Beyond the realm of illusion, Tian Xian Mansion

A young man in a white robe lazily leaned against the banyan tree in the courtyard. The gaps between the leaves fragmented the sunlight into scattered golden specks, like a myriad of gold dust falling on his handsome profile.

A copper-yellow, mysterious mirror floated in mid-air, reflecting the scene inside the floating tower. Tian Xianzi, somewhat surprised, raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

“Junior brother!”

Suddenly, a robust male voice resounded in the courtyard, and a chilling sword aura rustled the tree branches, momentarily freezing the air.

“Draw your sword!”

“No, no, no.” Tian Xianzi was reluctant to tear his gaze away from the mysterious mirror. He waved his hand to dismiss the approaching sword light.

“I’m watching my disciples go through their trials; let’s have our duel another day.”

The newcomer was one of the six elders of the Xuanxu Sect, his dear senior martial brother, Zhenxiao Sword Sovereign.

Apart from their shared poverty and passion for swordmanship, Tian Xianzi had little in common with typical sword cultivators. What should a sword cultivator be like? Stern as a sword, sharp as a blade, resolute as a sword, quick to resort to violence when faced with something they dislike, and sparing of words.

That was not at all like Tian Xianzi, who talked incessantly, excelled at eating, drinking, and gambling, and was most adept at playing tricks.

Zhenxiao was different. He embodied the most traditional type of sword cultivator, always carrying his sword and adhering to the noble tradition of the Sword Sect: “Draw your sword” was his catchphrase.

Strong individuals enjoyed testing themselves against other strong individuals, and so Zhenxiao’s greatest hobby was coming here to challenge Tian Xianzi to duels—the kind that cost money.

“Trials?”

Zhenxiao snorted coldly and stood with his sword in hand beside Tian Xianzi.

“Do you really need to exert yourself for a weak place like the Star-Picking Pavilion?”

Tian Xianzi smiled and said, “No, no, no. This time, the Star-Picking Pavilion is different from before.”

A gust of wind, sharp as a sword, cast shadows on the ground.

Zhenxiao hesitated for a moment and furrowed his brows.

“Could it be…”

His deep, unfathomable gaze shifted slightly downward, finally landing on the mysterious copper mirror. “Your disciples are only at the Golden Core stage, right? Running into such a monstrous creature, their chances of survival are slim.”

“That’s not necessarily the case.”

The young man in white bent down, his gaze falling on the mirror’s surface. His fingertip traced a clear ripple, which happened to wash over the enchanting face of a girl in a purple skirt. “While that creature is undoubtedly dangerous, my little disciples… have some unexpected tricks up their sleeves.”

The image on the mirror showed the front entrance of the Star-Picking Pavilion, with carriages flowing like water and horses like dragons. A vivacious young girl laughed heartily, a true embodiment of a carefree and extravagant lifestyle.

Zhenxiao spoke in a low voice, “I remember the troublemaker at the gate was a man. When did the Floating Tower change him into a girl’s appearance? And now, she’s still embracing both sides like this. Those people who designed this illusion really have a twisted sense of humor.”

Tian Xianzi chuckled, not feeling ashamed but rather proud. “This is my disciple. Quite unexpected, isn’t it?”

The Sword Sovereign, who usually had a carefree expression, finally showed a crack in his facade.

How could your disciple be more audacious than the previous troublemaker? And she’s clearly resorting to force, isn’t she? Even that yellow-robed man can’t bear to watch!

Do young people behave like this nowadays?

“The Star-Picking Pavilion prefers the flesh and blood of righteous individuals. This way, those demon women probably despise her and won’t pay much attention. Interesting, interesting! Truly worthy of being my disciple!”

Tian Xianzi took a sip of tea with a sly smile and said, “Maybe Ning Ning has already noticed something is amiss. What do you think she’ll do next?”

Sword Sovereign Zhenxiao: “I don’t care; I don’t want to watch; it’s none of my concern.”

Zhenxiao added, “I’ll stay with you until they come out, and then we’ll have our duel at the peak.”

Tian Xianzi blinked his eyes playfully. “Senior, I’m feeling exceptionally tired today, so I’m afraid—”

“Ten thousand spirit stones.”

“Damn it! I’m not afraid of being crushed to pieces. I want to exist for my senior brother!”

=====

“Miss, please take a seat.”

After following the woman in yellow upstairs, Ning Ning entered a private room within the Star-Picking Pavilion.

After experiencing the embraces on both sides, she was reminded by the stewardess that only one girl could be chosen each night in the building. They claimed it was to prevent jealousy and maintain good relationships among the girls.

Ning Ning mumbled in response, thinking quietly that “maintaining good relationships” was true but “preventing jealousy” was far from it.

