Chapter 10 - 10 In the End, a Courtesan of the Brothel

"So beautiful, compared to this set, everything in the Spirit Clothing Pavilion pales in comparison! And it fits so incredibly well."

In Shen Wanning’s room, she looked at Yu Qingtan wearing the Exquisite Dance attire and felt unbearably envious.

Yu Qingtan, seeing herself in the mirror, also felt delighted.

Shen Wanning wanted to try it on as well, but sadly it was much too small for her.

First Stage magic clothing could slightly adjust to fit the body, but the range was limited. This was not an issue by the Second Stage.

"Your Qiushui Sword is so beautiful too!"

Yu Qingtan looked at the long sword placed on a table nearby, its entire body a deep blue with wave-like patterns on the blade, and felt envious as well.

Roaming the world with a sword had also been a fantasy of hers.

"Qing Tan, with our luck, we should buy some more Storage Talismans next time."

"Don’t, such things should be left to fate. Forcing it won’t do any good," Yu Qingtan had once told herself that gambling again would make her a fool.

She was only trying to clear Exquisite Dance’s name this time and didn’t want Shen Wanning to fall into it.

"Alright!" Shen Wanning had also heard about people who gambled away their fortunes and had been reluctant to buy previously, but now she also calmed down.

...

That night, after a day of learning, Yu Qingtan returned to her own room.

In the room, a short man was still meditating. Seeing Yu Qingtan enter, he opened his eyes.

"Good, you’re smart not to have pulled any tricks."

Yu Qingtan’s heart chilled, realizing that this man had other ways to surveil her.

She humbly replied, "You jest, Senior. You’re so young yet already a high-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator, which I greatly admire. Moreover, the Qis’ infamy is well known, and it’s truly satisfying to see you give them trouble. It’s an honor to have you visit my humble abode."

Yu Qingtan felt a chill within her soul as she felt it becoming less and less pure.

"You are indeed very smart."

"Senior flatters me. If there is anything you wish me to do, I am at your service," she said.

"Stop calling me ’Senior’ all the time. You may address me as Mr. Fu. I do have a small favor that requires assistance. I have composed a piece called ’Purification of Soul,’ which has the effect of calming the soul and repairing damage to one’s Divine Sense. Unfortunately, I’m not versed in music. Seeing that you should be proficient, you might help me with this. In return, you can have this piece."

As he spoke, Mr. Fu took a Jade Slip from his Storage Bag and handed it to Yu Qingtan.

"Mr. Fu, I dare not claim to be a master of Zither Art, but I will do my utmost to assist you," she said.

Yu Qingtan felt greatly relieved, thinking that if she had work to do, he was not likely to silence her rashly, which made her efforts at flattering worth it.

Upon receiving the Jade Slip, she pressed it against her forehead, and a complete score of ’Purification of Soul’ imprinted itself in her mind.

This was her first time using something as sophisticated as a Jade Slip, but she understood how to use it to avoid any embarrassment.

After half an hour, barely remembering the score, she sat down at the zither table and began to play.

Mr. Fu returned to his meditation cushion and did not disturb her.

The zither piece Yu Qingtan had practiced before was called ’Yearning,’ pleasant to listen to and encompassing most of the basic finger techniques, therefore perfect as a teaching piece for beginners.

Since she had the basics down, Yu Qingtan managed to play ’Purification of Soul’ in its entirety after a few tries, albeit a bit clumsily, and she continued to practice.

The music flowed gently, lofty and enduring; Yu Qingtan indeed felt her soul becoming tranquil.

Mr. Fu, too, closed his eyes to listen, his relaxed expression showing he was enjoying it.

Yu Qingtan played for a full two hours, yawning with fatigue, before Mr. Fu allowed her to rest.

"Mr. Fu, starting tomorrow evening I’ll be working the first half of the night. How about I play ’Purification of Soul’ for you in the afternoon?" she asked.

"Very well!"

Yu Qingtan then returned to her bed, drew the curtains around her, and went to sleep.

Mr. Fu probably wasn’t the type to cause trouble without reason.

The most important thing was that she was powerless to resist.

If pushed to the brink, then so be it.

She would not let other transmigrators look down on her.

...

The next day, Yu Qingtan woke up from a nightmare.

