Chapter 197 Elder Dao
On the next morning, Su Li was dressed as a childe, and Fang Yuan wore fancy clothes in disguise. They left the Linli Building and went to the Hongyan House.
As soon as they entered the alley of brothels, lots of prost.i.tutes who dressed inappropriately went to them and said obsequiously,
“Childe, good morning…”
“Lord, come and play with me. I have waited for you for a long time…”
“…”
Fang Yuan looked serious and nervous. When he was a child, he was taught that he should concentrate on practice. He had never come to such a place. He entered the alley of brothels aboveboard for the first time.
When Su Li saw Fang Yuan’s expression, she couldn’t help but sneer. She secretly transmitted the sound in silence to him, “Take it easy. You don’t come here for going whoring. Take this way as your adversary. Acting skill is also the basis of a person’s strength. Compared with Qu Qingning, you are too serious.”
After Fang Yuan heard what Su Li said, he was open-minded and relaxed.
However, Su Li took him to a brothel in the morning. He felt uncomfortable!
When they entered the Hongyan House, Su Li pretended to be anxious. She rushed to the front of the procuress and said, “Procuress, where is Miss Qu? Today, I came here early for her. Does she have time?”
The procuress forgot the appearance of Su Li. However, lots of people asked her the same question every day. She immediately said, “Oh, you are so anxious. But she is menstruating today. Therefore, she can’t serve customers.”
Su Li was a little shocked. Remembering the appointment that Qu Lu made in advance, she looked sad. She left and turned to look back repeatedly at every step. She said, “Bad luck! Procuress, when Miss Qu recovers, you should inform me.”
“We have other girls. You…”
“No, no, no. I only need Miss Qu!”
“Well, goodbye…”
“…”
Fang Yuan also pretended to be sad and left with Su Li. However, he didn’t think about the strange behavior of Qu Lu. He wondered why Su Li, a girl, could act a wh.o.r.emaster so well.
Was it the so-called acting talent?
After Su Li left, the procuress stopped smiling and went upstairs.
At this moment, there was an old and fatty man in a black robe in Qu Lu’s room. There was a noticeable scar on his cheek from an ear to mouth. Whenever the old man laughed, his scar would move. It was extremely horrible.
“Lady Qu, you are so popular in Yunjing City…”
At this moment, the old man was laughing. Qu Lu covered her mouth with a smile. She avoided seeing him without any trace and said, “Elder Dao is a real joker. I am a prost.i.tute. If I am not popular, how can I cheat high officials and n.o.ble lords? I am making contributions to our sect.”
“Hierarch was right to dispatch you here. You never said ‘our sect’ before.”
Elder Dao nodded and unscrupulously glanced at Qu Lu who dressed inappropriately. He said with a meaningful smile, “As long as you serve me well these days and satisfy me, I will praise you in front of the hierarch. If the hierarch is happy, you may be taught the unexceptionable martial arts or a member of a key disciple of the Hehuan Sect!”
If a prost.i.tute who really wanted to be a member of the Hehuan Sect heard what he said, she would be happy. But Qu Lu was not that kind of girl. She only felt
sick.
Fortunately, what she had experienced these years paid off. Qu Lu didn’t show her true feelings. Instead, she showed a look of surprise tinged with pity. She said, “Your proposal is really attractive. But it seemed that Elder Dao forgot something. If you want to suffer from the Hongchen Powder, I have no opinion…”
Then, Elder Dao’s expression changed immediately.
He forgot that Hierarch personally asked Qu Lu to take the Hongchen Powder. Although he might not come down with it after sleeping with her, he didn’t want to take any chances!
Then, Elder Dao was sad. After he drank the wine in the cup, he stood up and said aggressively, “Hierarch dispatched me to get the Full Moon and Heart Strings! All the people of the Hehuan Sect in Yunjing City should listen to me. Lady Qu, collect intelligence these days. Leave other things alone!”
Then, Elder Dao left the room decisively. The beauty was in front of him, but he couldn’t touch her. Why did he stay here?
Seeing that he left, Qu Lu breathed a sigh of relief. Her back had been wet. Mr. Li visited her just now unexpectedly. It made her feel so scared. Fortunately, Mr. Li reacted quickly, and Elder Dao didn’t notice anything unusual.
After Qu Lu tidied her clothes, she lowered her head. She was serious. She was not happy that she didn’t sleep with Elder Dao because of the Hongchen Powder.
The Hongchen Powder was the poison for a female pract.i.tioner given by Hierarch. The poison worked every six months. When it worked, she would be extremely painful. Her bones were like burning. At that moment, she even wanted to die! If Hierarch didn’t give her the antidote, she would be tortured to death.
It was only an expedient for her to join the Hehuan Sect that year. However, she didn’t expect that Hierarch fell in love with her. Hierarch wanted to own her exclusively. She didn’t want to obey him, so Hierarch forced her to take the Hongchen Powder. Every time this poison worked, she wanted to die. However, the obsessiveness inside supported her in living in the dirty Hehuan Sect. What’s more, she went to Yunjing with her wisdom.
“Eight years have pa.s.sed.” Qu Lu covered her chest and muttered to herself.
Every woman who took the Hongchen Powder could only live 10 years.
