Chapter 6 Entering Yaotai Residence

Chapter 6: Entering the Yaotai Residence

A sparrow fluttered down onto the small window of the cell, shaking its damp little head.

A faint light spilled through the window, casting a golden hue over Chu Jiubian's silver-white hair.

The pent-up frustration in Qin Xiao's chest dissipated. He rubbed the emerald thumb ring, his gaze fixed intently on Chu Jiubian.

The young man's black, fluffy hair framed a pale, delicate face, his light-colored eyes distant and devoid of emotion. Even in coarse linen, he seemed like a celestial being, aloofly observing the mortal world below.

Yet, a distinct, mottled bluish-purple palm print on his slender neck, shocking to behold, abruptly pulled him down from his divine pedestal into the mundane world.

Qin Xiao suppressed his shock and suspicion. "You win," he said.

Chu Jiubian remained expressionless, offering no reply.

From the moment he decided to impersonate a deity, he had begun to immerse himself in the role.

He was a method actor, whose skills were often compared to those of seasoned veterans in the industry.

Having originally transmigrated as a demigod high priest, playing a deity descending to the mortal world for trials was not overly challenging.

In stark contrast to their calm reactions, Qin Zhaoyang, hidden in the shadows, felt his heart pound wildly.

Hearing about "miracles" from others paled in comparison to the shock of witnessing one firsthand.

It was rain! A celestial phenomenon!

Chu Jiubian had actually predicted it!

What an ability! To call it a miracle was no exaggeration!

Qin Zhaoyang's emotions took a long time to settle, but his strong self-control allowed him to maintain a neutral expression, concealing the profound shock in his heart.

After staring intently at Chu Jiubian for a moment, Qin Xiao walked to the cell door and gently tugged on the heavy bronze lock.

Click.

The lock sprang open.

The ease with which he opened such a sturdy lock with brute force alone demonstrated his immense strength.

Chu Jiubian slowly blinked. It seemed the other man truly hadn't intended to kill him yesterday—otherwise, his neck wouldn't have been as resilient as that bronze lock.

Qin Xiao tossed the lock aside, pushed open the cell door, and smiled at Chu Jiubian. "Please."

Chu Jiubian knew Qin Xiao wouldn't release him so easily; he was merely being moved to another location for continued house arrest. But as long as he could interact with more people, even servants, he could quickly gain followers and accumulate Faith Points.

No matter what the future held, the only things he could rely on now were himself and the system.

Moreover, he was very interested in the system's shop and the "Divine Realm" function, so he needed to collect Faith Points quickly.

After leaving the prison and stepping onto the palace path, Qin Xiao walked faster and faster, leaving Qin Zhaoyang to guide Chu Jiubian.

Qin Zhaoyang truly lived up to being Qin Xiao's most capable assistant. Without specific instructions, he knew exactly how to arrange things for Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian followed him forward.

Glancing ahead, he saw a man in a deep purple official robe walking quickly but calmly dozens of meters away. Just from his back, one could tell he was shrewd and confident, as if he had everything under control.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze.

Qin Xiao and the young emperor were adversaries.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Chu Jiubian felt it necessary to build a good relationship with the young emperor. Not only did the emperor eventually have the ability to overthrow Qin Xiao, but his status as the "male lead" also made him the most powerful ally in this world.

However, the young emperor was only three years old, and Qin Xiao was just twenty-five, freshly empowered and eager to make his mark. Thus, Chu Jiubian couldn't afford to provoke him, at least not confront him directly.

Otherwise, within the palace, Qin Xiao could easily have him killed without lifting a finger.

So, until he had the means to protect himself, he needed to navigate carefully around Qin Xiao and build a good relationship.

Moreover, with Qin Xiao currently holding great power, if he could win his trust and prove useful, Qin Xiao might even offer him an official position.

In such a ruthless era, without any combat skills and with the system's items being as dangerous as a child carrying gold, only by holding power could Chu Jiubian truly protect himself.

Therefore, what Chu Jiubian needed most now was to get close to Qin Xiao, make him believe he was a "deity," and even make Qin Xiao see them as allies on the same side, with Chu Jiubian able to genuinely assist him. Only then would their alliance be solid.

So, as a deity, he couldn't remain aloof on a divine pedestal—instead, he had to stand alongside Qin Xiao and engage in power struggles with him.

