Poor Taoist Qiu Chuji

Chapter 368 Curiosity from All Sides

It felt very strange to see Jia Baoyu dressed as a woman.

It was like opening a box, breaking free from the shackles that had been holding him back.

He found true freedom and, for the first time ever, an indescribable courage.

He wanted to wear this outfit, go outside, stand in the crowd, and let everyone see his beauty and marvel at it.

This beauty did not shame him; on the contrary, it made him proud.

It has to be said that martial arts are truly a wondrous thing.

It may not seem as profound as those supernatural powers and magical methods, but in reality, its upper and lower limits can always be quite different.

In many low-level martial arts worlds, one can accomplish things that are not so easy to do even in fantasy worlds through martial arts.

The principle is also clear: martial arts is a cultivation method that completely integrates essence, energy, and spirit into one. Even at the low level of martial arts, true energy will contain a small amount of spiritual fragments.

Therefore, the mind can influence changes in the body, and changes in the body can also influence changes in the mind.

Similarly, internal energy cultivation techniques with specific effects can, over time, change a person's original character.

Therefore, Dongfang Bubai, who cultivated the Sunflower Manual, would become a demure woman embroidering in her boudoir. Zhang Wuji, who had some deep-seated hatred and was somewhat ruthless in his youth, would become a kind and magnanimous 'gentleman' who would risk his life to save his enemies after mastering the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

They were all influenced by the spiritual principles contained in the internal energy cultivation methods, which gradually changed their original values ​​without them even realizing it.

Jia Baoyu's values ​​were not firm to begin with. Guided by the "Flower Heart Method," he began to deviate from the normal male way of thinking and started to change towards a female one.

"Master Bao! Where are you going?" Qingwen was so frightened by Jia Baoyu's departure that she almost lost her soul.

If others had seen this, she would have been dead.
Jia Baoyu turned around and suddenly chuckled. He then tore off some of the embroidery from his dress, took off his outer coat, put on his own bright red cloak, and continued walking out.

Qingwen snapped out of her daze at that smile and lunged forward to stop him, but Jia Baoyu deftly turned and dodged her.

Although the Flower Heart Technique is not good at combat, not being good at it does not mean it is not available.

Ultimately, it is an internal martial arts technique that can improve Jia Baoyu's skills to some extent.

At this moment, Jia Baoyu was determined to leave, and the little Qingwen was no match for him... Not to mention Qingwen, even if most of the servants in the Jia family came to grab him, they might not be able to touch the hem of his clothes.

After leaving Jiangyun Pavilion, we arrived at the garden in the blink of an eye.

Many maids and old women in the garden saw Jia Baoyu, but did not recognize him. They wondered when such a beautiful young lady had come to the mansion, and where she came from.

When Jia Baoyu floated into the front hall under everyone's gaze, it immediately caused an even greater sensation.

When the servants and retainers saw Jia Baoyu, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Bao...Baoyu?"

"Are you Baoyu?" Jia Lian, who had just returned from drinking outside the mansion, recognized Jia Baoyu's identity from the jade pendant hanging from his waist and subconsciously swallowed.

He had quite a bit of contact with Jia Baoyu, so he knew that Jia Baoyu was becoming more and more handsome, and he also knew what Jia Baoyu looked like.

That's why the true identity could be identified through the jade pendant.

But he still hadn't expected that Jia Baoyu, dressed in women's clothing and wearing a bright red cloak, would be this handsome.

He was so androgynous... no! It was unbelievable that he was actually a man, not a woman.

"If only he were a woman!"

"If it's a woman, then... then... I'll accept it!" Jia Lian thought to himself.

Although this Second Master Lian would eat anything, good or bad, and was adept at discerning the beauty of all kinds of women, he was a fairly straightforward nobleman and playboy, and generally did not have any homosexual tendencies.

This reminded Jia Lian of the feeling he had when he was ten years old, when he secretly watched a maid taking a bath. His heart was itchy... as if it was beating very fast, or as if something was teasing him.

When the others heard Jia Lian reveal Jia Baoyu's identity, they looked at Jia Baoyu with many strange expressions.

The gazes became even more intense.

At this moment, Jia Baoyu's beauty did not actually surpass that of Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and Wang Xifeng, the top beauties in the Rongguo Mansion. But whether people are willing to admit it or not, when a man's feminine charm reaches the level of a top beauty, his attraction to others will far exceed that of beauties of the same level.

The reason is simple: voyeurism, curiosity, and taboos can all have a great psychological impact on people. In the midst of self-doubt and an irresistible urge to keep watching, one gradually completes some self-control.

