An Unexpected Encounter, Walking On Thin Ice
Huayang City Northern Market.
In the bustling crowd, in front of a shop with a “Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion” door plaque, Xie Fei stood opposite a middle-aged Proprietor, his face bearing a hint of surprise.
“What? You say the monkey you’re selling is a Demon Monkey?”
A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
The Proprietor froze, clearly not expecting Xie Fei’s reaction, and smilingly bowed, “Yes, honored guest, are you unaware?”
He paused, his tone laced with pride, “Our Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion is a legitimate Trading Company with branches throughout the Five Great Regions.
“We specialize in various Spirit Beasts and Demon Beasts, with guaranteed credibility.”
Xie Fei opened his mouth, his brow furrowed slightly, “You openly sell Demon Beasts, aren’t you afraid of the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains’ repercussions?”
He knew that the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains were the Demon Clan’s Holy Land, possessing immense power, and anything involving Demon Beasts could attract their attention.
The Proprietor chuckled, waving his hand, “Honored guest, you jest!
“The Demon Beasts we sell are all domestically bred, and have nothing to do with the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains.
“The origin of each Demon Beast is crystal clear, absolutely no hidden dangers.”
He patted his chest, looking reassuring.
Xie Fei narrowed his eyes, changing his tone, “Then since it’s a Demon Beast, how did it manage to disappear out of thin air?”
Although he hadn’t paid much attention to the monkey, such a sudden disappearance.
Especially from the hands of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator…
This is already a big problem!
The Proprietor heard this, a flash of surprise in his eyes, bowing and smiling, “Congratulations, honored guest! It seems you’ve found a Treasure!”
He paused, his face showing envy, “That Demon Monkey should have recently awakened its Bloodline power.
“Its ancestors likely possessed the ability to conceal their form and enter the Void, thus deceiving the honored guest’s Qi Refining Level Eight Perception.
“In my opinion, this Demon Monkey’s Bloodline Ability is extraordinary!”
“Extraordinary?” Xie Fei sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.
The Proprietor was merely at Qi Refining Level Nine, how could he discern his true cultivation level?
To disappear silently from the hands of a Nascent Soul Level Four cultivator, this Demon Monkey’s potential is far beyond the word “extraordinary”!
Ten Spirit Stones in exchange for such a Demon Monkey, it’s a completely worthwhile deal.
But the problem now is…
“Where did the monkey go? How do I find it?”
Xie Fei asked, frowning.
The Proprietor shrugged helplessly, “This…
“Honored guest, after a Demon Beast awakens its Bloodline, its whereabouts are unpredictable.
“Perhaps it sensed some Opportunity and escaped; it’s possible.
“You might try searching around; if you are destined to meet again, you will.”
Although he spoke sincerely, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes, clearly unwilling to get further involved in this matter.
Xie Fei listened, nodded lightly, and asked no further.
It’s possible to buy another to complete Ninth Shujun’s investment.
But that disappeared monkey is unusual, it’s best to find it.
He turned and left the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion, stepping onto the market street.
His gaze shifted between the crowds and stalls, trying to catch sight of the Demon Monkey.
However, in the bustling market, where was there even a trace of a monkey?
He took a deep breath, and simply released his Spiritual Sense, sweeping across Huayang City like a tide.
His Spiritual Sense was like a net, carefully sifting through every corner.
After a moment, he finally caught a faint, almost imperceptible aura, like a trace left by the Demon Monkey.
Xie Fei’s eyes lit up, his figure flashed, and he sped off following the aura.
However.
When he stopped, he found himself in front of a magnificent courtyard.
Looking up, the door plaque clearly bore three large characters.
Jade Bath!
“What is this place?”
Xie Fei frowned, examining the courtyard, muttering to himself.
Judging by the name, it seems like a Wine Shop where one eats and drinks soup?
But upon closer inspection, he immediately dismissed this guess.
The Jade Bath occupied a vast area, with layers upon layers of Pavilions arranged harmoniously, far exceeding the scale of an ordinary inn.
More importantly, a faint Magic Array fluctuation emanated from around the courtyard, the array patterns intricate and exquisite.
Even with his current cultivation and understanding of Formations, it would be difficult to break through.
He tried to approach, about to step into the courtyard, but was stopped by a man and a woman at the entrance.
The two wore matching uniforms, their smiles warm, but their tone politely distant, “Sorry, honored guest, the Jade Bath is not yet open for business.
