Chapter 27#

Clear Radiance and Moonlight#

Xiao Man had never cared for his appearance. Previously at the inn, when Qu Hanxing had praised him lavishly, he had only blinked slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Now, being treated by Sister Qin as a savior sent from the heavens, his heart remained untroubled.

He lowered his eyes to glance at Sister Qin’s hands, which were grasping his fingers and constantly patting the back of his hand. He calmly turned his wrist, withdrew his hand, and let it fall.

Sister Qin didn’t notice this detail. With a look, she shooed away the group of servants and maids idling in the backyard, then smiled at Xiao Man and the other two, her smile like a spring breeze in March:

“The three of you dance exceptionally well. Come, come, quickly follow me!”

Xiao Man and the others followed at a quick pace.

Along the way, Sister Qin asked for the names and origins of the three. Xiao Man fabricated a story: “The three of us sisters came to Yuntai Town for fun. We heard that the dance troupe of Wuxiu Hui had run into some trouble. It just so happens that our next stop is the capital, and we know some dance arts, so we came to recommend ourselves.”

Sister Qin didn’t doubt him and added, “Wuxiu Hui is the largest entertainment establishment in Yuntai Town. This trip to the capital to perform is firstly to gain a reputation, and secondly to pave the way for a future move to the capital. You three ladies are so beautiful; you will surely shine at the festival. Have you considered staying at Wuxiu Hui to develop together?”

Xiao Man: “…”

Xiao Man immediately refused.

Sister Qin couldn’t help but show a look of regret.

Passing through courtyards and corridors, in just a moment, they arrived at the front hall. Rehearsal had just concluded, and the girls were sitting in chairs below the stage resting. Seeing Sister Qin bring people back, their expressions were all different.

The one surrounded by several people should be the lead dancer. Her dance attire was the most gorgeous and complex, and she wore the currently fashionable makeup, with a tear-shaped beauty mark below the corner of her eye. Between the ripples of her eyes, she was extremely charming.

She was the most outstanding-looking among the group. Initially catching sight of Shi Tang walking in front, she glanced at her chest and buttocks with a nonchalant expression, but when she saw Xiao Man at the end, her gaze became fixed on his face like a nail.

In an instant, the relaxed atmosphere in the hall became heavy.

Although these girls of Wuxiu Hui loved internal strife, now that outsiders had come, they united against the common enemy. The gaze of the lead dancer toward Xiao Man held hostility that couldn’t be hidden.

An expected situation; Xiao Man turned a deaf ear to it.

Sister Qin was secretly observing him, feeling quite impressed in her heart and more convinced of this “girl’s” extraordinary nature. But she was, after all, the owner of Wuxiu Hui, and since these three were unwilling to stay, she naturally favored the girls from her own establishment. She spoke:

“These three are Shi’er, Xiao’er, and A’tian, here to help our Wuxiu Hui out of this jam. We have practiced this dance for a long time, and with the festival approaching, there isn’t much time left. It’s not suitable for major changes, so your positions will remain the same.

I’ll speak with these three ladies, teach them to practice a bit, and then they’ll join in.”

At these words, the overt and covert hostility of the girls finally lightened a bit.

The lead dancer gave a soft snort, lowered her eyes, and sipped her tea.

Sister Qin then began to talk about the dance with Xiao Man and the others.

The dance was called Beneath the Lotus Tower, a gorgeous and complex dance. Shi Tang already knew how to dance it and put on an act, not listening very closely. Xiao Man and Mo Juntian not only had no interest but also understood absolutely nothing, feeling a strong urge to doze off as they listened. Fortunately, with the talismans on them, Sister Qin did not suspect them.

But they couldn’t actually doze off—Sister Qin loved to pull them along to demonstrate.

The two circled, raised their hands, and changed positions like walking corpses. Under Sister Qin’s personal “pulling and dragging,” they went through the entire dance once.

Next was coordinating with the girls of Wuxiu Hui.

Xiao Man was arranged to stand at the very back, a position where his face would be visible no matter how the people in front danced.

He stood there, occasionally moving positions, quite “going with the flow.”

Within his field of vision, the girls’ lotus-root-like arms rose and fell, and their skirts spun on the stage, blooming like flowers. The dance was rehearsed once, twice, three times, four times, until an uncountable number of times. His gaze shifted from appreciation to numbness.

Until the sun set in the west, Sister Qin, sitting in a chair, finally revealed a satisfied smile.

“That’s enough, girls. That’s all for today, rest!” Sister Qin rose, clapped her hands to signal everyone to look over, and said loudly.

The girls bowed to Sister Qin and went back to their rooms arm in arm. Mo Juntian came over and leaned on Xiao Man’s shoulder, his expression quite painful: “We used to practice swordplay for a whole afternoon too, but I’ve never felt this tired.”

Xiao Man was silent for a moment, then patted his back: “Endure it for a few days.”

“No,” Mo Juntian wrinkled his nose and suddenly said this.

“Huh?” Xiao Man didn’t understand.

Mo Juntian shook his head, released Xiao Man, caught up with Sister Qin, and asked, “Proprietress, how are the wages calculated?”

Their accommodation was arranged in a separate small courtyard. The conditions weren’t bad, but it faced the street and was a bit noisy.

Xiao Man declined Sister Qin’s kind offer to arrange for maids and servants to help. After settling in, he cleaned the inside and outside with a cleansing spell, then notified Qu Hanxing and Wei Chuyun with a voice transmission talisman.

Those two were keeping a constant eye on Wuxiu Hui’s movements. In just the blink of an eye, they arrived in the courtyard, bringing plenty of food.

Mo Juntian and Shi Tang were truly hungry and quickly divided a roast chicken and a sea bass.

