Chapter 623: First Glimpse of Lihua Island
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Underneath the azure sky, the junk ship docked once it reached the shore. Considering the numerous masts that lined the port, this island was not as off-limits as Meng Qi expected.
A girl in her late teens, with her hair rolled into a bun, was standing at the dock. Her face was fair and tender, with a tall nose as well as distinct brows and eyes.
Her white dress highlighted her delicate, smooth skin. Her pair of eyes stood out in particular; they contained a mixture of a lovable innocence and silk-like charm.
“Bodhisattva has received ‘word’ from the outlying islands and knows what is going on. She invites you to meet at the Joy Palace, Mr. Tyrant,” the girl said, making a graceful curtsy.
“Sure.” Though Meng Qi’s green robe swayed alongside the sea breeze, his body was as still as a mountain and he had as strong restraint as that of the deep sea. He slowly walked down the junk ship.
Ying Ning wore a brilliant smile as she returned the curtsy. “How do we address you, Older Sister?”
“I am Le Huan, an ordinary disciple on Lihua Island,” the girl replied. She looked flustered as she did not expect Ying Ning to be this enthusiastic.
Ying Ning winked at Meng Qi before hugging Le Huan’s arm and asking her about Lihua Island and Bodhisattva Lian Yu. Le Huan did not attempt to hide anything and answered all her questions honestly, allowing Meng Qi to gain a deeper understanding of this place.
The dock opened straight into a crisscrossed street lined with shops, peddlers, and all sorts of goods. Meng Qi could faintly hear sounds of grunting and moaning drifting from afar. This was indeed a place of lust, as just the atmosphere could make people feel feverish all over. Bodies would also go soft and limp, making one unable to walk.
There were only a handful of pedestrians, including young women walking by themselves, couples strolling hand-in-hand, as well as a woman escorted by several men. From time to time, he could see the skin and flesh rubbing against one another in the corners. Their skin looked particularly pale under the light, giving off a lascivious scent.
Le Huan led Meng Qi and Ying Ning across the street, heading toward the tall mountain at the very end. They had just crossed an intersection when a beggar suddenly threw himself at them. He was clean despite his ragged clothes. With a pleading expression, he hugged Le Huan’s slender thigh and cried continuously, “Bodhisattva, please help me, please help me.”
“Even Lihua Island has beggars...” Like all old monsters, Meng Qi calmly observed his surroundings. He found that there were nearly a dozen beggars gathering underneath the eaves of the buildings on this street.
Le Huan’s brows furrowed as she pulled herself away from the beggar’s hold. With a pout, she said, “They’re all the Incense Stoves of Bodhisattva, Elders, and Senior Sisters. They made such little progress in their cultivation that they lose even their usage as herb dregs. Moreover, they’re not favored for they’re not equipped with special abilities. Since they can’t be nourishment, they can only resort to be servants and do some odd jobs. However, no women will get close to them and neither will they be able to savor the joy of copulation. If they’re slightly more capable, they’ll be able to seduce other disciples. The weak ones will be like these beggars, coming here each day to plead for a chance at sex.”
“To think you can even plead for something like this...” Meng Qi felt the urge to wipe the cold sweat off his forehead even though he experienced and knowledgeable. Nothing was too bizarre to happen in this world but the fact that this group of beggars was unwilling to leave this island despite being reduced to this state was proof of just how enticing this place was. This island had turned intercourse into a drug that people cannot free themselves of.
Le Huan’s eyes swept the street as she spoke when her gaze suddenly became frozen. She was staring at a certain corner of the street.
A terrible stink was coming off a beggar in tattered clothes there. His two legs were unnaturally warped as if they were broken after a vicious fighting with others over “begging” matters.
He was a disgusting sight, with skin ulcers dotting his delicately pretty face atop a thin, fragile body. His lips were so dry they were peeling. With an infatuated expression and cowering eyes, he stole glances at Le Huan.
“How pitiful...” Le Huan muttered. Her slightly hoarse voice was enough to ignite lust in most men.
The corners of Meng Qi’s mouth tugged. In his senses, the image of Le Huan turned bleary and moist like a water droplet. Her expression was one of sympathy and adoration.