“Please come again tomorrow; we will officially open and welcome guests tomorrow.”
Xie Fei glanced sideways, catching a glimpse of the bustling scene inside the courtyard.
Many women in light-colored gauze dresses scurried back and forth, seemingly preparing for the opening, carrying various tools, arranged neatly and orderly.
He calmly nodded and stepped back.
He turned to an uncrowded alleyway, his brow furrowed, pondering a strategy.
“That Demon Monkey’s aura is within this Jade Bath.”
Xie Fei murmured, his Spiritual Sense probing again to confirm.
However, the Formations within the courtyard were layered upon layer, incredibly complex.
Unless one forced their way in, there was no way to sneak in silently.
But forcing one’s way in would not only alert them, but also attract unnecessary trouble.
He rubbed his temples, the scene he had just glimpsed flashing rapidly through his mind.
Those busy figures were all women, in uniform clothing, with refined Bearing.
Although there was a man and a woman guarding the entrance, the man’s Attire looked more like a Guardian, not an insider.
Xie Fei’s eyes lit up, he slapped his thigh, thinking to himself, “Right!”
He immediately activated the Thousand Faces Spirit Transformation Art, Limitless Sword Qi flowing, his entire appearance drastically changed.
Not only did his features become soft and delicate, but his figure also became slender and graceful, transforming into a young girl with a decent appearance and quite some beauty.
He flicked his hand, his robe transforming into a light-colored gauze dress, almost identical to the women in the courtyard.
It wasn’t that Xie Fei had such a preference.
It was simply that the busy people he saw were all women.
If he disguised himself as the male Guardian at the entrance, wouldn’t he just be standing there stupidly guarding the door?
In order to find that monkey, and also to see what kind of situation that monkey was in.
This time, Xie Fei was going all out.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his expression, and walked towards the Jade Bath with light steps.
When he stepped into the “Jade Bath” again, the pair of “Young Boy and Girl” at the entrance glanced at him.
Seeing that he was dressed like the women inside the courtyard, they did not stop him.
Xie Fei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn’t help but mutter, “This Proprietor’s new business, indeed, doesn’t recognize people, only clothes.”
New business, new partners, it’s normal for them not to be very familiar with each other.
He lowered his head and adjusted his gauze dress, quietly releasing his Spiritual Sense, following the Demon Monkey’s aura as he weaved through the courtyard.
The Jade Bath’s Pavilions were numerous, the corridors winding, and the air was filled with a faint Herbal Fragrance, mixed with Spiritual Power fluctuations.
Xie Fei carefully avoided the crowds, his steps light, trying not to attract attention.
After a while, he arrived at a crossroads, but bumped into a group of women.
Leading them was a tall woman with sharp brows and eyes, wearing a dark long dress, and exuding a rather imposing manner.
As soon as she saw Xie Fei, she frowned, and scolded unkindly, “Are you new here?
“Didn’t you hear that everyone needs to rush to the B-Grade Bath?
“What are you still wandering around here for!”
The sudden reprimand stunned Xie Fei slightly, and he thought to himself, “Have I been caught red-handed?”
Before he could speak, the leading woman impatiently waved her hand, “Hurry up! Come with me!”
Saying so, she grabbed Xie Fei’s arm and dragged him towards a side corridor.
The group of Young Girls behind her quickly lowered their heads and followed, each silent as a cicada.
Xie Fei was dragged along.
On the surface, he looked dazed, but in fact, with a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, he found that this direction was the source of the Demon Monkey’s aura.
A thought struck him, so he stopped struggling.
He honestly followed in the group, acting like a newcomer.
Along the way, everyone was silent, only the sound of the leading woman’s footsteps echoing in the corridor, the Atmosphere somewhat depressing.
A moment later.
The group stopped in front of a large door carved with patterns of green peacocks and spiritual herbs.
The leading woman pushed open the door, and led everyone in.
As soon as Xie Fei stepped inside, he froze.
Behind the door was a spacious and magnificent Space, ice crystal curtains swaying gently in the wind, emitting a crisp tinkling sound.
A layer of star-studded gauze hung from the dome, filtering the skylight into silver dots, making the entire Space seem like a moon palace fallen to earth, dreamlike and cold.
Twelve connected Spirit Stone lamps hung under the wooden beams, the wicks sealing unlit flames, faintly emitting a trace of Spiritual Power fluctuation.
Intricate array patterns were engraved on the ground, flowing with a faint glow, like living things slowly moving.
