Chapter 297: Eerie Courtesan

Gu Mo watched the two distinct masses of aura above Ye Chen’s head, feeling a strange sense of unease.

The white mass represented good fortune, while the black mass represented bad luck.

Now, both masses were enormous, forming a standoff, yet they were completely incompatible.

Logically, equal parts of good and bad luck should cancel each other out. However, in Ye Chen’s case, it seemed bad luck operated independently, and good luck operated independently; they simply ignored each other.

“What kind of situation would this create? Unlucky yet lucky? Lucky yet unlucky?”

Gu Mo pondered for a moment, then called out, “Ye Chen…”

Ye Chen instantly stood up, forcing a smile that was overly enthusiastic. “Yes, Big Brother, your command!” he exclaimed.

Gu Mo looked at Ye Chen’s smiling, disfigured face and found it hard to stomach.

Ye Chen was originally quite handsome, but his current state—bruised, swollen, and bleeding from seven orifices—combined with that smile, made him look like a withered chrysanthemum. It was truly unbearable to behold.

“I preferred your previous untamed look. Restore yourself!” Gu Mo said.

Ye Chen chuckled, took a step back, and felt his injuries rapidly healing. He praised, “Big Brother, your internal energy is incredible! It’s practically bringing the dead back to life!”

Gu Mo smiled faintly.

The second form of his Boundless Origin Qi possessed an amplifying effect. Any characteristic of internal energy, after being channeled through it, would be magnified countless times. He possessed many internal cultivation methods that could heal injuries, especially the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Art. When amplified, while saying it could "bring the dead back to life" might be an exaggeration, it was indeed close. As long as one hadn't died on the spot, he could aid in recovery at a visibly rapid pace.

“Now, activate your Great Sun Demonic Art and cultivate for me to see,” Gu Mo instructed.

Though somewhat perplexed by Gu Mo’s request, Ye Chen didn’t ask further. He immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

Seeing Ye Chen once again cultivate according to that nonsensical secret manual, Gu Mo was still amazed, feeling the same shock as watching someone try to build a rocket using the Four Books and Five Classics.

As Ye Chen completed a small cycle of cultivation, Gu Mo discovered that a special aura indeed appeared. However, it was peculiar: even though it was just a tiny bit of aura, it immediately split into two, with half becoming good luck and half becoming bad luck.

Gu Mo looked at Ye Chen with a hint of embarrassment, sighing in his heart that he had probably truly ruined the fellow.

Once a perfectly fine Child of Destiny, he had now become an entity where good fortune and bad luck coexisted, and the amount of bad luck was exactly equal to the amount of good luck!

“Alright, alright, that’s enough!”

Gu Mo patted Ye Chen’s shoulder and said, “Go change your clothes first. You shouldn’t be so unlucky now!”

“Then… I’ll try?”

Ye Chen hesitated as he walked out the door, moving with extreme caution. He reached the doorway without any problems, then began to skip and bounce. After a while, certain that nothing bad would happen, Ye Chen cupped his hands toward Gu Mo and said, “Big Brother, I’m going to go verify if my luck has returned right now!”

Gu Mo looked puzzled. “How will you verify it? Jump off a cliff?”

Ye Chen grinned. “Heh heh, I can’t do that. If my luck hasn’t returned, I’d fall to my death. I have a very simple verification method: ever since I started cultivating my luck, I’ve never paid a cent to visit a brothel to listen to music. And I always, by some strange twist of fate, get chosen by the courtesan queen as her intimate guest. After sleeping with her, she even cries and begs me to return next time. So, to verify if my luck is back, it’s simple: just visit a brothel!”

Gu Mo: “…”

Ye Jinglan: “…”

Both of them were speechless.

“By the way,” Gu Mo said, “I need your help with something.”

“Big Brother, just say the word! I’ll go through mountains of blades and seas of fire!” Ye Chen declared.

Gu Mo said, “I’m currently investigating a case, the sensational case of the ‘Evil Ghost Devouring Marrow’ in Chang’an City. But there’s been no progress or clues so far. So, I’ll borrow your luck when the time comes, and you can help me investigate this case!”

