018 Pole Dance.
The man’s narrow eyes held three parts mockery, five parts indifference, and two parts arrogance. He brushed the dust off his shoulder, his tone flat and devoid of fluctuation: “A boring little trick.”
Nan Yao had nothing to say.
She only had one question—who is this guy?
As if sensing her confusion, Yu Chichi whispered in her ear: “Tang Shaoling, the young master of Cloudsoar Manor.”
Oh.
It’s him.
Nan Yao had heard of Tang Shaoling. His life could be summarized by a few famous modern literary works:
“My Runaway Bride: The Domineering Young Master’s Forced Love”
Three years ago, Tang Shaoling took a liking to a famous courtesan at a renowned House of Azure who sold her talents but not her body. Legend had it this courtesan possessed breathtaking beauty that could outshine the moon and flowers, along with remarkable talent and pride. Tang Shaoling spent fortunes, but the courtesan refused to submit to him. So he resorted to force, using every means to bring her back to his manor and confine her in the specially built Azurewater Pavilion.
Then, he secretly made her do his homework.
He only released her after she finished all his winter vacation assignments.
When the courtesan left, her delicate frame trembled slightly, her eyes red-rimmed.
She hated, she resented.
How could someone pile up all their winter vacation homework until the night before school started?
“The Scheming School Bully and the Cold School Belle”
The entire Celestial Abode knew Tang Shaoling was the most untouchable troublemaker in the First Celestial Abode. He always acted lawlessly, showing no respect for elders or fellow disciples. Just mentioning his name would make the entire Celestial Abode fall silent.
However, one day, someone witnessed Tang Shaoling pinning the newly enrolled girl against the wall, his eyes red as he pleaded: “Please, don’t tell my father about me cheating on the major exam.”
“Chasing My Wife Through Hell: Torturous Love”
She had approached Tang Shaoling many times before, repeatedly trying to get close to him, offering her sincere heart to him, only to be consistently ignored.
Until that day, when she overheard Tang Shaoling chatting with friends: “Don’t mention her name right now, it’s such a mood killer.”
She finally lost all hope and decided to cut ties with him forever.
Only then did Tang Shaoling realize his mistake, kneeling and begging desperately on a stormy night: “Master, please don’t expel me from the Celestial Abode. I promise I won’t fold paper frogs in class anymore.”
Back then, Nan Yao already felt this person was anything but ordinary.
Now, this extraordinary Tang Shaoling stood before her.
He was aloof, he was arrogant, his eyes filled with mockery and indifference as he raised his chin haughtily: “Though your methods are quite ordinary, I still congratulate you for successfully catching my attention.”
Nan Yao tried to interrupt: “Actually…”
“Since you’ve gone through such pains, I’ll be merciful and allow you to stay by my side during the Spirit Fighting Competition.”
Nan Yao: “I don’t…”
“I’m a reasonable person. Considering your admiration for me, I’ll even let that ordinary man beside you follow me too. Just two people—I can easily protect you both.”
This time, Nan Yao didn’t respond immediately. She remained silent for a moment, then turned to confirm.
Hmm.
That ordinary man was Xie Diao.
Xie Diao paid no attention, not even lifting his eyes.
Tang Shaoling’s arrogant expression betrayed a hint of guilt.
Nan Yao understood, she completely understood: “If you want to shamelessly latch onto our team for a free ride, just say so.”
“Hmph, woman.” Tang Shaoling feigned composure. “Do you realize you’re playing with fire by saying that?”
Nan Yao couldn’t be bothered with him, grabbing Xie Diao’s arm and walking away.
But after just a few steps, she felt a heavy weight dragging her down.
A bizarre scene unfolded in the marketplace: a full-grown man clinging desperately to a delicate young girl’s arm, hanging from her like a sandbag while being dragged along the ground, wailing pitifully—
“Take me with you.”
“The Celestial Abode says they’ll kick me out if I don’t rank this time. I’m the young master of Lingyun City, I can’t be expelled! And next year’s new master at the Celestial Abode is really handsome, I don’t want to leave wu wu wu…”
“Take me with you, take me with you, please please please take me with you.”
