Chapter 81: Just How Much is This Little Pervert Hiding?

Yuan Xinyao felt a distinct… shift… in the atmosphere.

This handsome young man kneeling before her, his cold eyes assessing her with a shrewdness that belied his age… this was undoubtedly her little nephew, the one she’d practically raised by hand since he was a toddler. Less than a month ago, she’d been tearfully waving a handkerchief as he was whisked away on a carriage by that Wuji Sect immortal.

Now, hearing from Jinyu that He Yimo had come to see her, Yuan Xinyao had been overjoyed. She’d hastily dismissed Holy Son Zichen with a few curt words, then rushed back to her private quarters, spending a considerable amount of time at her vanity table, meticulously applying her makeup.

Sure, Jinyu had mentioned he was traveling with a “cute girl,” but Yuan Xinyao’s delight far outweighed any pang of jealousy. He Yimo was a “little virgin” who’d barely even held a woman’s hand outside their family circle! And he’d only been at Wuji Sect for half a month! This ‘companion’ was probably just a fellow disciple on an assignment to Xizhou City. It wasn’t like he could have snagged a girlfriend already, right? Right? Haha! Of course not!

The thought made Yuan Xinyao’s mood even brighter.

After perfecting her makeup, she’d rummaged through her wardrobe, selecting a West Region-style gown made of even thinner, more flowing material. It featured daring slits up the sides, designed to offer tantalizing, fleeting glimpses of her long, pale legs as she moved. Not only that, she’d painstakingly applied a milky-white foundation to cover the faint golden demonic markings on her legs, arms, and collarbone, then dusted her knees and ankles with a delicate, girlish pink blush for an extra touch of allure.

All preparations complete, Yuan Xinyao had practically skipped back to her chaise longue behind the screen, arranged herself in an elegant, artfully casual pose, and then, brimming with confidence, signaled to Jinyan (the black-clad attendant) to let He Yimo in.

“…?” Jinyan had watched her mistress’s elaborate, almost giddy preparations with an expression of utter disbelief, her brow furrowed. She’d sighed internally, but, as always, had dutifully obeyed.

The moment He Yimo stepped into the chamber, Yuan Xinyao’s heart had begun to race. Not with nervousness, but with pure, unadulterated excitement. Even beneath the Crimson Kite Mask, her lips, now painted a delicate cherry pink, curved upwards in an anticipatory smile. Surely, He Yimo, coddled and spoiled his whole life in the Grand Tutor’s Fu, would be utterly awestruck meeting the legendary Bailing Pavilion Master for the first time!

She could already picture it: the boy, cowed by the intimidating aura behind her mask, would immediately drop to his knees, trembling, not even daring to lift his head to look at her… Oh, it was going to be SO much fun! Yuan Xinyao shivered with delighted anticipation.

Ever since she’d sent him off, she’d been plotting, scheming… how exactly would she tease and torment him in her guise as the “Bailing Pavilion Master”? The thought made her playfully flex her jade-like foot beneath her robes, a smug little smile on her face.

Then, the black-robed young man before the screen knelt on one knee and, without preamble, declared—

“I want three Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pills!”

“?”

Instantly, Yuan Xinyao’s smile froze. She thought she must have misheard. He Yimo, at best, was at the Qi Refinement stage. Even if Mo Yuyan was some kind of miracle worker and had somehow pushed him to Foundation Establishment already… there was no way he’d even know about Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pills, let alone have any use for them! Those were high-grade elixirs specifically for cultivators practicing soul-based cultivation techniques! And moreover… Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pills were a specialty of the Western Region’s Demon Abyss, strictly banned for sale by the Daxia Dynasty! For He Yimo, the young master of the Grand Tutor’s Fu, to request that as his opening gambit… it was beyond audacious!

“If that’s too much,” He Yimo continued, noticing the prolonged silence from behind the screen and realizing he might have overshot, “I’ll give you this entire bottle of paper cranes… just for one Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pill. How about that?” His voice was now more pleading, less demanding.

