Yunxi nodded with an amused smile and said, "So you like Young Master Jin Xiu?"
"I wouldn't say like," Bing Li replied honestly, her expression candid. "But his face really is pleasing to look at. I want to share a night of spring breeze with him and maybe raise my cultivation while I'm at it."
"If that's the case, then just pay spirit stones," Yunxi said curiously. "Why would he refuse you?"
She felt this was nothing more than a transaction between a buyer and a seller. If the other side said no, it had to be because the spirit stones were not enough to meet their price. Throw more at it, and the problem would solve itself eventually.
Bing Li sighed in frustration, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Ah. The first time I met Young Master Jin Xiu, his attitude toward me was fine, and he was quite satisfied with the spirit stones I paid. But two days later, he started avoiding me. I have no idea why."
"Dengyun Pavilion doesn't have only one Young Master Jin Xiu. Just switch to another one."
The broker shook her head. "He is the only one that suits my taste."
Those words came straight from her heart, spoken with a stubborn conviction.
Yunxi almost clicked her tongue in surprise. She really hadn't expected the woman to be this picky when choosing a dual cultivation partner. Still, hearing it put that way stirred her curiosity too. She wanted to see this Young Master Jin Xiu for herself to see if he lived up to the reputation.
"Since you insist on him, this Lord will make the trip. If he is satisfied with the spirit stones this Lord offers, this Lord will bring him to Xianke Ruyun. You can come find this Lord there."
She paused, then continued calmly, "Naturally, at that time, this Lord wants more detailed information about the Su family, including news about Feng Jiayun. How does that sound?"
Bing Li nodded in immediate agreement and took out a formal contract. Once both sides left their divine sense imprints on the parchment, the contract was established.
At xu (dog) hour (around 8 PM), Yunxi knocked on the back door of Dengyun Pavilion. The moment the tall, thin man opened it, a storage pouch landed in his hands with a soft weight. She lifted her chin slightly and said, "This Lord is here to see Young Master Jin Xiu."
After probing the storage pouch with his divine sense and seeing the amount within, the man's attitude immediately turned respectful. He smiled and raised his hand toward the interior. "Esteemed guest, please come inside."
Holding Li Li, she walked in with her nose practically in the air, swaggering into Dengyun Pavilion with an air of immense wealth. She was directly escorted through the luxurious hallways to the fifth floor.
She sat on a soft couch by the window and looked at the nighttime scenery of the city outside. Not long after, a maid brought spirit wine, spirit fruit, and exquisitely prepared spirit dishes that gave off a delicate aroma. Someone else placed a dark wood guqin behind a silk screen, then everyone withdrew respectfully from the room.
Li Li jumped onto the table, sniffed here and there among the plates, then grabbed a pastry and started chewing with contentment. Yunxi showed no intention of stopping it, as if the expensive pastries were just ordinary snacks for her pet.
Five minutes later, a tall man wearing a pale green gauze robe that flowed around him entered the room. He didn't greet her right away. Instead, he sat before the guqin behind the screen, lit a stick of fragrant sandalwood incense, and began to play. The music was deep and lingering, carrying a unique charm as it flowed into her ears.
The piece seemed to tell a story of lovers, sorrowful and tender, lingering and heartfelt in its delivery. It was genuinely moving to the spirit. She revealed a faint, captivated smile as if caught in the melody. Yet when she lowered her gaze to drink, a trace of disgust and chill flickered in her eyes.
Because as the melody shifted into a more hypnotic rhythm, Xiao Meng sent a voice transmission to her.
"Zūnshàng, he is trying to pull you into an illusion."
Without changing her expression or showing any signs of resistance, she lifted her spirit wine and replied through voice transmission, "He does have some tricks up his sleeve."
Li Li had already hopped back onto her lap, looking drowsy and half-asleep as its head bobbed.
She put the creature into the spirit beast pouch for safety. Her eyes pierced through the thin fabric of the screen as she stared at the man, looking as if she wanted to devour him whole with her gaze.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense for him to ignore. The male cultivator soon ended the performance, stood up, and walked around the screen. He stopped before her, cupped his hands, and bowed calmly with a practiced grace. "Jin Xiu greets the esteemed guest."
