Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 14 | The Wedding Gown Foundation | Novela.app

"Flattery will get you everywhere," the eldest young master said, looking quite pleased with himself. "I saw that you, my little friend, possess an extraordinary aura and a sense of propriety, yet you were willing to lower yourself for the sake of such vulgar lucre. I simply could not bear to see it." "Why not just say that from the start?" I asked. "I was afraid you wouldn't accept it," he replied. I nodded. "Fair point." If someone had come to me waving gold and silver, I certainly would have turned them away. Yet, I truly was penniless and had resorted to such underhanded tricks. I suppose I really am a bit troubled in the head. Seeing that he had gained my approval, Zhongli Zixu began to feel a bit flighty. He reached out an arm, attempting to hook it around my waist. I dodged instinctively, and Ye Tan stepped forward just as naturally to block me. The eldest young master, ever adaptable, immediately shifted his hand to stroke Ye Tan instead. I was speechless. He really knew how to play both sides; he wasn't losing out either way. "To enjoy the company of two such beauties—truly the greatest joy in life," the young master said with a lecherous grin. I looked up at the sky. "A pity, then, that you’ve missed the mark, Young Master. You won't be enjoying any such joy today." "What do you mean by that?" he asked, puzzled. "What I lack right now isn't money." "Then what does my beauty desire?" "A doctor." Zhongli Zixu’s smile remained bright, but his gaze shifted toward Ye Tan. "This doctor... I assume he is for the Night Rakshasa." "Yes. I don't expect Ye Tan to be restored to his peak overnight, but I hope he can at least begin practicing martial arts again." "That is no easy feat... I wonder what kind of reward you are willing to give me, little friend?" I rolled my eyes at him. "Do you actually know how to woo someone or not?" The young master choked. "..." I thought about it; after all, I was asking for his help, so I shouldn't be so abrasive. I said sincerely, "If you are willing to help me with this, Young Master, I shall be moved to tears of gratitude." Zhongli Zixu curled his lip. "Your 'tears of gratitude' must be worth a fortune." "My gratitude isn't worth a fortune; it is a priceless treasure," I added. "If you can understand the logic behind that, it will surely be easy for you to win over Yue Changsheng in the future." The young master was silenced again. Having been poked in a sore spot, Zhongli Zixu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and smiled. "Fine, fine. It’s not as if there’s no way at all. The Night Rakshasa’s internal strength was forcibly drained; his dantian is damaged and cannot gather Qi, which is why he cannot practice. There is no way to 'cure' him, but... I happen to know a master of the 'Wedding Gown' technique. He can channel another person's internal breath into his Ren Meridian and Sea of Qi. Using that as a foundation and regulating it properly, he could become no different from an ordinary person." I said happily, "That’s perfect. I’ll have to trouble you then." "Are you stupid?" Zhongli Zixu shot me a look. "Master, you must not," Ye Tan also urged. Zhongli Zixu tapped his folding fan lightly. "This matter requires a first-rate master with pure internal energy. The technique of channeling one's breath is like the Yangtze River pouring into the sea; once it begins, it cannot stop until the source is empty. By the time the process is finished, the person providing the energy will be drained of all essence, Qi, and strength. They will be the one who becomes a useless cripple. I wonder, little friend, where are you going to find an internal arts master willing to give up a lifetime of cultivation for him?" I asked casually, "Is Ze Que enough?" The eldest young master was utterly shocked, waving his hands frantically. "He’s my man! I don't agree!" "Oh, I didn't mean him," I explained. "It's just that I've only ever defeated Ze Que, so I don't know if he counts as first-rate. If he’s qualified, then I’ll definitely be fine." The two of them froze for a long time before the young master stammered, "You... you don't mean to do it yourself, do you?" "It couldn't be better," I said joyfully. "He... he is just a servant after all..." the young master said blankly. I said with great earnestness, "Young Master, it’s precisely because you always hold your own status so high that you can't win over Yue Changsheng." The young master looked terrified. "...I have been enlightened." "When can this Wedding Gown Master arrive?" I asked eagerly. "Within three to five days..." Zhongli Zixu still hadn't recovered his senses, answering mechanically. I thanked him repeatedly, gave him a thousand instructions, and happily dragged Ye Tan back. My internal strength was all obtained by messing around with the game modifier anyway; I didn't treasure it in the slightest. To me, this was a stroke of luck falling from the sky. But clearly, Ye Tan didn't see it that way. Knowing his concerns, I spent the entire walk back trying to persuade him with earnest words. Ye Tan’s sword-like brows remained pressed down. He knelt straight as a board before my couch and said resolutely, "I must refuse." I was so angry I kicked my legs out across the couch. "In this whole world, nothing makes things difficult for me except your disobedience!" Ye Tan didn't dare make a sound. I let out a heavy sigh. "Sigh!!" Ye Tan looked like he was about to crumple into a ball of guilt again. "You know that my internal breath is sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes there, and sometimes gone. It’s completely different from a normal person's," I said, half-coaxing and half-deceiving him. "It often changes just by me taking a nap. You can put your heart at ease." Ye Tan’s expression softened slightly. I struck while the iron was hot. "If your conscience is bothering you, then sleep with me tonight." The moment the words left my mouth, I felt like something sounded a bit off. Ye Tan said very unnaturally, "I will naturally do whatever my Master commands. But these two matters cannot be conflated." Finally, I got my wish and tricked Ye Tan into sharing the bed with me. Except, for every inch I moved closer, he moved an inch further away. I chanted in my heart: *Quick! Before the doctor gets here, kiss me once! Just so I can enter the modifier interface and set the values even higher. While I'm at it, I'll add a little bit of money. I definitely won't be stupid enough to reload a save this time.* While chanting, I fell asleep. I slept soundly through the entire night. No one disturbed my dreams. Dammit. He didn't kiss me. There was no modifier. The second night, I hugged his arm tightly. I slept like that for the night. He still didn't kiss me. Still no modifier. The third night, I used both my arms and legs to tangle myself around him like a vine. I spent the night like that. He still didn't kiss me. Today, there was also no modifier. The next day, Ye Tan looked at my face warily. "Master, has something happened? Your expression has become increasingly miserable over the past two days." I looked at him with deep resentment, suffering in silence. You have the nerve to ask? Why won't you kiss me? I'm so annoyed. *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 阿堵物 | Vulgar lucre | A literary term for money. | | 嫁衣先生 | Wedding Gown Master | A specialist in the "Wedding Gown" technique (transferring power). | | 嫁衣 | Wedding Gown | Refers to the "Wedding Gown Technique" (嫁衣神功), a trope where one person's work/cultivation benefits another. | | 任脉 | Ren Meridian | One of the eight extraordinary vessels in Chinese medicine/martial arts. | | 气海 | Sea of Qi | An acupoint (Qihai) located below the navel, central to internal energy. | | 月尝笙 | Yue Changsheng | A character mentioned as the object of Zhongli Zixu's affections. |