Lu Xuan looked around, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"I'll stay here, but I need to eat something first." He casually tossed a silver ingot weighing at least two ounces to the innkeeper. Then he found a seat by the window in the lobby and sat down.
The lobby was quite crowded, with most people sipping tea and gazing up at a room on the second floor. The door was open, covered by a pink curtain. Inside, candlelight flickered, and a graceful figure could be vaguely seen, stirring up all sorts of fantasies.
Lu Xuan's smile deepened. He called the waiter to bring a pot of fine tea. Then, he quietly leaned against the window, waiting casually like everyone else.
As the sun set, the hall began to bustle with activity. It seemed the time had come.
Lu Xuan looked up and saw the pearl curtain on the second floor being gently brushed aside by a pair of slender, jade-like hands. A graceful woman, carrying a guqin, dressed in a pink gauze dress and with her face covered by a black veil, walked out of the room.
She walked to the seat that had been prepared for her and placed the violin on the stand in front of her. Her right hand gently traced a note. A series of clear, melodious notes rang out. The entire hall fell silent. Lu Xuan could even hear the slightly heavy breathing and rapid heartbeats of the diners around him.
Before she even started playing or singing, the woman's every move had already captivated the crowd below.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the woman gently touched the zither with both hands and began to sing softly, accompanied by the music.
"At dusk, the makeup is removed, and the west wind outside the window chills the gauze. I hear the rustling of banana leaves, and the fine rain falling in bursts. Where can I chat idly with someone? I've been waiting with bated breath, but he hasn't returned home, and my tears fall like raindrops. I miss him, and I hate him, so I hold my red embroidered shoes and consult the oracle."
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Chapter 344 Immortality and Freedom
It's not exactly highbrow, but it's not entirely lowbrow either. This piece, "Drunken Flower Shade," is only of average quality. However, paired with a woman's melodious and sorrowful tune, it possesses an unusually captivating charm.
Lu Xuan's eyes were clear, but his heart was filled with curiosity. He wondered who the woman before him was. Or rather, what exactly was she?
As night fell, the diners returned to their rooms to rest. There was even a sense of urgency in their eagerness. Lu Xuan scanned the room with his divine sense and knew immediately: every guest who stayed at this inn tonight was destined for an incredibly erotic dream.
Lu Xuan chuckled and got up to walk towards the woman's room.
Seeing this, the waiter quickly stepped forward to stop him. But as soon as he took a step, his eyes glazed over. Then he turned and went to the kitchen, completely forgetting what he was supposed to do.
The woman inside seemed to have been prepared. She sat quietly by the window, watching Lu Xuan walk in.
Lu Xuan approached and scrutinized the woman more closely. His expression grew even more peculiar, because he couldn't discern what the woman before him was.
It possessed a ghostly aura and a demonic aura. But overall, it was neither a ghost nor a demon. This truly puzzled Lu Xuan.
As Lu Xuan entered, the woman stood up and gave a slight bow.
"This humble woman, Hongxiu, greets the Daoist Master."
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
"What's the use of being afraid? Besides, I only come once every seven days. I only absorb a little bit of essence and have never truly damaged my source. If you think this is not acceptable, then I have nothing to say. I will just accept that there is no place for me in this world."
Lu Xuan noticed that she exuded no murderous aura whatsoever. She certainly hadn't harmed anyone. He nodded and asked.
"I'm very curious, what exactly are you? You're neither a demon nor a ghost! What exactly are you...?"
The woman opposite thought for a moment, then spoke.
"I don't know myself. I was originally a singer in this generation, making a living by singing. Later... I was forced to my death. After my death, my vengeful spirit did not rest, and I had some opportunities, which led me to become what I am now."
As he spoke, he spat out a piece of ancient jade.
Lu Xuan gently took it, feeling the ancient jade as cool as water, brimming with spiritual energy. Clearly, it was no ordinary item.
"This ancient jade was originally a family heirloom, which I always wore close to my body. After I died, I was reborn within this ancient jade. I don't know why." Clearly, the woman herself didn't know what had happened. However, Lu Xuan could tell.
