631. Cultivating Charm (Patreon)

In the blinking of an eye, they left the secret realm and returned to the Eight Tiers Palace. The three of them hopped off the mirror, and Jizhi Zhimei stowed it away. She led them on foot instead, leading them through the Palace.

Hui glanced at her back. Er, should I release the yin technique? It is kind of unpleasant to hold it for too long. I’m not used to having this much yin in my meridians. Stealthily, he started to release the yin energy.

Jizhi Zhimei whirled. She stared at him.

Hui froze. Slowly, he retracted the yin back inside him. I guess… I guess that’s a no?

“If you wish to embark upon the path of charm, you must be able to endure at least this much yin. I know it’s painful for you, but you must be able to handle and manually balance yin and yang in order to use charm techniques… and to use yin and yang, as a man, who’s naturally yang-oriented, you must be able to use and endure yin energy. I once had to do the same with yang.”

Hui bowed, cupping his hands to her. Internally, his heart was in turmoil. She’s… actually giving me instruction? Even Master never gave me actual instruction! My home sect only ever gave me the weakest, most basic techniques! I… am I finally receiving instruction? I’m not used to this! And from the enemy? How to feel, can someone tell me?

Ahh, I really should have accepted the chance to learn the Bai Clan techniques from Bai Xue! Although… although, well… if I did, I’m pretty sure I would have had to put it into, er, practical application immediately! Ah, it’s safer to learn from Jizhi Zhimei…

Safer to learn from the enemy than my wife? What strange reality do I live in? Hui shook his head at himself. Ah, oh well. In any case, Jizhi Zhimei has already claimed that charm techniques are not seduction techniques. I wouldn’t have had much of a foot up by learning Bai Xue’s techniques, anyways… probably.

Jizhi Zhimei led him up toward her room. He followed, waiting as she stood outside her door. A glowing array appeared on her door. She put a hand to it, and the door opened.

“Step inside. I’ll teach you the basics of charm techniques,” Jizhi Zhimei invited him.

Hui lifted his foot, then hesitated. The last time I went into Senior’s rooms, Senior chained me up and threatened to torture me! Is that going to happen again? Wait, hold on. I want my clone back! I should have let my clone come! Even if it probably would’ve given away that I have clone techniques sooner rather than later, I’d rather my clone get tortured than myself!

No, no, Hui. Right after staying alive, remaining the hostage is the most important! If I can use clone techniques, I’m obviously not the low-realm hostage I’m supposed to be. Then, Jizhi Zhimei will go back and actually attempt to capture my children! This is better, this is better. I’ll just have to stay strong!

Besides, it’s not like she’s going to torture me into being charming… right?

Voice glanced down at him and chuckled. How adorable, hesitating at the door. “First time entering a lady’s quarters?”

“Ah, no,” Hui responded mindlessly.

“No? Your mother’s quarters, then?” she asked.

Hui frowned, then startled. Right, right, I’m a kid! “Yes, obviously.”

Smiling, Voice gave him a gentle push. “Hurry up. Jizhi Zhimei isn’t known for her patience.”

Hui nodded and hurried inside, rushing after Jizhi Zhimei. A few steps in, he slowed again, looking around him. Whoa. Now this is a proper immortal’s cave!

All around him, a lush garden spread. Glowing flowers and brightly colored plants stood here and there, perfectly intermingled in a harmonious cycle. Qi flowed amidst the plants, so thick it materialized on the air as a faint bluish glow. A stream trickled down a rock path into a slow-spinning pond, where carp swam amidst lotuses. Through them all, a path wound upward, through the plants, toward a palace.

Gleaming in white and gold, the palace stood tall over the garden. Tall pillars soared seemingly to the heavens. Dragon, phoenixes, and qilin cavorted across the building’s façade in white jade. A halo gleamed from behind the palace, drawing the eye. High above, a gold-tiled roof dominated the palace.

Peering upward, Hui squinted. How tall were the tiers again…? Wait, is Jizhi Zhimei’s room a secret realm?

Behind him, the door creaked closed. Hui spun, watching closely, even opening his third eye to be sure. As the door to the rest of the tier closed, a faint glimmer appeared at the door’s edge. If his eyes had merely been second tier, he would have seen nothing, but instead, his third eye opened wide. There! For a second, a dimensional barrier. It is a secret realm, seamlessly fit inside the tier. Interesting, how interesting. As long as I can break through the alarm threads, this entire Palace is my oyster…

Wait, wait, what am I thinking? I don’t even need access to Jizhi Zhimei’s room! Do I really have a reflexive urge to break every secret realm I see? Dangerous, how dangerous! One should stay aware of one’s subconscious leanings, but to think I let such a dangerous one progress so far without realizing it! Hui slapped his cheeks, forcing himself to focus.

“Hands off the face! Never harm your own face,” Jizhi Zhimei commanded from on high.

Hui jumped. Quickly, he bowed. “My apologies, Senior!” I feel like I got recruited to an idol troupe. Don’t touch the face… next, she’ll tell me to make sure I wash my face and—

“Come this way. I’ll show you my pure water pond,” Jizhi Zhimei commanded.

Blinking, Hui followed, almost too stunned to rebuke her. Are we really washing our faces? Are we really? Is this what it means to be a beauty cultivator? Elder Sister, we’re cultivators! We don’t need to wash our faces. We’re naturally clean all the—

Wait, hold on. Is… is that the secret? Beauty cultivators actually bother to do all the beauty basics that ordinary mortal people do? Most cultivators run around, thinking that their natural beauty and cleanliness are enough. But… if cultivators actually bothered to do things like wash their faces and apply lotion, it’s only natural that they would become more beautiful than other cultivators.

Hui stared into infinity, the world expanding before his eyes. Could it be? Is the ultimate secret of this world how simple it actually is? Is everything merely—

Gentle golden light swirled around Hui. Lotuses bloomed around him, drifting down behind him. Images of phoenixes swirled on the air.

“Gui Hui.” Jizhi Zhimei gestured him on.

Startled out of his thoughts, Hui hurried after her. The lotuses and other phenomena all vanished. “Coming, Senior!”

With a harrumph, Jizhi Zhimei turned away, her perfect hair flying on the breeze. She vanished into the palace. Hui hurried after her, jogging up the steps into the building.

Voice sat down at the steps of the palace and picked up one of the errant lotuses. “Producing immortal phenomena from such mild mental stimulation? No wonder they claimed he had the highest potential of all new disciples in generations.”