A single song, “Parting Sorrow,” spoke of the fickleness found within the brothel.
The performance sought only pleasure, disregarding past lives or the present world.
There was not a hint of resentment in the melody, only the free and uninhibited spirit of indulging in a house of pleasure.
Normally, when such a song was played, it would be accompanied by revealing clothes and suggestive glances.
Thus, anyone who saw it would be intoxicated, losing track of time.
Yuan Di, however, was different.
She played the famous brothel tune “Parting Sorrow,” yet it gave off the feeling of “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” a masterpiece of refined taste.
Paired with her cold face, eyes as deep as an abyss, and a rhythm that was distinctly a fraction faster, she forcibly dispelled the charm of the decadent music, making it much more refreshing and pleasant.
As a regular at Fengyue Tower, this was the first time Wang Sandong had heard such a style.
She leaned lazily against the back of the cushioned chair, her eyes closed and her head tilted back.
Her left hand unconsciously tapped out the beat on the armrest.
When the song ended, she remained entranced for a moment, as if wanting more.
A short while later, she finally opened her eyes and looked at Yuan Di, asking with a smile, “Are you… really a man?”
As she spoke, her gaze began to wander back and forth over Yuan Di’s body.
Yuan Di met Wang Sandong’s gaze and gave a light hmph.
“If there is nothing else, I am leaving,” she said.
“Don’t be in such a rush,” Wang Sandong said soothingly.
Then she added, “Actually, I am also often asked whether I am a man or a woman. When I get annoyed by the questioning, I don’t want to bother with anyone. Later, I thought of a great idea to completely dispel their curiosity. That is… to just take off my pants.”
As Wang Sandong spoke, her lips twitched, clearly almost unable to suppress her laughter.
“Look, why don’t you prove it to me today? If you can’t convince me, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask many more times in the future.”
Yuan Di sneered.
“There is no need for such trouble. If I get annoyed by someone’s questions, I will simply kill them. Once a person is dead, their curiosity naturally vanishes.”
Wang Sandong did not believe Yuan Di would kill her, but she did not want to continue courting death either.
She gave a dry cough and said, “Speaking of killing… that old man Chen Youde… do you want to help me kill him?”
Yuan Di replied, “It is inconvenient to act today.”
“Inconvenient? Is it that time of the month—”
Before Wang Sandong could finish, she noticed Yuan Di’s cold, dark gaze and quickly changed her words.
“What is the reason?”
Yuan Di said, “That Chen Youde is not easy to deal with. If a commotion breaks out, it will alert many people.”
She paused and then added, “There are too many experts within the Old Capital these two days. Furthermore, the Zither Emperor is also here.”
The topic shifted to the Zither Emperor.
Even though she had been mocked by Yuan Di earlier, Wang Sandong still could not hide her curiosity.
After thinking for a moment, she guessed, “Is the Zither Emperor… going to make a move against the Zheng Clan tonight?”
Yuan Di shook her head.
“I am not sure.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does the Zheng Clan have a chance of winning?”
“Hard to say.”
Wang Sandong opened her mouth, but looking at Yuan Di’s cold, arrogant, and beautiful appearance, she did not continue speaking.
She wanted to act, to deliver a single slap that would make Yuan Di’s eyes well up with tears, then ferociously pin her down and finally…
Finally…
Her unbridled fantasies vanished like bubbles before the cruel reality, leaving behind a lingering sense of emptiness and powerlessness.
Even if Yuan Di were a woman and was even willing to cooperate, what could she do?
She had already…
Sigh.
Besides, there was no reason for Yuan Di to lie to her.
She truly should be someone who had failed a transformation.
So, at this moment, she should be a man.
Looking again at the woman’s dress she wore and the two bulging lumps on her chest, then looking down at her own men’s clothing and her washboard-like figure, Wang Sandong suddenly felt it was incredibly absurd.
Suddenly laughing, Wang Sandong said, “You… look quite good in a skirt.”
Yuan Di glanced sideways at Wang Sandong.
“The same to you.”
Similar conversations had happened before.
Wang Sandong smiled again and asked, “Zheng Xiao, do you know her?”
“Zheng Xiao is an alias,” Yuan Di said.
“She is one of the Nine Surnamed Kings.”
“Huh? For real?”
