Chapter 0: 10. Borrowing Power (Bonus Chapter)
Within the fragrant and refreshing boudoir, Gu Caihe, rolling up her sleeves, performed a delightful tea ceremony. She slowly placed a cup of steaming spiritual tea in front of Qin Gou. Then, picking up her own small cup, she drank it in one gulp and said softly, “Little Brother Qin Yue is too kind, actually bringing such high-quality Enlightenment Tea Leaves for a humble woman like myself… Hmm? This taste is rather unique. Perhaps this is the strange fragrance of good tea.”
Qin Gou smiled faintly, not in a hurry to drink his tea. He praised, “Saintess Xi Hua’s exquisite tea ceremony has also added an even more distinctive flavor to this tea.”
“Little Brother Qin Yue flatters me,” Gu Caihe said with a graceful smile. “Now that I have successfully returned to the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, there is no need to worry about any accidents. I will get straight to the point. The person who disguised herself as Wu Qi that night and entered my room to speak with me was indeed you, Little Brother Qin Yue, wasn’t it?”
Gu Caihe’s tone revealed her confidence, her eyes fixed on Qin Gou’s face, scrutinizing him closely. She seemed to be looking for a trace of shock and astonishment in his expression to satisfy her own wicked pleasure and a small vanity.
But she was disappointed.
“It was me,” Qin Gou said calmly, crossing his arms.
“You, you actually admitted it so directly?!” Gu Caihe’s face was filled with shock and astonishment.
“Saintess Xi Hua, with just a few words in the room, discerned my true identity. How could I not admit it?” Qin Gou said, raising an eyebrow.
“You even know that!”
Gu Caihe looked at Qin Gou from head to toe as if seeing him for the first time, a storm raging in her heart.
“Just a small trick, not worth mentioning. However, Saintess Xi Hua, calling me here so late, what are your instructions?” Qin Gou asked.
Gu Caihe looked directly into Qin Gou’s eyes and said word for word, “Tell me your purpose. Why did you impersonate Wu Qi? It’s okay if you don’t want to say; I have plenty of ways to make Little Brother Qin Yue speak.”
“No need. I’ll say it directly. I accidentally discovered that Saintess Xi Hua was actually attacking her own disciples, so I wanted to investigate. I didn’t expect to be so shocked when I did.” Qin Gou shrugged. “From the conversation with Saintess Xi Hua that day, I really managed to guess a shocking truth.”
“Oh? Then tell me, what did you guess?” Gu Caihe asked intently, her gaze never wavering.
“The entire Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace is like a giant ant nest! The male ants and soldier ants have clear divisions of labor. Ordinary female disciples receive care from the sect, are taught cultivation techniques, and enjoy resources. Then, through ‘absorbing Yang to replenish Yin’ with cauldrons, they achieve the balance of Yin and Yang, rapidly improving their cultivation. The nine great Saintesses, however, do not need to personally absorb from cauldrons. Instead, they plunder a portion of the benefits from ordinary disciples through alternative absorption methods. Finally, the nine great Saintesses are ‘visited’ by Palace Lord Ye Qishuang one by one. This is like a food chain among insects. Countless disciples of the Mystic Maiden Palace will continuously supply nutrients to Ye Qishuang, the ‘queen,’ allowing her to improve her cultivation at an astonishing speed.”
“This sounds somewhat horrifying, but compared to the fierce methods of other Demonic Sects that completely disregard their disciples, it is already quite benevolent. Furthermore, since the technique of ‘absorbing Yang to replenish Yin’ is a heterodox path for rapid cultivation, even if a part of their cultivation is plundered, the disciples’ cultivation speed will not fall behind other sects. Plus, with the horrifying cultivation accumulated over the years by the nine Saintesses and Palace Lord Ye Qishuang, the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace has, with this alone, become a top-tier sect in the Cultivation World, forging a special path connected by the influence of women.”
Qin Gou spoke eloquently on the surface, but the more he spoke, the more unnerved he became. Ye Qishuang’s peculiar absorption technique, which she created herself, somehow felt incredibly familiar.
