Zhang Duo'er

The alley where Xia Yi's little courtyard stood welcomed a special visitor that day.

She was voluptuous and heavily made up, looking to be in her thirties, with an elegant bearing. The little fan she waved in her hand stirred wafts of powder and perfume.

Checking the surrounding buildings, she knocked lightly on the courtyard gate. A moment later, the maid Lan'er opened it.

"Hello, who are you looking for...?"

"Is Senior Yi Xia here?"

"The old master?" Lan'er curtsied slightly. "Please wait a moment."

Turning around, Lan'er couldn't help looking a little puzzled. The way this woman was dressed...

Why did she look like she came from that sort of place?

Before she could knock on the master bedroom door, Xia Yi opened it himself. "I heard. Go back to your work, Lan'er."

"Yes, old master."

After dismissing Lan'er, Xia Yi looked somewhat surprised as well. "I remember you're the madam of the Pitying Lord Pavilion. Why have you come to see me? Was there a problem with the flower names I bestowed through the Beauty Register?"

Master Dong wore a fawning smile. "Of course not, Senior Yi Xia. Your flower names worked wonderfully. Lately, those girls have been enchanting crowds of patrons."

"Then what do you want with me? Never mind. Whatever it is, your timing is good. I was planning to come see you in a while. I've made some progress in my cultivation recently, and my mastery of the Three-Star Saint Soul Beauty Record has reached the fifth tier. I imagine you could use that?"

"It won't be expensive. Still ten thousand taels."

"???"

The speech Master Dong had prepared instantly stuck in her throat, and even her smile stiffened a little. Only after a long pause did she say, "Hehehe... You certainly know how to do business, Senior. Yes, I could use it. Would now be convenient?"

"Oh?" So readily?

Xia Yi said thoughtfully, "Have you run into some trouble you need me to resolve? You couldn't possibly have missed hearing about the big things I've done lately, could you? Aren't you afraid associating with me will drag you into trouble?"

"O-of course I've heard." Master Dong sounded somewhat uncertain. "But our Pitying Lord Pavilion does have some backing, after all. Those important figures wouldn't stoop to bothering with us. It'll be fine."

Having reassured herself, she sighed. "I've only brought this on myself. Last time you visited, somehow I forgot all about Duo'er, our pavilion's star courtesan. Lately, the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. Every time I saw Duo'er, I felt guilty and ashamed. I really couldn't stand it anymore, so I had no choice but to come see you."

"A madam like you feels guilty toward the girls under her?" Xia Yi asked in surprise. "Never mind, never mind. As long as you have enough silver, you can come to me anytime. Let's go."

With that, he turned back and called, "Chen Guang, I'm going out on business. Watch the house!"

"Understood, Teacher!"

He had already taken the necessary precautions, so there was no need to keep Chen Guang and the others tied to his side all day. Besides, the Pitying Lord Pavilion wasn't far from his home.

"And you, next time you come to see me, wear something normal. Don't let people tell what you do at a glance. It's not good."

Like hell I'm coming to see you again. Do I have too much silver? Master Dong suppressed the pain of the expense and respectfully agreed.

Before long, they reached the Pitying Lord Pavilion. After passing through the cloth curtain hung with bells, Xia Yi couldn't help going momentarily blank, his composure shaken by a rare surge of astonishment!

The Pitying Lord Pavilion's arrangement was entirely different from before. A long red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way to the far end. On it, two slender women walked away from Xia Yi, swaying their waists, their figures graceful and endlessly alluring.

At the end, they put their hands on their hips and struck seductive poses, displaying all their charms. Then they moved off to either side, and another two women stepped onto the red carpet to sway down it in a catwalk.

Secretly watching Xia Yi's expression, Master Dong couldn't help looking a little smug. So even an old senior in the trade like you hasn't seen everything, has he?

"This is a new skill the girls have just learned. Tonight will be their first time showing it to the patrons. What do you think, Senior?" she asked, concealing her desire to show off.

