Chapter 1442: Beauty Ranking List
https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/153522958/f0c44bf3b25e441fbb5733d5052c761e/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-hash=38kP0RmDZcbXdBLLI8swuazUMjZ_wey8Ib9G0He7U%3D&token-time=1787356800
Chapter 1440: Beauty Ranking List
“It’s not what you think. Miss Yu Nujiao is a pure courtesan—she sells her art, not her body. I went to see her just to paint a portrait of a beauty,” Bai XiaoSheng said.
Mo Hua let out a light “oh.”
Bai XiaoSheng sighed. “It’s true.”
Mo Hua pondered, “In a place like Kun Province, so decadent and indulgent, there are still pure courtesans? She’s the top courtesan of a brothel, and you’re telling me she sells her art, not her body? And you actually believe that?”
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua suddenly understood and looked at Bai XiaoSheng with sympathy: “Is it… that you didn’t spend enough spirit stones, so she only sells her art to you, but sells her body to other men?”
Bai XiaoSheng wished he could sew Mo Hua’s mouth shut.
Such a good-looking person, yet with such a venomous tongue.
Bai XiaoSheng sighed, not wanting to bother with Mo Hua anymore.
Mo Hua said, “Keep going.”
Bai XiaoSheng asked, “What about?”
Mo Hua said, “About the top courtesan who sells her art, not her body.”
Bai XiaoSheng sneered, “I told you, but you don’t believe me.”
Mo Hua said, “Go ahead, I’ll believe you this time. Even if you say she’s a white lotus, I’ll believe you.”
Bai XiaoSheng rolled his eyes at Mo Hua again: “She’s the top courtesan—how could she not have some schemes and methods? How could she be a white lotus? It’s just…”
“One thing is one thing, and each profession has its own rules. In a place like Kun Province, pure courtesans and red courtesans are clearly distinguished. With so many eyes watching, it’s impossible to break the rules.”
Mo Hua was taken aback. “Pure courtesans and red courtesans?”
Bai XiaoSheng explained, “Pure courtesans sell their art, not their bodies, entertaining with their elegance. Red courtesans are the opposite—they trade in flesh and bed.”
Mo Hua nodded and said to Bai XiaoSheng, “You know quite a lot.”
Bai XiaoSheng wasn’t sure whether Mo Hua was praising him or mocking him. He snorted coldly and continued: “Pure courtesans still have some reputation to uphold. If she were truly a red courtesan trading in flesh, how could I dare to rank her on the Beauty Ranking List?”
“The Kun Province’s Top Ten Beauties Ranking List is something that has to be presented openly.”
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “That’s true.”
At this point, Mo Hua grew curious. “Who’s on the Beauty Ranking List?”
Bai XiaoSheng raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you didn’t care?”
Mo Hua said, “Understanding the ways of the world is knowledge. It never hurts to learn more.”
This person had too many twisted arguments. Bai XiaoSheng couldn’t win and sighed, saying: “Since it’s the Kun Province’s Top Ten Beauties Ranking List, naturally, it features stunning women who are both talented and beautiful, and also have reputations… the Senior Sister of the Earth Sect, the third daughter of the Jin family, Lu Zhenlong, the Direct Line Daughter of the Lu Clan…”
Mo Hua was surprised. “Lu Zhenlong is on the list too?”
Bai XiaoSheng nodded. “In terms of appearance, talent, family background, and sect education… among all the women in Kun Province, Lu Zhenlong is one of the best. It’s not surprising she’s on the list.”
Then he realized a problem. Since Lu Zhenlong was on the list…
“What about my Senior Sister?” Mo Hua asked. “Isn’t my Senior Sister on the Beauty Ranking List?”
Mo Hua felt that, so far, he had never seen a woman more beautiful than his little Senior Sister.
Bai XiaoSheng rolled his eyes at Mo Hua. “What are you thinking? Do I have a death wish, daring to rank my Great-Aunt?”
“Besides, this list isn’t as simple as it seems.”
Mo Hua was puzzled. “Isn’t it just a Beauty Ranking List? What else is there to it?”
