How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

"Shuyun, why are you standing here?" A figure appeared behind the man and patted him on the shoulder.

"Ah, nothing. Why did you come out?" Wen Shuyun came back to her senses and looked at her friend with a puzzled expression.

“I didn’t ask you. You just told me to come out and sober up. I’ve been waiting inside for a long time and you haven’t come. They had to send me out to look for you,” Wen Shuyun’s friend said.

"I just overheard a rather interesting conversation. The speaker is quite young, but he seems to have a very clear understanding of things. I'd like to have a spiritual connection with him. I was just thinking of asking the madam if I should ask who the speaker is." Wen Shuyun was eager to share her joy with her friend, looking as if she had found a treasure.

"No matter how interesting it is, it won't do. Why do you have to be like your brother, always so eager to find talent? Your brother is one thing, but he at least sought out scholars and famous figures. You, on the other hand, have gone and begged a courtesan. They're just beauties. It's fine to flatter them a little on a daily basis, but you can't actually elevate them. They're still low-class..." The other person was startled and quickly tried to dissuade him from his wild ideas. He couldn't let him do such a thing here, as it would disgrace the Wen family. The Wen family would definitely think that he had led him astray, and then he would be in trouble.

“She is not a courtesan here…” Wen Shuyun sighed and was about to defend Liu Yin after hearing this.

"Whether she is or not, what kind of respectable woman is here?" The other person raised their hand to interrupt Wen Shuyun's continued explanation. "Alright, alright, today's visitor is Liu Ziheng, the most famous young genius in Qinhuai Prefecture. Haven't you been looking forward to this for a long time? How can you keep him waiting? Wouldn't that be impolite? Quickly come with me..."

Hearing her friend say this, Wen Shuyun could only sigh and suppress her eagerness for the time being. As she was pulled away by the other person's strength, she did not forget to look back at the dark little door before leaving, her eyebrows lowered and she seemed to be thinking about something.

As dusk settles, shadows of houses stand out, and stars twinkle. It should be time for shopkeepers to return home, for lights to be extinguished, and for people to sleep. Yet, the red-light districts along the banks of the Qinhuai River are filled with the sounds of birdsong and the gentle whispers of women. Bare-clad courtesans lean against railings or windows, or stroll along the roadside, their movements exuding fragrance and their handkerchiefs fluttering in the breeze.

Looking at the various people outside, Liu Yin felt as if she were witnessing a microcosm of human nature. The carriages came in a hurry. Some were secretly calling out to the teapot at the gate of the first-class courtyard to sneak to the back door. Others were brazenly calling their friends to enter the second and third-class courtyards. Some students, looking embarrassed, were being dragged in by their close friends. Some were penniless and were thrown out by thugs. Looking further to the side, she saw prostitutes who had run away being caught and brought back, prostitutes who were alone being tortured, poor people going to cheap private prostitutes, and rich people being secretly robbed.

In the shadowy corners, one or two plainly dressed, haggard-looking prostitutes could be seen secretly soliciting customers, while occasionally some richly dressed people would follow them in to experience life.

As Liu Yin watched all this, her heart was filled with endless turmoil. The human tragedies and comedies unfolding before her reminded her that this was no longer the peaceful and law-abiding society of her previous life, but a feudal society with a strict hierarchy, and she was at the very bottom of this society.

Because the alley behind Qingyin Hall was always exceptionally lively at night, the carriage arranged by Mama Xu could only turn from the main road into another, slightly quieter alley. The carriage clattered along the way, and the lights disappeared from her sight, along with the scenes of extravagance and debauchery. This alley, because of its remote location, made it seem completely different from the outside world, as if returning the quiet to the night as it should be.

"Miss...we've arrived at your residence." The carriage stopped, and the coachman outside whispered a reminder.

Liu Yin got off the carriage with Lan Yan. The newly cleaned gate of the Liu residence came into view, which made her feel a sense of security as if she were returning home.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard a familiar melody. Upon closer listening, she realized it was the same piece she had played that morning, only now with some new rhythms added intermittently.

