The Demoness

Xu Qi'an took a sip of wine, put down his cup, looked around at the beauties, and said in a carefree tone, "That day, while accompanying Princess Huaiqing to a banquet, I was moved to compose this half of a seven-character poem."

He spoke casually, as if it were just a trivial matter, but the courtesans were captivated by his words.

His guess was confirmed by Aya, and at this moment, he felt as if it were all going to happen naturally, as if it were just the right thing to do.

The Great Feng Dynasty had long lacked poetic talent, and Princess Huaiqing had no outstanding works to her name before, so it was unusual for her to suddenly produce such a masterpiece.

When I first heard the news, I couldn't connect it with Xu Qi'an at all. But after hearing what he just said, and considering his identity Nightwatchers and his extraordinary poetic talent, I dared to test him, and to my surprise, I guessed right.

The author of this poem is still unknown to the Imperial Music Bureau, but countless people outside are curious. This news alone is enough to generate a lot of buzz.

"My love." Fu Xiang gazed at him with deep affection, her eyes alluring. For her, who loved poetry, this was more captivating than any sweet words.

The other courtesans, besides being amazed and astonished by Xu Qi'an's poetic talent, also had something else that stirred their hearts, something that subtly transcended the poetry itself.

He was actually able to enter the imperial city and attend banquets hosted by princes and princesses.

This means that Xu Qi'an is a confidant of a prince or princess; otherwise, he wouldn't have been brought to the banquet. Therefore, his value extends beyond just his poetry.

He was fairly handsome, and being Nightwatchers, he wielded considerable power. Of course, the courtesans were used to seeing high-ranking officials and nobles. The power of Nightwatchers was nothing to them, but what if this Nightwatchers possessed talent that could rival that of scholars? What if this Nightwatchers was highly regarded by a prince or princess?

All these advantages combined make her far more attractive than becoming a concubine to some old man.

"We can't let Fu Xiang get away with this; we have to snatch him away. Fu Xiang is already the top courtesan in the brothel. If she gets another poem, the other girls will never have a chance to rise to the top."

Thinking of this, the courtesans' smiles became even more sincere, each with unspoken words and deep, affectionate gazes that captivated Xu Qi'an.

The atmosphere in the reception hall instantly became lively.

After the drinking games ended, under the influence of the alcohol, the courtesans played the drinking games with great enthusiasm, each rolling up their sleeves to reveal their slender, fair forearms and delicate fists.

The main reason was that Xu Qi'an didn't mind, which gave them courage.

As darkness fell, the number of customers at the brothel increased, and then they noticed something very strange.

Many courtesans are now closing their doors to guests and no longer offering tea.

Some of the disgruntled women went to the madam, who thought to herself, "Are these young ladies going to rebel? How are we going to make money if we don't open for business?"

So they sent someone to inquire, and found out that all the courtesans who had declined guests had gone to Qingchi Courtyard. There were eight of them in total, which meant that there were a total of nine courtesans in Qingchi Courtyard.

What's going on?

"They sound very happy. Are they entertaining some important person?"

"How could that be? During the capital inspection, which important figure would dare to do something like that? Who would be foolish enough to hand over incriminating evidence to the enemy?"

"Maybe they were just hanging out together."

"Why guess? Just go and ask."

A guest knocked on the gate of Qingchi Courtyard. The young woman guarding the gate opened it and was startled by the scene before her.

A dozen or so guests were gathered around the entrance to Qingchi Temple.

"What are the women inside doing?" A richly dressed young man looked into the courtyard and asked in a deep voice.

"We're entertaining guests," said the young woman in green.

Silence fell over the courtyard gate. After a few seconds, someone said with a strange expression, "Well, if any esteemed person inside is unwilling to reveal their identity, then that's fine."

Xiao Qingyi thought for a moment. The guest in the courtyard was Young Master Xu, not the important figure the other guests thought he was. He didn't think there was anything to hide, so he said frankly:

"It's not what you gentlemen think. The guest inside is Young Master Xu."

Young Master Xu?

The group looked at each other, searching their minds for a while, but couldn't find anyone who matched the description.

Are there any nobles or high-ranking officials with the surname Xu in this dynasty?

The young man who knocked on the door frowned and asked, "That Young Master Xu?"

"Xu Qi'an, the young master Xu Qi'an who wrote the poem for Fuxiang," said the servant in blue. He was in a good mood after being rewarded with three taels of silver, all thanks to young master Xu, and he was happy to spread his fame.

Is it him?

Several scholars present had their eyes light up.

"Let's wait here; maybe we'll witness the birth of a timeless poem."

Upon hearing this, those who were initially angry and jealous suppressed their emotions. Everyone present was a person of status, and even the merchants had a desire to cultivate an air of refinement.

"Serving me with nine courtesans, what a magnificent sight! Even the top scholar in the imperial examinations has never received such treatment."

"The top scholar, on the other hand, dared not be so extravagant and ostentatious."

"Ding ding ding"

With a crisp sound, several arrows without arrowheads fell accurately into the pot three zhang away.

Blindfolded and with his back turned, Xu Qi'an removed the cloth strip, laughed loudly, and hugged Xiao Ya and Ming Yan, the two courtesans, kissing them wildly on the face.

After they finished eating, Xu Qi'an patted their bottoms and said, "A bet's a bet, let's drink!"

The two courtesans swayed their hips, playfully complaining that they were annoying, while obediently raising their cups to drink.

