Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 35

35: Too Freakish

Zuixian Pavilion is the most famous brothel in Kingdom and a favorite haunt of the capital’s prominent nobles. Inside, there are not only Kunjun but also Zhongjun and Qianjun, with the latter being the most numerous.

Due to the influence of their heat periods, many Kunjun choose to spend some money to find a temporary tool for marking. Compared to enduring the bitter medicine for seven or eight days, this method is much more comfortable.

The nights in the capital are particularly lively, especially in the red-light district, where the streets are lined with red lanterns. Inside the buildings, there is singing and dancing, with people coming and going at the doors. Laughter, the sounds of string and wind instruments, and various other noises intertwine, creating a scene of revelry and noise.

A carriage slowly made its way down the long street and stopped in front of Zuixian Pavilion.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a Qianjun inside dressed in luxurious brocade robes, a jade belt around his waist, and a folding fan in his hand, exuding an air of nobility. Unfortunately, his face was still somewhat swollen, with a large bruise at the corner of his mouth, and his expression was gloomy.

As soon as Yao Zhi stepped out of the carriage, the madam of Zuixian Pavilion warmly greeted him, “Oh, Young Master Yao, it’s been a while since you last visited. Please, come in!”

The madam was also skilled at reading expressions and didn’t mention the injuries on his face. It was obvious without asking that he had been beaten.

She led him inside, saying, “Our Kunjun have been longing for your visit for quite some time.”

Entering Zuixian Pavilion, influenced by the intoxicating atmosphere, Yao Zhi finally shed his resentment, “Madam, you have no idea what I’ve been through these past few days. It’s been inhuman!”

He walked faster and faster, eager to reach the private room. The frustration from the previous days had not been vented; not only had he been beaten by that scoundrel Gao Yi, but he had also been severely punished by his father upon returning home. Yao Zhi was filled with bitterness.

What kind of mess was this? He didn’t even know how he had lost control at the palace banquet!

Yao Zhi had been confined at home for several days, missing court sessions, and as soon as he was out, he headed straight to Zuixian Pavilion. All he wanted now was to have a good time, to forget all the chaos, and to get thoroughly drunk!

…

On the same street, less than a hundred meters away, was Huang Runfa. Today was membership day, and the store was more crowded than usual, with everyone carrying large cloth bags, frantically shopping. The staff at Huang Runfa were incredibly busy, with long lines at the checkout counters.

Jiang Ci and others were also there, casually browsing while waiting for news.

Pei Shiyuan looked around in amazement, “I’ve only been away for a short while, and Huang’s General Store has turned into this? That green bean mud mask looks really good, save two boxes for me.”

Jiang Ci said, “We still have some in our warehouse, you can have as many boxes as you want.”

Jiang Ci had no intention of hiding the affairs of Huang Runfa from Pei Shiyuan, already considering her as one of their own. After all, they would be fighting side by side in the future. Pei Shiyuan’s issues with her stemmed from the person “Gao Yi” not from any intentional targeting.

Just like with Jin Yu at the beginning, Jiang Ci believed that over time, the other party would naturally notice her changes and dispel any hostility.

“Alright.” Pei Shiyuan agreed on the surface, but in her heart, she couldn’t help but think, truly a freak… With Gao Yi’s brains, how could he manage a store and come up with all these flashy activities like discounts, membership days, seven-day no-reason returns, etc.? She had never seen such things in Kingdom before!

The two of them strolled leisurely at the back, while Xi Lingxue, Huang Fu, and Jin Yu walked ahead.

Huang Fu, as usual, reported her findings. She was becoming increasingly adept at her double-agent role.

“Sister Yi has been keeping a close eye on Yao Zhi. Besides that, she asked me to send people to monitor these locations and gather information on these three individuals… I noticed they all have something in common: they once worked under the Minister of Revenue, and later, they all met with accidents, resulting in the destruction of their families. These three just happened to survive.”

At this point, Huang Fu found it strange. “They changed their names and fled the capital. Logically, no one should know about them… yet Sister Yi was able to accurately name them, identify which city they went to, and even what they do for a living…”

This didn’t seem like mere inquiry, it was as if she already knew and was just confirming the details.

After hearing Huang Fu’s account, Xi Lingxue was also puzzled.

Her intuition told her that these people must know some secret about Yao Jin’an. She had investigated before, but Yao Jin’an was extremely cautious, destroying all evidence—both human and material—leaving no trace over the years.

…How did Gao Yi know these inside details?

Xi Lingxue asked, “When she came to Huang Runfa, did she have contact with anyone else? I mean… informants?”

At the Marquis’s residence, Xi Lingxue could confirm there were none. Even when going to the restroom, a servant would report her whereabouts.

“No.” Huang Fu replied. Her memory had been honed to perfection, allowing her to replicate others’ words verbatim. “Sister Yi always came directly to me, gave her instructions, and left. Any contact she had was with the store’s staff, no one else.”

Xi Lingxue grew more and more uneasy.

