Chapter 555 - 0329 Hard days are yet to come (Two in one)_2

"This is a strange thing to say, what’s wrong with going to the Immortal Sect? Who wouldn’t want to join the Immortal Sect?"

Miss Lu pointed to her own face: "Not to mention Qingluo, even I wished to be a fairy in the heavens when I was young."

"You?" Zhu Pingniang glanced at her, "Your talent isn’t good enough, not even as good as Qin’Er. Even if you went to the Immortal Sect, you’d be destined to water plants your whole life in the Hundred Herbs Garden."

"I’d still be happy with that." Miss Lu turned her head away.

"If you had to choose between Flower Moon Building and an Immortal Sect disciple, which would be better?" Zhu Pingniang asked.

Upon hearing this, Miss Lu shook her head: "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? How can Flower Moon Building compare to the Immortal Sect? Aren’t Artiste-Courtesans considered low class? Whether it’s Official Courtesans or Civilian Courtesans, how can they compare to a cultivator?"

This question was indeed baffling.

If outsiders heard it, they might think there’s something seriously wrong with Zhu Pingniang’s head.

"Do I seem like I’m joking?" Zhu Pingniang asked.

"..."

Miss Lu fell silent. She stood up and sat next to Zhu Pingniang, quietly holding her arm: "If you’re not joking, then the Immortal Sect and Flower Moon Building are no different to me. I only wish to be your little sister."

"See, even you think that way." Zhu Pingniang sighed: "The Cultivation Realm isn’t more stable than Flower Moon Building, it’s really hard to say which is better."

Miss Lu’s tone became more serious: "I don’t know which is more stable, but if I had to choose, it would definitely be better to be an Immortal Sect disciple, the same for Qingluo."

Only then did Miss Lu finally realize that Zhu Pingniang was overthinking things by herself.

It wasn’t the first time; her sister Zhu was occasionally just silly, thinking not like a woman.

"Sister, don’t tell me you were thinking it would be better for Qingluo to stay in Flower Moon Building than to join the Immortal Sect." Miss Lu was speechless.

"Isn’t it?" Zhu Pingniang retorted.

"Of course not." Miss Lu let go of Zhu Pingniang’s arm and playfully said:

"Sister, you obviously know everything, yet sometimes you say things only someone high up in the clouds would say, it’s really annoying."

"What woman sincerely wants to sell herself and laugh along?"

Miss Lu asked: "Why do you think our place is more comfortable than the Immortal Sect? I don’t like your kind of talk, and I don’t even have to say it—anyone would know how to choose. Even spending a lifetime watering plants at the Immortal Sect is better than a brothel."

"I’ll send you to water plants." Zhu Pingniang rolled her eyes at her.

"No way." Miss Lu immediately refused.

"Naughty girl." Zhu Pingniang spat: "Fine, I was overthinking it earlier, after all... joining the Immortal Sect was Qingluo’s own choice."

"It’s closer to Young Master Xu there." Miss Lu thought about several past conversations with Liu Qingluo and sighed.

The way Liu Qingluo spoke about Xu Chang’an, wanting to see him yet not daring to, was something she still couldn’t forget.

As the girls in Flower Moon Building would say, meeting one’s beloved was an alternation between joy and despair.

Longing pushed her away, while inferiority pulled her back.

The secret called love nestled in her heart day by day until it sank beneath the water with the setting sun.

This was most vividly reflected in Liu Qingluo.

Is Young Master Xu really such a good person?

Aside from finding Xu Chang’an very handsome, Miss Lu didn’t see much else.

But she had to admit, she liked Liu Qingluo.

Miss Lu shook her head: "I just hope that after Little Sister Liu experiences a new world, she can lead a good little life sooner."

"Let’s hope so." Zhu Pingniang gazed towards the distant Flower Moon Building, squinting her eyes: "Ni Zi, you say you’d all rather go to the Immortal Sect?"

"Only if it’s by your side." Miss Lu said, pausing slightly: "But the girls always keep their distance from the Immortal Sect."

"Why is that?"

"What else could it be, their inferiority complex, of course."

"Oh."

Zhu Pingniang could understand.

Even if the girls didn’t steal or rob, and lived by their own efforts, once compared with the heavenly Immortal Sect, they would see their own lowliness.

Think about what the brothel was like before she came?

The word "inferior" was firmly imprinted on the women, so when they met someone they liked, all they could do was hunch over, lower their heads, and keep quiet.

"So, there is indeed a way to balance both." Zhu Pingniang smirked.

