How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

'It's already a bit of a delay. If not, I'll play a classic piece from my past life tomorrow. I hope it won't be too much of a shock to me now...' Liu Yin looked at the bed ceiling covered with soft, lotus-colored gauze curtains, her expression blank and full of uncertainty about the future. In her past life, she relied on the peace of a society governed by the rule of law to do all sorts of things. Although she eventually went too far, she was still just a girl in her early twenties. Faced with this kind of oppression that had no human rights, she was filled with fear about her environment and future.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh again. The sweet whispers and love songs from outside drifted in through the door, while the soft moans from the rooms next door also intruded, forcing Liu Yin to cover her head with the blanket. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she remembered the reckless Hongyu in the backyard. A quote from a great writer flashed through her mind: "People's joys and sorrows are not shared; I only find their noise bothersome." Shaking her head to shake off the somewhat nonsensical thoughts, she looked at the ceiling and slowly drifted off to sleep.

After a long while, Liu Yin was still drowsy from the torment of her dream when a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. A little maid ran over and shook her awake: "Madam! Madam! Wake up!"

She was half asleep when she slightly opened her eyes and saw a dark mass in front of her. She forced her eyes open and was startled by a large, childlike, and anxious face. Before she could react, the person in the face turned from anxious to happy: "Wife! Get up quickly, Mother wants you to wait in the backyard right away!"

"Huh?" Liu Yin had just come to her senses when, before she could even hear what the other person was saying, she was pulled off the bed. She looked groggily as Jiao'er busied herself rummaging through her clothes, and of course, she didn't forget to hand her a damp cloth to smear on her face to help her wake up.

"What's wrong, Jiao'er?" Only then did Liu Yin realize that she had been in a daze all night. It was already dawn, the sun had not yet risen in the distance, and the moon could still be vaguely seen hanging in the sky. She was dazed as the other person draped a coat over her and pushed her outside. She quickly grabbed the other person's hand and asked again.

"Wife, don't delay any longer. Mother is urging us on. I don't want to be punished. Hurry up and go!" Jiao Jie'er urged her repeatedly with a hint of impatience and fear on her face. Liu Yin had no choice but to follow her lead and leave the house.

'We're all entertaining guests at this hour, why are you calling us out? Do you expect me to go to Yanxia Courtyard to serve that pervert?' Liu Yin became increasingly bewildered, and a sense of fear arose in her heart. She stopped in her tracks, but before she could even stand up straight, Jiao Jie'er led her forward quickly.

Looking at the young woman in front of her, whose delicate figure, though only fourteen or fifteen years old, already showed signs of curves, she suddenly thought, "She's about to be listed." As soon as the thought came out, she startled herself, wondering why she had suddenly thought of that. Perhaps it was fear of the unknown, but her thoughts drifted back to the young woman's identity.

In first-class establishments like Qingyintang, the courtesans were strictly divided into different ranks. When they went out, they needed to be accompanied, and on a daily basis, they needed to be served. This led to servants like Jiaojie'er. Married girls who styled their hair were called Niangyi, while unmarried young girls were called Qiaogu. Most of the unmarried girls were future prostitutes, while many of the married girls were older and less attractive prostitutes looking for work to make a living. In short, they were all people of the establishment, born and dying there.

The girl who was following Liu Yin was originally named Yueya. She was sold into Qingyin Hall by her own mother when she was seven years old. She had been following the original owner ever since. She was always innocent and a bit of a blabbermouth who couldn't keep secrets. Because of her delicate appearance, she was called Jiaojie'er. After Liu Yin's observation after the transmigration, she found that this girl did not have much affection for Qing Yin.

"What's wrong?" Liu Yin yawned repeatedly, still asking Jiao Jie'er as she walked out.

"I don't know either, but Mother said we should come and call the ladies from each house to the backyard. Ladies, don't dawdle, hurry up and walk a few steps. You can come back to sleep after you've finished your business. Anyway, ladies don't have to entertain guests." Jiao Jie'er pulled Liu Yin and quickened her pace.

