Chapter 25: Women and strategy

Mei Lian was the thirtieth daughter of an elder of the Soaring Sword Sect, yet that grand title masked a much humbler truth. Her mother had been a commoner, an innkeeper’s daughter who had nursed her father back to health after he was wounded outside the sect’s mountain gates during a mission.

It was a liaison born of fleeting gratitude on his part and hope on hers— a brief affair that had resulted in her birth. But being a daughter of a big shot cultivator was no blessing for her.

Her brother and sister, children of her father’s favoured wives, had the elder’s pride; she had only his name and, occasionally, a monthly allowance— a gift from a man who viewed her as one of his many, many obligations.

Even the day after it was discovered that she had some spark of cultivation talent, her father still gave her no extra attention.

Unlike her siblings, she had average skills and wasn't even admitted to the sect proper.

“A flower blooming on dry earth,” her father had called her, with a strange, cool distance that made her heart shrivel as she bowed before him.

So, Mei Lian had turned from cultivation, her spirit bound not to lofty dreams of immortality but to simpler delights.

When her mother lamented her lack of ambition, Mei Lian countered that the pursuit of life’s pleasures was, in itself, a noble quest. Pretty dresses, laughter with friends, glances from young men, the hum of a flute at a late-night party— she clung to these things as fiercely as her siblings clung to their swords and scrolls.

Yet, recently, she’d found herself drawn again and again to a place as humble as her mother’s inn had once been: a small tea shop in the centre of the city.

The shop had a warmth to it, the air filled with the fragrance of fresh tea leaves and ink-stained parchment. The source that took her attention, however, was not the tea itself but the stories told within its walls by an unusual young man named Chen Ren.

Chen Ren was hardly remarkable at first glance other than his face— average in stature, his robes plain like a normal cultivator. Yet he had the mind of a genius author.

She had fallen in love with his novel ‘Liang Shan’ and ‘Hua Yun’, the tale of romance, valour and tragedy igniting a wistful longing in Mei Lian's heart, one she hadn't known she possessed. But it was only a start.

Once he had found out that he had a small following, Chen Ren had started talking about different stories everyday. Out of all of them, she liked one named ‘Ci De Rel' the best.

Even if the name was strange, the contents of it were like one of a dream about a concubine's daughter's romance with a prince, and hearing Chen Ren talk about it made her feel like such a thing had really happened once.

She’d found herself attending his readings daily, not just to hear the tales of love and tragedy but to watch the easy way he commanded his audience’s attention.

Each line, each carefully well-thought word seemed to echo through her mind even long after she’d left the shop. And every time the tea shop’s seats got filled with other affluent young ladies, she was one of the first to listen to his tales, and in some small way, that made her feel special. It gave her a sense of pride.

This afternoon, she made her way to the tea shop with light steps again, her heart lifting in anticipation.

As she entered, she found him where she had hoped, seated at the centre of a captivated crowd.

Chen Ren’s presence was magnetic, and though he sat with effortless calm, his gaze was unwavering. He answered each question thrown his way with his eyes alight, taking time to select his words before telling— no, beautifully crafting yet another story. It was clear he revelled in his role as the shop’s storyteller.

Around him, young ladies of various stations leaned forward, and some young men sat a short distance away, casting envious glances at him and, occasionally, at her as she entered.

She caught a few of those glances herself but brushed them aside, making her way toward Chen Ren. The voices softened as she drew near, and though he barely acknowledged her at first, she could almost feel his awareness of her presence.

Today, perhaps, there would be another story that would keep her up at night in her delusions.

As Mei Lian approached Chen Ren, she halted, catching an unexpected sweetness in the air.

It was faint at first, like the barest hint of spring blossoms, but as she stepped closer, the scent grew stronger and richer, wrapping around her senses until she could barely think of anything else.

Her eyes flickered down to the wooden bottles arranged before him, each one assembled neatly, with swirling patterns along their polished surfaces that signed at something rare and precious within. She noticed the symbol of a golden coin and dragon etched on their surface. 𝖗Α𝐍o͍ʙĚ𝓢

Chen Ren’s gaze caught hers, and he lifted a hand in greeting, his lips curving into a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

“Mei Lian,” he called, his voice warm and inviting. “You’re finally here. I have something to show you.”

