Three days later.
Prince Fu's Estate.
In the courtyard of Building No. 2, Heaven Zone, the osmanthus trees were in full bloom. Pale yellow petals drifted on the breeze, filling the air with a faint, refreshing fragrance.
The autumn wind was brisk. Having nothing better to do, Yu Xian decided to channel the refined tastes of the ancients, enjoying the charming companionship of a maid as he wielded brush and ink at a stone table beneath the tree.
When he finally stopped and set the brush aside, Yulan, who had been waiting nearby, read the characters on the paper out loud, syllable by syllable and with some difficulty.
"This mood, this sky; a carefree immortal with not a care in the world."
"How is this verse?"
Yu Xian asked with complete confidence.
This was a line he had agonized over for ages before shamelessly plagiarizing it. Though it consisted of only a single line, it captured his current state of mind to absolute perfection.
No worries, no disputes—he felt just like an immortal.
Especially after receiving the ten-thousand-liang silver note sent by Sun Family Pharmacy, which, added to the greeting gifts he had collected earlier, meant his current savings would easily sustain his lifestyle for another year or two, considering his present rate of spending.
That Zhou Bai truly was a man of his word. Once Yu Xian intervened on their behalf, and coupled with the fact that they still had no evidence against Sun Family Pharmacy, the authorities quickly released the pharmacy's large cargo vessels.
Of course, after turning that favor into hard cash, the other party had also made it crystal clear that whoever came to plead for favors next time, it would do no good at all.
Yu Xian knew when to drop a matter. Since he had already taken the money, he very consciously drew a clear line between himself and Chief Constable Zhou.
He soon cast the incident to the back of his mind, growing rather excited instead about the parting invitation extended by Maiden Caidie of Lixiu Pavilion.
After all, he was a man who simply loved getting things for free.
Thinking back on Maiden Caidie's elegance that night, as well as the superb techniques she had mastered under the guidance of renowned instructors, Yu Xian found himself feeling a lingering sense of unfinished business. Truly, he thought, she was a professional; he had learned a great deal.
Hearing her master's question, Yulan lowered her head and thought hard for a moment before speaking with a bashful flush:
"Sir, it's a wonderful verse, but as for the handwriting... This lowly maid is truly lacking in learning and has no idea which master calligrapher's style this belongs to. It looks like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing—truly one of a kind."
Yu Xian's smile suddenly froze. He had been hit right where it hurt.
In his past life, even his ballpoint pen handwriting had been terrible, frequently criticized by teachers as resembling dragons in flight or the claw marks of a stray dog.
If he could read and write at all in this lifetime, he had his transmigrated memories to thank; otherwise, he would be a complete semi-literate.
As for brush calligraphy...
Being able to write characters that were barely recognizable was already the result of him trying his absolute utmost to keep them under control.
Still, what kind of man was Yu Xian? He was a fearless fellow who faced the world with his head held high.
Without changing his expression and with his heart beating not a single bit faster, he stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining a faint aura of effortless cool.
"This calligraphy style was created by my late mentor, Master Oblivious. It focuses on capturing the spirit rather than the likeness of form. Most people have never seen it and can't even recognize the characters.
The fact that you were able to identify it at a glance shows you have profound spiritual roots."
"Really?"
Hearing her master praise her for having spiritual roots, Yulan let out a giggling laugh, though she quickly turned crestfallen.
"You must be teasing me, sir. Otherwise, why is it that after practicing the Evergreen Art for so long, I can't feel even a trace of this so-called spiritual qi? My legs go numb from sitting every single day."
Yulan pouted, her tone spoiled and coquettish.
Unflustered, Yu Xian replied, "This requires slow effort. First, you must learn to enter a state of deep meditation undisturbed by external things. If you can achieve an initial feeling of entry within three to five years, your aptitude can already be considered quite good."
In the mortal realm, spiritual qi was thin, making cultivation exceptionally difficult. Yulan was hardly blessed with genius aptitude; relying solely on her own ability to enter the path was practically impossible.
He intended to let Yulan temper her state of mind for a couple of months first until she grew fully familiar with the insights of the cultivation method.
By the time he broke through to the Qi Condensation Late-stage, he could use the power of spirit stones and guide her with his spiritual sense; that should allow Yulan to perceive spiritual qi.
After a few more years of cultivation, she should be able to break through to the Qi Condensation Layer 1.
