Chapter 103: 102 A Visual Feast, a Refined and Transcendent Beauty (Part 3: Please Subscribe)

【Prompt: Your Empty Gap State is regarded by your Binding Companion Ning Mu as a visual feast. Ning Mu Strategy Value increased by 2 points; current Strategy Value is 18 points!】

"..."

Liuli, walking through the air, saw the information skipped by the system and could not help but knit her brows.

Why, when he had clearly witnessed it with his own eyes,

was the mission still not complete?

Finding a quiet place, Liuli flashed directly inside.

Immediately, she sat in meditation on the spot, silently reciting the Qingxin Mantra.

At this very moment, Liuli

felt more and more that the system's—this Will of Heaven's—assessment of her was not wrong.

Born with a Charm Bone!

Could it be...

that she truly has no affinity with the Buddha, and is a woman of the dust naturally destined to be dissolute and seductive? Otherwise,

how to explain that she was merely in an Empty Gap State, walking along the road with that little fellow Ning Mu, just holding hands, yet she could not endure the surging, strange sensations in her heart? Especially

during that time when that little fellow was holding forth, announcing the news to a crowd of young ladies.

In that period, she and he had clearly done nothing at all.

Yet for some reason, she could not suppress the surging waves rising within her heart.

That kind of damp sensation...

she had never experienced it before.

She even felt that, just now while in the air, there might have been rain and dew falling with the wind.

Had the weather changed?

Or was it...

"Homage to the Buddhas, the perfectly enlightened ones..."

Liuli closed her eyes, emptying her sea of consciousness, her bewitchingly red lips, which seemed as if they would break at a single touch, opening and closing.

Strings of incantations, like Sanskrit chants of Bodhi, murmured out from her mouth.

At the same time.

In the East Market of Yonghang, at the head of Bing Street.

"It is rumored that a perfume trend has recently swept through this Yonghang City. I hear that one only needs to apply a single drop of this perfume for the fragrance to linger and remain for a long time. Right on this street, Miss Pi, I have already reserved a spot for today. This perfume is a match for a beauty; I hope Miss Pi will not refuse."

In the middle of the street.

A man and a woman were walking together.

The woman's face was plain yet flower-like, her features delicate and pretty, yet her expression was indifferent, calm as autumn water without a ripple.

Those eyes were deep and bright, as if they could see through everything.

A moon-white dress hung to her ankles, simple and elegant, the light gauze like clouds, her gait as light as a walking scroll. Her ink-black hair was like a waterfall, swaying and rustling as she walked, lifting lightly with the wind, giving one the impression of a beauty from a painting.

Her posture was as graceful as a startled swan, refined and transcendent, her bearing elegant and intellectual, her whole body exuding an aura of books, as if she spent her days wandering in a sea of literature.

As she walked, one could see her beautiful, delicate feet in low-heeled sandals, occasionally peeking playfully from beneath her skirt.

The brocade ribbon on her sleeves circled to the top of her hair, paired with a few pearl chains that revealed her elegant temperament. She seemed to be strolling through a garden, and even with the bustle nearby, she did not lose her transcendent, ethereal quality.

And compared to this woman,

the man was far more mediocre. Holding a folding fan, he was originally quite a bit taller than the woman surnamed Pi, but the thick, fawning flattery in his brows and demeanor made him appear a head shorter for no reason.

"Young Master Qi is very thoughtful. I already purchased this perfume yesterday. However, this method of a daily limit is quite novel; I wonder who taught it to the shopkeeper."

Pi Yalu wore a warm smile, but there was an inherent sense of detachment.

In her words, there was not much gratitude toward Young Master Qi, but rather a bit more curiosity about the expert behind Liuchun Pavilion.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Qi Yu's expression.

That's right.

For a woman of Pi Yalu's status, when the perfume was first released, she was likely among the first batch of people to use it.

His act of offering flowers borrowed from another was indeed a bit like showing off before an expert.

Qi Yu felt a bit uneasy inside, walking alongside Pi Yalu while fawningly saying, "This isn't any clever method, I suppose. It must be that the production of this perfume is extremely cumbersome and there are many buyers, so they had no choice but to resort to this strategy."

"Otherwise, if they could earn more money, why wouldn't they?"

"I heard that Liuchun Pavilion not only limits the daily amount but previously even limited the purchase per person. In the way of business, who would ever do such a thing?"