Ye Chen thumped his chest. “Leave it to me, Big Brother! As long as my luck is back, this is child’s play. I’m not bragging, but once my luck is back, whatever I wish for comes true. If I want clues, clues will appear. If I want the culprit, I’ll find the culprit!”

“Good,” Gu Mo smiled faintly, “Then I’ll be counting on you!”

“No problem.”

Ye Chen cupped his hands, then turned and followed a servant of the Ye manor to leave.

However, just as he turned, he suddenly tripped on the stone steps and fell directly into the nearby flower bed.

His heart immediately seized up, fearing his luck hadn’t returned. But in the very next moment, he saw a gold ingot lying in the flower bed.

It was only two or three taels of gold, a trivial amount for Ye Chen, who usually tossed away more than that. But at this moment, it was different.

This gold ingot held immense significance for him right now!

“Hahahaha… I, Ye Chen, am back!”

“Hahahaha, I knew it! What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger!”

“It’s merely a bit of hardship; what can it do to me!”

Ye Chen roared these melodramatic slogans as he excitedly departed.

Ye Jinglan and Gu Mo both wore expressions of utter speechlessness.

Ye Jinglan whispered, “Is this guy crazy?”

Gu Mo chuckled, “You’ll get used to it. After all, this fellow always thought he was the protagonist of a story. After such a dramatic rise and fall, it’s understandable he’s a bit over-excited.”

“That’s true,” Ye Jinglan nodded, then asked, “But this guy thought you were cursing him and specifically came to ‘pay respects,’ which actually worked out for him. It was meant to be that he wouldn’t reach a dead end. Um, Brother Gu, did you really give his luck back?”

“I did,” Gu Mo replied. “Ye Chen’s luck is a bit strange. I couldn’t figure anything out from it, and holding onto it had no meaning. It’s better to observe how that luck changes while it’s on him!”

Ye Jinglan sighed, “How enviable! If that luck could be fused with others, I’d cling to your leg, Brother Gu, and beg you to bestow that luck upon me. Tsk tsk tsk, this guy is about to have another string of great fortune. It’s truly something to be jealous of. I want to cultivate the Great Sun Demonic Art too!”

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, “That might be difficult to say.”

Ye Jinglan looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Gu Mo explained, “On Ye Chen’s body, besides the aura of good fortune, there’s now an equal mass of bad luck, and both are growing synchronously. This means his good fortune and bad luck are now equal; his bad luck hasn’t diminished because his good fortune returned.”

Ye Jinglan asked, “Where did the bad luck come from?”

Gu Mo replied, “Originally, I thought it was a backlash because I had taken his luck. But just now, I discovered that the bad luck also originated from the Great Sun Demonic Art he cultivates. In other words, from the very beginning, what he cultivated was an equal amount of bad luck, it just hadn’t manifested, which is why he had always been so lucky.”

Ye Jinglan frowned. “Then, if that’s the case, this Great Sun Demonic Art isn’t so good after all!”

Gu Mo chuckled, “If the Great Sun Demonic Art were truly that good, why would it be called a demonic art? I’ve always pondered this question: how did the Great Sun Demonic Art, as a martial art, become one of the Thirteen Taboos?

I’ve checked related archives at Dragon Tiger Mountain, but the records about the Great Sun Demonic Art are fragmented, only stating that it’s an extremely sinister martial art, the ancestor of all demonic arts. Even the four great demonic arts of the world, led by the Gluttonous Divine Art, originated from the Great Sun Demonic Art.

I used to not understand. Even if it’s the ancestor of demonic arts, someone must cultivate it. The taboo shouldn’t be a martial art; it should be its founder or practitioners. It wasn’t until today that I began to understand a little!”

Ye Jinglan also said gravely, “According to Ye Chen, this Great Sun Demonic Art is indeed sinister. It seems it can specify who can cultivate it. Look at the incantations and secret manuals he spoke of; we can’t use them at all. I’ve only heard of people choosing martial arts, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a martial art choosing people!”

