Wang Chong smiled awkwardly after a long while and said, "So the fairy had long noticed that I know a bit of martial arts."
Chu Qiuzi smiled and said, "Sir, your eyes shine with spirit, the area between your brows is ruddy—signs of having reached the inner chambers of the Orthodox Xuanmen inner-power art. Your steps make no sound, and your posture constantly adjusts slightly, striving to maintain the utmost balance—the mark of the highest lightness skill techniques. There are many other signs, but no need to go into them."
Wang Chong suddenly understood. He silently thought, "It's the transmigration's fault after all. The martial arts came with my transmigration; I only know how to use them, but I'm not clear on much common sense." He clasped his hands, following the principle that the more one says, the more mistakes; the less one says, the fewer mistakes; saying nothing means no mistakes, and waited for Chu Qiuzi to take the initiative.
Chu Qiuzi's face flushed slightly, her heart thumped, her delicate cheeks grew warm, and she lightly bit her silver teeth as she asked, "Sir, with a guest visiting, won't you offer even half a cup of clear tea?"
By now Wang Chong also sensed that this Second Senior Sister of the Qingcheng Sect seemed to bear no malice. She unhurriedly brought up the tea prepared by the inn, poured a cup for herself first, and took a sip to show the tea was safe.
Seeing that he was not as overbearing as yesterday, Chu Qiuzi became even more gentle. She was originally a lady from a respectable family and was truly not lacking in propriety.
After both sides sat down, Wang Chong then asked, "Fairy, what business brings you here?"
Chu Qiuzi's face blushed red. After a while, she finally concocted an excuse and said, "My sisters and I came down the mountain this time to capture the lecher White Chrysanthemum. Seeing that your martial arts are formidable and that you are an upright person, I specially invite you to join us in eliminating this scourge from the martial world."
Wang Chong dared not accept Chu Qiuzi's invitation. In the world, those who know White Chrysanthemum are probably all gathered in one place. If he still went with such clumsy feet to join the siege of White Chrysanthemum, wouldn't it be like a mouse marrying the cat—purely offering himself up as a meal? He could only change the subject and evade for a while.
Seeing he was unwilling, this Second Senior Sister of the Qingcheng Sect did not force him, but merely mentioned this scourge with some indignation and said, "This villain's origins are mysterious. No one knows who his master is or what sect he comes from. As soon as he entered the jianghu, he used Wudang swordsmanship to kill two disciples of the Mount Lu School, making a great name for himself. But this lecher is by no means a Wudang disciple; he excels most in the nefarious martial art Ice Soul Finger. His finger force is yin, cold, and vicious. Relying on his overwhelming martial arts, he has successively abused more than ten beauties of the jianghu, and his infamous reputation has angered dozens of sects in the jianghu to join forces in hunting him down, including our Qingcheng Sect."
Wang Chong was frightened, thinking to himself: "I thought that with my Wudang martial arts, even if I wasn't Mo Yuncong, I shouldn't be the lecher White Chrysanthemum. Who would have thought this lecher actually knows Wudang swordsmanship! Could I actually be White Chrysanthemum?" He said righteously: "Such a dirty villain should have his portrait drawn and the government issue an arrest warrant to capture him."
Chu Qiuzi said dimly: "This villain acts secretively and rarely exposes his true face. Therefore, except for those ten-plus victimized sisters, hardly anyone has seen his face."
"As for the government, an arrest warrant has long been issued, with a reward of six thousand taels of silver. They have also sent out one of the Three Great Constables, Fighting Heaven Hand Li Qingge, responsible for mobilizing constabulary experts in the south to capture him and bring him to justice."
On one hand Wang Chong was secretly delighted, thinking: "Surely, few people know me. As long as I don't court death and carelessly expose my identity, I'll be free from worry in the future." On the other hand, he thought: "Pah! I'm not necessarily White Chrysanthemum; maybe I'm really Mo Yuncong?"
The two chatted idly for several hours. Chu Qiuzi drank nothing but tea, yet her cheeks flushed slightly, like a beauty drunk on wine, her glances captivating, with not the slightest intention of leaving.
She felt that this Lord Wang was elegant and graceful, his speech refined, his knowledge extensive, well-read in poetry and books, and moreover talented beyond others, a fine specimen of a man. Unconsciously giving rise to some lustful thoughts, she tentatively asked, "Lord Wang, are you married?"
