Weird Courtesan

Gu Mo looked at the clearly demarcated white and black masses of Qi above Ye Chen's head, finding it rather weird.

The white mass of Qi represented good luck, and the black mass represented bad luck.

Currently, both masses of Qi were huge, forming a state of contention. Yet, they were completely incompatible.

Logically speaking, equal amounts of good luck and bad luck should cancel each other out. But in Ye Chen's case, it seemed as if the bad luck operated independently, and the good luck operated independently, completely unrelated.

"What kind of situation will this lead to? Being unlucky and lucky at the same time? Or lucky and unlucky at the same time?"

Gu Mo pondered for a moment, then called out, "Ye Chen..."

Ye Chen immediately stood up, forcing out an extremely enthusiastic smile, and said, "Yes, Big Brother, what are your orders!"

Gu Mo looked at Ye Chen, who was all smiles, and found it hard to look directly at him.

Ye Chen was quite handsome originally, but in his current state of being bruised and swollen with bleeding from seven orifices, coupled with that smile, he looked like a dilapidated chrysanthemum. It was truly unbearable to look at.

"I preferred your rebellious demeanor from before. Recover a bit!" Gu Mo said.

Ye Chen chuckled, stepped back, and felt his injuries rapidly recovering. He exclaimed, "Big Brother, your internal energy is amazing! It's practically Bring Dead Back to Life!"

Gu Mo smiled slightly.

His Limitless Return to Origin Qi's Second Form possessed a magnification effect. Any characteristic of internal energy would be magnified countless times after returning to the origin. He possessed many types of internal energy that could heal injuries. Especially after being magnified, the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Skill could be said to be close to "Bring Dead Back to Life," though it was a bit exaggerated. As long as one wasn't dead on the spot, he could aid recovery at a visible speed.

"Now, circulate your energy and practice your Great Sun Demonic Art for me to see," Gu Mo said.

Although Ye Chen was somewhat doubtful of Gu Mo's request, he didn't ask further and immediately sat cross-legged to circulate his energy and practice obediently.

Seeing Ye Chen practice according to that nonsensical secret manual once again, Gu Mo still felt very surprised. It was like watching someone try to build a rocket by studying the Four Books and Five Classics.

As Ye Chen completed a Lesser Circulation, Gu Mo discovered that a special kind of Qi actually appeared. However, strangely, even though it was just a tiny bit of Qi, it still split into two, with one half becoming good luck and the other half becoming bad luck.

Gu Mo looked at Ye Chen somewhat awkwardly, sighing inwardly. This guy Ye Chen had probably been completely messed up by him!

Originally a good Child of Fortune, he had now become an existence where luck and misfortune coexisted, and the more fortunate he was, the more unfortunate he became!

"Alright, alright, that's enough!"

Gu Mo patted Ye Chen on the shoulder and said, "Go change your clothes first. You probably won't be so unlucky now!"

"Then... shall I try?"

Ye Chen hesitated as he walked towards the door, his steps incredibly cautious. He reached the doorway without any issues, and then he started skipping again. After a while, certain there were no problems, Ye Chen cupped his hands towards Gu Mo and said, "Big Brother, I'm going to go test if my luck has returned right now!"

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "How will you test it? Go jump off a cliff?"

Ye Chen grinned and said, "Heh heh, that won't do. If my luck hasn't returned, wouldn't I just fall to my death? I have a very simple method to test it. Ever since I started cultivating luck, I've never spent money when I go listen to music in a brothel. Moreover, I'm always accidentally chosen by the courtesan as a guest of honor. After sleeping with me, she even cries and begs me to come again next time. So, to test if my luck has returned, it's very simple. I just need to go through a brothel!"

Gu Mo: "..."

Ye Jinglan: "..."

Both of them were speechless for a moment.

Gu Mo said, "By the way, I need your help with something."

"Big Brother, just give the order. I'd go through a mountain of blades and sea of fire without hesitation!" Ye Chen said.

