Chapter Seventy-Two: Even More Intrigued...

"Wait... you... don't go! I've never played this version of 'Spider Cave' before!" Xu Boqing's cheek twitched as he muttered inwardly.

He was now realizing that the red-nosed old man from earlier was likely one of those legendary cultivators. But why had he thought Xu was a "senior"? He hadn't even gotten a word in before the old man left! It was the same as when he met the snake demon a year ago—though, in that case, the snake demon had misunderstood him because he'd come back to life in another body. But this time? Could it be that he had some hidden trait, "guaranteed to be mistaken for a cultivation master by any cultivator he meets"?

As he puzzled over this in his heart, Zhu Sisi emerged from her room holding a dressing mirror. Seeing that the red-nosed old man was gone, she assumed he’d gone off to drink elsewhere and paid it no mind.

"Men are all the same—no good," she mused, glancing at Xu Boqing, whose outward air of refinement belied his true, rotten nature. This only strengthened her convictions. With a cold laugh, she said, "Master Xu, please follow me."

With light steps, she led the way to a private room at the end of the second floor. Once they were alone, Zhu Sisi sat at the table, poured herself a cup of wine, and took a sip to moisten her throat.

She noticed the "lust-dulled" Master Xu still staring at her, unable to hide the disgust on her face. Noting his fine, pale-blue robe, she seemed to think of something and asked casually, "Master Xu, you look unfamiliar. Are you not from around here?"

Xu Boqing nodded. "Madam, you are most perceptive."

Zhu Sisi gave a look that suggested her suspicions were confirmed. In her years of cultivation, aside from taking in pitiful girls as daughters and teaching them survival skills, her only real hobby was weaving clothes for herself and her girls. Thus, she could instantly judge the quality of silk fabric with a single glance.

"Are you perhaps from the capital?"

Xu Boqing was a bit surprised, unsure how the spider demon could tell, but he nodded. "Indeed, I come from the capital."

"The capital..." Zhu Sisi murmured, her eyes flickering with thought. After a moment, she asked, "Since you hail from the capital, you must be quite familiar with it?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," Xu replied, unsure where this line of questioning was going.

"I have heard that the Emperor of Great Liang is devoted to Taoism and Buddhism," Zhu Sisi said, her eyes lighting up with interest. "And that he intends to hold a Grand Water and Land Assembly, seeking true immortals and buddhas to appoint as National Preceptors. Is this true, Master Xu?"

Xu Boqing maintained his dazed expression, but his mind was reeling. He had a vague suspicion as to the spider demon's intentions. He nodded blankly. "It is true."

"The Emperor of Great Liang is certainly bold," Zhu Sisi remarked.

Zhu Sisi paused, then asked with evident curiosity, "They say the Emperor even halted work on his own mausoleum for the sake of this assembly, diverting labor and materials to build the ritual platforms. Is this also true?"

"It is."

"Halting construction of the imperial tomb for a Water and Land Assembly—such a thing is unheard of. Were there no ministers in court who opposed him?"

"There were..." Xu Boqing replied in a practiced tone. "The Left Chancellor, Gu Jingyi, opposed it fiercely—he even attempted to remonstrate with his life. Unfortunately, his luck was poor—he struck the pillar but did not die, and so Emperor Yonghe dismissed him and had him imprisoned in the Celestial Prison."

"Oh?" Zhu Sisi sounded surprised, her expression one of genuine shock. First, that the Emperor would act so autocratically; second, that Xu Genshu here was privy to such high-level affairs—his identity must be no ordinary one.

She eyed him and asked, "Master Xu, you seem so well informed about court affairs—do you perhaps hold office yourself?"

"I do," Xu Boqing replied, still feigning absent-mindedness.

Six months ago, when he learned that Emperor Yonghe intended to hold the assembly, Xu had already noticed a dramatic shift in the fortune of the Liang Dynasty. He had suspected then that the Emperor’s appointment of a National Preceptor would be significant—that the assembly might draw not only true cultivators, but also demons and evil spirits.

Now, faced with Zhu Sisi—a demon of great power, disguised as a brothel madam and clearly here with ulterior motives—he realized her true goal must be the Water and Land Assembly.

Xu had no experience dealing with cultivators and didn’t know his own current standing—whether he could handle a demon or not. Still, with the Pure Yang Furnace that his body had become, he figured ordinary demonic arts could not harm him. To play it safe, he kept up the pretense of being dazed, trying to think of ways to escape even as he wondered if he could glean any information about the world of cultivation from this spider demon.

He had hoped to converse with the red-nosed old man, but the latter mistook him for a senior and left to avoid disturbing his "interest." With no other choice, he continued to play his part.

Thus, man and demon each harbored their own schemes.

Zhu Sisi's eyes brightened slightly upon hearing that he was an official. She asked, "May I ask what position you hold in the Liang court, Master Xu?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Xu Boqing, still feigning absent-mindedness, smacked his lips without answering. Instead, he muttered, "Thirsty..."

Zhu Sisi poured him another cup of wine and gestured for him to drink. "Master Xu, please help yourself to some wine."

"Is there no tea?"

She looked at him in surprise, and he explained, "I'm afraid I'll misbehave if I drink wine."

Zhu Sisi studied him more closely. He looked every bit the ordinary mortal, and his scattered gaze suggested she was perhaps overthinking things. There was tea in the room, but since Xu was already under her spell, she had no intention of serving him herself.

With a cold snort, she said impatiently, "Only wine. Drink it or leave it."

"Drink... I'll drink..." Xu Boqing obediently walked over, downed the cup in one gulp, and helped himself to another.

"You—!" Zhu Sisi was irritated to see him sit down beside her, her distaste evident as she snapped, "Who told you to sit there?"

"Ah..." Xu Boqing blinked dazedly, not only showing no intention of getting up, but even reaching out to touch her leg, muttering, "I told you I get unruly when I drink. And since Madam is just to my taste, I..."

Before his hand reached her, before he could finish his sentence, Zhu Sisi slapped his hand away. She was tempted to kill this shameless lecher on the spot, but remembering that she was new to the capital and needed someone familiar with it, she stood up, putting distance between them.

Seeing the lascivious look in his eyes, her disdain for men deepened. Then, with a hint of mockery, she asked, "Master Xu, my looks are plain and I'm already past my prime—do you truly desire someone like me?"

"Pleasure is in the heart, not the price..." Xu Boqing chuckled, feigning indifference. "I've seen many beautiful women. What I like about Madam is your charm, not your outward appearance."

"Ha... my outward appearance, is it? Very well..." Zhu Sisi sneered, her eyes cold.

In an instant, her form shifted from that of a fading courtesan to a tall, alluring woman—her face stunningly beautiful, yet marked by a look of profound world-weariness. Most striking of all, her hands had transformed into sharp claws wrapped in sheer black silk, and several crystalline spider legs extended from behind her.

"And what about this form, Master Xu?" she began to ask, only to stop mid-sentence as she saw Xu's eyes light up with a green glow and watched him leap to his feet.

"Madam, you even knew I like black silk and spider legs?!"

"?????"