Swallow Return

This old woman looked to be over sixty years old, with white hair and wrinkled skin, and she looked very old and frail. The way she was winking and sending flirtatious glances was quite terrifying!

It makes you instinctively want to run away!

And why are you acting so familiar? Do we even know each other? I have absolutely no recollection of you.

After waiting a moment, the old woman seemed to have not received the reaction she expected. Her face darkened, she rolled her eyes, and said irritably, "Who introduced you? Which lady do you want to study with? Are you new here? Don't you know the rules?"

What does this all mean...?

Liu Yun was completely bewildered and was about to explain when a sudden inspiration struck him. He realized a possibility from the other person's words, so he quickly adopted a humble and polite posture, secretly handing over a silver coin with a grin, and respectfully asked, "I really don't remember the rules. Thank you for your trouble... um..."

Just as he was pondering his words, the old woman's anger turned to joy. She glanced around briefly, then eagerly accepted the silver coins and said softly, "Please come in with me! Your clothes are correct, and your manners are proper... Remember, you can only wait in the side courtyard later. Even if you are an acquaintance, the ladies will have to send a maid to summon you before you can enter the room."

Liu Yun was beginning to understand, and casually asked, "What if Madam never summons you..."

The old woman quickly replied, "If you haven't seen them for half an hour, please go back. After all, the ladies inside are all from high-ranking families, and it's understandable that they have their own temperaments... but the rules for entering cannot be broken!"

Liu Yun nodded, as if he understood, and said, "I understand!"

The old woman was even happier to see this, and said with great enthusiasm, "Your demeanor is truly extraordinary! I've always felt that someone who is so stingy with such a small amount of money has no right to associate with the ladies of Cishou Temple on Guangde Mountain."

Liu Yun laughed and agreed, then slipped in through the side door and came to a long, narrow courtyard.

The courtyard is small, with a few flowers and plants planted casually. It is surrounded by an inner wall, with only one entrance and one exit, probably serving as a kind of entryway.

Inside, there was not only Liu Yun, but also another young man dressed similarly.

The old woman who brought Liuyun in said, "Please wait a moment, someone will make arrangements!"

Then he left.

The young man next to him, dressed similarly, was very thin and looked dazed, staring intently in a certain direction with a rather melancholy expression.

Liu Yun had sneaked in and was unfamiliar with everything, so he quickly seized the opportunity to ask, "I'm a newcomer and I'm afraid of breaking the rules. You seem to know the place well, could you please give me some pointers?"

She subtly used a touch of "bewitching power" when she spoke.

The young man seemed eager to confide in her, and upon hearing this, he lowered his head and sighed, "I only had a brief encounter with Madam Pinggu three months ago... but she refused to see me for the next eight visits. If this continues, I don't want to live anymore... How can I, in my condition, advise others? Alas..."

Seeing that this guy was so loose-lipped, Liu Yun was delighted and quickly seized the opportunity to probe indirectly, trying to get more information out of him.

Chapter 141 Was someone else lusting after your body?

The information Liu Yun heard from the man beside him greatly surprised him.

If I heard correctly, it seems that the famous nunnery "Guangdeshan Cishouyuan" has now been transformed into a profit-making entertainment venue in some sense...

Moreover, its business is a traditional business with a long history in human history.

That's right, it's the kind of thing that greasy middle-aged men love to talk about when they get together, and when they get really into it, they'll even show a knowing, lewd smile.

In later generations, it was given the elegant name "driving".

Men skilled in this area are often called "old drivers." Similarly, outstanding women are respectfully called "old driver girls."

However, this nunnery seems to have no sense of service at all and doesn't seem to have any attitude towards doing business properly.

First, entry requirements were set: guests were required to wear specific attire and wait for an introduction at the side entrance; they could not enter on their own. Furthermore, the attire rules were subject to change periodically, with details of the changes only communicated verbally to long-term customers.

Secondly, the user experience after entering was also terrible. You could only stand and wait in the small courtyard by the side gate, without even a stool. You had to receive further instructions before you could proceed further inside and enter the main hall. There was no definite answer as to how long you would have to wait.

Most seriously, the "ladies" in the nunnery are extremely capricious and picky. When they're in a good mood, they allow customers to come in, but when they're in a bad mood, they simply refuse to let them in. And even if they are refused entry, customers have no right to a refund.

The entrance fee was a whopping two hundred coins, or two qian of silver, and they didn't give any change. And this was the treatment we received…

It's a complete rip-off!

The traditional business practice is that the client pays the money and acts like the boss, while the contractor earns the money and acts like the subordinate.

How can the client pay money and still have to be subservient and attentive?

What happened to the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship?

Thinking about it this way, the men who pay to enter are less like customers who come to consume and enjoy the services, and more like they are paying to come and provide the services.

Even though they're spending a lot of money to provide door-to-door service, why are people still willing to patronize them?

All I can say is—

Or they have masochistic tendencies.

Or perhaps the dozens of ladies in the nunnery were simply too attractive?

Thinking about it, it makes sense...

Young ladies from prestigious families may not necessarily be exceptionally beautiful, but their status, temperament, manners, and other aspects are certainly different from ordinary service industry women.

……

While she was lost in thought, a nun of about thirty years old emerged from a door deep within the courtyard.

The nun wore a simple white robe, had short hair that reached her ears, and carried a bright lantern. Her appearance was quite dignified. She wore no noteworthy ornaments and did not look like a noblewoman, but her demeanor was certainly not that of a servant.

As soon as the nun in white appeared, she coldly said to the young man who had been waiting eagerly, "Madam Pinggu is unwell today, please leave!"

Upon hearing this, the young man seemed to lose all hope, tears streaming down his face. He collapsed to the ground, pleading, "Please have mercy! This is the ninth time the lady has refused to see me... Why won't she see me again?"

