Chapter 227: Yue Yaotai and Xiang Gu
Shi Hao exited the cabin, and Plum Blossom Lady fetched a sleepy-eyed Xiang Gu.
Sha Lingshan waved her fan, “I’ll be returning to Mirror Flower Lake. If you have time, Young Master, please visit us there.”
Shi Hao smiled, “I will, if I have the chance.”
He and Xiang Gu then boarded the pleasure boat.
“Welcome, Young Master!” Yue Yaotai, along with Zhu Ping, the “Crimson Lotus Fiery Blaze”; Huan Tingting, the “Black Heart Enchantress”; and a group of Moon Lotus Pavilion disciples, all knelt on the deck in greeting.
The Moon Lotus Pavilion cultivated the Lunar Divinity path, and their disciples were carefully selected. Although their heads were bowed, Shi Hao could see they were all dressed in pink, their figures slender, their hair styled in identical buns, their movements precise and synchronized.
“You may rise,” Shi Hao said.
Yue Yaotai stood up, “Please come in, Young Master.”
Behind her, Zhu Ping, Huan Tingting, and the other disciples remained kneeling, their heads bowed.
Except for Yue Yaotai, none of them had seen Shi Hao’s true face before.
Zhu Ping and Huan Tingting had only seen him disguised with the Evil Shadow Disguise Technique, a secret art of the Evil Lotus Sect, now held by the Moon Lotus Pavilion after the sect’s division.
They knew he was disguised but didn’t know his true appearance.
And with Yue Yaotai’s strict discipline, they wouldn’t dare look up without permission.
Yue Yaotai looked at Xiang Gu behind him, “And this is…?”
Shi Hao said, “This is Xiang Gu. She’ll be traveling with us to the East Sea…”
Before he could finish, Xiang Gu suddenly pointed at Yue Yaotai, “Ah… you… you’re…”
Shi Hao looked at Yue Yaotai, who also seemed surprised.
Xiang Gu, however, after repeating “You’re… you’re…” several times, as if struggling to remember, scratched her head in confusion.
Shi Hao thought, They know each other?
Yue Yaotai, her hair styled in a morning cloud bun, her expression serious, her beauty enhanced by the moonlight, her colorful robe, open at the neck in the style of the early Sheng Dynasty, revealing her ample bosom, her pleated skirt cinched at her waist, her figure elegant, her aura more reserved than Sha Lingshan’s, a subtle aloofness that made her seem… untouchable.
She looked at Xiang Gu, her eyes wide with surprise, clearly recognizing her.
Xiang Gu, however, was still struggling to remember, her brow furrowed.
Yue Yaotai said softly, “Young Master, let’s talk inside,” and turned, leading the way.
The pleasure boat’s interior was far more luxurious than an ordinary ship, its curved hull, like a crescent moon, floating gracefully on the water, its two decks spacious and elegant, like the chambers of a fine pavilion.
Yue Yaotai led them to the upper deck and offered them seats by the window. Two young girls, their heads bowed, served them tea and refreshments, not daring to look up.
The Moon Lotus Pavilion clearly had strict rules, the large boat strangely quiet.
Little Emerald materialized, and Xiang Gu, forgetting about Yue Yaotai, reached for her.
Shi Hao, to prevent another incident, picked up the doll.
He looked at Yue Yaotai, “Have you met Xiang Gu before, Branch Leader?” He was curious about Xiang Gu’s background.
Yue Yaotai lowered her voice, “It was a long time ago. We spent some time together when we were children.”
Xiang Gu, as if finally remembering, rushed over and hugged Yue Yaotai, “Sister Yue! It’s you!”
Yue Yaotai struggled to free herself… Shi Hao suspected she found Xiang Gu too dirty.
“When you were children?” he asked.
Yue Yaotai pushed Xiang Gu away, wiping her robe with a handkerchief, and said, “When I was about ten, the previous Pavilion Lord brought her to the Moon Lotus Pavilion.”
“You mean Xiao Yan’s mother?” Shi Hao asked.
Yue Yaotai nodded slightly, “It was a long time ago, before the previous Pavilion Lord left. She brought her to the pavilion one day, and she stayed for about six months. She was very young then, and very mischievous. I was also quite young, and I was tasked with looking after her, so I remember her quite well.”
She glanced at Xiang Gu, a hint of distaste in her eyes.
Xiang Gu tried to hug her again, “Sister Yue!”
Yue Yaotai dodged her.
Shi Hao thought, It seems Xiang Gu remembers those days fondly, but for Yue Yaotai, it was probably a nightmare.
He looked at Xiang Gu and asked softly, “Do you know Xiao Yan’s mother, Miss Xiang Gu?”
