How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

“Madam Xue, I have done as you said, you…you…” Master Xu looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, his heart was not stirred, but filled with fear. Especially when he glanced at the guard in black with a murderous aura not far away, he trembled and continued to say in a trembling voice, “Liu Jianniang…Liu Jianniang has accepted the challenge, and is just waiting…just waiting for arrangements here.”

"Besides the Prefect, the Li family, the Zhang family, and the Lin family, why are the other families involved?" Madam Xue ignored his fear and instead asked about other matters.

"No... I don't know. After I spread the news, they suddenly sent me a letter, giving similar reasons, only saying it was for the reputation of Huaicheng..." Master Xu kept his head down.

"Alright, I'll be bringing my disciples on stage that day, so it's best not to reveal my identity. Keep a close eye on things and don't cause any trouble." Seeing that he genuinely didn't know, Madam Xue let the matter drop and instead gave him some instructions for the upcoming competition.

"Yes," Master Xu quickly replied, and Madam Xue left without saying anything more.

Master Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. He was unaware that when Madam Xue left and returned to her room, the man who Master Xu had identified as her guard immediately followed her and respectfully said, "Please inform His Highness, Commander, that things may have changed, and it seems that someone else has interfered in this matter."

The man looked at her coldly and said, "It's alright, His Highness has his own arrangements. As long as Instructor Xue wins this competition, that's all that matters. If she loses..."

Although the man's words were incomplete, the murderous intent in them made Madam Xue realize what the consequences would be if she lost. Of course, she was not surprised, after all, she knew all too well the methods of the prince she served.

“If others get involved in this matter, the outcome may not be satisfactory.” Although she knew she might be reprimanded, Madam Xue still offered her opinion: “I think it would be better to have one of our people set the questions.”

“No, since someone has interfered in this matter, it will certainly not go as you and I wish. I will think of other solutions. You should focus on preparing for the competition.” The man was also somewhat worried, but after thinking about it for a while, he still did not agree with Madam Xue’s idea.

The man carefully explained the importance of Madam Xue's upcoming competition, and then threatened her several times before leaving.

After he left, a young girl entered from outside. She was the same girl who had entered the city with Madam Xue. She came in with a worried expression and asked Madam Xue directly, "Master... I saw that person... seemed displeased. Has something happened?"

"It's alright, your master is here. My dear, go and cultivate your mind well. The competition is in a few days." Madam Xue looked at her favorite little apprentice and patted her head with a smile.

"Yes, I've been practicing the zither every day these past few days, I'm sure I'll win this time," the girl replied obediently.

"You don't need to practice your skills for the next two days. Your skills have already reached a high level; what you lack is the tempering of your mindset. I've heard of that Instructor Liu's works; they are indeed impressive, especially his mental state. So, these next few days, have your senior brother accompany you to wander around the streets and observe carefully. We will definitely win this time." Madam Xue looked at her obedient disciple and suddenly felt a pang of regret, unsure whether it was right or wrong to have dragged her into this vortex...

This time of year coincides with the autumn harvest. Many people from outside the city like to bring wild vegetables and fruits from the mountains and forests into the city to sell, hoping to supplement their income and make the winter more comfortable. As a result, people in the city also like to go to the market to buy some fresh and cheap fruits to add some flavor to their families. Wealthy families also like to have their servants buy some rare items for their elders to taste on this day.

Because of these factors, this period is the liveliest time in Huaicheng. Not only is the inner city bustling, but even the already lively red-light districts are becoming even more lively because men have more money in their hands during this time.

However, compared to the usual scenes of previous years, this year everyone witnessed a more talked-about event. Although it has not yet started, the magnificent stage set up on the widest and largest street has already made a splash.

"Hey bro, can you tell me what this platform is for?" A man wearing shorts with pudding on them looked at the platform with curiosity, then looked around and asked a friendly-looking man.

The man being questioned was also dressed in shorts, but his clothes and clothing were better than the man who asked the question, so he must be a local from Huaicheng. The other man, on the other hand, was obviously from a village outside the city. The man seemed to have never been treated with much respect before, and he suddenly became flustered by the respect he was being shown. He coughed lightly before introducing the man with feigned suspense: "This is quite a story. You know that Huaicheng has a poet named Liu Jianniang, right?"

"I know, I know. There's someone from our village who works as a shop assistant in town. He even came back home and taught us that fruit recipe, I think. It moved my wife to tears for days." The man in the short jacket nodded repeatedly and sighed. "I heard it was written by a woman, and she's really talented. My wife even told me to work hard and earn money so that our daughter won't end up like that..."

“Candy,” the man from the city corrected before continuing, “That’s right. Instructor Liu is famous now. Some people who are not convinced by her have issued challenges to her.”

"Wow, that's incredible! I wonder if we'll ever have a chance to see it." The man in the short jacket exclaimed in surprise, then looked regretful.

"I heard, I heard it starts the day after tomorrow. You should bring your family and come early to secure a spot," the man said kindly, seeing how highly the other person regarded him.

The man in short clothes nodded repeatedly after hearing this, saying that he would definitely bring his wife and children to see this rare sight. After saying goodbye to the other party, he used the money he had earned from selling his goods to buy some rice, oil, and salt, and then met up with the villagers. After they met up, they talked about the platform on the mainland while on the donkey cart.

"I wonder what that platform is for. Maybe we can come and see something interesting in a few days," a woman said.

“I know, I know…” the man in the short jacket quickly began to recount what he had heard to everyone.

Everyone was quite interested after hearing this, but some of the poor families hesitated because they had to go to the city the day after tomorrow. However, the woman who spoke first, who was dressed in a cloth dress with few patches and newer fabric, was clearly well-off in the village. She spoke without hesitation and said, "I don't care about you. I will definitely bring my children that day. I have lived half my life and have never seen anything like this."

Hearing the woman say this, several people from families with relatively good financial conditions hesitated, but after a moment they all nodded and said they would bring their families to see this rare sight.