Zhao Yi gave two coughs and said with a serious expression, "Let's establish a rule first. I am only a few years older than you, so from now on when you see me, you don't need to call me Immortal Master. Just call me Young Master. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Immortal Master," the group of maids replied in a flurry of overlapping voices.
"Hmm?"
"Oh... Young Master. Greetings, Young Master."
"That's right. Calling me Immortal Master makes me sound old. Also, there's no need to kneel every time; just stand and speak."
Chuntao and the others exchanged secret smiles at these words. They felt that their master was not only young but also lenient and easygoing. They all looked at Zhao Yi with eyes full of affection.
Zhao Yi ignored their gazes. He had a rough idea of what was on these young girls' minds, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, immortals and mortals belonged to different worlds. He turned to Chuntao and asked, "Where is Junior Brother Tian? Where did he go?"
Upon hearing that the inquiry was about Immortal Tian, Chuntao hesitated and stammered, unable to speak.
"What? Is there something else you're hiding from me?" Zhao Yi asked, puzzled.
"This maid wouldn't dare, it's just that Immortal Tian went to... um... Immortal Tian told me not to talk about it," Chuntao suddenly dropped to her knees.
"Speak freely. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility," Zhao Yi frowned. The atmosphere seemed to chill instantly, and the remaining maids dropped to their knees in terror, not daring to move.
Left with no other choice, Chuntao braced herself and said, "It seems Immortal Tian went to the Lichun Brothel. I heard he went looking for some top courtesan. Going out with him are also the son of the Imperial Uncle of Song Country and the second son of Qian, the Minister of Revenue."
Truth be told, cultivators in sects devoted themselves entirely to cultivation and rarely frequented pleasure houses. They only returned to the mortal realm to take wives, have children, and propagate their lineage when all hope for their cultivation path was exhausted. A cultivator's descendants had a high probability of being born with Spiritual Roots, which were the foundation for the continued inheritance of a family. Cultivators in the mortal world lacked no shortage of beautiful companions; with a single word, they could have as many beauties as they wanted. For someone like Tian Junjie to go to a brothel for pleasure was truly an anomaly. If word got out, he would be laughed to death by his fellow cultivators. Junior Brother Tian Junjie and Zhao Yi were both outer sect disciples. Tian had good aptitude—a Three-Spiritual-Root constitution—and a collateral elder in his family who was a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, which was how he landed the assignment of serving as a sacrificial guest. What was a bitter chore to others was a wonderful job for him. Tian Junjie was not handsome; on the contrary, he was slightly chubby and short, yet he fancied himself dashing and dissolute by nature. Believing that immortals had no need for romance, he loved carousing in brothels and even gave it the high-sounding excuse of "seeking inspiration." After arriving in the capital of Zhao Country, he felt like a fish in water, almost making merry every day and staying out all night. No wonder he had warned Chuntao not to let word get out; such behavior would indeed damage the Imperial Sword Sect's image.
This junior brother of his was truly being a fool! He would have to remind him later to pay attention to the sect's reputation while outside. Still, when did he start hanging out with the sons of court ministers? Never mind, it didn't matter; let him be. In this capital city, probably no one dared to provoke disciples of the Imperial Sword Sect anyway—as long as he wasn't used as a pawn without even realizing it. Zhao Yi shook his head helplessly, thought about it for a moment, and decided to let the matter drop.
He instructed Chuntao, "When Junior Brother Tian comes back, tell him to come see me. Besides, you should continue leading your sisters in your tasks, manage your own duties well, and follow the rules. In the future, I will reward you handsomely. You stay, and the others may leave." Zhao Yi had the intention of giving them a welcoming gift, but his pockets were empty and he had nothing presentable to offer. He still had to figure out his own cultivation resources, so he would make a mental note of it and make it up to them later.
Hearing the Immortal Master say this, the women were all very happy and resolved in their hearts to do their jobs well. As long as the Immortal Master was happy, why worry about not receiving rewards? They all bowed to Zhao Yi and withdrew.
Chuntao lowered her head slightly. With her delicate face lightly powdered and standing gracefully in a pink dress, she truly resembled an unopened peach blossom. Junior Brother Tian still had an eye for beauty; such a lovely woman had actually been found by him to serve as a maid.
A stir went through Zhao Yi's heart as he looked at Chuntao and asked, "Whose family are you from, what is your given name, and how did you end up here? Tell me about the others as well."
Chuntao raised her eyes to look at her master and answered calmly, "Reporting to the Young Master, my father is Zhou Zheng, the current Minister of War, and my original name is Zhou Ruonan. Xiahe's father is Lord Wu, the Second Assistant of the Secretariat, and her name is Wu Meilian. Qiuju's father is Grand Censor Yang, and she is Yang Xiuru. Dongmei's father is Qian Emei, the legitimate daughter of the wealthy merchant Qian family. The four of us were chosen through a selection process and then picked by Immortal Tian to come here."
"A selection process?" Zhao Yi was stunned. He hadn't expected that even picking a maid would require a selection pageant. He smiled and shook his head.
"Since you're here, do your job well from now on, and I won't treat you unfairly in the future. The names Chuntao and Xiahe were probably given to you by Junior Brother Tian. You may use those names here in the Sacrificial Hall, but whenever you go outside the Sacrificial Hall, you must revert to your original names."
"Yes, Young Master," Chuntao said, her face expressionless as she gave a slight bow.
"Put all these calling cards away. I don't need to see a single one of them; refuse them all from now on."
"Yes," Chuntao thought for a moment, looked at her master, and hesitated as she said, "Young Master, there is one calling card from someone named Qingyue that has already been delivered three times. She is Princess Qingyue, the current Emperor's younger sister. Should the Young Master perhaps..."
"Oh?" Zhao Yi cast a meaningful glance at Chuntao. He had indeed found three calling cards inscribed with "Qingyue pays her respects" among the stack. He hadn't expected her to be the current princess.
"Are you two close?"
As soon as those words fell, Chuntao's heart skipped a beat, her body tensed, and she hurriedly dropped to her knees, pleading defensively:
"Please clear your judgment, Young Master. This maid is indeed acquainted with the Princess. Furthermore, the Princess is both talented and beautiful, extraordinarily clever, and even the current Emperor consults her for advice on important matters. In the hearts of the citizens of Zhao Country, she is regarded almost like a heavenly being, which is why this maid spoke out of turn. Please punish me, Young Master!"
Hearing Chuntao put it this way, Zhao Yi actually found himself wanting to meet this talented and peerlessly beautiful princess. After all, as a modern person, Zhao Yi still harbored a fair bit of interest in emperors and princesses. Besides, she was a beauty gifted in both talent and looks!
"Fine. The next time she comes, I will grant her an audience. You may get up. There's no need to kneel at every turn; stand when you speak from now on."
"Yes." Chuntao felt a heavy weight lift from her heart, and she was also happy for her close friend.
At that moment, Xiahe, dressed in a green gown, walked in. After coming to a halt, she was about to kneel when Zhao Yi hurriedly waved his hand and said:
"No need to kneel. Stand and speak. Did my words from earlier mean nothing?"
"Yes, Young Master." Xiahe quickly straightened up, bowed, and reported, "Reporting to Young Master, the Emperor is visiting outside the gates of the Sacrificial Hall. Accompanying him are Princess Qingyue, as well as Grand Tutor Lord Shen and Minister of the Privy Council Lord Chen."