The old woman stood up and hobbled toward the door, leaning on her cane.
“In a person’s life, there are too few moments when they are truly seen.”
She carved a number into a jade slip, then left.
The third visitor came in and cut straight to the point. “My surname is Lin. I am in charge of market positioning and rating for this Flower Queen Competition. Senior Liu has already completed the portrait photography. Next, we need to confirm some details regarding your personal positioning.”
“Master Shen, you… currently do have a Dao companion, is that correct?”
“…Yes.”
“Who is your Dao companion?” Steward Lin pressed.
Shen Mo hesitated for a moment.
“Su Wan’er, the Bright Moon Peak Lord of Cloud Hidden, Yunyin Mountain.” He eventually said it, his voice very low.
A flicker of understanding passed through Steward Lin’s eyes, and she quickly recorded it on her jade slip.
“Peak Master Su… I see. Well then, Master Shen, given that your status as a taken man is a key selling point, we need to assess its stability and… mutability.”
Her tone remained strictly businesslike, but her words sent a chill down Shen Mo’s spine.
“May I ask, do you and Peak Master Su have any… recent plans for separation?”
Shen Mo’s head snapped up, staring at Steward Lin in disbelief.
Separation?!
She actually asked that?!
“No!” he answered without hesitation. “Wan’er and I share a deep bond. There is absolutely no such intention!”
“A deep bond…” Steward Lin repeated, not pausing in her writing, analyzing in a flat tone.
“That’s very good. A stable marriage maintains the tragic persona of chastity like jade and being involuntary, suitable for long-term operations, attracting audiences who favor protection and redemption stories. However,” she shifted gears, a shrewd glint flashing in her eyes, “the market is diverse. A considerable portion of high-level female cultivators prefer the thrill of conquest, or even corruption.”
“If in the future… I mean, if your relationship with Peak Master Su changes—say, separation—then your persona can be adjusted accordingly to a battle-worn beauty who breaks free from shackles and undergoes phoenix nirvana, or a playboy who sees through romance and toys with the mortal world. Both have extremely high commercial value, with even greater operational flexibility.”
Seeing Shen Mo’s face turn instantly ashen, she added, “Of course, this is merely a contingency analysis based on market possibilities.”
“Currently, your rating is set at first-class upper. This is the highest potential rating, meaning the Pavilion will invest substantial resources in developing and promoting you. Congratulations.”
Congratulations?
Shen Mo found it utterly absurd.
He had no intention of staying in the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion at all.
Steward Lin closed her jade slip, her expression turning especially serious. She produced a sheet of pale gold silk with faintly flowing runes, of a special material, and spread it on the table.
The silk was densely packed with at least thirty to forty clauses, the characters minuscule yet perfectly legible.
“This is the confirmation form for subsequent performance matters,”
Steward Lin said with no emotion whatsoever.
“You need to read it carefully and, after confirmation, sign it with spiritual power or essence blood. This concerns the specific content, boundaries, and corresponding compensation allocation for the performances and activities you’ll need to cooperate with after becoming Flower Queen—or achieving an equivalent rank.”
Shen Mo’s gaze fell upon the silk.
After scanning just the first few lines, he felt like cursing his mother!
What was written there was nothing resembling proper performance matters!
“Do you accept appearing at specific occasions (such as private banquets, cave dwellings of high-level cultivators), wearing designated attire (possibly including moderately revealing styles), to perform talent displays (such as playing the zither, painting, serving wine)? Compensation: starting at five hundred high-grade spirit stones per session, depending on the occasion and guest status.”
“Do you accept accompanying designated guests (approved by the Pavilion) for limited-duration, public or semi-public outings, tea gatherings, or dao discussions? During these, friendly interaction must be maintained, and moderate physical contact (such as hand-holding, arm-supporting) is permitted. Compensation: starting at one thousand high-grade spirit stones per shichen.”
“Do you accept participating in themed night banquets, masquerades, and similar events hosted by the Pavilion, playing designated roles and engaging in situational interaction with guests? Compensation: starting at two thousand high-grade spirit stones per event, depending on the role and banquet scale.”
And that was just the appetizer.
The further down, the more explicit and unspeakable the clauses became!
“Do you accept providing private custom portrait services for specific high-level guests, provided safety and privacy are ensured? Content and boundaries must be discussed in advance. Compensation negotiable.”
“Do you open… eligibility for applying to exchange partners? Note: This clause applies only to top-tier great powers who have passed rigorous dual review by the Pavilion and yourself, and who have paid a massive gift (the majority going to you). The Pavilion provides only the platform and safeguards; the specific Dao companion arrangement is your own decision.”
“Regarding the boundaries of intimate conduct, please confirm the following in detail (multiple selections allowed, compensation calculated separately):
Kissing permitted (location: â–¡cheek â–¡lips â–¡other____)
Hugging permitted (method: __)
Shared bathing permitted
Sharing a bed permitted (does this include attending to bedchamber duties: â–¡yes â–¡no)
Touching of specific parts permitted (please specify)
……
(The following thirty to forty items involve all manner of unspeakable intimate contact and special requests, each marked with astonishing amounts of spirit stones, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of high-grade spirit stones!)”