Xie Fei looked around in surprise, “So the so-called Bath is a Bathhouse!?”
“This is one of the best places in the Jade Bath, second only to the four A-Grade Baths.”
The leading woman pushed aside the ice crystal curtain and led everyone deeper inside.
Quite a few Young Girls were already standing inside, all neatly dressed, standing upright, listening to a woman with lingering charm explaining.
“Be quiet, stand quietly and listen,” the leading woman whispered, then turned and left, leaving Xie Fei and the others standing in the crowd.
The woman glanced at everyone and continued, “According to the Proprietor’s instructions, the A-Grade Baths are not open to the public, so the B-Grade Bath is the best Bath that outside women guests can use.”
Her voice was steady, with a hint of authority, clearly having quite the Status in the Jade Bath.
At this time.
A Young Girl couldn’t help but ask, “The B-Grade Bath is for female guests, where do the male guests go?”
The woman smiled gently, patiently explaining, “You don’t need to worry about that.
“Male guests have their own places, they will all be led to the Wind Pavilion and the Moon Pavilion.
“The Flower Pavilion where we are, and the Snow Pavilion next to it, are all places prepared for female guests.”
She paused and added, “The Jade Bath is divided into four Pavilions: Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon, each with its own characteristics, providing top-tier enjoyment for Honored Guests.”
Xie Fei stood in the crowd, secretly amazed, “Wow, a Bathhouse with such a grand setup.”
He listened calmly, but his gaze quietly swept towards the direction of the Demon Monkey’s aura.
He faintly sensed that the aura was in the nearby compartment.
The woman’s explanation was nearing its end, she raised her voice, “I think you’ve all learned for a while, some of you were even skilled Bath Attendants to begin with.
“Tomorrow, the Proprietor will officially open for business, today I’ve gathered you all, firstly, to familiarize you with the Jade Bath’s Rules, so as not to make mistakes.
“Secondly, to test your skills and see if you are qualified.”
After speaking, she turned to the compartment beside her respectfully, “Proprietor, we’re ready.”
“Mm.” A cold and familiar voice came from the compartment.
Xie Fei was stunned, his heart suddenly jolted, “Liu Su?”
He almost doubted he had misheard.
This Jade Bath, was it a Bathhouse opened by Liu Su?
Before he could recover.
Another female voice came from the compartment, with a hint of teasing, “Su Su, why aren’t you using these A-Grade Baths?
“Are you saving them to hide Treasures?”
This voice was Liu Ying!
Didn’t they separate? Why are these two sisters together again?
Before he could think it over, he heard a third familiar voice.
It was Zhou Hongxian.
She seemed to be complaining softly, “Su Su, this place is nice, but it uses too many Spirit Stones, doesn’t it?”
What shocked Xie Fei even more was that the Demon Monkey’s aura was clearly in that compartment!
He suppressed his surprise, his eyes fixed on the compartment, his mind racing.
Just then.
Liu Su, Liu Ying, Zhou Hongxian, and the maidservant Xiao Yun slowly walked out of the compartment.
The four had different temperaments, but all possessed a refined bearing, causing the surrounding Young Girls to lower their heads, not daring to look directly at them.
At the same time, several women who looked like Managing officials walked in from outside, each with a serious expression.
The Young Girls standing next to Xie Fei began to line up and come forward, demonstrating their bath-attending skills one by one.
Some had gentle techniques, some had steady strength, causing the Managing officials to nod slightly.
Xie Fei felt a pang of embarrassment.
He, a Nascent Soul Level Four cultivator, was among this group of Young Girls pretending to be a Bath Attendant, it was extremely ridiculous.
He quietly shifted his feet, taking advantage of the crowd’s inattention, slowly approaching the compartment.
But before Xie Fei had taken two or three steps.
He was interrupted by a sudden voice.
“You! It’s your turn!” The woman who had been explaining suddenly pointed at him, her tone impatient, her gaze like a knife sweeping over.
“Me?” Xie Fei was stunned, subconsciously pointing at himself, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He looked around and found that the crowd behind him had dispersed, each standing by the large and small Baths, ready for inspection.
And he, unknowingly, was among the last few who had not yet come forward.
“Yes! You few who came late, go first!”
The woman put her hands on her hips, her tone unceremonious.
This was clearly a punishment for those who were late.
She narrowed her eyes, staring at Xie Fei, “What are you still dawdling for? Hurry up!”