Hearing the undisguised resentment in the other person's voice, Liu Yin had no choice but to stop asking questions for the time being. Judging from what Jiao Jie'er said, it shouldn't be the tragedy she thought. If that's the case, then she doesn't have to worry about it.

Liu Yin lived on the third floor. As she walked down the stairs, she discovered that not only she, but also the wives in each room had been called out. Some of the wives looked like they had been working hard all night and were yawning and looking impatient. Some were lazily wearing a coat, which concealed the fact that they were only wearing a bodice underneath. Some were impatiently scolding the maid Qiao Gu who was serving them, while others were quietly and gently comforting the guests.

However, perhaps because Liu Yin came out quite late, she only encountered seven or eight male prostitutes along the way. Since it was still early, everyone looked tired and did not greet each other, but just nodded to each other and walked towards the backyard.

Upon arriving at the backyard, Liu Yin saw the remaining seven or eight girls with name tags hanging around their necks, their clothes askew and their expressions listless. Some leaned against pillars, some sat languidly on stone benches, some complained to each other in twos and threes, some dressed neatly and looked lonely, and some covered their mouths and giggled, their laughter as sweet as nightingales. Each of them was stunningly beautiful, dressed in gorgeous clothes and with charming expressions. It was just a pity that these beauties, each with their own unique charm, all had an air of worldliness that could not be concealed in their eyes and brows.

As soon as she stepped in, everyone's gaze turned to her. "Wow..." she couldn't help but exclaim in her heart. These women would be considered the pinnacle of beauty even in the entertainment industry where beauties gathered in her previous life.

"Qingyin is here too?" A woman dressed in a peach-colored brocade skirt lazily draped an outer robe over her shoulders, revealing her snow-white chest without any attempt to conceal it, and walked up to Liu Yin while covering her yawns with a handkerchief.

"Sister Yiyun, Jiao'er called me over in a hurry, but she couldn't speak clearly. I wonder if you know why Mother asked for this." Yiyun was five or six years older than Liu Yin and was now considered an elder in the brothel. She was known for her unrestrained behavior but also for her chivalrous spirit. She was considered the eldest sister among the courtesans, and the original owner of this body had a good relationship with her.

"Why should you worry about her? I told you before, your Qiaogu is all talk and no action, but you kept using her. This time she'll learn her lesson. You should train her properly so she doesn't ruin your reputation. You should plan for the future. By the way, before you even arrived, the sisters had already heard what that person said." She raised her chin slightly, glancing sideways at someone beside her, then said with a worried and concerned expression, "If it doesn't work out, the sisters will speak on your behalf. Even staying in the main hall as a maid is better than going to the brothel."

"Hmm... I understand. Thank you for reminding me, sister. Don't worry, I already have a plan in mind. Let's talk about it tomorrow. Perhaps there's still room for maneuver." Liu Yin knew this was the concern of her close sisters, so she took her hand and whispered. Then she mentioned Jiao'er, "Don't worry about Jiao'er. I reckon she'll go and tell Mother to change the person in a couple of days."

Upon hearing that she already had a plan, the worry and tension in her eyes eased somewhat. She turned around and nodded to her sisters, who were watching the group with concern. They also breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and greeted Liu Yinyao, then glanced at Jiao'er who was with Qiao Gu and the others, and whispered to Liu Yinyao, "If you have a plan in mind, that's fine. In this world, we sisters should support each other."

Liu Yin smiled and agreed, glancing at where Yi Yun had nodded. She then noticed several familiar courtesans huddled in a corner, with girls who hadn't yet been formally registered studying behind them. She looked at Yi Yun, about to ask why these girls had come over, when she heard a voice from the side: "Oh, Qing Yin is here too. She's definitely better off than us, no need to entertain guests, living a carefree life. She's becoming more and more radiant."