Wang Sandong feigned surprise and then complained with dissatisfaction, “Stop trying to trick me. The books say that the Nine Surnamed King from the Zheng Clan is a white-haired old crone. How old is Zheng Xiao? Even if she is skilled in the art of youthful countenance, that is… too exaggerated.”
Yuan Di said, “A mere technique for maintaining one’s appearance is nothing.”
Wang Sandong looked at Yuan Di’s delicate face and said, “True, you are a perfect example.”
She paused and then asked, “Between Zheng Xiao and the Zither Emperor, who is stronger?”
“The Zither Emperor is a cut above.”
“The Codex of the Human Emperor strictly forbids the strong from killing indiscriminately.”
Yuan Di sneered.
“Whether it is indiscriminate killing or a deserved execution, who has the final say?”
“That… there are naturally laws to follow,” Wang Sandong said.
“A Spiritual Cultivator is not a Demonic Cultivator. The law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak…”
Seeing Yuan Di’s playful gaze, Wang Sandong’s confidence suddenly wavered, but she still insisted, “The Human Sovereign will not allow the Zither Emperor to act willfully.”
Yuan Di remained silent for a while before replying, “Perhaps.”
Having said that, she picked up her harp and stood, walking toward the door.
“Leaving already?”
Wang Sandong asked, her gaze fixed somewhat greedily on Yuan Di’s back.
Yuan Di stopped, looking at the brilliant fireworks in the night sky and listening to the noisy sound of firecrackers.
She frowned and then turned back, sitting down again and placing her harp on the table.
“Never mind. I won’t leave tonight.”
“Huh?”
Wang Sandong was truly surprised.
In her tone of astonishment, a hint of panic unintentionally slipped through.
Her gaze toward Yuan Di also became a bit more guarded.
Yuan Di frowned as she looked at Wang Sandong.
She stared blankly for a moment before suddenly realizing, saying with disgust, “What are you thinking? Relax! I am not interested in men!”
‘That’s exactly why I’m not relieved!’
‘What do you think?’
‘Yours are fake!’
‘Mine are real!’
‘Even if they’re still small…’
Wang Sandong grumbled inwardly, responding as if joking, “The same to you.”
Her gaze unconsciously fell on Yuan Di’s chest again, and a question popped up in her heart: ‘What level of cultivation do I need to reach to have that size…?’
It wasn’t that she cared about the size.
The main thing was…
It was like playing cards.
If you don’t like it, then don’t play.
But if you do play, even if you don’t like it, you’ll still want to win a little more.
Looking at Yuan Di, Wang Sandong asked, “Why the sudden change of heart to stay the night?”
Her tone still carried a hint of wariness — she was a little worried that Yuan Di had discovered the secret that she had already transformed.
The longer the night, the more dreams there would be.
If she talked in her sleep during the night and Yuan Di heard it…
“Fengyue Tower is too chaotic tonight,” Yuan Di replied simply.
Wang Sandong was stunned for a moment, then came to a realization.
She smiled and said, “Are you afraid of being harassed? Try not to pay attention to those people. Sometimes, the more intense your reaction, the more excited they get. I’m speaking from experience.”
Yuan Di scoffed.
“That kind of experience… I have it too.”
Wang Sandong followed with a smile.
Recalling how she was once harassed as a woman, and now having truly become one, a wave of misery rose in her heart.
Truly, the affairs of the world were unpredictable, and circumstances were ever-changing.
With a sigh, Wang Sandong smiled and said, “At the beginning, I was quite angry.”
Yuan Di’s expression was indifferent.
She waited a moment before responding, “Indeed.”
“The most infuriating thing is when the other person knows you are a man but still looks at you with those strange eyes.”
“Correct.”
This time, Yuan Di answered quickly.
“Let them look, but they’ll even be eager to get handsy.”
“Such people deserve to die most of all.”
Yuan Di’s expression remained cold, and her words were even colder.
“I have killed many people because of that.”
Wang Sandong sighed.
“Sometimes I want to kill people too, especially when I see those animals putting on an act of ‘dying beneath the peony flowers and remaining a dandy even as a ghost.’ It makes me want to kill even more.”
Yuan Di glanced at Wang Sandong, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.
“Where did those lines… come from?”
“It’s not poetry. It’s just… something I said offhand.”
“Oh.”
Yuan Di recited the two lines in a low voice and nodded.
“Quite good.”
