Chapter 350: Xiao, Again Xiao

After finishing talking about Liu Xihong and her brother, the master and servant chatted a bit more; it was getting late, so Heng Xian rose and went to his own small lodge.

However, when A Gou escorted him downstairs, he suddenly stopped, his eyes darting like a thief's: 'Sir, rest early; I'll come again tomorrow morning to attend to you!'

Heng Xian hadn't anticipated that, and went straight upstairs.

The room was lit with orange-yellow light, and nothing had changed.

"Creak——"

He pushed open the door, and a faint fragrance suddenly wafted over him; immediately three figures glided in, bowing: 'Greetings, Virtuous Young Master!'

Facing the light, he saw three beautiful girls; the leading girl, about seventeen or eighteen, had fair skin, a slender figure, she bowed slightly, revealing a snow-white neck that sparked imagination, her long eyelashes trembling slightly from nervousness.

The other two were both about sixteen or seventeen, looked identical, with delicate, handsome features, and their cheerful smiles were pleasing.

Heng Xian wasn't surprised; he had already sensed it, and had thought they were three maidservants, saying: 'Get up!'

He walked straight to the bed.

The three girls rose, exchanged a glance, their faces flushed, closed the door, and then followed behind him.

As Heng Xian walked to the bedside and was about to sit, he saw the three girls already gently undressing him.

"Um…" Heng Xian turned his head, "You… aren't you going out?"

The three girls, like startled deer, hurriedly stopped; the leading girl performed a salute, stammering: 'We, we three, are here to attend to the young master's rest!'

Heng Xian stared at the girl, feeling she was somewhat familiar, and asked: 'Are you… the courtesan Qin Qin from the Juxian Elegant Pavilion?'

The girl's face flushed red, and she again performed the salute: 'It is I!'

Heng Xian rubbed his brow: 'Who sent you here?'

Qin Qin whispered in reply: 'Chief Steward Kong San Ye, sir, rest assured; I am pure and clean!'

Heng Xian then looked at the two girls behind her.

The two girls hastily bowed: 'We are the legitimate daughters of the Shangguan Family patriarch; the Eldest Master of the Heng Family sent us here, and we too are pure and clean!'

"All of you, get out!" Heng Xian waved his hand; even though the three girls had some looks, he was used to the heavenly beauties of the sect—who wasn't a national treasure? Even someone like Tong Quezi couldn't be compared to these ordinary girls.

Having grown accustomed to pork belly, who could still stomach fried scraps?

Uncle, Kong San Ye, and the like—ultimately they were just a bit vulgar.

Qin Qin and the three girls' faces changed; they hurriedly whispered: 'We are willing to attend to you, sir!'

Heng Xian laughed in surprise: 'First meeting, why are you willing?'

Qin Qin glanced at him, her face flushing: 'Sir, you are handsome like a heavenly being, your cultivation is high, your aura unique; I like you, so I am willing.'

The two twin girls behind likewise said: 'We too, please accept us, sir!'

Is that even possible?

Heng Xian sat down: 'But I don't want to! Get out!'

The three girls' faces turned pale.

The twin sisters slowly retreated from the room.

Qin Qin, however, remained standing, gave a bitter smile: 'I know I'm not worthy of you, sir, but having been sent here, if I'm sent away again, I fear I'll have nowhere to stand in the future!'

Heng Xian exclaimed in surprise: 'Just letting you stay one night gives you a place to stay?'

Qin Qin said: 'If I stay the night, I'll have a relation with you, sir, and my mother won't blame me!'

"All right!" Heng Xian thought it over, suddenly feeling a faint stir of the heart, looked at her, and said: "I won't take your purity for nothing; you… can you play the xiao?"

Qin Qin's face reddened: 'I can, maidservant!'

Heng Xian said seriously: 'Do you know the true meaning of playing the xiao?'

Qin Qin's face reddened further: 'Of course I know, sir, rest assured.'

Heng Xian felt energized, took off his boots and lay down: 'Expertise requires specialization; a capable girl, begin!'

Qin Qin gently nodded, rose, walked to the side and washed her hands with a towel, then picked up a bowl of flower tea to rinse her mouth, and breathed on her palms to ensure there was no odd taste, only then satisfied.

Heng Xian was even more pleased; indeed a professional, she even knew oral hygiene—quite interesting.

At this moment, Qin Qin sat on the bedside, her face extremely flushed, her right hand furtively reaching for her personal bundle.

The satisfaction on Heng Xian's face began to solidify.

As expected! Qin Qin produced a greenish‑blue xiao.

Alright, I've gone through this scene many times before; the feeling of boredom and tedium instantly welled up.

"Is this what you call playing the xiao?" Heng Xian asked.

Qin Qin's face slightly changed: 'Yes, yes!'

Heng Xian asked: 'When I questioned you, why did your face turn red?'

Qin Qin, puzzled: 'I'm nervous, afraid I'll play poorly and displease you, sir!'

"Then why bother washing hands and rinsing the mouth?" Heng Xian asked.