The moment He Yimo had learned the location of this top-floor chamber in Xuanfeng Pavilion, he’d already guessed the identity of the “mysterious important person” his Little Aunt had mentioned. The Bailing Pavilion Master, known in the jianghu as “All-Knowing Spirit”. In the original game, she was the enigmatic merchant who unlocked the Western Region map and initiated the “Demon Abyss” main storyline.

As a mystery merchant, her true identity was, of course, a secret. But who she was didn’t matter as much as what she could do: procure all sorts of Western Region-exclusive forbidden medicines and rare materials for her Daxia Dynasty clients. In the game’s lore, the Bailing Pavilion Master was essentially a high-class smuggler and middleman operating on the Western Region’s frontier. In the early stages of the “Demon Abyss” storyline, players primarily bought medicines from her to aid their training in the Western Regions. Later on, they could also purchase various pieces of intel about the region, each clue leading to a lucrative side quest or dungeon. In short, the Bailing Pavilion Master seemed to have access to special channels; as long as you had the money (or the right connections), there was no Western Region-related request she couldn’t fulfill.

And that was precisely why He Yimo had immediately asked for a Western Region specialty forbidden drug – the Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pill. This stuff was gold. Not only could it enhance his control over soul power, but it could also significantly boost the efficiency and rewards of his sacrifices to the Life Mother Goddess.

But… Judging by the Bailing Pavilion Master’s prolonged, stunned silence… it seemed He Yimo might have overestimated the ‘face’ of his Little Aunt’s favor.

“Young Master He…” the red-gowned woman finally spoke from behind the screen, her voice cool and measured. “How… How do you know about the Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pill?”

Her question made He Yimo frown, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. In the original game, the Bailing Pavilion Master was purely a businesswoman. She didn’t care who her customers were, righteous or demonic, and she never asked about their identities or the intended use of her wares. That’s why He Yimo had been so bold and direct in his request. But now… she was questioning him? That wasn’t right! In the game, when the Holy Son of Jianlan Sect came to buy forbidden drugs, the Pavilion Master hadn’t batted an eye, didn’t ask a single question about the details!

“I was under the impression…” He Yimo began, his voice low and slightly troubled, “…that at Bailing Pavilion, all who come are guests. The Pavilion Master only discusses price, never prying into origins or destinations…”

His words made the beautiful woman behind the screen purse her lips tightly. Meeting the young man’s unflinching gaze, she secretly clenched her fists, her silver teeth practically grinding together in frustration beneath her Crimson Kite Mask. Not only did he dare to ask for forbidden drugs, but he was also so casually offering to trade an entire bottle of paper cranes – cranes she had painstakingly folded for him over many years – for them! `He Yimo, you ungrateful little white-eyed wolf raised by your Little Aunt!` she fumed internally. `That keepsake I personally gave you, you’re just going to sell it off without a second thought?! You didn’t even consider keeping one as a memento?!`

“Aigh…” The red-gowned woman sighed, a delicate, almost mournful sound. She shifted her posture beneath her robes, adopting an air of cool indifference. “If it were any other outsider, that would indeed be the case.”

“But Young Master He… You are… the most cherished Young Master of that friend of this Pavilion Master. Bailing Pavilion… cannot, in good conscience, sell such dangerous, forbidden substances to you.”

“But…!” He Yimo’s lip twitched, finding her answer utterly baffling. “Isn’t… Isn’t Bailing Pavilion famous for smuggling and selling Western Region forbidden drugs? If you don’t sell illegal stuff, what do you sell?”

“……?” The woman behind the mask twitched again. She really wanted to rip off her mask right now, leap over the screen, tackle He Yimo to the ground, and interrogate him mercilessly: `You little brat! Where in the NINE HELLS did you learn all this black market insider information that only seasoned veterans should know?!` But obviously, Yuan Xinyao couldn’t do that. Not yet. She couldn’t let He Yimo discover her true identity. Not now.

“It’s not that this Pavilion Master won’t sell to you…” she finally said, after a moment of internal struggle. “It’s just… Young Master He, you are only at the Qi Refinement stage. If your… delicate constitution… were to ingest a Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pill… I’m afraid you’d perish on the spot!”

