Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Linglong
"H-Her... her..."
Liu Yuejin’s voice was hoarse and trembling, his eyes filled with incredulous horror. "H-Her... how could she be here?"
Chen Li followed his gaze and saw it was the very same Miss "Su Wantang" whom Chen Shouheng had rescued. His expression remained placid as he asked, "Do you recognize her, Brother Liu?"
Liu Yuejin snapped back to his senses, grabbed Chen Li’s arm, and pulled him out the door.
Only when they were a good distance away did he lower his voice to a whisper. "Worthy Brother, that woman is Linglong, the top Courtesan of the Drunken Creek Pavilion in the Commandery City from several years ago. Her beauty was legendary; a thousand gold pieces couldn’t buy you a meeting with her."
Chen Li’s gaze instantly sharpened like a knife. "Courtesan? Linglong? Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!" Liu Yuejin said urgently. "Back then in the Commandery City, I was a regular at the Drunken Creek Pavilion. Linglong’s beauty was unparalleled. I saw her with my own eyes several times; I could never mistake her. But I heard she was later bought out by a mysterious, wealthy merchant and vanished without a trace. How... how could she be here?"
Chen Li’s expression shifted slightly. From the moment he first saw her, he’d felt she was no simple woman, certainly not just a damsel in distress.
Her backstory was also full of holes. Hongze was hundreds of miles from Mirror Mountain. How could such a beautiful woman have traveled here safely on her own?
However, he had checked her Tooth Token, and her identity matched the record perfectly; it didn’t seem forged. It was only because he didn’t know her intentions that he had tolerated her presence until now.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes before he instantly reined in all emotion. "Brother Liu, I understand. Keep what you’ve said today to yourself. Go back now, and act as if nothing is out of the ordinary."
Seeing Chen Li so composed, Liu Yuejin felt a little more at ease, but he was still shaken. He nodded repeatedly. "I understand."
With that, he took his leave in a hurry, his retreating figure looking rather panicked.
Chen Li stood his ground, his face a mask of calm as he watched Liu Yuejin depart.
Returning to the house, his gaze once again fell upon the veranda.
Su Wantang—or rather, Linglong—seemed to notice the activity and lifted her head slightly, looking in Chen Li’s direction. She offered him a gentle, submissive, and perfectly measured smile.
Her expression was pure and flawless, with just the right touch of shyness—enough to stir pity in the heart of anyone unaware of the truth.
But Chen Li’s face remained impassive. He even gave a slight nod, as if offering a simple, polite acknowledgment.
"Shouheng!" Chen Li turned. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to his eldest son’s ears. "Come to the study."
Chen Shouheng was practicing his forms. Hearing the call, he ran over, his face still beaded with sweat. "Father, you were looking for me?"
"Yes," Chen Li replied faintly, turning to lead the way to the study. "Follow me. I have something to ask you."
The study door closed softly.
Chen Li sat behind his desk, his expression as still as water, his sharp gaze fixed on his somewhat bewildered son.
"Shouheng," Chen Li asked, "that Miss Su you rescued—do you know her background?"
Chen Shouheng froze. "Father, didn’t she already tell us? Her parents were killed by the Daze Water Bandits, and she came to Mirror Mountain to find her relatives..."
"Find her relatives?" Chen Li cut him off. "The only relative she’s finding is Yama, the King of Hell. She is Linglong, the former top Courtesan of the Drunken Creek Pavilion in the Commandery City!"
"What?!"
As if struck by lightning, Chen Shouheng shot to his feet, the color draining from his face. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. "A... a Courtesan? Linglong? Father, how is that possible? Wh-who told you this?"
"Liu Yuejin just recognized her," Chen Li said calmly. "A famous Courtesan from the Commandery City, lost in the wilderness, just happens to be found by you, and just so happens to be rescued by you... Heh. As I see it now, this was aimed at you—at our Chen Family—from the very beginning."
Chen Shouheng’s mouth hung open, his mind a chaotic mess. Chen Li’s words were like a sledgehammer, shattering the nascent affection he had felt for Su Wantang. "Father... I... I... I was deceived by her..."
His voice was filled with regret and rising anger.