Xie Fei opened his mouth, his mind racing, trying to find an excuse to escape.
He didn’t know any bath-attending skills.
Moreover, he knew that Liu Su was someone who could see through his disguise!
If he rashly approached and revealed his identity, it would be incredibly embarrassing.
He coughed, whispering, “That…
“I’m feeling a little unwell, can I…”
“What unwell? Hurry up and go!” The woman didn’t wait for him to finish, striding forward.
Then she grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the center of the Bath.
Her strength was considerable, clearly not intending to give him any chance to refuse.
Xie Fei’s heart tightened, thinking, “This is trouble!”
Calmly, he twisted his wrist, skillfully breaking free from the woman’s grasp.
The movement was light and understated, yet just right, neither revealing his cultivation nor causing too much commotion.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
The woman turned sharply, her brow furrowed, a flash of anger in her eyes.
This commotion immediately attracted the attention of those around.
Several Managing officials gestured for the female Bath Attendants behind them to stop, then frowned and looked over.
Liu Ying and Zhou Hongxian also turned to look, with a hint of inquiry in their eyes.
Fortunately, Liu Su seemed to have not paid attention to this side, still lowering her head on the Jade Stone platform, reading something.
Her slender fingers lightly tapped on the pages, focused as if isolated from the world.
Xie Fei was stared at by everyone, cursing inwardly, “What’s going on?”
He forced a smile, whispering, “No… nothing, I’ll go over now.”
At this point, any more excuses would only attract more attention, he could only go with the flow for now.
He lowered his head and quickly followed the woman, secretly praying in his heart, “Don’t let it be Liu Su…”
As long as it wasn’t Liu Su, he could just fool around and get away with it.
After all.
He wasn’t really trying to get a job at the Jade Bath, a few mistakes wouldn’t matter.
Even being “fired” was fine.
However, things went awry.
The woman seemed extremely unhappy with his “negligence,” leading him straight to the edge of the central Bath.
There were a few pure Jade Stone lying-down platforms.
And on one of those platforms, the Proprietor of the Jade Bath was lying down.
In other words, Liu Su!
“It’s over…” Xie Fei’s heart sank, and scenes of embarrassment flashed through his mind.
He could almost imagine Liu Su looking up, surprised and exclaiming “Brother-in-law”.
Then Liu Ying and Zhou Hongxian would widen their eyes, staring dumbfounded.
Then all the women in the Bath would scream…
Finally, the humiliating scene of being kicked out of the Jade Bath by Liu Ying.
He took a deep breath, thinking, “Forget it, I’ll simply confess to Big Shot Liu, say I’m looking for something…”
Rather than be exposed on the spot, it’s better to take the initiative, perhaps he could salvage some Face.
Just as he made up his mind, he suddenly realized that Liu Su hadn’t looked up at him at all.
She lay on the warm Jade Stone platform, holding a jade pen, diligently writing and drawing, seeming to be checking accounts or recording something.
Her expression was serious, her brows and eyes exuding an elegant Bearing, completely without any intention of paying attention to who had come.
“Mm?”
Xie Fei froze, half of his hanging heart immediately dropped.
He secretly rejoiced, “As long as she doesn’t look up at me, I’ll be fine!”
He quietly adjusted his breathing, trying to make himself look natural.
With this relaxation, he noticed the scene beside him, and his heart involuntarily quickened.
What met his eyes was a scene of pure white…
Liu Su lay quietly on the Jade platform, the surrounding misty steam swirling like gauze, making her figure look like a Fairy who had mistakenly fallen to earth.
Her back was like a flawless piece of jade, her skin as white as snow, with a soft glow, delicate as if water could be squeezed out of it.
Every inch of her skin was just right, the lines smooth and elegant.
Her shoulder blades rose slightly, like a butterfly spreading its wings, exuding a natural liveliness.
Following the curve of her back down, her waist was slender and supple, like a crescent moon, outlining a perfect curve.
Her waist was light yet strong, as if containing the unique Spiritual Energy of a woman.
The curve continued to extend, to the hips…
Full and round, like a ripe peach, with a captivating tension, yet without losing its dignified beauty.
Her legs were long and well-proportioned, the lines smooth like a stream, her skin fair with a healthy blush, as if carved by Heavenly Craftsmanship.
“Whew…”
Xie Fei took a deep breath, forcing himself to put aside his Distractions and calm down.
“Mm?”
Liu Su stopped her jade pen, as if noticing the long silence, letting out a questioning sound.