Listening closely, one can vividly picture the scene. The music, initially joyful and uplifting, abruptly shifts, with a rapid rhythm accompanied by a melancholic melody. The man is conscripted into the army the day after his wedding, and the rapid beats, accompanied by a somewhat mournful and desolate tremolo, seem to tell the story of the man's valiant fight on the battlefield and the girl's daily waiting at home.

The music then grew softer and slower, eventually transitioning from sorrow to acceptance, like a girl who had waited her whole life to finally see her white-haired husband before she died, and finally let go of everything...

"Mother, this sequel is wonderful!" As Liu Yin entered the room, she saw Madam Liu holding a pipa and playing it in the corridor. As the music faded away, she couldn't help but applaud and praise her.

"You're back." Upon hearing the voice, Madam Liu handed the pipa to Aunt Qian and greeted her with a smile.

"Yes, Mother did a really good job with this follow-up, much better than mine." Liu Yin suppressed her desire to talk to Madam Liu about Luanqin and pulled Madam Liu aside to talk about the piece she had just heard.

“I always felt that you were too joyful after playing this morning. If you hadn’t been sad later, I felt like you wouldn’t have been able to catch your breath. Anyway, we’re free this afternoon, so let’s talk about it.” A blush appeared on Madam Liu’s beautiful face, adding to her charm, which made Liu Yin look at her in a daze.

“Mother looks so beautiful when she smiles, she should smile more often,” Liu Yin blurted out.

"Nonsense! How dare you make fun of me?" Madam Liu's face, which couldn't hide her joy, showed a hint of embarrassment and annoyance. She reached out and tapped Liu Yin's forehead before saying, "I think the imagery of a newlywed couple separating would be better. What do you think?"

“Of course it’s good. My daughter hadn’t thought it through, and now she’s got something ready-made that’s so good. How can she complain?” Liu Yin said with a smile as she helped Madam Liu toward the dining room.

"That's good. I'm glad you're happy. I noticed you looked unhappy yesterday. Is something bothering you?" Madam Liu looked at Liu Yin with great satisfaction, and her tone became even gentler.

"There is such a thing..." Liu Yin then recounted the matter of Prince Cui and what Mama Xu had mentioned earlier, and also briefly mentioned the matter of Luanqin.

“Xu Yanyan is foolish. How could she do such a sycophantic thing? If she continues to act like this, people will surely speculate that first-class courtesans are just as promiscuous as second- and third-class courtesans. You know, the reason why first-class courtesans are so valuable is because most of them only have one or two clients in their entire lives. With her actions, the status of first-class courtesans will definitely be shaken, and the other first-class brothels will never let her off the hook…” Madam Liu muttered angrily for a while, and then analyzed the pros and cons of the matter for Liu Yin before changing her tone and saying, “Seeing that Xu Yanyan’s situation is getting worse and worse, I think you should just give Luanqin a little reminder. After they are familiar with the tunes, you should only write lyrics at home and stay away from Qingyin Hall.”

"I do want to, but the indenture is still in Madam Xu's hands. I'll discuss it with her tomorrow and change the frequency. Anyway, I don't need to provide the music every day. I can discuss it again once the courtesans get used to it." Liu Yin nodded repeatedly after hearing this. She had long wanted to leave Qingyin Hall, but now she was stuck with the indenture. If she could get the bride to put in a good word for her, perhaps she could change it later.

After the mother and daughter finished their meal and chatted briefly, they returned to their respective rooms. Liu Yin couldn't sleep for a while, so she sat down at the table and wrote down three characters: "Candy". She wrote until around midnight.

After Lan Yan, who was keeping watch, woke up, she found that Liu Yin had not yet extinguished the candle: "Miss, it's late, you should rest early."

"It's past midnight..." Liu Yin yawned upon hearing the noise. Just then, the sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside, and she realized she was a little sleepy. "Alright, I know, you can go and rest."