Xie Diao found this utterly embarrassing. He pulled his arm free from Nan Yao’s grasp and took several steps back, watching the drama unfold from a safe distance.
Qi Guyuan was equally useless, just another dead weight.
Yu Chichi was busy scribbling furiously, not missing a single detail that could be posted on the Jianghu Gossip Forum.
Nan Yao: Ah!!
Nan Yao: Are there no normal men in this cultivation world besides Xie Diao?!
Nan Yao: But Xie Diao isn’t normal either!
Finally driven to mental exhaustion by Tang Shaoling, Nan Yao rubbed her ringing ears: “If you keep pestering me, something terrible will happen.”
“What terrible thing?”
“It’ll cost you a lot of money.”
“Money?” Tang Shaoling resumed his act. “Hmph.”
*
Demon Realm Capital, Dipper Inn.
Though called an inn, the Dipper Inn was actually a comprehensive entertainment complex combining accommodations, restaurants, gambling dens, and teahouses.
Within the inn stood the Purple Bamboo Garden, where mist curled among the plants, cranes soared overhead, and moonlight reflected on the lake, scattering into glittering fragments when stirred by the breeze.
Jade towers stood among the trees, with blue tiles and red railings, crimson lanterns hanging in every corner. Though it was night, the inn glowed as if perpetually bathed in the most beautiful sunset.
Nan Yao and her companions, flush with cash, immediately booked the inn’s best scenic spot upon arrival and began—counting money.
Tang Shaoling seemed even wealthier than Qi Guyuan.
Because he measured his Spirit Stones by the bagful. The moment money was mentioned, Tang Shaoling regained his confidence. He poured out numerous money bags from his pouch, arrogantly lifting his chin: “Woman, are you satisfied with what you see?”
Nan Yao: I’m rich again.
But she felt this precious wealth wasn’t obtained through her efforts alone, so she prepared to divide the spoils fairly among her teammates: “One bag for Xie Diao, one for me. One bag for the Crown Prince, one for me. One bag for Chichi, one for me. One for me, then another for me…”
Nan Yao divided happily.
The other four watched her in silent astonishment.
What kind of new money-splitting method was this?
After finishing her division, Nan Yao looked up at Qi Guyuan: “I’ve divided your share. Do you want it?”
Qi Guyuan felt he might be hallucinating.
Nan Yao was smiling when she asked him.
Her tone was soft and gentle.
She looked so sweet and well-behaved.
But Qi Guyuan felt Nan Yao wasn’t asking “Do you want it?” but rather “Do you dare take it?”
Qi Guyuan said: “I don’t want it.”
Yu Chichi immediately followed: “…I don’t want it either.”
“What a pity.” Nan Yao had no idea how terrifying she appeared in others’ eyes. After genuinely feeling sorry for them for a moment, she divided the two portions of money into halves, pushing one half toward Xie Diao while pulling the other half in front of herself: “See? Fair and just!”
Redefining fairness and justice.
Xiao Huang had long given up trying to prevent Nan Yao from gradually aligning herself with the villains. It resumed nibbling on the complimentary peanuts on the table, and after finishing them, began stealthily gulping down tea from Nan Yao’s cup.
Meanwhile, the three accessories nearby were engaged in their mystical conversation.
Tang Shaoling sneered mockingly: “You’re lucky. Not everyone gets the privilege of having me know their names.”
Yu Chichi also let out a cold laugh: “Cry about it.”
Qi Guyuan: “Exactly! Exactly!”
…What kind of language was this?!
But apparently, having spent so much time attached to Qi Guyuan, Xiao Huang had developed translation skills. With both cheeks stuffed full of peanuts, it mumbled indistinctly: “What they mean is—”
What are your names, seniors?
When Nan Yao kills you for speaking like that, don’t come crying to me for help.
Exactly! Exactly!
The three accessories continued their heated discussion:
Tang Shaoling: “Interesting. This is the first time I’ve met a woman like you. Quite intriguing.”
Yu Chichi: “Too late for flattery!”
