In truth, Song Qing Shi isn't a fan of lamb, nor is he fond of spicy food. However, when his little angel wants hand-pulled lamb, he has no choice but to accompany him.
The two leisurely finished their lunch before heading to the Sky Mechanism Pavilion.
Upon seeing him, the Pavilion Master of Sky Mechanism greeted him respectfully but looked rather displeased.
It was only then that Song Qing Shi realized that the "fear of mistakes" mentioned in the letter meant they were completely clueless and utterly frustrated—the craftsmen were on the verge of going mad.
"I asked for microscopes, test tubes, flasks, distillation apparatus, fermentation tanks, barometers, and infrared spectrometers..." Song Qing Shi looked bewildered. He had already skipped the complex machinery like mass spectrometers and liquid chromatography systems. These were all basic items. "A microscope is essentially a high-powered magnifying glass that allows one to see bacteria..."
Magnifying glasses and bacteria? Were they tools for murder or for spying?
The Pavilion Master of Sky Mechanism felt disoriented, and began to question his life choices.
The two spent a great deal of time talking past each other.
Fortunately, Yue Wu Huan had been learning medicine with Song Qing Shi for some time and had a general understanding of these items. Seeing his master struggling, he took the initiative to explain.
Understanding the mindset of the immortals, Yue Wu Huan changed his communication approach. He finally made the Pavilion Master understand that the microscope was an instrument for detecting tiny poisonous substances on objects, that test tubes and flasks were precious decorations, and that the distillation apparatus was a kettle for refining pure water...
Sitting on the side, Song Qing Shi was stupefied. Everything seemed weird but also not incorrect.
Finally, the Pavilion Master of Sky Mechanism confidently guaranteed that they could produce the items.
Yue Wuhuan began to negotiate with the Pavilion Master of Tiangong, haggling for nearly half an hour. After probing out the bottom-line price and obtaining Song Qingshi's consent, he offset part of the bill with common elixirs produced by Medicine King Valley. They saved a significant amount of money and even established a long-term, mutually beneficial collaboration, complete with a thorough review of the contract for any loopholes.
It's truly a blessing to have such an all-in-one secretary at home...
In the end, Song Qingshi didn't even read the contract; he just signed his name.
Walking out of Tiangong Pavilion in a daze, Song Qingshi noticed that it was already turning dark. One by one, the lights in the shops lit up. The streets were teeming with guests, the flower district and gambling dens more bustling than ever. Brawls and magical duels were frequent among the throngs of admirers and gamblers.
Yeyu Pavilion, located on the Flower Street, specialized in trading information and posting bounties.
Visiting such a place for the first time, Song Qingshi looked around curiously. He encountered brazen advances from courtesans and was even approached by young attendants who admired Yue Wuhuan's physique. Feeling uncomfortable, Song Qingshi hurried into Yeyu Pavilion for refuge. Yue Wuhuan, now in the shadows, finally looked a bit more pleased.
As per the rules of Yeyu Pavilion, one must inquire about information alone.
After cautioning Yue Wuhuan not to wander off, Song Qingshi entered the inner chamber.
The Master of Yeyu Pavilion, Ye Lin, personally received him.
Ye Lin was a jolly, rotund man with a congenial demeanor. He had once been treated for severe injuries by Song Qingshi and held him in high regard. Upon hearing that Song Qingshi was now going to great lengths for a beauty, Ye Lin felt it to be rather imprudent but refrained from commenting. Concerned that the method to break the union mark was complex, he had delayed the matter for months to avoid any hasty decisions.
Now, Song Qingshi sat before him, pressing for information.
"I received this only recently," Ye Lin said, no longer able to stall. He handed over the method, "The union mark was created by the Happy Immortal and did not come with a way to remove it. Two methods were developed by the righteous Daoist sects: the first requires a Divided Spirit-level cultivator, and the second uses the Core of Ten Thousand Spirits with the original spell used for the mark."
Song Qingshi humbly asked, "Which method is easier?"
Ye Lin grimaced, "You're aware that Divided Spirit elders are revered figures who rarely take action. Asking them to remove the union mark from a common-born slave would be considered an insult."
After pondering for a moment, Song Qingshi said, "I'll choose the second method."
He would never allow Yue Wuhuan to be humiliated again.
Ye Lin sighed exasperatedly, "The Core of Ten Thousand Spirits is a rare gem. The price can range from 100,000 to 300,000 top-grade spirit stones."
