The sound of the qin suddenly stopped, Qin An paused and focused.

Inside the flower boat, there was a hubbub of voices. The people of Huaiyuan County and foreign guests were gradually escorted into the private rooms surrounded by the chatter of women.

Occasional coquettish laughter came from the compartments, its meaning unmistakable.

Qin An lightly tapped the scabbard of the Cold Star Saber at his waist with his knuckles, turning to appraise the woman approaching gracefully, a barely perceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Since it is a pleasant evening, why not step inside for a talk?"

There was a faint trace of Evil Qi emanating from the woman, yet Qin An could feel that the woman before him was not a demonic Pseudo-God, but a living person.

If a person has Evil Qi on the surface, they must have had contact with demonic Pseudo-Gods.

Since that is the case, let's go along with the flow and see if any clues can be found.

The gauzy-clad woman gave a shallow smile, turning to bend forward in invitation, fully revealing the curves of her waist and back before Qin An: "Sir, please follow me."

Qin An nodded slightly, his hand resting on the hilt of the Cold Star Saber as he strode into the room.

The room was fairly spacious, the furnishings in the private chamber elegant, resembling the quarters of a noble lady.

If not for being in a place of revelry, one might mistakenly think they had entered a literary household.

In the lingering scent of sandalwood, Qin An's nostrils twitched, a mocking look flashing in his eyes: "Enchantment substance?"

He was at the seventh level in the profession of a healer, thoroughly familiar with all types of pharmaceuticals.

The sandalwood on the table was mixed with enchantment substances, causing those who entered the room to feel disoriented and entranced.

Though not exactly poison, once captivated by its scent, any subsequent pleasure enjoyed with the women in the room would be heightened.

"No wonder so many people come; it's due in part to these items." Qin An chuckled coldly inwardly.

Behind him came the sound of a door closing.

The gauzy-clad woman gracefully moved like a lotus, sitting at the table and conveniently picking up a pipa beside her.

Pink ribbons wrapped around the pipa created a highly suggestive impression.

"Sir, please sit; would you like me to play a tune for your entertainment?"

Qin An sat boldly at the table, speaking indifferently: "If we are not here for intimate pleasures, why engage in pretense?"

The purpose of coming here was self-evident.

Though he spoke casually, the gauzy-clad woman shook her head slightly.

"It's the flower boat's rule that only when the lantern shadows fade can one fully revel. Sir, please be patient and enjoy a few songs before acting freely."

Qin An squinted his eyes, teasingly saying: "Unexpected that a little flower boat would have such rules; how interesting."

At ordinary places of entertainment, once one is inside, music can be enjoyed, drinks consumed, and intimate acts commenced immediately.

However, the rules of this flower boat are quite numerous.

If the girls here weren't first-rate, and if it weren't for enchantment substances aiding the experience, those with poor temper would likely have grown impatient long ago.

"These are the rules of the flower boat; all who enter must abide."

The gauzy-clad woman plucked the pipa strings with her fingertips, speaking softly: "Sir, rest assured that when the lights dim, whatever you desire, I will fulfill."

Qin An lifted the wine cup from the table, gently swirling the wine inside without sipping it.

The wine likewise contained enchantment substances, complementing the sandalwood's enchantment substances and magnifying the effects when combined.

However, such substances had no effect on experts like Qin An who were at the Returning to Storage Realm.

Having discussed matters to this point, Qin An signaled for the gauzy-clad woman to play the pipa.

The woman made no further comment; her fingers flowed like water, and the pipa strings swirled like clouds, the gentle pipa sounds resonating with the strings, echoing through the room.

"You do have some skill." Qin An squinted his eyes, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers.

The tune was indeed played well, reminding Qin An of a joke from his previous life.

Discussing the differences between modern and ancient places of pleasure.

Modern women called out "big brother," whereas ancient women were skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

In this experience, Qin An felt like a grand patron.

During the interval between playing, Qin An asked.

"Will the courtesan appear today? Do you know the time?"

The gauzy-clad woman's fingers paused slightly, casting a strange look at Qin An: "Surely you know the courtesan's room has long been open; whoever pays most can enter."

"I simply found the gentleman unfamiliar, so I intercepted you along the way, to start with someone myself."

Qin An raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing an expression of realization, speaking no further.

With the waiting required until the lights flickered, he decided to continue waiting, curious about what might occur on this flower boat.

Once Qin An entered the flower boat, he sensed his proximity to the Earth Vein Crystal increasing.

It was either inside this flower boat or at the bottom of the lake.

There were no other possibilities.

Seeing Qin An fall silent, the gauzy-clad woman, though puzzled by the guest's inquiry, continued playing the pipa.

The saying goes, "Lightly clasped, slowly pinched, swept and picked again," with the pipa sound being the most enchanting.

As Qin An kept the rhythm with his fingers and listened, he indeed seemed like an experienced old customer.

Outside the window, the lantern lights remained bright, but after several tunes, the bright glow of the lanterns gradually turned faint.

As the weak light gradually emerged, Qin An noticed something awry.

The Evil Qi was growing increasingly intense; such a level of Evil Qi, even ordinary Jianghu people could sense it.

Yet sitting inside the room, one might struggle to detect it.

For no other reason, the enchantment substances combined with the melodious pipa sound would leave the room's occupants in a state of confusion.

In such a state, recognizing the Evil Qi becomes exceedingly difficult.

"So that's how it is..."

Qin An raised his eyes to sweep across the gauzy-clad woman before him, breaking into a cool smile.

The sound of the pipa gradually weakened.

Until the woman's fingertip paused, the pipa sound finally ceased.

