From the fake emperor to the concubine

"Thank you." Zheng Yi nodded, then looked around at everyone. "Now that my injuries have healed, we should think about our next plan."

"What are the patriarch's plans?" Zheng Hongzhi asked.

“We can’t hide here forever,” Zheng Yi said. “Although the Barren Wasteland is remote, it’s not absolutely safe. The Han family will find us sooner or later, and the Town Guard might also be tracking us. We must leave here as soon as possible and go to a safer place.”

"Where should we go?" Zheng Bowen asked.

"The core area of ​​Tianyuan Domain," Zheng Yi said. "Although it's dangerous there, there are also many opportunities. Moreover, the forces there are complex and intertwined. Even if the Han family and the Town Domain Division wanted to deal with us, they would have to think twice."

“But we know nothing about the core area,” Zheng Hongzhi said worriedly.

"So we need to prepare in advance," Zheng Yi said. "In the next few days, I'll go to nearby towns to gather information and understand the situation in the core area. We'll set off once we're fully prepared."

“Master, let me accompany you,” Zheng Bowen said.

"No need," Zheng Yi shook his head. "You all stay here and protect everyone. It'll be more convenient for me to go alone."

"But."

“There’s no ‘buts’,” Zheng Yi said. “My injuries have healed, and I can handle most dangers. Don’t worry.”

Although Zheng Bowen and the others were worried, they knew Zheng Yi's strength and eventually nodded in agreement.

"Young Master Zheng," Su Wanqing suddenly spoke up, "may I go with you?"

"You?" Zheng Yi looked at her.

“Yes,” Su Wanqing said. “I’ve lived in the Tianyuan Domain for over twenty years and I know this place better than you do. Perhaps I can be of some help.”

Zheng Yi thought about it for a while, and finally shook his head.

“Although your injuries have healed, your strength hasn’t fully recovered,” he said. “It’s too dangerous outside; it’s better if you stay here.”

"But."

“Miss Su, I know you want to help,” Zheng Yi interrupted her, “but right now the most important thing is to preserve our strength. It won't be too late to act together once you've fully recovered.”

Su Wanqing remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

“Alright,” she said. “Then, Young Master Zheng, please take care on your journey.”

"Don't worry," Zheng Yi said.

After leaving the barren wasteland, Zheng Yi flew south.

He planned to go to Qingyun City to gather information first. Although he had offended the City Lord's Mansion there, more than a month had passed, and the storm should have passed. Moreover, Qingyun City was the largest city in the area and had the best sources of information, making it the most suitable place to learn about the situation in the core area of ​​Tianyuan Domain.

After flying for about two hours, the outline of Qingyun City came into view.

Zheng Yi landed outside the city, found a secluded corner, and began to change his appearance.

He took out a human skin mask from his storage bag. He had obtained it back in the Xuan Tian Domain. It could perfectly change his appearance and even conceal his aura to some extent.

After putting on the mask, Zheng Yi's face transformed into that of an ordinary middle-aged man, with an unremarkable appearance. He then changed into a gray robe, making him look like an ordinary rogue cultivator.

"This way we shouldn't be recognized." Zheng Yi looked at his reflection in the water and nodded in satisfaction.

He straightened his robes and strode towards Qingyun City.

There was still a long queue at the city gate, but fewer people than last time. Zheng Yi mingled in the crowd and soon it was his turn.

“Token,” the guard said routinely.

Zheng Yi took out the fake silver token and handed it over.

The soldier glanced at Zheng Yi, then looked at him again, and seeing nothing amiss, waved him through.

Zheng Yi breathed a sigh of relief and strode into the city gate.

Upon entering Qingyun City, Zheng Yi found it even more bustling than when he last visited. The streets were teeming with people, all kinds of shops were thriving, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining filled the air.

"It seems that the affairs of the City Lord's Mansion and the Town Administration Bureau have not affected the lives of ordinary people," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

He strolled along the street, listening to the conversations around him, hoping to glean some useful information.

"Have you heard? The Han family has gotten into big trouble recently."

"What important matter?"

"Han Qing, a direct descendant of the Han family, was killed a few days ago while on a mission. It's said he was killed by a group of cultivators of unknown origin, leaving no survivors."

"Really? Han Qing is a mid-stage Integration Realm expert, who's that powerful?"

"I don't know. The Han family has already sent people to investigate. It's said that Elder Han Lie was furious and vowed to tear the murderer to pieces."

