Come to My Room

The contents of the illustrated booklet were even more varied.

There were detailed profiles and gossip about the leading courtesans of the Wonderful Sound Pavilion in the major markets of the Donglai Sea Region, romantic scandals involving aristocratic clan scions, and sensuous encounters experienced by down-and-out rogue cultivators...

With illustrations accompanying the text, it was utterly captivating.

On the back cover were also words of golden wisdom warning male cultivators who frequented pleasure establishments such as the Wonderful Sound Pavilion-

First, guard against greed: never touch a female cultivator of unknown origins.

Second, guard against stinginess: do not skimp when it is time to spend spirit stones.

Third, guard against showing off: do not boast of your conquests. Walls have ears, and behind those ears lurk grudges.

Fourth, guard against infatuation: never take a dew-fleeting romance to heart.

Finally, a life-saving maxim was offered: "Pass through a myriad flowers without letting a single leaf cling to you!"

After finishing the booklet, Fang Hong closed it, turned to Fang Qing, and said with a smile, "You're quite resourceful, aren't you? Where did you find this booklet?"

Fang Qing lowered his voice. "I bought it at the Shangqing Immortal Market, of course. But you must be careful, senior brother. You absolutely cannot pass this booklet around."

"Why is that?" Fang Hong asked, puzzled.

Fang Qing pointed at the voluptuous, mature beauty on the cover. "This is Zhu Yan, a Golden Core elder of the Shangqing Sect. Her father is none other than Zhu Kan."

"What?"

Fang Hong started, suddenly feeling that the booklet in his hands was scalding hot.

The booklet contained quite a few erotic illustrations of the female cultivator on its cover. He truly dared not imagine whether, after seeing so many seductive portraits, his thoughts would run wild when he met Zhu Yan in person.

If others in the Shangqing Sect learned of these pictures, and word reached this mighty Golden Core cultivator's ears...

The consequences would be unthinkable!

"Junior brother, who drew these pictures? How could anyone be so bold?" Fang Hong closed the wooden box, intending to return it to Fang Qing, but when he checked with the Fate Mirror, accepting it did not seem to provoke any indication of fortune or misfortune.

Fang Qing said, "This booklet is the masterpiece of Rogue Person Xuanyin of the Yin-Yang Sect."

"No wonder..." Understanding dawned on Fang Hong.

The Yin-Yang Sect was one of the four great Nascent Soul sects in the Donglai Sea Region, and its strength surpassed even that of the Shangqing Sect. No wonder someone from it dared to paint so many erotic pictures of the Shangqing Sect master's daughter, a Golden Core elder.

In the end, he put the wooden box away. "I've heard that as soon as someone joins the Yin-Yang Sect, the sect arranges a dual cultivation partner for them. Its disciples generally pair up, formally unite as partners, and practice dual cultivation, advancing extremely quickly."

Fang Qing chuckled. "If that appeals to you, senior brother, why not join the Yin-Yang Sect? With Elder Fang Jian's means, it shouldn't be difficult."

Fang Hong shook his head. "My father once said of me, 'Enter the Buddhist path, and your six roots remain impure; enter the demonic path, and you lack a wolf's nature.' Only orthodox Daoist sects like the Shangqing Sect suit me."

The two chatted for a while longer and grew considerably closer before Fang Qing rose to take his leave.

For the next few days, Fang Hong stayed in his room and cultivated in peace.

Some of the more socially minded people in Lingyun Pavilion had already begun visiting one another and making connections. Fang Hong had worked in scientific research in his previous life and was not good at socializing. He received a few groups of visiting fellow disciples but did not take the initiative to make acquaintances himself.

One day, an immortal crane flew out from Tianyu Island and headed straight for Lingyun Pavilion. It circled the building a few times and gave several soft cries. A window opened in one of the rooms, and the crane flew inside.

Not long afterward, a streak of spiritual light flew up outside Fang Hong's window, hovering and circling.

He pushed open the window and saw a note within the spiritual light, bearing a line of graceful handwriting-

"Come to my room. I'm in the first room on the east side of the top floor. Su Yao."

Fang Hong put away the note, went upstairs, and knocked on Su Yao's door.

"Come in."

A clear, lovely voice came from inside, and the door opened by itself.

Dressed in a plain white gown, Su Yao sat elegantly in a chair. Beside her stood an immortal crane with a scarlet crown, snow-white plumage, golden eyes, an iron beak, and talons like bronze hooks. It was busily preening its feathers.