Gu Mo said somberly, “There’s another absurd point. According to Ye Chen, when he was in his dream, the old beggar asked him about his dream before giving him the Great Sun Demonic Art. Can this be interpreted as: if Ye Chen’s dream was to become emperor, then the manual he saw for the Great Sun Demonic Art would allow him to cultivate into an emperor?

If his dream was to unify the world, would the Great Sun Demonic Art give him a martial art that could let him unify the world?”

Ye Jinglan said incredulously, “So, the Great Sun Demonic Art is a martial art that not only can choose its own practitioners but can also automatically tailor itself to the practitioner? Is this a martial art? It’s an omnipotent creator!”

Gu Mo chuckled softly, “The world is vast and full of wonders. However, considering Ye Chen’s current state of half luck and half misfortune, this Great Sun Demonic Art is probably not that simple.”

Ye Jinglan asked, “Then, what will happen now that Ye Chen is both unlucky and lucky?”

Gu Mo shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

***

After showering and changing into new clothes at Ye Jinglan’s home, Ye Chen once again resembled his former young master self. Though some scars still lingered on his face, they were rapidly healing under the influence of Gu Mo’s Heavenly Silkworm True Qi.

Then, he cautiously stepped out the main gate, waited for a while to ensure no misfortune occurred, and headed to the street. He waited on the street for another while, and still nothing unlucky happened, so he relaxed and went to a brothel.

What struck him as odd was how unusually quiet the brothel was.

However, he didn’t give it much thought and confidently strode inside.

As soon as he entered, he found everyone in the great hall staring at him. The men’s eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, and many began to beat their chests, wailing in frustration.

While Ye Chen stood bewildered, a madam with a rolling gait approached him, smiling broadly. “Congratulations, young master! Our courtesan queen, Lady Yu, lost a wager and was required by the winner to unconditionally serve the tenth person to enter, whether a beggar or a noble, old or young. Since the wager began, you are precisely the tenth person!”

If it were anyone else in this situation, they would undoubtedly suspect a setup, as such windfalls often conceal hidden traps.

But Ye Chen was no ordinary person.

After all, such unexpected boons were completely commonplace for him.

The madam continued to explain, “Young master, rest assured, we conduct honest business, and before everyone’s eyes, we would never…”

Ye Chen directly cut her off. “First, take this young master to see if the courtesan queen is pretty enough, and worthy enough to be this young master’s intimate guest!”

Madam: “…”

Soon, under the madam’s guidance, Ye Chen was led to a small courtyard in the inner quarters. As he entered, he saw a woman dressed in a green gown, holding a large white cat in her arms. Her figure was exquisitely alluring, not a single detail could be improved or diminished.

The madam hastily introduced, “This is our establishment’s courtesan queen, Lady Yu.” She then introduced Ye Chen to the courtesan, saying, “Yu’er, this is the tenth guest to enter our establishment, surnamed Ye!”

Lady Yu surveyed Ye Chen, then slowly curtsied. “Young Master Ye, I apologize for the trouble. I have always sold my art, not my body, but today, a young master came, a son of a court minister, who insisted I serve him. Our establishment truly cannot afford to offend him.

Helpless, I had no choice but to deal with him, and was ultimately forced into a wager. In truth, this wager was merely a method for that young master to coerce me. They found a beggar, covered in pus and unwashed for years, intending for him to be the tenth guest to force me into submission. Unexpectedly, Young Master Ye, you disrupted their plan.”

With a sigh, Lady Yu took a purse from her bosom. “Young Master Ye, please leave. I truly do not wish for you to invite mortal danger for my sake, a mere courtesan,” she said, pressing the purse into Ye Chen’s hand. “I have truly wronged you; this contains a small token of my regard. Please accept it. If you leave now, I will humble myself before that young master and ensure no trouble comes to you.”