Qi Guyuan: “Right! Right!”
A woman as outstanding as you surely wouldn’t stoop to my level, would you?
Praising me now is too late, did you think I’d be easily fooled?
Right! Right!
Nan Yao gave up.
She completely and utterly gave up.
How could these three people on completely different wavelengths converse so naturally?
For some reason, despite the bustling crowd around them, Nan Yao felt like she was the odd one out. Feeling utterly desolate, she took a sip of tea, scooted closer to Xie Diao beside her, grabbed his sleeve to pretend-wipe nonexistent tears, and choked out: “Thank goodness I still have you.”
Xie Diao glanced at her, allowing her to continue her antics.
As the group gradually grew more familiar, even Nan Yao eventually became adept at joining their bizarre conversations after several rounds of drinks. The dishes on the table were nearly finished.
At this moment, Tang Shaoling found an excuse to leave. He stealthily hid himself around a corner, glanced toward Nan Yao’s direction, then pulled out a Communication Talisman from his robes, holding it between two fingers.
A cool male voice came from the other end of the talisman: [How’s it going? Have you successfully gathered the information?]
“I’ve infiltrated deep into enemy territory,” Tang Shaoling said. “Senior brother, I’ve observed carefully. That Nan Yao seems to be just a stingy young girl who’s good-looking but otherwise useless.”
[Indeed.]
The voice carried some disdain: [I really don’t understand how my useless distant relative got seven of his fingers chopped off by her.]
The person on the other end of the Communication Talisman was Xiao Wuji, the head inner disciple of the Celestial Abode.
He came from a cultivation family that had valued reputation for generations. But recently, a distant relative had come crying to the family, saying he’d had seven fingers chopped off by an evil woman from Nameless Mountain who colluded with the Demon Realm.
He also claimed this evil woman had fallen out with the Demon Realm and been expelled from Nameless Mountain, but still coveted the Demon Lord’s Soulslay Blade, so she would definitely appear in the Demon Realm Capital.
This distant relative had no real connection to the prominent family, and initially the clan wanted nothing to do with the matter. But unexpectedly, the relative threatened that if no one sought justice for him, he would spread rumors everywhere that their family was a worthless bunch who couldn’t even handle a wicked woman, making them out as untrustworthy fools.
The family valued their reputation above all else, so they ordered Xiao Wuji, who was also heading to the Demon Realm Capital for the Spirit Fighting Competition, to resolve this issue.
But how wicked was this woman, really?
Xiao Wuji couldn’t be sure, and he feared that if he went to investigate personally, he might alert the enemy.
So, he dragged Tang Shaoling, who was traveling with him, into the plan.
Tang Shaoling was on the verge of being expelled from the Celestial Abode. Xiao Wuji promised that if he helped with this task, regardless of whether they obtained the Soulslay Blade, he would use his status as an inner disciple to persuade their master to let him stay.
Without hesitation, Tang Shaoling accepted the mission: “I understand. I’m willing to take the risk and infiltrate the wicked woman’s side to rid the people of this scourge.”
Xiao Wuji, hearing no further response, frowned and asked, “[Is there more?]”
After what felt like a long time, Tang Shaoling’s trembling voice finally came through: “Just now, a few burly death warriors from the Demon Realm brought over several cups of Immortal’s Fall and tried to force the wicked woman to drink. I suspect they were after her beauty…”
“[And then?]”
Tang Shaoling said, “They cried.”
Xiao Wuji understood: “[Hmph. It’s perfectly normal for a mere painted beauty to be frightened to tears by bloodthirsty, century-old death warriors of the Demon Realm.]”
“…I mean the burly death warriors were beaten until they cried!!” Tang Shaoling’s voice was on the verge of breaking. “She’s now holding a sword, forcing them… to do pole dancing!”
Pole dancing?!
What kind of unheard-of cruel punishment was this?
Author’s Note:
If he doesn’t return the 700 bucks, I’ll write about him for a whole year.
Xie Diao: …When will I ever get the chance to play the male lead role and save the beauty?
I posted this a minute early this time (proudly).