“Easier said than done. A seductress like this is destined to be the exclusive plaything of a big shot. It’s just a pity that this face, this body… I wonder how they’ll be cherished…”
“Cherished? I’d say ravaged. If she falls into the hands of some elder who practices vile dual cultivation arts or has a vicious temperament, she won’t last a few days before being drained dry or broken and discarded.”
“That’s her fate! A no-name male cultivator who disguised himself as a woman to sneak in, daring to put himself in such a position, should have thought about the consequences. But before he’s ruined, if only I could get a taste…”
“Indeed, who wouldn’t want a share of such treasure? Even if I can’t have the meat, just a whiff of the fragrance would be good…”
Divine Sense extended outward, countless voices densely pricked at Su Wan’er’s eardrums.
Most were still decent, normal comments.
But there were always a few lewd remarks that drew her particular attention.
In these people’s eyes, her own husband was nothing more than a plaything whose face and figure could be freely appraised, lewdly fantasized about, even planned for using and discarding via dual cultivation…
“Beasts… a pack of beasts…” Su Wan’er hissed through gritted teeth.
She wished she could draw her sword right now, cut out the tongues of those male and female cultivators spouting filth below the stage, and kill them all!
She wanted to gouge out those malicious eyes and crush them underfoot!
She wanted to stand up, push open the door of the private room, rush down, stand beside him, and tell everyone— he was hers, her lawfully wedded husband, married with all the proper rites and ceremonies, witnessed by heaven and earth!
No one was allowed to look! No one was allowed to touch!
Whoever dared to touch a single hair on his head, I, Su Wan’er of Bright Moon Peak, even if it means my death and the destruction of my Dao, will be their sworn enemy!
This impulse was so intense it nearly broke through the dam of rationality she had forcibly maintained.
Her chest heaved violently, her pale cheeks flushed with agitation and anger.
Yet, she did not move.
She couldn’t go down and ruin his plans.
Taking him away now would only make everything go to waste.
‘Mo’er, hold on.’
‘Get the Dragon Marrow Liquid.’
‘I’ll take you home.’
‘Anyone who blocks, I’ll kill.’
The stagnation and reverse flow from the shaking of her Dao Foundation surged again, making stars dance before her eyes, cold sweat soaking her temples.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to a ten-thousandth of the torment in her heart.
She clenched her teeth tightly, barely suppressing a whimper.
‘Fool…’
‘Why… why didn’t you tell me? Why would you rather use this method than discuss it with me? Are you afraid I’d stop you? Or do you think… this wife of yours is no longer strong enough to protect you?’
Watching the gaze from below grow more burning and more blatant, a terrifying thought surfaced in her mind—Could Mo’er… really obtain the Dragon Marrow Liquid smoothly?
Even if he did, surrounded by wolves and with all the factions intersecting in Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion, how could a male cultivator with low cultivation and no background escape?
Would those great cultivators with sharp eyes and deep schemes easily let go of such a choice piece of meat?
Su Wan’er concealed all emotion from her eyes. When she lifted them again, they held the resolve of a Peak Master.
Since he had already walked this path, no matter how dangerous the road ahead, she, Su Wan’er, would never let him bear it alone again.
She looked back at the stage.
Shen Mo was responding to the emcee’s questions, his voice calm, his reasoning clear. He cited the story of Mulan, neither humble nor arrogant.
He had grown, and… been forced to mature too much.
The emcee continued with the process. “Since the rules allow it and the elders approve, then please, this young master, state your name, display your talent, and await the evaluation and votes of the distinguished guests!”
“I am Shen Mo, Chief Examiner of Bright Moon Peak, Cloud Hidden Mountain. Today, I boldly step onto this stage driven by a thought in my heart. I had no choice but to resort to this. I apologize for disturbing the immortal maidens. Please forgive me.”
His posture was humble, his words sincere, and combined with his clean, handsome features, he won even more favor.
“Young Master Shen Mo need not be modest!” the emcee said with a smile.