She looked up and saw that the other woman was dressed in a red dress and skirt, embroidered with golden peonies. Her hair was styled in a crooked bun with gold tassels hanging down, and a few red velvet flowers in the shape of peonies were pinned to the other side. She looked elegant and wealthy.

However, her red outfit, like the other courtesans dressed in red, was somewhat frivolous and exuded a worldly air. Ordinary people would never wear this kind of red, nor would they wear any other proper red...

Just as Liu Yin was about to reply, she heard Xu Mama's voice behind her: "They're all here?"

Upon hearing the sound, the flower maids steadied themselves, straightened their clothes, and stood there cautiously with their heads down and eyes lowered, exuding a sense of docility and respect. Some of them looked fearful and cautiously moved slightly into the shadows. Liu Yin glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, then also lowered her head slightly and stood there without saying a word, pretending to be frightened.

"Mom, why are you only arriving now? Master Xu is waiting for his daughter." The suffocating silence was broken by a charming voice. Liu Yin didn't even look up before she knew that the speaker must be the woman in red from before. She was Xu Yueling, the biological daughter of Madam Xu. Naturally, she wouldn't be as timid as the others in front of her mother.

"You, you, stand still. I've already had the teapots appease Master Xu and the other guests. You should just listen carefully here." Madam Xu always doted on her daughter, and seeing her daughter acting so coquettishly, she immediately spoke up to comfort her. Her slightly raised voice was also a warning to the other courtesans not to use this as an excuse to cause trouble.

The flower girls didn't care whether they were listening or not; they just stood there looking like wooden statues.

Madam Xu didn't mind. After waving her hand to let them into the stone house in the back, she turned to the courtesans and said, "You usually look down on this and that, probably because you're used to being fawned over by the men. I don't blame you. It's good for first-class courtesans to have a bit of pride. But there's one thing you should remember from the moment you sold yourselves into this brothel: the men are your masters. Serving your masters is a matter of course. Anyone who dares to seduce customers should think twice."

“I don’t care if you’re an actress or a womanizer. As long as you can make money, you can do whatever you want. But if you dare to cancel our plans or spoil our fun because of your actresses, we’ll teach you a lesson. If you admit your mistake and correct it, I’ll let you continue to live a carefree life. But if you never repent, that’s what will happen to you. Drag her up here!” With a wave of her hand, Madam Xu’s helpers dragged Hongyu up.

At this moment, Hongyu's exquisite dress had been reduced to tattered rags, unable to conceal even a hint of her springtime beauty. Of course, none of the other women around her paid attention to this unexpected display of springtime beauty; instead, they all gasped and took a few steps back.

Several courtesans who were on good terms with Hongyu instinctively stepped forward to help her up, but were stopped by the other courtesans. After whispering something, they left behind only a few pale and terrified faces. Some courtesans who were not on good terms with Hongyu could not suppress the schadenfreude in their eyes. There were also courtesans who had acted similarly to Hongyu but were not so blatant, their faces filled with panic and lingering fear.

"is her……"

“Red Jade…”

A few soft pattering sounds of rain rose from the crowd, but were instantly silenced by Xu's mother's gaze. For a moment, the only sound in the backyard was the faint snoring coming from inside the building.

The woman before him, Hongyu, was no longer human. Only her face remained as beautiful as ever, her pale complexion adding to her allure. But if one looked down, her once fair skin was now covered in layers upon layers of bloody marks, each one a long, thin line like a red spider web covering her body. Beneath the bloody claw marks were whip marks, some red, some purple, some black, all swollen and prominent.

Madam Xu walked up to Hongyu, grabbed her hair, and showed it to everyone before taking the maid's handkerchief to wipe her hands and saying, "See? This is what it means to be unrepentant. This brothel has everything except women, and it certainly doesn't lack beautiful, sensible, and charming women. If you're not sensible and charming, the men won't come. If you don't come, I won't make any money. If I don't make any money, don't blame me for finding ways to earn it. Someone, drag her to the brothel."