Upon hearing these words, Zheng Yi's heart stirred.

It seems the Han family already knows Han Qing is dead and is investigating the murderer. However, judging from the current situation, they haven't found any clues yet, otherwise they wouldn't be so calm.

He continued walking and heard some other news.

"I heard that the City Lord's Mansion recently changed its retainer, and the old Master Li from before has disappeared."

"Elder Li? That old monster from the mid-stage of the Mahayana realm? How could he have disappeared?"

"Who knows? I heard he went on some secret mission and never came back. The city lord's men are searching everywhere for him, but there's still no news."

"That's strange. How could a mid-stage Mahayana expert just vanish into thin air?"

Zheng Yi's lips curled up slightly.

Of course, Old Li didn't just disappear into thin air. His body is still lying in the Netherworld Secret Realm, probably devoured by demonic beasts until not even bones are left.

"It seems the City Lord's Mansion doesn't know that Elder Li is dead yet," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "That's good, it saves them from tracing it back to me."

He continued to wander the streets, gathering all sorts of information.

He also learned quite a bit about the core area of ​​Tianyuan Domain.

The core area is located in the heart of the Tianyuan Domain, the most prosperous and dangerous place in the entire domain. It is home to the most powerful forces in the Tianyuan Domain, including the three holy lands, the nine great families, and countless small and medium-sized sects.

To enter the core area, one must pass through several checkpoints. Each checkpoint is guarded by powerful figures; without sufficient strength and connections, entry is impossible.

"It seems that entering the core area is not an easy task," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

As he walked and pondered, he unknowingly arrived at a bustling street in the city center.

This street was more bustling than other places, with exquisitely decorated shops on both sides and most of the pedestrians dressed in fine clothes, clearly the wealthy area of ​​Qingyun City.

At the end of the street stood a magnificent pavilion.

The pavilion was seven stories high, with flying eaves and bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters. Each floor was covered with colorful lanterns, which shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Above the main entrance of the pavilion hung a golden plaque with three large characters written on it in a flamboyant style: "Jade Pavilion".

“Jade Pavilion?” Zheng Yi looked at the plaque, feeling a little curious.

He noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the Jade Pavilion, a bustling and lively scene. Many people were craning their necks, seemingly waiting for something. "Excuse me, sir, what does the Jade Pavilion do?" Zheng Yi stopped a passerby and asked.

The man glanced at Zheng Yi, a look of surprise on his face: "You don't even know about the Jade Pavilion? You must be from out of town?"

“Yes, I just arrived in Qingyun City not long ago,” Zheng Yi said.

"No wonder," the man chuckled. "Jade Pavilion is the most famous brothel in Qingyun City. Every girl there is stunningly beautiful and exceptionally talented. Many high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants are regulars here."

"A place of pleasure?" Zheng Yi frowned.

"Don't misunderstand, Jade Pavilion isn't an ordinary brothel," the man quickly explained. "The girls here only sell their art, not their bodies. If you want to get close to them, money isn't enough; you also need talent."

"Really?" Zheng Yi's interest was piqued. "Is there some kind of event with so many people gathered here today?"

"You really know nothing," the man sighed. "Today is the day of Hongyu, the top courtesan of the Jade Pavilion, to perform her wedding day. Every month on the first day, Hongyu performs, attracting countless spectators."

“Red Rain Girl?” Zheng Yi repeated.

"Yes, Miss Hongyu is the most beautiful courtesan at the Jade Pavilion. She's said to be as beautiful as a fairy and exceptionally talented. Many people want to catch a glimpse of her, but she rarely sees outsiders. She only performs once a month on the first day of each month."

"Moreover," the man said in a low, mysterious voice, "I heard that Miss Hongyu is going to give out a riddle today. Whoever answers it correctly can board her pleasure boat and have a secret rendezvous with her for drinks. It's said that she'll also give ten thousand taels of gold as a prize."

"Ten thousand gold pieces?" Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, ten thousand taels of gold!” the man exclaimed, his eyes filled with envy. “But winning ten thousand taels of gold is no easy feat. Miss Hongyu’s questions are always tricky and unusual; very few people can answer them correctly.”

Zheng Yi nodded, a hint of curiosity about this girl named Hongyu arose in his mind.

He wasn't particularly interested in brothels, but since he was already there, he figured he might as well check it out. Besides, places like the Jade Pavilion were often well-informed, and he might be able to gather some useful information.

