Chapter 2 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

Feeling the majestic internal force and his almost completely restored body, He Yunxiao sincerely believed that the Soul Devouring Pill was a divine-grade elixir. If it didn't overdraw one's lifespan, it would be the topmost among divine-grade elixirs. This kind of divine-grade elixir, which repairs the body and boosts internal force drastically, doesn't exist in the normal world. It only appears in the worldview of the wuxia novel "Miss, I Just Want to Cultivate." In this wuxia worldview, the martial arts are powerful to the point of being a bit exaggerated, but not utterly unrealistic. Similarly, elixirs and other items are potent but not outrageously so. In this worldview, there won't be occurrences like cutting a mountain range in half with one swing of a sword, nor will there be elixirs that turn living people into white bones. Thus, the Soul Devouring Pill, which trades lifespan for immediate power, is virtually the top-tier elixir in this world. As for the limit of personal martial arts, He Yunxiao remembered the author mentioning the founding sword saint of the Qi Nation, Zhang Xian. He was a generation's sword saint, undeniably the greatest in the world three hundred years ago. Defeating six thousand elite soldiers with one sword, that was his renowned battle and also his final one. This battle also marked the limit of personal martial prowess. Furthermore, the soldiers he defeated were not ordinary ones but the elite heavy-armored soldiers of the northern Yan Nation. In the novel's setting, the majority of martial artists are classified into nine ranks, with the first rank being the weakest and the ninth rank the strongest. Above the ninth rank is the Grandmaster realm, which requires extraordinary talent and opportunities and is not attainable by ordinary people. As for the title of the world's strongest, it's estimated that it exceeds the Grandmaster realm. The potency of the Soul Devouring Pill lasted for only a short while, and about half a stick of incense later, He Yunxiao's increased internal force began to stabilize. He stood up and moved his body, practicing a few moves, faintly sensing that he had reached the threshold of the ninth rank. An eighteen-year-old peak eighth-rank martial artist, he was truly a martial arts prodigy! It's worth noting that as the eldest son of the Duke of Wuqing, achieving the seventh rank in martial arts on his own had already made him outstanding among his peers. Now, at the peak of the eighth rank, he could entirely vie for a place on the Tengfenglou Qingyun List, which symbolized martial prowess. But He Yunxiao didn't have such thoughts at the moment. He was currently only considering one thing—how to survive. Knowing Chu Xiaoxiao's personality, a failure who couldn't accomplish anything would be of no use. If I couldn't make Du Huakui leave Chu Fan's side today, I might not live to see tomorrow morning. Recalling the plot of the novel, He Yunxiao tried to find the point where Du Huakui, then known as Du Yinyun, would become interested in the protagonist, Chu Fan. In the original novel, Du Yinyun, the daughter of Du Lie, the deputy general of Chu Tianzhu, was originally named Du Yinyun. Du Lie was unwilling to accept Chu Tianzhu's tragic death and had been secretly searching for clues. Then, two years ago, he was suddenly executed on charges of treason, and the entire Du family's males were executed, and the females were consigned to the pleasure quarters. Due to her exceptional appearance and proficiency in music, Du Yinyun was purchased by the master of the Chunfenglou and became the leading courtesan there. She remained hidden in the Chunfenglou for a year, but was recently released and is about to make her first appearance. The protagonist, Chu Fan, came here to inquire about the clues to the massacre of the Chu family on the day of Du Yinyun's debut. Chu Fan is depicted in the book as someone who detests evil, is decisive in his actions, has a calm temperament, is not good at conversation, and is as the title suggests, "Miss, I Just Want to Cultivate." He is extremely dedicated to the path of the sword and is very "faithful" in his emotions; aside from seeking revenge, he almost only cares about the opinion of his younger sister, Chu Xiaoxiao. Toward many proactive female characters who pursue him, Chu Fan is not averse, but he is always indifferent. Not just indifferent, but so indifferent that just a slight touch from a foot away could cause them to faint. So much so that despite the novel being two hundred thousand words long, Chu Fan's emotional progress is exceptionally slow, and he hasn't even touched the hands of any of the main female characters. If the female leads weren't so adorable, He Yunxiao wouldn't have bothered reading further. Thinking of this, He Yunxiao suddenly realized something. Got it! Many plots in the book are of Chu Fan interacting with his sister, and he treats Du Huakui, who approaches him, with cold eyes. Damn. Could it be that she has the "licking dog" attribute of liking the hot-cold treatment? Truly outlandish! I didn't pay attention when reading the book before, but now that I think about it, none of the female characters in this book seem to be normal. No wonder it's titled "Miss, I Just Want to Cultivate." Despite only an eighty percent certainty, He Yunxiao now had a good grasp, but only needed to use the Favorability System to observe Du Huakui's character to confirm it. With a display of lightness technique, He Yunxiao treaded across the roof tiles and reached the side building of the Chunfenglou. The Chunfenglou was one of the most famous brothels in Yinkong, the capital of Daqi. The main building stood at the front, and two slightly shorter side buildings at the back, forming a "品" shape, connected by wooden bridges. Only the ladies in the main building did intimate business, while the ones in the side buildings followed a more high-end personalized service route. In principle, the ladies in the side buildings only sold their art, not their bodies. The lady He Yunxiao was looking for, Jiang