Chapter 2

Song Qingshi, to avoid suspicion, first gathered the Midnight Snow Ginseng before heading to Langgan Terrace to find someone.

Langgan Terrace, a monument to extravagant luxury, towered into the clouds. Here, Jin Feiren hosted a small flower-viewing banquet, inviting a dozen close friends to enjoy the beauty and dance. Upon seeing the Medicine King Immortal Lord arrive, he was overjoyed and immediately offered him the seat of honor. The surrounding cultivators, eager to curry favor with the foremost physician of the immortal realm, also stirred with interest.

Song Qingshi, terrified of speaking to strangers, fixed his gaze downwards, his mind a blank. He silently recited courses on human anatomy, physiology, and laboratory mouse breeding protocols twice, finally regaining the composure of a top medical student.

The original body harbored two divine flames: the Red Lotus Mystic Fire for alchemy and the Nether Flame for killing.

Song Qingshi adopted an icy demeanor, keeping others at bay. He released the Nether Flame into his palm, letting it dance and shift into various shapes between his fingertips. Soul Formation and Unity Realm elders were the bedrock of their sects, rarely venturing out. Nascent Soul cultivators were already formidable figures who could traverse the immortal realm unimpeded. Moreover, the path of cultivation was fraught with peril; no one could guarantee they wouldn't someday need a divine physician's aid. Thus, cultivators from both righteous and demonic paths were unwilling to easily offend the Master of Medicine Valley, much less mind his eccentric temperament. Upon seeing the Nether Flame, the assembled cultivators understood his foul mood and hastily retreated, not daring to approach. Even the maids and immortal attendants kept their distance, fearing they might accidentally provoke the Master and be tainted by that deadly flame.

Song Qingshi successfully cleared a large, quiet space around himself, thwarting any attempts at conversation. Then, he unleashed the powerful Divine Sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator, swiftly enveloping all the beautiful attendants at the banquet, scrutinizing them carefully in search of the protagonist uke. However, beauty standards varied wildly—some preferred plump figures, others slender ones; some favored elegance, others charm. Song Qingshi’s discernment was, at best, questionable. Soon, his eyes swam from the sheer variety, finding every single one of them beautiful. Even the water-serving attendants were graceful and alluring, more stunning than celebrities on TV, making it impossible to determine who was superior.

The tenacious scholar would never admit defeat! He wouldn’t panic even when tackling the Goldbach Conjecture!

Song Qingshi attempted to solve the problem using the elimination method. First, he confirmed the protagonist uke was male, ruling out all the female beauties at the banquet. Then, he listed his observations, boldly hypothesizing and cautiously verifying, eliminating those who didn’t fit the criteria one by one.

The twin brothers playing the zither and drums were exquisitely beautiful, like polished jade, their smiles tender as water—two identical lotus blossoms on a single stem.

The protagonist uke couldn’t be two people. Crossed out.

The wine-serving youth was also incredibly adorable, with a sweet voice and a talent for coquetry, winning him the doting favor of the Immortal Masters at the banquet. They indulged his every whim, even feeding him precious immortal fruits while calling him “darling.”

The protagonist uke was supposed to have a tragic fate. Crossed out.

The beauty performing the water-sleeve dance on stage had a flat chest and slender waist, their coy glances making it hard to discern their gender.

The protagonist uke probably didn’t look like this…

……

The immortal music transitioned into a more suggestive melody, and the dancers’ movements grew bolder, full of provocation.

The young sect master of the Moon Veil Sect, intoxicated and uninhibited, grabbed a cup of wine and tried to pull a beauty into his embrace, forcing them to drink together.

As a body-refining cultivator, his drunken strength was uncontrolled, all but crushing the beauty’s shoulder. The beauty cried out in pain, their wine cup shattering on the ground. Ashen with terror, they trembled and immediately knelt to apologize, “This slave was wrong.”

The young sect master shook his head in disappointment. “How tedious.”

Jin Feiren apologized, “The young sect master speaks truly. So worthless a beauty is hardly worth keeping.”

