CH 16

Chapter 16: The Scene of Purgatory



In fact, Song Qingshi didn’t like to eat mutton and he liked spicy foods even less. But if his family’s little angel wanted to eat hand-held mutton then he was going to accompany him. 



The two had a leisurely lunch before arriving at Heaven Craft Pavilion.



The Pavilion Master of Heaven Craft Pavilion saw him and welcomed him in respectfully but the expression on his face was unsightly.



It was then that Song Qingshi learned that what they had meant when they wrote in the letter that “they were afraid of making a mistake”, was that they didn’t understand at all and the craftsmen were going crazy…



“It’s a microscope, some transparent test tubes and flasks, a distiller, a fermenter, a barometer, an infrared spectrometer…” Song Qingshi was at a loss. He didn’t know what part of it they didn’t understand. He hadn’t even ordered the difficult machines such as mass spectrometers and liquid chromatographs. All of these were simple things, “The microscope is a high-intensity magnifying glass, which can see bacteria…” 



What the hell were magnifying glasses and bacteria? Were these tools for killing or spying on people?



The Master of Heaven Craft Pavilion was completely confused listening to him and began to have doubts about life…



The two talked for a long time but a donkey's lips simply didn't match a horse's mouth.



Fortunately, Yue Wuhuan has been studying medicine with him these days and had an idea of these objects. Seeing that his Master was having difficulties, he took the initiative to explain for him.



Yue Wuhuan understood how people in the immortal realm thought. He changed the way of communicating and finally made the Pavilion Master understand that the microscope was used to check the tiny poisons attached to objects, the test tubes and flasks were precious decorations and the distiller was a kettle used to extract pure water…



Song Qingshi sat next to him, dumbfounded by his explanation. It sounded weird but they weren’t technically wrong.



The Pavilion Master finally patted his chest and gave his assurance that he could make these objects.



Yue Wuhuan began to bargain with him. After about half an hour, he found out the Pavilion Master’s final price and with Song Qingshi’s permission, he also used some of the common pills produced by the Medicine King’s Valley to deducted part of the purchase price, allowing them to save a lot of money. He also reached a mutually beneficial long-term agreement with Heaven Craft Pavilion’s Master and also checked for any loopholes in the contract. 



He really was blessed to have an omnipotent secretary in his household…



In the end, Song Qingshi didn’t even have to read the contract. He only signed his name.



He walked out of the Heaven Craft Pavilion, all muddle-headed. The sky was quickly turning dark. The lights in the shops were lit up and visitors came in and out in an endless stream. The red-light district and the betting houses were a lot livelier and countless beauty-seeking patrons and gamblers were shuttling back and forth. The sound of fights and quarrels could sometimes be heard and there would even sometimes be magical fights between cultivators.



Night Rain Pavilion was located in the red light district. It was engaged in selling information and issuing rewards. 



This was the first time for Song Qingshi to visit this kind of place and he curiously looked around everywhere. From time to time, he would encounter the bold flirting of a courtesan. There were even some xiao guan who saw that Yue Wuhuan had a good figure and propositioned him. They made such a racket that Song Qingshi felt very uncomfortable. He quickly walked into Night Rain Pavilion to avoid them. Yue Wuhuan’s expression under the black gauze curtain also finally looked a lot better.



Night Rain Pavilion’s rules stated that the one requesting information must come alone.



After repeatedly warning Yue Wuhuan not to go running about, Song Qingshi entered the inner room.



Ye Lin, the master of Night Rain Pavilion, personally came to receive him. 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Ye Lin was a fat man with a good temper. His features were amiable and genial. He smiled at everyone. The original body had once treated him for serious injuries. Now, every time he received news of rare ingredients or information about medicine that were about to be released or sold, they would first be offered to Song Qingshi. It could be said that the two had friendly relations. Now, he has heard that for the sake of a beauty, Song Qingshi was moving troops and mustering up forces. He felt that this was quite unlikely but it was hard to actually tell. He also saw that the method for removing the Acacia Seal was quite troublesome, so he delayed telling him for a few months lest the Medicine King Xianzun forge on ahead seized by nothing more than impulse. Once he grows tired of playing with this beauty, the losses would be quite considerable.



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Song Qingshi humbly asked for advice, “Which is easier?” 



Ye Lin said with a bitter face, “My lord, you know as well as I do that the Fen Shen elders are the greatest treasures of the various sects. They won’t undertake any task easily. They would see it as a humiliation if you were to ask them to erase the seal of slave with mortal origins.” He tried to express it tactfully, but really wanted to tell him, ‘If someone were to take their pet to the Medicine King’s Valley for treatment, wouldn’t you kick them out?’.



Song Qingshi thought for a while and understood. “I’ll choose the second method.”



He will never let Yue Wuhuan be humiliated again.