Although Ye Chen deeply disdained the brothel’s rule of selling art but not body—for he was a common man, and in his view, coming to a brothel and still only selling art was like unbuttoning one’s pants to fart—he greatly respected others and never forced them.

He returned the silver to Lady Yu, saying, “If you don’t sell your body, this young master will not force you. However, since this young master has come here, and you are beautiful enough, even if it’s just for music and drinks, this young master will absolutely be the courtesan queen’s intimate guest tonight! Not even the King of Heaven himself could stop me!”

At this moment, Lady Yu’s heart stirred!

She didn’t know how it happened; she had met many high officials and noble gentlemen, many of whom surpassed Ye Chen in temperament and looks. Yet, no one had ever made her feel like this before.

It was an impulse, just one glance, that made her want to settle down and live a peaceful life, bearing children for him.

She looked at Ye Chen, completely captivated, stars even appearing in her eyes, her heart utterly melted.

“Young Master…” Lady Yu said softly, “You should still leave. That young master is the son of the current Minister of Punishments…”

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively. “Who cares who he is? This young master just came from the home of Vice Minister of Punishments, Ye Jinglan,” he said to the madam. “Go tell that so-called young master that my name is Ye Chen. If he’s not convinced, let him go ask about my identity at Ye Jinglan’s house. Don’t disturb my music listening!”

With that, Ye Chen directly entered the room.

At this moment, Lady Yu looked at Ye Chen’s retreating back, her cheeks flushed. She said to the madam, “Please go. Tonight, I will serve Young Master Ye here.”

“Are you sure?”

Lady Yu chuckled softly, “In this place of vice, I will have to receive guests sooner or later. My first time being with such a handsome and dashing man as Young Master Ye is my good fortune, isn’t it? I only worry about bringing him trouble. Since he isn’t afraid of that young master, then it’s perfect, and he is handsome after all!”

“Alright then!” The madam left.

Subsequently, Lady Yu entered the room, slowly closed the door, and walked towards Ye Chen. As she walked, she shed her outer garments, took off her shoes, and carried a pot of wine towards Ye Chen.

The two began to drink together, chatting about everything under the sun, from poetry and literature to life’s ideals, from stars and the moon to the true meaning of life. Naturally and spontaneously, they found themselves overcome with emotion.

“My luck is back!”

Ye Chen was incredibly excited. He knew his luck had returned, and Lady Yu was the best proof. In an instant, his spirits soared, and he pulled Lady Yu onto his lap.

Lady Yu nestled in Ye Chen’s arms, speaking softly, her cheeks flushed.

Ye Chen was in high spirits, gently caressing Lady Yu’s cheek, softly tousling her hair.

Just as he was about to reach inside her clothes, he suddenly noticed a strand of hair seemed to be stuck to Lady Yu’s neck.

As someone with a slight touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he couldn’t resist, even in the current circumstances.

So he deliberately tried to pick at the stuck strand of hair. However, what his fingertip touched was not the soft, smooth hair he expected, but an unusually stiff sensation.

He frowned and leaned closer, examining it under the dim candlelight, only to discover it wasn’t hair at all—a black line was imprinted on Lady Yu’s pale neck, like a meticulous brushstroke drawn with sooty ink, clinging tightly to her skin.

His thumb instinctively rubbed the black line, and the skin beneath his finger suddenly felt eerily loose.

The black line wriggled and stretched like a living thing, expanding into a finger-length slit in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chen’s heart constricted. As he leaned even closer, he saw that what oozed from the crack was not flesh and blood, but a dark, flowing black liquid, like the undertone showing through silk soaked in ink.

At this moment, Lady Yu was still leaning gently in Ye Chen’s arms, completely oblivious, still tenderly whispering sweet nothings.

However, Ye Chen’s scalp was prickling with horror. He tentatively pinched the skin along the edge of the seam with two fingers, and with a gentle tug, the skin there tore open like rotten cardboard!

“Rip—!”

Amidst the tearing sound, black viscous matter surged out, bringing a putrid, fishy stench that assaulted Ye Chen’s face.

It was a foul, murky odor, so thick it seemed to cling.

