A graceful young woman emerged from the upper floor of the pavilion, her figure drifting forward like a wisp of smoke.
She was breathtakingly beautiful—her delicate features seemed as if they had been carefully sculpted, every curve and contour perfectly defined. Her long, untamed hair cascaded freely, yet it did not appear unkempt. Instead, it added an air of effortless elegance. Light makeup, crimson lips, and those mesmerizing eyes that seemed to hold entire galaxies within them—she was the very embodiment of grace and mystery.
Lin Mo had seen plenty of beautiful women before.
As he had said before, back in his past life, in the age of advanced media, stunning women were everywhere.
But this woman… Her beauty wasn’t just skin-deep—it was the kind that resonated in the depths of one’s soul.
From the moment the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower appeared, the once lively and chaotic hall fell into utter silence.
Every guest’s gaze was fixed on her.
Her eyes swept over the crowd with an indifferent detachment. Though she was the head of an entertainment house, she exuded an air of untouchable nobility, as if standing atop an unreachable peak.
She seemed accustomed to the adoration of those below her. There was no trace of pride or satisfaction in her expression—only an eerie coldness.
Such looks. Such power.
Lin Mo was not as superficial as the others.
With his Sword Heart Clarity, his senses were far sharper than most. And right now, this Mistress of Jiangyue Tower gave him an unsettling feeling—one that even his master, Daoist Yuehua, had never given him.
And what was Daoist Yuehua’s cultivation?
She was a Nascent Soul cultivator.
By conservative estimates, that meant the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower was at least at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
Or… could she be at the Dividing Spirit Realm?
No. Lin Mo had a gut feeling—this woman was even more terrifying than a Dividing Spirit cultivator.
In this world, cultivation realms were divided into:
Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Dividing Spirit, Spirit Transformation, Unity, Void Refinement, Great Ascension, and finally, Tribulation Transcendence.
A Second-Tier Immortal Sect elder typically hovered around the Nascent Soul stage.
A First-Tier Immortal Sect elder was usually at the Dividing Spirit or Spirit Transformation stage, with some exceptions reaching Unity Realm.
And yet, here in Daliang City, a place dominated by mortals, the head of a mere entertainment house possessed a cultivation level comparable to a First-Tier Sect Elder?
No matter how Lin Mo thought about it, something didn’t seem right.
Sure, there were Golden Core cultivators among the guests tonight, but did this Mistress of Jiangyue Tower—a woman of such beauty and power—truly have any interest in entertaining these men?
Let alone the mere mortal scholars?
Lin Mo wasn’t buying it.
Not that he was here to sleep with the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower anyway—his real goal was to win the Talent Gathering and draw out the ghostly entity that preyed on young prodigies.
Although… after seeing her, Lin Mo had to admit—he wouldn’t mind sleeping with her.
That said, he wasn’t delusional. A woman like this was far beyond the reach of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The woman finally spoke, her voice as cool and flowing as a gentle stream.
“I am Yan Ruyu, Mistress of Jiangyue Tower. This Talent Gathering is something I host purely for my own amusement.”
“Since this is a contest for scholars, the competition will naturally test the gentlemen’s talents.”
“I personally favor music and poetry, so the challenges tonight will revolve around those two themes. Whoever manages to pass my tests…”
“Shall be invited to the third floor—to spend a night with me.”
Her words were like a spark to a powder keg.
The once silent hall exploded with excitement.
The guests’ gazes toward Yan Ruyu were filled with unfiltered desire. Every single one of them was now eager to prove themselves.
Meanwhile, Qu Ruyan—her mouth stuffed with pastries—mumbled, “Wow, she really is so pretty!”
“Hmph!” Xia He snorted.
She prided herself on her own beauty—her looks were frequently praised, and she had always taken pride in them.
But even she had to admit… Yan Ruyu was on an entirely different level.
Even Xie Zhiqu was momentarily dazed as she stared at Yan Ruyu.