"This is no time for regret," Chen Li said in a low voice. "The wolf is already in the house. The urgent task now is to figure out how to deal with this. If she dares to come, then we dare to fight."
...
「Two days later.」
The sun shone brightly.
The window of the side room was half-open.
Linglong leaned against the window, her gaze passing through the lattice and falling upon the figure in the courtyard who was sweating profusely from his training.
Chen Shouheng.
Even in the dead of winter, the young man’s body radiated vigorous energy.
The corner of Linglong’s lips curved into a faint, playful smile, tinged with a sense of condescension.
’A farm boy,’ she thought. ’Even if he has achieved Marrow Refining, his mind is as simple as a blank sheet of paper.’
’These past few days, all I had to do was show a hint of vulnerability, supplemented by the perfect amount of admiration and gratitude, and I’ve easily unsettled his Heart Spirit.’
’The boy’s affection is practically overflowing.’
’Heh, how... interesting!’
The only one who unsettled her Heart Spirit was his father.
Chen Li...
Linglong repeated the name silently in her mind.
When she first entered the Chen Family home, she had tested him with a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of allure, but it was like a clay ox sinking into the sea—there was no reaction whatsoever.
’How could a mere country bumpkin landlord resist my Charming Skill?’
Wary, Linglong didn’t make a move immediately, choosing instead to lie low.
But after staying for a while, she never once saw the landlord practice any martial arts.
’Now it seems... perhaps I was just being paranoid?’
’What kind of ability could a country landlord possibly have?’
’Maybe he just has a strong will, or maybe he’s just an old fossil who doesn’t understand romance.’
’The only suspicious thing is how much time he spends in the study!’
’What’s a bumpkin landlord doing cooped up in his study all day?’
’Is he trying to become the top scholar in the imperial exams or something?’
’Now, the opportunity... is right in front of me.’
The bumpkin landlord has gone to the market with his wife, a concubine, and his three other children.
’The variables have been eliminated!’
Seeing the young man in the courtyard finish a set of forms, she picked up the hot soup she had prepared earlier and, with graceful lotus steps, glided toward the training ground.
"Young Master..."
Linglong’s voice was so soft it could have been liquid, filled with the perfect amount of concern.
The young man turned at the sound of her voice, his sweaty face showing a mix of surprise and awkwardness.
Linglong’s smile grew even gentler as she offered him the soup. "You must take care of your body while you train. Look at all this sweat. Quickly, drink a bowl of soup to warm yourself and ward off the cold."
Her fingertips "accidentally" brushed against his, a cool touch.
Linglong could clearly feel the young man’s body stiffen and his heartbeat quicken.
’Excellent.’
Chen Shouheng took the bowl, a little flustered. "Th-thank you, Miss Su."
"Let’s go back to the room to avoid the cold wind," Linglong said, pressing her lips into a smile, her gaze shifting with a hint of shyness.
"Okay." Shouheng nodded eagerly, his excitement palpable.
Inside the room, the chill subsided slightly.
An eager heart began to pound.
"Young Master..."
Linglong paused, as if hesitant to speak. "These past few days, I’ve been so indebted to the care of you and your parents. I... I, Wantang, truly don’t know how I can ever repay you..."
Her delicate body leaned forward slightly as she took a step closer. Her eyes shimmered, and her orchid-like breath carried a subtle, disarming fragrance that began to fill the air.
Linglong could clearly see the young man’s Adam’s apple bob, his gaze grow hazy, and his breathing turn heavy.
Beneath his forced, goofy smile was a desire ready to erupt.
Linglong was certain of it: her Charming Skill had already quietly invaded his Heart Spirit.
All she needed was to add a little more fuel to completely ignite the flames in the young man’s heart.
Linglong’s eyes flowed with an even deeper charm. Her red lips parted, her voice laced with a bewitching magic. "Young Master, what I, Wantang, have always... truly wanted... was to... to give myself to you..."
She moved closer, her breath tickling his earlobe, her alluring lips just inches away, issuing a silent invitation.
A frenzied body pressed down on her. Linglong could feel the young man’s body tremble.
’Success!’
In an instant, Linglong’s eyes turned ice-cold.