Xiao Man brewed a pot of tea. While pouring, he said softly, “We are just taking it one step at a time now, but I still feel that this won’t achieve our ultimate goal.”

“I don’t think it’ll work either; I can’t dance at all,” Mo Juntian put down his chopsticks and agreed seriously.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, with the talismans, other people won’t be able to tell,” Shi Tang said.

Xiao Man shook his head: “There is a Great Protective Formation in Shenjing City, and many cultivators will surely come to watch then. At that time, the talismans won’t be able to slip through.”

“Huh?” Shi Tang hadn’t thought of this at all. She quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, furrowed her brows in deep thought, and said to Xiao Man: “They’ve rearranged the dance. Now the three of us are foils among foils; there’s no need to care too much. Just follow along with a turn and a hand raise.”

Xiao Man lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Qu Hanxing picked out a piece of meat from the chili-filled diced chicken, tossed it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Speaking of which, I find something very strange. They could have easily changed the twelve-person Beneath the Lotus Tower to a nine-person one. Why go through all the trouble of finding three unfamiliar people to fill in?”

“It should be related to the people who were trying to snatch the Unheard Bell earlier,” Wei Chuyun said in a low voice after pushing a bowl of soup to Xiao Man’s hand.

Xiao Man thanked him and continued the thought: “Even the fact that those three girls were injured and couldn’t dance for a short time was their doing.”

“In that case, we actually owe those three a favor,” Qu Hanxing realized.

The evening breeze blew through the hall, flickering the lamplight in the room. They were careful and didn’t sit near the window, so only the shadows of the table and chairs in the room were cast on the yellowed window paper.

Each pondered, silently eating dinner.

When the food was almost gone, Shi Tang spoke: “Actually, after hearing what you said, I don’t think Wuxiu Hui has a chance of winning the top spot.”

She spoke in a very low voice. When Xiao Man and the others heard it, their hearts all skipped a beat.

If they couldn’t win the top spot, they would have no chance to stand on the high stage of “Famous Flowers Overthrow Kingdoms.” In other words, they wouldn’t be able to fulfill the condition Shi Tang proposed to get the Unheard Bell.

How well Wuxiu Hui could perform at the festival was Wuxiu Hui’s own problem. None of them were people who could cover the sky with one hand and determine the final ranking.

Qu Hanxing frowned, about to ask if she had any other wishes she wanted them to help fulfill, when he heard Shi Tang add, “Dancing at ‘Famous Flowers Overthrow Kingdoms’ is my own wish. I didn’t intend to rely entirely on you without putting in effort myself.”

“I have some plans.”

As she said the last sentence, she lowered her voice again, sounding muffled and unclear.

Xiao Man rubbed her head: “That grand ceremony is not a place where just anyone can show their face. By following Wuxiu Hui, we’ve gained the qualification to enter. As for how to get onto ‘Famous Flowers Overthrow Kingdoms’, we’ll see when we get to Shenjing.”

Wei Chuyun also spoke words of comfort: “There are still seven days until the festival. The performance troupes must arrive at least three days in advance. No need to worry for too long; we’ll be going to Shenjing very soon.”

“Mm,” Shi Tang nodded.

Wei Chuyun and Qu Hanxing didn’t stay long in the courtyard. After finishing dinner and chatting for a bit, they went back to the inn.

Mo Juntian went to his own room to close his eyes and regulate his breathing. Shi Tang walked around the courtyard for a bit, and after digesting her food, she flicked her sleeves and began to practice her dance. Xiao Man sat by the window and watched for a while, then also lowered his eyes to regulate his breathing.

After the Hour of the Dog, the night in Yuntai Town became very quiet, as if the only ones still out were the moon and stars. The courtyard was filled with clear light, like a floor of water, bright and transparent. Shi Tang grew tired from dancing and sat under a tree to rest.

She thought that since there was no one in the courtyard, she might as well lie down for a while. No sooner had the thought occurred than she saw a person lightly land in front of her, sitting opposite her.

Shi Tang was startled, then recognized the person: “It’s you! Xiao Man and the others’ Senior Wu!”

“Senior Wu,” in black clothes and silver hair, was indeed Yan Wushu. He held a folding fan and tapped it in his palm, speaking with a smile: “That’s right. I came here because I wanted to ask to borrow something to look at.”

“The Unheard Bell?” Shi Tang squinted her eyes warily.

“Clever.”

“We agreed I’d only give it after my condition is met,” Shi Tang said, hiding the hand with the Qiankun Ring behind her back and tilting her face up in refusal.

“I’m just looking, not taking it,” Yan Wushu said.

Shi Tang stared at the person opposite for a moment. Seeing that his expression didn’t seem to be lying, she leaned forward and asked, “Just looking?”

“Just looking,” Yan Wushu nodded.

“You’re Xiao Man and the others’ senior. They trust you, so naturally I trust you too. But it’s in this ring. Xiao Man put it in, and I don’t know how to open it,” Shi Tang said helplessly, spreading her fingers and looking at the Qiankun Ring on her index finger.

Yan Wushu gave a light laugh. “Then I’ll go call Xiao Man.”

Before he could move, a person in pure white arrived at his side and warmly signaled Shi Tang to reach out her hand. Shi Tang did as told. With a thought, Xiao Man took out the jade box containing the Unheard Bell.

Xiao Man didn’t take it personally. He let Shi Tang open the lid and take out the Unheard Bell, then pulled Yan Wushu a few feet away and flicked his finger to remove the spiritual energy enveloping the bell.

The silvery-white, slightly flattened bell appeared under the clear radiance of the moonlight. Yan Wushu took a look and whispered in Xiao Man’s ear with a chuckle: “Little phoenix, so you’ve been eavesdropping on me?”

Too close. Xiao Man immediately moved aside, distancing himself from Yan Wushu, and asked in a low voice, “Did you see anything?”