Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 528 An unexpected gain
"Being wiped out of your family fortune is understandable." Lu Xingzhou poured her a glass of wine. "What surprises me is that, back then, with your family ruined, you should have distrusted everyone. Why would you still flaunt your wealth? Were your relatives really that trustworthy?"

“Not exactly,” Liu Yan’er said blankly. “That was my aunt. She married far away to Jiangnan. I hid most of my valuables and only took out a small portion to give to her, just hoping she would take me in and protect me.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded. If she was his aunt, then she was very close to her. At that time, Liu Yan'er was all alone and had no relatives or friends. She felt very insecure and wanted to seek refuge with her aunt, which was completely understandable.

If this aunt were a normal person, there wouldn't be any problem... It's her own niece, and she even took money from her, so taking her in for a while is perfectly normal. At worst, she could just find her a husband and get some dowry. Selling her off as a brothel is something most people wouldn't do; anyone who could would be quite despicable.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's expression, Liu Yan'er knew he had misunderstood, and continued, "It wasn't that I was directly sold to a brothel. In the first few days, she was just trying to find out if I was hiding any money. I sensed that her attitude was wrong and tried to escape at night, but she caught me, tortured me, and forced me to tell her where the money was."

Lu Xingzhou stroked his chin: "A bit darker than I imagined. And then you couldn't withstand the torture and confessed?"

"No, I knew that if I confessed that I still had money, I would be doomed, so I stubbornly insisted that I had no money. When she found that she couldn't squeeze any more out of me, she sold me to the sect leader of Chunshan Pavilion as a concubine. After all, I do have some beauty."

"Zang Wanchun, the sect leader of Chunshan Pavilion?"

"Yes."

"Then she's quite bold. Isn't she afraid that you'll gain Zang Wanchun's favor and then retaliate against her?"

“She’s not afraid at all.” Liu Yan’er’s voice was filled with deep-seated hatred: “Because Zang Wanchun is a complete pervert. In order to research elixirs, he dissects living people for research. I don’t know how many men and women he has dissected to death. In her eyes, I can’t even live for a few days, so how can I take revenge?”

Lu Xingzhou and Dugu Qingli exchanged a glance, their tone becoming serious: "Is it only Zang Wanchun who does this, or is this kind of thing common in Chunshan Pavilion?"

Liu Yan'er said, "At least half of them are like that. They used to be more discreet and didn't dare to be too blatant, but in the last two or three months they have become increasingly unscrupulous."

"Because the imperial court's ruling power has weakened?"

"Yes, the entire Chunshan County is basically controlled by people from Chunshan Pavilion, from top to bottom. It is practically a separatist regime, and the common people dare not speak out against Chunshan Pavilion."

You can't find this kind of thing on the street... Lu Xingzhou could tell that Chunshan County wasn't as prosperous as he had imagined in Jiangnan. It was passable on the surface, but he really hadn't expected it to be like this.

Lu Xingzhou said, "If I remember correctly, the prefect of Chunshan County is one of Prime Minister Pei's men."

Liu Yan'er revealed a mocking smile: "The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, let alone the prime minister."

"Where is the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Same."

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment, then asked, "So how did you escape? And... get here?"

Liu Yan'er said, "No matter how vicious he is, he doesn't treat everyone equally... I flattered him, and he favored me for a while, but he's fickle and got tired of me soon. Considering that we once had a romantic relationship, he didn't make things too difficult for me and just put me on his pleasure boat. I have cultivation, which is very valuable in this kind of place."

Lu Xingzhou gasped.

So, Liu Yan'er wasn't spared because of that intimate relationship... it was purely because she was a seventh-rank female cultivator, highly valued in brothels, considered a valuable resource, and dissecting her would be a waste.

This is true ruthlessness, isn't it? Even the person he slept with is someone he considers as someone of value to be dealt with. Especially since he's the sect leader, how could he be short of money? It's purely an instinctive decision.

Someone who calls himself Yama... if he could learn to be this ruthless, there wouldn't be this tug-of-war now.

That being said, Lu Xingzhou had seen many demonic things, so this kind of thing was not uncommon. It was just that Chunshan Pavilion was listed among the righteous sects, which made it somewhat of a contrast.

Dugu Qingli's face had turned ashen. Tianyao Saintess could not bear to hear such things: "Spring Mountain Pavilion is a vain claim to be the righteous path!"

Lu Xingzhou squeezed her hand to signal her not to rush, and then asked Liu Yan'er, "Haven't you thought about running away? According to you, you've hidden quite a bit of money. You could still live a good life if you ran away."

Liu Yan'er said blankly, "This is Chunshan Pavilion's territory. Where can we escape to? If we are caught, we will be dissected. I have only been here for half a year and I have witnessed no less than ten tragedies. It is better to be pragmatic and at least live... Look, I have never been beaten. I am much luckier than others."

Lu Xingzhou was silent.

Liu Yan'er has lost even the courage to try... Otherwise, she would have tried to ask for help from the "powerful Marquis Lu," but she hasn't shown any intention to ask for help yet; it's just an unconscious complaint to an acquaintance.

Or perhaps they felt that this was their father's killer, and pleading would be useless. Or maybe they were afraid that going out with Lu Xingzhou would only lead to their own death, so they preferred to stay here.

Every choice she made in the past was wrong, and she's become afraid to make choices.

Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment and finally said, "During the time you followed Zang Wanchun, how much did you know about Chunshan Pavilion? Especially about its hidden strength, such as which elders are in seclusion, and its external network of relationships."

Liu Yan'er paused, her expression strange: "Does the Marquis mean... to deal with Chunshan Pavilion?"

"Hmm. So if you can help provide information, I'll guarantee your safety for life."