After saying that, Liu Yin stood up and put the manuscript she had written away. Lan Yan saw Liu Yin get up and went to help her tidy up the desk. Only then did she notice that the wastepaper basket next to her was full of crumpled paper, which was also scattered on the ground.

Before she could think any further, she saw Liu Yin untying her hair, so she quickly came over to help her and helped Liu Yin change into her pajamas before taking her leave and returning to her small couch to rest.

After having breakfast and speaking with Madam Liu, Liu Yin went to Qingyin Hall to teach as usual. Just as she finished her morning classes, she heard a soft, sobbing sound coming from the backyard. Curious, Liu Yin went across the veranda to investigate.

There was a woman dressed in light brown linen, covering her face with a handkerchief and crying pitifully. Next to her, a seemingly handsome man was lying on the table, counting silver notes with a greedy expression. His greed ruined his otherwise handsome face, making him repulsive at first sight.

Just then, Xu's mother looked up and saw Liu Yin. She smiled and waved for her to come over. Although Liu Yin hesitated for a moment, she couldn't resist her curiosity and went over.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the woman who was weeping with her head down was dressed in simple, rough cloth, but was extremely clean and tidy. Her hair was neatly combed and tightly bound with a comb. Her hands were covered with chapped calluses, but the fair skin on her neck was faintly visible. It seemed that she must have come from a wealthy family. It was a mystery why she had ended up in such a state.

Just then, the man spoke up: "Is that all? Mama, how about adding a little more? She originally came from a wealthy family and was pampered for twenty years. Now she's only been with me for a year and a half, so she's just a bit overworked and her skin is rough. If she stays with you, she'll definitely recover after some rest at the brothel. What do you think..."

"Alright, Mr. Liu, that's enough. She's not a virgin after all, and she's getting on in years. It's only because of her good family background and her mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting that my Qingyin Hall would accept her. You can send her to a second or third-class brothel to try your luck." Madam Xu glanced at the fawning man, her eyes full of disdain.

"No, no, thank you, Madam Xu, thank you, Madam Xu, I'll be leaving now, I'll be leaving now..." Hearing that Madam Xu was having second thoughts, the man's expression changed, and he looked at Madam Xu even more obsequiously. He hurriedly stuffed the silver notes into his pocket, pushed the woman away, and left.

Seeing the woman looking at the man with despair, and recalling what the man had just said, Liu Yin immediately understood. This was clearly a case of seducing some young lady from who-knows-where, then going back on his word and selling her off. She glanced at Mama Xu, who shook her head at her, and then looked at the woman and said, "Alright, stop crying. Entering my Qingyin Hall is a blessing for you. If you study well, you won't have to suffer the sins of having your arms used as pillows by a thousand men and your lips tasted by ten thousand men. This is our Qingyin Hall's instructor; you should learn from her from now on."

"What's your name? How old are you?" After Xu's mother, looking annoyed by the crying, handed the girl over to Liu Yin and left, Liu Yin asked the woman.

“My surname is Zhang, and my maiden name is Zhang Yueniang. I am twenty-one years old this year…” Zhang Yueniang sobbed for a long time before she could finish her sentence.

After listening, Liu Yin nodded and chatted with the woman. Just as she had guessed, the woman came from a wealthy merchant family. When she went up the mountain to worship Buddha, she met a scholar who was staying at the temple. After several conversations, they secretly pledged their lives to each other and eloped with him, just like in the novels she had read. However, she suffered a lot of torment in just one year and was even sold into a brothel.

"You..." Liu Yin frowned, full of confusion. "You are also a young lady from a respectable family. You should be confined to your home and never leave your house. How did you meet a scholar and even become engaged to him...?"

"This servant...this servant doesn't know..." The woman looked up from her handkerchief at Liu Yin with a blank expression.

Liu Yin felt helpless under his gaze. After thinking for a moment, she continued to ask, "You...did your parents die young? Were you left without any upbringing?"

"This humble servant..." The woman paused for a moment, then began to sob and weep again, clutching her handkerchief...