“How pitiful...” she repeated again. She turned to Meng Qi and pleaded, “Mr. Tyrant, would you mind waiting for a short while? Let me bestow mercy upon the pitiful man.”
“Go ahead.” Though Meng Qi was nearly rendered speechless, he retained the unemotional manner of an old monster.
He did not expect that this would be what moved Le Huan’s heart. The teachings of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage were truly something that would make ordinary folks gasp in amazement.
When Le Huan strolled toward the beggar, he lifted his eyes to look at her. There were doubt and fright in those eyes, as well as infatuation.
Le Huan took off her pure-white dress, revealing the fair, tender skin and heart-stirring curve of her back. She raised her hand and released her jet-black hair. Her hair spilled down her shoulders, partially covering her back. Her movements spurred the simultaneous purring of all beggars.
Her pure, holy expression was full of compassion. In the surprised, shocked, and grateful eyes of the beggar, she resembled a Bodhisattva getting herself sullied with ‘mud’ step by step. She slowly sat down, mixing the powdery white and stained yellow skin. Together, they emitted a drawn-out soft cry.
“Sister Le Huan sure has a merciful heart...” Ying Ning looked at Le Huan with respect. She hid partially behind Meng Qi to evade the intense gazes of the other beggars.
“Merciful heart...” The word ‘merciful’ had lost all meaning to Meng Qi. Should anyone try to persuade him to be merciful in the future, he would rip into them, “You go ahead and be merciful! You and your whole family be merciful!”
With his hands behind him, he exuded an elegant, lethargic air as he stared at the sky. In reality, he was simply speechless.
People on the Lihua Island seemed particularly respectful of the rules. The numerous beggars watched such a lustful scene unfolding without trying to join the two. Instead, they hoped that the female Bodhisattva would bestow her mercy upon them all.
Before long, a groan full of contentment and reluctance came from the beggar. His body crumpled as Le Huan’s arms tightened around him. Her fair skin was flushed all over.
She planted a kiss on him before helping him set his bones. Even so, the beggar’s breath had become weak as if he was about to collapse from energy deficiency.
“She’s ravishing that man’s Yang energy?” Meng Qi frowned. “Didn’t she say she’s bestowing mercy on him?”
Ying Ning replied earnestly, “It’s both: mercy and consecration. If she bestows mercy alone without receiving consecration, her blood will instantly boil as if she has consumed viagra. If she’s not satisfied, the fires burning her heart will kill her. To be honest, she has received little consecration earlier. It’s equivalent to the exertion of a regular man copulating with his wife and concubines two or three times. The beggar only collapsed because of his long-term injuries and weak health.”
“How matter-of-fact...” Meng Qi decided he better remain calm in the face of the unexpected. This was the cultivation ground of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage of Method of Mistress Su, after all. Everything was unique here.
Le Huan put on her dress, with a vibrant blush across her delicate face and a somewhat quickened breath. On both wings of her nose were drops of sparkling perspiration. She returned to Meng Qi’s side, ignoring the hands reaching for her. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Tyrant. I was too emotional earlier. Desire came like a torrential rush and for a while, I couldn’t stand up,” she said with some embarrassment.
“Is this something that should be discussed publicly?” Meng Qi once again was troubled by his normal principles.
He nodded with an apathetic expression. “Please continue to lead the way, then.”
Le Huan spared Ying Ning a glance, sticking her tongue out at her. She turned around and moved forward like a feeble wind clutching onto a willow.
She led them out of the small town and up a stone staircase. A distracted Meng Qi was busy sensing the flow of Qi movement on the island and the several obvious formations.
Ying Ning had described the island to be a place that barred external enemies. However, he did not find that to be true as people were allowed to leave as they pleased. Moreover, the killing intentions hidden in the Qi movements seemed to indicate restrictive killing formations. If Incense Stoves of mere herb dregs quality would like to leave, those in Method of Mistress Su would likely spare no effort in stopping them. It was much easier to find someone easier. Even if the effects were not as good, they would consider it as a change of palette.
Meng Qi strolled up the stairs with hands behind his back, looking deep and unfathomable. In his mind was a flurry of thoughts going over his plan.