Imagination always surpasses what the naked eye sees.

Just like flight attendants, nurses, office ladies... they always outshine those ordinary street outfits. The person is still the same, but the feeling is always different.

"Second Brother Lian, do you recognize me?" Jia Baoyu replied. His voice was not yet fully developed due to puberty and the changes in his body, so his voice was difficult to distinguish. He could be considered as a woman with a relatively deep voice or as a man with a relatively high-pitched voice.

Jia Lian nodded, laboriously averting his gaze, then waved to the servants, pageboys, and retainers who were watching: "Go, go, go! Go back to your work! What are you all doing crowding here?"

Driven away by Jia Lian, the crowd scattered, but none of them went far. Instead, after avoiding Jia Lian, they stood in the shadows and stared at Jia Baoyu even more brazenly.

The sight of a young nobleman suddenly appearing in women's clothing, exuding such stunning beauty and a sense of voyeurism and taboo, was enough to explode in everyone's hearts.

"Bao...Baoyu! Why are you dressed like this today?" Jia Lian's gaze darted around, not daring to look at Jia Baoyu.

Jia Baoyu, however, turned around gracefully and even lifted his cloak to reveal his inner garment: "How is it, Second Brother Lian! Do I look good in this? Aren't I beautiful?"

Jia Lian was about to explode. He took two steps back and forced a dry laugh, "Beautiful... indeed beautiful! But... if the Second Master finds out, you'll be skinned alive!"

He subconsciously avoided mentioning Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia, who had always doted on Jia Baoyu. Although dressing him in women's clothing was indeed a bit excessive, it wasn't actually that uncommon in the circle of nobles.

Going back further, there are emperors who liked to wear women's clothing.

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu lowered his head, seemingly saddened, and his eyes immediately reddened.

Jia Lian immediately felt ashamed, as if he had thought his words were a bit harsh.

We're all brothers... why can't we be more tolerant?
"Ahem! It's not that serious. I'll tell all the servants and retainers not to say anything, and make sure it doesn't reach the Second Master's ears," Jia Lian said.

This matter certainly couldn't be covered up. The Jia family had always been lenient with their servants, to the point that the servants were all unruly and couldn't keep their mouths shut. But if they could delay Jia Zheng's discovery for a while, and wait until some time had passed before he wanted to bring up old grievances, he wouldn't be able to punish him too severely.

"Well! Then thank you very much, Second Brother Lian!" Jia Baoyu said with a charming smile.

"Hey! It's alright!" Jia Lian laughed dismissively, but then subconsciously shifted his feet, moving further away from Jia Baoyu.

It's a contradictory behavior: wanting to look but not daring to look, wanting to please but also distancing oneself.

Jia Lian took on all the responsibilities, unaware that the Jia family was already riddled with problems.

Before long, rumors spread throughout the Wang family, the Prince of Beijing's mansion, the Prince of Zhongshun's mansion, the Xue family, and even the imperial palace, describing the beauty of this Second Master Bao after he dressed as a woman as unparalleled in heaven and earth.

In the Qianqing Palace, the current emperor held a scroll in his hand. He glanced at the person in the painting, then at Dai Quan, who stood quietly to the side, then at the scroll again, then at Dai Quan again, repeating this several times before finally saying, "Is this Jia Baoyu? The child of the Jia family who was born with a jade in his mouth?"

Generally speaking, the emperor wouldn't pay much attention to young men from noble families like Jia Baoyu who didn't have direct right to inherit titles.

However, the meaning behind the jade being born with such a presence is too obvious. Before ascending the throne, the emperor had already heard about this matter and kept it in mind. He has been quite concerned about it over the years, hence this question.

After all, feudal dynasties believed in the connection between heaven and man. If someone born with jade in their mouth were to be properly publicized at the right time, it could indeed create a significant wave of influence. Moreover, there was also the underworld imperial court in this world, and although the connection between ghosts and gods and the human world was not strong, it was not nonexistent.

There were some secrets about Jia Baoyu that even the emperor knew about.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed him!" Dai Quan recounted everything that had happened in the Jia family mansion without any subjective judgment, as if he had been there and witnessed it with his own eyes.

The emperor glanced at the painting, which clearly depicted a woman, put it down, and asked, "Tell me... is this something the Jia family did intentionally, trying to completely sever Jia Baoyu's... hopes by tarnishing their own reputation?"

Dai Quan said, "Your Majesty has made his own wise decision, and this servant dares not say more."