Realizing the danger, the beauty’s eyes welled with tears as they desperately kowtowed, their forehead soon streaked with blood.

The young sect master smiled. “How noisy.”

“Tonight is my banquet. How could we allow such a disturbance?” Jin Feiren produced a crimson bead and activated it. The beauty’s pleas abruptly ceased. Then, against their will, they stood up, their features contorted in resistance, and walked like a puppet to the edge of the high terrace before plunging down without pause.

Song Qingshi gaped in horrified astonishment, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The young sect master noticed his stunned expression and asked with amusement, “Is this the first time Immortal Lord Song has seen a slave branded with the Pleasure Seal?”

Song Qingshi nodded reflexively.

The young sect master explained, “The Pleasure Seal was created by the Blissful Immortal. A master can imprint it on a slave’s back, granting them complete control over both the slave’s body and soul. Without the master’s permission, the slave cannot even choose death. Just now, Manor Lord Jin used the Divine Sense Bead to order that worthless one to leap off the terrace, sparing us the disturbance.”

After hearing this, Song Qingshi finally retrieved the knowledge about the Pleasure Seal from the original body’s memories. It was a mark used by immortal realm cultivators to control slaves, imprinted on low-ranking cultivators or mortals. Those branded with it could not betray their masters, no matter how inhumanely they were treated. Some cultivators used it to torture or butcher slaves for sport, forcing them to struggle in hell. Beautiful slaves suffered even worse fates—it was an abomination.

However…

Purchasing mortal slaves and branding them with the seal was a legal trade in the immortal realm.

Because the mortal world had meager spiritual energy, mortals had short lifespans, and even those with spiritual roots were extremely weak—attaining Foundation Establishment was already a herculean feat. Some kind-hearted cultivators accepted mortal disciples, offering them a chance at immortality. Ten thousand years ago, there had even been a mortal named Mo Yuan, whose talent was unparalleled. Through sword mastery alone, he cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, devising unparalleled Sword Arts that could rival Soul Formation ancestors, earning him the title of Sword Sovereign. But the path of cultivation was a defiance of heaven's will, fraught with hardship. Failed tribulations were common, and treasure-motivated killings were commonplace—moral constraints were difficult to enforce.

Weakness was the original sin. Mortals were like ants, at the mercy of immortal realm cultivators, who could toy with their lives at will.

Even if the Mo Yuan Sword Sovereign wished to protect them, the most he could do was persuade the righteous sects of the immortal realm to establish rules, recognizing mortals who reached Foundation Establishment as cultivators rather than slaves or playthings. But heretical sects and wicked cultivators cared nothing for rules. Whether mortal or immortal, those who fell into their hands suffered terribly—their depravities defied enumeration.

Though Jin Feiren had an infamous predilection for beauties and employed sadistically creative methods to torment his slaves, the Golden Phoenix Manor was considered part of the righteous sects. Every slave here was a purchased mortal, and no matter how distasteful others found it, they could not interfere.

Disgusted, Song Qingshi felt a flicker of relief that the system had assigned him a non-mortal identity. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived two chapters, much less rescued the protagonist uke.

Thankfully, this was just a fictional world…

Novels were heresy—textbooks were the righteous path! The professor had been right to confiscate those romance novels in class! If he ever became a professor, he’d ban students from reading novels too, lest their morals be corrupted!

Song Qingshi lamented silently.

……

All the beauties at the banquet served the honored guests with trembling fear, terrified of making another mistake.

Pearls tarnished, hairpins shattered.

The extravagant feast finally reached its climax.

Disciples of the Golden Phoenix Manor dimmed the luminous pearls in the hall, plunging the Langgan Terrace into darkness.

The guests looked up in surprise as spells streaked through the air like fireworks, blossoming into a radiant golden phoenix that danced gracefully, heralding the true performance of the Flower Banquet. Jin Feiren raised his cup, inviting the guests to enjoy the spectacle once more.

Song Qingshi marveled at the beauty of the phoenix dance, watching for a long while before noticing the white-clad youth who had appeared beside Jin Feiren.