Gu Mo said, "I've been investigating a case recently, the Flesh-Eating Ghost Case that's been causing a stir in Chang'an City. But there's been no progress or clues so far. So, I'll borrow your luck then and have you help me investigate this case!"

Ye Chen patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me, Big Brother. As long as my luck has returned, this is a piece of cake. I'm not bragging. Once my luck returns, whatever I think of will come to me. If I want a clue, a clue will appear. If I want the murderer, I'll find the murderer!"

"Good," Gu Mo smiled slightly and said, "Then it's up to you!"

"No problem."

Ye Chen cupped his hands, turned around immediately, and left with a servant from the Ye Manor.

However, the moment he turned, he tripped on the stone steps and fell directly into a nearby flower bush.

He was startled, worried that his luck hadn't returned. But, in the next moment, he saw a gold ingot in the flower bush.

It was only two or three taels of gold. This amount was just a drop in the bucket for Ye Chen. He usually threw away more money than this casually, but this time it was different.

This gold ingot meant so much to him right now!

"Hahaha... I, Ye Chen, am back!"

"Hahaha, I knew it! What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!"

"Just a little bit of hardship, what can it do to me!"

"..."

Ye Chen shouted chuunibyou slogans while excitedly leaving.

Ye Jinglan and Gu Mo both had speechless expressions.

Ye Jinglan whispered, "Is this guy crazy?"

Gu Mo chuckled, "You'll get used to it. After all, this guy always thought he was the protagonist in a storybook. Now that he's experienced such a huge up and down, it's understandable that he's a bit excited."

"That's true." Ye Jinglan nodded and asked, "But this guy thought you were suppressing him, so he came specifically to pay his respects. It seems he stumbled upon the right path, and it's a good thing he wasn't at his wit's end. Hmm, Brother Gu, did you really return his luck?"

"I returned it," Gu Mo said. "Ye Chen's luck is a bit strange. I couldn't figure anything out from it, and it was meaningless to keep it. It's better to observe how that luck changes on him!"

Ye Jinglan sighed and said, "I'm truly envious. If that luck could be integrated into others, I'd want to cling to your thigh, Brother Gu, and beg you to bestow that luck upon me. Tsk tsk tsk, this guy is about to have great fortune again. It's truly a cause for jealousy. I also want to cultivate the Great Sun Demonic Art!"

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, "I'm afraid it's hard to say."

Ye Jinglan asked doubtfully, "What do you mean?"

Gu Mo said, "On Ye Chen, besides the luck, there's now an equal amount of misfortune, and it's growing in sync. This means his current luck and misfortune are the same. His misfortune hasn't decreased because his luck has returned."

Ye Jinglan asked doubtfully, "Where did the misfortune come from?"

Gu Mo said, "Originally, I thought it was a backlash from me capturing his luck. But I just discovered that the misfortune also comes from the Great Sun Demonic Art he's cultivating. This means that from the very beginning, he cultivated an equal amount of misfortune, but it just hadn't erupted yet, which is why he's always been so lucky."

Ye Jinglan frowned and said, "Then, in that case, this Great Sun Demonic Art isn't that great!"

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, "If the Great Sun Demonic Art were truly that great, why would it be called a demonic art? I've been pondering this question: how did the Great Sun Demonic Art, as a single martial art, become one of the Thirteen Taboos.

I checked the case files at Dragon Tiger Mountain, but the records about the Great Sun Demonic Art were all fragmented. They only said it was a very sinister martial art, the ancestor of all demonic arts in the world. Even the four great demonic arts of the world, led by the Taotie Divine Skill, were derived from the Great Sun Demonic Art.

I couldn't understand it before. Even if it's the ancestor of demonic arts, someone still has to cultivate it. The taboo shouldn't be a martial art; it should be the founder or the cultivator. Only today have I begun to understand it, albeit vaguely!"

Ye Jinglan also said solemnly, "According to Ye Chen, this Great Sun Demonic Art is indeed sinister. It seems to be able to choose its cultivators. Look at the incantations and secret manuals he mentioned; we can't use them at all. I've only heard of people choosing martial arts, and this is the first time I've heard of martial arts choosing people!"