She approached with curiosity, unable to resist asking, “Is it... perfume you’re wearing? I haven’t smelled anything quite like it.”

Chen Ren’s smile deepened, and he gave a small, knowing nod.

“Of course you haven’t,” he replied. “You remember that scene from the

‘Liang Shan’ and ‘Hua Yun’

story I told last month, the one where Hua Yun wore a special fragrance during her second meeting with Liang Shan?”

The memory sprang to life in her mind— the daring mission that brought the star-crossed couple together, the female lead’s bold choice to wear a rare perfume that left the male lead captivated, their paths colliding in secret under the moonlight.

“Yes, I remember,” she murmured, recalling how she and the other girls had sighed over the romantic tension of that scene. “That perfume was a rare treasure— its production method rumoured to be lost for centuries.”

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“Exactly.” Chen Ren’s eyes sparkled. “The method for creating it is long forgotten by most, but my clan once practised this art. These perfumes you see here…” he gestured to the wooden bottles, “were made using the same technique. Even the priciest spiritual perfumes can’t compare.”

Curiosity drew her hand to one of the bottles, her fingers brushing the smooth wood as she carefully lifted it to her nose.

The aroma that greeted her was even more intoxicating up close— a blend of warmth, spice, and floral notes so perfectly balanced that it seemed to melt into her senses. She closed her eyes, savouring the fragrance, her pulse quickening as a soft blush warmed her cheeks.

“That one,” Chen Ren said with a faint grin, “is called

Opulent Breeze

. It's a blend of rare blossoms and subtle herbs that make it almost... irresistible. It has quite the effect on the opposite gender— a nudge, if you will, toward a bit of extra attention.”

Mei Lian’s heart fluttered. She couldn’t help the intrigue that bubbled within her at the thought. “So… if someone were to wear this around someone they liked, it might just work?”

“Precisely,” Chen Ren replied, his gaze meeting hers, steady and amused. “Think of it as an ancient charm, refined to speak to the male heart. I don't know if it will make the person fall for you, but they would certainly give you more than a look. I’m sure there’s someone each of you has in mind, after all.”

At Chen Ren’s words, a wave of murmurs and blushing faces swept through the crowd.

Mei Lian could feel the weight of several gazes fixed on the bottle in her hands— eager, almost predatory glances from the other girls who seemed to share her newly found interest in the perfume’s promise. Even she couldn’t help but wonder,

Could it really work?

Involuntarily, her thoughts drifted to Li Xuan, her father’s favoured disciple and the son of the City Lord— a man of notable standing and graceful bearing, one she had glimpsed only a handful of times but thought of more than she would ever admit.

Compared to him, her standing was meagre, her cultivation weak; she was a flower in the shadows, hardly worthy of his gaze. But perhaps, just perhaps, this perfume could change things, giving her the boldness she’d always lacked, perhaps even a chance to bridge the distance between them.

It would be a dream come true.

Still contemplating, she looked at Chen Ren and asked, “Are you selling these?”

As if on cue, the other girls echoed her question, each of them leaning in eagerly.

Chen Ren flashed them a charming smile, casually leaning back as if he hadn’t just turned their thoughts upside down. “Yes, indeed. I wouldn’t keep such methods to myself— it would be a shame if only I had kept the pleasure of such scents, right? So, I’ve opened a perfume shop. Naturally, as a virtuous man who values fairness and has no desire to be greedy, I’ve set the price modestly, at only five to eight silver wen for each bottle. I’d be earning just enough to cover my costs, really.”

Mei Lian’s eyes widened. Five to eight silver wen? Her own perfumes, stored carefully at home, had cost her twenty-five silver wen each, far too precious to use liberally.

Each bottle represented weeks of saving, her indulgences carefully rationed for only the most special of occasions. And yet here was Chen Ren, offering a perfume with charm and allure beyond anything she’d worn, and for a mere fraction of the price.

As she mulled this over, Chen Ren’s voice drew her from her thoughts. “So, how about it?” he asked, his tone as smooth as the fragrance lingering in the air. “Would you all care to take a short walk to my shop? You can browse and see which perfumes suit you best.”

The girls’ excitement was palpable, some of them already half-rising from their seats in anticipation. Before anyone else could respond, Mei Lian blurted out, “Yes, please!”