“And if you were to die from taking medicine obtained from my Pavilion… How could this Pavilion Master possibly explain that to your Little Aunt?” After some quick thinking, Yuan Xinyao had finally concocted a reasonably plausible excuse.

Seeing the look of disappointment on He Yimo’s face, she added with a soft, captivating smile, her voice turning gentle and persuasive, “How about this, Young Master He? This Pavilion has some excellent Foundation Establishment Pills, Qi Gathering Pills, Spirit Condensing Pills… And, of course, Bailing Pavilion also sells various cultivation methods and heart arts suitable for your Foundation Establishment stage!”

“But I’m already at Foundation Establishment stage.” He Yimo frowned, looking utterly unimpressed by the ‘newbie gift package’ she was offering. “What use do I have for that stuff?” He sighed, a wave of helplessness washing over him.

“Pavilion Master, this humble one is already nearing the peak of Foundation Establishment.”

“If that’s not good enough… how about some Core Formation stage pills? And maybe some cultivation methods for Core Formation and above while you’re at it?” By now, He Yimo had pretty much given up all hope for Bailing Pavilion. He’d looted the Divine Deer Shrine in Snow Village clean; did she really think he was lacking such basic, entry-level elixirs? Honestly, he figured he could probably get a whole crate of these basic enhancement pills just by asking Mo Yuyan back at Wuji Sect.

“You… You’re already at Foundation Establishment?!” This time, the red-gowned woman behind the screen sat bolt upright. Beneath the Crimson Kite Mask, her light-golden phoenix eyes widened in genuine surprise. Only now did she truly register the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from He Yimo – they were far, far stronger than any mere Foundation Establishment cultivator! Never mind Qi Refinement… His Foundation Establishment aura was practically on par with some early-stage Core Formation cultivators! Clearly, in the mere half-month since she’d last seen him, He Yimo had somehow developed the presence of a cultivator on the verge of Core Formation!

“Seriously? Is it that hard to tell?” He Yimo pressed a hand to his forehead. The more confusing this encounter became, the more suspicious he grew, his gaze on the red-gowned figure filled with doubt. The Bailing Pavilion Master he was seeing today was a far cry from the cool, teasing, sharp-tongued vixen from his game memories, the one who always had a smirk on her lips and delighted in ridiculing her clients. Was it possible… he’d encountered a fake? An imposter?

“Hmm…” At the same time, Yuan Xinyao sensed the respect in the young man’s eyes dwindling. She quickly narrowed her eyes, deliberately amplifying her own intimidating aura. As the Bailing Pavilion Master, capable of running a thriving forbidden drug trade in Xizhou City, Yuan Xinyao’s true cultivation level was, of course, deeply hidden. She’d initially worried that if she unleashed her full pressure on a mere Qi Refinement He Yimo, the poor boy would be scared witless. But now… it seemed she had grossly underestimated her little nephew! All these years, she’d been the one guiding him, and this little rascal had been playing her, pretending to be a cultivation good-for-nothing and a spoiled baby!

Furthermore, Yuan Xinyao now seriously suspected that He Yimo’s frequent visits to the Phoenix Cry Pavilion and various gambling dens in the past weren’t about watching pretty girls dance at all. He’d likely been using those places as a cover to access the underground black market, to gather information… Otherwise, how could he possibly know about Nine Revolutions Soul Tempering Pills? How could he know that Bailing Pavilion specialized in Western Region forbidden drugs? For years, Bailing Pavilion had operated strictly on a referral-only basis, with rigorous vetting for every new client. Information about Bailing Pavilion was a closely guarded secret; only old hands who’d spent years navigating the black market would know of its existence. And without a hefty consultation fee as a bribe, those seasoned veterans would never easily divulge Bailing Pavilion’s secrets to anyone!

“Core Formation stage cultivation methods and pills are not out of the question,” Yuan Xinyao said coolly, a new calculation in her voice. “It’s merely a matter of a word from this Pavilion Master.” She snapped her fingers. Instantly, the black-clad woman, Jinyan, emerged silently from the shadows in the corner, carrying an exquisite tray upon which rested a single storage ring, intricately engraved with gold filigree.