Gu Mo said solemnly, "There's another absurd part. According to Ye Chen, when he was dreaming, the old beggar asked him about his dream before giving him the Great Sun Demonic Art. Can it be understood that if Ye Chen's dream was to become Emperor, then the secret manuals he saw in the Great Sun Demonic Art would be those that could help him become Emperor?

If his dream was to Unify the World, would the Great Sun Demonic Art give him a martial art that could help him Unify the World?"

Ye Jinglan said incredulously, "So, the Great Sun Demonic Art is a martial art that not only chooses its cultivators but also automatically tailors martial arts for them? Is this a martial art? It's an omnipotent creator!"

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, "The world is vast and full of wonders. However, considering Ye Chen's current situation of having equal luck and misfortune, this Great Sun Demonic Art might not be as simple as it seems."

Ye Jinglan asked, "Then, what will happen to Ye Chen now that he's both unlucky and lucky?"

Gu Mo shook his head, "I don't know."

After showering and changing his clothes at Ye Jinglan's home, Ye Chen once again regained his image as a young master. Although there were still some scars on his face, they were recovering quickly under the treatment of Gu Mo's Heavenly Silkworm True Qi.

Then, he cautiously walked out the door. After waiting for a while and confirming that no unlucky events occurred, he went out onto the street. He waited on the street for a while longer, and still, no unlucky events happened, so he felt relieved and went to a brothel.

What struck him as strange was that the brothel was unusually quiet.

However, he didn't overthink it and strode directly inside.

As soon as he entered, he found everyone in the main hall staring at him. The men's eyes showed envy, jealousy, and hatred. Then, many of them beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret and wailing.

Under Ye Chen's bewildered gaze, a brothel madam with a swaying waist like a bucket came before him, smiling as she said, "Congratulations, honored guest! Our courtesan Yu Niangzi lost a bet and the winner demanded she serve the tenth person who entered, free of charge. It doesn't matter if they're a beggar or a noble son, old or young. Since the bet began, you are precisely the tenth person!"

If it were anyone else encountering this situation, they would certainly suspect a setup. After all, such a windfall often comes with a hidden trap.

However, Ye Chen was no ordinary person.

After all, such windfalls were commonplace for him.

The brothel madam was still explaining, saying, "Honored guest, please rest assured, we do business openly, under everyone's watch, we absolutely wouldn't..."

Ye Chen waved his hand, interrupting the madam. "First, take this young master to see if the courtesan is beautiful enough to be worthy of my presence as a guest of honor!"

The brothel madam: "..."

Soon, Led by the brothel madam, Ye Chen was brought to a small courtyard in the inner quarters. As soon as he entered, he saw a woman dressed in a cyan outfit, holding a big white cat. Her figure was incredibly alluring, not a bit more or less.

The brothel madam hurriedly introduced, "This is our establishment's courtesan, Yu Niangzi." She then introduced Ye Chen to the courtesan, saying, "Yu'er, this is the tenth guest to enter our establishment, he is surnamed Ye!"

The Yu Niangzi sized up Ye Chen, then slowly bowed. "Young Master Ye, I've caused you trouble. This servant has always sold her art, not her body. But today, a young master, the son of a court minister, insisted I serve him. Our establishment truly cannot afford to offend him.

Helpless, I was forced into a gamble. In truth, this bet was merely a method for that young master to coerce me. They found a beggar, covered in pus and unwashed for years, and planned for him to be the tenth guest, thereby forcing my compliance. Little did they know, you, Young Master Ye, have thwarted their plan."

With that, Yu Niangzi sighed and took out a purse from her embrace. "Young Master Ye, please leave. This servant truly does not wish for you to face mortal danger because of a mere woman of the dust like myself." As she spoke, she pressed the purse into Ye Chen's hand. "I am truly sorry to you. This contains some of this servant's feelings. Please accept it. If you leave now, I will find that young master and concede, and will not bring trouble to you."