Upon hearing this, the emperor laughed and cursed, "Get lost!"

He then put down the painting and stopped looking at it.

Although the person in the painting is beautiful, the emperor has the whole world at large, and what kind of beauty has he not seen?
Besides... it wasn't even a real person I met!
······
After Jia Baoyu donned women's clothing and made a stunning appearance, his fame spread in certain special circles in the capital.

Many more noblemen began to visit Jia Baoyu.

Some who couldn't refuse went further to spread his good name after meeting Jia Baoyu in person.

As his fame spread and a small number of his paintings circulated, some of the power of belief that was beneficial to the cultivation of the "Flower Heart Method" began to converge on Jia Baoyu.

Thus, even though Jia Baoyu hadn't put in any effort, his internal energy was accumulating faster and faster each day.

Furthermore, as his inner energy increased, Jia Baoyu became increasingly inclined towards feminine traits.

He no longer liked to eat the rouge on his sisters' lips... Instead, he would apply it to his own lips. He also dressed as a woman in the courtyard most of the time, and even when he occasionally changed back into men's clothing, he gave people the impression of a woman dressed as a man.

His sense of right and wrong was still there, though it was very small... but at this moment, Jia Baoyu no longer cared about it at all.

He even wished that this thing would disappear even faster, so that he could completely become a woman.

"Baoyu! How did you become like this?" Lin Daiyu, who had also cultivated martial arts and was becoming increasingly aloof and arrogant as her skills improved, saw Jia Baoyu leaning against a soft couch, wearing a bright red dress and bare feet, as she entered the living room.

At this moment, Jia Baoyu possessed a stunning beauty that even she found breathtaking.

Compared to their last meeting, Jia Baoyu's beauty at this moment had completely surpassed what the world could accept.

"Is there anything wrong with this?" With his red lips lightly biting the fan, Jia Baoyu turned around, his eyes filled with the innocence and charm of a young girl, yet also the mature elegance of a woman, but he was, after all, a man.

Looking at this scene, Lin Daiyu felt both beauty and goosebumps.

She looked at herself again, wondering if practicing that martial art for too long would turn her into a man.

Lin Daiyu was unaware that such a possibility actually existed.

After all, this technique was specifically designed for Jia Baoyu, so it had certain limitations.

If Lin Daiyu were to marry before she had mastered her cultivation technique, her husband would find the very next day that his fairy-like wife had transformed into a man like Lu Zhishen, taller and more robust than him, with even more muscular build. Although it was unlikely that she had appeared out of nowhere, her appearance alone would be unbearable to look at.

Even now, Lin Daiyu's cultivation techniques exhibit characteristics that are quite different from Jia Baoyu's.

Jia Baoyu gained more in terms of appearance and charm, while Lin Daiyu, although also improved in appearance and temperament, had more physical flexibility and... strength thanks to her inner energy.

Therefore, at this time, Lin Daiyu already possessed the formidable strength to kill an ox with a single punch; her small body concealed a great threat.

"Well... there's really nothing wrong with it!"

"But you are, after all, a man!" Lin Daiyu still advised.

She hasn't developed any romantic feelings for Jia Baoyu yet; they've only been childhood sweethearts. But seeing Jia Baoyu go astray, she still wants to stop him.

And only she knew that Jia Baoyu's current state was very likely due to practicing that martial art.

"So what if he's a man?"

"Who says men can't dress up nicely every day?"

"And...who would want to be that smelly man? Lin Daiyu...I really envy you, I envy that you were born a girl!" As he spoke, Jia Baoyu lowered his eyes, as if he was about to shed tears.

"Stop crying! What are you crying for? Crying and sobbing... you have no backbone at all!" Lin Daiyu stepped forward and was about to grab Jia Baoyu's arm to try to disperse the internal energy in his body.

Jia Baoyu swayed and nimbly dodged Lin Daiyu's grab.

"Sister Lin! I taught you your kung fu... You think you can use that to subdue me? You're still too early!" Jia Baoyu flew to the chair in the front hall, crossed his legs and sat down, smoothing out his skirt as he spoke in a delicate voice.

Lin Daiyu remained silent, but instead lunged forward and kicked Jia Baoyu in the ankle.

Run fast?
Just make sure you can't run!
Break his leg, then destroy his internal energy, wouldn't that solve the problem?

"How cruel Lin Daiyu is!" Jia Baoyu didn't fight back, and flew from the front hall to the courtyard, with Lin Daiyu following closely behind.

Then, one red and one green figure flew out of the courtyard and moved quickly outwards.

(End of this chapter)