Last time, it was intercepting the Crown Prince’s assassins outside the capital, and this time, it was the Minister of Revenue… It was as if Gao Yi could foresee things in advance.

Connecting this to the changes she had undergone over the past few months, Xi Lingxue felt a pang of fear. Could it really be, as Pei Shiyuan suggested, that Gao Yi had been possessed by something?!

…

After wandering around for a while, Jiang Ci led the group upstairs. On the second floor, there was a separate room with a hidden chamber. This was something she had designed during the construction of Huang Runfa, specifically for handling confidential information.

The five of them sat there for a while, waiting for news.

Soon, a clerk returned from outside and whispered a few words into Huang Fu’s ear.

After listening, Huang Fu dismissed the clerk and turned to the group. “Sister Yi, Yao Zhi has entered Zuixian Pavilion and is in the Tianzi No. 1 private room. This time, he didn’t bring anyone else, just three servants. One is guarding outside the private room, not entering, while the other two are downstairs, waiting by the carriage on the west side of Zuixian Pavilion.”

Pei Shiyuan was stunned. Before she left the capital, she only knew that Huang Fu was Xi Lingxue’s person, running a small general store in the East Market. In just a few months, she had become such a big boss and was increasingly resembling a spy…

All these changes were thanks to Gao Yi.

Too freakish…

In such a short time, not only had she provided a large amount of money, but she had also established intelligence points. This was definitely not something the original Gao Yi could have accomplished!

Pei Shiyuan pondered to herself. This freak had really put in a lot of effort.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sister Fu.”

Jiang Ci expressed her gratitude and waited a while longer, estimating that Yao Zhi had drunk enough before calling Jin Yu to go out with her, leaving Pei Shiyuan to look after Xi Lingxue.

Unbeknownst to her, this gave Pei Shiyuan the perfect opportunity.

As soon as they left, only three people remained in the room.

Pei Shiyuan got straight to the point. “Lingxue, haven’t you noticed how strange she is? How could Gao Yi possibly know all this? If hysteria could make someone like her, then I’d want hysteria too…”

Huang Fu, who didn’t know Gao Yi well, only felt that the talents she displayed were truly extraordinary. The ideas she proposed were so novel, and in just a few months, she had made Huang Runfa rise rapidly. Huang Fu was also amazed.

“So… should we really find a Taoist priest?” Xi Lingxue frowned slightly, a bit worried. “It won’t harm her, will it?”

“That depends on her true nature.” Pei Shiyuan said seriously. “Don’t be fooled by her surface-level help. What if she’s secretly a demon that sucks people’s life force? Shouldn’t we deal with her then?”

Xi Lingxue thought about it. Sucking life force didn’t seem to be the case. She had shared a bed with Gao Yi for so long and hadn’t felt any discomfort. On the contrary, it felt like she was the one restraining Gao Yi…

“Actually, I’m just worried she might harm you.” Pei Shiyuan said. “Here’s what we can do: there’s a temple outside the capital. We can invite Gao Yi to go with us and see if she dares to enter. If she does, then we can rest assured—she’s definitely not some demon or ghost. If she doesn’t, then it means there’s something wrong with her!”

Xi Lingxue lowered her eyes in thought. She really wanted to understand the reason behind Gao Yi’s changes. After considering for a while, she replied, “Then let’s do that.”

“Good!”

Pei Shiyuan finally felt relieved. However, she noticed that Xi Lingxue seemed quite concerned about that freak. At the mention of finding a Taoist priest, her first reaction was to worry about the freak’s safety?

Thinking this, Pei Shiyuan tentatively asked, “Are you still thinking about finding that female knight?”

Xi Lingxue answered without hesitation, “Of course.”

At this, Huang Fu had a lot to say. “Miss Pei, look at our store’s name, ‘Huang Runfa.’ It’s so unique because it’s meant to attract the female knight’s attention. Sister Yi came up with it. If the female knight is interested, we’ll know as soon as she visits.”

Pei Shiyuan’s mouth twitched.

Gao Yi came up with this?

What kind of bizarre move was this?

To attract a love rival?!

Pei Shiyuan took a moment to collect herself, then suddenly remembered something. “Does Gao Yi even know about the existence of this female knight…?”

The room fell silent for a while.

After a long pause, Xi Lingxue nodded. “Yes… she also doesn’t know about my relationship with Huang Fu.”

Pei Shiyuan was stunned. For a moment, she actually felt a bit sorry for that freak.

Regardless of whether the freak sucked life force or not, just looking at how worried she was about Xi Lingxue during the palace banquet, that concern was definitely genuine.

She must have developed real feelings.

Pei Shiyuan asked, “So, what does that freak—ahem, Gao Yi—mean to you?”

A tool? Something to be discarded once the term is up?

Pei Shiyuan already knew about the contract between them.

Xi Lingxue’s eyes darkened. She had never seriously thought about this question before.

Her gaze grew distant. “Sometimes, I feel like she resembles that person… especially her eyes.”

Of course, Xi Lingxue knew they couldn’t be the same person. Their handwriting was completely different.