Ye Chen, though he looked down on the brothel's rule of selling art but not the body, was, after all, a worldly person. In his understanding, coming to a brothel and not selling the body was akin to farting after taking off one's pants.

However, he greatly respected others and never forced them.

He returned the silver to Yu Niangzi. "You don't sell your body, and this young master won't force you. But since this young master has come here, and you are beautiful enough, even if it's just for listening to music and drinking, this young master is determined to be the guest of honor tonight. Even the King of Heaven himself couldn't stop me!"

At this moment, Yu Niangzi was moved!

She didn't know why, but she had met many high officials and nobles, heroes and valiant men. Many had superior temperament and appearance to Ye Chen, yet none had ever given her this feeling.

It was an impulse, just one glance, and she felt the urge to settle down with him, raise children, and live a stable life from this day forward.

She looked at Ye Chen, completely captivated, stars practically appearing in her eyes, her heart melting.

"Young Master..." Yu Niangzi said softly, "Please still leave. That young master is the son of the current Ministry of Justice Official..."

Ye Chen waved his hand grandly. "Who cares who he is? This young master just came from the home of Ministry of Justice Vice Minister Ye Jinglan." He said to the brothel madam, "Go tell that so-called young master that my name is Ye Chen. If he's not convinced, he can go to Ye Jinglan's home and ask about my identity. Don't disturb me listening to music!"

With that, Ye Chen directly entered the room.

At this moment, Yu Niangzi looked at Ye Chen's retreating back, her cheeks slightly flushed. She said to the brothel madam, "You may go. Tonight, I will serve Young Master Ye here."

"Have you thought it through?"

Yu Niangzi let out a light laugh. "In this place of sin, I'll have to entertain guests sooner or later. It's my good fortune to be with Young Master Ye, so handsome and dashing, for my first time, isn't it? I only worry about bringing him trouble. Since he's not afraid of that Young Master, then it's perfect. Besides, he's already handsome!"

"Alright!" The Brothel Madam left.

Afterward, Yu Niangzi entered the room, slowly closing the door. She walked towards Ye Chen, shedding her outer clothes and kicking off her shoes as she went, carrying a pot of wine towards him.

The two began to drink, chatting about everything under the sun, from poetry and song to life's aspirations, from the stars and moon to the true meaning of life. Naturally, their emotions began to stir.

"My luck has returned!"

Ye Chen was incredibly excited. He knew his luck had returned, and this Yu Niangzi was the best proof. His interest surged even higher, and he pulled Yu Niangzi onto his lap.

Yu Niangzi leaned into Ye Chen's embrace, speaking softly, her cheeks flushed.

Ye Chen, in high spirits, gently caressed Yu Niangzi's cheeks and playfully teased her hair strands.

Just as he was about to reach inside her clothes, He suddenly noticed a strand of hair seemingly stuck to Yu Niangzi's neck.

Being somewhat obsessive-compulsive, even in this situation, he couldn't help himself.

So, he deliberately reached out to hook that stuck strand of hair. His fingertip, however, touched not the expected soft hair end, but an unusually stiff sensation.

He frowned and leaned closer, peering in the dim candlelight. He discovered it wasn't hair at all—a line of ink was drawn on Yu Niangzi's fair neck, like a meticulously drawn ink wash painting, clinging tightly to her skin.

His fingertip subconsciously rubbed the black line. The skin beneath his finger suddenly felt strangely loose.

The black line seemed to writhe and stretch like a living thing, expanding into a crack the length of a knuckle in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chen's heart lurched. As he leaned closer, he saw that the crack was oozing not blood or flesh, but a dark, flowing black liquid, like the underlying color showing through silk soaked in ink.

At this moment, Yu Niangzi was still leaning softly in Ye Chen's arms, completely unaware, still whispering sweet nothings.

However, Ye Chen's scalp tingled. He tentatively pinched the skin at the edge of the crack with two fingers and gave a gentle pull. The skin there tore apart like rotten cardboard!