Qi Yu shook his head and smiled disdainfully.

He was a scion of a prominent family in Yonghang City, a son of the Qi Family.

Speaking of the Qi Family, there might be few in Yonghang City who know of them.

But if one speaks of the Mingyu Trading Firm, absolutely no one does not know it, no one is unaware of it.

Under this Mingyu Trading Firm, it encompasses businesses such as restaurants, gambling dens, brothels, real estate, carriage firms, and so on.

Besides this, there are also ten thousand acres of fertile land.

The entire Qi Family can be said to be a sky hovering over the heads of the people of Yonghang!

Even every incoming Prefect, on the first night of entering Yonghang, must take the initiative to pay a visit.

For no other reason.

Because apart from this Mingyu Trading Firm, the ancestors of the Qi Family once produced two Prime Ministers and three Ministers. Currently, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of Great Qi is the son of the Head of the Family, Qi Yu's second uncle.

And those who have received the favor of the Qi Family, studied at Jixia Academy, and entered the court as officials are countless.

This is enough to show how formidable the Qi Family's strength is in Yonghang.

"So that's how it is; it seems I am the one who doesn't understand business."

Hearing Qi Yutong's words, Pi Yalu gave a noncommittal smile; it looked refined and elegant, but in reality, she simply couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

She was the daughter of the Yonghang Prefect and, furthermore, the most favored Disciple of Instructor Guo at White Deer Academy; young as she was, she had already drawn Literary Qi into her body, and now at nineteen, she was already a Confucian expert at the third stage of Martial Dao, the peak of the Tongmai Realm! But she was not satisfied with this, longing to enter Jixia Academy in this lifetime to cultivate.

However, Jixia Academy's recruitment of students was extremely strict.

Before the age of twenty, one must reach the Zhou Tian Realm to have a chance.

Or, those with naturally outstanding talent could be selected in their childhood.

Other than that, one could only be admitted by exception if, at the Poetry Gathering of the Sacrificial Saint Festival, one could draw the Saint's Literary Qi to descend upon their body and receive the Saint's favor.

Going out to play today was just to clear her mind, so as to prepare for the upcoming Sacrificial Saint Festival Poetry Gathering.

At the same time.

It was also to deal with her father.

Her father intended to match her with Qi Yutong in marriage, and the Qi Family had the same intention; the elders on both sides hit it off immediately, and Qi Yutong himself was even more so.

But she was proud and aloof; how could she possibly look favorably upon Qi Yutong, who had mediocre aptitude, only cared about drilling into business, and was otherwise completely unremarkable?

"Young Lady Pi is too kind. In the path of cultivation, I am not as good as you, but when it comes to the way of business, I do have some small insights. Speaking of which, Young Lady Pi also knows that my family's business..."

Qi Yutong thought Pi Yalu was praising him, and he immediately began to show off with great interest, wanting to use this to display his talent in front of the beauty.

But his bragging words had not yet had the chance to be spoken.

Pi Yalu suddenly stopped her steps, raised her slender jade hand hidden in her sleeve, and pointed toward a crowded shop. "We've arrived, Young Master Qi."

"Since I only have one bottle of Perfume, why don't you go and purchase another, Young Master Qi? I will pay you for it."

Pi Yalu said, her expression cold and her gaze calm as she looked at Qi Yutong.

"How much money is this? Young Lady Pi, you are looking down on me. Being able to invite you out to play for this day is already my good fortune; how could I let you pay!"

Qi Yutong immediately patted his chest, and then volunteered to squeeze into the crowd.

"Line up!"

At this moment.

A Servant at the shop entrance pushed him directly back out.

"... You, how arrogant! Do you know who I am?"

Having lost face in front of the beauty, Qi Yutong was immediately dissatisfied and began to shout in front of all the customers.

The Servant was startled.

The Shopkeeper had given orders not to offend high-ranking officials and nobles.

Immediately, he looked at Qi Yutong and asked, "May I ask if you have the no-queue voucher issued by this shop?"

This was a voucher Ning Mu had specifically taught Jiang Fuling to create so as not to offend those powerful nobles; it was only gifted to the powerful who purchased Perfume.

In this way, it could maintain the order of the shop while allowing the nobles to have a good shopping experience.