Bai XiaoSheng sighed, “How could there be no significance… Don’t think this is just some idle gossip list for after-dinner chatter.”
Bai XiaoSheng glanced around cautiously.
Mo Hua said, “Don’t worry, no one is eavesdropping.”
His Divine-Sense was even stronger than Bai XiaoSheng’s; even ordinary Feathered Ascension cultivators might not be able to overhear their conversation.
“You’re being so cautious just to gossip about the beauty ranking list?” Mo Hua looked at Bai XiaoSheng.
Bai XiaoSheng shook his head, “What do you know… This ranking isn’t something you can arrange however you like. Many things are predetermined.”
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, “Even this is predetermined?”
Bai XiaoSheng nodded, “The top three spots are already set. First place must be the Lu Clan’s Direct Line Daughter, Lu Zhenlong; second place is the Senior Sister of the Earth Sect; third place is the third daughter of the Jin family. No matter how beautiful other women are, they can only be ranked lower.”
Mo Hua frowned, “Why would the great clans and the Earth Sect compete for this ranking?”
Bai XiaoSheng smiled mysteriously, proudly saying, “Guess.”
Mo Hua said, “Marriage alliances?”
Bai XiaoSheng’s expression instantly turned bored again.
Sometimes, talking with clever people was just no fun at all.
Bai XiaoSheng sighed, “The women who make it onto the Beauty Ranking List are indeed all stunning beauties, peerless in their grace. But beauty itself is somewhat subjective… Unless someone is truly as beautiful as my Great-Aunt, to the point of seeming inhuman, it’s often difficult to determine who is more beautiful than whom.”
“Therefore, this ranking simply cannot be based purely on beauty.”
“The factors involved are also quite complex.”
“The main driving force is the great clans’ method of ‘building momentum’ for marriage alliances, spreading the fame of their Direct Line Daughters far and wide, thereby increasing their value.”
“When one family has a daughter, a hundred families will seek her hand. This can attract more young prodigies.”
“These prodigies, if they wish to marry these great clans’ stunning beauties, naturally face fiercer competition and must pay a higher price.”
“So, the top three spots on the Beauty Ranking List can only come from the great clans native to Kun Province.”
Mo Hua frowned, “But… relying on this list to build momentum seems a bit frivolous, doesn’t it?”
Bai XiaoSheng nodded, “For ordinary women, it is indeed a bit frivolous.”
“But if the people on the list are Direct Line Daughters of great clans, then it actually has no negative impact. Great clans have their own family teachings; their status and background are guaranteed, and others dare not gossip recklessly.”
“These Direct Line Daughters of great clans lack not benefits but truly lack ‘fame.'”
“And this seemingly frivolous yet widely discussed Beauty Ranking List often spreads the farthest and is the easiest means to gain widespread renown.”
“Oh,” Mo Hua nodded, then asked, “What about… Yu Nujiao? She’s a courtesan, not a clan daughter. Does she also need marriage alliances?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “When a courtesan becomes famous, more people are willing to marry her.”
Mo Hua asked, “Are the courtesans’ rankings also predetermined?”
Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Not exactly. Courtesans genuinely rely on their beauty to make a living, so it’s normal for them to be on the list.”
Mo Hua asked, “Would the great clans really allow courtesans on the list?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “There must always be some spots reserved for others. Otherwise, if the list were filled entirely with clan daughters, even a fool would know there’s something fishy.”
“Moreover, including courtesans makes the Beauty Ranking List seem more substantial.”
“If even the most famous courtesan of Houtu City isn’t on the list, how can you prove this is a legitimate Beauty Ranking List?”
Mo Hua asked curiously, “Then what rank is Yu Nujiao?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “Fifth.”
“Only fifth?” Mo Hua found it strange. “The top three are predetermined, and the courtesan Yu Nujiao is fifth. So who is fourth, more beautiful than the courtesan?”
Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Shi Měirén.”
Mo Hua frowned. “Shi Měirén?”
Bai XiaoSheng explained, “She’s a newly risen courtesan in the flower street, with unparalleled charm, also so beautiful she seems unreal.”
