Beautiful Skeleton

Chapter 42: Beauty as a Skeleton

Su Mu walked over slowly, a fragrant breeze trailing behind her. This scent was not the smell of powder or rouge, but a fresh aroma like a hundred flowers blooming at once. Upon smelling it, one felt their spirit refreshed, followed by a sensation of floating toward the heavens.

"I said I would give it to you, so I give it to you. If you keep pushing it back and forth, I shall be angry." Luo Yun opened her fan and shook it violently.

"Is this Young Master Hong Yi? We have already discussed profound philosophy earlier, so there is no need to discuss it again." When Su Mu spoke, every word was clear and resonant, like pearls falling onto a jade plate. It made one's heart feel numb and itchy, causing every pore on the body to open in indescribable comfort.

"You are the only one who remains clear-headed." Hong Yi had, after all, practiced the supreme soul-cultivation scripture, the Amitabha Sutra. Having experienced the Jade Maiden Contemplation, he was able to hold his ground, his soul firm and unaffected by the external sounds, colors, scents, and tastes that could bewilder the mind. Hearing this voice directed at him, it fell into his ears, and Hong Yi's body reacted strangely. He raised his eyes and watched Su Mu walking gracefully toward him, feeling an urge to dodge away.

"Among so many people, only Hong Yi is clear-headed."

"Princess, thank you for lending me the Shark Slayer as a wager earlier. Now that I am returning it, I owe you another favor." This statement startled the young nobles who were scrambling to flatter Su Mu and speak with the beauty. They snapped out of their daze, looked at the displeasure on the face of Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, and immediately felt incredibly awkward.

Luo Yun gritted her teeth. "Hong Yi, this Shark Slayer is a gift for you."

Suddenly, Hong Yi stood neither humble nor arrogant. He picked up the Shark Slayer, held it up to Luo Yun with both hands, and spoke in a resonant voice, his chest expanded as if he were reciting the classics of the sages.

"Archery is one of the Six Arts; it is by no means a petty skill. Young Master, please do not belittle yourself."

"These young nobles are also men of cultivation, so why do their bones turn soft the moment they see a woman? But it is hardly surprising. Even I, had I not practiced the visualization method of the Amitabha Sutra, would likely have been unable to maintain my focus. She is truly too beautiful and possesses such an aura." Hong Yi thought to himself.

Seeing Hong Yi accept the Shark Slayer, Luo Yun said to Su Mu, "I have long heard that Miss Su Mu is the number one talented woman in the capital and loves discussing profound philosophy. I heard that at a salon once, you debated profound principles and left the elders of the Zhengyi Dao speechless. This Young Master Hong Yi also loves discussing profound philosophy. Why don't the two of you have a talk so I can feast my ears?"

"This is the Princess's beloved sword. Lending it to me as a wager was already a great favor; how could I dare to accept it?" Hong Yi was shocked. Looking at the way Luo Yun was gritting her teeth, he knew the Shark Slayer was her cherished personal blade.

Su Mu smiled indifferently, walked over, and spoke to Hong Yi.

After Hong Yi calmed himself, his humble voice rang out, waking the group of young nobles from their stupor.

After the initial shock, the image of the Amitabha Buddha flashed through his thoughts, and his soul regained its clarity.

Hong Yi shook his head, having no choice but to accept the sword.

The group of young nobles, including the Young Marquis Changle, stood frozen in place as Su Mu approached. For at least three breaths, they were completely captivated by her beauty and aura.

Luo Yun, however, watched the nobles fawning over Su Mu and panted with rage. She shook her folding fan violently, then—snap!—closed it, the bones of the fan creaking.

Although this was a brothel and the courtesans were not of high status, and usually the more beautiful a courtesan was, the more she became an object of teasing, the appearance of Su Mu made it impossible for any of the nobles present to harbor even a single thought of desecration.

Huff, huff. These young nobles were no fools; they knew their behavior had displeased the Princess.

"I am ashamed. This Hong Yi has clearly taken his studies to heart; he is not affected by a woman of peerless beauty. He does not lose his composure in the face of such allure. By comparison, I am a step behind."

"Miss Su, you are too kind. This is merely a petty skill." The group of young masters scrambled to offer flattering words.

He had seen that Luo Yun was unhappy, so he returned the sword to comfort her. After all, this Princess Zhennan had helped him a great deal, and paying back a favor was the right thing to do.

By visualizing the pink flesh turning into a skeleton and the skin and muscle rotting away, the sight of Su Mu before him immediately became mundane. Although she was still a peerless beauty, she no longer possessed that soul-captivating charm.

"No wait, no wait. It doesn't matter if we wait for Fairy Mu." Just then, one of the young masters said quickly, and the others chimed in: "Yes, yes, no wait at all. To see the radiance of Fairy Mu, one could wait for three days and three nights. A mere hour or two is nothing."

Hong Yi felt something was not quite right. The principles of the Amitabha Sutra flashed through his mind, and he visualized the beautiful woman before him—the capital's most talented woman—covered in maggots and flies, her flesh rotting away to reveal the white bone beneath.

Hong Yi suddenly snapped to his senses.

When Su Mu walked over, everyone present held their breath, too stunned by her beauty to speak.

"Young Master, that was quite the archery display earlier. It truly opened my eyes."

Watching these young masters, who were itching to flirt with the beauty before them but were afraid of displeasing the Princess, Hong Yi found it somewhat amusing.

"Hmm?" The Young Marquis Changle was, after all, the eldest son destined to inherit the title, and his upbringing was far superior to that of the average noble; he had already begun to reflect on his own behavior.

Originally, she had been the center of attention, but now she had been cast aside, and the moon had become Su Mu. In her heart, she was naturally furious, but unable to vent, she could only sulk in secret.

"Hmm? Why would I have such a thought?" This woman of peerless beauty moved with lotus steps, wearing a pale green gauze dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Several maids followed behind her, looking like a fairy from a painting descending into the mortal world.

Seeing the brief loss of focus in the young nobles, a look of satisfaction appeared deep in Su Mu's eyes. However, when her gaze suddenly fell upon Hong Yi, she discovered that the youth had recovered almost instantly.

Although his daze had only lasted a few breaths—which could hardly be called a state of drunken obsession, merely being stunned—if those few breaths had occurred on a battlefield, he would have died many times over.

"No self-image, no image of others, no image of sentient beings, no image of life. Pink flesh is but a skeleton; skin and bone are but decay."

Indeed, even Hong Yi had felt a sense of suffocation, shocked by her beautiful face and perfect aura as she walked over. Beauty makes one forget to breathe.

Su Mu smiled, looking at Hong Yi with a gaze full of surprise and hidden meaning.

Luo Yun saw Hong Yi bowing to her while holding the sword, his eyes clear and his heart appearing upright, devoid of any evil or lascivious thoughts. Luo Yun felt a wave of relief.

"I used to read in history books that a beauty's smile could topple a city, and another could topple a kingdom. Some emperors loved beauty more than their empire, and I thought it was an absurd claim. How could the sacred vessels of the state be compared to a mere woman? But now, it seems there is some truth to it. If one had to choose between such a woman and the sacred vessels of the state... the sacred vessels... a peerless beauty... the sacred vessels... a peerless beauty..."

The Young Marquis Changle heard Hong Yi's voice, his mind completely restored to clarity, and he secretly felt ashamed.

Su Mu smiled and bowed gracefully. "Su Mu is late. I have kept you all waiting."