Two monsters fighting over a piece of human flesh—how could they not create conflicts?

The woman who led her upstairs was named Chaoyan. She wore a light goose-yellow chiffon dress, exuding the charm of a water village beauty. Her speech was soft and sweet, her waist was slender, and her movements were graceful. When she walked, her body swayed gently, outlining a delicate waist that was barely a handful.

Ning Ning thought rather inappropriately, “If I were a man, I’d want to spend every day in this illusion. There are so many stunning beauties to choose from, and it doesn’t even cost money. Wow, it’s like a paradise on Earth.”

Unfortunately, when you removed the mask from their faces, it turned into a horror story.

The behind-the-scenes boss was Lady White Bone, the owner of the Star-Picking Pavilion, residing on the top floor of the building.

She and her female demon subordinates feed on the flesh and blood of humans to enhance their cultivation. Due to their starkly different appearances from humans, they all wear human skin masks, only revealing their true forms when they open their bloodthirsty mouths to eat.

But Lady White Bone couldn’t have imagined that the female demons she thought she was controlling had already changed masters.

Their true master was known as the “Yinshan Ghost Mother,” hiding in the dark tunnels beneath the attic and possessing unmatched power. She had come here to replenish her vitality and recover fully after being heavily injured by the elders of the sword sect.

The monstrous creature needed a constant supply of flesh and energy from the Star-Picking Pavilion, but it knew it was severely wounded. Engaging in a conflict with Lady White Bone would only result in both parties suffering. So, it devised a clever plan.

As the Ghost Mother, she naturally had the power to control living beings, turning those with average cultivation into puppets under her command.

She couldn’t confront Lady White Bone directly, but she easily handled the minor demons. In less than half a month, most of the demons in the Star-Picking Pavilion became puppet-like humans, and she absorbed the majority of their vital energy.

Lady White Bone simply thought that humans had weak spiritual energy. Little did she know that she had actually prepared for her own downfall.

According to the original text, after defeating Lady White Bone, everyone suddenly heard a wild roar from underground, and the Star-Picking Pavilion collapsed accordingly.

The Yinshan Ghost Mother, awakened from her slumber, emerged from the earth after absorbing vital energy for several days, fully restoring her strength.

She was incredibly powerful, and despite everyone’s desperate resistance, they were at a disadvantage. The original host even suffered severe injuries and was sent out of the illusion. Ultimately, it was Pei Ji who unleashed the surging sword energy hidden within him and fought with all his might to defeat the Ghost Mother.

She couldn’t appear too righteous, or the demons would see her as tasty as delicious Tang Monk meat.

(T/N: The term “Tang Monk Meat” comes from the Ming Dynasty novel ” Journey to the West ” about gods and demons. The pinyin of the word is táng sēng ròu, which means the meat of Tang Monk. It is believed that eating Tang Monk meat can obtain the Buddha’s ability to live forever, and it needs to be cooked before eating. It is effective; so many monsters did not eat it raw after catching Tang Monk but cooked it into mature meat before eating.)

She couldn’t directly kill the demons; if she accidentally killed one of the puppets, the Yinshan Ghost Mother would become suspicious.

And she definitely couldn’t confront those two monsters head-on. Pei Ji and the Little White Dragon both had protagonist-level protection, so if anything went wrong, she’d be the first to suffer.

Life was tough, and Ning Ning sighed. She just wanted to be a wicked villainess peacefully; why did it have to be so difficult?

Yinshan Ghost Mother, how should I deal with you, you mischievous little demon?

“What are you thinking, miss?”

Chaoyan poured a cup of tea for her and spoke with a gentle smile. “Do you find Chaoyan uninteresting, perhaps?”

Ning Ning’s eyes seemed absent. “Yes.”

The woman in the yellow dress by her side twitched at the corner of her mouth but quickly put on a smile. “Chaoyan has always been devoted to you, but you seem to be thinking about those sisters who haven’t arrived. It’s really quite heartbreaking.”

“Since I chose Miss Chaoyan to accompany me tonight, it means I must be fond of you.”

As Ning Ning was contemplating how to deal with the Ghost mother, she was perfunctorily speaking trash to her. The woman in the yellow dress by her side smiled for a moment, but then her smile suddenly froze in place.

The shameless playboy continued, her expression unwavering: “But I like you, and it doesn’t conflict with my liking for those other sisters, does it? I am a cultivator pursuing universal love, and all of you are part of the world. I like all of you; isn’t that only natural? So why can’t those sisters reciprocate my love selflessly?”

The woman in the yellow dress contorted her face and forced a smile. “My affection for Miss is indeed without ulterior motives.”

“Nonsense.”

