Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Collapse
Just as Linglong had everything under control, in the very instant she was about to succeed...
The sound of a temple bell, deep as dusk and clear as dawn, rang out.
BOOM...
Linglong felt a deafening roar erupt from the depths of her soul.
It was like an intangible, formless pestle, imbued with the magnificent might of the heavens, tearing through the void. It carried a supreme will as it smashed down upon her Heart Spirit.
The Inner Qi she had just summoned instantly crumbled and dissipated into nothing, without putting up even a shred of resistance.
SPURT!
Linglong’s vision went black. Her qi and blood surged in reverse, and she could no longer hold back the mouthful of hot blood that spilled from her lips.
Her exquisitely beautiful face was a mask of extreme pain and utter disbelief.
Suppressing her agony, Linglong glanced at the youth still on top of her.
’It can’t be him!’
’Then who was it?’
’Chen Li!’
’That country bumpkin!’
’No! He’s no country bumpkin at all. He has to be a master at the Spirit Realm Level, at the very least.’
Linglong struggled to push Chen Shouheng away.
"Miss Wantang, what’s wrong?"
Chen Shouheng lifted his head in confusion. Seeing blood streaming from her mouth, he grew extremely anxious.
"Get off,"
Linglong used her last ounce of strength to shove him away.
She immediately sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Celestial Fragrance Scripture, trying to heal her injuries.
However, the moment she circulated her Inner Qi...
The sound of the temple bell rang out once more.
The moment she stopped, the sound vanished again.
’What’s happening?’
Linglong was completely consumed by terror.
She circulated her Inner Qi.
The temple bell rang out again.
Linglong discovered with horror that whenever she tried to circulate her Inner Qi to heal herself or use her Charming Skill, that sound would appear in her mind, making it impossible for her to focus her Heart Spirit.
’No, impossible. Not even a Spirit Realm master could possess such an ability.’
In a daze, Linglong was suddenly overcome with a sense of utter despair, as if all hope was lost and life was no longer worth living.
’Just what kind of powerhouse have I provoked?’
Opening her eyes, she saw Chen Shouheng staring at her. The dazed look in his eyes was gone, replaced by an expression of amusement and curiosity.
’I’ve been exposed!’
The thought flashed through her mind.
Linglong’s expression changed drastically as she instantly realized what had happened.
’Run!’
She had to escape this terrifying place immediately.
A figure appeared as silently as a ghost, perfectly blocking her path.
It was Chen Li.
"Miss Linglong, where might you be going?" Chen Li’s face was as calm as still water.
’It’s him!’
Linglong froze, a chill shooting from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
’He actually knows my name!’
Chen Li’s voice was flat, yet it carried an intangible pressure. "Miss Linglong, your injuries haven’t healed yet. There’s no need to be in such a hurry to leave. Why don’t you stay and rest for a few more days?"
"Who... who are you?" Linglong’s delicate body was rigid, her voice hoarse with despair and resentment.
"Shouheng, what are you gaping for? It’s freezing outside. Hurry up and help Miss Linglong inside to rest." Chen Li glanced at his dazed-looking eldest son.
"Ah... Yes, right, Father..." Chen Shouheng snapped back to reality, seemingly still lost in the sensual haze from before.
Linglong’s face was ashen.
She knew she was finished.
Chen Li instructed, "Take good care of her. Without my permission, no one is to disturb them."
The door slammed shut with a BANG, and the sound of the lock clicking into place was clearly audible.
Linglong collapsed onto the bed, her pretty face completely drained of color.
She tried to circulate a faint trace of Inner Qi, but the temple bell immediately rang in the depths of her Spiritual Sense, as if it had been branded into her very soul.
"Ugh!"
Linglong let out a muffled groan as a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth again.
’No, I have to break through it. If I can’t, I’m completely finished.’
She gritted her teeth and persisted.
"SPURT..."
After several attempts, she coughed up a spray of blood. Linglong broke down, curling up in agony.
「The next day」
After a night’s sleep, she felt she had recovered a fair bit.
Unwilling to give up, Linglong tried again.
"HACK..."
A coppery taste filled her throat as blood surged up. Linglong fell into complete despair. Every time she tried to focus her Heart Spirit, the temple bell would ring and instantly shatter the Inner Breath she had just gathered.