“Since you have stepped onto this stage, you are a distinguished guest of Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion. According to the rules, you have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to display your talent and charm. When the time is up, the votes of all the distinguished guests holding Viewing Jade Tokens present will decide whether you qualify to compete for the title of Flower Queen!”
Shen Mo walked to the zither table that had been prepared in the center of the high platform and slowly sat down.
His crimson skirt spread across the smooth white jade floor, his ink-black hair falling over his shoulders.
The scene was as beautiful as a meticulously painted portrait of a handsome gentleman.
The zither sounded.
It was that piece, “Moonlit Epiphyllum.”
Plaintive and desolate, a solitary bloom admiring itself.
Shen Mo closed his eyes, his fingertips flowing over the strings.
He poured all the emotions of recent days into the sound of the zither.
The music seemed to weep and complain, to long and resent—the pain of a pure soul being corroded by filth, the determination to sacrifice everything for a beloved, seeping through the notes, strand by strand, into the hearts of every female cultivator below the stage.
Above the high platform, it seemed as if moonlight enveloped it, a single epiphyllum blooming silently in the deep night—extremely beautiful, yet destined to be brief.
Many female cultivators who had only come to watch the spectacle or were purely attracted by looks gradually let their smiles fade, their eyes showing signs of being moved.
They might not understand the story deep within the music, but they could clearly feel the emotion carried in the zither’s sound.
This emotion was completely different from the flashy or deliberately ingratiating performances on stage. It struck straight at the heart.
Even among the front-row seats, a few great cultivators who had been displeased because Shen Mo stole the spotlight from their male favorites now slightly turned their heads, showing a hint of thoughtful expression.
This boy was not entirely a pretty face after all.
Pei Yu sat in an elegant seat with an excellent view, her eyes full of pride. The person she had chosen should shine like this!
Qinyin Shuying’s expression remained as usual, but her heart constricted slightly with the mournful zither notes.
When the final note faded and dissipated in the air, thunderous applause and cheers erupted abruptly!
Far more enthusiastic and lasting than any previous contestant had received!
Shen Mo stood up and performed a curtsy toward the audience.
Many female cultivators excitedly waved their jade tokens, shouting his name.
Shen Mo’s appearance, courage, talent, and the moving story behind his zither music fulfilled all their fantasies of the perfect Flower Queen.
The emcee walked forward with a beaming smile, pressing down with both hands to calm the waves of sound.
When the noise subsided a bit, she announced loudly, “Young Master Shen Mo’s performance of ‘Moonlit Epiphyllum’ is a masterpiece, truly captivating! Now, please, all distinguished guests holding Viewing Jade Tokens, exercise your right to vote!”
The voting was not by show of hands or anonymous.
Instead, it used jade tokens distributed by Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion, each with a special mark.
Spiritual power had to be infused to make it work, preventing fraud.
Those qualified to vote included not only the fixed judging panel but also female cultivators who had applied in advance, passed the vetting, and had a certain status or spending power—about a thousand people in total.
The emcee pointed to one side of the high platform, where a huge, mirror-smooth jade wall stood.
“Those who approve of Young Master Shen Mo obtaining the right to compete, please inject your spiritual power into your jade token. The token will sense it and display a light of support on the Fragrance-Viewing Wall! If more than seventy percent of the lights are lit, then Young Master Shen Mo will officially obtain the qualification to compete for this year’s Flower Queen Grand Award!”
Second by second, time passed.
The vote count rose rapidly! The speed far exceeded that of any previous Hundred Flowers Competition!
Five hundred… six hundred… seven hundred…
Shen Mo’s heart rose higher with each jump of the number.
Seven hundred fifty… eight hundred… eight hundred fifty…
The points of light grew more and more numerous, denser and denser, gradually forming a dazzling sea of light.
In just a few breaths, the area covered by that sea of light had already exceeded eighty percent of the jade wall!
And it was still increasing!
When the number broke eight hundred, a low gasp sounded from the audience.
This number of votes was already a rare high score in the history of Hundred Flowers Challenges!
