Chapter 32: The Art of Inner Allure

"Then why are you so concerned about me and helping me so much? Don't tell me it's out of kindness. Uncle Yong has already laid it out for me—he wants to groom a lackey who will obey his every command. I am willing to be that lackey, but what about you? What do you want? It’s not that I’m being shameless, but I truly feel that, aside from this body I’ve guarded for so many years, I have nothing else to offer," I said.

"I just want to hear you talk more about the Orchid Sect," Xiao Wen suddenly dropped her smile, her expression even tinged with a trace of sorrow.

"I’ve mentioned this before, haven’t I? The Orchid Sect originated from the official courtesans of the old society. The terms for 'prostitute' and 'courtesan' are often used interchangeably now, but in ancient times, they held different meanings. A prostitute was a prostitute, and a courtesan was a courtesan. As for official courtesans, that goes without saying—beyond their mastery of the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, many sold their art but not their bodies... In short, they served the elite of the old society, understanding how to leverage their own advantages to exchange for the resources of those powerful men, eventually forming a female organization: the Orchid Sect..." I explained.

"What’s the difference, really? At the end of the day, it’s just about pleasing men, just through different means. Right?" she asked.

The look in her eyes made my heart ache. I realized how careless my words had been. Regardless of whether they were considered prostitutes or courtesans, I should never have used such terms to describe her.

"I’m sorry," I said, quickly standing up.

She shook her head. "There’s nothing to be sorry about. You want to know why I treat you this way? I’ll give you an answer today. Ever since I was a child, Mother taught us what you call the art of seducing men. Mother used to say that using beauty to entice men is the lowest form of strategy, but if you don't even have beauty, how can you talk about seduction? No matter what, being attractive is the primary element of charm. But at this stage, men are only interested in your skin—it's lust at first sight. To truly captivate them further, you must make a man discover your inner self."

"To the group of men chasing me, I’m just a girl who looks decent enough. If I were to chase after them just because they gave me some money or material goods, how long would their sense of novelty last? I will grow old, and they will eventually meet someone better-looking and fresher."

"But if a woman isn't easily conquered—a woman who acts proud and insists on standing on her own two feet—their interest will only grow. Men, especially those successful ones who think highly of themselves, love to excavate a woman's inner world. So, I simply show them the depth they’re looking for."

"As for how I treat you, is it really that hard to understand? I know you are ambitious, and I know your head is full of resentment about wanting to get ahead. You need a beautiful and smart woman to accompany you during this period of uncertainty, someone who can offer you a bit of guidance. So, I became that person."

Finally, resting her chin on her hand with a lazy, heart-stopping expression, she said, "I can be whoever I need to be, depending on whom I want to charm. Whatever version of me you desire, I can become. Perhaps that is the 'technique' of the Orchid Sect you spoke of? Are you satisfied?"

A wave of jealousy instantly surged through me. A deep, tragic anger welled up in my heart. I pointed at her and scolded, "Your techniques are only allowed to be used on me!"

She smiled softly. "See? I’ve got you hooked already."

In the end, I was thrown out of the room by Xiao Wen. The reason was that I had gotten carried away and wanted to try that legendary "inner charm" technique of the Orchid Sect. But I was just talking big; even if I had the courage of a lion, I wouldn't dare take advantage of a woman who could kill with a razor blade. Five parts of it was fear, three parts was that I didn't actually want to. No matter what she said, I could sense the sorrow and fear she felt whenever she mentioned the Orchid Sect.

Lucky people spend their childhood healing their lives, while the unlucky spend their lives healing their childhood. Being snatched up by a madam-like figure as a young girl and subjected to intensive training on how to manipulate men was certainly no stroke of luck.

Once outside, I looked at the mark on the door again. Sure enough, Lao Rong had replied. He had written the character "three." It wasn't circled, which meant three days later. If it had been circled, it would have meant the upcoming Wednesday; if there had been a period after the character, it would have meant the 3rd of the month.

Truth be told, the Rong Sect had the worst reputation among the Eight Underworld Sects. Other sects were rarely encountered by ordinary people—if you weren't greedy, you wouldn't be scammed, and if you didn't go to casinos, you wouldn't get caught up in their traps. But thieves were everywhere in those days; even if you didn't look for them, they would find you. That was why cracking down on robbery and theft was the main theme of the anti-crime campaigns of those years.

But when the time came to actually catch this guy, what would I do? Hand him over to the public security team? Or give him a beating to teach him a lesson? If I did that, would he seek revenge later?

I pondered for a long time but couldn't reach a conclusion, so I decided to wait until the time came. After all, this person was someone who communicated with me through markers; in that sense, he was at least a man of his word.

When I got home, Chen Jianjun wasn't asleep yet; he was reviewing that book again. It was no wonder my cousin looked so malnourished—if he kept at it like this every day, it would be a miracle if his health held up.

"Cousin, you should read that book less. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it drains your vital essence and damages your spirit. From the perspective of spirits and ghosts, whenever you stir up such desires, you're actually surrounded by minor demons sucking away your life force," I said.

"What minor demons?" Chen Jianjun stared at me.

"Among the hundred types of ghosts, they are called 'Essence-Sucking Demons.' Just imagine, a bunch of these things floating around you, waiting for your energy to leak out so they can feed. Isn't that disgusting? What's even worse is that you know where these demons come from? They are the souls of those who died from excessive indulgence. After you die, you’ll turn into one of them, hovering around another lustful fool, waiting for him to release his energy so you can consume it..." I said.

Chen Jianjun looked like he was about to throw up. He rolled up the book and cursed with a laugh, "Screw you! This is my only hobby, and you’ve ruined it for me—how am I supposed to enjoy it now? Forget it. I’ll hold off for a few days. Once I get my paycheck, I’ll take you to Da Cheng Village to find a 'bed frame.' You’re still a virgin, right?"

"Da Cheng Village bed frame." I had already heard this phrase a dozen times from them in the two days since I started working. Every time they mentioned it, they wore lecherous smiles.

I had a rough idea of what kind of place it was, but I didn't quite understand what the term "bed frame" meant. Later, I asked Wu Dahai.

When Wu Dahai heard it, he laughed heartily. He explained that the streetwalkers in Da Cheng Village were very cheap—ten or twenty yuan for a quick session. The quality varied, but at that price, you couldn't expect much in terms of service. The girls would lead you into a rental room, lie down on the bed, spread their