CLICK!
The sound of a lock turning echoed as the door was pushed open, and a figure appeared before her.
Chen Li!
Seeing who it was, Linglong struggled to lift her head. Humiliation and terror mingled in her eyes as she knelt on the floor. "Senior, please spare my life."
Chen Li remained expressionless as he looked at the Courtesan who had once captivated countless men.
He had originally planned to lock Linglong up for a few days and deal with her after the New Year.
He hadn’t expected this Courtesan to be so surprisingly resilient.
She had spent all of yesterday trying to break the seal, and she was still at it today.
The method Chen Li used to subdue Linglong was a profound technique from the Prajna Glaze Heart Sutra of the Self-Viewing involving Divine Sense Projection.
The Evil Suppressing Seal.
It used one’s own Divine Sense to form a Talisman, branding it deep within the target’s Spiritual Sense to suppress and seal Evil Demon Qi.
Normally, once this Divine Sense Seal was implanted, it would automatically seal the Evil Demon Qi.
But Chen Li was a novice. He had only been cultivating the Prajna Glaze Heart Sutra of the Self-Viewing for a few months and was barely at the Entry-level. The figure seated cross-legged above his Dantian had not yet fully undergone Void Transformation Condensation.
Therefore, whenever Linglong battered the Seal, the illusory figure in his Dantian would waver, forcing Chen Li to focus his own Heart Spirit to keep it stable.
"Miss Linglong."
Chen Li sat down and spoke slowly, "Now, we can have a proper talk. What is your real name, and what is your position in the Xiang Sect?"
’So he knew all along!’
Linglong’s Heart Spirit trembled. She struggled to lift her head, a bitter smile on her face. "I have abandoned my birth name. I call myself Linglong. I hold no official position in the sect; I am merely a Fragrance Envoy of the lowest rank."
"Fragrance Envoy?" Chen Li’s brow furrowed slightly. "Explain in detail."
Linglong didn’t dare to hide anything and confessed, "The sect has a strict hierarchy. At the very bottom are the Incense Slaves, who are mostly controlled peripheral members. Above them are people like me, the Fragrance Envoys, who are typically beautiful women in brothels who also practice the sect’s True Scripture. Higher still are the Incense Protectors, responsible for regional affairs or carrying out specific missions. They must have at least Spirit Realm Cultivation. As for anything higher, someone of my status wouldn’t know. I only know of the Twelve Celestial Fragrances and the Incense Master."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter, a flicker of instinctual awe and fear in her eyes.
"Your people are all in brothels?" Chen Li asked.
Linglong said, "The sect’s supreme treasure, the Celestial Fragrance Scripture, allows one to cultivate Inner Qi in the early stages without relying on large amounts of Medicinal Cuisine for sustenance. It can directly absorb another person’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit, converting it for one’s own use to advance their Cultivation. If we were to absorb it directly from people, we would surely be hunted by the Court. The brothels are the most suitable environment. Even if the Court knows, it’s difficult for them to gather evidence. That is why our sect often uses brothels as its strongholds."
"How do you absorb it?" Chen Li frowned.
"It’s divided into ’Gentle Absorption’ and ’Forceful Absorption.’"
Linglong answered honestly, "Gentle Absorption only requires skin contact. By circulating the Heart Method, one can absorb it secretly. It’s not easily detected, but the process is slow. Forceful Absorption requires sexual intimacy, where the target opens their Heart Spirit. The efficiency is extremely high, but the one being drained can easily suffer a disordered Heart Spirit and die from having their Essence Qi depleted.
"However, that situation rarely occurs. Normally, we don’t absorb too much. We take just enough and stop, practicing the principle of a slow, steady stream. Only when we’re pestered endlessly by a patron and have no other way to escape do we resort to such a drastic measure."
A cold glint flashed in Chen Li’s eyes. He finally understood the cause of his father’s and Liu Yuejin’s illnesses. He said coldly, "So, you’re saying you’re justified?"
Linglong explained resentfully, "Those who come to the brothels... it’s a willing exchange. If he didn’t covet our looks and our bodies, how could he be drained by us?"
Chen Li sneered. "Then what business did you have coming to my home? Surely you can’t say that was a willing exchange, too?"
