Chapter 148: As Long As You're Happy
Chapter 148: As Long As You’re Happy
In the cabin of the two-masted ship, Xu Lian instructed everyone, “Once you enter the cabin, remember to lock the door. No matter what noises you hear in the corridor, do not open the door or come out until tomorrow morning when it’s daylight. This is because supernatural beings and demons might board the ship at night.”
Except for Jiang Yunyan and the Pei family patriarch, this was the first time that the Pei family matriarch, Wang Cuiyun, Caixia, Yu Qingning, Miao Yueyue, Chuntao, Aunt Fang, and the others went on a boat. They were unaware of this rule, so Xu Lian felt it necessary to explain it to them.
Although ordinary demons and supernatural beings were no match for him with his current strength, it was better to avoid trouble whenever possible.
One of the girls from Lichun Brothel asked, “Manager Xu, should we leave a cup of blood at the door?”
Only the night patrols in Green Bamboo Town required blood, not all supernatural beings… Xu Lian didn’t want to explain it in detail, so he simply said, “There’s no need to put out blood. Once we arrive in Pingyang County, you won’t need to offer blood at night either, because there are no night patrols there. But the taboo of women not going out during the day still applies.”
The girls at the Lichun brothel were overjoyed. They could concentrate on earning money by entertaining customers at night without having to lose blood and harm their bodies. Wasn’t that pure happiness?
As for Wang Cuiyun, Caixia, Yu Qingning, and Miao Yueyue, they were already accustomed to it. Xu Lian had the privilege of blood sacrifice exemption, so they hadn’t needed to sacrifice blood for a long time.
The matriarch of the Pei family was even less concerned. The Pei family also had the privilege of exemption. Even if they didn’t, she wouldn’t be the one to offer blood – wasn’t that what the maids and servants were for?
Jiang Yunyan didn’t even need to be mentioned. If a night patrol dared to ask her for blood, she would surely kill them…
“Alright, everyone, head to your huts.”
Xu Lian subtly held onto Yu Qingning.
Yu Qingning was delighted, understanding his intention.
After everyone entered their cabin, Xu Lian checked each door to make sure it was locked. Then he took Yu Qingning’s hand and led her into an empty cabin, bolting the door behind them.
Xu Lian had chosen Yu Qingning mainly because her favorability had reached 85/100. By giving her some special attention, he could likely raise it to 90/100.
Jiang Yunyan was at 70/100, Miao Yueyue was at 75/100, and Chuntao was at 75/100. There was still a long way to go to reach 90/100, but there was no rush. He could slowly increase their popularity after arriving in Pingyang County.
Late at night.
Faint footsteps could be heard in the corridor.
Xu Lian glanced under the door and saw a pair of pale feet passing by, followed by long, wet hair. He was momentarily stunned – it might be the same female ghost he had encountered last time.
Was this a coincidence?
Or did this female ghost frequently board the ship, making it easier to run into her?
He didn’t have time to dwell on it…
The night passed without incident.
The next morning.
Xu Lian received a message about a favor.
[Note: Yu Qingning’s favorability toward you has increased from 85/100 to 90. You have gained 1 progression point, which can be allocated to Rank, skills, or items.]
Xu Lian immediately chose to allocate the point to his rank.
[Rank upgrade successful. Add 4 Joint Grass to advance to Transformation Strength Rank, Stage 3].
He took out 4 Joint Grass, held them in his hand, and silently chanted to add the materials.
[Materials added successfully. Advanced to Transformation Strength Rank, Stage 3.]
As the 4 Joint Grass turned to ash, the golden energy within his body grew stronger.
He had brought back around 500 Joint Grass from Taizhou Prefecture, preparing all the materials needed for the Transformation Strength rank. Advancing was now comfortable.
With a creak, he heard the sound of a door opening.
Under the crack of the door, Xu Lian saw a pair of pale feet pass by, followed by long, wet hair.
A moment later, there was a splash as the female ghost in red swam towards the forest on the opposite shore.
After reaching the shore, she walked barefoot on the sand, her long hair trailing behind her. As if sensing someone’s gaze, she slowly turned her head and looked toward the window of Xu Lian’s cabin, revealing an eerie smile.
Xu Lian clearly saw her face – it was identical to Yu Qingning’s…
“…”Xu Lian instinctively glanced at Yu Qingning beside him and felt a chill. Even with his current cultivation at the Transformation Strength Rank, Stage 3, the red-clothed female ghost’s illusion still affected him. This showed how unfathomable her power was.