Ye Lin looked at him, hating iron for not turning into steel. “The Quintessence of All Souls… is a treasure that can only be produced once by each spiritual vein. It may occasionally appears at auctions. Depending on the quality and size, the price can reach 100,000 to 300,000 of the top-grade spirit stones. This was a method developed at any cost because the daughter of Jinyu Tower’s Master had had a seal imprinted upon her by an evildoer. Because it’s too expensive, no one really bothers to keep this method a secret. I can give the information to you directly. However, slaves with the Acacia Seal imprinted upon them all have a secret word from whoever placed the seal on them. The formation needs to have the secret word written along with it. Xie Que is extremely greedy and if he finds out that you wish to release the seal, he will for certain charge you a high price for it.” 



The Medicine King’s Valley purchases various medicinal materials at high prices for research all the year round, but sells very few medicines. It could not be considered as a wealthy sect.



Although Wuhuan Gongzhi was a rare beauty, he was also a courtesan with a terrible reputation. Was it worth it to spend such a large price to erase his seal? The Medicine King Xianzun’s head must have been completely bewitched, right?



Ye Lin tried to advise him, “If you really like that person, you just need to be nice to him and not use the spirit bead. It would be the same whether you erase the Acacia Seal or not. I have received news that Jinhuan Tower is going to auction off a pair of stunning sister and brother, both virgins. The price is only fifty thousand spirit stones and their appearance is not inferior to…”



Song Qingshi immediately interrupted his words, “I want to buy the Quintessense of All Souls. Would you know where it is being offered up for sale?” 



He didn’t know how to join up with the immortal realm’s cultivators’ way of thinking. It had nothing to do with whether he would use the spirit bead or not. The Acacia Seal itself was a mark of shame and deprivation of human dignity. It cannot be allowed to remain else, Yue Wuhuan’s mental problems would never be resolved.



Ye Lin gave up trying to persuade him. He said, embarrassed,  “I know Madam Ling Miao has a few in her collection but I am not sure if she would be willing to sell them.”



Song Qingshi made a rough estimate of his resources, “I am willing to refine a bottle of Ever Young Pills for her and pay another 200,000 spirit stones.”



Although Madam Ling Miao had great talent, she joined the immortal sect very late. She was already past thirty when she reached Foundation Building and past forty when he reached Core Formation. She looked much older than the other female cultivators and it was an extremely sore point for her. Ordinarily, she could use the Skin Nourishing Pill to cover it up but she has always wanted the Ever Young Pills to restore her appearance to its peak. However, the method to make the Ever Young Pill has long been lost and only The Medicine King’s Valley’s copy was left. The original body disdained the Ever Young Pills. The ingredients needed were rare and it was troublesome to make with a useless effect. It was like an insult to his identity as a medical immortal and so he has never refined them. 



As soon as the Ever Young Pill comes out, Madam Ling Miao will definitely be tempted.



“I’ll take care of this matter for you.” Ye Lin felt distressed for him. He suddenly remembered something and said, “By the way, did you know something happened to Xie Que recently?”



Song Qingshi frowned, “What’s the matter?”



Ye Lin told him as though relating a humorous story, “Didn’t the Golden Phoenix Manor’s Manor Lord get a new darling? The one he dotes on terribly. I think he’s called Bai Zihao…recently it was discovered that he is the illegitimate son in the mortal realm of Elder He of Pine Crane Sect. He was sold as a slave by Xie Que that wicked good-for-nothing. There has been a great dispute about it for so long but it hasn’t borne any results. Pine Crane Sect cannot deal with Golden Phoenix Manor so now they are looking everywhere for Xie Que to settle accounts. Unfortunately, Xie Que, this clever bastard, runs fast as a thief. No one knows in which hole he’s hidden himself in.” 



Song Qingshi lowered his head and thought for a long time.



Ye Lin smiled and said, “If I find that bastard Xie Que, I can find a way to get the secret word for you. The cost will be cheaper for you.”



“No,” Song Qingshi smiled, “I’m willing to pay double the fee if you can tell me his whereabouts…”



Ye Lin was stunned. He then realizing something and repeatedly agreed as he picked up his teacup. 



Song Qingshi said his good-byes and left. One the way out, he took with him Yue Wuhuan who had been studying the mission postings outside.



Ye Lin glanced at Yue Wuhuan from out the window. He shook his head, and pulled out a picture book from a hidden part of the bookshelf. He flipped through a few pages and sighed.



As expected, Wuhuan Gongzhi’s methods were outstanding.



It seemed like the Medicine King Xianzun’s lifelong reputation was about to take a fall. 



…



Now, all business matters were settled and there was a prospect for a solution to erasing the seal.



Song Qingshi happily went shopping with Yue Wuhuan, buying books, medicinal ingredients and daily necessities.



This red brocade was very beautiful. It will suit Yue Wuhuan very well. Buy it! 



This Barbarian Dragon Grass might be used to make medicine for Yue Wuhuan. Buy it! Buy it!



Rongxing Hall’s cake was delicious. Wuhuan would love it. Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!



Song Qingshi was the kind of person who would only go out shopping a few times a year and would buy enough for half a year each time. He took great pleasure in buying things. He even bought two bottles of wine from a roadside pub. The wine was called Wangyou, it sounded delicious. The beauty at the pub said that it could be used to dispel his worries. Although he did things very purposefully and didn’t have too much worries, he could still buy it for its taste.



He bought an awful mess of things. 