Upon hearing the words "Yanxia Courtyard," the other courtesans, like Liu Yin before them, all changed their expressions. Even the sisters who had previously been at odds with each other showed no schadenfreude whatsoever. They looked at Hongyu on the ground with eyes full of sympathy and pity, and some of the sisters also had a deep sense of sorrow for their kind.

“This… Mom, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? We should just discipline her properly. After all, this is Hongyu’s first time making a mistake. It’s a bit too harsh to treat her so seriously. Besides, if we throw her in that courtyard, I’m afraid it will be hard for Master Zhang to accept. After all, she’s only been a courtesan for so long…” The courtesans fell silent, only whispering “Yes.” Then, Xu Yueling, who was standing nearby, turned her eyes and pulled her mother to speak up and persuade her.

The flower maids knew that the other party certainly did not have good intentions, but if they could save Hongyu this time, it would not be a bad thing, so they all stood there and persuaded her.

"It's just bad luck for her. Why did she have to refuse now, when Master Zhang was entertaining important guests? She made Master Zhang lose face. How could he let her off the hook?" Madam Xu said coldly, then pointed at Xu Yueling, "You better behave yourself and stop thinking up any crooked ideas."

"..." Seeing her mother's expression, Xu Yueling knew that her plan was doomed. She pursed her lips, flicked her handkerchief, and stood there glancing sideways at Hongyu, seemingly lost in thought.

Following Xu Mama's instructions, the women dragged the unaware Hongyu out through the side gate without delay. Everyone glanced at each other but said nothing. It wasn't until Lady Yiyun led the way, bowing to Xu Mama and going into the building, that the other women followed.

One by one, the group of people, holding hands and arm in arm, gathered in twos and threes, whispering about Hongyu.

"How could Hongyu be so foolish..."

"Whose fault is that? She's stupid. She's looking for true love in a brothel, yet she still keeps her chastity. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"She's still young, only been listed for a year, what does she know? You just wait and see if her little patron comes or not..."

"They're all selling, so who's better than whom? We're not as lucky as this guy..."

Liu Yin followed behind the flower girls, falling behind the group. Seeing that everyone's attention had turned to her, she didn't want to say anything more, pretending that she hadn't understood. Just as she turned a corner and passed through the gate, she heard several light shouts from ahead: "Where did this brat come from! What are you doing barging in! Hey!"

"Where's your help? Where the hell are you? Letting someone break into your house so early in the morning?"

……

With a few soft shouts, Liu Yin saw a handsome young man dressed in a white scholar's robe with green trim. He looked nervous and was clutching a dark package tightly in his arms. He rushed straight into her arms.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Before Liu Yin could say anything, the boy apologized repeatedly and rushed into the backyard without turning around.

"That patron...?" Liu Yin glanced behind her and vaguely saw a young man pleading with Xu Mama. She immediately thought of the young patron the courtesans had mentioned. Although the young man was of boyish stature, he still had a touch of childish innocence. She shook her head inwardly. Just then, Hong Yujing heard a soft shout. A young man dressed in scholar's robes bumped into her. The young man apologized repeatedly and got up to chase after the young man in the backyard.

Liu Yin looked down and saw a delicate jade pendant in her arms: "Young master! You've dropped your things!"

Upon hearing this, the young man touched his belt and quickly turned around to thank her, but he froze when he saw Liu Yin. He saw a girl in front of him wearing a plain inner garment and an embroidered outer robe, which covered her beautiful figure and made her look even more petite. Her hair was tied up in a slanted bun, which could not hide her elegant and noble air. It was a pity that her face was covered by a white veil, and he wondered what kind of beauty was behind the veil.

The young man was only in a daze for a moment before he came to his senses and thanked Liu Yin with a embarrassed expression: "Thank you, madam. I was rude."

At this moment, Liu Yin's mind was completely focused on Hong Yu, and she did not notice the young man's actions at all. She nodded, handed the jade pendant to him, and turned to leave, not noticing the young man behind her looking back every few steps.