This ancient jade originally possessed a spirit, almost becoming sentient. After the woman died, her soul merged with the spirit of the jade, ultimately forming a unique creature that was neither demon nor ghost.
"Interesting, this is an opportunity for you. However, absorbing other people's life force is not the right path of cultivation. Even if you don't harm anyone, over time you will eventually lose control of your desires. That will be the time when you fall into the demonic path."
"Please enlighten me, Daoist Master." The woman knelt lightly before Lu Xuan. She could sense that the man before her possessed a vast and boundless spiritual power, a hundred times greater than hers. She knew he was a truly virtuous person. Crucially, he hadn't immediately resorted to violence; clearly, he wasn't the kind of pedantic figure portrayed in folk tales. Therefore, she bowed, hoping to seek some opportunity.
As for her, a spirit formed by chance, she has no foundation and can only rely on instinct to absorb human essence for cultivation. Who knows, one day she might be used as a tool of justice. This is completely not the righteous path of cultivation.
Lu Xuan hesitated for a moment.
The red-sleeved spirit before them was an extremely shrewd one. After all, she possessed human-like thinking. Compared to those newly enlightened simpletons, she was far more rational and intelligent. This was evident from her ability to restrain herself, absorbing essence only once every seven days in her dreams, and never harming anyone. She had a heart yearning for the Dao, though not through orthodox means.
Lu Xuan was inclined to accept her, but he had some reservations. After thinking for a moment, Lu Xuan took out a small token made of tile and handed it to Hongxiu.
"Take this token and head south. After passing Lujia Village, continue south for thirty miles into the mountains. You will then see my cave dwelling. You can enter with this token. Every day at moonrise, the array within the cave will automatically activate, absorbing moonlight and transforming it into the essence of the moon."
If you truly desire the Dao, then go there to cultivate. Use the essence of the moon to cleanse yourself of the ghostly aura. While you're at it, help me manage my cave. Once you've achieved mastery, you can sense my location using the token. At that time, you can either continue your secluded cultivation or come to find me; it's entirely up to you.”
Demons and ghosts are different. Demons may harbor good intentions and not harm people. But ghosts are different; even if they truly have good intentions, the yin energy within them will involuntarily harm humans. Even a special spirit like Hongxiu, who is clear-headed, has an instinct to absorb the life essence of humans for cultivation. This is an inevitable conflict between the living and the dead.
Lu Xuan was not skilled in controlling ghosts, so he sent Hongxiu to her cave to cultivate and cleanse herself of her ghostly aura, guiding her onto the righteous path.
After thanking Lu Xuan, Hongxiu gracefully departed. Lu Xuan, on the other hand, continued his meditation and cultivation. This had become a habit in his life, and a necessary commitment for a cultivator.
There were other spirits on this street besides Hongxiu. Lu Xuan could sense them with a slight sweep of his divine sense. There was a fox demon in the brothel next door. There was ghostly energy in the backyard of the restaurant across the street. In the distance, in a courtyard on the street, the yin energy was heavy, probably containing either a zombie or a ghost.
Keep in mind, this is just an extremely remote town. On the very night Lu Xuan checked in, he had already sensed four demons and monsters. Is this really the human world?
Inside the government office in the city center, resentment filled the air. What was brewing there was unknown! However, it was temporarily suppressed by the dynasty's fortune. This indicated that the dynasty's fate wasn't sealed and it could hold on for a while longer. But Lu Xuan estimated that the dynasty would inevitably collapse within ten years. At that time, all these hidden dangers would erupt instantly. Then, it would truly be a world of demons and monsters, a night of ghosts and spirits.
With a sigh, Lu Xuan did not intend to take the lead and exterminate all the demons and monsters in the town.
In each of the previous worlds, he participated in the struggle for supremacy, all in order to leverage the power of secular dynasties to gather the resources he needed.
But in this world, the rules have changed. The true cultivators of this world are extremely separated from the secular world. Using secular power to gather resources from cultivators has become a losing proposition. Besides wasting a lot of Lu Xuan's energy, the results won't be as good as in the previous worlds. Furthermore, this ancient dynasty is not one of any of Lu Xuan's memories.