Wang Chong pretended his face was flushed red and replied, "My family has fallen on hard times, so I have never married. Now I wish to go to the capital to study and attain some official position." By now the conversation had reached this point, and he finally belatedly sensed something subtle. Although he was no lady-killer or Sea Dragon King, he had once had more than ten girlfriends, so he finally noticed that this Qingcheng heroine had a bit of spring stirring in her heart. He couldn't help but feel somewhat smug, thinking to himself: "It must be that I am graceful and handsome as a jade tree in the wind, a fine specimen, and elegant at copying poetry, emitting a succubus-like allure, attracting this love-addled heroine of ancient times."
"If we could meet once amid the spring breeze and dew, then even being a heartless rake wouldn't be unacceptable."
"Pah! How am I returning to the lecher's playbook again?"
He had in mind to ask what kind of person Wudang's Mo Yuncong was, but in the end he didn't dare court death. If the green-clad young lady had buried extremely deep traps, one word from him would expose him, and then woe would befall me. As for the matter of the lecher White Chrysanthemum, he dared not ask about it randomly, afraid of arousing Chu Qiuzi's suspicions, having her see through his identity, and then suddenly attacking—with a ready-made group of Qingcheng heroines, they'd probably take turns with him right there.
Wrong, it was a gang rape.
In any case, that's the idea—totally screwed.
Seeing the sky growing dark, Wang Chong steeled himself, slightly clasped his hands, and said, "Fairy Chu, you need to travel tomorrow. Why not return to rest first?"
Chu Qiuzi slightly nodded, then floated up lightly, like a colorful phoenix flying over the courtyard wall.
When her jade feet touched the ground, she heard several junior sisters laughing among themselves. She glanced around and saw five junior sisters waiting in the courtyard with lamps lit. Without realizing it, her jade face flushed slightly, and she said, "Junior sisters, why aren't you sleeping peacefully?"
Fifth Junior Sister, Female Zhuge Luo Lingxi, said with a smile: "We were afraid that if Senior Sister didn't return, we could at least keep track of the time and explain things to our Master."
Chu Qiuzi was ashamed beyond restraint and did not argue with her junior sisters. She flicked her long sleeve and returned to her room.
Under the Red Sleeve Goddess Nun were eight great disciples. The eldest disciple Ye Ying had the highest martial arts and had already taken the tonsure, taking the dharma name Qing Xian. She is destined to inherit the mantle of the Qingcheng lineage. Next is the second disciple, Purple-Green Jade Maiden Chu Qiuzi, who has cultivated the sect-transmitted Yin-Yang Mysterious Qi Art to the fifth layer and is also a first-rate expert in the jianghu. But the one with the highest natural talent is the third disciple, Yellow-Faced Yaksha Chi Fang. This third disciple not only has high talent but also studies extremely diligently, almost unwilling to leave the mountain, practicing martial arts in closed seclusion on Mount Qingcheng, determined to achieve great success in martial arts. However, she entered the sect later, and her martial arts are not yet up to those of the eldest senior sister and second senior sister. But everyone in the Qingcheng Sect believes that in another three to five years, this third senior sister will surely surpass the second senior sister and become the third-ranked expert of the Qingcheng Sect. For this hunt of the lecher White Chrysanthemum, Chu Qiuzi brought five junior sisters; Nun Qing Xian and Yellow-Faced Yaksha Chi Fang did not come down the mountain.
Fourth Junior Sister Jade Balance Fairy Bai Lingxi and Fifth Junior Sister Female Zhuge Luo Lingxi were already older and understood the ways of the world. They glanced at each other, nodded slightly, and simultaneously had the same thought, thinking to themselves: "Second Senior Sister's talent is not as good as the eldest senior sister and third senior sister, and she is unwilling to become a nun. In the future, she has no hope of taking over Qingcheng. She probably has had thoughts of marrying for a long time."
"However, we have studied martial arts for many years and frittered away the years. We are already past the coming-of-age age. How could noble families marry an older martial maiden? We also look down on ordinary families. Lord Wang is a very good choice. His looks are first-rate, his talent is simply overflowing. Even if his martial arts are a bit lower, it doesn't matter; it's just that his character still needs to be observed."
...Wang Chong: Who exactly am I..."},
Chapter 11