Medicine King Valley mainly focused on purchasing expensive ingredients for research, with sales making up a minor part of their revenue.
Despite Yue Wuhuan being uncommonly attractive, his reputation was terrible. Would it be worth it to spend so much just to remove his mark? Was the Medicine King Immortal intoxicated?
Trying to dissuade him, Ye Lin said, "If you truly like him, just treat him well. Whether the mark is removed or not makes no difference. I've received news that a pair of exquisite siblings are up for auction, both virgins..."
Interrupting, Song Qingshi said, "I want to buy the Core of Ten Thousand Spirits. Do you know where it's being sold?"
Song Qingshi felt helpless about bridging the cultural gap with Immortal Realm cultivators. Regardless of whether he used a Mind Bead, the Union Mark was an abhorrent stigma that stripped away human dignity. It had to be removed, or Yue Wuhuan's mental anguish would never heal.
Ye Lin gave up on dissuading him and said, "I know that Lady Lingmiao has a few of these cores in her possession, but I can't guarantee she'd be willing to sell."
Song Qingshi quickly evaluated his assets, "I'd be willing to refine a Youth Restoration Pill for her, along with an additional payment of 200,000 spirit stones."
Though Lady Lingmiao was talented, she joined the path of immortality late in life. She was in her thirties when she reached the Foundation Establishment stage and her forties during Core Formation. As a result, she appeared much older than other female cultivators and always sought ways to rejuvenate her appearance. Unfortunately, the formula for the Youth Restoration Pill had been lost, leaving only a solitary copy in Medicine King Valley. The original Song Qingshi never bothered to make it due to its complicated preparation and limited effectiveness.
The mention of the Youth Restoration Pill would certainly pique Lady Lingmiao's interest.
"I'll handle this for you," Ye Lin felt a pang of sympathy for the exorbitant cost, then suddenly recalled something else. "By the way, have you heard about what happened to Xie Que recently?"
Song Qingshi furrowed his brows, "What happened?"
Ye Lin shared the gossip with a laugh, "The Master of Golden Phoenix Mansion has acquired a new treasure, someone named Bai Zihao, whom he is extremely fond of. It turns out that Bai Zihao is the illegitimate son of Elder He from the Songhe Sect, and he was sold as a slave by that scoundrel Xie Que. The matter has been dragging on for quite some time without resolution. Songhe Sect is unable to do anything to Golden Phoenix Mansion and is now seeking retribution from Xie Que, who has smartly gone into hiding."
Song Qingshi lowered his head, deep in thought for a while.
Ye Lin chuckled, "If I can locate Xie Que for you and obtain the password, I'll give you a discounted fee."
"No need," Song Qingshi smiled, "I'm willing to pay double if you simply inform me of his whereabouts."
Ye Lin froze for a moment before catching on to the implication. He hastily agreed and raised his teacup in salute.
After bowing respectfully, Song Qingshi left, taking Yue Wuhuan with him, who had been studying the mission board outside.
Ye Lin watched Yue Wuhuan through the window for a moment, shook his head, and pulled a hidden album from a concealed part of the bookshelf. He flipped through a few pages and sighed again.
Indeed, Mr. Wuhuan was extraordinarily skilled.
The lifetime reputation of the Medicine King Immortal seemed destined to falter.
...
All pressing matters had been resolved, and a viable method for breaking the Union Mark was in sight.
Filled with elation, Song Qingshi and Yue Wuhuan went shopping, lavishly purchasing books, medicinal herbs, and daily necessities.
The red silk fabric looked stunning, perfect for Wuhuan. Buy it!
Savage Dragon Herb might be useful for making medicine for Wuhuan—buy it!
The milk cakes from Rongxing Hall are delicious, and Wuhuan loves them—buy, buy, buy!
Song Qingshi is the kind of person who shops only a few times a year, buying enough to last for six months each time. Today, he's enjoying the shopping spree, even purchasing two bottles of wine called 'Forget Worries' from a roadside tavern. The saleswoman claimed it could alleviate sorrow. Though he is usually focused and seldom troubled, he thought it might be nice to try.
He has bought a hodgepodge of items.
With a resigned expression, Yue Wuhuan crammed all the purchased items into a mustard seed bag for later sorting.