Ning Ning glanced at her, speaking without hesitation, “Since you like me, you should find ways to make me happy. I won’t be happy if I can’t be with the other sisters. Doesn’t that contradict your words? Sister, it seems you still don’t understand the great love of us sword cultivators.”

This statement left even Chaoyan, who considered herself a wicked woman, completely stunned.

Have you no shame? Have you no shame? What kind of universal love is this? Talking so casually about having your feet in multiple boats… What kind of people are you sword cultivators?!

Ning Ning’s words left Chaoyan unable to retort, and anger welled up within her.

Though this girl referred to herself as a “sword cultivator,” judging from her fragile physique and carefree demeanor, she probably wasn’t a formidable adversary. Instead of listening to her chatter, Chaoyan thought it would be better to deal with her now.

With a determined resolve, she was about to make her move when Ning Ning suddenly said, “I’ll tell you a secret.”

The young girl took a step closer, lowered her voice, and spoke softly, “I am a disciple of the Xuanxu Sword Sect, and I’ve long known that you’re a monster.”

In truth, Ning Ning didn’t want to reveal her identity directly.

It was clear that this woman intended to harm her. If she were to knock her out or kill her at this moment, the Ghost Mother would surely notice.

But she hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with the monster, so she had to use this to buy some time.

After a brief moment of shock, Chaoyan froze momentarily.

Then she abandoned the pretense altogether, her face filled with malevolence as she spoke in a hoarse voice, “You’re talking nonsense! The Xuanxu Sword Sect consists of powerful sword cultivators. How could a little girl like you possibly be one of them?”

Ning Ning effortlessly executed a martial arts technique in her hand, and with a mere wave of her hand, she dispelled the forceful wind that had struck her.

“She retorted, “Nonsense! My strength far surpasses yours; there’s no need for me to waste time on lies.”

Her spiritual power was profound, and her cultivation was indeed much higher.

Chaoyan, realizing that she was no match for this girl, couldn’t seek help from her companions since there was no one else around. A demon falling into the hands of a sword cultivator would surely have no way out. She silently bit her lip and devised a plan.

The young girl appeared inexperienced, and her human skin mask made her look delicate. If she were to concoct a lie and claim she had been coerced by Lady White Bone—

However, just as this thought flashed through her mind, Ning Ning sighed, “I came to the Star-Picking Pavilion this time to exterminate a great monster that feasts on human flesh and blood. Sister, I can see that you’re frail and kind-hearted; you must have been coerced by that creature, right?”

Chaoyan: …?

Wait, how did her lines get stolen?

After a moment of confusion, the demon concealed her thoughts with a wry smile.

This idiot must have seen her beautiful and pitiable appearance and concocted a story in her mind about a helpless young girl being coerced. She truly was ignorant.

Perfect; she had just walked right into her trap.

So Chaoyan readily replied, “That’s right! Lady White Bone forced us to receive guests, or else she would have exterminated us. I was also compelled.”

Ning Ning’s face displayed an extremely pleased expression.

Hmph, this stinky sword cultivator thought she had seen through the secrets of this place and was delighted with herself.

She believed she was on the second level, unaware that Chaoyan had surpassed her and reached the third level.

Ning Ning nodded righteously. “What is going on in this building? Could you kindly explain?”

“We were originally mountain demons, coerced by Lady White Bone to come here and absorb the spiritual energy and essence of mortals.”

Chaoyan continued, “The faces of the girls in the building are all made from beautiful human skin to captivate the guests.”

This innocent junior disciple was clearly terrified. “Are the masks made directly from human faces?”

“The human faces are created through the transformation of spiritual energy and are not made from human flesh. If there are beautiful female guests, we would also transform into faces identical to theirs for future use.”

To reassure the frightened young girl and show her kindness and consideration, Chaoyan snapped her fingers, conjuring a mask identical to Ning Ning’s out of thin air. “Just like this.”

“I see!”

Ning Ning carefully took the mask, and her eyes, once filled with fear, now held a deeper smile.

She said, “I’ve figured it out.”

Chaoyan, curious, asked, “Figured out what?”

With her eyebrows gently curved and her voice soft and tender, the words that came out of the purple-clad girl’s lips sent a shiver down Chaoyan’s spine, despite their sweet tone.

She said, “I’ve figured out… how to level this building.”

After speaking, she raised the corners of her mouth, her voice as sweet as honey, and said, “Goodbye, sister.”

A sharp sword light flashed, cutting through the ambiguous night.

At the moment when the Xinghen Sword pierced her body, the demon cursed in her heart countless times.

She had underestimated Ning Ning and thought of her as a tool to extract information.

She had miscalculated.

Who could have imagined that she believed she had reached the third level while that fool had already ascended to the fifth level?