At this moment, the gauzy-clad woman rose slightly, removing her clothing, her tone overtly seductive.

"Sir, shall I help you disrobe?"

Qin An smiled lightly, gesturing to the fragrant bed in the corner: "Lie down upon it."

The seductive smile on the face of the woman in light gauze grew more intense.

She gracefully moved towards the bed.

With each step she took, a piece of clothing slipped off.

Until she lay down on the bed, completely bare.

The enchanting fragrance lingered in the air, drifting about the room.

Combined with her jade-like skin, glistening white as lamb fat, it was indeed a captivating sight.

Qin An still sat on the chair, unaffected by it all.

At this moment, the woman on the bed sensed something amiss and quietly sat up, gazing at Qin An in bewilderment.

"Young master, why do you not engage in the pleasure of the moment?"

The lights outside flickered, casting dim light, and yet Qin An's gaze remained locked on the woman's face.

"I've pretty much figured it out, this boat is actually a Pseudo-God."

Upon hearing this, the woman froze on the spot.

Soon after, her expression shifted from seduction to murderous intent.

"Who are you, daring to trespass on the flower boat!"

Qin An replied calmly, "I'm just a guest who stumbled in accidentally."

After this bit of understanding, he had already grasped the situation here completely.

Simply put, these women on the boat were not demons or Pseudo-Gods, but the true Pseudo-God stemmed from the boat itself.

Pseudo-Gods differ from demons, as anything with sufficient intent can become a Pseudo-God.

The boat being a Pseudo-God was not a surprising matter to Qin An.

Upon saying this, the woman's eyes brimmed with even greater killing intent.

"You still won't let us go, since that's the case, we'll go down together!"

At these words, the woman turned into a shadow and dashed toward Qin An with great speed.

Yet, before she could reach Qin An, he lifted his foot and kicked her squarely in the chest.

The woman's body was sent flying, hitting the wall above the bed, then sliding back down onto the bed.

A mouthful of blood spurted from the woman's lips, and her eyes, besides despair, were filled with a fiery fury as she looked at Qin An.

Under the flickering lights, occasional waves of whisperings entered the room.

Nearby rooms had Jianghu people and locals of Huaiyun County already engaging in pleasures of their own.

In this enthralling environment, the commotion Qin An caused seemed rather insignificant.

In a corner, there was an Evil Qi appearing and disappearing.

Qin An played with the teacup in his hand, and said mildly, "If you don't show yourself now, I'll slice this boat in half, and then you'll meet your end."

As Qin An uttered this, the Evil Qi in the corner gradually condensed.

Shortly thereafter, a young woman in yellow clothes emerged from it.

The young woman had a graceful figure and exquisite features, as if she had walked out of a painting.

Upon the yellow-clothed girl's appearance, the wounded woman attempted to rise, shouting loudly.

"Sister, don't come out! This person's identity is unknown, likely here to destroy us, run swiftly!"

Qin An, hearing this, displayed a half-smile, placing the teacup on the table. "You do have sisterly affection after all."

The girl in yellow bit her lip and approached Qin An, keeping her head lowered silently.

Qin An played with his teacup, squinting at the two of them. "With merely a Jade Bone Realm Perfection cultivation, daring to cause chaos here—aren't you afraid that the Evil Extermination Bureau will find you?"

The yellow-clothed girl lifted her head, her pale face tinged with melancholy. "We have nowhere to escape now. If there is no place for us in this world, we can only accept our fate."

Qin An said with interest, "Name, and origin."

He sensed this flower boat seemed intriguing—besides other things, just what the yellow-clothed girl said indicated secrets.

The yellow-clothed girl slowly raised her head, eyes filled with surprise. "You're not here to take our lives?"

Qin An shook his head. "I told you, I just happened to come by. Who wants to take your life?"

"But it seems the people on your flower boat are quite displeased with me, wanting to take my life upon seeing me."

With those words, both the yellow-dressed girl and the woman who lay immobilized on the bed displayed shock.

The girl in yellow was stunned. "Is it really just a coincidence?"

Qin An narrowed his eyes, took out the silver badge of the Mountain Patrol from his chest, a flash of light briefly appearing.

"Once more, name and origin. I have no desire to waste words with you. My patience has limits."

He came here to seek Earth Vein Crystals, and this unexpected event was just a side story.

Perhaps it was even related to the Earth Vein Crystals.

Thus, Qin An wasn't keen on wasting time. He only wished to obtain the Earth Vein Crystals most efficiently.

Upon saying this, and with the badge in Qin An's hand, the yellow-clothed girl's face revealed an expression of shock.

"You're a Mountain Patrol Silver Guard of the Evil Extermination Bureau?"

As soon as she spoke, she realized what she was up against was a no-mercy Mountain Patrol Guard, and her shoulders trembled slightly, not daring even a moment's delay.

"This humble woman is this very boat—a Pseudo-God, as the sir said."

"Sir can call me Lianyu."

"Lianyu originated from Lingzhou, as the eldest daughter of a family, but was unexpectedly kidnapped and ultimately became the courtesan of the flower boat."

"On that day, unwilling to suffer humiliation, Lianyu threw herself into the river."

"Unexpectedly, due to the unresolved obsession in my heart, I transformed into a Pseudo-God and became attached to the flower boat."

With Lianyu's explanation, Qin An gradually understood her origins.

However, it was merely knowledge of her origins.

There were still more things shrouded in mystery.

Qin An signaled Lianyu to continue by raising his hand.

Lianyu thought for a moment, organizing her words, and then continued speaking.

"Everything here is related to the Demon Hall..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.