Fang Hong gave the crane a few curious glances, entered, and sat down. "Yao, what did you need me for?"

Su Yao pointed at a jade box on the table. "My sister heard that we both passed the entrance examination, so she sent the crane with congratulatory gifts. This is your share."

"Senior Brother Gao Yi must have passed our news on to Wan." Fang Hong smiled.

He took the jade box and opened it, revealing a talisman overflowing with spiritual light.

The jade-colored talisman paper was lustrous and elegant. Intricate silver lines traced sword-shaped spiritual seal patterns across it, with a fine, keen streak of light embedded among them, faintly holding the ring of a sword.

A Shangqing Treasure Register talisman, a second-tier sword talisman.

There was also a letter inside the jade box. Its handwriting was elegant and clear, its strokes gentle and graceful, with a touch of inspired charm.

"I was delighted to hear that you have entered the Shangqing Sect, Hong. I specially refined this talisman as a gift. May your Dao Path be smooth and open, and your immortal endeavors evergreen. I hope we shall meet soon."

As he read those words, an exquisitely beautiful face with gentle, warm features flashed before Fang Hong's eyes.

Unlike Su Yao's cool beauty, Su Wan had always been friendly and easygoing, refined and gentle. In looks, she was not the least bit inferior to her younger sister.

Fang Hong's mother had chosen her as a daughter-in-law for her character and temperament as well. The two were as close as mother and daughter and got along extremely well.

The Shangqing Sect's talismans and swordsmanship were both unrivaled in the Donglai Sea Region. This second-tier talisman, refined by a Foundation Establishment true disciple, was probably powerful enough to kill an ordinary rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment early stage in an instant.

Su Wan had specially sent him this talisman before he even set foot on Tianyu Island, which amply showed her regard for him.

According to the old man's instructions, besides cultivating superior Daoist arts after joining the Shangqing Sect, my biggest task is to turn raw rice into cooked rice with Su Wan as soon as possible. From the look of things, that task doesn't seem particularly difficult...

Fang Hong put away the jade box, suddenly full of anticipation for life after entering the Shangqing Sect.

He looked at Su Yao. Seeing her indifferent expression and unsmiling manner, he lost interest in talking, rose to take his leave, and returned to his room.

In the blink of an eye, the month was up.

A total of twenty-six people from the square at the foot of the mountain had ascended to Lingyun Pavilion.

Notably, all four candidates recommended by the Fang Household had succeeded.

Of them, Fang Li had taken the longest, only arriving on the twenty-sixth day.

That day, several notes from a jade chime rang out outside the pavilion, followed by the voice of the true disciple Gao Yi. "Junior brothers and sisters, please assemble in front of the pavilion."

The young people had long been looking forward to this moment. They hurried downstairs and gathered in the open space before the pavilion, waiting to enter Tianyu Island together.

Smiling, Gao Yi surveyed the crowd. Once he saw that everyone was present, he swept his broad sleeve. Spiritual light immediately shimmered in the sky before the pavilion, and an exquisitely crafted white jade flying boat appeared!

"Please follow me aboard."

He rose into the air and landed on the boat. The others were just about to follow when a voice interrupted them, bringing them all to a halt.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned toward the voice. The speaker was a young, plump fellow with a round face and large ears, his belly thrust out as he beamed at them.

It was Fang Qing!

Gao Yi's brows drew together slightly. His gaze swept coolly over Fang Qing, and he asked with a hint of impatience, "Do you have something to say, Junior Brother Fang?"

Utterly composed, Fang Qing swept his gaze over Su Yao, Fang Hong, and the others before speaking. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Gao. This batch of disciples has decent root bones. Our Yin-Yang Sect will take them."

Gao Yi's expression turned icy. "What did you say?"

Fang Qing chuckled and said no more. Instead, he swept his broad sleeve, and everyone before Lingyun Pavilion was instantly enveloped in pitch-black demonic light and swept helplessly into his sleeve.

He leisurely rose on a cloud and flew high into the sky.

Gao Yi roared in fury. Spiritual light blazed around him as he shot skyward, but just as he was about to stop Fang Qing, a sweep of a sleeve struck him down into the sea, his fate unknown.

A thunderous shout rang out from Tianyu Island. "Who dares run wild in my Shangqing Sect?"

Before the words had faded, a streak of sword light like a dazzling rainbow flew out from the island, slashing straight at Fang Qing.

Fang Qing gave a long laugh and shattered the sword light with a flick of his finger. He crossed the heavens at ease and vanished in an instant.