Qin Qin earnestly replied: 'Washing hands is to prevent sweat from the palms affecting the xiao's tone; rinsing the mouth is to avoid any foreign matter staining the xiao's holes—I am a professional at playing the xiao!'

Heng Xian looked at the determined Qin Qin, speechless.

Qin Qin's face kept changing, even becoming fearful: 'I… I…'

"Alright, start blowing—after all these years I've never really listened properly!" Heng Xian sat cross‑legged and began to meditate.

Qin Qin carefully watched him, her eyes complex—unknown whether disappointment or relief—then gently began to blow the xiao.

……

Starting the next day, the entire Donglan City saw major families, major powers, major loose cultivators, and merchant houses—almost without exception—flocking to the City Lord's Mansion to visit the worthy young master.

The Heng family was received uniformly by the eldest brother, Heng Wei; of course, no one got to see Heng Xian.

But everyone just meant to show their respect; as long as the intention was conveyed, it didn't matter whether they actually got to see the Worthy Young Master.

In the front hall of the Heng residence, it was bustling from early morning until afternoon, and only then were all the visitors who had come to pay their respects finally seen off.

Elder Heng Wei took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then looked toward Kong San Ye to the side: "Has Young Master Xian not left his room yet?"

Kong San Ye laughed: "Last night, Miss Qin Qin and that handsome pair of twin sisters from the Shangguan Family were sent over, but Young Master Xian drove the twin sisters away, leaving only Miss Qin Qin!"

"My nephew... ultimately is interested in courtesans and doesn't like proper young ladies!" Heng Wei thought of his nephew Ye Yu Shiba's past deeds, shook his head, "Are they still sleeping?"

Kong San Ye replied: "No, just now A Gou sent word that there has been a faint flute sound coming from Young Master Xian's room!"

Heng Wei wondered: "Flute sound? Go take a look, and by the way tell him about the matter!"

The two left the parlor and headed straight for East Garden.

Upon reaching the courtyard of East Garden, they indeed heard a breathless, almost inaudible flute sound coming from upstairs in Heng Xian's room, while A Gou waited downstairs with his head down and eyes drooping.

Heng Wei glanced at the sun, cleared his throat lightly, and called out: "Young Master Xian, wake up—I have something to tell you!"

Inside the room, Heng Xian opened his eyes, glanced at Qin Qin beside him, and saw that the girl had been playing the flute all night and half a day, over ten hours, her complexion pallid, lips slightly swollen, her body swaying as if about to collapse.

He couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed, having lost track of time in his cultivation, and said: "Stop now!"

Qin Qin, as if granted a pardon, finally set down her flute, took a deep breath, lowered her head slightly, her face full of resentment.

Heng Xian thought for a moment, produced a priceless gem and tossed it over: "You've worked hard, go back now!"

"Thank you, Young Master!" Qin Qin received it, her composed demeanor touched with a hint of joy, and her earlier resentment vanished.

The two went downstairs together.

Heng Wei, Kong San Ye, A Gou, and the others watched Qin Qin's swollen cherry lips, then glanced at a certain part of Heng Xian, and drew a sharp breath.

However, they were also puzzled: then... who was playing the flute?

Could it really have been playing the flute all night?

After seeing Miss Qin Qin off, Heng Wei's expression turned solemn, and he said: "Young Master Xian, I actually came to talk to you about the Sun Family!"

Heng Xian gestured to go sit in the parlor, the maid served tea, and then he asked: "How so?"

Heng Wei said: "From this morning until now, over ten minor clans, over twenty independent cultivators, and 126 shops in the city have come to pay visits with gifts; even the prestigious Pill Refining Alliance and Artifact Refining Alliance have sent noble pill refiners and artifact refiners to make a showing, after all, you are one of them!"

"But the Sun Family alone remained unmoved, showing no reaction at all!"

Heng Xian took a leisurely sip of tea: "Simple—if they won't come see me, I'll go see them!"

……

At that moment, in the Sun Family Mansion, the family head SunHeShan, SunBuKong, and a group of elders were anxiously pacing back and forth.

It wasn't that they didn't want to visit Young Master Xian, but the family has long been suppressed by the Heng Family, truly unable to grow; lowering their heads now would likely dash any hope of the family's future rise!

"Have all the major and minor powers in the city gone?" SunHeShan asked.

"They all have!" an elder replied confidently.

SunHeShan clapped his hands, paced back and forth, and looked at an elder: "Has Bu Fan sent back any news?"

That elder, face full of anxiety: "Judging by the time, it should be soon!"

"Soon is good!" SunHeShan breathed a sigh of relief.

SunBuKong gritted his teeth: "He is a chief disciple of the Great Sect, and Bu Fan is also a chief disciple of the Great Sect; I've heard that Lingtai Mountain is even more formidable than Tianyuan Sect—once Bu Fan brings news, he will naturally..."

Before he could finish, he noticed someone had appeared on the chair beside him: "Naturally what?"

(End of chapter)