“Do you like poetry and literature?”
“Just a leisure interest.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Wang Sandong laughed.
“I’m a crude person who only likes eating, drinking, and having fun.”
“I know.”
“Uh… have you been monitoring me this whole time?”
“Not ‘this whole time’.”
“Oh. Then you… didn’t peek at me while I was bathing, did you?”
Yuan Di’s face was full of disdain.
“You are not a woman. So what if I saw it?”
Wang Sandong asked with a mischievous smile, “Well? Was it good to look at?”
Yuan Di did not respond.
Instead, she stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
Looking up at the brilliant fireworks in the night sky, Yuan Di said after a moment, “Actually… you could let that Disciple of the Demon Emperor kill Chen Youde. That person… is very good at stabbing people in the back.”
Wang Sandong turned slightly, looking at Yuan Di’s back, and smiled.
“It’s easy to say, but how would I talk to that person? Even if I did, why would he help?”
“He will,” Yuan Di said.
The smile on Wang Sandong’s face became even more brilliant.
She had already made a deal with Zheng Xiao and had greeted Yuan Di today.
If that Disciple of the Demon Emperor also intervened…
Borrowing a blade to kill was one thing, but borrowing three blades?
And those she borrowed from were all prominent figures.
Such a strategy could absolutely not be achieved by anyone without great wisdom and courage!
‘I’m truly amazing!’
‘Chen Youde is truly pitiful.’
“In that case, you plan it out first. If there’s a chance, take action,” Wang Sandong said.
“Consider it a two-pronged preparation, alright?”
Fearing Yuan Di’s heart was not set, she added, “No matter what you have planned, you certainly wouldn’t want me to die at the hands of Chen Youde, right?”
Yuan Di smiled and said, “Indeed. However… I am curious. Why does Chen Youde want to kill you? And how did you find out? That man acts meticulously and is cautious. If he really wanted to kill you, he wouldn’t have let the news leak in advance, would he?”
As she spoke, Yuan Di turned around, her back to the firework-filled night sky, and stared intently at Wang Sandong with her beautiful eyes.
Wang Sandong met Yuan Di’s gaze, her heart jumping.
She really hadn’t thought about this question.
Being asked so suddenly by Yuan Di, she was directly stunned.
What should she do?!
She unconsciously swallowed her saliva.
That great wisdom and courage…
Seemed to be a misunderstanding.
It was likely just being clever.
Fortunately, she didn’t just have cleverness; she also had some quick wit.
After a brief panic, Wang Sandong suddenly thought of an excuse.
Her face immediately showed a look of pain and sorrow as she sighed.
“How do you think Mr. Yi died?”
She didn’t answer but asked a question in return.
This method of resolving doubts was somewhat sophisticated.
After a short pause to let Yuan Di think, Wang Sandong added, “Chen Youde believes that my body can be used for artifact refining.”
Yuan Di stared into Wang Sandong’s eyes, appearing as if she wanted to catch a trace of a lie.
However, she could not find any.
Because Wang Sandong was not lying.
In fact, Chen Youde’s intentions had indeed been learned through Mr. Yi.
“Sigh…”
Wang Sandong forced her gaze to remain steady as she looked at Yuan Di.
Once again, she said pleadingly, “Help me kill Chen Youde! Avenge Mr. Yi! I’m begging you!”
In her mind, the image of Mr. Yi being killed by her own hand surfaced.
A twinge of heartache followed, and her face felt a bit hot.
Wang Sandong feigned indignation to cover her shame.
She said resentfully, “Chen Youde deserves to die!”
Yuan Di opened her mouth, about to respond, but suddenly heard the sound of a zither.
The sound was not loud, but it pierced through the noisy explosions of the firecrackers, hitting her eardrums directly.
Abruptly, Wang Sandong’s scalp tingled, and goosebumps rose all over her body.
“Hmph!”
Yuan Di said coldly.
“Solemn Slaughter!”
Solemn Slaughter!
It came from the hands of the Zither Emperor.
It did not kill, it did not intimidate, and it did not vent rage!
It was filled with nothing but the intent of desolation and sorrow.
And yet, it could still make one’s blood run cold!
In an instant, around the Old Capital, there was no longer the sound of firecrackers.
All was silent!
There was only Solemn Slaughter!
Between heaven and earth, there was nothing but a murderous aura!