin Wanwan and poured tea, respectfully saying, “Sister Qin, please sit here.”
Qin Wanwan sat by the window and turned her head to look at the other compartment. With her Divine Sense, she concluded there were three people in the compartment. One of them was a woman, sitting, and the other two were standing. The woman’s cultivation was at least in the Apotheosis Stage and the other two were at Nascent Soul Stage.
After probing the opponent’s cultivation, Qin Wanwan retracted her Divine Sense and focused back on the stage.
The host on stage was introducing Jian Xingzhi who stood on the side. He was exceptionally confident and didn’t have any stage fright, as if he was used to this kind of scene.
Qin Wanwan leaned back in her seat and grabbed a handful of melon seeds. She waited for Jian Xingzhi to perform, and actually found that she was looking forward to his performance.
After introducing Jian Xingzhi, the host’s body angled to him, “So, what talent will Gentleman Jian bring us today, and what will he use to impress the hearts of our guests present and give him their precious vote? Let’s hand the stage over to Gentleman Jian!”
The audience applauded loudly.
After all, the most important thing in this kind of contest was the face. In such a situation where the others were mortals, Jian Xingzhi’s face was simply tyrannical.
“This young man is full of spirit.”
Qin Wanwan was chewing on melon seeds and heard the whisper from the other side. It sounded like Cuilu, and the tone was quite appreciative “His looks are not bad either. The City Lord will like him.”
That’s to be expected.
Qin Wanwan rolled her eyes. Just talking about Jian Xingzhi’s looks, even if he had downgraded his looks by a lot, it was still his true face. Who wouldn’t like it?
As soon as Cuilu finished speaking, Jian Xingzhi’s voice came from the stage: “Ladies and gentlemen, today I want to show everyone the most enchanting side of men, and of course it is…” Jian Xingzhi suddenly took off his long coat, leaving behind pure white single clothes. He proudly raised his head and squeezed his fists, bulging his muscles, and performing a martial arts set, “Power!”
The atmosphere in the audience ignited instantly, filled with thunderous applause. Qin Wanwan gaped stupidly at Jian Xingzhi. She watched as an ordinary person on the side lifted a stool, while another Foundation Establishment cultivator picked up a huge stone. Jian Xingzhi raised his hand and pointed to the stool, “Today, my first program is, Chest Breaking Boulder!”
As he spoke, he lay down on the stool and had the stone pressed up on him. His handsome eyes calmly went to the cultivator holding a hammer and encouraged him, “Come on!”
It’s over.
Qin Wanwan realized what was happening and immediately peeked on the other side using the small hole. She saw Cuilu’s hand holding the cup frozen mid-air and her eyes were blank, as if she was shocked beyond words.
With a swing of the hammer, the stone in Jian Xingzhi’s chest shattered into ashes. He calmly stood up. Amidst the cheers from the crowd, he raised his hand to steady the crowd as they cheered, “The second program, Dart Shooting with Eyes Closed!”
As he spoke, a person tied to a turntable was pushed up, and Jian Xingzhi covered his eyes with black cloth. He took out ten darts from his sleeve, closed his eyes, and started shooting them.
The audience cheered loudly again, particularly enthusiastic, but it was like the excitement when watching street performances, which was out of place with the atmosphere of the recent talent show.
The previous contestants who mostly just played the Qin and danced stared at Jian Xingzhi blankly. After Jian Xingzhi made twenty consecutive somersaults, they also stood up and applauded in a daze.
Awesome, Jian Xingzhi, you are truly awesome.
Qin Wanwan skimmed at Cuilu’s expression. She noticed her wrinkling brows, evidently displeased.
She looked away, closed the hole with her palm and set up a barrier and asked the attendant next to her in a pained voice, “Did no one tell him about the usual performance for a contest like this Queen of Flower?”
“We have told him.” the attendant had a bitter look, “But, he said, ‘men that play Qin, flute, dance, and paint are not attractive. Extraordinary means are required to win beautifully’.”
Qin Wanwan instantly covered her face with her palm upon hearing that.