Jinyan placed the tray before He Yimo. He glanced up at her.

“Hmph…” The masked woman’s cold eyes narrowed, a flicker of purple light deep within her pupils. She brought two fingers together before her chest, gave a soft, disdainful sniff, and then dissolved into a cloud of hundreds of Purple Feather Butterflies , vanishing from sight in an instant.

He Yimo blinked, then picked up the ornate storage ring from the tray, checking its contents. His eyes widened in astonishment. The ring was practically overflowing with small mountains of pill bottles! Not only was the purity of these elixirs far superior to anything produced by Wuji Sect’s alchemy department, but the variety was staggering. There were pills for cultivation, for replenishing Qi and blood, for strengthening muscles and bones… even a complete set of traditional medicinal tonics for… enhancing male virility and essence! However, unlike the potent, often dangerous Western Region forbidden drugs Bailing Pavilion was known for, the elixirs the Pavilion Master had given He Yimo this time were all remarkably gentle in nature, more akin to the long-term, body-nourishing supplements favored in Eastern medicine.

“Well~?” the red-gowned woman on the dais purred, a smug smile playing on her vermillion lips as she observed the young man’s stunned expression. “Is this Pavilion Master’s humble offering to your satisfaction~?”

“This… This is WAY too much!” He Yimo swallowed hard, genuinely impressed. “This is almost enough to last me for a whole year, eating them like meals!”

“As long as you like them.”

“You are, after all, the little one that Miss Yuan holds in such special regard,” Yuan Xinyao continued, her voice softening slightly. “Consider these elixirs a welcoming gift for your first visit to Bailing Pavilion. I trust we will have many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.” She finished with a soft humph, leaning back languidly on her chaise longue, her gaze playfully scrutinizing He Yimo.

“Many thanks, Pavilion Master…” He Yimo, still kneeling, could only bow his head again in gratitude.

But just as he was about to accept the storage ring, the red-gowned woman on the dais playfully flexed her jade-like foot again, the silver bells chiming melodiously. At the same time, meeting He Yimo’s surprised gaze, she spoke again, her voice now cool and imperious from her elevated position—

“However, He Yimo…”

“Before you accept this Pavilion Master’s welcoming gift… this Pavilion Master is rather curious… Just how many paper cranes do you intend to leave in exchange?”

Her words hung in the air, and an immediate silence fell upon the grand chamber.

He Yimo pursed his lips, hesitating for a long moment. Finally, he reached into his robes and produced the bottle of paper cranes.

“O-One… whole bottle?” Yuan Xinyao’s lips twitched.

But before she could clench her little fists in a tremor of indignant fury, He Yimo twisted open the cap and carefully, meticulously, drew out… a single paper crane.

“One?” Yuan Xinyao blinked, her voice laced with curiosity, the budding anger in her chest instantly deflating somewhat.

He Yimo, acutely aware of the immense value of the ‘welcoming gift’, lowered his head, his voice filled with genuine humility and perhaps a touch of guilt. “My Little Aunt told me… that this single paper crane… represents one favor the Pavilion Master owes her.”

“If… If my Little Aunt wasn’t deceiving me…”

“Then I believe… this one paper crane… should be sufficient payment for the honor of meeting with you today, Pavilion Master.”

His words echoed in the silent chamber. He Yimo saw the red-gowned figure behind the screen visibly stunned. He took a deep breath, his voice still humble, but now with an undercurrent of firm conviction.

“Of course, the ultimate value of this paper crane is for you to decide, Pavilion Master…”

“If you are truly dissatisfied… then please, consider it an investment in Yimo’s future! Although Yimo may not amount to much at present… when Yimo achieves some success in cultivation in the years to come, Yimo will no longer need to rely on Little Aunt’s connections…”

“At that time, Yimo will personally return to Xizhou City… with a tribute that will undoubtedly satisfy the Pavilion Master… and seek another audience with you!”