Page 16

The scene showed the front gate of Zhaixing Pavilion, where carriages flowed like water and horses streamed like dragons. A flamboyant, brightly dressed young woman laughed with abandon, the very picture of a dissolute young rake.

Zhen Xiao said coolly, "I remember the one who caused trouble in front of the gate was a man. Since when did Futu Tower turn him into a young woman? And she's even got someone in each arm. The people who designed this illusion have truly twisted tastes."

Tian Xianzi grinned, not the least bit ashamed—in fact, he looked proud. "That's my disciple. Didn't see that coming, did you?"

At last, a crack appeared in the Sword Venerable's usually serene expression.

How was your disciple even worse than that original villain? And she was absolutely forcing herself on them, wasn't she? Even the man in the yellow robe couldn't bear to watch!

Did young people these days really let loose this much?

"Zhaixing Pavilion is especially fond of the flesh and blood of righteous cultivators. That should make those she-demons despise her and pay her little attention. How interesting! Just as I'd expect from my disciple!"

Tian Xianzi grinned and took a sip of tea. "Ning Ning may have noticed something's wrong already. What do you think she'll do next?"

Sword Venerable Zhenxiao: Didn't care. Didn't want to watch. Had nothing to do with him.

Zhen Xiao said, "I'll watch to the end with you. Once they come out, we'll go to the mountaintop and cross swords."

Tian Xianzi's eyes flickered. "Senior Brother, I'm feeling terribly worn out today. I'm afraid—"

"Ten thousand Spirit Stones."

"Done! I fear not being shattered to pieces; for my senior brother, I'll brave the mortal world!"

"Miss, please have a seat."

After following the woman in yellow up the stairs, Ning Ning entered a private room in Zhaixing Pavilion.

Only after she'd had someone in each arm did the madam in charge remind her that the women in the establishment could only be selected one per night. This was supposedly "to prevent jealousy from ruining the girls' relationships."

Ning Ning gave a vague reply, quietly thinking that the "ruined relationships" part was probably true, while "jealousy" was likely a lie.

—Could two demons fighting over a piece of human flesh really avoid falling out?

The woman who'd brought her upstairs was named Chaoyan. She wore a light, goose-yellow gauze dress, with the delicate charm of a woman from the water towns: soft Wu dialect, a slender waist, dark hair, and willow-leaf brows. As she walked, her gauzy sleeves swayed, tracing the curve of a waist so slender it seemed barely graspable.

At a wildly inappropriate moment, Ning Ning thought that if she were a man, she'd spend every day in this illusion. So many beauties to choose from, and no money required. Wow, it was practically paradise.

Too bad that once you peeled off the masks on their faces, the whole thing turned into a ghost story.

The mastermind, White Bone Lady, was the mistress of Zhaixing Pavilion and lived on the top floor.

She and the she-demons under her command fed on the flesh and blood of the living to improve their cultivation. Since their appearances were so different from humans, they all wore human-skin masks. Only when they opened their cavernous mouths to eat did they reveal their true forms.

But White Bone Lady had no idea that the she-demons she believed she had under her thumb had long since changed masters—

Their true master was called the Yinshan Ghost Mother. She hid in a secret passage beneath the pavilion and possessed unmatched power. Having been gravely wounded by an elder of the Sword Sect, she'd been forced to come here to absorb yang essence and recuperate.

The monster needed a steady supply of flesh and power from Zhaixing Pavilion, but she knew she was badly injured. If she came into conflict with White Bone Lady, they would only destroy each other. After much deliberation, she came up with a brilliant plan.

As a ghost mother, she naturally possessed the power to control living beings, turning people and demons of ordinary cultivation into puppets at her command.

She couldn't take White Bone Lady head-on, but the lesser demons were no match for her. In less than half a month, most of the demon women in Zhaixing Pavilion had become puppets, and she seized the greater part of the yang essence they gathered.

White Bone Lady assumed human spiritual power was feeble. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she was sewing a wedding gown for someone else.

According to the original story, after everyone defeated White Bone Lady, they suddenly heard a furious roar from underground, and Zhaixing Pavilion collapsed with it.

The Yinshan Ghost Mother, awakened from her slumber, burst up through the earth. After absorbing yang essence for many days, she had regained her full strength.

She was ferocious. Though everyone fought desperately, they were driven to the back foot, and the original Ning Ning was even gravely wounded and sent out of the illusion. In the end, Pei Ji unleashed the surging Sword Qi hidden within him and fought with all his might through nine near-death escapes before finally defeating her.

She couldn't act too righteous, or the she-demons would see her as a delicious piece of Tang Monk's flesh.

She couldn't just kill the she-demons, either. If she happened to kill one of the puppets, the Yinshan Ghost Mother would notice.

And she absolutely couldn't take either of those monsters head-on. Pei Ji and the Little White Dragon were protected by the protagonists' halo; if anything went wrong, she'd be the first to bite the dust.

Life was hard. Ning Ning sighed. She only wanted to safely play a vicious supporting character. Why was it so difficult?

Yinshan Ghost Mother, what was she supposed to do with this mischievous little demon?

"What are you thinking about, Miss?"

Chaoyan poured her a cup of tea and laughed softly. "Do you find Chaoyan dull?"

Ning Ning's gaze went blank. "Yes."

The woman in the yellow skirt twitched at the corner of her mouth, then quickly put on a smile. "Chaoyan is devoted to you, Miss, yet you're thinking only of those other sisters who didn't come. That's truly heartbreaking."

"Since I chose you to come to my room, Miss Chaoyan, I must be fond of you."

Ning Ning was still thinking about how to deal with the Ghost Mother, so she answered with some perfunctory nonsense. The woman in the yellow skirt smiled at her words, but the next instant, her smile suddenly froze.

The shameless libertine didn't so much as change expression as she said, "But my liking you doesn't conflict with my liking those other sisters! I'm a cultivator who pursues great love in my heart. You and the other sisters are all part of the myriad things in this world. Isn't it only natural that I should love all of you?"

Tian Xianzi, beside the Mystic Mirror, nearly spat out his tea. Ning Ning continued, "My love for you is selfless. It's the Great Dao. So why can't the sisters love me selflessly in return?"

The woman in the yellow skirt's face twisted, but she managed to force out a smile. "My fondness for you truly is free of selfish motives."

"Liar."

Ning Ning glanced at her and replied without the slightest pause, all in one breath. "If you like me, you should try to make me happy. I won't be happy if I can't be with the other sisters—doesn't that contradict what you just said? Sister, it seems you still don't understand the great love of us Sword Cultivators."