This smell was very familiar to Ye Chen, because it was the same rotting, fishy odor that filled the sewers when he crawled out from under Ghost City earlier that day.

He recoiled violently, only to see the tear on Lady Yu’s neck had spread to her collarbone. Beneath the skin, instead of flesh and blood, black viscous liquid was bubbling, glowing with a dark purplish phosphorescence under the candlelight. The stench made his temples throb.

The substance felt slimy and carried a damp chill, subtly wriggling like a living thing.

Lady Yu’s soft, melodious voice was still in his ears, but the “skin” on her neck was peeling away in layers like a ruined painting, the cracks spreading at a visible rate. Black viscous liquid flowed down her pale neck, soaking her clothes with putrid, foul-smelling stains.

Ye Chen’s legs instantly gave way. He violently retreated, his back hitting the cold table.

Lady Yu still didn’t realize what was happening; she only felt Ye Chen suddenly go limp, and her face showed confusion.

But Ye Chen, like a startled bird, flipped backward and retreated to a corner. When he looked at Lady Yu again, he saw that the tear on her neckline had spread to her chest. He could vaguely see fine, thread-like flocculent matter, like decaying water plants, floating in the black viscous liquid. Each蠕动 was accompanied by the unique putrid smell of sewer sludge, so浓 it was sickening.

“Young Master, what’s wrong?” Lady Yu asked softly.

“What… what are you…?”

Ye Chen’s voice trembled, his gaze fixed on the continuously expanding裂口, which was coated with sticky, foul-smelling black mud, and faintly, the residual waste from a sewer.

“Ugh…”

Ye Chen immediately dry-heaved in disgust, then quickly picked up his clothes and put them on.

At this moment, Lady Yu on the bed was still utterly bewildered, having no idea what had happened or why Ye Chen had suddenly reacted as if he had seen a ghost. She instinctively tried to get up, asking in confusion, “Young Master, what on earth is wrong…”

However, she didn’t finish her sentence.

She suddenly saw a greenish-black lump swell on her abdomen beneath her palm. The lump of sludge slowly wriggled beneath the translucent skin, as if something alive was burrowing beneath her flesh. She trembled and looked up, her gaze meeting an even more horrifying sight—

The high curve of her left breast suddenly burst open with a bloody gash, not the crimson of torn flesh, but revealing the churning black sludge within. The black mud pulsed against the skin, contracting like a heart with each beat. Several dark red earthworms emerged from the crack, their slick bodies trailing threads of viscous liquid.

“Ah—!”

A scream ripped through the curtains. Lady Yu scrambled backward, rolling and crawling. As her back hit the bedpost, the skin of her entire shoulder and neck suddenly burst open with a “pop” like punctured oil paper!

Black sludge mixed with maggot-like white worms gushed out, flowing down her collarbone onto the white skin of her lower body.

She clawed frantically with her hands, but only pulled off handfuls of hair covered in black mud. The strands of hair that slipped through her fingers were curled, and her facial features contorted into a twisted, grotesque expression.

“Ah… ah… Ghosts! There are ghosts!”

She shrieked incoherently, scrambling on all fours toward the door. Her knee hit the ground, and the skin of her entire thigh split open in a spiderweb pattern.

Black mud fell from her body, revealing a tangled network of black sinews. Several thumb-thick centipedes darted out from the hollows of her legs, leaving slimy trails on the ground.

“Save me, Young Master, save me…”

She stumbled toward Ye Chen. With every step she ran, large patches of skin sloughed off her body like peeling plaster. First, the skin on her cheeks cracked, and her facial features vanished.

Ye Chen was equally terrified. Even with his years of wandering the martial world, he had never witnessed such a demonic sight, and he quickly dodged in fright.

As Lady Yu ran two more steps, the last layer of skin slid from her shoulder, and her entire body, like a shadow puppet stripped of its flesh, dissolved into a pile of falling black mud.

In the mud, the skeleton maintained its forward motion for a moment, then collapsed into the black sludge.