As a female pract.i.tioner, she would be called to go back to the Hehuan Sect and become a victim to improve Hierarch in the tenth year. She was like a ripe fruit which would be picked after years of growth.
The woman who took the Hongchen Powder told her that every woman regarded as a female pract.i.tioner would be controlled by Hierarch and die in a horrible way.
Some people said that when the Hongchen Powder worked, the body would melt into blood; Hierarch would refine an elixir with the blood and bones and take the elixir. However, some people said that after 10 years, the person who was poisoned would gradually rot; but the soul still existed. Then, she would see herself be swallowed by Hierarch little by little. It was extremely merciless.
Either of them exceeded the limitation that normal people could bear. Therefore, the women who took the Hongchen Powder all died. She was the only one alive.
This indirect method could improve Hierarch’s cultivation, but it had lots of limitations. Only those who had taken the Hongchen Powder for ten years without any resentment could be the qualified ingredient added to enhance the efficacy. Otherwise, Hierarch would be affected and be out of control.
Qu Lu had a deep resentment and it was deeper than that of others! But she didn’t show it. Hierarch thought that she was kept in the dark and dreamt that “Hierarch would give her the antidote after ten years”.
Her original thought was very simple. If she couldn’t find out her younger brother, she would go back to find the Hehuan Sect’s Hierarch and seek revenge for herself mercilessly!
But now, “Mr. Li” changed her mind.
Clearing the distracting thoughts away, Qu Lu thought of the appointment between her and Su Li. But she was not anxious. Although Elder Dao came here for the Auction Fair, someone might be a.s.signed by him to monitor her. She should meet Mr. Li cautiously.
Qu Lu waited for a day patiently. Elder Dao left with his subordinates hurriedly. She still dealt with the intelligence offered by agents as usual.
After three days, Qu Lu finally was sure that Elder Dao didn’t order anyone to monitor her; he focused on finding Lians.h.i.+ Cult’s disciples. Then, on the night, she immediately went to Su Li’s Linli Building in nocturnal clothing for the first time.
At this moment, all was quiet at dead of night. The alley where the Linli Building’s back door was located was black. Qu Lu was scared and knocked the door regularly. It was not long before the back door was opened secretly. At the same time, she heard the familiar voice of Mr. Li.
“Come in quickly.”
Qu Lu had no time to see the room clearly. She rushed in. The back door was immediately closed, and the alley became dark again.
Qu Lu squinted and finally got accustomed to the sudden bright light. She saw that it was a girl that opened the door for her, but she didn’t see through her cultivation.
Qu Lu was shocked. Mr. Li’s subordinates were all excellent and young.
After a few more steps, Qu Lu saw the youth who had been in contact with her all the time. She immediately gave a salute subconsciously and said, “Qu Lu is here to meet the protector!”
Yin Xuetong covered her mouth with a smile. Su Li really liked to give them boring t.i.tles. It could be seen that Su Li also liked playing pranks on others as them.
Fang Yuan was helpless inside but nodded without an expression. He opened the door and said, “The master has waited for you for a long time. Go inside, please.”
As for the word “master”, Fang Yuan thought it was redundant. It seemed that he was so callous that he didn’t feel ashamed.
Qu Lu took a deep breath and walked into the room. The door behind her was immediately closed, and she was shocked.
Suddenly, a thing flew towards her. She patted it nervously. The thing fell on the ground with a crisp sound. She smelt bouquet.
After she calmed down, Qu Lu found that it was a cup of wine instead of a hidden weapon.
“It is the wine I brewed. I am sad that you refused without any words.” Su Li came out in a simple cyan cloth gown and said with a sweet smile.
When Qu Lu suddenly saw Su Li, she was going to give a salute. However, she felt something unusual. Subconsciously, she stood up and was more stunned.
Was “Mr. Li”… shorter?
“Since you came here, don’t be nervous. Sit down and have a talk.” Su Li poured another cup of wine with a smile and said, “What you see is still not my real appearance, but the height is true this time.”
Qu Lu carefully took the wine cup and remained vigilant inside. She didn’t dare to drink and was curious about the “truth” mentioned by Su Li. Was “Mr. Li” naturally short or young?
Seeing that Qu Lu was still nervous, Su Li didn’t continue to ease relations in patience. She asked decidedly, “What happened in the Hongyan House?”
Qu Lu became serious immediately and habitually said with a lower voice, “Elder Dao of the Hehuan Sect came. I can’t lead any other subordinates in Yunjing City except the subordinates of the Hongyan House. It seems that Hierarch wants to get the Full Moon and Heart Strings.”
“Even a man would like that treasure. What’s more, Hierarch Ye Tian set up the Hehuan Sect for personal benefits. As long as that old woman lives, she will try to get the Full Moon and Heart Strings…”
Su Li’s tone was sardonic. In the previous life, she contacted with the Hehuan Sect several times. In the martial arts circle, some people even joked that she and Hierarch of the Hehuan Sect were “two poison masters in the martial arts circle”. That old woman hunted down her for years. Su Li killed her with lots of efforts.
Qu Lu quietly listened to Su Li’s words. She heard the name of Hierarch of the Hehuan Sect for the first time.
Ye Tian’s name was cute. But Ye Tian killed many people and was very ruthless.