This wasn't solely to make Qin Xiao believe in him; it was also for Chu Jiubian's own sake.

He knew better than anyone that he wasn't a real deity. Thus, his means of self-protection couldn't rely solely on the system or on others' worship—that was too intangible.

Even genuine deities could be abandoned, blamed, or rebelled against by their followers for various reasons...

Especially since Chu Jiubian was an impostor. He should remember the many historical precedents of "deities" being overthrown.

What he could rely on was tangible power.

Power, status, wealth, arms—everything that could protect him even without his divine identity.

Therefore, he had to find a way to secure a solid position and power within "human society." He had to become an official, and not just any minor official.

Only then could he utilize the knowledge in his mind without fear of becoming an endlessly exploited prisoner.

Chu Jiubian glanced at the tall figure ahead, his eyes darkening.

The three walked along the winding palace path. Occasionally, eunuchs and palace maids they encountered would kneel quietly on both sides of the path upon seeing Qin Xiao from afar, not daring to rise until he had passed.

At first, Chu Jiubian would glance at them, but after seeing such scenes repeatedly, he stopped paying special attention.

After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they parted ways with Qin Xiao. Then, after walking for another quarter of an hour, Chu Jiubian was led to his destination—the Yaotai Residence.

It was a modest-sized courtyard, with the yard, two main rooms, and two side rooms totaling less than two hundred square meters. It was clean and well-kept, suggesting the servants hadn't slacked off.

Then again, the courtyard was less than a quarter-hour's walk from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the young emperor and Qin Xiao resided. No one would dare neglect it.

Noticing their arrival, five palace maids and eunuchs in court attire immediately emerged from various parts of the courtyard, bowing and quickly kneeling to the side.

"This was once the residence of Consort Duan. It's very close to the Hall of Mental Cultivation," Qin Zhaoyang said to Chu Jiubian, ignoring the servants. "Moreover, the courtyard is named Yaotai Residence, which suits your status very well."

Yaotai—the legendary dwelling of immortals—was indeed quite fitting for Chu Jiubian.

This was undoubtedly intentional on Qin Xiao's part. Whether he truly believed Chu Jiubian was a deity or was simply teasing him with the name remained unknown.

Chu Jiubian felt speechless inside but maintained a calm demeanor. "Thank you."

Qin Zhaoyang offered a polite remark, then glanced at the few figures kneeling not far away and called out loudly, "Hong Xiang."

"Your servant is here," the one kneeling at the front of the five immediately rose, bowed, and hurried over, paying respects to Qin Zhaoyang and Chu Jiubian in turn.

"This..." Qin Zhaoyang wanted to address Chu Jiubian but realized he didn’t know his name. Instead of asking, he said, "Young master, this Xiao Xiangzi is quite useful. From now on, he will run errands for you. You can assign him any tasks you need done."

Chu Jiubian studied the young eunuch before him.

Dressed in dark green palace attire, the eunuch appeared to stand less than five foot seven, with a youthful face that made him look like a teenager of thirteen or fourteen.

The young eunuch knelt again, kowtowed to Chu Jiubian, and said clearly, "Young master, from now on, Xiao Xiangzi will devote himself to serving you."

"Your name is Hong Xiang?" Chu Jiubian asked.

"Yes."

"Rise."

The young eunuch stood up and quietly stepped aside without another word, displaying excellent discipline.

Hong Xiang.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but think of Eunuch Hong Fu, who served the young emperor. He wondered if there was any connection between that eunuch and this young Eunuch Hong assigned to him.

One thing was certain: this young Eunuch Hong, along with the other four servants in the courtyard, were undoubtedly under Qin Xiao’s command.

Naturally, there were also several hidden eyes watching Chu Jiubian closely from around the courtyard—likely the Qin family’s covert guards.

"Please settle in peacefully, young master. His Lordship should come to see you once he has some free time," Qin Zhaoyang said.

Though he appeared gentle and polite, and his words seemed considerate, there was always an underlying meaning to everything he said, leaving room for interpretation.

Like now, the implied message was clearly for Chu Jiubian to stay quietly in the courtyard and wait for Qin Xiao to visit whenever he pleased.

After inspecting and confirming that everything in the courtyard was properly arranged, Qin Zhaoyang took his leave.