The youth was extraordinarily pure and delicate, like bamboo in the mountains or the moon in the sky. His lowered brows were veiled in frost, his ink-black hair tied back with a single ribbon, devoid of any other adornment—yet effortlessly capturing everyone’s gaze, leaving them enchanted.

The tall, handsome manor lord smiled as he gently traced the youth’s palm, whispering sweet promises of treasures to coax a smile from him.

But the youth turned away, refusing to spare him even a glance no matter how he teased and cajoled.

Jin Feiren forcibly turned his head back, pinning his hands behind his back with one hand before pulling him into a tight embrace. He kissed his forehead, his nose… then bit down hard on his lips, as if intent on devouring him whole. The youth winced in pain and struggled, but Jin Feiren laughed and released him, leaning close to whisper in his ear, “Do you still need to learn manners?”

The youth stiffened for a moment before ceasing his struggles and obediently settling into Jin Feiren’s lap.

Was this the protagonist uke?

Song Qingshi observed him for a long time, finally suppressing his social anxiety enough to attempt an inquiry. But before he could speak, the Venerable Lingbao, who was on close terms with Jin Feiren, approached and asked with a smile, “Is this the new treasure the manor lord has acquired? A pure Yin constitution, Water Single Spiritual Root? How about gifting him to me for a taste tonight?”

Jin Feiren glanced at the youth’s humiliated expression, gave him a squeeze, and declined with a laugh, “Though he’s just a plaything, he suits my tastes too well to part with. Later, I’ll send you a few exquisite beauties—their constitutions are excellent, and they’re untouched.”

The Venerable Lingbao studied the youth closely. “Your treasure is still a virgin?”

Jin Feiren replied, “I don’t wish to treat him as an ordinary slave.”

In the immortal realm, beautiful slaves could hardly escape a fate of being toyed with. The lucky ones became concubines; the unlucky ones were little better than courtesans, passed around to serve guests with their bodies. Even if things grew excessively debauched, it was merely considered the master’s romantic affairs—at most, they’d be teased for their wild and amusing tastes.

Tonight, Song Qingshi had heard enough indecent talk to last a lifetime, learning things he both should and shouldn’t know.

Watching Jin Feiren personally pour wine for the youth, he grew uncertain if this was the protagonist uke. Though the white-clad youth seemed more captivating than the other beauties present, the system had emphasized that the protagonist uke needed rescuing precisely because of his tragic fate. Yet Jin Feiren appeared quite fond of the youth, and every other beauty at the banquet seemed far worse off…

Song Qingshi’s head ached from the mental strain…

Just then, the phoenix in the sky finished its dance, descending in a trail of light back to the banquet.

The radiance faded, revealing a massive golden bird stand carved with intricate designs on Langgan Terrace. Upon it sat a breathtaking beauty of peerless elegance. An anklet inlaid with seven treasures encircled his fair ankle, connected by delicate golden chains to either side of the stand. His upper body was draped in nearly translucent sheer silk, faintly revealing the alluring adornments of gold, pearls, and jade beneath. Below, he wore a long skirt shaped like phoenix tail feathers, woven from golden-red plumes. His slightly curled long hair cascaded freely, adorned with pearls of varying sizes—tears of merfolk—while the seductive Pleasure Seal on his back peeked through his tresses, flickering in and out of view with the breeze. He was as breathtaking as a phoenix painted in rich hues, a peony in full splendor.

In his hand, he held an emerald-green jade flute, his thin lips parting slightly with an innate allure. His dark golden phoenix eyes, amused, swept across the room in greeting, while the tiny crimson teardrop mole beneath his eye teased the hearts of all who beheld him. Song Qingshi straightened in his seat—he recognized this as the red-robed beauty he had seen by the riverbank.

The red-robed beauty’s gaze brushed past Song Qingshi, lingering only briefly before sliding away as if they were strangers.

Song Qingshi glanced left at the white-robed youth, pure as the bright moon, then right at the red-robed beauty, resplendent as a peony in full bloom. He panicked—who was more beautiful, who was the true protagonist uke?

The system teacher’s test question was too difficult…

Was Song Xueba about to fail?