Seeing this, the nun in white only showed disdain on her face, snorted and scolded, "I kindly let you pass because you are handsome. Who would have thought that you would slink out like this in the blink of an eye! You should know that the key to learning is perseverance. With such a lack of resilience, it is no wonder that the lady does not want to see you."

The young man blushed with embarrassment, lay on the ground refusing to raise his head, yet unwilling to leave.

Seeing this, the nun in white shook her head helplessly, softened her tone slightly, and said to him, "If you follow the rules and leave on time today, you may have a chance to meet the lady in a good mood in the future. But if you throw a tantrum here... I'm afraid you won't be allowed in again!"

Upon hearing this, the young man clutched his head and wailed, then silently got up, turned around, and dashed out.

Liu Yun could only feel sympathy.

The young man did look frail and weak, but I never expected him to be so physically weak.

This gentleman just now genuinely believed that Liuyun was in the same situation and kindly shared a lot of information, which is truly admirable.

But it really can't help with a lack of stamina...

This time, I transmigrated as a soul, and I didn't bring any Liuwei Dihuang Pills or anything like that.

The young man left dejectedly and sadly.

Then the white-robed nun glanced at Liu Yun, her eyes gleaming slightly. She immediately took two steps closer and said with great interest, "Which lady are you here to study with? You look quite unfamiliar. You must not have been here many times before?"

Liu Yun chuckled and replied, "Indeed, I haven't been here much... I heard from a friend that there is a Mrs. Yamamoto who is skilled in poetry and etiquette, and who patiently and earnestly teaches me. I wonder if I am qualified to enter her room and listen to her teachings?"

Actually, Liu Yun had just heard from that young man that there was a very popular but extremely temperamental woman named Yamamoto in the nunnery, so he made up this story, thinking that he would deliberately run into a snag and then take the opportunity to leave without staying in this place for long.

A place that harbors filth and promotes lewdness and theft is hardly a place for a gentleman to live. As for how to resolve the hostility of "Madam Kuroi" towards the Hanakain family, we'll find another way later.

Sure enough, the white-robed nun immediately shook her head upon hearing this and said, "There are so many people looking for Madam Yamamoto! But she never sees unfamiliar apprentices; someone has to introduce you first. You must be new here, not knowing this... Alas, you've come all this way for nothing."

This reaction is exactly what I wanted.

Liu Yun feigned disappointment and sighed, "Why didn't my friend say so sooner? Oh well, I'll prepare better next time!"

Then he prepared to turn around and leave.

Unexpectedly, the white-robed nun suddenly became anxious and quickly stepped forward to stop her. With a rosy smile and alluring eyes, she said tenderly, "It is indeed difficult to see Madam Yamamoto now. But I have served her for ten years, and through constant exposure, I have learned about eighty percent of her knowledge. What Madam Yamamoto can teach, I can also teach..."

Liu Yun was stunned and speechless, his face flushed with shock and sweating profusely.

Since transmigrating, I've always been the one who lusts after other people's bodies, but I never expected that today my body would be coveted by someone else!

This white-robed nun is really... too honest.

To some extent, this is a sign of the development of feminism. Why should only men be the proactive party? Can't women actively confront their bodily desires?

The words and actions of this white-robed nun embody the brilliance of a progressive social ideology that breaks free from constraints!

However, Liu Yun's thinking is still somewhat conservative, and he is not yet willing to dedicate himself to the glory of this ideal.

Verbal support is fine, but when it comes to actually having two cows, that's a different story.

The white-robed nun was not bad-looking, but her words and actions were too aggressive, making people feel uneasy.

Liu Yun naturally declined.

I just hadn't thought of the right words yet.

Under the flickering candlelight, the white-robed nun stared at Liu Yun's strong and slender figure, her eyes shining with admiration. She continued, "Judging from your demeanor, you must be a samurai who has recently come to the capital. You should know that the ladies of our Cishou Temple on Mount Guangde are often fond of judging people by their appearance, favoring only sons of noble families or scholars, and disliking those who wield swords and spears. I must understand your strong and robust physique before I can recommend you to the ladies! Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll never be able to enter the temple."

If someone truly comes here seeking pleasure and indulging in sensual pleasures, they might be swayed by these words.

But Liu Yun wasn't like that; he just happened to sneak in by chance.

I'm not interested in things like "recommending it to ladies".

however--

Just as Liu Yun was pondering how to politely refuse to leave, he suddenly sensed something amiss.

Inside the nunnery, it seems like some familiar person is using telepathy to send a distress signal to me!

This is a situation I've never encountered before.

Liu Yun was very surprised.

I don't have any telepathic abilities, nor do I know any friends who are skilled in this.

How come I can suddenly receive invisible signals?

Combined with the faint aura of a master I sensed outside the nunnery earlier...

It's strange, it's unusual.

"Guangdeshan Cishouyuan" is probably not an ordinary nunnery—which is obvious, since would an ordinary nunnery also serve as a place for profit-making social interaction?

Liu Yun hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should follow the signal and go in to investigate.

If we go in, we might encounter danger.

But if I leave, and there's a chance that someone I know might be persecuted in the nunnery, that would be terrible.

Liu Yun was a brave and fearless person. After thinking about it, he decided that no matter what kind of dangerous place it was, he had to go and try.

So he pretended to hesitate for a moment, then smiled and bowed to the white-robed nun, saying meaningfully, "Then I'll have to trouble you to 'teach me carefully'! I know a little about waka poetry and etiquette, but I don't know if I can meet your standards."

He said that without any guilt.

Now that Ryuun has experience with Iori and Saeko, he can indeed say that he "knows a thing or two".

As soon as she finished speaking, the white-robed nun beamed with joy.