"I'm done playing, I'm done. Being invincible is too lonely." Xu Qi'an pushed aside the two courtesans. "Ladies, wait here. I'm going out for a bit, I'll come back and fight you three hundred rounds."

He touched his stomach, indicating that he needed to go to the toilet.

A group of courtesans called out from behind, "My lord, hurry back!"

Stepping out of the house and closing the door, a biting wind rushed in. Xu Qi'an suppressed his flamboyant expression and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

Looking around and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he lightly leaped onto the wall, tore off a page of the Qi-Watching Technique, and ignited it with his Qi.

Swish~

He looked up at the sky, and two clear beams of light pierced the night sky in his eyes, then receded, the light contained within his pupils.

Xu Qi'an had another purpose in coming to the Jiaofangsi: to observe the aura of the place up close and search for Yao Qi.

Heng Hui has already shown himself and wreaked havoc in the inner city twice. He doesn't believe there aren't Demon Race lurking in the city.

"Heng Hui is clearly a tool of the Demon Race, being used to achieve some goal. The Demon Race race went to great lengths to release the sealing artifact; they will definitely not let Heng Hui act recklessly. If it were me, I would definitely keep an eye on Heng Hui. Last time I observed Yao Qi at the brothel, if it was just an occasional occurrence, that would be fine. But if not, then the brothel is very likely one of the Demon Race's hidden strongholds."

Xu Qi'an's eyes swirled with a clear aura as he slowly scanned every corner of the brothel, observing various auras but finding nothing unusual.

Finally, he turned his gaze to the nearby Qingchi Courtyard, and to the tavern where the courtesans were staying.

A wisp of emerald-green Yao Qi, curling gracefully like wisps of smoke.

"Damn it!" Xu Qi'an almost couldn't help but curse. A sudden chill ran through him, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

Are the Demon Race inside the house?

You were just drinking with me?

He felt a sense of dread, like in a horror story where the protagonist finds himself in a desolate cemetery the next day after being warmly welcomed while lodging in the mountains.

"Which Demon Race is she a demon, or perhaps a maid? It couldn't possibly be Fu Xiang, could it? I've slept with her so many times; she couldn't possibly be Demon Race. Besides, I already saw her that day when I was observing Yao Qi."

Xu Qi'an silently leaped down from the wall and crept closer to the tavern. The door to the tavern was not closed tightly, and he peeked inside through the crack.

He saw a woman exuding a bewitching emerald green Yao Qi; she was not one of the courtesans, but rather the personal maid of the courtesan Mingyan.

Xu Qi'an instantly connected the dots: why hadn't he detected the Yao Qi when he led Song Tingfeng and the others to observe it last time?

What method did she use to shield herself from Yao Qi back then? What was her purpose in lurking beside Mingyan? Hmm, Mingyan might not be innocent; he might be an accomplice of the Demon Race race. Thinking about it that way, the fact that she sent someone to invite me as soon as I entered the Jiaofangsi wasn't just about currying favor with me.

Xu Qi'an immediately made a decision. He once again climbed over the wall and left Qingchi Courtyard, heading straight for the small courtyard where Song Tingfeng was.

He had noted down the positions of Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao while he was observing using the Qi-Watching Technique.

The sounds inside suddenly stopped, followed by Song Tingfeng's wary voice. "Who's there?"

"It's me." Xu Qi'an knocked on the door. "Come out, it's urgent."

Song Tingfeng cursed, followed by the rustling sound of clothes being put on. A moment later, he came out of the door, disheveled.

"Old Song, go back to the yamen immediately and notify the guard on duty, Jinluo, to come to the Jiaofangsi in person and tell him that there are Demon Race in Qingchi Courtyard."

Xu Qi'an cut to the chase, "Remember, you must get Jinluo here. I'm not very good at Qi-Watching Technique, so I can't gauge the opponent's strength. There are nine courtesans in Qingchi Courtyard, and they're all sheep; they have no ability to protect themselves. By the way, if the person on duty is surnamed Zhu, then go to the Bureau of Astronomy to find Song Qing."

He didn't say anything more; he believed that as long as Song Tingfeng told the truth, Jinluo, with his rich experience, would know what to do.

Song Tingfeng's expression grew increasingly solemn. His earlier dissatisfaction and anger vanished. He went back into the house to retrieve his sword and gong, and while binding the Law Artifact, he rushed out of the courtyard.

Xu Qi'an quickly returned to Qingchi Courtyard, a smirk playing on his lips, looking like he was having a blast. He pushed open the door and laughed:

"My beauties, I'm back."

He glanced at the meek and submissive female demon pouring wine for her wife out of the corner of his eye, then immediately looked away.

Unsure of his opponent's strength, Xu Qi'an dared not make a move rashly. Letting the opponent escape was secondary; what he didn't want to see was the innocent courtesan being injured.

Next, eat what you want, drink what you want, and touch what you want.

Xu Qi'an and the courtesans played drinking games, recited drinking rhymes, and rolled dice, having a great time.

It's crystal clear who has the roundest buttocks and the slimmest waist.

But Xu Qi'an was not happy; instead, he was anxious. He waited and waited, but an hour passed and Song Tingfeng still hadn't returned.

At this moment, the female demon looked up, glanced at Xu Qi'an, and said softly, "It's late, ladies, you should go back early. Young Master Xu, would you like to stay with my wife tonight?"