Xia Yi ignored her and studied the women on the red carpet as though looking for someone, until a woman's voice, like a secluded orchid in an empty valley, rang out. "Girls, girls, don't sway your waists so much. Watch me. There has to be rhythm. What's rhythm? Hmm, it's the beat when you're singing..."

A tall woman dressed quite differently from the other prostitutes stepped gracefully onto the red carpet.

She wore a blue beaded hat and a mid-sleeved top with a white, round, lace-trimmed neckline. A short stretch of her fair arms showed as she set her hands on her swaying waist. Paired with a long skirt of black and white, she looked like a fairy from behind.

When she turned around, her looks did not disappoint Xia Yi either. Deep, dark eyes, curved willow-leaf brows, a delicate nose, and exquisite lips-every feature was finely crafted!

Even in nearly a century of experience, Xia Yi had rarely seen such an extraordinary beauty. And her particular air was utterly unique, nonexistent on the Saint Soul Continent!

[You have discovered a Three-Star Saint Soul: First Model. Current exploration progress: 25%]

"Just as I thought."

Clothing with such a modern feel, combined with everything before him, left no other explanation.

This was another player!

A player who had become a brothel's star courtesan...

"Duo'er, come here!" Master Dong called. "This is Senior Yi Xia!"

Zhang Duo'er's model walk paused briefly before she approached gracefully. "Madam Dong, you're back."

As she spoke, she secretly sized Xia Yi up, doing her best to hide the slyness in her eyes.

In the novice trial settlement a few days earlier, she had received an S rating, and her Saint Soul skill slots had increased from seven to eight. At first, however, the reward of joining the main worldline had left her baffled.

But when she logged into the game again the next day, she immediately noticed a change. Among her fellow girls at the Pitying Lord Pavilion, the ten finest and prettiest... had suddenly become a little prettier.

Through indirect questions, she learned about something that hadn't originally happened: Xia Yi bestowing flower names. At once, she understood a little.

"This old man is the difference between the main worldline and the original worldline. In other words, he's connected to this amazing game's main quest.

After a few days of dropping hints to Madam Dong, she actually brought this old man here... What could the main quest be?"

At the same time, Xia Yi's thoughts were racing.

"Shi Lai hasn't appeared for a whole week. Does that have anything to do with this newly emerged female player?

The madam said she'd somehow forgotten her when I bestowed flower names last time. Does that mean this female player was here then? No..."

"This skill of yours is quite novel. What is it called, and how long have you been practicing?"

Master Dong replied, "Duo'er taught them. It's called modeling. It's about showing the patrons the girls' most elegant side.

"They've been practicing for over half a month. Last time you came, Senior, they happened to be resting. Ah, I really... I really don't know what happened. How could I have forgotten Duo'er that day?"

Xia Yi murmured an acknowledgment and studied Zhang Duo'er. "What a lovely young lady. It's truly a shame for you to stay in a brothel serving customers."

"Sir, I sell my performances, not my body." Zhang Duo'er had already learned the proper phrasing.

"That's even more of a shame. I was thinking of offering a Saint Soul suited to you as payment for a taste of your charms," Xia Yi said wistfully.

[Ding! ?? has issued a quest: Spend a wonderful night with ??. Reward: Special Saint Soul]

Zhang Duo'er froze in bewilderment.

"Her eyes have lost focus. She can accept quests just like Shi Lai. There's a ninety-percent chance it's the same system, the same game," Xia Yi thought.

"Hahaha, just joking, just joking. Seeing such a lovely young lady, even an old man like me couldn't help feeling a little tempted." He laughed heartily. "Come, let's get down to business. I'll bestow flower names on them."

"You really do like to joke." Master Dong waved and called, "Girls, come over here!"

[Ding! ?? has canceled the quest.]

Zhang Duo'er's delicate lips parted slightly. Canceled, just like that? Couldn't we negotiate a little? Judging by this old man's age... he probably couldn't do much, could he?