Chu Jiubian took the opportunity to explore his temporary residence: two main rooms, two side wings, and a small kitchen at the back.

Everything was well-prepared, and Chu Jiubian had considerable freedom within the courtyard.

He tentatively walked toward the courtyard gate, with Hong Xiang following closely behind. Just as Chu Jiubian was about to step outside, the eunuch predictably stopped him, saying, "Young master, His Lordship has ordered that you are not to leave the courtyard."

So it was house arrest.

Still, he had food, drink, and comfortable lodging, so Chu Jiubian wasn’t going to complain.

Having missed lunch earlier in the prison, he was now feeling hungry and said, "Get me something to eat and heat some water for a bath."

"Yes," Xiao Xiangzi replied, then turned to instruct another young eunuch.

The young eunuch hurried toward the kitchen.

The thought of eating meat paste or coarse rice porridge again made Chu Jiubian’s stomach churn, but with his throat still injured, he really could only manage soups and liquids.

He found himself thinking of delicious stir-fried dishes, which naturally led him to think of iron pots.

But nowadays, iron ore was used for making weapons—how could it be spared for something like an iron pot?

Well, there would be opportunities eventually.

The rain had stopped, and the harsh summer sun and stifling heat returned. Chu Jiubian looked up at the sky before entering the main room.

The outer part of the main room served as a study and reception area, while the inner part was the bedroom. The entire space was elegantly and delicately arranged, with few decorations—none overly extravagant, but all were just right.

Chu Jiubian walked to the desk and saw that ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones were all provided, but the paper was coarse and yellowish, nothing like modern white paper.

Moreover, there was very little paper, while the bookshelf was filled with scrolls of bamboo slips.

So, paper must still be a rarity in this era. The art of papermaking was likely controlled by noble families or vassal princes, making it expensive and accessible only to the aristocracy.

If he could make paper himself...

Chu Jiubian immediately dismissed the thought.

Not to mention that papermaking would threaten the foundations of noble families—even things like glass and soap were off-limits for now.

So what could he do?

"Young master, the water is ready. Would you like to bathe now?" Hong Xiang’s voice pulled Chu Jiubian out of his thoughts.

He acknowledged and stood up, heading toward the bedroom.

A half-person-high wooden tub was prepared, with warm water gently rippling inside.

Chu Jiubian took off his clothes and stepped into the tub. Under the bright daylight, faint, irregular scars were visible on his body.

He didn’t ask for assistance, but Xiao Xiangzi remained outside the screen, not only to be on call but also to keep an eye on him.

Perhaps because it had grown hot again after the rain stopped, Hong Xiang outside the screen was fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.

Chu Jiubian stared blankly at the flickering fan shadow on the screen, then suddenly his eyes lit up.

That’s right—he could make ice!

This era likely already had saltpeter, and water was plentiful. Neither would require much effort, and he could enjoy the ice immediately, unlike something impractical like glass.

Most importantly, even if others learned the principle behind this "miracle," he wouldn’t care.

In fact, he even wanted to spread the method far and wide under his own name—something like the "Jiubian Ice-Making Method."

His reputation would surely grow, and so would his Faith Points.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t wait to start making ice right away.

"Xiao Xiangzi," he called out.

"Your servant is here," Xiao Xiangzi immediately stood up and emerged from behind the screen.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his arms from the edge of the tub and sank deeper into the water, exposing only his neck and above.

"What instructions do you have, young master?" Xiao Xiangzi asked respectfully.

Chu Jiubian: "Do you know what saltpeter is?"

"Saltpeter?" Xiao Xiangzi looked puzzled. "I do not know, but I can inquire for you."

"Good, then please ask around for me," Chu Jiubian said gently.

"Yes, I will go at once, Young Master." Xiao Xiangzi turned and left the bedroom, calling for another young attendant to serve Chu Jiubian.

Naturally, Chu Jiubian could not allow a young girl to help him dress or wash, so he instructed her to wait behind the screen instead.

After washing up, he merely towel-dried his hair casually before changing into fresh clothes.

The round-collared, dark blue robe resembled the official attire of the Ming Dynasty from his original era, embroidered with silver-lined auspicious cloud patterns. The red inner garment's collar was visible above the round collar, offsetting the somberness of the dark blue and adding a touch of brightness.

