"This humble monk has neither gold nor silver, only the Buddhist Law. If esteed guests would allow this individual to join Puhan Temple, there will surely be recompense in the future."
"The goodwill of Puhan Temple, however great, is distant in the Western Regions. Apologies, but I cannot agree. My bid is three thousand taels."
"Three thousand six hundred taels, Jing Prince Mansion."
"We, as husband and wife, bid four thousand taels."
......
The main hall was ablaze with heated bidding. Chen Yi silently observed, appearing indifferent to where this individual would end up.
The attendees vying for the Joyful Sect heir were primarily after the vestnt robe of Wuxiang Zen Master. However, Chen Yi had no such interest. Compared to his initial desire for the Replenishing Technique, he was now more intent on uncovering the truth behind the Joyful Sect’s extermination.
The truth, after all, was bound to surface one day, as long as the person remained alive, and the mountain gate ruins of the Joyful Sect persisted.
Of course, the more pressing reason for not bidding was simple—the price had already risen to nearly ten thousand taels of silver, which he could not afford.
In the prosperous capital city where wealth abounded, there were nevertheless only a handful of affluent or noble families capable of offering such a price.
To put it into perspective, ten thousand taels of silver equaled half a year’s rental inco from the estates of a Duke’s mansion.
Though he did not bid, Chen Yi remained silently attentive to the ongoing situation in the hall. At the mont, the bidding persisted among three parties—one was from the Jing Prince Mansion, whose martial skill appeared to be of the Sixth Rank; another was a party of unclear origin, though their sharp voice suggested a eunuch, and those who harbored eunuchs were typically nobles or royalty; the third was a pair of youthful warriors unafraid of revealing their identity—the man, wielding a sword, was nad Liang Guhui, and the woman, Yuan Nan, both from Wanjing Sword Factory, a renowned sword-forging establishnt.
"Sixteen thousand taels—any higher bids?"
Li Jisheng loudly called out.
After a mont of silence in the hall, Li Jisheng announced:
"Very well, this individual is purchased by Jing Prince Mansion."
The martial expert from Jing Prince Mansion gave a slight nod, then instructed his attendants to bring paper and ink and had a maid deliver them to an upstairs private room.
The maid, carrying the paper and ink, lowered her head and departed, her figure vanishing up the staircase. Shortly thereafter, she appeared outside the private room where Yin Weiyin and two other won were present.
Upon receiving the docunt, Yin Weiyin glanced at it and felt a surge of joy, though she maintained a calm expression.
Sixteen thousand taels was undoubtedly no small sum, but it wasn’t beyond their ans. The inner treasury of Jing Prince Mansion was well-managed, with investnts in high-quality farmlands. Moreover, being of the royal family, their annual revenue from estate rentals exceeded hundreds of thousands of taels. She could temporarily allocate the sixteen thousand taels under her father’s na and then inform him of the matter later. While she might face so scolding, it was a minor issue. Besides, this individual was connected to the vestnt robe of Wuxiang Zen Master; if they managed to find it, it would suffice as an explanation.
However, the most urgent matter was still...
...to find the Replenishing Technique and destroy it utterly.
She, the dignified Taichua Goddess, could not—absolutely could not—end up being treated as a re vessel for soone like Chen Yi...
Yin Weiyin gazed out the window at the tranquil waters. On the arched stone bridge, a maid walked with lowered eyes. Through the narrow crevices of the artificial mountain, one could glimpse servants and maids secretly whispering their affections. In the winter sunlight, golden ginkgo leaves unfolded like a poetic painting of a garden viewed from above.
Currently, her relationship with Chen Yi was neither one of Daoist companionship nor anything legitimate—it was simply that of a vessel. To speak plainly, she was no more than a... mistress. Every rest day, she had to visit his residence, guarding her chastity for his sake. Yin Weiyin found herself unable to understand why she didn’t even harbor a trace of defiance against him anymore.
She dared not think further. She feared that thinking too deeply would uncover an even greater and more terrifying truth. She was the Taichua Goddess and the daughter of the Jing Prince. For anyone else, she would never have endured such humiliation. Even if her body were taken, she would have never obeyed so submissively. But he was not just anyone—he was Chen Yi, her karmic shadow.
Even during their most passionate encounters on the bed where her body trembled uncontrollably, she didn’t dare to bite him. Amid the lingering aftermath, despite being the Jing Prince’s daughter, she didn’t even dare to ask for an official title.
Her gaze swept past the servants and maids stealthily sharing romantic words by the artificial mountain. She neither dismissed them imdiately nor lingered on the sight. Yet, she vaguely sensed that such tender monts might never occur between her and Chen Yi.
Yin Weiyin didn’t know how long she stared out the window before turning back. By then, Lu Ying had already prepared tea again.