It was impossible for him to meet Bliss Bodhisattva or the other grandmasters of Method of Mistress Su. He must discreetly eliminate his identity of ‘Merciless Tyrant’ after Bodhisattva Lian Yu made her report. Then, he would hide on the island to find male disciplines talented enough to comprehend Extinctive Blade of Overlord. He would find an opportunity to capture and turn into one of them before entering Mistress Su Fairyland to comprehend the real thing.
Timing was the key to success. If he was too early, he might be selected as a target of ravishment. He could use Extreme Bliss of Heaven and Demon to fake the Art of Deception if he was up against weaker women but he would expose himself if the women were of Exterior strength. He would then fall into great peril and rely only on Lanke Temple, which might not be necessarily useful, and Reincarnation Charm to flee. However, if he was too late and took up disguise just as comprehension was about to begin, someone would definitely notice for there would definitely be people secretly watching such disciplines.
“The Mystic Fairy and Bliss Bodhisattva lineages don’t share a particularly harmonious relationship. Given a choice, Shang River Fairy would certainly not share a cultivation ground with Bodhisattva Lian Yu...” Meng Qi thought before suddenly recalling something else. “There’s definitely a special location. Perhaps one of the entrances to the Mistress Su Fairyland?”
With his narrowed eyes and an unchanging expression, he followed Le Huan to the front of a majestic palace of gold and jade. There was a horizontal board covered with the remains of sexual intercourse. It read:
“Joy Palace.”
A man was standing by the entrance. He looked to be only in his forties but appeared rather withered, with a deeply wrinkled face and a head of white hair. Between his brows was a chink of a deep red color, like a concealed eye. In his hand were a pitch-black longbow and a quiver containing seven copper-painted arrows was fastened at his waist.
Meng Qi sized the man up, feeling a sudden stir in his heart. “Could you be ‘Three-eyed God of Arrows’ Li Wending?”
The lifeless-looking man glanced at Meng Qi, suddenly guarded. “Who are you?”
“He’s Merciless Tyrant.” Le Huan made the introduction as she glared at the man. “Li Wending, your foundation has been ruined and you’re reduced into the level of Refreshment from the level of Grand Tonic. Why do you care about other people?”
“So it’s really ‘Three-eyed God of Arrows’ Li Wending.” There was a surge of emotions in Meng Qi’s heart. He was a well-known man a decade ago, the direct discipline of a top-notch mainstream sect with great talent. He rose to fame with his archery and was capable of killing a person within 20 miles with a single arrow the minute he stepped into the Exterior realm. People once expected him to be a grandmaster but he went missing without a trace before even crossing the first step of the Celestial Ladder. Meng Qi did not expect to see him here on Lihua Island!
Li Wending’s breathing quickened. Swallowing his rage with great difficulty, he turned his body and pushed the door next to him open.
Meng Qi did not look at him any longer and followed Le Huan into the palace.
“He’s the Incense Stove that the late Bodhisattva kept around the longest. He used to be in the Third Heaven of the Exterior realm but his genuine feelings for her caused fires of jealousy to burn his body each time the late Bodhisattva was with other Incense Stoves. Moreover, he couldn’t guard his Vital Spirit during copulation and lost both his essence and life. Thus, from the level of a grand tonic, he was reduced into mere refreshment. Had the late Bodhisattva not consider their past together, he would’ve long become an errand servant,” Le Huan muttered as if speaking to herself.
“Huh, to think he would develop genuine feelings out of rejuvenation.” Meng Qi chuckled as he stepped into a gilded main hall covered with white petals. Inside, a woman was partially leaning and partially lying on two muscular men. Beautiful-looking men surrounded her, all eagerly attending to her wishes.
Her fair and tender skin was draped in a layer of white muslin. She looked dignified and compassionate; every part of her was emitting an indescribable charm.
Bodhisattva Lian Yu smiled as she gave her delicate ankle a gentle shake. “Tyrant, it’s been a while since we last met. You’ve become even more unpredictable than ever.”
“Damn it! She knows Merciless Tyrant!” Meng Qi was instantly stupefied and he could not help reaching for his Reincarnation Charm.