Wuyou, also followed this principle. However, beyond such principles, because he was so handsome, both of them were currently in a state of "mutual yearning." In essence, He Yunxiao intended to give Jiang Wuyou money, but she not only refused it but also insisted on giving him money instead. Although Jiang Wuyou had a spirited nature, she didn't covet wealth because of her background and didn't take money from a high-ranking son of a martial general, yet being given money by a courtesan was too embarrassing for him. Jiang Wuyou put it plainly, "I, Jiang Wuyou, sell my art, not my body. Either accept my silver or scram." However, the current He Yunxiao was not the same as before. Now he had made significant progress. He was no longer just lustful but had also become greedy. Ladies like Jiang Wuyou, who were both beautiful and willing to pay, could be called rich beauties in his previous life. He had to seize this opportunity! Skilfully arriving at the front of Jiang Wuyou's chamber, to maintain his former arrogant persona, He Yunxiao didn't bother knocking and, instead, pushed the door open and sauntered in, seating himself nonchalantly at the table in the living room, stuffing some snacks into his mouth. A maid came out of the inner room, saw He Yunxiao, and informed her mistress before blushing and leaving. Nevertheless, on her way out, her eyes never left He Yunxiao's form. So much so that she nearly tripped over the doorstep on her way out. Shortly, Jiang Wuyou emerged, dressed in a pale nightgown. Her hair was disheveled, giving her a just-awoken appearance. Though she was without makeup, she exuded a natural laziness and nobility. 【Name: Jiang Wuyou Relationship: Friend Specialty: Dance and Music Personality: Open-minded and Gentle Favorability Rating: 70 Seduction Difficulty: Easy Successful Reward: Poison Resistance Increase】 She didn't sit down immediately, but rather took a detour to touch He Yunxiao's face before taking her seat beside him. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she poured herself a cup of tea, held it and, with her narrow phoenix eyes half-closed, gazed at He Yunxiao with a half-smile. "Miss me?" He Yunxiao was filled with bewilderment. This lady truly exudes the vibe of a high-class lady! Are the looks of people in the Wuxia world this remarkable? I'd have beaten first-tier stars to a pulp in my previous life, wouldn't I? Despite his astonishment, He Yunxiao dared not delay the matter at hand. He cut straight to the point, saying, "Kind lady, I don't want to exert myself anymore. Please give me money." Jiang Wuyou nearly spat out her water. "Have you thought it through?" "I have, so you come." Jiang Wuyou didn't make a move but looked at He Yunxiao with skepticism. He Yunxiao smirked, "As expected, you can't hide anything from the lady." Jiang Wuyou gave a coquettish "hmph." "I'm not a fool." He Yunxiao said, "I have two things I want to ask for your help with." Pointing at He Yunxiao's nose, Jiang Wuyou turned her head and rolled her eyes. "I knew you, this mischievous boy, had ulterior motives. What is it?" "The first thing is for you to take me to see Du Huakui now." "Lecher." He Yunxiao chuckled, "Just like you." With resignation, Jiang Wuyou said, "Fine. What's the second thing?" "The second thing is, after meeting Du Huakui, I'll tell you then." Although puzzled, Jiang Wuyou obliged nonetheless. She changed into a different attire and took up an umbrella, then led He Yunxiao to find Du Yinyun. Du Yinyun resided in the opposite side building, and the two had to cross the aerial wooden bridge to reach there. "Hold the umbrella lower," before they stepped onto the wooden bridge, Jiang Wuyou said. He Yunxiao nodded and followed suit. In the nighttime, atop the tall building, the chilly wind blew relentlessly. But as soon as he stepped on the bridge, the frigid wind vanished completely. Observing the faint barrier of internal energy that seemed to surround her body, Jiang Wuyou felt touched. I told you to hold the umbrella to conceal your face, not because it's cold. Is all that martial arts training being used for this? Foolish boy. 【Jiang Wuyou's Favorability Rating reached 80, successfully charmed, and obtained the "Poison Resistance Increase" reward】 He Yunxiao was full of question marks. I didn't do anything, so how did I succeed? But he didn't dwell on it, treating the reward as a freebie. Why worry about that? Isn't freeloading pleasant? After the bridge, Jiang Wuyou said, "Stand here, I'll go bring Du Yinyun out. Can you watch from afar?" He Yunxiao nodded repeatedly. Without further questions, Jiang Wuyou went alone to knock on Du Huakui's door. He Yunxiao stood not far from Du Huakui's room, watching as Jiang Wuyou was invited inside. Not long after, she led out a delicate and pitiful young woman to gaze at the moon. The system immediately provided feedback. 【Name: Du Yinyun Relationship: Stranger Specialty: Music Personality: Reclusive, Apathetic, Inferiority Complex (Lacks paternal love, feels inferior in intimate relationships) Favorability Rating: 30 Seduction Difficulty: Moderate】 "Successfully charmed, 'Fortune increased.'" Looking at the system's assessment of Du Yinyun's character, He Yunxiao nodded in understanding. She's also a good girl, just don't try to cozy up to the protagonist, or someone might meet their end. After spending some time with Du Huakui, Jiang Wuyou escorted her back and then reunited with He Yunxiao. "Go on, what's the other matter?" confirming Du Huakui's "licking dog" attribute, He Yunxiao grinned. "The process for the courtesan's debut at the Chunfenglou usually includes an opening banquet, a martial arts competition, and the petals falling. The courtesan will make three appearances in total, and each time will be longer than the last. The time for the opening banquet is almost up, and when Du Yinyun makes her next two appearances, I want to ask you to steal her spotlight." Jiang Wuyou exclaimed in surprise, "Today is her debut, how could I outshine her?" He Yunxiao patted his chest, "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll make sure you shine."