Upon hearing this, Gu Caihe’s eyes were filled with admiration. She clapped her hands and said, “Wonderful, truly wonderful. Little Brother Qin Yue is indeed extraordinarily intelligent. With just a few words, you have revealed all the great secrets of our Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace. Unfortunately, your mistake lies in your own excessive intelligence. Since you already know so much, it will be difficult for you to leave the Mystic Maiden Palace now.”
“If I understand you correctly, Saintess, you don’t just intend to intimidate me with words today, do you?” Qin Gou asked with a playful smile.
“It is always a pleasure to speak with intelligent people. In fact, I could keep this matter a secret and not report it to the Palace Lord, and I can guarantee that Little Brother Qin Yue can return to the Seed Demon Sacred Cult with peace of mind in the future, as long as Little Brother Qin Yue agrees to a trivial condition.” Gu Caihe smiled, her smile exceptionally pure, making it difficult to discern the truth in her words.
“What condition?”
“The Enlightenment True Body is a rare and special physique. I wonder if Little Brother Qin Yue would allow my younger sister Wu Qi to ‘absorb’ from you and benefit from your spiritual energy? If the effect is good, I have several more female disciples under me who can line up for Little Brother Qin Yue’s enjoyment, with all shapes and sizes available.” Gu Caihe suddenly smiled enchantingly, and paired with her sacred and innocent face, it had a unique sense of blasphemy.
“Oh? This idea from Saintess Xi Hua is truly excellent. It not only allows me, Qin Yue, to have a harem in the Mystic Maiden Palace for the rest of my future days, happily forgetting to return home, but also guarantees my safe return to the Sacred Cult without forever being a human cauldron. It is truly a great blessing!”
“So, Little Brother Qin Yue agrees?”
“But I refuse!”
“I, Qin Yue, hate being threatened the most. With such a small handle, you want me to be your servant? No way. Moreover, do you expect me to bow down based on a mere verbal promise from the Saintess? Please stop joking.”
“Is that so? Then aren’t you afraid I’ll tell the Palace Lord? At that time, you will still become a cauldron, and you will never be able to leave the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace!” Gu Caihe said with knitted brows, her voice cold.
“Fine, then I won’t leave. And I’m not afraid of anyone daring to try and absorb from me because I believe, out of respect for Saintess Xi Hua, they won’t dare to act rashly towards me.” Qin Gou said meaningfully.
Gu Caihe said inexplicably, “What do you mean? Are you threatening me? With your meager cultivation, a mere cultivator in the Hidden Weapon Realm?!”
“Based on me, based on me being a man, based on the fact that the gender status gap is extremely large here in the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, and based on me not caring about my reputation!” As he spoke, Qin Gou stood up and skillfully unbuttoned his clothes and belt.
Gu Caihe’s beautiful eyes widened. “Are you crazy? How dare you be so presumptuous in front of me?”
Qin Gou gave a cold, sharp smile. “I didn’t expect Saintess Xi Hua to be as innocent and cute as her face. Don’t you realize yet what you just drank? That was a hundred-year-old ‘Lover’s Smile,’ a Profound-tier spirit plant that can cause bewilderment, rapid heartbeat, and profuse sweating. I used a small trick to disguise it as Enlightenment Tea Leaves without a trace, mixing it into the real tea, so that when the Saintess directly drinks its essence, the effect is greatly amplified!”
For a moment, Gu Caihe’s face turned pale. No wonder she had felt so impulsive since a while ago, unable to calm down for a long time. She was never like this usually.
“You, you actually plan to make a move on me?! How dare you!”
“Saintess Xi Hua is wrong again.”
Qin Gou let out a long laugh. “I don’t want Saintess Xi Hua’s body. I want the influence you have accumulated over the years in the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace. I want to borrow power!”
As soon as he finished speaking, before Gu Caihe could react, Qin Gou suddenly rushed out of the room, his long hair disheveled, his clothes in a mess. He urged his spiritual power and let out a panicked scream that could be heard for miles.
“Sister Caihe, no, don’t be so rough! This humble scholar is still a virgin, and we are but passing acquaintances. How can we do such a shameful thing? This humble scholar still needs to return to the Sacred Cult to marry his true love! This humble scholar is by no means a debauched person, so please, Saintess Xi Hua, Sister Gu Caihe, spare this humble scholar! Ah, no, don’t lick there, it’s a very dirty place.”