Elegant gentlemen are not attractive? Then, the kind of brutes that break stones on their chest, shoot darts with eyes closed, and do somersaults, are considered attractive?!
Unacceptable. She had to think fast. She had to keep the plot going on. Let Cuilu buy Jian Xingzhi with a lot of money then confront her. She must be defeated and escape with her tail and yell, “You guys wait for me! I will surely come back!” before she completely left.
Analyzing Cuilu’s expression, a man like Jian Xingzhi was certainly far from her taste. Qin Wanwan swiftly looked sideways at the attendant, “Do you know what kind of man that Lord Cuilu likes?”
The servant was startled for a moment, then blushed, “This Servant heard……”
“Speak.”
“This Servant heard from Father Qingzhu, when choosing people, Lord Cuilu likes to choose the one that is fresh and pure outside the bed, while on the bed……” The attendant stopped there and did not continue. He lowered his voice, “So, in order to please Lord Cuilu, Father Qingzhu spent a lot of money to buy a Charm Insect and intended to give the Insect to the Master. But, I am not sure if the Insect has been used on Master or not…”
“Charm Insect?” Qin Wanwan’s brows furrowed, “What is that?”
“Just, something to train and tune people about things,” the attendant lowered his head even more, “A person who gets planted with the Charm Insect will carry a peculiar fragrance. After the planting, if anyone feeds them a drop of blood, they will become highly susceptible to the feeder. And, only by drinking the blood of the person who feeds them can the effect of Charm Insect be quenched every month. That is to say, they can’t live without their feeder for a lifetime.”
The ‘things’ in the attendant’s mouth were most likely something related to desire.
But, this kind of ‘things’ would indeed fit with Cuilu’s taste when picking people.
Qin Wanwan pondered for a moment and glimpsed at Jian Xinzghi, who was still performing on stage. This time, he was chopping ten bricks with one strike of the palm. She quickly summoned the attendant to find something, “Are there any picture albums that focused on beautiful people with a few clothes on and charming movements, the only-for-adult kind?”
“There are.”
In this building, there were lots of these entertainment aids.
“Bring it here, fast!”
Qin Wanwan urged the attendant to let someone fetch the album. After receiving the album, Qin Wanwan shut her eyes and recalled Jian Xingzhi’s face in the Immortal Realm. She hovered her palm to cover the face of the person in the album and chanted a spell.
Soon after, the face on the album transformed into the face of Jian Xingzhi.
Qin Wanwan glanced at the album, and on the cover was a man half-reclining on a small couch, red silk entangled past his wrists, just right to block the key position, other than that, there was nothing around him, a pair of misty eyes looking forward with passion, incredibly seductive.
And the face, at this moment, was Jian Xingzhi’s.
The Jian Xingzhi from the Immortal Realm.
It vaguely could be seen as the person on the stage now, but compared to the person on stage, the person on the cover was a few points colder and more breathtaking.
But, ultimately, a picture album was no more than a picture album, completely lacking the temperament and attraction of a real person. Nevertheless, it was good enough to deal with these people.
Qin Wanwan was satisfied with her work.
When the attendant saw the painting, his breath was knocked out of his lungs. Qin Wanwan picked out a few less impressive pictures and turned them into today’s contestants’ faces.
She handed the album to the attendant, and instructed, “Quickly ask Huanxi to send this album to Cuilu. Just say that it’s a gift from Fengya Pavilion so they can use it to vote for the Queen of Flower.”
The attendant realized Qin Wanwan’s idea and nodded, “Fear not, Sister Qin. This Servant will take care of it right away.”
The attendant soon retreated.
And on the stage, Jian Xingzhi finally ended his performance. The entire atmosphere had been completely transformed into a street performance show by him. Everyone applauded vigorously and cheered. Jian Xingzhi was proud and walked barefoot from the stage with a wooden sword. He put on a coat, and happily skipped to Qin Wanwan’s room.
Qin Wanwan leaned over the peephole, stalking every movement of Cuilu. Cuilu was chatting leisurely with the person beside her, “Today’s Queen of Flower Selection is a bit, ah, boring. How can we choose these goods for the City Lord?”