"Riiip—"

Amidst the tearing sound, a thick black substance gushed out, enveloping Ye Chen's face in a foul, fishy smell.

It was a noxious, thick stench, too dense to dissipate.

Ye Chen was very familiar with this smell.

It was the same muddy, fishy smell that had filled the sewers of Ghost City when he climbed out today.

He jerked back violently, only to see the crack on Yu Niangzi's neck had spread to her collarbone. What surged beneath her skin was not flesh and blood, but bubbling black slime, emitting a faint purplish phosphorescence in the candlelight. The stench made his temples throb.

The thing felt slippery and cold, with a damp chill, writhing slightly like a living creature.

Yu Niangzi's Wu Nong Soft Words still echoed in his ears, but the "skin" on her neck was already peeling away layer by layer like a decaying painted skin. The cracks spread at a visible speed, and black slime dripped down her pale neck, staining her clothes with patches of foul-smelling filth.

Ye Chen's legs went weak, and he stumbled backward, his back hitting the cold table.

Yu Niangzi still hadn't realized what was happening, only feeling Ye Chen suddenly go limp. Her face was filled with confusion.

But Ye Chen, like a startled bird, flipped backward and hid in a corner. When he looked back at Yu Niangzi, the gash on her collar had already spread to her chest. He could vaguely see shredded, rotten-like wisps floating in the black slime. Each wriggle was accompanied by the unique stench of sewer mud, so strong it was nauseating.

"Young Master, what's wrong?" Yu Niangzi asked softly.

"What exactly are you..."

Ye Chen's voice trembled, his gaze locked onto the widening gash, which was now covered in thick, foul-smelling muck, with faint traces of sewer waste.

"Ugh..."

Ye Chen immediately gagged, then quickly picked up his clothes and dressed.

At this moment, Yu Niangzi on the bed still looked bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened or why Ye Chen was acting like he'd seen a ghost. She instinctively started to get up, asking in confusion, "Young Master, what's wrong with you..."

However, before she could finish speaking, she suddenly saw a bluish-black lump bulge on her abdomen beneath her palm. The mass of mud was slowly writhing beneath her semi-transparent skin, like something alive burrowing under her flesh. She trembled and looked up, her gaze meeting an even more horrifying sight—

The curve of her left breast suddenly split open with a bloody gash. It wasn't the bright red of torn flesh, but revealed churning black mud within. The black mud pulsed beneath the skin, contracting like a heart, and several dark red earthworms poked their heads out of the gash, their slippery bodies covered in strands of slime.

"Ah—!"

A scream tore through the tent. Yu Niangzi scrambled backward, her back hitting the bedpost. The skin on her neck and shoulders suddenly burst open like punctured oiled paper with a "poof"!

Black mud mixed with maggot-like white worms spewed out, flowing down her collarbone onto the white skin of her lower body.

She clawed at herself frantically, only to pull off large handfuls of hair matted with black mud. The strands that slipped through her fingers were all curled, and her facial features became distorted and grotesque.

"Ah... ah... a ghost, there's a ghost..."

She shrieked incoherently, crawling out of the room on all fours. Her knees hit the ground, and the skin on her entire thigh split open like a spider web.

Black mud rained down from her body, revealing a tangled network of black veins underneath. Several centipedes as thick as thumbs darted out from behind her knees, leaving wet trails on the ground.

"Save me, Young Master, save me..."

She stumbled towards Ye Chen. With every step she took, her skin peeled off like shedding wallpaper and fell to the ground in large pieces. First, the skin on her cheeks split, and her facial features vanished.

Ye Chen's face was filled with terror. Even though he had traveled the jianghu for years, he had never witnessed such an evil sight. He was so scared he hurriedly dodged.

As Yu Niangzi took a couple more steps, the last layer of skin slid off her shoulders. Her entire body became like a puppet with its strings cut, only the black mud continuing to fall into a pile.

In the mud, the skeleton still maintained its forward posture before collapsing into the black sludge.