Chapter 42: Foolish Arrogance
Question:
Would Xu Yuan intervene if this alluring and enchanting courtesan before him truly attempted suicide?
Three.
Two.
One.
The answer is no.
As a man with normal sensibilities, Xu Yuan might feel regret if such a breathtakingly beautiful woman died before his eyes, but he absolutely wouldn't stop her.
Before entering this Bamboo Garden, he had already learned Su Jinxuan's identity and had naturally prepared himself mentally.
If this courtesan who had specifically targeted him wanted to commit suicide, he would most likely watch the performance with amusement.
He would watch her theatrical performances, her pitiful and delicate acts, and her driving herself into a corner.
As someone who had brushed shoulders with death countless times, Xu Yuan didn't believe that Su Jinxuan would decisively end her own life if she had other options.
But the reality now was that all of Xu Yuan's mental preparations had become a joke.
The moment he saw this woman, he was practically rooted to the spot, unable to think straight.
If Xu Yuan hadn't already established a clear course of action in his mind before entering this bamboo courtyard, he might have readily followed her lead the moment she mentioned "music."
But even though he knew in advance what he wanted to do, Xu Yuan found his actions still swayed by the emotions surging within him.
Heartache, fear of loss, and ultimately, intervention.
This wasn't normal, but Xu Yuan couldn't see it at the time.
It wasn’t until the Blood Origin Heart Extinction Technique began to circulate that Xu Yuan abruptly became aware of his abnormality.
His emotions were being manipulated by that woman.
Upon careful examination, Xu Yuan was alarmed.
The surface of his Origin Soul was speckled with drifting particles.
Their appearance caused no discomfort; they weren't dense, just scattered sparsely across the soul's surface, almost seeming to merge with it.
With conscious effort, Xu Yuan perceived that these drifting particles were actually moving.
They were desperately trying to burrow into his Origin Soul.
But this burrowing didn't cause Xu Yuan any discomfort.
On the contrary, the aura emitted by these floating particles even gave Xu Yuan a slight sense of comfort.
Unfortunately for them, even with Xu Yuan completely unguarded, the inherent resilience of his Heaven-Bestowed Soul was such that these intangible particles couldn't penetrate it easily, at least not for a while.
Su Jin Xuan was clearly devoid of any cultivation like in the original story; otherwise, Zhou Chen wouldn’t have wished him good fortune in “endeavors” before leaving.
But the incident had happened nonetheless.
Could it be that in this world, besides Yuan Qi cultivation, there were also these strange methods of attack?
Realizing this, Xu Yuan opened his mouth to call for help.
One-on-one fight?
Not happening.
He had bodyguards for a reason.
But the instant he parted his lips, Xu Yuan found he couldn't speak.
"..." Xu Yuan.
He sensed that the particulate matter clinging to the surface of his Origin Soul suddenly began to undulate according to some pattern.
And as these things undulated, Xu Yuan felt himself gradually losing control of his body.
He could see, hear, and feel everything normally, but he couldn't speak or move, forced to stand rigidly in place.
Su Jinxuan lowered her gaze and gently pursed her lips. A bewitching light flashed faintly in her phoenix eyes as she lightly pressed her swollen wrist, her voice tinged with grievance,
"Third Young Master, what are you..."
The moment she spoke, the drifting particles began to undulate violently.
The next moment, Xu Yuan's body moved beyond his control. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he raised a hand to interrupt her.
"Jinxuan."
As he spoke, Xu Yuan's body walked toward Jinxuan.
"I didn't want to treat you like that just now. It's just that I was afraid you would do something rash. I hope you won't blame me."
"..."
Su Jin Xuan was silent for a moment before slowly lifting her gaze to meet Xu Yuan’s.
Sunlight filtered through the latticed window onto Su Jinxuan's enchanting face, illuminating half in light and half in shadow.
As their gazes intertwined, Xu Yuan faintly saw a glimmer of peach blossoms rising in the woman's eyes. In his entranced state, countless more floating particles settled on the surface of Xu Yuan's Origin Soul.
Her tone carried a subtle plea. “Third Young Master status is so noble, how would Jinxuan dare to blame you? I only beg that you do not force Jinxuan to do things she does not wish to."
"Force?"
With this exchange, Xu Yuan’s body returned to the cushion seat, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “It all depends on your performance. If you can pique my interest, I might even keep you company for a while."
"Heh, this tea is too bland. Someone, bring me wine!"
"..."
"..."
The nature of their conversation shifted from Xu Yuan's direct demands earlier to the typical flirtatious banter between a young master and a courtesan.
They drank, listened to music, and discussed musical theory and some common street gossip.
The bizarre scene of his body speaking and acting on its own caused a slight panic to rise in Xu Yuan's heart.
However, this hint of panic was quickly replaced by his habitual calm in the face of adversity.
The situation before him couldn't be more obvious.
This Su Jinxuan was stalling for time.
She needed enough time to allow those floating, strange particles to penetrate his Origin Soul.
As for the consequences of letting these things enter... Xu Yuan thought of the original body's obsessive behavior in the storyline.
So, Kotoamatsukami, is it?
This kind of targeted mind control was too insidious. Lacking any experience with such things, Xu Yuan couldn't immediately find any countermeasures.
As time ticked by, Xu Yuan could feel that the surface of his Origin Soul was now densely covered with those strange floating particles.
Unfortunately, due to the resilience of his Heaven-Bestowed Soul, these things still couldn't penetrate his Origin Soul.
