Quick Transmigration: Only You Are the Desire of My Heart

The next morning, Song Qingyin got up.

She didn't rush to Wangyue Tower, but instead took a stroll around the town to gather information.

At noon, Linyuan Town was even more bustling than yesterday.

The streets were bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder. But this liveliness was tinged with an eerie restlessness. Most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, and the few that were open only had their owners peeking out cautiously. On the other hand, the street vendors were doing good business, selling hairpins and snacks, surrounded by a crowd who were all looking towards the town entrance.

The air was filled with the smells of sweat, dust, and cheap cosmetics emanating from the women, all enveloped in a mix of excitement and unease, like watching a theatrical performance.

Song Qingyin walked into a steamed bun shop and ordered two vegetable steamed buns and a bowl of thin porridge.

The shopkeeper was an old man in his fifties, hunched over, busy at the stove.

"Old man, I have a question for you." Song Qingyin took a bite of her steamed bun and asked casually, "Are people from this town often taken away by the Hehuan Sect?"

The old man paused in his work, looked up at her.

"Are you from out of town, young lady?"

"Ah."

"Then you'd better not meddle in other people's business." The old man lowered his head and continued kneading the dough. "The rules in this town are... there are no rules at all."

"I was just asking out of curiosity." Song Qingyin smiled. "I heard that the Hehuan Sect comes every three months, and each time they take quite a few people with them?"

The old man sighed.

"That's right, they take away more than a dozen each time, both men and women."

"Did they all go voluntarily?"

“Voluntary?” The old man sneered. “How many are truly voluntary? Most of them are people who couldn’t survive and were tricked by human traffickers.”

"Human traffickers?"

“There’s a woman named Wang who lives at the west end of the town. She specializes in deceiving those helpless girls in town, saying that they can enjoy happiness after entering the Hehuan Sect. But what’s the reality?” The old man lowered his voice, “Once you enter, you become a furnace, your essence is drained, and you’re not even left with a corpse.”

Song Qingyin gripped the bun in her hand tighter, the image of the plump woman from yesterday flashing through her mind.

"Then why is nobody doing anything about it?"

"Who dares to interfere?" The old man smiled bitterly. "The Joyful Union Sect is one of the three major demonic sects, and it has the Netherworld Blood Palace backing it up. Who dares to provoke it? The righteous sects are too busy taking care of themselves to deal with these matters."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, not everyone was tricked into going; some people genuinely wanted to go."

"sincere?"

"Yes, some men are just lustful. They hear that the Hehuan Sect is full of beauties, so they think about going there to have fun. And some women are already in the sex trade. They feel that rather than being defiled here, they might as well go to the Hehuan Sect, where they can at least learn some martial arts and maybe turn their lives around in the future."

Song Qingyin remained silent.

This world is more cruel than she imagined.

After she finished eating the steamed bun, she put down a few copper coins, got up, and left.

Wangyue Tower stands at the west end of town, a three-story wooden building that stands out starkly against the other drab houses. Painted entirely vermilion, its eaves are upturned and adorned with strings of exquisite copper bells. A gust of wind causes them to tinkle, like some seductive, alluring melody. Two burly men, resembling thugs, stand at the entrance, their chests bulging and their eyes scanning passersby like hawks.

When Song Qingyin arrived, a long queue had already formed at the entrance.

The group included both men and women, mostly between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, all dressed in their finest attire, as if afraid of being overlooked.

Song Qingyin stood at the end of the line, observing quietly.

At the front of the line sat two disciples of the Hehuan Sect, a man and a woman, both around twenty years old.

The man was fair-skinned with a flirtatious look in his eyes, while the woman wore heavy makeup and had a seductive smile.

They were registering people in line, occasionally reaching out to touch them, which made the girls giggle.

Song Qingyin frowned.

The line moved very slowly, and it took a full hour before it was her turn.

The female disciple looked up at her, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

"Someone like you thinks he can join the Joyful Union Sect?"

Song Qingyin lowered her head, her voice timid.

"I...I heard that as long as you sign up, you can go..."

"You can register, but whether you'll be selected is another matter." The female disciple looked her up and down. "You look terrible, and you're so skinny, like a bamboo pole."

The male disciple next to him laughed.

"Don't say that, junior sister." He leaned closer and stared into Song Qingyin's eyes. "This girl is a bit thin, but she has nice eyes. If she dresses up, she might be a beauty."

As he spoke, he reached out to lift Song Qingyin's chin.

Song Qingyin dodged to the side and took a step back.

"Do not touch me."

The male disciple was stunned for a moment, then laughed even harder.

"Wow, that's pretty strong." He licked his lips. "I like this kind of thing, it's interesting."

The female disciple rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, stop fooling around." She picked up a pen and wrote a few words in the notebook, "What's your name?"

"Song Qing".

Song Qingyin made up a pseudonym on the spot.

"age?"

"eighteen."

Where is home?

"Homeless".

The female disciple nodded and wrote a few more strokes in the booklet.

"Alright, meet at the town entrance tomorrow at noon. Someone will come to pick you up. Remember, don't be late, and don't even think about running away, or else..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the threat in her eyes was unmistakable.

Song Qingyin nodded and turned to leave.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard the male disciple's voice behind me.

"and many more."

Song Qingyin stopped and turned around.

The male disciple walked over and his eyes swept over her.

"Your outfit is too shabby. Don't go like this tomorrow, or you definitely won't get selected."

"Then what should I do?"

“Simple.” The male disciple took out a small bottle from his pocket and handed it to her. “This is a special rouge made by our Hehuan Sect. Applying it to your face will make your skin whiter. Take a good bath tonight, apply this, and you’ll definitely catch people’s eyes tomorrow.”

Song Qingyin took the bottle and glanced at it.

The bottle contained a light pink, creamy substance with a faint fragrance.

"How much?"

"It's free." The male disciple smiled meaningfully. "Consider it a small gift from me to you. However..."

"But what?"

"But if you really get selected, don't forget me." He lowered his voice. "I'll take care of you in the sect."

Looking at his greasy face, Song Qingyin felt a wave of nausea.

But she still nodded, feigning gratitude.

"Thank you very much, sir."

"You're too kind." The male disciple waved his hand. "Go ahead, and remember to come early tomorrow."

Song Qingyin turned and left. After taking a few steps, she casually threw the bottle of rouge into the ditch by the roadside.