Spotting a bookstore in an alley, Song Qingshi excitedly dashed over. Buying books is his greatest delight—the more, the merrier.
Yue Wuhuan hesitated for a moment but eventually followed slowly.
The bookstore, named Xianqing Residence, was doing good business, attracting many customers. Song Qingshi first bought books related to medicine and then picked up a copy of some trending popular titles. He noticed that many customers, particularly men, seemed to gravitate towards colorful albums placed in a corner.
Curious, Song Qingshi asked Yue Wuhuan, "What are those books?"
Caught off guard, Yue Wuhuan looked at him, hesitating to speak.
Without waiting for an answer, Song Qingshi picked up an album titled "Beauties of the Flourishing Age," and smiled, "Ah, it's a collection of ukiyo-e style prints. Quite exquisite—created by a renowned artist, I assume?"
He opened it for a casual glance, then quickly dropped it as if it were scalding hot. The album fell to the floor, revealing the images inside. He took another disbelieving look and felt a chill run through him.
It was a lewd album, filled with vulgar scenes and accompanied by provocative text.
Titles like "Banquet of Beauties," "Divine Master Blessing Mr. Wuhuan," "Peerless Golden Beauty," and so on.
The young man in the paintings was in compromising positions with various men, depicted in incredibly indecent poses.
The young man had beautiful phoenix eyes and a bright red teardrop mole beneath his left eye, a face designed to arouse desires.
It was Yue Wuhuan...
Song Qingshi knew what Yue Wuhuan had been through, but he had never confronted these abhorrent images directly. As Yue Wuhuan had begun to recover, Song Qingshi had hoped that time would bury the past, like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand. But now, the album ruthlessly tore open that scar, revealing all. The hell that Yue Wuhuan had lived through was even worse than his worst imaginings.
How could people be so cruel?
Overwhelmed with sorrow, Song Qingshi found it hard to breathe. He took deep gasps of air, clutching his shoulders tightly.
Hellfire surged, incinerating all the filth to ash.
So, what's next?
What should he do? What can he do? He feels powerless.
The bookstore owner initially wanted to come over and greet them but got scared off upon seeing the scene. Song Qing Shi stood still, feeling drained of energy, and was eventually pulled away by Yue Wu Huan, who seemed completely unaware.
Yue Wu Huan, holding his hand, aimlessly led him to the riverside.
A cold breeze blew by, and Song Qing Shi's mind slowly began to clear...
He finally understood why those two cultivators in the teahouse had that discussion, and why Ye Lin had tried to persuade him to give up.
So everyone already knew...
Jin Feng Villa had ruined Yue Wuhuan's body, and these picture albums had destroyed his reputation.
No matter how hard Yue Wuhuan tried, whether in building his foundation, achieving the Golden Core, or even reaching the Primordial Infant stage to become a Sword Sovereign, people would never think of his stunning talents. Instead, they would forever remember his past as an object of lust, his body, and the obscene images of him. Even if he could burn down one bookstore, two bookstores, countless picture albums, he couldn't stop them from circulating in the market...
Yue Wuhuan once said he had nothing left...
Only now did he realize the depths of despair behind those words.
Song Qingshi sat by the river, covering his face as tears soaked through his fingers. He loathed his own helplessness.
"Master need not be sad," Yue Wuhuan also sat down, softly consoling, "Sooner or later you would find out, so there's no need to hide it. These paintings were done years ago. The most famous painter in the fairy realm came to Jin Feng Villa. Jin Feiruo drugged me, used a mind-control bead, and had him paint these to distribute widely. Looking back, he probably sensed my desire to escape and wanted to show me that no matter where I went, I could never escape being a slave... so I gave up hope of escape and became what he wanted: shameless, indulgent, foolish."
Song Qingshi lowered his head to gaze at the river's surface, unable to look at him.
"Master has given me a chance at a new life," Yue Wuhuan's tone was surprisingly light. "I've let go of the past and am prepared for this. I'll study ways to disguise myself and change my identity so that I won't be recognized, so... it's fine, really, I'm fine."
Song Qingshi was still heartbroken because this beautiful, proud phoenix could never freely fly under the sun again.
Regaining his composure, he tried to stand, only to find that Yue Wuhuan's body had been trembling all along.
In the darkness, the veil had already been removed, and his beautiful eyes were filled with fear.
It took all the strength he had to utter the words he feared most:
"Please, don't find me disgusting..."