Longevity from Liao Zhai

Chapter 128 Identity Exposed
Zhou Ping put the Holy Bodhi Buddhist beads into the storage jade.

This string of Buddhist beads has been placed on Zhou Ping's waist, which is a bit inconvenient and would be bad if discovered by others.

Holy Bodhi Buddhist beads can be used when dealing with ghosts.

However, Zhou Ping already has a fierce ghost by his side, and he also has magic called the Ghost King Technique, so Zhou Ping doesn't need to take action against ordinary ghosts.

Therefore, there are fewer opportunities to use the Holy Bodhi Buddhist beads.

As for the Vajra, it remained on his waist, and the Demonic Blade Thousand Blades was still on his back. The Vajra was too obvious, and if he took it out of the storage space, others would see that he had a storage treasure.

Zhou Ping also put several hundred taels of silver, five gold bricks and two pieces of clothing into the storage jade. This was all his belongings.

After doing all this, Zhou Ping pushed open the door.

Zhou Ping and Fan Shiyi both lived in the backyard, living with He Yunqing and Liu Ruyan, mother and daughter.

The table had already been set up in the courtyard, and when Zhou Ping left, He Yunqing arranged for someone to serve the food.

Fan Shiyi also went out after Zhou Ping went out.

"Zhou Ping, I didn't expect that the Cloth Hero is not only good at martial arts, but also good at other things." Fan Shiyi said, waving a paper fan.

Zhou Ping was stunned for a moment, then his mind raced. Are you trying to trick me again?
"Cloth Strip Hero? What's so great about him?" Zhou Ping pretended to be confused.

Zhou Ping knew that he was the one who took the storage jade, but he hadn't asked Fan Shiyi and Xiaoqing yet, so according to common sense, Zhou Ping should know nothing.

Zhou Ping probably didn’t know whether the storage jade was still there.

As soon as Fan Shiyi spoke, Zhou Ping knew that Fan Shiyi was testing him, so he pretended to be so confused.

"Isn't it?" Fan Shiyi suspected that Zhou Ping was the Cloth Strip Hero, because the Cloth Strip Hero appeared after a group of people found the secret realm.

Of the group of people who entered the secret realm at that time, only Zhou Ping and the old man who picked herbs left, and the others were still in the secret realm.

The Cloth Strip Hero appeared after Zhou Ping left, so Fan Shiyi guessed that Zhou Ping was the Cloth Strip Hero.

Zhou Ping asked again: "What is not?"

Fan Shiyi completely dispelled her doubts and no longer believed that Zhou Ping was the Cloth Strip Hero.

"The secret realm has been breached. It was the hero who breached it, and he wrote a poem."

"When I hoe the field at noon, my sweat drips down to the ground. Who knows that every grain of rice on the table is the result of hard work?"

A brief introduction to Fan Shiyi.

Zhou Ping nodded, with an expression of sudden enlightenment.

Fan Shiyi said, "You don't seem surprised."

"Why should I be surprised?" Zhou Ping asked curiously.

Fan Shiyi murmured to himself: "That's right."

"What Cloth Strip Hero? Have you seen the Cloth Strip Hero? He once saved me." Liu Ruyan said with a smile.

Fan Shiyi's eyes lit up: "Saved you? Tell me in detail."

Liu Ruyan told the story of how the mother and daughter were possessed by ghosts but were saved by the hero Bu Tiao.

"This is the cloth hero that I had someone draw." Liu Ruyan pulled the confused Xiaobai out from her chest, and then took out a portrait from her chest.

Fan Shiyi took the portrait and nodded: "This is the cloth hero, yes, but why is there no eyes in the portrait?"

After Fan Shiyi finished speaking, he handed the paper to Zhou Ping. Zhou Ping took the paper and first smelled a woman's fragrance. After all, the portrait was hidden on Liu Ruyan's chest.

Liu Ruyan recalled: "I was dazed at the time, so I didn't see the face of the strip hero clearly."

Zhou Ping looked at the portrait with a normal expression, but his heart skipped a beat. I'm exposed!
Zhou Ping had seen Liu Ruyan in the Demon Lord’s memory.

According to what Fan Shiyi said, all members of the Zhang family are cultivators, and their cultivation is not low. This means that Liu Ruyan is also a cultivator.

If Liu Ruyan is a member of the Zhang family, the possibility of being possessed by a ghost is very low. The only explanation is that she is pretending. Pretending to be possessed by a ghost.

If this is the case, if Liu Ruyan had some cultivation, she would have definitely seen Zhou Ping's eyes at that time.

"Aunt Liu knows my identity!" Zhou Ping handed the portrait to Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan stuffed the portrait into her chest and said, "Because he saved me, I always keep the portrait with me."

While eating, Zhou Ping was thinking about how much he had revealed in front of Liu Ruyan.

If Liu Ruyan was a member of the Zhang family, then she would not only know that she was the Cloth Hero, but also know that she could teleport.