“Isn’t that Jian Xingzhi quite pretty?” The person pouring tea for Cuilu suggested, “Although he’s a bit unruly, his appearance……”
“So what if he looks good?”
Cuilu sighed, “There is no charm. When he spoke, he only reminded me of an eight-year-old stinky brat near my house. Just looking at him makes me want to beat him up. How can he serve people?”
That’s true.
Qin Wanwan agreed with Cuilu in her heart.
While they talked, Huanxi knocked on the door, delivering the album.
Cuilu absently took the picture album and was about to say something when her eyes went round.
She stared blankly at Jian Xingzhi on the picture album, and her nose bled out.
“Lord Cuilu!”
The subordinates panicked when Cuilu got a nosebleed out of nowhere. The one that brought a handkerchief took the handkerchief out, and the one who brought the water took the water out. The room was in chaos. Watching Cuilu stare at the picture album with a dazed expression, Qin Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief.
She relaxed.
She believed the matter was resolved and Cuilu would definitely summon Jian Xingzhi into the mansion. Only then did she notice someone squatting behind her. She was alarmed and nearly screamed, but the other party covered her mouth first, stifling all her voices.
Qin Wanwan gradually calmed down when she saw the person. When Jian Xingzhi noticed Qin Wanwan recognized him, he let go of his hand and motioned towards the peephole with his chin, “How is the situation?”
“Very good.”
Qin Wanwan saw that he only wore a single shirt and a blue outer shirt, his face covered in thin and dense beads of sweat. She furrowed her brow, rather disgusted, “Why do you look like you just get fished out of water?”
She flung her handkerchief at him, “Wipe it yourself.”
Jian Xingzhi did not try to be polite and grabbed her handkerchief. He wiped the sweat off his face and proudly showed off, “How is my performance?”
“Very good.”
Qin Wanwan parroted her answer as she propped herself up. Anyway, the matter was settled, she was too lazy to dampen Jian Xingzhi’s spirit.
Jian Xingzhi took her answer at face value, resuming to wipe his neck with her handkerchief. “They all said something about playing the qin and painting, and I said, ‘What’s more attractive than being strong!’”
“Oh.”
Qin Wanwan was not amused. She sat on one side and poured tea. Jian Xingzhi returned the handkerchief to her when he was done wiping his sweat, “Here, I will return it to you.”
“No need.”
Qin Wanwan twisted her head away from the handkerchief. But her movement caused the wind to stir and she smelled a strange scent from her handkerchief.
This fragrance was a subtle fragrance similar to orchids, but with some indescribably titillating implications.
Qin Wanwan’s action halted.
She stood up and padded over toward Jian Xingzhi.
Jian Xingzhi subconsciously retreated and blocked Qin Wanwan from sniffing, “What are you smelling me for?”
“Why are you so fragrant?” Qin Wanwan wondered, “You didn’t smell this good before ah?”
Jian Xingzhi was the one to freeze this time. He seemed to recall something and his expression darkened, “What do you care about this? Get ready for your part. Cuilu is going to buy me soon. As soon as she makes a bid, you come out and say you will take me away!”
“Oh.”
Qin Wanwan absentmindedly nodded her head. Jian Xingzhi tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve and said, “I’ll go wait for them to announce the names. See you.”
Jian Xingzhi walked out, but Qin Wanwan was still wondering. She widened her eyes in the next second, “He wouldn’t have been planted with the Charm Insect, would he?”
That was not something that Jian Xingzhi should have.
But just with Jian Xingzhi’s appearance, at first glance, he was meant to be sent to Cuilu. Qingzhu died so quickly, and now Jian Xingzhi carried a peculiar fragrance……
Qin Wanwan’s mind was in a jumble of thoughts. She felt a bit guilty now.
“I shouldn’t have left him behind yesterday……”
Qin Wanwan muttered to herself, “Although he is self-centered and overbearing, he… is actually not bad. He even still thinks about buying me new dresses. Did I go too far with this?”
“But he stepped on your face. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.” 38 reminded Qin Wanwan, “Master, you are so easy to persuade.”