That was, until her older sister, Xie Zhi’an, flicked her forehead.
“My dear sister, do you think she’s beautiful?” she teased.
Xie Zhiqu instinctively nodded—then quickly shook her head upon realizing her mistake.
Xie Zhi’an chuckled. “Don’t forget—you’re a little beauty yourself!”
Xie Zhiqu clenched her small hands, hiding behind her sister, too nervous to lift her gaze.
What they didn’t realize was that, from the upper floor, Yan Ruyu’s gaze had lingered on them.
“Master, we encountered that group of young men the other day. They’re all actually women in disguise,” two maidservants stepped forward to remind her.
These two were the very same attendants who had flirted with Xie Zhiqu and clashed with Xia He and Xie Zhian earlier.
“I know.” Yan Ruyu withdrew her gaze. “But there’s one among them who is neither a woman nor an ordinary man.”
The two maidservants exchanged confused glances.
Yan Ruyu, however, had no intention of explaining further.
Then, as if sensing something, her gaze suddenly shifted again.
For a brief moment, she was stunned.
She had locked eyes with someone—someone different from the others.
Unlike the usual guests, whose gazes were filled with unbridled greed, this one was different.
There was admiration in his eyes, but it was not tainted with desire. Instead, his gaze was sharp—piercing, like a sword.
A smile curled at the corners of Yan Ruyu’s lips.
So, amidst this crowd, there was at least one guest worthy of her attention.
Her two maidservants were taken aback—their mistress actually smiled?
Following her gaze, they quickly spotted a familiar figure.
Wasn’t that the senior martial brother of those cross-dressing young masters?
They still remembered Lin Mo clearly.
Especially because of his words: “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t interfere in women’s matters.”
Naturally, they hadn’t believed him. After all, what kind of senior brother wouldn’t step in when his junior sisters were being harassed?
It was only out of caution toward Lin Mo that they had chosen to retreat that day.
Now, seeing their mistress seemingly take an interest in him, the two women had the same thought—
Looks like tonight’s winner has already been decided.
The moment Lin Mo locked eyes with Yan Ruyu, his heart skipped a beat.
He had simply noticed a familiar face and glanced at Yan Ruyu a couple of times.
But in a crowd of thousands, with so many eyes fixed on her, why did hers have to meet his?
Quickly, he looked away. The last thing he wanted was to become the center of attention.
But Yan Ruyu’s faint smile had already set off a storm.
“Did you see that? Mistress Yan smiled at me!”
“You? What nonsense! She was obviously smiling at me!”
“You’re all delusional! Look at your ugly faces. Clearly, she was smiling at this Zhenren!”1
The one who spoke last was visibly older than the other guests—ffar beyond the age of a typical young master.
No, his appearance alone could easily place him in the role of their father.
Yet no one dared to refute him.
In fact, many were intimidated by his presence.
After all, only those who had reached the Golden Core Realm could be addressed as Zhenren.
The man smirked. “Let’s make something clear—I despise crowded places. If anyone dares disturb my enjoyment…”
As he spoke, his eyes turned dangerously sharp.
Without restraint, he released his Golden Core Realm pressure.
Most of the guests in Jiangyue Tower were ordinary mortals. They couldn’t withstand such immense pressure—
Within moments, they felt as if their heads were splitting open, their breathing growing labored. One by one, they fled in terror.
Within minutes, more than half of the guests had cleared out.
A few particularly strong-willed scholars gritted their teeth and endured the pressure, refusing to back down.
But the once-crowded venue was now noticeably spacious.
“Ah, much better,” the Golden Core cultivator said with satisfaction.
From the upper floor, Yan Ruyu’s maidservants frowned at the scene.
“Master, should we…”
But Yan Ruyu’s expression remained unchanged, her flawless face unreadable.
“This… appetizer can serve as a qualification test,” she murmured. “After all, those who are weak-willed and easily frightened aren’t worthy of participating in the Talent Gathering.”