His main goal was to see whether giving Yulan cultivation base would boost the effects of dual cultivation.
"Then how is it that Sister Xiaoyi has already sensed spiritual qi?"
Yulan's boldness had grown lately; she no longer blindly followed everything Yu Xian said and had started forming her own opinions.
Chen Yi was the same age as her. Although Chen Yi had entered the household later, Yulan still called her older sister.
This was mainly because she felt that even though the Chen family was gone, Chen Yi could still be considered the scion of a reputable family.
Unlike herself, who came from a humble background and had even been sold to a broker by her family, only managing to enter the estate through a stroke of good luck.
A deep, instinctive sense of inferiority plagued her.
"Her..." Yu Xian's expression turned thoughtful. "She's different from us."
There were people in this world known as geniuses.
They were born able to accomplish what ordinary people could not. The peaks and limits that others spent a lifetime trying to reach were to them as casual as drinking water and eating meals.
And Chen Yi was close to being such a genius.
This helpless girl had actually made preliminary contact with the existence of spiritual qi in less than a month of exposure to the Evergreen Art.
If he were willing to give her the two spirit stones he held, there was a chance she could break through the Qi Condensation Realm in less than two months.
But he would not give them to her.
Chen Yi was indeed a genius, but as far as he was concerned, that talent had zero value for the time being.
Was he really supposed to expect to send her off into the Immortal Cultivation World, only for her to come back and take care of him once she struck it rich?
He might as well sleep with her a few more times for a more practical return.
Not to mention the risk of her perishing midway and turning his investment into a complete waste, even if she truly did make it big and became a high and mighty immortal maiden...
She might end up viewing him not as a benefactor, but as a shameful blot from her past—an insult to her pristine, immaculate reputation as an immortal.
Of course, it was also possible that she would engrave this kindness deeply in her heart and repay him a thousandfold in the future.
Yet he had no intention of gambling on human nature.
At the same time, however, he would not deliberately suppress Chen Yi either.
If she managed to break through in the mortal realm entirely by her own effort, he would gladly lend a hand, reveal the true existence of the Immortal Cultivation World to her, and guide her toward her future.
After all, they had slept together.
"Oh."
Yulan nodded, looking as though she half-understood and was suitably awed, but she did not press any further. She was no fool; she could clearly sense that her master's mood had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
"Ah, suddenly I've lost all mood for writing."
Sighing, Yu Xian swept his palm across the paper, and a bright flame ignited the xuan paper, turning it into a ball of ash in the blink of an eye. A gust of wind caught it, scattering the ashes in a spiral as they settled into the soil.
"Sir, did this maid say something wrong?"
Seeing this, Yulan panicked slightly, reverting to referring to herself as a maid.
To her, Yu Xian's moods were greater than the heavens.
Because Yu Xian had given her so many beautiful fantasies, she had long since fallen hopelessly in love with this man.
"I've told you, you are my person now, no one's slave or servant. Even when talking to me, you are not allowed to call yourself a maid. If there's a next time, I'll..."
Pinching Yulan's chin and lifting it slightly, Yu Xian flashed a teasing smile.
"Subject you to family discipline."
"Sir, you will always be this maid's master."
Emboldened, Yulan talked back, though her face flushed scarlet, her eyes rippled like autumn water, and her small hands nervously twisted the hem of her clothes—clearly aware of what "family discipline" implied.
"You little rascal, looks like I really have to punish you today."
Hearing her dare to talk back, Yu Xian slid his hand down her smooth neck, his movements growing gradually rougher.
Just as the air grew restless and volatile, needing only a single spark to ignite this pile of dry firewood and raging fire...
A clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.
"Is Consort Yu at home? I am Ding Le of the Changle Sword Sect. I've come uninvited because I wish to meet with Consort Yu."
Yu Xian halted his movements and muttered with annoyance, "Damn it, what a time to pick. Ding Le? What kind of garbage name is that? Sounds like a total punk."
"Never mind him, let's keep going."
Yulan, however, didn't dare continue, her gaze involuntarily darting toward the courtyard entrance.
Although they had gotten up to plenty of scandalous things, those had always been behind closed doors, sheltered by doors and windows—never out in the open where anyone could see.
Regulating her breathing, she hurriedly advised, "Sir, why don't I go welcome him instead?"
"No need."
Tirelessly withdrawing his hand, Yu Xian called out toward the outside:
"Whoever you are, come on in."