Because Zhou Ping held her and returned to Qinghe County instantly.

Zhou Ping felt very uneasy when he thought that his secret of "The World is Just Around the Corner" had been exposed.

"Maybe I guessed wrong. She may just look like the woman in the Demon Lord's memory." Zhou Ping said secretly.

He wanted to test Liu Ruyan to see if she had any ability.

As for the method of trying.

"Aunt Liu, it's very hot today, let's have something cool." Zhou Ping pinched his fingers and made a few ice cubes, one of which he placed in Liu Ruyan's bowl.

Liu Ruyan nodded gently and drank the ice water in one gulp: "Thank you Zhou Ping, it's so comfortable to drink ice water on such a hot day."

Zhou Ping smiled faintly and said nothing.

Fan Shiyi, who was standing by, also drank the ice water. She didn't drink it a few days ago.

"The time is right, I can give her a try." Zhou Ping said secretly.

In the Jiaofangsi.

Mingyue yawned, then put on her clothes with the help of the maid.

The little maid was from Qingyuan County. She was trafficked to the Jiaofangsi, but was later rescued.

But the family was so poor that the maid sold herself to the Music Bureau.

As for the money from selling her body, she gave it all to her parents.

Mingyue felt that the little maid's life experience was similar to her own, so she accepted her.

"Mingyue, open the door." The madam pushed the door open without Mingyue's consent.

Behind the madam, there is a daughter. This woman has a slim figure, thin where it should be thin, and plump where it should be plump. Especially her pair of vixen eyes are so captivating.

The madam looked at Mingyue in a bossy manner and said, "Mingyue, you will not live in this room anymore. Let Susu live in it."

Mingyue is the most popular courtesan in Qinghe County's Jiaofangsi, and many people come to see her because of her reputation.

But the courtesan will eventually grow old, and people will eventually get tired of her.

Mingyue attracted many people with her tenth-grade cultivation, but these people never came again after coming twice, because Mingyue only sold her art and not her body.

So gradually, Mingyue's customers became fewer and fewer, and most of them were scholars. And the scholars were all poor scholars who didn't have much money.

Mingyue held the title of the most beautiful courtesan but refused to sell herself, so the madam was unhappy and wanted to replace Mingyue as the most beautiful courtesan.

The new girl, Susu, is very good. Not only is she good-looking, but she is also willing to sell her body, so she is chosen by the madam to replace Mingyue.

The two women standing together were clearly superior. Mingyue had a kind of indifference because she was already a Confucian scholar, while Susu was as charming as a vixen.

The two women have different styles, one is a red rose and the other is a white lotus.

Mingyue said, "Oh": "Xiao Cui, pack up and go." The little maid obediently packed up and followed Mingyue away.

It was somewhat unbelievable that the madam was so obedient to Mingyue.

"My daughter, it's not that your mother doesn't want you to live here, it's just that the business of the Jiaofang Bureau is too bad." The madam began to speak well of Mingyue, "My daughter, County Magistrate Lu spent one thousand taels to get your virginity, you see..."

Mingyue said indifferently: "Ten thousand taels!"

Ten thousand taels is the money Mingyue needs to escape from the Jiaofang Bureau, and she can use this money to redeem herself.

"Ten thousand taels." The madam's face changed drastically. "Do you think you are a famous prostitute in the capital? You actually asked for ten thousand taels."

Su Su also laughed and said, "Sister, isn't it just a Confucian tenth-grade article? You actually offered a whopping price of 10,000 taels for it."

The madam also said, "Mingyue, you should not be too greedy. You should know your own worth."

The maid Xiao Cui packed up her things. She puffed her cheeks and said, "Who said my young lady is a tenth-rank lady? My young lady is already an eighth-rank lady! An eighth-rank lady in the Confucian sense!"

Hearing the maid's words, Su Su was stunned on the spot. The madam was stunned for a moment, and then she was ecstatic: "Eighth rank, eighth rank, my daughter, when did you reach the eighth rank?"

"To answer my mother's question, it was last night."

"There are only three eighth-rank officials in Qinghe County, and my Jiaofang Division has one. This is a great thing."

"Ten thousand taels. For an eighth-rank maiden, ten thousand taels doesn't seem like a lot."

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'll give you a price of 10,000 taels!"

The madam rubbed her hands excitedly, she didn't expect Mingyue had reached the eighth rank.

You should know that there are not many eighth-grade people in Qinghe County and Qingyuan County, and they can be counted on one hand. The eighth-grade is already like the ceiling.

For an eighth-rank virgin, the madam couldn’t imagine how many young men would be willing to give it a try.

"You still live in this house." The madam quickly took the things from the maid.

Su Su on the side was unhappy: "Mom, you said I want to be an oiran."

The madam pushed Susu's hand away: "What oiran? When did I ever say you were an oiran? The oiran of the Jiaofangsi will always be Mingyue."

Su Su wanted to speak again, but was slapped by the madam: "Get lost, you bitch, don't you understand what I said?"