“Resembles?” Pei Shiyuan frowned. “So, are you using her as a substitute?”

…A substitute?

Hearing this term, Xi Lingxue was truly at a loss. She couldn’t tell what her feelings for Gao Yi were, nor could she discern where this dependence came from. Was it because of the resemblance, or because of Gao Yi herself?

Both feelings were intertwined, tangled into a mess.

…

Jiang Ci took Jin Yu out, heading toward Zuixian Pavilion, but unexpectedly spotted Yao Qin downstairs.

She was shopping at Huang Runfa with a man, not noticing anyone else.

The day after the palace banquet, Yao Qin had returned from Consort Yao’s place, and since then, Jiang Ci had ignored her.

Jin Yu, seeing Yao Qin holding the man’s arm and acting intimately, was quite surprised. “Marquis, they—”

“Don’t worry about it, let’s go.”

Jiang Ci was completely indifferent to Yao Qin. Besides, they were going to divorce anyway, so she could do as she pleased.

As they walked down the street, now without Nanny Zhang to interfere, Jiang Ci seized the opportunity to ask, “Little King Kong, who is the person your princess likes?”

Jin Yu stiffened, remembering Nanny Zhang’s instructions, and immediately denied it. “No, there’s no such person.”

Jiang Ci laughed. “Don’t try to fool me. Do you think I can’t tell? Even if you don’t tell me, I can find out myself.”

Hearing this, Jin Yu panicked. “Don’t! You’ll get angry if you find out!”

Jiang Ci: “…”

Jin Yu: “…”

Oops, she slipped up.

Jiang Ci deliberately put on a stern face and quickened her pace, saying coldly, “You’re all hiding things from me. I’m already very angry.”

Jin Yu’s heart raced. She had been struggling with this for a while, and seeing the situation escalate, she decided to come clean. “Alright, there is someone, but she hasn’t been seen for a long time… Don’t lose heart, though. I still have high hopes for you.”

As they spoke, they arrived at the west side of Zuixian Pavilion. Jiang Ci immediately spotted the Yao family’s carriage, with two servants idly chatting nearby.

Without a word, Jiang Ci swept in like a gust of wind, swiftly knocking both men out with two precise strikes.

Jin Yu swallowed hard, sensing that Jiang Ci was truly in a bad mood.

The two quickly stripped the servants of their outer garments and hats, put them on, and entered Zuixian Pavilion with their heads lowered.

The madam saw them hurrying past but didn’t get a clear look at their faces. However, she recognized the clothing as belonging to the Yao household, so she didn’t intervene.

Jiang Ci went upstairs, heading straight for the Tianzi No. 1 private room, where she indeed found the last servant standing at the door.

The servant was yawning, and when he glanced up, he noticed someone wearing the same clothes as him. Looking further up, he realized he didn’t recognize the face. “Hey, you—”

With a thud, Jiang Ci repeated her earlier move, knocking him out with a single strike, while her other hand quickly caught him to prevent him from falling.

Just a Zhongjun—she could handle that.

Jiang Ci handed the servant over to Jin Yu, then knocked on the door, deliberately lowering her voice. “Young Master Yao, the Marquis of Dingyuan is downstairs and wants to see you.”

Yao Zhi, who had been drinking heavily inside, was furious at the mention of the name. “I won’t see her!”

Jiang Ci had anticipated this. “She said she wants to apologize to you.”

Sure enough, after a moment, the door opened, and Jiang Ci and Jin Yu quickly lowered their heads.

Yao Zhi stumbled out, barely able to keep his eyes open, and didn’t notice anything unusual about the servants. “Let’s go! Let’s see what she wants!”

Jiang Ci smiled.

…

A short while later, Yao Zhi was stuffed into a sack, thrown into the carriage, with a cloth stuffed in his mouth and his hands and feet tied up.

Yao Zhi: “Mmmph!!”

Jiang Ci drove the carriage toward Huang Runfa, continuing the earlier conversation. “What does that person look like?”

Jin Yu was stunned, taking a moment to realize she was asking about the female knight. “Uh… not bad, I guess.”

She hadn’t seen her face—it was always covered—but she remembered her as tall and slender, with beautiful eyes.

Jiang Ci: Not bad? So, not particularly attractive.

“What does she do?”

Jin Yu: “She’s a wanderer, I guess?”

Like a masked knight-errant, skilled in martial arts and even poison.

Jiang Ci: A wanderer? So, no stable job.

“You said earlier she hasn’t been seen for how long?”

Jin Yu thought for a moment. “It’s been over four years…”

Jiang Ci couldn’t help but scoff inwardly.

If it were someone like Wen Bojian—talented and good-looking—she would definitely feel a sense of crisis, especially since he was the official love interest in the original story.

But this kind of rival? My god, really? What does she even have going for her? She’s not even around anymore. What kind of competition is that? Not a threat at all!

It’s probably just a rumor!

Jiang Ci decided there was no need to ask Xi Lingxue about this anymore.