Yu Qinglian

The next morning, Lin Yi held Lin Xiuwen's hand as he and Chen saw Lin Hua off.

"Must the shop really open today?"

Lin Hua's brows were locked in a deep frown, his eyes hiding an irrepressible exhaustion, but that weariness was quickly overtaken by resolve.

"Open it! We can't hide for the rest of our lives."

Chen's eyes turned slightly red as she whispered, "Then be careful, and don't be reckless. You've been stubborn for most of your life; just consider it for me and the two children—it wouldn't hurt to yield for once..."

Lin Hua opened his mouth, looking into his wife's eyes, but in the end, he only nodded heavily and squeezed a single "Mn" from his throat.

Lin Yi listened quietly from the side, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist as a flash of determination crossed his eyes.

At midday, in Jiaqing County, at the Hidden Origin Chamber of Commerce.

The Hidden Origin Chamber of Commerce was the largest merchant guild spread throughout the Great Yan, encompassing all the world's rare treasures and exotic goods; even in this remote border town, they maintained a branch.

Lin Yi looked up to size up the golden, magnificent pavilion before him. Confirming he hadn't come to the wrong place, he stepped straight inside.

"Customer, how may I help you?" A beautiful woman dressed in a green gauze dress with green silk ribbons approached him, her face wreathed in smiles.

"I want to buy some clothes," Lin Yi said.

A short while later, Lin Yi walked out of the Hidden Origin Chamber of Commerce.

The woman who had guided him earlier was still gazing foolishly at his retreating back, murmuring, "Young Master... walk slowly."

Lin Yi had been completely transformed.

He already possessed a tall, upright stature; though only sixteen, he stood nearly five feet eight inches (185cm) tall. His original simple hemp clothes had been replaced by a White Dragon Fish Robe of extraordinary texture, topped with a jade crown and cinched with a jade belt.

Coupled with that handsome, refined face that looked like an immortal descended to the mortal world, the pedestrians passing by the entrance of the Hidden Origin Chamber of Commerce all froze the moment their eyes landed on him.

"Which family does that young master belong to?" Inside a carriage by the street, a woman peeked through the gap in the curtains, her cheeks flushing red.

"He's even better-looking than the portraits of the young masters on the Appearance Ranking..."

The Appearance Ranking was a popular publication in the Great Yan that ranked handsome men.

"I want information on that young master within an hour. If he isn't betrothed, I shall have Father go to their home to propose..."

Sensing the burning gazes around him, Lin Yi sighed slightly.

The effect was quite good; at least the thirty taels of silver spent on this outfit hadn't gone to waste.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Aside from the twenty taels of tuition money provided by his family, he had dug into his own private savings accumulated over many years just to buy this flashy, impractical set of clothes.

But with the situation so urgent, this outfit was the first key he needed to pry open the deadlock.

"Now, it is time to begin."

Willow Pavilion, the largest brothel in Jiaqing County, had always been a place for local dignitaries and scions of noble families to listen to music, drink, and indulge in pleasure.

As soon as Lin Yi arrived at the entrance, he heard the clamor from within. Between the high platforms and pavilions, the graceful figures of beauties were vaguely visible—truly a sight to dazzle the eyes.

It was Lin Yi's first time in such a place, but even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had certainly seen pigs run.

He took a deep breath and walked straight inside.

"Oh, what a handsome young master! You look a bit unfamiliar."

The still-charming madam spotted Lin Yi at a glance and immediately beamed, hurrying over to greet him.

This was only human nature.

Compared to serving those pot-bellied, pig-headed men, it was certainly better to serve this young man who looked like a banished immortal.

Furthermore, Lin Yi's attire and noble bearing made it clear at a glance that he did not come from an ordinary family.

Lin Yi smiled indifferently and flicked his sleeves. "Pick a private room. I want to see the quality of your girls."

As he spoke, he felt a sting of pain in his heart, though his expression remained light and breezy as he tossed a silver pouch into the madam's hand.

The madam weighed it—it was a full five taels. Her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly replied, "Yes, Young Master."

Inside the private room, Lin Yi leaned lazily against the railing. His dragon-like, phoenix-like posture and noble temperament drew frequent attention from the courtesans performing below, causing them to dance with even more vigor than usual.

His gaze wandered among the many women, and he whispered softly, "Now, I only need to lure the prey into the trap."

Hu Ma was a scourge.

Given that man's ruthlessness, if he were truly determined to seize that fallen Meteorite Iron by any means necessary, the Lin Clan would suffer sooner or later.