It’s not the madam’s power, but the Eighth Rank is too powerful.

As an eighth-rank innocent girl, I'm afraid someone would spend tens of thousands of taels to redeem Mingyue, and then the Music Bureau could sell Mingyue at a high price.

Thinking of this, Su Su didn't seem to be attractive anymore. Ming Yue could tolerate not selling her body. The madam asked Ming Yue about her well-being for a few more words before leaving.

Mingyue sighed, thinking it was dangerous. Today she lost her status as an otaku, tomorrow the madam would ask her to receive customers, and then when she was old and ugly, she would receive any customers.

At that time, Mingyue will be completely reduced to a piece of junk.

Now that she has entered the eighth rank, Mingyue has bargaining chips again. She has kept her status as an oiran and will not be forced by the madam to sell her virginity.

"As an eighth-rank Confucian scholar, perhaps someone will take a fancy to me and help redeem me from slavery." Mingyue murmured in a low voice.

The maid Xiao Cui said: "With your qualifications, it won't be a problem for you to enter the seventh rank in the future."

Mingyue laughed. Only she knew how lucky she was to break through two realms in one night.

How many people have read books all their lives but still cannot become a Confucian scholar.

If I hadn't been lucky enough to follow Fan Shiyi on the trip to Qinglong Mountain, I might not have been able to break through to the eighth level in my entire life.

"Zhou Ping." Mingyue suddenly thought that she was able to break through two realms in a row because of Zhou Ping.

First, there is "The empty mountain after the rain", then "The rich man's house is full of wine and meat", these are all Zhou Ping's poems. Zhou Ping also wrote a poem for himself, "The moon shines brightly before my bed".

"Zhou Ping is my benefactor. I need to spend more time with him. Maybe he can help me reach the seventh rank." Hope ignited in Mingyue's eyes.

Mingyue was just a little courtesan, but because of Zhou Ping, not only did everyone in Wei know the name Mingyue, but she also reached the eighth rank because of Zhou Ping.

Mingyue realized that Zhou Ping was his benefactor and he must hold on to him tightly.

Qinglong Mountain, at the foot of the mountain.

Chen Chao and several other scholars were covered in mud and looked a bit disheveled.

Fan Shiyi left these people behind and went down the mountain alone, so they had no choice but to go down the mountain in disgrace.

Although they had all entered the mountain, the mountain path was dark and it was raining, so it was easy to slip.

So they were all in a mess, and each of them slipped at least a dozen times.

"This trip to Qinglong Mountain is really unlucky."

"That's right. I didn't write any good poems, nor did I get the storage jade."

"There is a beautiful poem: After the rain in the empty mountains, the weather turns to autumn late in the morning."

I don’t know which scholar said this, but the other scholars fell silent.

Originally, on this trip to Qinglong Mountain, they recited poems and composed couplets in order to show off their talents in front of Fan Shiyi and Miss Mingyue.

Who would have thought that along the way, an escort would steal the limelight.

The most eye-catching person along the way was Zhou Ping.

A poem titled "After the Rain in the Empty Mountain" unexpectedly helped Mingyue and an illiterate herbalist to achieve a breakthrough.

"It's just an occasional good sentence. We have had such times too," Chen Chao concluded.

A group of scholars agreed. They thought Zhou Ping just had an inspiration by chance.

Every one of them has encountered this kind of situation. At some point in time, they also have this kind of inspiration.

And they all thought that Zhou Ping's poems were just so-so and nothing great.

Chen Chao patted the plaster off his clothes and said with a smile, "This trip to Qinglong Mountain was not without gain. At least we saw the storage jade and the cloth hero."

The storage jade is a treasure that everyone wants. Although they did not get the treasure, they met the cloth hero.

The scholars felt that it was acceptable that the storage jade was obtained by the hero Bu Tiao.

"Yes, we saw the storage jade and also saw the cloth hero up close. These two things alone made our trip worthwhile."

"Yes, yes, the Bu Tiao hero is elusive. He has not appeared since he saved Qinghe County."

"I've only heard of him before but never seen him. I didn't expect to actually see the cloth hero. I can go home and brag about it."

When the scholars heard what Chen Chao said, they all expressed their agreement.

Although Zhou Ping got the limelight, they saw the cloth hero, but Zhou Ping did not. Just for this, they made a profit.

"Qinghe County now has one more eighth-rank official." said a scholar.

The scholars fell silent again, especially Chen Chao.

Chen Chao had always been the leader of the scholars in Qinghe County because he had the highest level of cultivation. Unexpectedly, Mingyue was the first to reach the eighth level of Confucianism.

This made Chen Chao feel frustrated.

“I’ll ask Miss Mingyue later how she reached the eighth rank.” Chen Chao also wanted to learn from her.

"Yes, yes, yes. Ask Miss Mingyue which poem she borrowed was admitted into the eighth rank."

(End of this chapter)