She certainly wasn’t clueless about the difference between the Immortal Sect and a brothel, was she?

The girls thought the Immortal Sect was good, and the Flower Moon Building was good, too.

Then why not bring the entire brothel to the Immortal Sect?

"... Ms. Zhu, what kind of trouble are you thinking about again?" Miss Lu suspiciously looked at her.

"Nothing, it’s too early to tell you now. Later... you’ll naturally find out." Zhu Pingniang squinted, thinking that once at the Immortal Sect, she’d place Miss Lu at the top position to let her receive patrons too.

It wasn’t to humiliate Miss Lu but to show off to the group of old women at Muyu Peak.

Look at how excellent the daughter she raised was.

As for Qinling... that one was already a failure, so it didn’t count.

"But there is a problem." Zhu Pingniang realized again—she had a knack for picking people up into the mountains.

The ones she sent up the mountain over the years—Li Zhibai was the top under the Sect Leader, Liu Qingluo had an Immortal Talent surpassing all records, Xu Chang’an was a monster, and Qinling... Qinling was a daughter with a peculiar brain.

In short, there wasn’t a single normal person.

And if she really brought Flower Moon Building to Mu Yu Peak...

Would all the normal girls become abnormal...?

"Probably not, hmm, probably not." Zhu Pingniang murmured to herself.

"Ms. Zhu, why are you so strange?" Miss Lu felt a chill all over her, stood up, and rubbed her hands: "Are you... thinking about Young Master Xu again?"

"You seem to be asking for trouble." Zhu Pingniang glared at her.

"In any case, grinning like that on the street isn’t appropriate." Miss Lu blinked, looking at Zhu Pingniang’s flat figure: "Sister, your figure is so good, your mind should be... broad too."

"Pfft." Zhu Pingniang spat at Miss Lu, wanting to smack this girl but couldn’t bear to, so she just waved her hand and let it drop.

The girl was already not smart, it wouldn’t be good to make her any dumber.

"Why are you being so cheeky and disrespectful?" Zhu Pingniang kicked Miss Lu’s calf lightly, then said: "Alright, accompany me to pick out some clothes."

Saying this, Zhu Pingniang waved the rouge in her hand: "Just in time, let me use Lv’Er’s rouge to put on some makeup and let Yun Qian also see how good this rouge is..."

"So that you can trick the girl into eating the Red Lotus, right?" Miss Lu’s eye twitched.

"Not giving them a potent drug directly was already kind." Zhu Pingniang thought to herself: "Yes, it seems I should pay attention when selecting a cultivation technique, one for use at night, the more intimate, the better... hmm."

"..." Miss Lu didn’t know what Zhu Pingniang was thinking but couldn’t help but feel nervous for Xu Chang’an inside.

Indeed, being targeted by her sister... wasn’t a good thing.

——

Meanwhile, Xu Chang’an headed towards the courtyard pointed out by the maid, still without removing his straw hat, keeping his face thoroughly covered.

Along the way, he reminisced about his meeting with Zhu Pingniang, recalling every word they exchanged.

His conclusion was that although Senior Zhu wasn’t particularly serious, she was indeed a responsible person.

For instance, just now Zhu Pingniang had suddenly appeared at the rouge shop, and the occasional glances she gave the braided girl made Xu Chang’an feel a bit familiar.

It was typical for seniors to care for others, who wouldn’t like that?

——

Xu Chang’an looked at the courtyard ahead where Yun Qian was and sighed.

Why does it have to be such a cultivation technique? Moreover, getting such an unreliable senior involved, Xu Chang’an could already feel that the Dual Cultivation Technique, which wasn’t serious to begin with, would likely escalate in severity under Zhu Pingniang’s influence.

Eventually, wouldn’t Miss Yun be the one to suffer?

He was already somewhat of a lecher, and now he was being given a legitimate reason to bully someone...

How could Miss Yun’s future days go on?

Xu Chang’an smiled, murmuring: "Isn’t this like a tabby cat crying over a red finfish? But I’m not the tabby cat..."

He walked forward and soon saw Yun Qian waiting at the entrance of the courtyard.

Why did she come out to wait?

Xu Chang’an felt guilty, he had indeed been delayed too long outside.

"Miss, the wind’s strong out here, go back in..." Xu Chang’an took off his straw hat and suddenly froze.

Beneath the distant tree, Yun Qian stood quietly, holding a folded oil-paper umbrella at her side.

Xu Chang’an widened his eyes.

Miss Yun... is smiling?

That smile seemed a bit unnerving.