Yin Weiyin politely thanked her, sipping the tea, and then turned her eyes to the woman surnad Donggong. The woman’s gaze carried both jealousy and admiration.
Yin Weiyin offered a faint smile and then lowered her eyes again, her poise effortlessly graceful. In the winter sun, her white Daoist robe shone brighter than ever.
As long as Chen Yi wasn’t around, she was always the Taichua Goddess.
Donggong Ruoshu’s eyes darted around. Over the past few days, she had been imitating Min Ming, following the teachings of a refined courtesan, to ensure that her every movent resembled Min Ning. Yet today, upon seeing the Taichua Goddess, doubt crept into her mind—could it be that Chen Yi truly indulged in romantic liaisons with n?
A daughter of the Jing Prince—how could she tolerate her so-called vessel engaging in relations with n? Wasn’t that disgusting?
Donggong Ruoshu found it hard to believe but couldn’t be entirely certain.
Whether he did or didn’t, as long as she could obtain the Li Pearl from his hands, she’d make her escape and retreat unscathed.
At the mont, Donggong Ruoshu studied the Daoist woman’s deanor intently. The more she observed, the greater her admiration. No wonder the Taichua Goddess could make such a man into her vessel—she only hoped to grasp even a fraction of her transcendent elegance.
Knock, knock, knock!
Urgent knocking echoed from outside the door.
As one maid opened the door, another rushed in with a slip of paper, handing it directly to Donggong Ruoshu.
Donggong Ruoshu’s face changed dramatically as she exclaid:
"It’s bad—downstairs, a thief has shed blood and killed soone!"
With that, she hastily rose to her feet.
"Where are you going?"
Lu Ying quickly followed.
"I need to keep order. Daring to cause trouble in Wuyong Building—they’ve got quite the nerve."
Donggong Ruoshu had already grabbed the Yanling Saber hanging nearby. Lu Ying, seeing this, knew that her childhood friend wasn’t just acting out of urgency—it was also her tendency to jump into excitent wherever chaos brewed.
Just as she seized her saber, Donggong Ruoshu suddenly turned her head to the Daoist maiden—thoughts of Chen Qianhu’s devotion to her ca to mind, prompting her to request:
"Miss Yin, would you lend a hand?"
Yin Weiyin lowered her gaze in brief contemplation.
Given that the Jing Prince Mansion had people present, it was unclear if this bloodshed and looting involved them. If so, she could hardly avoid stepping in. Moreover, it wouldn’t be right to turn down Donggong Ruoshu’s request in front of others.
Thus, Yin Weiyin smiled and replied:
"If soone dares to shed blood and commit murder in Miss Donggong’s presence, they must be heinous criminals indeed. This Daoist maiden naturally cannot shirk such a responsibility."
...............
Let us turn back the clock to the mont a stick of incense earlier.
Chen Yi, veiled by a black gauze under his bamboo hat, sat at a tea table, leisurely sipping his tea.
Seeing that Xue Qingsheng had ultimately been purchased by the Jing Prince Mansion, Chen Yi found himself satisfied with the outco.
After all, given his connection with Yin Weiyin, borrowing this individual would not be difficult.
And if she refused to lend him...
He still had many thods yet to employ against this Taichua Goddess.
Her taste was truly exquisite. Sotis, when Chen Yi gazed at Yin Tingxue’s petite fra, he couldn’t help but think of that lofty Daoist maiden.
He recalled their encounter in the underground palace—had Yin Weiyin not been alluring enough, he might have already t his end there.
Recalling her, Chen Yi’s mind conjured her graceful silhouette...
A tender figure, delicate as silken tofu; grass blossoms seen from afar, clear yet elusive up close.
As Chen Yi indulged in his reverie, several auctioned items passed in succession, unnoticed by him.
It wasn’t until near the end that sothing unusual appeared—not a tangible item, but a bounty.
Along with the announcent, a covered box was brought forward, concealed with black cloth.
The eunuch’s table stirred with movent.
Among the three experts seated there, the eunuch slowly rose while the other two maintained composure. The eunuch straightforwardly remarked, "No need to trouble Mr. Li," before stepping forward to address the room.
"Greetings, esteed guests. My na is Wang Qing—you may know by my Jianghu nickna, Soul Stealing Spear."
"Today’s search for the Joyful Sect heir is secondary. The primary matter lies here."
With those words, Wang Qing steadily unveiled the black cloth, revealing a dazzling display of luminous gold in an instant.
"For those willing to carry out bloody work, I’ll na my price: one thousand taels of gold."
"These thousand taels of gold are for taking one life—for the assassination of the forr West Factory Thousand Households, Chen Yi."
User Comments
0 comments from readers