"Good morning, Mr. Fu!" Still, she had to maintain a smile. How infuriating.

Mr. Fu did not respond to her, continuing to meditate with his eyes closed, seemingly still asleep.

Even more infuriating.

She got ready and left the room.

After having breakfast with Shen Wanning, they each went off to study on their own.

In the afternoon, Yu Qingtan returned to her room and played the Purification of Soul for more than an hour for Mr. Fu.

"When is this bastard going to leave? I haven’t been able to cultivate for two days now."

Her face wore a happy smile, but her heart was grumbling.

...

At midday, Yu Qingtan and Shen Wanning, alongside others, were escorted by an inner pavilion manager, Manager Su, to the business area.

Manager Su familiarized the group of over twenty newcomers with the venue and explained some rules and procedures.

"...Look over here, there are three stages in total, where three people perform their Dance Artistry simultaneously. The order is determined by drawing lots, with two rounds of performances, meaning each person gets two chances to perform."

"Once you’ve drawn your lot, head back to the room you’ve been assigned to prepare."

Yu Qingtan drew number three, and Shen Wanning drew number five.

Upon arriving at the room named after her, she saw that the room was divided into two areas by a beaded curtain. The outer area had a round table with several chairs and a vase with flowers and a plate of fruit on the table.

Behind the bead curtain were a table and chairs for placing the zither, a dressing table, and a wardrobe.

This would be Yu Qingtan’s "office" for the coming period.

Yu Qingtan changed into her Exquisite Dance suit, touched up her makeup, and tuned her zither.

Then she sat down on a chair and waited.

Around the ninth hour, a servant knocked on her door, leading Yu Qingtan towards the stage.

As Yu Qingtan emerged, she saw red lanterns hanging all around, and the distant clamor of voices could be heard.

Reaching the stage, she observed that the audience seats on three sides and three levels were filled with people, some talking and some drinking.

Above the stage, a disk-shaped Moonlight Stone emitted a glow that illuminated the stage very clearly.

"Next up, we have the debut performances of Miss Qing Tan, Miss Rou’er, and Miss Xiaocui. Please enjoy, and do give them your support in the future!" said the hostess Ni Mom, using a sound amplifying artifact, as Yu Qingtan and the other two young ladies slowly entered the stage.

Chen Rou’er and Cui Xiaocui were two girls who had learned the Exquisite Dance with Yu Qingtan, but they were still beginners; therefore, Yu Qingtan naturally took the center stage.

As soon as she appeared, Yu Qingtan caused a bit of a stir.

"Wow, she’s so beautiful, I’m in love with Miss Qing Tan!"

"Tianxiang Pavilion is really generous, giving a First Stage magic garment to a newcomer, but this design is so cute!"

"Those rabbit ears are totally cheating, this old man can’t stand it!"

"I used to think Miss Sun Li was my type, sigh, I pledged my gold flower too early, no, I have to buy another one!"

"Cute is cute, but she needs a bit more development, Rou’er and Xiaocui are looking good."

...

Music began to play from a Sound Recording Artifact, and the three young ladies began dancing along with it.

Their dance was graceful, with light and swift steps.

During the climax, their movements were so fast that they left afterimages.

At the end of the dance, Yu Qingtan gave a wink to the audience with her left eye.

Since the last assessment, her stage fright had greatly improved. Although she was a bit nervous at the start, she quickly loosened up.

Stage fright usually stems from a lack of confidence, but with her considerable Dance Artistry and the boost from her Exquisite Dance suit, she was full of confidence.

"Ah, I think I’m in love!"

"Miss Qing Tan, I love you!"

...

Accompanied by a round of applause, bunches of golden flowers were thrown into a large box in front of Yu Qingtan’s stage.

In front of the boxes for Chen Rou’er and Cui Xiaocui, there were only a few scattered golden flowers.

Both of them felt bitter in their hearts, but there was nothing they could do.

Guests who enter the inner pavilion of Tianxiang Pavilion need to pay 1 Spirit Stone for a golden flower.

The golden flowers can also be bought separately, at the same price.

Golden flowers are used for casting votes on the minor flower rankings, with additional rewards for the top three winners of the day’s rankings.

Yu Qingtan and the other two retired from the stage.

Then they ran into Manager Su.

"Qing Tan, this outfit of yours?"