Chapter 17: The Courtesan's Night of Farewell

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"You!"

Liu Yun grew anxious, unable to counter the sharp-tongued Chi Mingzhu, so he cast a hopeful glance at Cao Chengyu, wishing he might say something different.

Cao Chengyu awkwardly rubbed his nose. Loving cultivation wasn't his fault.

Any young person from Earth, upon obtaining a cultivation manual, would practice it with all their might. Forget working 9 to 9, there were plenty who would go from 0 to 7 without complaint.

But such words couldn’t be spoken aloud. For the sake of harmony in the dormitory, he could only play the mediator.

“Well... that's not quite fair,” he said. “Whether it's cultivation or study, a proper balance between work and rest is crucial. Occasional relaxation isn’t a serious matter.”

“Exactly! Brother Cao is right!” Luo Yongsheng eagerly agreed, as if he'd found his anchor, hurriedly refuting Chi Mingzhu's earlier remarks.

“Heh.” Chi Mingzhu sneered. “Is that occasional relaxation? These past three days, you have no idea. The two of them run to the Ancient Elegance Pavilion every day, rarely return at night—it’s become their habit. Originally, it had nothing to do with me, but we all entered through unconventional means due to our poor aptitude. In the eyes of outsiders, we're all tarred with the same brush. We're already looked down upon by the other White Guards, and now their escapades have spread everywhere. Wang and I are implicated, forced to endure the strange looks of others. At home, it was tolerable, but now, in the Tower of Heaven’s Watch, they dare sully my name? If I don’t teach them a lesson, how can I stay here with any dignity?”

Her outpouring of grievances made Cao Chengyu frown deeply.

To be fair, in such matters, men didn't mind—some even took pride in it. Yet in this feudal environment, a girl's reputation suffered immensely, especially for someone of royal lineage.

For Cao Chengyu, however, this was an unforeseen disaster.

Now the situation was clear: no matter which side he chose, he'd offend the other.

As mediator, he lacked the authority.

His presence here owed itself to Elder Yu Meng, the one who measured his spiritual potential. If Chi Mingzhu truly lost her temper, it would be disrespectful.

He exhaled, the sudden dilemma leaving him at a loss. Indeed, before possessing true strength, one could not take oneself too seriously.

All he could do was offer Liu Yun a helpless look, clasp his hands in apology, and leave the room.

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“This is not for me to judge or intervene. The four of you must decide for yourselves.”

With a wave of his robe, he departed gracefully.

His departure, though not taking sides, inflicted a great wound upon Liu Yun and Luo Yongsheng. The meaning was clear: he had made his choice. Whatever happened next was none of his concern; all Cao Chengyu could think about was how to mend the relationship.

Both Liu Yun and Luo Yongsheng were cultivators at the Qi-nourishing stage. The Qi-nourishing pills he possessed were perfectly suited for them. These pills, crafted by the leaderboard, were superior to ordinary ones—if they could help the pair break through to the Spirit-refining stage, the matter would be forgiven and forgotten.

With this thought, he left the Tower of Heaven’s Watch and found a tavern for a meal. Unfortunately, the food did not suit his taste, and he barely managed to eat.

It seemed he would have to cook for himself.

Afterwards, Cao Chengyu visited the Fragrant Pavilion in the capital's inner city—a reputable brothel. Three courtesan immortals were renowned throughout the capital, one of whom had a fondness for poetry. He presented her with a poem from his previous life, earning himself a guest’s courtesy, though not in any intimate sense.

After conversing with her, night fell.

Under the pretext of using the restroom, he had the attendant summon Liu Yun and Luo Yongsheng.

Given their backgrounds, they lacked nothing in this area. But the allure of a courtesan in a brothel—apart from impoverished scholars, who truly cared for mere beauty? Beauty was but an accessory; most sought conquest, the sort of refined tale that could be recounted, utterly different from crude indulgence.

Thus, Cao Chengyu prepared tonight’s banquet to suit their tastes, adding the temptation of a cultivation breakthrough, confident that the matter from earlier would be resolved.

The poetic courtesan, though also an immortal cultivator, was of poor aptitude. The chance to interact with disciples of great families was not to be missed.

Whether the two could enjoy her company depended on their wallets.

After all, the channel was opened by Cao Chengyu. Their entry depended on the courtesan’s willingness.

As expected, when invited by a courtesan from the Fragrant Pavilion, the two set aside the day's grievances, dressed carefully, and followed the attendant to the venue.

“So it’s you!”

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Luo Yongsheng exclaimed in surprise, quickly regaining his composure with a cold expression.

After all, Cao Chengyu had offended them earlier.

Cao Chengyu forced a bitter smile, as if possessed by an actor’s spirit.

“Brother Liu, Brother Luo, I’m glad you came. I was at fault earlier, but some things cannot be said openly. Chi Mingzhu is of royal blood—how could I risk offending her in Dayue? I had no choice but to take this route, and invited you tonight to make amends.”

“So you fear offending Chi Mingzhu, but not my Luo family or the Pill King’s Mansion?” Luo Yongsheng retorted, his dissatisfaction evident, though less so than before.

“Of course not.” Cao Chengyu raised his cup with a sorrowful air. “We are all fellow cultivators, but such tastes are not for public scrutiny; they wouldn’t stand up as reason. Earlier, I was actually on your side—do you understand?”

Liu Yun hesitated a moment, then nodded. Indeed, Cao Chengyu had initially defended them, but after Chi Mingzhu’s lengthy speech, they had clearly erred.

As for admitting fault? Impossible—who would give up their dignity?

“So, if I had sided with you then, I would have completely offended those two. As mediator, I lacked the standing, so I had to choose the lesser evil.”

With his reasoning laid out, Liu Yun and Luo Yongsheng relaxed considerably, at least no longer bearing the resentment of earlier.

A few cups of wine sufficed to smooth over the grudge.

As night deepened, Cao Chengyu produced two bottles of Qi-nourishing pills, each containing ten. With their family backgrounds, reaching the peak of Qi-nourishing wouldn’t be difficult; they needn’t worry about lacking the Meridian-clearing pills required to break through to Spirit-refining.

Liu Yun, hailing from the Pill King’s Mansion, had studied pharmacology since childhood; a mere sniff could discern the quality. Such superior Qi-nourishing pills were rare even in Dayue. Within their own factions, any available would go to the most talented disciples, never to them.

Thus, gaining such benefits, they thoroughly cast aside the grievances of the day, calling Cao Chengyu “Brother” with heartfelt affection.

(The backdoor entrants are all children of core figures from various factions, but their poor aptitude makes investing too many resources wasteful. So, breakthrough pills may be supplied, but rare cultivation pills are allocated where they yield maximum benefit.)

(In this way, the smallest investment cultivates the greatest number of seeds, sustaining the faction’s long-term strength.)