Chapter 49: White Lotus Enchantress

“Sleep, sleep, in your dreams you can get everything you want, hoo~”

Summer Lotus said this as she angrily blew lotus-scented breath at Li Chaosheng, and Li Chaosheng slapped down onto the table with a smack, then immediately felt a wave of drowsiness assault his cerebral cortex, heading toward his Sea of Consciousness.

Ding~

Just as that consciousness was about to enter Li Chaosheng’s Sea of Consciousness, Li Chaosheng suddenly felt a resounding bell ring next to his ear and instantly woke, then saw the White Bone Mountain in his Sea of Consciousness emit a faint white light. When the light flashed the drowsiness vanished, but Li Chaosheng did not immediately get up. He, like a stunned youth, challenged Summer Lotus, “Why did you try to drug me?”

He was instead pretending to be drugged, lying on the table, tilting his ear to listen to see what this brothel courtesan was really up to.

“Miss, has he fainted?”

At that moment the head maid’s voice carried in. Summer Lotus did not answer but sat back on the bed, swinging her jade feet and said, “Xiao Cui, how many men has it been now, how much longer must we stay in this broken place?”

The head maid lowered her voice and said, “Miss, the Hall Master ordered it. You are to hide here carefully and, while you are at it, gather intelligence about the Seven Implements of Punishment, so that in the future you can win unparalleled merit for the Sacred Sect, seize the hidden secret of immortality behind the Seven Implements, build an immortal army for the Sacred Sect, kill the corrupt government dogs, and establish a true utopian homeland!”

Summer Lotus swung her feet and said, “But the Seven Implements are only legend, and their immortality art is also a legend. Does it really exist? Let’s not let the old immortals in the Sect fool us.”

“No, Miss, Yanggu County is the hometown of the Punishment King Zheng Yusen. After Zheng Yusen was relieved of his post as chief of the prison at the Ministry of Punishments, he returned to Yanggu County, secluded himself here and devoted himself to researching instruments of punishment. He developed seven terrifying implements. Later, people he had harmed in the martial world came for revenge and overnight a thousand travelers in the martial world all died miserably under the Seven Implements. Rumors even spread that Zheng Yusen possessed an immortal body.”

“It is said our Sacred Sect also sent people to approach Zheng Yusen at that time, but then there was no news. Later Zheng Yusen and the Seven Implements mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a legend: whoever finds the Seven Implements will obtain the method of immortality!”

The head maid said to Summer Lotus, and Summer Lotus, hearing this, pouted and said, “I’m tired of hearing that story, but up to now I have not heard anyone mention Zheng Yusen, much less any clue about the Seven Implements.”

“Miss, do not be anxious. The Sacred Sect has been steadily sending reinforcements to Yanggu County. We should remain calm, things will surface in time. Besides, this is also the Hall Master’s assessment of you. If you achieve merit, the Hall Master will surely reward you when you return.”

Hearing this, Summer Lotus was even more unhappy and said, “If we must go undercover, can’t we pick a different profession? Like open a tofu shop and sell tofu? Why must we come here to be some damned head courtesan, having to pick two fools each month, drug them, pretend and all that. Isn’t that such a hassle?”

“Miss, stop complaining. We don’t know how to run a tofu shop, so we’d blow our cover at once. Besides, the court has already started to take action against the Sacred Sect, and those Nightwarden dogs are watching closely too, especially in Yanggu County. Ever since that foolish woman Bai Chunfeng was exposed, our search for the Seven Implements has been detected by the Nightwardens. If we slip up, it could be dangerous.”

The head maid continued to persuade, “This brothel is perfect—people come and go daily, information flows quickly, and you would be the head courtesan. Each month you entertain one or two guests and drug them, and the rest of the time you can practice cultivation technique, killing two birds with one stone. Is there anywhere more suitable in the world?”

“Ah~ this rotten place is fine, but it is stifling. Usually I can only relieve boredom by their writing poetry. The young lotus just shows its pointed tip, and already a dragonfly perches on top. It’s a good poem, and the person is not bad-looking, but so crude. Who comes up asking right away to sleep? So impatient.”

Summer Lotus looked at Li Chaosheng lying on the table and complained, which made Li Chaosheng’s face involuntarily flush.

Am I not also inexperienced the first time in a place like this? Besides, coming to a brothel is about intense pleasure. Who wants to* dawdle** around** exchanging poetry?*

Fine, I admit I’m crude, cough cough—don’t misunderstand, not physically, but psychologically*. M**y character is rougher.*

But listening to the two women’s conversation, Li Chaosheng actually heard some alarming things: the Seven Implements, Punishment King Zheng Yusen, and the Sacred Sect, which should refer to the White Lotus Sect.

This world was going to great chaos. The monster folk of the White Lotus Sect were increasing, and from what they said the White Lotus Sect will send people to Yanggu County. From now on there would likely be no peaceful days ahead.

Li Chaosheng thought this, and over there Summer Lotus and the head maid fell silent. After a moment Summer Lotus pulled a romance booklet from under the pillow and began reading. The head maid stepped out and placed a sign at the door indicating that a guest had already entered the private room and other patrons should not approach.

The room fell silent, leaving only Li Chaosheng and Summer Lotus alone. Summer Lotus lay on her side on the soft couch, staring at the romance booklet in her hand, and after a long while, faint sobbing was heard. She was crying over the tragic story between the man and woman in the book.

Li Chaosheng had not expected that a dignified White Lotus enchantress would have such a sentimental side. After all, weren’t the demon women of the White Lotus Sect supposed to be merciless, enjoying flaying and disemboweling as female fiends?

This was nothing like he had imagined. The room was quiet, with only Summer Lotus’s sobs. Li Chaosheng was currently in a feigned unconscious state and could not comfort her, so he kept pretending. Growing bored, Li Chaosheng suddenly remembered he had not claimed the reward for killing the wolf demon. Such a large wolf demon would surely offer considerable treasure.

Why did I only think of this now, Li Chaosheng inwardly scolded himself. But on second thought, visiting a brothel is exciting enough. It’s understandable to forget to redeem a reward in the excitement.

Li Chaosheng thought this and entered his Sea of Consciousness. He quickly reached that stele forest, and then a Beast-Skin Catalog suddenly fell from the sky. The next moment Li Chaosheng heard that familiar sound of an abacus.

To work hard at killing to exchange for longevity. Heaven and Earth would tally the accounts clearly.

Clack, clack~

A series of abacus clicks sounded, and the Beast-Skin Catalog flipped directly to the last page, then displayed a line of text: Wild Wolf (10/10) Reward: thirty taels of patterned silver.

Seeing this Li Chaosheng understood: ordinary animals rewarded silver, but wolves were pricier than pigs. Kill ten wolves to earn thirty taels of patterned silver.

Clack, clack~

The abacus continued to click, and the Beast-Skin Catalog began flipping rapidly. It soon reached the front page, a wisp of blue smoke rose up, and then a huge wolf portrait appeared, which was the wolf demon’s portrait, along with a line of text beside it.

Wolf-Head Mountain Wolf Demon (Demon) Level: C, Sixth Grade.

“It’s actually a level C reward.”

Li Chaosheng looked at the rating with slight excitement.

Clack, clack~

One life exchanged for one item, lives and items cleared in pairs. Reward: one volume of Witch Body-Refinement Techniques.