What Is Your Name?

The words fell, yet silence held the corridor. At this quiet scene, Xu Yuan’s brow furrowed by degrees. If the secret room had a Sound-Muffling Array, those inside might not hear what went on outside, but anyone left on guard out here would certainly be able to hear it. He had called them out by name, yet still no one showed themselves? Thinking of this, Xu Yuan caught on. If the guards could hear him yet refused to appear, it could only mean they had received orders from the Crown Prince's senior attendant. By simply ignoring him, given his mere Soul Condensation cultivation, it was practically impossible for him to find the secret chamber on his own. Thus dragging things out until their covert discussion concluded, shutting him out entirely. Yet if that was truly the case, this senior attendant's behavior was rather thought-provoking. Although he represented the current Crown Prince, in this negotiation, the chest-bound princess holding military command was the genuine Party A. When Daddy Party A requested to bring along an ornament to sit in, Party B dared pull petty underhanded tricks to deceive both above and below? Moving straight ahead, only the distinct aphrodisiac incense unique to pleasure houses drifted past his nose. As he walked, Xu Yuan pondered their motive, but his shouting never ceased: "Come out! Stop playing dead with this young master!" "Wuyuan herself said she wanted this young master to join! Deceiving superiors and duping subordinates—aren't you afraid of losing your heads?!" "You really think this young master can't find you?!" "Tsk, a eunuch setting a secret meeting inside a pleasure house... Watching other people enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, did that slave missing two ounces of meat get all twisted inside?" His words echoed along the winding, narrow corridor, though the substance gradually shifted from addressing the matter at hand to pure ad hominem attacks. Regrettably, in the deathly quiet corridor, still nobody answered. Coming all the way to the end of the corridor, Xu Yuan stopped hurling insults at the eunuch and halted in his tracks. At the end of the corridor was an open window lattice. Because it was high up in the building, looking outward revealed a breathtaking, snow-clad river view. The cold wind following the snowy night blew in, brushing against Xu Yuan's unbound long hair at the back of his head, a hint of doubt surfacing in his narrow, phoenix-like eyes. He realized the Crown Prince's senior attendant was dead set on keeping him barred outside, but he could not fathom the man's motivation. In this meeting, from the moment Li Qingyan demanded to bring him, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Manor, the outcome had essentially been decided. If Li Qingyan had harbored any inclination to support the Crown Prince, she definitely would not have brought him along. Xu Yuan did not believe anyone capable of becoming the Crown Prince's confidant could be a fool. The things he could discern, that person surely could too, yet this head eunuch had still gone ahead and done it. So rather than stupidity, Xu Yuan was more inclined to believe the other party possessed some leverage—leverage they believed could convince Li Qingyan. So long as he, this outsider, did not participate. Put this way, these eunuchs were indeed quite loyal. Occupy a position, serve its cause, stopping at nothing—even resorting to duplicity against both superiors and subordinates. Pity, though... Chuckling softly, Xu Yuan suddenly raised a hand and pressed it against the windowsill before him. Had he truly been an ordinary Soul Condensation cultivator, he might really have been stalled. But he was not. Suffering endless agony and brushing with death multiple times to attain spiritual vision had truly paid off. Just as Tianyan's Heavenly Yan divine soul could ignore the deception of illusion arrays, his spiritual vision likewise enabled him to see straight through the veneer of illusions. Indeed, this pleasure house had been completely transformed into a large-scale illusion array. Judging by its type, it was likely a variety of soul-confounding illusion array, somewhat akin to the urban legends of being trapped by ghost walls from his previous life. It could confound the five senses of anyone inside, making the scenery before their eyes appear completely seamless with reality. For instance, right now, while what met Xu Yuan's mortal eyes was an open window lattice, in his spiritual vision it was a firmly shut door. With that in mind, Xu Yuan applied a bit of force and pushed forward. "..." It wouldn't budge. His expression stiffening slightly, Xu Yuan drew a deep breath, stepped back, and immediately channeled the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art, the Qingyu Sword coming into his hand. If he couldn't push it open, he would smash it. A wisp of blood-ink instantly enveloped the sharp tip of the blade. Blood-Ink Jade: Circular Dance. A streak of blood-ink sliced through the air, yet ground to a halt midway. Because of two slender fingers. Looking up, Xu Yuan met a pair of beautiful peach-blossom eyes as blue as a tranquil lake. It was a woman clad in diaphanous garments, her waist cinched by a plain satin sash—slender enough to be spanned by a single hand, accentuating her graceful figure—her hair styled in an elaborate Flying Stars Chasing the Moon bun. She was very beautiful, with a serene demeanor. Another Grandmaster. Xu Yuan discovered that Grandmasters around him seemed to be growing cheaper by the day; it was as if tossing a brick at random would strike a few of them. Yet the moment he saw her, Xu Yuan knew he had found the right place. Evidently, the covert meeting was taking place behind this door. Silence stretched for a moment. Pinching the edge of Xu Yuan's blade between two fingers, the young woman looked at the disheveled man before her and spoke gently: "Young Master, what might you be doing?" Xu Yuan did not give her any pleasantries just because she had a pretty face. Raising his foot, he kicked straight toward her: "Who the hell are you? Let go of this young master's blade!" "..." Seeing this, the woman's brow creased slightly. She released her fingertips and shifted aside. *Thump!