Qin Wanwan paused in her movements at 38’s comment, and after a moment, she sighed, “Never mind, let’s not think about it.”
Not long after Jian Xingzhi left the room, the competition entered the final scoring stage. Fengya Pavilion gave everyone a wooden box, and each contestant had their own wooden card. As long as the contestant’s wooden card was placed in the box, it would be counted as a vote for the contestant. During the voting process, bids would be made simultaneously. The contestant who got the most votes would be the Queen of Flowers and the person who offered the highest bid could take away the contestant that they bid tonight.
Qin Wanwan did not hesitate to vote for Jian Xingzhi and then bid a price of one piece of spirit stone.
Afterward, she plopped down next to the peeping hole, observing Cuilu.
The album had a great impact on Cuilu, but so did Jian Xingzhi’s antics on stage. Therefore, Cuilu held the wooden card of Jian Xingzhi and another man, hesitating.
She had offered a price of 1,000 top-grade spirit stones, and now it depended on who she voted for. She swung left and right, sometimes placing Jian Xingzhi’s card on the wooden box, and sometimes placing another man’s card.
Every hesitation of Cuilu made Qin Wanwan tense up. She watched as Cuilu swayed back and forth, and as time passed, the light from the wooden box became dimmer.
This voting box had a time limit. If no vote was made within a quarter of an hour, it would lose its validity.
Cuilu saw that time was coming to an end and clenched her teeth. She ultimately made a decision, “That’s it. The album is not as important as the real person, let’s just go with Feng Qin.”
Cuilu put the other wooden card in the box.
Upon seeing the situation, Qin Wanwan did not even have time to think. She threw out a spell and vines sprouted on the wooden box, tugging at Jian Xingzhi’s card and fastening it.
In a blink, a white snake on Cuilu’s hand broke through the wall and chased straight after Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan was so frightened that she stepped back and raised her sword to resist the white snake.
The white snake suddenly grew larger and knocked Qin Wanwan out of the room.
Behind the stage, Jian Xingzhi only heard a loud crash from the second floor. As soon as he looked up, he saw Qin Wanwan falling from a high place. Jian Xingzhi swiftly appeared next to Qin Wanwan. With a lift of his hand, he threw her up high, and simultaneously, held down the white snake’s upper jaw.
He condensed a sword made of Qi and slashed it across!
Qin Wanwan was thrown high into the air by Jian Xingzhi, and while her mind was processing the situation, she heard a distinct call, “Miss Qin!”
Someone soon held her by the waist and swept her into their arms.
Qin Wanwan dazedly raised her gaze and met with the handsome and upright face of the young man. He wore a purple robe and a jade crown, with a calm expression. Qin Wanwan murmured, “Daoist Monarch Xie……”
Loud bangs of fireworks exploded, petals fell from the sky, and applause from the crowd surrounded Qin Wanwan. She stared at the young man’s handsome face in amazement and seemed to hear an ambiguous BGM around her, causing her heart to beat faster and her cheeks to flush red.
They landed on the ground and Xie Gutang put away his hand on her waist. He smiled, “Miss Qin, long time no see.”
“Um… Xie一” Qin Wanwan lowered her head, red-faced. Before she could finish her words, there was a loud clang behind Xie Gutang. The ground shook and Qin Wanwan stumbled.
Xie Gutang instinctively supported Qin Wanwan and turned behind with a frown. At that juncture, he couldn’t see anything clearly and was met face-to-face with a kick, accompanied by Jian Xingzhi’s furious shout, “You dare to disrespect Laozi’s disciple, die!!!”
———————
【Mini Theater】
Jian Xingzhi: “You dare to touch my wife, die!!”
Qin Wanwan: “Husband, kneel down!”
Jian Xingzhi who kneeled within a second: “My bad, Daoist Monarch Xie, I usually don’t hit people unless I can’t help it.”
Xie Gutang: “…….Don’t you think your ‘I can’t help it’ has happened one time too many?”
翠绿 – cuìlǜ. Emerald Green. Greenish-blue.