Usually, when the young ladies of noble mansions came to buy Perfume, they would send maidservants or servants; after the servants reported the name of their master and it was verified, the voucher would be issued.

"What is a no-queue voucher?" Qi Yutong was stunned and asked blankly.

Let alone having seen one, he had never even heard the term.

Seeing Qi Yutong's expression, the Servant immediately withdrew his caution, waved his hand impatiently, and pushed Qi Yutong away.

"You don't even have a voucher, and you have the nerve to shout here?"

"Go, go, go. As long as there is stock, just honestly line up at the back; you will definitely be able to buy some."

The Servant said impatiently.

Qi Yutong was completely bewildered.

But Pi Yalu was watching from behind; if he lost face at this time, wouldn't he be looked down upon for nothing?

Immediately, he shouted, "My father is Qi Fangting!"

The Servant: "Even if you were the Heavenly King himself, you'd still have to line up!"

He didn't know any Qi Fangting.

The Qi Family had always intended to keep themselves behind the scenes; how could a servant like him know?

"Presumptuous!"

"I'm presumptuous? Are you going to line up or not? If you don't line up, I'll have to notify the Patrol Squad!"

The Patrol Squad was the organization specifically responsible for maintaining order in the East Market.

"Young Master Qi, let's line up. It won't take that much time, and I will line up with you."

At this moment.

Pi Yalu stepped out, nodded and apologized to the Servant with refined grace, and then looked at Qi Yutong and said.

"For the sake of Young Lady Pi, I will not lower myself to the level of a servant like you. Hmph!"

Qi Yutong could not continue to make a scene, so he had to feign composure with a cold snort, then put on a smiling face and accompanied Pi Yalu to the end of the line.

At the entrance of the entire Liuchun Pavilion, wooden poles and ropes were used to partition off a winding path that could only accommodate one person at a time.

Dozens of people were purchasing in an orderly fashion along this path.

Jiang Fuling, who was busy inside the shop, naturally noticed the scene happening outside; she originally intended to step forward and call a stop to it, as the pair of man and woman were clearly wealthy or noble, and offending them rashly would not be good.

But by the time she saw it, Pi Yalu had already stepped forward.

Seeing them consciously go to line up, she stopped worrying about it.

And as they walked forward along the winding path, Pi Yalu's eyes could not help but light up.

This queueing path was designed to reasonably utilize every inch of land.

If they had lined up straight, she feared these people would have already reached the other side of the street.

But by winding it a few times with ropes and wooden poles, it invisibly saved a large amount of space.

That is indeed a good method.

How is this shopkeeper's brain wired, to be so adept at business?

Pi Yalu became a bit more curious.

……

The day was still early.

Ning Mu walked and stopped along the way, humming a little tune, and returned to his residence.

"Old Driver, I'll take you out of the city for a stroll tomorrow."

Seeing Old Driver lying listlessly on the ground, its eyelids fluttering intermittently, Ning Mu knew it was feeling depressed from being confined for too long.

It needed to be let out to run a few laps properly before it could recover.

Hearing Ning Mu's words, Old Driver immediately lifted its eyelids, stuck out its massive tongue, and prepared to lick Ning Mu a few times.

"Don't!"

Ning Mu jumped away immediately.

Last time, he wasn't careful and let this fellow lick him; not only were his clothes shredded, but he was also covered from head to toe in its saliva!

"Little friend, this demonic beast cannot be kept in captivity; if this continues, I believe your Old Driver's Cultivation Points will regress!"

At this moment.

A cold, clear voice suddenly came from mid-air.

Ning Mu could not help but look up.

He saw that beside the residence, atop the lush and leafy giant tree, Liuli, dressed in monk's robes, was leaning against a branch with her arms crossed, looking down at him from above.

Ning Mu's heart could not help but stir slightly.

He knew that this nun had not finished her task and was waiting here specifically for him.

"Isn't the Reverend busy with matters? Why have you returned so soon?"

"I wonder, Reverend, is the sight beneath those monk's robes still the same?"

As he spoke.

Ning Mu teased with a grin, strolling leisurely and naturally to the base of the tree.

Then he looked up.

Through the light cast down by the scorching sun, shining into the layered, mottled, and dense leaves.

He vaguely seemed to see a glimmer of holy light! "I yearn for the holy light, but Reverend, you are blocking the Buddha Gate!"

(End of this chapter)