* A dull thud sounded. In his visual field, the window ledge was kicked right through, leaving a gaping hole, yet in his spiritual vision, the closed door remained shut, motionless as before. Meanwhile, the young woman performed a polite curtsy: "If I caused offense just now, I pray the young master forgives me." Frowning, Xu Yuan's gaze turned unfriendly: "Are you the person in charge here?" The young woman's voice remained tranquil, devoid of disrespect: "I came specifically on behalf of a noble guest, so for the time being, I can be considered the manager of this Mingxiang Garden." "Mingxiang Garden?" Xu Yuan arched an eyebrow, cast a glance over the pleasure house's layout, and asked: "Your Mingxiang Garden actually deals as intermediary brokers too?" Mingxiang Garden was quite a famous pleasure house within the Great Yan Empire, present across most major prefectures and provinces, a tier above Qin Weijiu's Zuixian Tower. Hearing this, the young woman did not deny it: "The young master knows of intermediary brokers?" "So that's how it is." A look of understanding surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. No wonder the eunuch had set their secret meeting inside this pleasure house. Intermediary brokers were essentially middle agents. If two factions had conflicts and wanted to negotiate, yet lacked mutual trust, they would seek out an intermediary broker. The broker would use their own influence to set up the gathering, provide a negotiation site free of outside interference, and guarantee both parties' safety during the proceedings. The gap between the lowest and highest reaches of an intermediary broker's business was immense. From street gang skirmishes at the bottom, to blood feuds between major sects at the top. Xu Yuan wasn't familiar with the lower-end ones, but brokers capable of mediating between major sects amounted to only a mere handful across all of Great Yan. Among those few brokers, Xu Yuan had never heard of Mingxiang Garden. Moreover, by rank, the security level for Li Qingyan and the Crown Prince's senior attendant inside that secret room ought to be Heaven-grade, the highest among intermediary brokers. The person standing guard outside should at least be an Origin Realm expert, not the Grandmaster before him. Under such circumstances, for the Crown Prince's senior attendant to rest easy placing the secret meeting here, Mingxiang Garden was most likely tied to the Crown Prince. Reflecting on this, Xu Yuan waved a finger to the side, motioning for her to step aside, and said with a smile: "I've got the gist of it. Step aside; someone inside is waiting for this young master." Standing upright before the door, the young woman showed no intention of stepping aside. Her soft, placid voice echoed through the quiet corridor: "Young Master, please do not make things difficult for this humble woman." Seeing her stance, Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Seems someone instructed you not to let me in?" Meeting his gaze calmly, the young woman's expression remained steady, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips: "Since the young master knows of intermediary brokers, you should understand the rules of this trade. Once a secret chamber is closed, no one may enter." Xu Yuan pondered briefly, then asked abruptly: "Hey, do you know who I am?" Hearing this, the young woman hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking in a low voice: "Though you are an honored guest, Young Master..." "So you don't know, is that it?" Xu Yuan cut in, his eyes tinged with amusement. As someone affiliated with the Crown Prince's faction, how could this woman possibly not know? Sighing, Xu Yuan shifted questions: "Then what is your name?" Though puzzled by his aim, the young woman replied softly: "This humble woman is named Yun Xiu." "Yun Xiu... A fine name." Xu Yuan murmured, then grinned faintly. "How much do you think you're worth?" "..." A barely perceptible trace of displeasure flickered in Yun Xiu's lovely eyes as she answered softly: "Young Master, Yun Xiu is not a courtesan of this Mingxiang Pavilion. If the young master has need, Yun Xiu can summon the madam of this establishment to provide you with—" "I mean, how much is your life worth?" "..." Yun Xiu's gaze sharpened. Xu Yuan stepped back, folded his arms over his chest, and leaned against the wall behind him, his gaze appraising the woman blocking the door: "Buying the life of a Grandmaster from the Sword Whisper Pavilion starts at about three hundred thousand taels. How much do you think you're worth?" Yun Xiu's eyes narrowed, but her tone remained composed: "Young Master, you jest—" "Don't. I'm not joking with you." Xu Yuan pointed a finger at himself and chuckled with overt mockery. "You have displeased me. Therefore, I want to kill you. But since my cultivation isn't high enough, I'll just have to spend money." "Also, didn't you claim you didn't know who I was?" At this point, Xu Yuan dropped his arms, walked up to her, pinched her smooth chin, pulled her close, and grinned: "My father is Xu Yinhe. "Put that way, you should know who this young master is now, shouldn't you?" "..." With her pretense