Yue Wuhuan helplessly stored all his purchases into the mustard bag for him, leaving them to be sorted once they got back.



When Song Qing saw a bookstore down an alley, he ran over happily. Buying books was his favorite; the more the better.



Yue Wuhuan hesitated for a moment. He then finally followed after him slowly.



Business was thriving for this bookstore called House of Immortal Passions, with many book-buyers coming in and out. Song Qingshi first bought copies of medicine-related books. He then bought copies of books with information about the immortal realm. Finally, he bought copies of the currently popular books. He found that the people who came to buy books in the store seemed to particularly like the colored picture book in the corner; especially the men, who seven to eight out of ten would purchase a copy. 



Song Qingshi curiously asked Yue Wuhuan, “What books are those?”



Yue Wuhuan looked at him, lost in thought. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.



Song Qingshi walked over and picked up the picture book called “Beauty of the Golden Age”. He smiled, “It turned out to be a collection of prints in the style of Ukiyo-e. The printing is so exquisite. Are these paintings by a master?”



He opened it and gave it a casual look through. He let it go as though his hands had been burned. The picture book fell to the ground, falling open to reveal the picture inside. He then looked at it again incredulously. His body went cold from head to toe as though he’d been doused with ice water. 



This was a pornographic book. It painted all sorts of dirty scenes accompanied by countless gaudy words.



“The Evening Banquet of All Beauties”, “Lin Xianzun Copulates with Wuhuan Gongzhi”, “Picture of the Great Beauty Jin Qiao” and so on…



In the painting, the stunning young man was lying underneath various men, sweetly and agreeably pleasuring them. He was depicted in all sorts of unbearable postures.



The youth had a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes and a scarlet mole under his left eye so beautiful that it could arouse everyone’s desire. 



This was Yue Wuhuan…



Song Qingshi knew of what Yue Wuhuan had experienced. But, when all was said and done, he has never had to face these unbearable scenes. As Yue Wuhuan gradually recovered, he wanted to make like an ostrich, using time to forget about the past. But now, this picture album has brutally ripped off the scar to show everything. The hell that Yue Wuhuan experienced was even more miserable than he could have ever imagined.



How could people be so evil?



Song Qingshi was so upset that he couldn’t breathe. He was gasping for breath and hugging his shoulders tightly. 



The Underworld Ghost Fire rose up, burning all the filth.



And then?



What should he do? What can he do? He can’t do anything.



The bookstore owner wanted to come over to greet him but upon seeing this he was so scared that he ran away. Song Qingshi stood there blankly, feeling that he had lost all strength from his body. Finally, completely without knowing it, Yue Wuhuan dragged him away. 



Yue Wuhuan took him by the hand and walked aimlessly to the side of the river.



The cold wind blew and Song Qingshi’s mind gradually cleared…



He finally understood why the two cultivators in the tea shed were talking that way and why Ye Lin wanted to persuade him to give up.



So, everyone knows… 



Golden Phoenix Mountain Manor has ruined Yue Wuhuan’s body and these picture books have ruined Yue Wuhuan’s reputation.



No matter how hard Yue Wuhuan worked — Foundation Building, Core Formation, even if he reached Nascent Soul…or cultivated to become the sword sovereign, everyone who sees him will never think of his amazing talents but would think instead of his body and those filthy scenes. His past as a plaything will always remain in his heart. Even if he can burn down a bookstore, two bookstores, burn down countless picture books for Yue Wuhuan, he has no way of preventing these picture books from circulating in the market…



Yue Wuhuan once said that he had nothing…



Only now did he know the depth of despair behind this statement. 



Song Qingshi sat by the river, covering his face, letting tears slip through his fingers. He hated how powerless he was.



“Master does not need to be sad,” Yue Wuhuan also sat down slowly, softly comforting, “Sooner or later, you would have known about this matter…so I never planned on hiding it. These paintings were from a few years ago. The most well-known painter of the immortal realm in those days came to Golden Phoenix Manor. Jin Feiren drugged me and controlled me with the spirit bead, letting him paint these to spread all over the world. Thinking about it now, he must have been aware that I wanted to escape. He wanted to warn me, that no matter where I flee to, I can’t escape the fate of a slave… Therefore, I gave up all hope of escaping and became what he wanted. shameless, indulging in desire, stupid and ridiculous…”



Song Qingshi buried his head and looked at the river, not daring to look at him.



“Master has given me a chance to be reborn,” Yue Wuhuan said in a relaxed tone, “I have already let go of these things…I have long gotten used to it, and I am mentally prepared. I can research ways to change my appearance and I’ll change my name too so that I won’t be recognized, so… it’s okay, I’m really okay.” 



Song Qingshi was still extremely sad, because this beautiful and proud phoenix could no longer fly openly out under the sun.



He eased his emotions and wanted to stand up but found that Yue Wuhuan’s body had been trembling all this time.



In the dark night, he had already taken off the curtain and his beautiful eyes were filled with fear.



Yue Wuhuan used up all the energy in his body before he was able to speak out the words he feared the most. 



“Please, please, don’t hate me for being dirty…”