Liu Yan'er remained silent, seemingly analyzing the pros and cons.

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, "Don't bother analyzing with your limited brainpower; it's useless." Liu Yan'er: "..."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Actually, the reason you poured out your grievances to me as soon as you saw me is because you also know that I'm at odds with Chunshan Pavilion because of Chen Yu, and subconsciously you know that I can help you. But you're afraid that I might also harm you, so you don't dare to say it directly. Is that right?"

Liu Yan'er shook her head and said in a low voice, "Perhaps the Marquis has forgotten my existence and there's no reason for him to treat me badly. But if the Marquis and his men clash with Chunshan Pavilion and the situation turns unfavorable, and he simply runs away, then I'm doomed. The Marquis may not do anything to me, but he won't protect me either, will he?"

"So you don't believe that the two of us can deal with Chunshan Pavilion, and you don't dare to get too involved, so you just complain and that's it?"

Liu Yan'er lowered her head.

Lu Xingzhou said, "Given our past relationship, I really have no reason to protect you. But you've misunderstood something... If you are the informant who provided the clues, I, Lu Xingzhou, will definitely uphold the code of honor and protect you no matter what."

A light shone in Liu Yan'er's eyes.

If there were hope, who would want to sell their smiles in a brothel? She's not a broken woman anymore, and she doesn't lack money.

He has money hidden away outside, and he's still so young. As long as he escapes this hellhole, he has a long and promising future ahead of him.

Liu Yan'er subconsciously turned her head to look around, and Lu Xingzhou laughed, "When I was talking to you, I had already secretly set up a soundproof array. Did you expect me to worry about being eavesdropped on now?"

Liu Yan'er felt somewhat embarrassed, then, as if she had made up her mind, she whispered, "Half a year ago, just before Zang Wanchun abandoned me, he met a mysterious visitor. After that, he went into seclusion for a while, and when he came out, he was said to have surpassed the highest level. It seems that because of his breakthrough to the highest level, he lost interest in me..."

Dugu Qingli: "You seem quite disappointed?"

Liu Yan'er: "..."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "Do you know where the mysterious visitor is from?"

“Back then, I was still favored by the emperor. When a guest came, I overheard him mention something about the palace.”

Lu Xingzhou let out a long sigh of relief: "Just as I expected."

Heading straight to Chunshan Pavilion was the right decision. Gu Yiheng's plans will definitely involve Chunshan Pavilion.

Lu Xingzhou was sending medicine everywhere in an attempt to create a large number of super-grade combatants. Maha was no weaker than him in this regard. Not only could he send medicine, but he could also guide others in their cultivation with his Wuxiang-level insight.

Six months ago… before the battle for the throne even began, Gu Yiheng had already been doing all this. Who knows how much power he had secretly cultivated besides that? The scene of the court officials unanimously recommending him for the throne flashed through Lu Xingzhou's mind again. In that scene, how many people truly believed that only Gu Yiheng was suitable, and how many were actually secretly Gu Yiheng's people?
How many of the supposedly massive faction of Lu Xingzhou and Pei Qingyan are truly trustworthy?

Liu Yan'er continued, "Zang Wanchun uses female cultivators to run brothels, which is also to attract cultivators from all walks of life, especially demonic cultivators who like to use sexual cultivation techniques. These places are natural furnaces for them. They can both win over cultivators and make money and resources. The hidden power of Chunshan Pavilion is much greater than people realize. They have also won over many famous demonic cultivators who have taken up seats on the mountain. As for the elders who are in seclusion and cultivating, as Lord Hou asked, I heard that some elders were in seclusion and trying to break through to the Transcendent Rank, but I don't know if they have broken through or not."

Meeting Liu Yan'er was like finding an unexpected treasure.

She had been Zang Wanchun's favored concubine, and being the daughter of a gang leader, her focus naturally fell into these categories. Even though Zang Wanchun hadn't revealed much to her, the information she had unknowingly acquired far exceeded his expectations.

If Zang Wanchun had realized this earlier, he would never have sent her to sell her smiles; he would have killed her long ago... But then again, it's perfectly normal for Empress Ruyan to turn on her husband.

Liu Yan'er said, "Furthermore, I suspect that our training for female cultivators in the brothel was conducted by people from the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect... Does this count as the external connections that the Marquis is asking about?"

Lu Xingzhou finally reached out and felt Liu Yan'er's pulse to ascertain her cultivation level.

After a moment, he nodded slightly: "It should be related to the Joyful Union Sect of the Maidens, with opposite effects, only providing a reverse furnace for people to absorb... No wonder we couldn't sense it. This is indeed an external relationship, is there anything else?"

“I haven’t met many outsiders, so I’m not very clear…” Liu Yan’er glanced at Lu Xingzhou cautiously: “There was one time when a guest claimed to be from the Underworld, but I don’t know if it was true or not.”

Lu Xingzhou finally frowned.

After a long while, seemingly giving up on thinking, he handed Liu Yan'er a pill: "You've had a lot of nourishment drained, and your foundation is damaged. This pill can help you recover."

Liu Yan'er took the pill, and tears streamed down her face, perhaps recalling the time when Lu Xingzhou was the chief alchemist for her family.

Just then, cheers erupted from downstairs, and the strings began to change and become more exciting.

Lu Xingzhou turned his head and looked down, and saw a woman gracefully walk onto the stage, holding up a round fan to cover her face, and giving a slight bow to the surrounding crowd.

The courtesan's performance began, and the flower hall instantly erupted in excitement.

Lu Xingzhou didn't notice anything, but Dugu Qingli's eyes turned sharp.

Looking at the infinitely alluring courtesan, what's with this faint aura of desolation and death? Is she not human?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)