Chapter 41: Charming Bone and Soul Fascinating

Zhou Chen hummed a soft tune, not turning around, and strolled slowly toward the top floor of Zui Xian Lou.

Just outside the Bamboo Garden, as he turned his head, he spotted a man with a delicate, soft face leaning against a green-tiled brick wall, arms folded across his chest.

Si Zi Yu.

Seeing him, Zhou Chen didn’t seem surprised. He grinned and asked casually:

“Hey, how could you possibly have come out?”

Like Yi Er, Si Zi Yu had been hiding in the shadows these days, never stepping into the open—so Xu Yuan had assumed that the only ones protecting him were Zhou Chen and Yi Er.

Si Zi Yu glanced at Zhou Chen, a smile playing at his lips:

“You’re acting strangely, coming out like this. Are you… planning to stay with the Third Prince forever?”

He had watched the Third Prince’s behavior these days, and the earlier scolding he had given Zhou Chen.

Indeed, he had some skill—but only a few.

These tactics appearing on the Third Prince indeed astonished everyone, yet among the sons of other noble families, such methods are merely the most fundamental ways of governing people.

The Third Prince's transformation had certainly made his old friend grow more cautious, but to make him so obedient as he is now—that went a bit too far.

Zhou Chen chuckled, lifting a hand to pat Si Ziyu's shoulder, indicating they should walk and talk:

"I never said I'd follow the Third Prince forever. Helping him with these matters serves as atonement for the messes I caused earlier. And since I gain nothing tangible, while still satisfying the Third Prince's pride, what's not to be pleased with?"

Pausing briefly,

Zhou Chen pointed to the top floor of Zui Xian Lou, stretching his lips into a grin:

"Making the Third Prince happy does come with a reward."

Si Ziyu knew exactly what was being referred to—the two sisters. His eyes held contempt.

Seeing this, Zhou Chen immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Si Ziyu's shoulder, grinning mischievously:

"You people just place too much value on your face. Losing pride can seriously disrupt your spiritual cultivation."

"Si Ziyu, take a longer view. The third young master possesses an Innate Dao Body now. If he truly mends his ways, given my current performance, I shall be his foremost confidant. If he doesn't, well, the pleasures found in providing his food, clothing, housing, and travel certainly won't be lacking."

The alley was silent, the sound of their conversation confined to a mere half-chang radius around them.

Si Ziyu shook his head helplessly, spitting out a single word:

"Philistine."

Zhou Chen was not angered, nodding in agreement:

"A philistine indeed. I am different from you scions of noble families; I am very poor."

Si Ziyu glanced at Zhou Chen, seemingly hesitant to speak, but ultimately kept his words to himself.

With a sigh and a brief pause, Si Ziyu suddenly asked:

"Right, what do you make of the third young master's sudden change?"

"......"

Zhou Chen, upon hearing this, immediately turned his gaze to Si Ziyu.

They stared at each other for a few breaths.

"What do you mean by that?" The smile in Zhou Chen's voice vanished.

"Before the eldest prince left, he specifically instructed us to keep an eye on the third prince." Si Ziyu replied.

"You're a practitioner of Qi cultivation—you should know better than I do that taking over someone's body would erase all memories."

"..."

Si Ziyu fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Indeed, there would be no memory. But Zhou Chen, would the previous third prince have acted as he did earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen shook his head and laughed, asking back:

"Si Ziyu, do you think the previous third prince would have been taken seriously if he had acted as he did earlier?"

"......" Si Ziyu remained silent.

Zhou Chen sighed deeply, patting Si Ziyu's back:

"Don't overthink it. Just report the facts plainly. The actual assessment should be left to the eldest prince and the Prime Minister, themselves."

"Alright, good."

"Oh, by the way, would you like to join me up to the top floor?"

"What?"

"There are twin sisters there~"

"...Get lost."

"Ha ha ha..."

.........

Elegant bamboo pavilion, the side chambers silent.

All sounds from the outside world were sealed away,

and at times, Xu Yuan would think that being transported was a blessing.

At the very least, this identity he had been transported into was a good thing.

It allowed him to witness up close the breathtaking beauty of these goddesses, even to touch their delicate presence.

Old LSP.

He said nothing about this woman whose allure was born from the very essence of temptation. After his words, Xu Yuan simply sat in quiet contemplation, observing the subtle shifts in Su Jinxuan's expression.

He hoped to deduce from her next actions the path the main storyline of this world had taken.

In the realm of Cangyuan, certain paths had already seen Su Jinxuan encounter the protagonist—some even had developed subtle feelings for him during their interactions.

The stillness within the chamber persisted without end.

Su Jinxuan gently pressed her red lips together, remaining silent for a long while.

Xu Yuan, seeing her still unmoving, lifted his teacup and took a delicate sip, his gaze fixed on her alluring peach eyes:

"Why don't you move?"

Only then did Su Jinxuan finally speak softly:

"Master, please don't make this humble girl suffer..."

"Hmm... it seems Miss Jinxuan needs a little assistance from me."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan immediately stood up and walked toward her.

The original self wouldn't have acted so directly.

Not out of sentimentality, but simply because after indulging in a lavish feast, he found himself thoroughly enjoying the playful banter and flirtation with these beautiful women.

Life, must have ceremony.

The more elaborate the prelude, the more exquisite the final taste becomes.

Yet this might well be one of the reasons the original body fell into Su Jinxuan's trap, becoming a devoted, clingy admirer.

Xu Yuan had no intention of giving Su Jinxuan the slightest room for maneuver.

Stepping forward, under the steady gaze of her eyes, Xu Yuan lowered himself, reached out, and grasped the crimson robe at the woman's low chest.

Not fast, not slow—just enough to give her time to react.

Su Jinxuan, her body seemingly without bone, gently arched backward to evade the grasp, and in the same motion, pulled a jade hairpin from her hair, pressing it against her neck, her lips pressed tightly together:

"Third Prince, please don't do this..."

The hairpin fell, cascading down her thousand strands of black hair like a waterfall. The woman’s beauty shimmered with a subtle, well-placed defiance in her eyes.

"...

As her words fell, and as he studied her expression, Xu Yuan felt, inexplicably, a faint, barely perceptible pang of pity.

But at that very instant,

the vivid, familiar sensation of the woman using her hairpin to trace her neck made him chuckle softly.

What era was this? Still playing such games?

"Pfft~"

Su Jinxuan bit her lower lip, pressing the hairpin firmly inward.

The hairpin pierced her pale skin instantly, and streams of blood flowed down her collarbone, seeping into the abyss below.

"..."

His smile froze. Xu Yuan slowly stepped back, raising a hand to say:

"Jinxuan, I was only making a joke—how could you take it so seriously?"

Su Jinxuan stared silently at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan smiled and took another two steps back.

Only then did Su Jinxuan slowly lower the hairpin in her hand, her chest rising and falling slightly as if she were breathing a sigh of relief.

"Third Young Master... you should play fewer jokes like this..."

"Whoosh—"

A wisp of crimson source qi erupted from Xu Yuan's fingertip, shooting across the empty space straight toward her wrist that held the hairpin.

"Ah..."

With a soft cry of alarm, Su Jinxuan was entirely powerless to resist, and the hairpin flew directly from her grasp.

Yet, seeing this unfold, Xu Yuan did not press forward; instead, he took two cautious steps backward.

He realized that he had already fallen into a trap.

His Innate Soul Body possessed a resilient and sensitive intent, which, combined with the powerful purifying nature of the Blood Element Heart Fall Art, allowed Xu Yuan to instantly discover the moment his cultivation technique began to circulate that every single movement and gesture of this woman was subtly playing upon his mind.