The other girls quickly voiced their agreement, some flashing her envious glances as if she had been the first to discover a hidden treasure. Chen Ren chuckled softly, giving an amused look over them all. With a gesture that was equal parts flourish and invitation, he signalled them to follow him.

***

Chen Ren stood in the middle of his perfume shop, surrounded by the wafting scents of floral and herbal blends that filled the air. His gaze drifted over the group of young misses clustered around, their faces flushed with excitement as they lifted the small bottles displayed, sampling them with an air of reverence.

Some of them shot occasional glances toward the staff's handsome features, who, to their credit, maintained a professional stance, allowing no interference beyond what was needed to assist.

Chen Ren smirked inwardly, pleased with their discipline. The last thing he needed was anything untoward disrupting the sense of mystique he’d worked so hard to create.

It was almost laughable how easily it had all come together. Selling perfumes, as it turned out, was even simpler than selling noodles— and it was all thanks to a single idea that had dawned on him when he’d first found himself surrounded by those curious, enamoured young women at the tea shop.

All he’d needed to do was convince them that his perfumes were the same ones from the stories he'd told. A rare blend, a lost art— these words were enough for them to follow him to his shop with starry eyes, ready to make him richer.

Just as he was revelling in the success of his little scheme, he caught Tang Yuqiu’s gaze from across the room, her expression somewhere between amusement and suspicion. The look was enough to prompt a raised eyebrow from him.

“What’s that look about?” he asked, unable to hold back a smirk.

Tang Yuqiu folded her arms. “Oh, nothing. It’s just... for a moment, I almost forgot you were a hedonist,” she replied, a hint of teasing in her tone. “The way you’ve been acting these past few weeks, I half-expected you’d forgotten it too. But it seems I was wrong.”

Chen Ren chuckled, feigning offence as he tilted his head. “Now, is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?”

“Both,” she shot back, grinning. Her gaze shifted to the young ladies, each lost in her own cloud of fragrance. “Though, I have to admit, you’ve surprised me. How on earth did you manage to gather this crowd? I know a few of them— they’re not the type to just fool around with any guy.”

“There’s no fooling around here,” he answered smoothly, as if offended by the suggestion. “I happen to frequent the same tea shop as them, and, well, I simply befriended them. A few words, a hint of promise, a sample or two, and they were ready to come see the real thing.” He cast a meaningful glance over the crowd, his eyes gleaming with a quiet confidence. “But the real business starts now.”

She tilted her head, intrigued. “And what exactly does that mean?”

A sense of satisfaction filled him with her question, but it wasn’t just about the perfumes; it was about the next step. He glanced at Tang Yuqiu, his lips curling into a faint smile.

“Word of mouth,” he said, gesturing subtly toward the ladies. “These young misses will go to parties and gatherings, and others will notice the scents. It’ll spread to the ladies in their families, then their friends— and soon, everyone will know. Between that and the pamphlets we are already distributing, it won’t be long before the middle-class ladies are drawn in too. If you don't know, the middle class always wants to appear richer than what they are and our prices are low enough for them to have that chance. And once that happens, we’ll barely have enough staff to keep up with the demand.”

Tang Yuqiu raised an eyebrow, her scepticism clear. “Sounds like a dream.”

He chuckled. “Well, it’s happening right in front of you.” His gaze sharpened. “But don’t forget what I said before— vultures will come. We’re eating into their market share, and they won’t let that go without a fight. They’ll try to block us or copy our methods. Their prices are too high for anyone but the wealthy, so they can’t compete with what we’re offering here.”

She considered his words, nodding slowly. “So you’re sure they’ll retaliate?”

“Oh, I’m certain,” he replied confidently. “If this goes the way I think it will, we’ll take a big chunk of their market and expand it at the same time. But I have to admit.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “I’d love to be there when they finally realise what’s happening. I’m sure they’re just expecting us to flop. Imagine their faces in a week when they see our business flourishing and realise it’s already too late.”

Tang Yuqiu stifled a laugh, smirking as she looked at him. “That would be funny and we will be ready when they come for us.”

“Oh, we will,” he replied smoothly, his voice steady as he watched the customers around them. “In the meantime, let’s see just how far word of mouth will take us.”