The fabric, too, was brocade from the inside out, a significant improvement over the coarse linen that had previously chafed Chu Jiubian’s delicate skin.

After fastening a dark waistband, Chu Jiubian walked into the outer chamber with his hair still damp and took a seat at the dining table.

Lunch had just been delivered and was still warm.

To his pleasant surprise, the main dish was a vegetable and egg soup—far better than the meat stew he had nearly grown sick of.

Chu Jiubian drank three bowls of the soup in one go.

Just then, Xiao Xiangzi, who had run off to inquire about saltpeter, returned. Grinning, his dimples showing, he said, "Young Master, Qin Xiao says the saltpeter you need is available in the palace. He will bring it to you personally once he has a moment."

Chu Jiubian glanced at him.

So he didn't even pretend and went straight to report to Qin Xiao, did he?

Well, that was fine. Since everyone was already aware, it was better to be open about it.

But still, had Qin Xiao agreed so easily? Without even asking what he needed the saltpeter for?

Chu Jiubian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"Young Master, this bottle of medicinal oil was asked by Qin Xiao for me to give you." Xiao Xiangzi produced a small porcelain vial from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "I will apply it for you shortly."

Was Qin Xiao being this kind?

Chu Jiubian raised a hand to touch his neck—the pain was indeed still there, and the burning sensation in his throat felt even worse than yesterday, likely due to some swelling and inflammation.

Still, such symptoms were perfectly normal after being choked, and he knew from experience they would subside on their own in a few days.

He reached for the medicinal oil, wondering inwardly if it might be poison—something Qin Xiao could use to control him.

"Host, the system has automatically scanned and detected the suspicious item. It is confirmed to be functional medicinal oil, effective for promoting blood circulation and reducing bruising."

The system actually had such a function!

His eyes gleamed. Did this mean he would never have to worry about being poisoned from now on?

"Host, the detection function is a premium feature. One Faith Point has been deducted for this automatic scan. If you need to detect other items, you may directly call upon the system to initiate a transaction."

Chu Jiubian: "..."

You deducted it without even asking me!

He glanced painfully at his remaining Faith Points. He himself had only bought half a box of medicine, yet the system had casually deducted a whole point.

It seemed he needed to collect Faith Points quickly.

The plan for using saltpeter to make ice would take some time, and its effectiveness was uncertain. If Qin Xiao ended up stealing the credit for it, his Faith Points would be lost.

It was unwise to put all eggs in one basket.

Chu Jiubian paced slowly around the room until he reached the bookshelf by the wall. He picked up a bamboo scroll at random and found it to be a collection of poetry.

Flipping through it quickly, he noticed that the poems already followed basic structures like meter and rhyme schemes, yet none matched those from his original world.

An idea sparked in his mind. He looked up at the maids and eunuchs attending him in the room—their demeanor and etiquette were refined, and their speech suggested they were literate.

Since they were literate, they likely had some appreciation for poetry, right?

According to the original story, this era saw significant development in poetry, as evidenced by this collection. Moreover, the Da Ning Dynasty upheld the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, placing literati and poets in a position of clear prestige.

If he could make his existence known to these scholars first, he might just earn some Faith Points.

Having just descended to the mortal realm, it would be perfectly reasonable for Chu Jiubian to copy the works of his celestial friends out of nostalgia, wouldn’t it?

And his friends, naturally, were the Immortal Poet Li Bai and the Divine Poet Su Shi, who resided with him in the celestial realm.

Their poetry, introduced into this era where verse had already flourished, would not seem out of place but rather exceptionally precious and awe-inspiring.

Reverence and faith were often inseparable. By convincing everyone that these poems were composed by his celestial friends, he could further solidify his identity as a "deity."

Moreover, even if Qin Xiao didn’t believe he was a god, he would at least realize that Chu Jiubian was not alone and would thus fear the "friends" backing him, deterring him from acting recklessly.

Chu Jiubian turned to Xiao Xiangzi and asked, "Xiao Xiangzi, have you been educated? Can you read?"

"I studied for a few years under my master," Xiao Xiangzi replied honestly. "My master is Hong Fu, Chief Eunuch serving His Majesty."

As expected.

Chu Jiubian added, "Then help me grind the ink. I wish to write something."