Chapter 91: The Courtesan Warms the Bed

“His scent is on her.” Fourteenth Sister sniffed, and Eighth Sister did as well, then declared it with certainty.

There was no fingerprint analysis in this world, but they had noses. With their extraordinary sense of smell, even the faintest trace could be detected.

“Maybe it was left on her when the Young Master held her,” Fourteenth Sister said, trying to defend Shen Shi.

“What do you mean, ‘left on her’? It was definitely on her bosom. I can swear to it.”

Eighth Sister was almost ready to curse and swear by it.

At once, Fine Marquis’ face flushed scarlet. So the one who had opened her collar and touched her had not been anyone else, but Shen Shi.

Seeing her shy and timid expression, Fourteenth Sister helped explain, “Perhaps the Young Master was only rescuing her.”

“Rescuing her by touching her bosom? Fourteenth Sister, don’t think so highly of him. He’s only a man, after all. And if he’s a man, then he’s bound to be tempted. If no one had been there at the time, he might have forced himself on her outright.”

The words were spoken so plainly, with no room for misunderstanding, that Fine Marquis’ face burned even hotter.

“Don’t tease me. I’m nothing more than a fading willow branch. How could the Young Master possibly look at me?” Fine Marquis said, pleased yet modest.

Eighth Sister waved a hand. “What willow or not? As long as you’re a woman, that’s enough. As the saying goes, solitary yin cannot give life, and lonely yang cannot grow. He is a cultivator, and you are a virgin. If he plucks the red pearl...”

“Eighth Sister!” Fourteenth Sister hurriedly stopped her from speaking so freely.

“You don’t believe me? Fine. Let’s go find him together and ask him straight out. Let’s see whether he truly knows the arts of yin and yang union.” Eighth Sister grabbed Fourteenth Sister and headed off to find Shen Shi. Just before leaving, she added, “And one more thing, you must never try to kill yourself again. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

Fine Marquis lowered her head and answered softly, yet her slender fingers had already gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, twisting it over and over. It was plain that her heart was far from calm.

“Is what she said true?”

As the celebrated courtesan of this age, she was not only expected to study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or the teachings of the sages. She also had to know something of Buddhist and Daoist doctrines.

True immortality techniques did not exist for her, but Daoist bedchamber arts, yin and yang union, and the like were things she had to learn about and understand.

After all, the bedchamber arts were among mankind’s earliest lessons in physiology. They were not merely necessary for pleasure houses; even noble and powerful families treated them as sacred scripture. How often, and for how long, to follow the methods in the books—such things were not uncommon. In imperial households, eunuchs and maids would even keep time, and when the hour was up, they would remind the couple to stop.

“All right. As long as you don’t try to kill yourself again, that’s enough.” Eighth Sister dragged Fourteenth Sister off to confront Shen Shi, but unfortunately they could not enter the training grounds.

It was military aura. The Shen family’s retainers had tempered themselves through battle and now possessed military aura. And an army with military aura was not a place just anyone could enter. Many demon lords of a thousand years or more had tried to force their way into military camps, only to be cut down.

“Eighth Sister, let’s go back. If we rush in like this, our cultivation won’t be enough to withstand it. If we make a mistake, reveal our true forms, that will be bad,” Fourteenth Sister advised.

“What are you afraid of? So what if we reveal our true forms? It’s not as if he can eat us.”

Eighth Sister was speaking in anger, but she truly believed that even if she did reveal her true form, Shen Shi would not lay a hand on her. That had already been proven countless times whenever she had done so.

“Eighth Sister, the Young Master will not strike us, but if we are thrown about by military aura, that will not feel good,” Fourteenth Sister coaxed as she tugged at her.

“Hmph! Luck is on his side. We’ll settle this tonight!” Eighth Sister looked at Shen Shi, who was helping her father save face and, though he clearly could have dropped his opponent with one move, had instead dragged the fight into a grueling contest. She threw out a hard warning, then left unwillingly.

After instructing the Shen family retainers, Shen Shi met Fine Marquis and comforted her. “Stay here and rest in peace. If anything happens, just call for me. I can hear you.”

After soothing her, Shen Shi returned to the martial room across the way to rest.

Night fell.

Thunder rolled outside, and suddenly rain began to pour down, coming so fast and hard.

Fine Marquis turned over and over on the wooden couch, unable to sleep. Thoughts churned in her mind.

What had happened during the day had left her unable to calm herself. Though it had all been false, all an illusion, for her had it not also been, in a way, real?

That peculiar kind of “reality” was, to her, as unforgettable as a maiden’s first love.

And if the kiss had been false, what of her bosom?

“Perhaps if no one had been there, the Young Master would have forced himself... The Young Master is a cultivator, and solitary yin cannot give life, lonely yang cannot grow...”

For some reason, the conversation from the daytime kept echoing in her mind. The Daoist texts she had once read surged again and again through her thoughts.

The bedchamber arts said: by means of the Yellow Elder and the Red Talisman, one cultivates longevity...

At that thought, Fine Marquis’ heart began to pound. Her face burned red, and she could no longer remain calm.

In the end, she could no longer endure it. She rose quietly from the couch, then, gathering her courage, walked toward the bedchamber where Shen Shi was sleeping.

I am already a courtesan. I was never a respectable woman to begin with. Even if my injuries heal, I will only end up benefiting someone else for nothing. Rather than lose myself to another man, it would be better to give my body to the man I like.

This flower-viewing gathering had made Fine Marquis understand her own place. She was nothing more than a tool raised by others. Do not be deceived by the title of courtesan; in truth, she had no power to decide anything for herself.

Especially when the bandit leader had captured her, if Shen Shi had not arrived in time, she would already have been defiled. At the time, the scholars around her had been numerous, yet not one of them could save her.

With these thoughts in mind, she stepped down from the bed and quietly entered the room. She did not light a lamp, only using the faint light to see that someone was lying on the bed; she could not even make out who it was.

She let out a soft breath. With immense nervousness and shyness, she untied her clothes, lifted a corner of the blanket beside him, and quickly slipped inside.

Since she had already come this far, Fine Marquis decided to throw caution to the wind. She wrapped herself entirely around Shen Shi.

“Who is it?” Shen Shi was jolted awake.

This was his own home, and the battle had indeed drained a great deal of his strength. He had slept rather deeply tonight. But no matter how deeply one slept, if someone pressed down on you, you would wake.

“It-it’s me,” Fine Marquis said, her voice trembling with nervousness as she shrank into the man’s arms.

“Why are you here? In the middle of the night, why did you come running to me?” Shen Shi was first startled, thinking Eighth Sister was up to mischief, but he had not expected it to be Fine Marquis.

Fine Marquis’ face was burning hot. In a soft, embarrassed voice, she said, “I-I like the Young Master. I want to be with the Young Master.”

Hearing that, Shen Shi paused. He was no stranger to those same words; Eighth Sister had said them more than once.

Ever since Eighth Sister had come to the Shen household, she had climbed into his bed many times. And every time, she had been earnest and sincere, with no trace of falsehood in her tone, at least until she asked for something in return.

Even during the first half of the night, she had come by again, only to be taken away by Fourteenth Sister not long after.

But Fine Marquis, a celebrated courtesan—why was she here?

“Why would you do this out of the blue? Is it to repay me?” Shen Shi asked.