A sense of powerlessness gradually welled up within him.
The feeling of being utterly powerless, combined with the sensation of those particles, started to throw Xu Yuan's thoughts into disarray.
Since transmigrating, Xu Yuan believed he had been cautious enough, but reality had delivered him a resounding slap in the face.
He wasn't cautious; rather, he was arrogant.
Despite knowing that this Su Jinxuan was problematic, he still chose to come alone.
The reason for doing so was not only because Ying'er was nearby for protection, but more because his former omniscient perspective made him believe he could control this bewitchingly beautiful woman on his own.
What a fool.
What a fucking fool.
Regret was useless. Forcibly collecting his thoughts, Xu Yuan began to search his memories thoroughly for anything that might help.
That Ying'er had not yet intervened clearly meant she hadn't sensed the danger he was in.
Now he had to save himself.
As his thoughts extended, Xu Yuan thought of the Blood Origin Heart Extinction Technique.
The Blood Origin Heart Extinction Technique was complex and profound, but it was entirely about methods of using Yuan Qi. Regarding the Origin Soul, it only covered basic perception and the technique for gathering Yuan Qi.
Even though its efficiency in these areas far surpassed ordinary techniques, it was utterly useless in his current predicament.
He felt somewhat helpless, but even more desperate.
This Blood Origin Heart Extinction Technique could simultaneously create an Innate Physique and a Heaven-Bestowed Soul, yet the latter seemed to exist solely to boost the cultivation speed of the former.
When he was practicing before, this conjecture had seemingly been perfectly reasonable; Yuan Qi cultivation felt like the ultimate measure of power.
But this world seemed to have other power systems besides Yuan Qi cultivation.
Looking at it that way, didn’t this blood-red grade cultivation technique seem awfully specialized...
Wait.
Technique?
Xu Yuan's thoughts paused briefly.
He suddenly recalled the nameless secret technique that came with the Blood Origin Heart Extinction Technique.
During those days of study when he first arrived at the cave dwelling, Xu Yuan had read these two manuals together countless times.
But because human energy is limited, Xu Yuan had invested all his energy in cultivating Yuan Qi and had set the other aside.
Like someone drowning in darkness who glimpses a ray of light, Xu Yuan's spirit suddenly stirred as he began to recall what was recorded in that nameless manual.
As the memories gradually resurfaced, Xu Yuan realized this was indeed a secret technique for cultivating the Origin Soul.
And it was offensive in nature.
The attack method was simple, described in one word: Devour.
Besides conventional soul tempering, it allowed the cultivator to directly strengthen their own soul by devouring the souls of others.
Ordinary cultivators wouldn't dare do this—they would likely go mad from the rejection between Origin Souls—but a Heaven-Bestowed Soul was built different.
It perfectly matched the characteristics of the Heaven-Bestowed Soul.
At this thought, a wave of relief washed over Xu Yuan.
Without any hesitation, he immediately began to immerse himself in studying the principles and methods of this manual's cultivation.
He didn’t know how long had passed before Xu Yuan redirected his consciousness from the sea of consciousness back to the outside world.
The stars had shifted, and the sun was gone. The full moon hung high in the sky, its clear light filtering through the bamboo grove into the room, while his body was still conversing with Su Jinxuan.
The tense atmosphere between them from earlier in the day had vanished, and amidst their laughter and conversation, their eyes seemed to convey affection.
The alluring scent of sandalwood diffused through the air, and Su Jinxuan's self-directed performance was finally reaching its conclusion.
The slight flush of wine made Su Jinxuan's face appear even more alluring. A smile played on her lips as she glanced sideways at the moonlight outside. "Third Young Master, it's getting late."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's body chuckled and grabbed her fair wrist. "Indeed it is. Jinxuan, a moment in the spring night is worth a thousand golds.”
Su Jinxuan's expression stiffened with perfect timing, allowing him to pull her along as she spoke in a low voice, "Third Young Master... didn't you promise earlier that you wouldn't force Jinxuan?"
"..."
His body was silent for a moment, then sighed slightly, "Alright, I'll do as you wish. Tonight I won't touch you, but you must let me stay here."
"But—" Su Jinxuan wanted to say something more.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan's body immediately frowned.
Su Jinxuan relented with a sigh.
"Well then, Jinxuan will trust the Third Young Master's character. But we must sleep with our clothes on…”
"...Fine~ I'll do as Jinxuan says."
"..."
Listening to their conversation, Xu Yuan struggled to maintain his composure.
This self-directed performance—it's a real pity this woman didn't become a scriptwriter for those dramas.
But this conversation let Xu Yuan know that his current state couldn’t stand close scrutiny and that he probably couldn’t stray too far from Su Jinxuan.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed him to stay overnight.
After this exchange, Su Jinxuan called for a maid to bring copper basins for them to wash up.
The light in the bamboo grove extinguished, leaving only moonlight filtering through the latticed window into the room.
Drawing back the bed curtain, they both lay down fully clothed. Feeling the softness of the bed, Xu Yuan inhaled the faint fragrance from the woman, and his vision fell into darkness.
But after a few breaths, his body suddenly moved, turning to the side and gently embracing the delicate figure beside him.
After two seconds of silence, her voice trembled slightly. "Th-Third Young Master."
Xu Yuan's body softly replied, "Sleep."
"..."
A thought flickered across his mind, and Xu Yuan steeled his will.
The nameless secret technique gradually began to operate in the silent darkness.