How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

Liu Yin rubbed her temples, propped herself up with her aching body, and sat against the bed frame.

She opened her mouth, only to find her throat burning with dryness. She coughed lightly twice involuntarily, and immediately felt a metallic taste of blood in her throat. She knew that the cough had torn her parched throat and caused it to bleed. She could only endure it, prop herself up, and carefully place her legs on the edge of the bed.

She paused for a moment, then, despite her aching body, slowly moved to the table.

I picked up the teapot from the table and poured some water into the cup. Just as I was about to put the teapot back, my hand went limp, and the teapot fell onto the table with a loud "thud!"

She took a deep breath, braced her hands on the table, and was about to sit down on the embroidered stool to have some tea when she heard a "bang!" as the door was pushed open.

A familiar figure rushed in front of her.

"Sword Maiden? How is she?" The visitor was Wen Shuyun, who had come all the way from Yancheng.

"You... how did you get here?" Liu Yin was very surprised to see him.

"Sit down quickly and have some water." Wen Shuyun helped her sit down and, hearing her hoarse voice that was almost unusable, quickly handed her a glass of warm water.

Liu Yin drank some warm water to moisten her throat before looking at Wen Shuyun: "Tell me, why are you here?"

Seeing that her throat felt much better and her voice was clearer, Wen Shuyun said, "Zhu Mei and I have been waiting for you in Yancheng for so many years. Now that Yancheng doesn't need us anymore, we naturally have to come looking for you."

Liu Yin raised an eyebrow, but her face showed a hint of apology: "I'm sorry for keeping you stuck in Yancheng for so long."

Wen Shuyun chuckled and shook her head before saying, "No, I can help you. Let alone four years in Yancheng, what if it were fourteen or forty years? It's just that I always worry about you since you're not by my side."

Hearing him speak so bluntly, Liu Yin was taken aback before replying, "In the end, it was my poor planning that led me to not expect them to ambush me outside Yancheng. I even dared not return to Yancheng for a time, and in the end, I trapped you all in one place."

“I already said it wasn’t your fault. Besides, humans aren’t gods or monsters; how could they possibly plan everything perfectly? Moreover, these past years in Yancheng have solidified my knowledge through teaching, which can be considered an unexpected bonus,” Wen Shuyun replied with a smile.

Seeing that his smile remained unchanged, without a trace of gloom, Liu Yin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I still don't know how you found me?"

"That was quite unexpected," Wen Shuyun replied with a smile. "I knew you were coming to Weicheng, so I waited for you there with Zhu Mei for a long time. But after waiting for more than ten days, there was no sign of you or any news. I had no choice but to discuss with Zhu Mei to go out of the city together to see if there was any news around."

"Unexpectedly, just outside Nanshan County, I saw a father and daughter supporting Mei Wu. I didn't recognize her at first, but Zhu Mei recognized her. When I got closer, I saw that she was carrying you on her back."

"At that time, you were burning up with fever. A few people were about to take you into the city. Mei Wu was worried about your identity. Fortunately, we met."

"Did you bring new travel permits?" Liu Yin coughed lightly twice and asked curiously.

Wen Shuyun nodded: "Yes, we were worried that your identity was almost transparent now, so we got you a new travel permit from Yancheng."

As he spoke, he took a booklet out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Liu Yin took the booklet, glanced at it briefly, and then nodded in agreement.

"Should we use Cui Yinrong as the name?" Liu Yin asked, somewhat puzzled.

Wen Shuyun nodded and said to her, "You have been unconscious for several days and have not entered the city, so you are probably not very clear about what has happened recently."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Princess Duan'an has governed the five cities in the northwest very well. The army is also well-trained under the military books you taught, and has many elite soldiers and good generals. So she has revealed her name and claims that she was rescued by General He and stayed in Yancheng. Now she considers herself the lord of the five cities."

Liu Yin's heart skipped a beat: "The Emperor..."

Wen Shuyun knew what she was worried about, so she said, "There's no need to worry. The five cities in the Northwest are no small matter now, and the emperor won't take action against them anytime soon."

Liu Yin let out a soft sigh. She had always instructed Duan An to "stockpile grain and delay declaring herself king," and Duan An had done a good job. But now she had to divert attention from her, so Duan An had to expose herself early.

Wen Shuyun saw through her thoughts, gently patted her head, and said, "Don't worry, we know what we're doing, and Duan'an understands what she's doing too."

“That’s true, but the capital is in turmoil right now, and everyone is on edge. I’m afraid those princes will set their sights on Duan’an,” Liu Yin said.

“I think you’re overthinking it. Princess Duan’an is a girl, and she’s still young. If I were one of those princes, I certainly wouldn’t see her as an opponent, but rather as a force that can be won over. I just don’t know what methods they will use,” Wen Shuyun said.

Thinking of the three princes in the capital, Liu Yin couldn't help but show a hint of mockery on her face: "Them? They're nothing more than those who arrange marriages or promise more fiefdoms or titles."

Wen Shuyun smiled and said nothing. Liu Yin couldn't help but say again, "People like them never care about women. They just think that even though Duan'an is the lord of the five cities in the Northwest, she is still just a woman. Once she marries, the five cities will become their power."

"How ridiculous! Whether man or woman, once they've tasted power, how could they possibly hand over their fate to someone else?"

Liu Yin was right. After learning about Duan'an's current power, the three princes in the capital were not only envious but also greedy, wanting to take it over. And their idea was exactly as Liu Yin had guessed.

The Grand Prince's Mansion.

"You all say that the eldest son of the Wang family is as handsome as Pan An, has amazing talent, and is gentle and refined, making him a perfect match. What do you think of introducing him to Duan'an?" The eldest prince looked at his retainers in his study, hesitating about his thoughts.

“The only unmarried son of the Wang family’s eldest son is his second son. I’m afraid… Princess Duan’an wouldn’t be interested in him…” Mr. Zhang said.

“His eldest son is truly one in a million, but it’s a pity he’s already married…” another retainer replied.

The eldest prince sneered: "So what if he's married? If my royal princess takes a liking to him, let alone marriage, even if he has a child, he'll obediently divorce his wife and kill the child."

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, everyone remained unmoved, except for Lu Yuting, whose eyes flashed with astonishment before turning to helplessness.

"Then send the portraits of the eldest son of the Chen family, the eldest son and second son of the Wang family, the second son of the Xu family, and the third son of the Xue family to Princess Duan'an," Mr. Zhang said, raising an eyebrow.

The eldest prince nodded: "Then it's settled."

Lu Yuting thought for a moment and was about to raise an objection when a young retainer next to him tugged at his sleeve and gave him a look. He could only sigh deeply and say nothing more.

The second and third princes were basically thinking the same thing. Of course, in the materials they sent over, besides the talented individuals, there was also a letter promising fiefdoms and titles.

Inside the palace, the emperor, having received a report from his secret guards, knew everything. His eyes were deep as he gazed outside the hall, lost in thought...