shattered, Yun Xiu clenched her fingers slightly. After a brief silence, her voice softened a notch as she murmured: "Third Young Master, Yun Xiu... Yun Xiu is merely carrying out her assigned duty. Why must you make things so difficult for me?" Well now, so she knew to call him Third Young Master after all. Chuckling inwardly, Xu Yuan released his grip on her chin and asked with mild amusement: "Assigned duty... So someone ordered you not to let this young master inside, correct?" "..." Yun Xiu lowered her head and kept silent. If she simply uttered the name of the Crown Prince's senior attendant, this playboy's target would immediately shift. Yet she could not say it, nor did she dare to. Receiving no reply for a good while, Xu Yuan's gaze turned cold as he spat out two words to the woman: "Step aside." Yun Xiu lifted her eyes, her serene air eroding somewhat as her words quickened: "Third Young Master, in this matter, Yun Xiu truly—" "What does that have to do with me?" Xu Yuan cut her off directly, his voice chilled. "Yun Xiu, the one making things difficult for you isn't this young master, but the person who told you to bar my way." At this point, Xu Yuan's tone turned heavier: "So either step aside, or die afterward." "..." Yun Xiu remained speechless. Pulling a stack of ten-thousand-tael banknotes from his Sumeru ring, Xu Yuan fanned them twice against his palm: "You needn't doubt whether this young master has the coin. The pocket money my father gives me should be plenty to buy your life. Here is five hundred thousand taels in Great Yan banknotes; that should suffice." "Of course, "if the person backing you is willing to put up the stakes to protect you... I can always ask my father for more." With that, Xu Yuan raised his hand, lightly tapped Yun Xiu's flawless, fair cheek with the stack of ten-thousand-tael notes, and murmured softly: "Go deliver word. "Refuse, and you will surely die. Go, and at most you'll face a mild reprimand. "Mm, if your backer truly treats you like a human being, they might not even reprimand you at all. After all, they ought to know full well that my temper is none too pleasant." After several breaths of silence, "Pray wait a moment, Young Master." Yun Xiu slowly turned around. "Yun Xiu will return shortly..." Xu Yuan spoke up coldly out of nowhere: "Don't think of dragging your feet. I give you fifteen breaths. Exceed that, and you die." Yun Xiu's breath hitched, and an instant later she vanished from the spot. "..." Seeing her depart, Xu Yuan stowed the banknotes back into his Sumeru ring, chuckling as he shook his head. When one's own fists weren't big enough, using status and backing to press down on others was quite handy after all. Still, he hadn't expected this woman named Yun Xiu would genuinely fall for his bluff just like that. Quite a foolish woman. Stopping him was difficult, but hardly impossible. Had he been the one handling it, he probably wouldn't have shown himself at all, instead sealing the doorway directly with Source Qi. No matter how much a Soul Condensation cultivator struggled, breaching it would have been impossible. Then again, there were always more solutions than problems. If he couldn't smash through, Xu Yuan would most likely have called for backup directly. That sworn sister of his was still back in the room lamenting the past. With the physical toughness of her fungal-armored body, punching through this door would have been no trouble at all. And if the door were breached by brute force, that wouldn't have been Yun Xiu's fault, and the blame couldn't have been pinned on her. Nurturing a Grandmaster wasn't easy. Screwing up such an important affair meant she would probably stay alive, but once branded incompetent, she would likely never win the trust and high office of the Crown Prince's faction again... Thinking of this, Xu Yuan sent a transmission with his intent-soul toward the chamber where he had awakened, then closed his eyes to rest his mind. Because Xu Yuan had set a time limit, before long, two figures appeared before him without any warning. A man and a woman. The woman was none other than Yun Xiu from before, though she now trailed behind the man. The man was clad in a purple standard-issue eunuch robe, yet his demeanor and features were not at all effeminate; rather, he possessed a handsome, dashing vigor. Opening his eyes, Xu Yuan glanced at Yun Xiu behind, then at the eunuch before him, and chuckled softly: "Are you the Crown Prince's senior attendant?" The purple-robed eunuch chuckled, his voice sounding like that of a normal man: "My godfather is still inside conversing in detail with Her Highness. Yun Xiu caused offense earlier, and I pray the Third Young Master will be magnanimous. Please follow me." Brought his whole family into the business, did he? Xu Yuan snorted inwardly and stood up straight. Seeing this, the purple-robed eunuch immediately bowed and gestured with an outstretched hand toward the end of the corridor: "This way, please." "..." Glancing in the direction indicated, Xu Yuan slowly leaned his back against the wall once more, quietly fixing his eyes on the purple-robed eunuch without uttering a word. The illusion array had shifted. The window lattice at the end of the corridor, which had been a closed door, had now transformed into a flight of stairs descending downward. Even now, this eunuch was still trying to stall for time, genuinely taking him for an ordinary Soul Condensation fool to be tricked. The purple-robed eunuch's expression did not waver as he asked softly: "Third Young Master, might I ask what..." Xu Yuan darted a glance at Yun Xiu beside them, then cast a deeply meaningful look at the eunuch, grinning: "Eunuch, what is your name?"