The red-clothed female ghost walked into the misty forest, her crimson figure gradually fading into the distance until she disappeared.
Xu Lian got up and went to the deck to fetch water for the dishes. After finishing, he gathered some wood and started a fire. Using the dried meat he had brought, he cooked a pot of meat soup and called everyone to get up, wash up and have breakfast.
This gesture made everyone feel a little overwhelmed. Xu Lian didn’t have rigid ideas about hierarchy. The patriarch and matriarch of the Pei family were his parents-in-law, Wang Cuiyun was also like a mother-in-law to him, and in a way, even Aunt Fang from Lichun Brothel could be considered a mother-in-law… What was wrong with him making breakfast to show filial piety to his elders?
After everyone washed up and finished breakfast, the sun was about to rise, so they returned to the cabin. With so many women on board, it wasn’t appropriate for them to stay on deck during the day, as it could attract evil spirits.
Since everyone had gone to bed early the night before, they were well rested and not sleepy during the day. They couldn’t just rest, so they decided to have a simple gathering in the main hall of the cabin to pass the time.
Aunt Fang smiled and asked Chuntao to dance. After learning for so long, it was time to test her skills in front of everyone.
Chuntao was still a bit shy, and her face was red as she began to dance for the group.
When she finished, Xu Lian exclaimed, “Well done!” and clapped to encourage her. The others also applauded with smiles.
Chuntao was overjoyed, tears welling up in her eyes as if she had finally received recognition.
“Son-in-law, how about I show off a little too?” the Pei family patriarch said with a laugh.
Xu Lian was momentarily surprised. He hadn’t expected his father-in-law to be so “modern” as to know how to dance. He smiled and gestured for him to continue. “Please, father-in-law. We’re all eager to see.”
The Pei family patriarch took his slightly blushing wife by the hand and entered the center of the room, performing a duet.
Their dance was quite impressive, and everyone applauded.
After they finished, the Pei family patriarch said with a hint of regret, “I learned this dance when I first became the head of the Pei family. I was full of ambition and used the family’s ship pass to go to Pingyang County. I learned this dance at a brothel there, hoping to use it to befriend the young masters of the county’s prominent families and integrate myself into their circles. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet them.”
Xu Lian replied, “Now that you’re going to the county seat, father-in-law, you can stay there for a long time. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet the county’s elite families.”
What Xu Lian didn’t say was that the Pei family no longer needed to curry favor with anyone. As long as he was around, the Pei family would be considered a prominent family in Pingyang County.
Xu Lian then turned to Jiang Yunyan. “Sister, why don’t you show us your dance?”
Jiang Yunyan glared at him, but still gracefully stepped forward and began to dance a traditional hunting dance from ancient times. Everyone was mesmerized, and her performance lifted the atmosphere. If even a noble lady like her could let loose, why couldn’t the others?
Next, Aunt Fang stepped onto the stage. As she put it, she had been the belle of Green Bamboo Town in her youth, which was how she had become the madam and owner of Lichun Brothel.
Then a group dance was performed by the lively women of Lichun Brothel. The air was filled with the scent of powder and rouge, causing Caixia, Yu Qingning, and Miao Yueyue to cough repeatedly as they were not used to such strong smells.
Finally, Xu Lian himself stepped into the center and started dancing the “disco”, igniting the atmosphere and bringing it to a peak. Without a sound system, they used clapping to keep the rhythm.
At his beckoning, everyone joined in and the cabin turned into a lively dance floor…
In truth, Xu Lian had never been to a disco before, nor did he know how to dance properly. But as the saying goes, “If you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve at least seen a pig run.” Disco dancing didn’t have any strict rules – it was all about having fun.
Little did Xu Lian know… the Pei family patriarch would take the disco dance back to Pingyang County, where it would be imitated by various brothels to attract customers, sparking a disco craze in the county… But that’s a story for another time.
Everyone laughed and played and danced until noon. After lunch, they rested for a moment and then continued dancing, seemingly tireless, completely immersed in the fun.
It was understandable. Most of them came from humble backgrounds, struggling daily not only for food but also to offer blood to the night patrols. Their lives were too hard and oppressive. Even Jiang Yunyan, the daughter of a prominent family, had lived in a world of scheming and intrigue, never having the chance to let go of all her worries and relax like this before.