Xuanqing Guard

Shen Hao now likes to fill his belly before drinking whenever he sits at the table. He picked up this habit from Jiang Cheng—at first, it seemed strange, but now he’s used to it.

By the time Shen Hao had finished his fifth bowl of rice, whistles and applause broke out below, with more people calling for "Ning Le’s House".

"Looks like Ms. Zi Yi is about to show up."

"Ning Ziye? She’s really your senior fellow apprentice?"

Lian Xiang nodded, smiling: "Yep, Ms. Zi Yi is three years older than me and joined our master four years ahead of me to study music. We all chose the zither, but later, because I was limited in talent, I stopped advancing and left our master early. Ms. Zi Yi learned until she graduated—and now she’s founded her own branch, everyone admires her."

Shen Hao glanced down but didn’t see anyone who looked like Ning Ziye—just some musicians coming up onto the stage and starting to play. It must be a warm-up. Those calling out "Ning Le’s House" are all the rowdy ones, or folks who don’t know about the warm-up.

He gave it another quick look and pulled his gaze back, seeing the scene across the table. Shen Hao curled his lip, thinking to himself that these two old perverts always liked to mess around—those two newly arrived girls were probably about to learn how the world works.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Shen Hao’s hands weren’t behaving either—he wrapped his arm around Lian Xiang, who was already pressed close, and grinned: "I heard Ms. Zi Yi was also at the Green Waist Level like you once. How did she manage to make enough money to buy her freedom?"

Lian Xiang slapped at Shen Hao’s mischievous hand under the table, but it was useless—her cheeks tinged pink: "It’s not about money. If we’re just talking silver coins, I would’ve had enough to buy myself out ages ago. The key is whether the master will let you go. Hey, I said don’t... mm..."

"So it’s your Hong’en Hall’s master not letting you leave, then?"

"Mm. Hong’en Hall doesn’t have a replacement for me right now. If I leave, business here would take a hit, wouldn’t it? If you were the master here, you wouldn’t... wouldn’t let me go either."

Shen Hao’s hand got pinched hard, making him wince, but he still grinned wickedly, more restrained now, stopping his hand, but asking curiously: "I heard Liao Chengfeng was after you too, but didn’t get anywhere. Supposedly your master rejected him—so your master is pretty formidable, huh?"

When Shen Hao first met Lian Xiang, he could tell she was being protected by Liao Chengfeng, kept like a forbidden treasure. Later, Liao Chengfeng was transferred, Jiang Cheng took over, and only then did Lian Xiang start flirting with him.

To make a Governor retreat, Hong’en Hall’s master must have serious clout—and very mysterious too. Even with all the scouts and information Shen Hao has sent out, he still doesn’t know who’s backing Hong’en Hall. Odds are, it’s a big shot from the Imperial City.

"Aren’t you the ’Evil Star’? Even you have things you don’t know?" Lian Xiang relaxed once she’d pinched that hand away from under the table.

"There’s plenty I don’t know. For instance—how did your Charm Skill reach the Gathering Spirit Realm?" Shen Hao smiled as he said this. He knew Lian Xiang’s identity was definitely more than just a songstress. The mysterious master behind Hong’en Hall wouldn’t be simple either.

"Guess, then."

Shen Hao knocked back his drink and leaned closer: "Want me to really guess?"

"Guess," Lian Xiang replied in a low voice. They were sitting so close their breaths brushed against each other’s cheeks.

"I checked the Document Library in the Xuanqing Guard; it has a lot of records about the Charm Skill. Its origin is said to be an ancient sect called ’Lingxiao Palace’. Later, that sect was wiped out for unknown reasons, and Charm Skill lost its main schools.

Afterward, fragmented cultivation techniques and magic from Lingxiao Palace spread around—some loose cultivators picked them up and studied them, and quite a few talented people gradually improved those bits. Eventually, they each formed their own sects, even called themselves founders. For example, Valley of Love Flowers rose up thanks to Lingxiao Palace’s legacy.

But—when all’s said and done, Charm Skill isn’t meant for fighting. Its real use isn’t in battle. When Lingxiao Palace was destroyed, it was a warning to all cultivators taking the Charm Skill path. Some adapted to survive, others didn’t—and ended up following Lingxiao Palace into oblivion."

Lian Xiang added with a smile: "What are you talking about? I don’t understand a word."

"I’m saying: those who specialize in Charm Skill lack the spirit for conflict—they’re not tough enough to survive in the Cultivation Realm."

"Really?" Lian Xiang pouted in disagreement.

But Shen Hao continued: "So, for loose cultivators—people who mostly go solo—Charm Skill is never their first choice, nor can it support them long-term. Only sects, which provide enough protection and resources, can really nurture cultivators who focus on Charm Skill.

Of course, some structured organizations besides sects can as well.

I’m guessing your background must be one of those two, right?"

As soon as Shen Hao finished speaking, he clearly felt the woman beside him stiffen for a moment, then return to normal.

"Hehe, I’m not telling you!"

But Shen Hao wasn’t done: "If you won’t say, I can keep guessing. You have Gathering Spirit Realm cultivation, yet you’re content to be a songstress in a Flower House. That must be for some other reason—not for money, and definitely not for the courtesan’s fame. So maybe it’s for..."

"Enough! Stop guessing!" Lian Xiang pinched Shen Hao’s thigh, cutting him off. Honestly, she was shocked. She hadn’t expected him to piece together so much so easily; the more he talked, the more anxious she felt.

Shen Hao chuckled, tightened his arm around Lian Xiang, and didn’t push further. Truth is, he’d already made up his mind. Lian Xiang must be backed by some sect or organization—and it must be powerful in the Jingjiu Dynasty. Otherwise, she couldn’t have blocked someone like Liao Chengfeng so effortlessly. As for the reason, Shen Hao leaned toward "secret agents"—in the Flower House, people only chase money or people, after all.

He thought it was funny, too: Shen Hao himself played the secret agent game, and here he’d run into a woman in the same line of business.

As for bad intentions, Shen Hao hadn’t felt any from Lian Xiang. Since her birthday, he hadn’t proactively sought her out—just to see what she’d do. Logically, shouldn’t a secret agent who gets exposed make a run for it?

The two whispered with their heads close together, while Zhang Qian and Gan Lin across the table were busy enjoying themselves—totally oblivious to Shen Hao and Lian Xiang’s secret conversation, nor did they care. Isn’t drinking flower wine all about cozying up and flirting? Who’d bother eavesdropping?

Lian Xiang steadied her breath, annoyed that Shen Hao’s analysis had rattled her, and decided to turn the tables. She leaned close to Shen Hao’s ear and whispered: "Since you’re so smart, do you know someone’s secretly digging into your background?"

PS: Cheers for getting a second boss supporter—here’s an extra Chapter for today! Thanks!