Mo Hua frowned again. “And what about after fifth place?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “That hasn’t been decided yet; it depends on the situation.”
Mo Hua asked, “What situation?”
Bai XiaoSheng pondered and said, “Some minor clans, to ensure their direct line daughters marry well, will pay spirit stones to get them on the list. Other clans will also select women from within their families to gain fame for the clan. Some women who usually keep a low profile will also find ways to reveal themselves and astonish the world.”
“This is the main list, which is still somewhat better.”
“There are also several subsidiary lists, purely for selecting consorts for some high-ranking clan members.”
Mo Hua clicked his tongue. “What a mess.”
Bai XiaoSheng sneered, “What people seek is nothing more than fame, profit, power, and beauty. Don’t underestimate this small list—it encompasses all four: some seek fame, some pursue profit, some crave beauty, some manipulate power… On the surface, it’s about stunning beauties and glamorous halls, but behind the scenes, it’s a murky pool of dark, turbid waters.”
“So,” Bai XiaoSheng sighed, “if I really put my Great-Aunt’s name on this list, my great-grandmother would tear me to pieces and throw me into the Bai Clan’s pond to feed the turtles.”
Mo Hua was taken aback. “Your great-grandmother?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “True Person Bai, my Great-Aunt’s mother.”
Mo Hua: “Oh… it’s Martial Aunt.”
After speaking, Bai XiaoSheng poured a cup of tea. He had just taken a sip when he suddenly froze, his expression changing drastically: “Wait, why did I tell you all of this?”
Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua with a face full of terror, as if staring at some “demon.”
Mo Hua sighed, “You were the one spilling everything like beans from a bamboo tube, chattering nonstop. Are you blaming me?”
Bai XiaoSheng insisted, “No, in front of others, I’m very tight-lipped.”
Mo Hua said calmly, “Really? I didn’t notice that… When you talk behind my back, you spread all sorts of rumors.”
Bai XiaoSheng was speechless.
Back then, he had indeed spoken ill of Mo Hua behind his back, and now retribution had come.
As Bai XiaoSheng was regretting this in his heart, he suddenly paused and asked, “What did you come to me for? Surely not just to chat about this?”
Mo Hua nodded.
The matter of the Beauty Ranking List was purely coincidental; he had just asked in passing, as it had nothing to do with him.
He had come to Bai XiaoSheng for something more important.
Mo Hua said, “I want to ask you to help me investigate something.”
Bai XiaoSheng’s eyes lit up, and he felt delighted inside.
So, even you, the Little Senior Brother of the Great Void Sect, the lawless Young Master, have a day when you need my help.
Bai XiaoSheng said happily, “No!”
Mo Hua said, “I haven’t even told you what to investigate.”
Bai XiaoSheng replied, “No matter what it is, I won’t investigate… You, Mo Hua, are incredibly capable. I can’t help you.”
Now he was being sarcastic.
Mo Hua thought to himself, then asked, “Just say it, what do you want?”
Bai XiaoSheng shook his head, “No demands, I just won’t help you.”
Mo Hua’s gaze darkened, “Then I’ll tell your great-aunt all about your gambling with spirit stones, visiting brothels, and spending fortunes to see courtesans.”
Bai XiaoSheng was stunned, then panicked, “Don’t spread rumors!”
“Whether it’s a rumor or not,” Mo Hua said, “you can explain it to your great-aunt.”
Bai XiaoSheng argued, “My great-aunt would never believe you.”
Mo Hua wore an expression of utter confidence, “Guess whether she’d believe it or not.”
Bai XiaoSheng finally understood why the “ministers” around a ruler were so detestable.
Because ministers were the best at twisting the truth.
And this Mo Hua, needless to say, was even worse.
He often spent time with his great-aunt. If he were to whisper slander every day, that would be disastrous.
Once his great-aunt misunderstood him and passed even a few words to the Bai Clan’s ancestors, he’d probably never leave the Bai Clan’s confinement for the rest of his life.
“This despicable scoundrel who uses my great-aunt to bolster his own importance.”
Bai XiaoSheng cursed inwardly, then said unhappily, “What is it?”