“Xiao Yan’s mother?”
“The woman who brought you to the Moon Lotus Pavilion.”
Xiang Gu said, “Moon Lotus Pavilion? What’s that?”
Yue Yaotai said, her voice slightly sharp, “The place where you caused so much trouble.”
Xiang Gu looked up, her brow furrowed, “Me? Causing trouble? Did I?”
Shi Hao saw Yue Yaotai clenching her fists.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, calming herself.
Her expression, however, remained cold and distant, “The woman who brought you to me.”
Xiang Gu said, “Oh, her…” She paused, then said, “I don’t know her.”
“You don’t know her?”
Xiang Gu tilted her head, “No. I was hiding in the mountains when she found me. She said my brother was injured and couldn’t come, so she would take me instead. I refused, but she took me anyway. I didn’t even know her name.”
Shi Hao and Yue Yaotai exchanged glances.
Shi Hao couldn’t help but ask, “Was your brother also from the Penglai Mirage Pavilion, Miss Xiang Gu?”
Xiang Gu sighed, “He was the one who helped me escape.”
Yue Yaotai’s expression changed, “The Penglai Mirage Pavilion?”
Xiang Gu sighed again, “Whatever you do, don’t go to that place. It’s too dangerous.”
This was the second time she had warned them.
Shi Hao asked, “Where is your brother now, Miss Xiang Gu?”
Xiang Gu shook her head, “I don’t know. I wish I did. I haven’t seen him since then.”
Shi Hao turned to Yue Yaotai, “Please treat Miss Xiang Gu as my… guest, Branch Leader.”
Yue Yaotai sighed, called a maidservant, and had her escort Xiang Gu to a guest room.
After Xiang Gu left, Shi Hao asked, “Has Xiao Yan been here, to the Moon Lotus Pavilion?”
Yue Yaotai shook her head gently, “She lived here as a child, but she never returned after leaving. Why do you ask, Young Master? Isn’t she with you?”
Shi Hao sighed, “She left.” He explained how someone had seen a girl who looked exactly like her in the East Sea.
Yue Yaotai frowned, “The East Sea is vast. Even if such a girl exists, finding her would be incredibly difficult. And if it’s truly connected to the Penglai Mirage Pavilion, it’s even more dangerous. It’s better if she doesn’t find her.”
Shi Hao nodded, then asked, “I’ve heard you’ve been to the Crystal Palace, Branch Leader.”
Yue Yaotai said, “There are actually three Crystal Palaces on the seabed of the East Sea. I’ve been to one of them.”
Shi Hao, surprised, asked, “Three? Why so many?”
Yue Yaotai said, “Those are just the ones we know about. There might be others. No one knows their true origins. They seem to have existed since ancient times.
“The water within the Crystal Palaces is… unique, containing many unusual creatures. I did visit one a few years ago. It was quite a journey.”
Shi Hao said, “I’m going to the East Sea Crystal Palace to obtain Dream Grass, an ingredient I need. It can’t be preserved outside the Crystal Palace, so I have to use it quickly.
“That’s why it’s not available anywhere, not even within the Chongxian Sect. And I’m also worried about Xiao Yan. I want to find her.”
Yue Yaotai bowed, “In that case, please come to the Moon Lotus Pavilion, Young Master. I will accompany you to the East Sea.”
Shi Hao said, “Have Zhu Ping and Huan Tingting come in as well. Since they’re your trusted companions, I trust them as well.”
Yue Yaotai gracefully stood up and called for them.
“Young Master,” Zhu Ping and Huan Tingting entered and bowed respectfully, their heads lowered.
Having spent time with Sha Lingshan, Plum Blossom Lady, and Peach Blossom Lady, their more relaxed and informal demeanor, Shi Hao felt slightly uncomfortable with the Moon Lotus Pavilion’s stricter atmosphere.
Of course, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with their discipline and formality. As a demonic sect, operating in the shadows, they needed strict rules to maintain order and secrecy.
The Mirror Flower Water Moon Pavilion, however, rarely involved themselves in the jianghu’s affairs, their approach more akin to a reclusive sect, their style very different from the other two factions.
“You may raise your heads,” Shi Hao said.
Zhu Ping and Huan Tingting looked up at him.
This was the first time they had seen his true face, without the disguise. He looked younger, less menacing, more like a scholar.
Shi Hao smiled gently, “Sit down. We’re all members of the same sect now. There’s no need for such formalities. Let’s just chat.”
Although a leader’s approachability was a virtue, his followers wouldn’t dare take advantage of it. Zhu Ping and Huan Tingting, although seated, remained respectful and reserved.
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