Chapter 87 - A Gentleman's Promise

CangGong courtyard. I sat on the straw mat sipping my tea while looking at Feng Yi working on her herb plantation. Chunu was beside me and we were talking about her cultivation.

''You said you have completed 108 Droplets right?''

''Yes,'' she said. It was for the Body Tempering stage only. She had the next stage and the time for THAT technique had come.

''True Yin Body. If you can practice that and unlock your Immortal Fountain Physique by opening Yin meridians, it will be much easier for your future cultivation. We need to find an Ice Jade slate for divine grade meridians.'' I was serious. This was about building a solid foundation that would be pure and perfect, not just in this world's standards but everywhere.

''I understand, big brother.'' Chunu nodded. I was saying this for her own good.

Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air floating over the courtyard. Ling'er was diligently practicing the Jade Sword Body technique I had given her. By now, she was fully aware of how better this technique was than what she had been practicing until now.

''She is a hard worker,'' Chunu said, glancing at Lingling moving around in the courtyard. The girl was fast approaching rank 9 and it was only a matter of weeks before she would break through.

Sweat trickled down her forehead which sparkled due to the noon sunlight. She was practicing the sword forms that I had shown her yesterday. One step ahead, three steps left. A horizontal slash and then a vertical dab. Again, one step ahead, this time three steps right.

We sat there with our empty cups and kept looking at her until Feng Yi came from behind.

''Don't you people have to go to the Martial House?'' She asked, her hands muddy after uprooting all that grass. With my encouragement, she had bought a cauldron to practice her alchemy skills.

Feng Yi grumbled after I ignored her and went to wash herself. There was even a bath in this house. The water came from the canal which was dug out from the Chengde river. 

I stood up after Feng Yi was gone and went outside. There was a lot to do. First of all, I planned to get some materials to practice setting up formations. Then tomorrow I would invite Sheng Yin somewhere.

…

Another week passed. During that time, I bought some more blood nourishing pills from the black market. They were very effective and coupled with those, the Star Pagoda was helping my blood and the internal organs gain the property of Yang.

The next breakthrough was just another three weeks away.

Feng Yi had finally managed to successfully create a low quality pill and that was a huge achievement for herself, especially since she only started learning alchemy a month ago.

Ling'er stepped on to the 9th rank during this time and Chunu was doing well on her True Yin Body technique. Until she reached the Meridian Opening stage, there was no need to search for any material.

Today, I was at a place called Sublime Choice with Sheng Yin. She frequented this park and always liked to stay in the veranda looking at the view or practicing her breathing technique.

I was a true gentleman here, keeping her smiling from time to time. She felt happy being accompanied by me. It was starting, I had built the foundation. Now was the time to push ahead.

The incense stick burned with the patience of an old monk. It gave off a sweet smell that this young miss liked. Servants, dressed modestly in contrast to their young miss, surrounded us while we talked about what… noble things of course.

''Yin,'' I said. I had already passed the formality phase, she preferred that I called her by her first name instead. WIthout adding the surname or the honorifics such as 'miss' or 'lady.'

''These intricate patterns on your kilt are beautiful.'' Do not compliment her but her belongings. Things that relate to her. This is called passive courting, also known as a 'gentleman's flirt.'

''Really? My maid chose it for me.''

'Well…' No matter, there were countless other ways.

Such 'meetings' were common and Sheng Yin didn't find it weird that I spent about two hours of time daily with her nor did she notice that that time was slowly increasing.

There were three ways to seduce a person without using any kind of magical means. Sheng Yin, a rather simple girl if compared to whom I had dealt with on earth, was easy to conquer.

There had to be a charm that would attract the seduced towards the seducer and my charm wasn't my face but my personality. But, my attitude towards her would change as she would eventually learn what type of person I was by being with me.

For now, however, I was kind, virtuous, courageous, ambitious, and everything else a 'prince charming hidden in a normal body' would have. My advances were not that visible as only some weeks had passed since we met each other.

The youthful ignorance, when young minds made decisions quickly without thinking about the future, worked for my benefit. That was the greatest bet here. Sheng Yin would be lured in and still feel that she was doing everything right.

Some days later, I succeeded in taking her to the city arena. There we sat side by side and watched some of the matches. She wasn't deterred by the blood and shouting. That told me she had gone through rigorous training and wasn't just some pampered young miss like Gang Bing.

I noticed that there were guards following her from afar wherever she went. Two weeks had already passed and there was no one to warn me.

Usually, a lowly cultivator such as myself trying to make moves on a young miss such as her would be discouraged and even beaten up. However, such a cliche scene didn't happen in the duration of the time we spent with eachother nor there was any trouble when we separated each day.

Just like Sheng Yin's guards, Bina followed us closely. I could sense her existence four seats away, watching like a normal spectator. I wondered why they didn't just kidnap Sheng Yin instead of going through this hassle of making me seduce her.

It would have been much easier and time-saving to use violence than this. I guessed they didn't have the brains to think of it or were too afraid to kidnap her.

Seconds - minutes passed, then hours - the days turned into nights and time flowed on its own course.

Sheng Yin, after a month, didn't mind us holding hands. We were friends, it was normal. Normal to touch shoulders while walking together, normal to point out a rice grain stuck on her lips while eating out, normal to let me pinch her cheeks in a disagreement, normal to push her from the back, normal to shield her in a crowd, normal to wear my clothes after getting hers wet in a rain…

All was good. But she could feel something rising up within her. It was normal right? Would I not accept it? Was it really normal to say-

''I… love you, Zuifan.''

Day 47, on a carriage. We were going to True Phoenix Mansion together when Sheng Yin decided to be brave. I didn't act surprised nor did I appear to be shy. I internally sighed. How easily we humans are swayed.

However, I couldn't shake my head and show disappointment at the moment.

So I smiled and sat beside her. I looked at her expectant eyes. They portrayed a multitude of emotions and I had power over which ones to burst. She would be devastated if I just said 'No.' But that wasn't the game here.

''I love you too, Yin. I have been planning to tell you this for a long time.'' I suddenly hugged her.

The acting wasn't as dramatic but it was powerful. Sheng Yin's body relaxed but her chest kept on quivering. She snuggled deep into my embrace, ignorant. She wrapped her hands around my body while I took the liberty to stroke those hairs and felt the softness of her beating chest. It was an overused move, but always worked flawlessly.

The carriage bumped as it stopped and our hug was broken. Sheng Yin felt like she had found everything in her life as she looked at me with teary eyes. After one standard french kiss and a classic lie of living together forever, which I tried not to cringe after speaking out, she gave all of herself to me. Ahh, mortals were fun to play with.

''Here,'' I passed her a napkin as the coachman called out. She wiped her tears and licked my saliva that stuck to her lips. Readying herself, she smiled and went outside of the carriage with me following.

The carriage entered the private estate of the Sheng family as I looked around. I had conquered Sheng Shao's sister. I wondered what expression he would have when he found out. Though I was late on time, I was successful nevertheless.

''Come, Miss Yin. Let's enter.'' There were servants. I couldn't sound too familiar.

It was time to start phase two.

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Edited on 9th February, 2022.