“You’ve been wandering around outside for years, so you should have good sources of information…” Mo Hua praised Bai XiaoSheng slightly, thought for a moment, then said in a serious tone: “I want you to help me investigate how a certain Elder Tian from the Earth Sect died.”
“The Earth Sect?” Bai XiaoSheng was slightly startled.
Mo Hua nodded, “The Earth Sect.”
Bai XiaoSheng shook his head, “Can’t investigate.”
Just as Mo Hua was about to speak, Bai XiaoSheng said, “Even if you bring out my great-aunt, it still can’t be done.”
He explained, “The Earth Sect is powerful, has many people, and the waters run deep. Moreover, they have some connections with our Bai Clan.”
“If I investigate the Earth Sect on your behalf and word gets out, it will definitely cause trouble.”
Mo Hua fell silent, his face thoughtful.
Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua and couldn’t help asking, “Why are you investigating the death of an Earth Sect elder for no reason?”
Mo Hua sighed, “This elder had some dealings with me, and moreover… he was skilled in spiritual plant earth formations, following the path of ‘Profound Virtue Bears All Things’ and aiding the common people through formation arts, yet he died under unclear circumstances.”
Upon hearing this, Bai XiaoSheng’s expression changed slightly, “Really?”
Mo Hua nodded.
Seeing Mo Hua’s serious demeanor, which didn’t seem like he was lying, and hearing that this Elder Tian cultivated spiritual plant formations and followed the path of “Profound Virtue Bears All Things,” Bai XiaoSheng ultimately felt a twinge of compassion.
After thinking for a moment, Bai XiaoSheng lost his playful attitude and asked, “What is this Elder Tian’s name?”
“Tian Musheng,” Mo Hua said.
This was the name he had inquired about from Manager Zhao.
Bai XiaoSheng pondered, “In that case, I can go ask around… but I can’t guarantee I’ll find out anything.”
Mo Hua hummed in acknowledgment, “Thank you.”
It was the first time Bai XiaoSheng had been thanked by Mo Hua, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable, sneering, “Do I need your thanks?”
Mo Hua nodded, “Then I won’t thank you.”
Bai XiaoSheng choked, wishing he could cover his own mouth—why did he have to say such unnecessary words.
A full seven days passed with no news from Bai XiaoSheng.
On the eighth day, Bai XiaoSheng finally arrived at the minor blessed land, found Mo Hua, and said with displeasure, “I don’t believe a word you say.”
Mo Hua was taken aback, “What’s wrong?”
“I went and asked,” Bai XiaoSheng said, “This Tian Musheng is no good person at all.”
Mo Hua frowned, “What do you mean?”
Bai Xiaosheng poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down, seemingly still simmering with lingering anger: “Tian Musheng, at the Late Golden Core Stage, is a powerful elder of the Earth Sect and a Third-Grade Formation Master. He specializes in Soil Formations and oversees the research and maintenance of various Spiritual Plant Formations across the Earth Sect’s hundreds of millions of acres of fertile land within the Great Spirit Field Realm.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Mo Hua asked.
Bai Xiaosheng sighed. “All of the Earth Sect’s spiritual plant earth formations are managed by this Elder Tian.”
In other words, this Elder Tian was responsible for monopolizing Soil Formations.
Under his insistence, all Five Elements Earth Formations were consolidated under the Earth Sect.
And his status within the Earth Sect was entirely due to his monopoly over Spiritual Plant Formations.
Some Earth Sect elders once proposed popularizing Spiritual Plant Formations to benefit countless spirit farmers, but Elder Tian single-handedly blocked all such efforts.”
Moreover, this Elder Tian had an extremely poor reputation. Within the entire Earth Sect, hardly anyone spoke well of him, and the evaluations of him were overwhelmingly negative.
He was nothing like what you described—a Formation Master with ‘Profound Virtue Bears All Things’ and a heart for spirit farmers.
Bai Xiaosheng glared at Mo Hua with an angry expression, feeling deceived once again.
Mo Hua, however, furrowed his brow slightly.
Something about this didn’t seem right.