"Thank you for informing me, brother," Zheng Yi said.

"You're welcome," the man chuckled. "If you're interested, brother, you can join in the fun. However, getting into the Jade Pavilion isn't easy; you can't enter without a token of silver or higher."

"I understand." Zheng Yi nodded.

The man waved and turned to leave.

Looking at the growing crowd, Zheng Yi pondered for a moment and decided to join in the fun.

He squeezed into the crowd and walked towards the Jade Pavilion.

A huge stage had been erected in front of the Jade Pavilion, covered with a red carpet and surrounded by various fragrant flowers. In the very center of the stage, there was a guqin and a pipa, clearly prepared for a performance.

Below the stage, a large crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. There were wealthy merchants in fine clothes, scholars dressed as gentlemen, and even some monks in brocade robes. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the appearance of Miss Hongyu.

Zheng Yi found a corner to stand in and waited quietly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the doors of the Jade Pavilion slowly opened.

A melodious string and bamboo instrument sound rang out, and more than a dozen girls dressed in colorful clothes filed out from the door, holding various musical instruments in their hands, and stood on both sides of the stage.

Immediately afterwards, a magnificent sedan chair was carried out from inside the gate, carried by four strong sedan chair bearers, and slowly arrived at the center of the stage.

The sedan chair stopped, the curtain was lifted, and a woman stepped out.

In an instant, the whole place was in an uproar.

The woman wore a red silk dress, the hem embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns that shimmered in the sunlight. Her waist was slender, and her figure graceful, like a blooming red lotus.

Her appearance was absolutely stunning; her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes, like autumn water, sparkled, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, carrying a faint smile.

"It's Miss Hongyu!"

"Oh my god, it's so beautiful!"

"As expected of the most beautiful courtesan in the Jade Pavilion, her reputation is well-deserved!"

A gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.

Zheng Yi looked at the woman and was secretly amazed.

This young lady, Hongyu, was indeed stunningly beautiful. Even Liu Ruyan and Su Wanqing paled in comparison to her.

What concerned Zheng Yi even more was that this woman's cultivation level was actually quite high, having reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Such a level of cultivation was rare in the brothel world.

"This girl, Hongyu, seems to be quite something," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

Red Rain Girl walked to the center of the stage and gave a graceful bow to the audience around her.

"Gentlemen and lords, Hongyu greets you." Her voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley, making people feel relaxed and happy.

"You're too kind, Miss Hongyu!"

"May Miss Hongyu be well!"

A chorus of responses rang out from the crowd.

Miss Red Rain smiled slightly and said, "Today is the beginning of the month, and as is customary, Red Rain will perform a song for everyone. But before that, Red Rain would like to play a little game with you all."

"What game?" someone asked impatiently.

“It’s very simple,” said Miss Hongyu. “I will present a couplet, and whichever gentleman can provide the best matching line will be invited aboard my boat for a private rendezvous and drinks. In addition, I will give him ten thousand taels of gold as a prize.”

"Ten thousand gold pieces?"

"A secret drinking session?"

The crowd suddenly became excited.

While ten thousand taels of gold was a considerable sum, it meant little to these wealthy merchants and cultivators. What truly captivated them was the opportunity to have a private rendezvous and drink with Miss Hongyu. Miss Hongyu's beauty was unparalleled; to be alone with her in a room was something countless people dreamed of.
"Red Rain Girl, hurry up and give me the question!" someone shouted eagerly.

"That's right, let's see Hongyu's talent!"

Miss Hongyu smiled slightly, parted her lips, and slowly said, "Hongyu's first line of the couplet is—"

"The wind blows the willow catkins, drifting aimlessly; the rain beats down the peach blossoms, leaving their marks."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

As everyone carefully examined the first line of the couplet, they discovered its profound meaning.

This first line of the couplet seems simple, but it is actually extremely ingenious. It depicts two completely different scenes: willow catkins are blown by the wind, floating aimlessly without settling down; peach blossoms are beaten down by the rain, but leave traces on the ground.

The contrast between "uncertain" and "traceable" implies the philosophy that life is impermanent and the world is unpredictable.

To create a good matching line, not only must the parallelism be perfect, but the imagery must also be harmonious, which is extremely difficult.

"This first line of the couplet"

"That's too difficult." (End of Chapter)