Lin Yi's plan was simple—eradicate the evil completely.

But a head-on collision offered no chance of victory.

Hu Ma was an eighth-rank cultivator who had entered the Qi through the Martial Way.

And he was a ninth-rank cultivator who had entered the Qi through the Corpse Puppet Path.

Cultivators of the Corpse Puppet Path must rely on creating puppets and controlling corpses to generate combat power.

Lin Yi had only been learning for less than half a month, so he certainly did not possess anything like a corpse puppet.

Beyond that, he only had some deceptive skills, leaving him with almost no ability to face enemies head-on in the early stages.

Furthermore, Hu Ma was the county magistrate's own son and a hall master of the Black Wind Gang; this identity was far too sensitive.

If Lin Yi wanted to eliminate him, he had to ensure he remained completely untainted by the affair.

Over these years, he had become very familiar with the capabilities of his Destiny, [Know Heavenly Fate].

Destiny Talisman Coins could not only activate Strong Luck, causing one's Aura of Fortune to surge in the short term, but they could also assist in cultivation, consuming coins to erase bottlenecks in one's practice.

At the same time, one could purchase [Destiny Intelligence] to further help in seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity.

Lin Yi's gaze sharpened, his sight cutting through the crowd and locking firmly onto a woman dressed in a flowing green silk dress, with a plump figure and a pure, gentle appearance.

[Destiny Talisman Coins: 14,500]

[Current Destiny Intelligence: Infatuation Path -- Yu Qinglian]

[...]

"Found you." The corners of Lin Yi's lips curled upward.

"Lian Niang, Lian Niang, did you see that new young master on the second floor? He seems to be looking at you."

"That young master is truly handsome, better-looking than any man I have ever seen."

A woman who was usually close with Lian Niang leaned in and whispered in her ear.

Yu Qinglian's expression shifted slightly. She quietly raised her eyes to look toward the second floor, where Lin Yi's tall, slender figure—standing out like a crane in a flock of chickens—and his immortal-like face came into view.

She examined him carefully, and the corners of her lips lifted involuntarily as she sighed inwardly: What a handsome shell.

Until those lazy, casual eyes met hers directly, Yu Qinglian pulled her gaze back in a hurry, as if she had been scalded.

"How is it? Was that young master looking at you?" Her friend's voice rang out in her ear again.

A blush rose on Yu Qinglian's face, yet her eyes held a bit more interest. "How could that be... a young master that handsome, why would he take a fancy to me?"

"Tsk, Yu Qinglian, you're playing coy. Are there few people who like you? The magistrate's son, and that Black Five-Short from the Black Wind Gang—I hear he's a hall master, a proper Martial Artist master..."

Her friend teased, "Though, compared to this peerlessly elegant young master, those people are far inferior."

Yu Qinglian couldn't help but steal another glance toward the second floor, but Lin Yi's figure was no longer there.

A sense of emptiness inexplicably filled her heart.

The brothel was filled with singing and dancing, and as one group of courtesans finished their performance, the next took their place.

Yu Qinglian returned to the backyard and ran straight into the madam.

As soon as the madam saw her, a smile immediately piled onto her face. "Lian Niang, how have you considered things these days? That Hu Ma is an honest-looking man, and he's a hall master of the Black Wind Gang, a Martial Artist to boot. If you follow him, your future days are guaranteed to be comfortable."

Yu Qinglian frowned, the image of Hu Ma subconsciously appearing in her mind.

Short and stout, dark-skinned, with a hideous, terrifying scar on his face, and not even as tall as she was—from a distance, he looked just like a blackened, short wooden barrel.

The sisters in the brothel had even given him the mocking nickname "Black Five-Short."

At the mere thought of having to face that visage every time she opened or closed her eyes, a chill ran through Yu Qinglian, and she felt nauseated to the point of retching.

She knew the madam had taken money from Hu Ma. Already loathing Hu Ma, her disgust extended to the madam as well. "I will think about it some more..."

The smile on the madam's face turned cold. "Yu Qinglian, taking your time to consider is natural, after all, it is a woman's lifelong affair. But you must also recognize your own status. Are there few courtesans in this building?"

"That someone is willing to redeem you is already a great stroke of fortune; don't truly think of yourself as something special. After all, you aren't young anymore. How many more years can you remain a courtesan?"

Yu Qinglian glanced at the madam indifferently and sneered, "That is not something you need to worry about."

Having said that, she swayed her waist and headed straight back to her own courtyard.