Chapter 550: Nangong Wan’er and Nangong Yu! The Brilliant Wei Wenzhong! The Gold-Devouring Insect!

“The head of the household instructed us to attend to your daily needs. We hope you will take pity on us. Our lives have been like drifting weeds. If we could serve someone like you, that alone would make our lives complete.”

The young beauty who spoke just now continued, carrying the gentle charm of a southern Jiangnan woman.

The sisters’ surname was Nangong. The elder was Nangong Wan’er, and the younger was Nangong Yu.

The Nangong family had once been a prominent scholarly household in Jiangnan Prefecture, producing numerous top-ranking scholars. They could be said to be a scholarly and refined family.

But later, the family was caught in political strife and exiled. The two Nangong sisters were at one point to be sent to the brothels as courtesans. By chance, a dispute between a monk practicing silent meditation and a tantric lama[1] in Jiangnan Prefecture intersected with the escorting party, allowing the sisters to escape and drift north to Donglin Prefecture.

Fate, however, remained unpredictable. By coincidence, they came under the employ of the famous Madam Yun of Jiangnan Prefecture as entertainers. Madam Yun was a legendary courtesan, once the top beauty of Jiangnan, admired by nobles and wandering heroes alike. Her singing and dancing were unmatched, renowned throughout the prefecture.

But she fell in love with a young Daoist, whose swordsmanship was peerless and who slew demons and demons. The romance angered his sect, which immediately recalled him, forbidding him from leaving the sect forever.

Stories of the Daoist and the courtesan spread widely among the people. Madam Yun retired and became a manager, training women skilled in singing, dancing, and arts like qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her disciples became highly regarded for their talent and grace.

The Nangong sisters, wandering through the world, were taken in by Madam Yun. Later, the wealthy Donglin magnate Wei Wenzhong spent a fortune to acquire the two enchanting twins.

Wei Wenzhong intended to present them to nobles to curry favor. Thus, the sisters came to the Wei household. This was now their second day there.

Wei Wenzhong was delighted. Women of such beauty and talent were rare, and these were twins, skilled in singing and dancing, trained by the famed Madam Yun herself. He didn’t assume that merely presenting them would win over Li Yanchu, but if Daoist Master Li accepted them, it would create goodwill; if not, he could gift them to other nobles.

When Nangong Wan’er spoke of this, Li Yanchu paused thoughtfully, then allowed the sisters to enter. Here was a young, handsome, peerless Daoist, a figure of prominence; it was an opportunity the sisters could not let pass.

Though trained by Madam Yun, they bore no trace of courtesan airs. Instead, their demeanor was that of refined ladies of distinguished families: dignified and elegant. This contrast played to men’s psychology perfectly.

Many men were drawn to two things: enticing virtuous women, and guiding courtesans to respectability.

“Please, Daoist Master, save us from this life of hardship, and let us no longer wander the world aimlessly,” Nangong Wan’er said, her delicate face showing a note of pleading.

“We are willing to serve you for life,” Nangong Yu added immediately.

Li Yanchu paused to consider. After all, who didn’t like beautiful women? Especially with such stunningly beautiful twins kneeling before you.

Yet Li Yanchu felt a twinge of hesitation in his heart. He thought that agreeing so readily might be taking advantage of them. But then he reflected, and he realized that helping others was the true joy of life.

“I can take both of you with me, but from now on, your paths are yours to choose,” Li Yanchu said.

Using his Qi Sight, he examined the Nangong sisters, and there was no trace of demonic qi or sinister aura on them. They were not practitioners of any forbidden arts.

On the contrary, both were exceptionally talented, with a rare mental connection allowing them a kind of telepathy. If they cultivated, they would progress very quickly.

“Thank you so much, Daoist Master!” Nangong Wan’er said, gratitude radiating from her face.

“We will serve you faithfully, Daoist Master,” Nangong Yu added, biting her lip shyly.

He allowed the two to stay in the room, but Li Yanchu did not interact with them; he remained seated, cross-legged, cultivating his Daoist arts.

The divine avatar technique was complete, but he still had not mastered the Shu Earth and Yi Wood energies, which meant he could not yet ascend to the third realm and form a Yang Spirit. Nor had he refined his Longhu Golden Alchemy Method.

These ancient secret arts were extremely difficult to cultivate, and even a genius with perfect comprehension like him progressed slowly.

***

When Shen Hongye saw the two enchanting women in Li Yanchu’s room, she felt as if struck by lightning.

Is it too late?

That was her first thought.

She had just knocked on the door, wanting to speak with Li Yanchu and get closer. But to her surprise, there were already two stunning twin sisters in the room.

“What’s wrong?” Li Yanchu asked.

“Nothing, I just wanted to see what you were doing, Daoist Master,” Shen Hongye replied with a smile. “Daoist Master Li, who are these two?”

“We were sent by the head of the family specifically to serve Daoist Master Li,” Nangong Wan’er said softly.

The Wei family head?!

Shen Hongye’s eyes narrowed.

So they’re trying to win over my man right under my nose?!

Upon receiving the report from the servant that the Nangong sisters had been accepted by Li Yanchu, the head of the Wei family wore a face full of delight, humming a carefree little tune.

Suddenly, without any apparent reason, he shivered as if some terrifying presence had fixed its gaze on him.

“Eh?! Why do I feel this way in broad daylight?”

The Wei family head rubbed his arm, a strange chill creeping through him.

Buzzzzzz!

Just as Li Yanchu chatted casually with Shen Hongye inside, a tremendous sound came from the sky, like the flapping of countless wings.

Li Yanchu and Shen Hongye left the room and looked up in the courtyard. The sky was darkened as if swarming with insects, forming a cloud-like mass approaching from the west.

“Are those Gold-Devouring Insects?! Why are there so many?!” Shen Hongye cried out in alarm.

“What are Gold-Devouring Insects?” Li Yanchu asked, puzzled.

“They’re venomous insects from the southern border that feed on gold and iron, impervious to attack. Even highly skilled cultivators are hard-pressed to survive an encounter. Normally, a few dozen is already considered a large swarm, but now there are so many!” Shen Hongye’s voice trembled with urgency as she explained.

She was filled with shock as she spoke.

1. “Lama” in Tibetan means “spiritual teacher” or “master.” It is an honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism for highly accomplished monks, practitioners qualified to transmit teachings, or respected elders. Traditionally, only those who had achieved a certain level of cultivation could be called a Lama. However, in Han Chinese regions, the term came to be used more broadly for all Tibetan Buddhist monks, giving rise to the term “Lamaism” (now mostly replaced by “Tibetan Buddhism”). Truly eminent figures like the Dalai Lama are Lamas of genuinely high status. ☜