Nine hundred… nine hundred thirty… nine hundred fifty…
When the number finally settled at nine hundred ninety-seven, the entire venue erupted!
This was an unprecedented high vote count!
Today’s Flower Queen competition would surely be recorded in history because of this Shen, who had appeared out of nowhere!
The emcee had also recovered her composure by now.
She took a deep breath, put back on her professional smile, but now the smile held an indescribable excitement.
“Congratulations, Young Master Shen Mo!!! With an astonishing approval rate of ninety-nine percent, you have been granted exceptional qualification to participate in this year’s Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion Flower Queen Competition! You are now officially one of the Top Candidates!”
“Boom—!”
Applause, cheers, screams, whistles… interwove into a frenzied ocean.
The pursued opposite sex was always noble. The women’s eyes inevitably added another layer of filter.
Some were affectionate and shy, cheeks flushed. When his gaze swept over them, they would coquettishly turn away, only to secretly steal glances at him.
Some were unrestrained as fire, bold and open, staring at him hotly and directly, as if they wished they could reach out and feel him up.
Shen Mo stood still, listening to the deafening cheers, looking at the sea of light that was almost completely lit on the jade wall. Moisture gathered in his eyes.
‘I succeeded… I succeeded!’
‘I got the qualification! One step closer to getting the Dragon Marrow Liquid to treat Wan’er!’
The immense joy and the feeling of relief from a heavy burden came at the same time, making his body sway slightly.
The waves of sound were like a tide, almost lifting the roof of the Gathering of Beauties Platform.
Meanwhile, the Flower Queen candidates who had already performed, as well as the male attendants who had participated in the selection, had faces alternating between green and white.
Their eyes were full of envy and hatred, along with an irrepressible sense of inferiority.
They had backers behind them, resources, but in terms of appearance, courage, and charm to attract people… they had been thoroughly outshone.
Soon the competition segment ended. The candidates voted in, plus the original eight candidates, made a total of twelve people competing for Flower Queen.
The atmosphere in the venue had been pushed to a climax.
All Top Candidates, dressed in luxurious clothes, either carrying instruments, holding brushes and ink, or stretching their limbs, stepped onto the stage one by one and stood scattered around the center of the high platform.
On the east side, a young master in a water-blue robe with a gentle, jade-like temperament rested his ten fingers on the Scorched-Tail Zither.
The zither notes flowed, like a clear spring over stones, instantly cleansing part of the noise, revealing his profound musical skill and tranquil state of mind.
It was Shuyu Gongzi, famous for his zither skills, a hot favorite in the musical category.
On the west side, Chiyan Langjun, ink-haired and red-robed, held a Red Gold Brush and wrote in the air.
His brush moved like dragons and snakes, spiritual power splashing along with the ink, actually condensing into a majestic “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” painting in midair.
The spirit birds were lifelike, as if about to break through the void, drawing round after round of applause.
On the south side, a pair of twin brothers, wearing matching moon-white close-fitting clothes, looked eighty to ninety percent alike, handsome with a spirited energy.
They held unfrosted double swords and danced to the stirring drumbeats.
Sword light flashed, their figures interwove, their coordination flawless—a perfect blend of martial strength and dance beauty, dazzling to the eyes.
This was the Twin Jade Sword Dance, famous for its synergy and difficulty.
On the north side, a Snow Soul Gongzi with an aloof and noble aura, without any instrument or prop, stood quietly at the center of the stage, eyes closed, focusing.
After a moment, he parted his vermilion lips slightly, and a clear, ethereal song rose.
Without any instrument, he purely used spiritual power to vibrate the air, simulating all kinds of heavenly sounds—sometimes like a clear spring washing over stones, sometimes like a phoenix singing to the nine heavens.
He had clearly cultivated some special sound attack or auxiliary technique.
His voice carried a purifying force, clearing the listeners’ minds.
This was the rare Heavenly Sound talent, needing no accompaniment, becoming a masterpiece on its own.
Yet people’s eyes remained fixed on Shen Mo.