Looking at the tall man with a face worthy of Pan An, she could understand why Bing Li couldn't forget him. Still, she hadn't forgotten her purpose here. She smiled and said, "You may address this Lord as Xi Yun. Sit and talk."
Jin Xiu glanced at her, then immediately withdrew his gaze in a show of modesty. He sat respectfully across from her on the soft couch and thoughtfully poured her a cup of the spirit wine.
"How long have you been with Dengyun Pavilion, Young Master Jin Xiu?"
He smiled slightly, his features softening. "I joined Dengyun Pavilion when I was young. The Pavilion Master pitied me for having no family and personally guided my cultivation. After I broke through to Divine Transformation, I began playing the guqin to earn cultivation resources and give back to Dengyun Pavilion."
"It seems you have adapted well to life here. Have you ever thought about leaving? If you're willing, this Lord can help you fulfill that wish."
As she spoke, she unexpectedly took his hand and lightly scratched his palm with her little finger. The teasing intent in the gesture was obvious.
Jin Xiu immediately pulled his hand back as if startled. A trace of awkwardness flashed across his face before he lowered his head. "I still wish to repay Dengyun Pavilion for a few more years. After I break through to Void Refinement, I will leave. By then, I will have the ability to protect myself."
She stared at his face and smiled in a rather lewd way, playing the part of a wealthy, smitten cultivator. "What is so difficult about that? Just come back with this Lord for dual cultivation. This Lord guarantees you will break through smoothly. It benefits both of us."
"This…" He looked at her again, his expression clearly hesitant.
She curled her lips and directly tossed him a storage ring this time, packed full of high-grade spirit stones.
He was obviously moved by her lavishness after seeing the contents. After accepting the ring, he broke into a broad smile. "Esteemed guest, please wait a moment. Jin Xiu will inform the Pavilion Master and then accompany you to your residence to play."
Yunxi rolled her eyes inwardly at his performance. He was already selling himself for stones, yet he still insisted on finding a fig leaf for his dignity. Outwardly, she smiled warmly and said, "Alright. This Lord will wait. You had better be quick."
Xiao Meng's light flickered and she sent another transmission. "Zūnshàng, are you really going to take him back?"
"What else would I do?" Yunxi replied indifferently. "As long as Bing Li is satisfied with the result, that's enough. His cultivation isn't fake anyway. I will just treat it as spending spirit stones to buy the information I need."
"But he just used the guqin music to drag you into an illusion. He clearly has bad intentions toward you."
"It's fine. I don't have good intentions either."
She answered the voice casually.
Then her divine sense entered the spirit beast pouch to check on her pet. Earlier, Li Li had been affected by the hypnotic music and fallen into an illusion, which was why it had looked so sleepy.
She had blocked out the scent of the sandalwood incense with her own spiritual energy, but guqin music wasn't something you could shut out just by covering your ears. That was how the little panda had been caught in the trap.
After she woke the creature up, the fur on its face stood on end in a display of alarm. It sent a furious transmission. "Zūnshàng, something is wrong with this guy. There are two souls inside him. One is so weak it's almost dissipated, while the other is extremely strong, and its divine soul is full of filth. It's obviously not a good thing."
Yunxi rubbed its ear through the spiritual connection and replied with a smile, "An evil soul possession?"
"I'm not sure. Earlier, with the screen between us and the incense, his cultivation was higher than mine. I didn't dare to probe him openly."
"That's fine. Your Zūnshàng has already smashed him with enough spirit stones to sink a ship. Once he is on our turf, I will make sure he regrets it."
Li Li clenched its little paw, its anger easing a bit at the promise of retribution. It even suggested, "Zūnshàng, when we get back, let Dian Dian sniff him too. Maybe there will be something else to find with its nose."
"Alright," she replied with a smile.
A quarter of an hour later, the man returned to the room and said with a smile, "Xi Yun Zūnshàng, we can depart now."
Yunxi once again left Dengyun Pavilion through the back door. This time, she boarded a luxurious sedan and headed for Xianke Ruyun under the envious gazes of countless cultivators who watched them leave.