How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

As the entertainment district became more bustling with the three major operas, the Liu family in Yong'an Lane became increasingly quiet. Ever since Liu Yin returned from her discussion with Madam Xu that day, she had been staying at home organizing her manuscripts and working on the lyrics and music.

Contrary to what others thought—that Liu Yin would be adept at writing lyrics and music but would find the process more troublesome—Liu Yin was currently struggling with the very issue of lyrics and music.

Although she had studied the pipa for many years in her previous life, she was not a professional musician. She relied on the memories of the original Qingyin body to write lyrics and music, and with the help of Madam Liu, she completed a decent piece called "Lianyu".

However, she originally wanted to make a living by writing lyrics and music, and could not rely on Madam Liu's help every time. Therefore, she resolutely refused Madam Liu's help before, and only hoped that she could complete it herself. Even if it could not be as complete as "Lianyu", it should at least have some originality.

After a month of burying herself in thought, she finally made some progress and went out happily, which was a rare treat.

"It's finally out! Is there any progress now?" After a month of deep thought, Liu Yin finally went out, which made Madam Liu, who was sitting in the veranda teasing the birds, quite happy. She had been worried about Liu Yin these past few days.

"I'm sorry to have worried Mother." Liu Yin stretched and squinted at the warm sunlight, revealing a happy smile. Then she quickly walked to Madam Liu's side, took the birdseed from Zhu Mei's hand, and started playing with the bird with Madam Liu. "Where did this bird come from?"

"Your master sent it to her, someone else gave it to her, but she complained that the bird was too noisy, insisting that our family is so lively and doesn't need the bird's chirping." Madam Liu's face still showed some helplessness, and then she asked about the lyrics and music, of course, she did not forget to comfort Liu Yin, "How are the lyrics and music? Don't be stressed, life is full of disappointments, no one can stay at the top forever."

"I know, Mother." Liu Yin naturally knew that Madam Liu was afraid that she would get stuck on things because she had set her sights too high and was focused on stunning the world, which would ruin her mindset. However, she had lived two lives and was no longer a young woman, so she naturally had nothing to be upset about. "Now that it's almost finished, I'll have Zhu Mei accompany me to the brothel this afternoon so that the prostitutes can try it out and make some adjustments."

Madam Liu nodded without saying anything. She believed that Qingyin, with her temperament, would arrange everything herself, and that her concern just now was merely a mother's worry. Liu Yin also knew this and was very grateful for Madam Liu's concern, and she also enjoyed this moment of warmth between them.

Around noon, after having lunch, Liu Yin sat with Madam Liu in the courtyard for a while before taking Zhu Mei to Qingyin Hall.

After knocking on the back door, it took quite a while before Aunt Zhou, who was accompanying Mama Xu, came to open the door in a panic. Before Liu Yin could ask anything, Aunt Zhou glanced back nervously when she saw it was her, and hurriedly raised her hand to push her away, saying hastily, "Please come again tomorrow, Master of Education. It's a bit inconvenient in the hall today."

Before Liu Yin could even ask questions, Aunt Zhou pushed harder, urging her on while pushing her out. Liu Yin had no choice but to follow her force. But before the dark side door could close, a voice rang out: "Since there are guests, why not invite them in?"

Upon hearing this voice, Aunt Zhou froze, standing there motionless, only managing to give Liu Yin a meaningful look through the crack in the door. Liu Yin wasn't stupid; she naturally sensed something was wrong. She and Zhu Mei were about to turn and leave when they saw two tall, muscular men in short jackets standing not far behind them, waiting for them.

"Miss...Miss." Zhu Mei had never seen such a scene before, and she stammered in fright. Her hand involuntarily grabbed the hem of Liu Yin's clothes, but her body involuntarily took a step forward, wanting to protect Liu Yin behind her.

Touched by her protection, Liu Yin patted her hand reassuringly, knowing that she probably couldn't leave now. Since that was the case, she had nothing to be afraid of. Holding Zhu Mei's hand, she turned around, pushed open the side gate, smiled at the frightened Aunt Zhou to comfort her, and then looked at the person who had spoken.

This was a middle-aged man, dressed in a brown robe with a slightly dark towel tied around his waist. His clothes were neither new nor old. Liu Yin could tell at a glance from the wrinkles on his clothes and his habitually slightly hunched back that he was a steward often used by wealthy families. The wrinkles and the hunchback were caused by bowing every day. However, she couldn't figure out which family's steward he was. But she didn't need to think too much about it. As if he could read her mind, he introduced himself directly: "I am a steward of the Anle Prince's Mansion. My surname is Liu. This lady can just call me Steward Liu."

Liu Yin was naturally unaware that this person had a very unpleasant argument with Cui Heng on the second floor on the day Luanqin first went public. When she heard about the Anle Prince's Mansion, she had a bad feeling. The prince of the Anle Prince's Mansion was her cousin, and she had even met Cui Shizi once before. It was because of his arrogance and his cruelty to Xiao Guozi that she was inspired to write "Candy Fruit" and made her determined to do something for the women of the red-light district in this time and space.

That brutality left a deep impression on her, and she couldn't imagine what good it would be for the Prince Anle's Mansion to appear at Qingyin Hall. But she had no choice but to suppress her mixed emotions and replied with a slight smile, "This gentleman has the wrong title. I am not a courtesan in this hall; I am just here to find someone."

Liu Yin wasn't sure if the other party knew her true identity, so she tentatively reminded them that she wasn't a member of Qingyin Hall, that the matter couldn't be traced back to her, and that the best thing would be to let her leave.

"Oh?" Manager Liu seemed unsurprised by Liu Yin's reaction and said with interest, "Since you're not from the brothel, then you must be Liu Jianniang, the daughter of the Liu family in Yong'an Lane."

Before Liu Yin could react, he continued, "Miss Liu is now a very popular figure in the red-light district. No amount of money can buy a single song from you. It is fate that we have met today. Why don't you come with us?"

Hearing him say this, Liu Yin knew she couldn't escape this trip, so she didn't say anything more. She took Zhu Mei and followed Steward Liu toward the main hall of Qingyin Hall, while the two guards behind her carried Aunt Zhou like a chick.

Like every other brothel in the red-light district, Qingyintang's main hall featured a low stage in the center, connected to a staircase leading to the second floor. Various round tables were placed in front of the stage. However, Xu Mama's aesthetic sense was quite good, and with her initial suggestion, Qingyintang's decor leaned towards an elegant and classical style. Gauze curtains were hung in front of the tables and chairs in the corridor, creating a subtly ambiguous atmosphere. This style of decoration became a popular trend in the red-light district at that time, and others followed suit.

However, the hall was no longer decorated with any exquisite style. Many of the gauze curtains had been torn off, and some of the tables and chairs had been overturned. Madam Xu and the servants were surrounded by a group of guards. A man dressed similarly to Steward Liu, but with more exquisite clothes and higher-grade fabric, sat at a table that had not yet been overturned, slowly sipping a cup of tea.