At the end of the form, several questions were listed separately, so blunt they stung the eyes:
“Please honestly disclose whether you have any special fetishes or preferences? (This helps match you with more suitable interaction partners and activity arrangements.)”
“What is your favorite intimate position with your Dao companion? (Optional, for reference in potential future content creation or private customization.)”
Every single word was like a red-hot branding iron searing into Shen Mo’s eyes!
This was clearly a slave contract pricing out his body, leaving it open for others to pick and purchase at will!
Shen Mo trembled violently, his stomach churning, almost vomiting.
He finally understood completely what the word “Flower Queen” meant in this Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion!
This wasn’t a beauty contest at all—it was selecting the finest, most exquisite plaything for the powerful and wealthy to toy with and satisfy every desire!
And all the talents, appearances, and stories were nothing more than added value to raise the price of this plaything!
“St…Steward Lin!” Shen Mo’s voice came out hoarse and distorted. “What… what is this?! I joined the Flower Queen Competition, not… not to be selected as a courtesan!”
Steward Lin was accustomed to such reactions. “Master Shen, please watch your words. The Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion is a legitimate cultivator organization. All services provided are conducted under the premise of mutual consent and compliance with regulations.”
“This form is meant to clarify rights and responsibilities and protect both parties’ interests. The items listed are not mandatory. You may choose to accept or decline them, but correspondingly, compensation and resource allocation will differ.”
She pointed to a line of inconspicuous small text at the very top of the form. “You see, it clearly states here—all clauses on this form hold final interpretation and enforcement rights with the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion. Signing indicates acknowledgment and voluntary acceptance of the relevant arrangements.”
“Master Shen, resources in the cultivation world are limited. To obtain, one must first give. With your conditions and rating, if you could appropriately open up certain clauses, the resources you could obtain would far exceed your imagination—enough to clear the path of cultivation for you and those you care about, unimpeded from now on.”
She added meaningfully, “If you sign the contract, the Pavilion can directly negotiate with the Zhenbao Pavilion to secure that Dragon Spine Essence in advance, as a reward for your contribution. That’s far more stable and faster than fighting for it on stage.”
Coercion. Temptation. Naked transaction!
Shen Mo felt the world spin around him, darkness swimming before his eyes.
“Get out! Get out!”
Steward Lin watched him calmly, as if savoring a prey’s struggle.
She reminded him considerately, “Master Shen, you may take your time to think it over.”
She gathered up the silk covered in clauses.
Then came the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh visitors.
The judges filed in one by one, and filed out one by one.
Some were young, some old, some cold, some gentle.
The only thing they shared was that their gazes all carried the same undertone—scrutiny.
Shen Mo knew that look all too well.
For seven years, every guest who came to Jiaoyue Peak had looked at him that way.
“The husband of Peak Master Su.” “I heard he’s very virtuous.” “Keeps the entire peak running in perfect order.”
When they praised him, their eyes didn’t see him—only the identity of “Su Wan’er’s husband.”
He was an accessory. A talking ornament on Jiaoyue Peak.
Today was no different.
When the final judge pushed open the door, Shen Mo had grown somewhat numb.
He mechanically rose to his feet, preparing for another round of scrutinizing gazes.
But when he saw the newcomer’s face, his movements froze.
The woman who walked in appeared to be around his age, dressed in a crisp, practical short combat outfit, with a narrow-bladed long saber hanging at her waist.
Her features were aggressively striking. High brow bones, sharp jawline, a pair of narrow phoenix eyes carrying unconcealed scrutiny.
But that wasn’t what made Shen Mo freeze.
What made him freeze was that he had seen this woman’s portrait before.
In Qin Shuying’s study. There was a covert intelligence line between Heavenly Sword Peak and the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion.
Qin Shuying had once pointed at the woman in the portrait and said to him— “The blade of the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion’s Dark Hall. She has severed the heads of three Nascent Soul cultivators.”
She was an assassin of the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion.
Not a judge.
The door closed behind her.
The woman leaned against the door panel, arms crossed, a faint ambiguous smile curving at the corner of her mouth.
“Don’t be nervous,” she said, her tone as casual as if making small talk. “I really am one of the judges. I just happen to have a side gig. Today, I’m mainly here to give you a score.”
Shen Mo’s spine stiffened. “…Then why?”
Her gaze swept across the sheer gauze on his body, paused briefly on the silver chains and bells, then finally settled back on his eyes.
“Someone asked me to pass along a message.”
She paused.
“—No matter what happens next, don’t leave Qin Shuying’s line of sight.”
Shen Mo’s heart plummeted.
“What do you mean?”
The woman didn’t answer.
She merely unclasped an unassuming black brocade pouch from her waist, set it on the edge of the low couch, then turned and pulled open the door.
Just before stepping across the threshold, she tilted her head back, her phoenix eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight in the corridor.
“The rule of the Flower Queen Competition is that only female guests are received,” she said, her voice pressed so low that only the two of them could hear.
“But tonight, the women in the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion aren’t all here to buy smiles. Some are here to kill. Some are here to steal people away. As for which one is coming for you—” she paused, the curve at her mouth turning sharp.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”