I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

This was also Qin Rufeng's little scheme. She first had the maid play the zither to lower people's expectations, at which point Shangguan Qingxue's appearance would bring a surprise. Moreover, Li Qingshi's zither accompaniment was sufficient.

Qingxue's dance was as graceful as a startled swan, as elegant as a swimming dragon; her beauty shone like autumn chrysanthemums, as luxuriant as spring pines. She seemed like light clouds veiling the moon, drifting like swirling snow in a gentle breeze. In a word… absolutely stunning!

Everyone praised her highly and were very generous with their rewards. Shangguan Qingxue earned several times more spirit stones in rewards than her previous record.

After Qingxue finished her dance, Qin Rufeng reappeared. She then sang and played two more songs, both ancient-style songs from Blue Star. The combination of her vocal techniques and seductive arts created a stunning effect.

But good things shouldn't be given away casually. Qin Rufeng finished playing two pieces and then called it a day. No matter how much people lamented, it was all in vain.

If you want to hear it again, you'll have to come to Qingyuefang. Or wait until Qin Rufeng goes on a pleasure boat trip.

The lantern festival didn't end until late into the night. The final result was, of course, predictable: Qingyuefang's flower boat won first place with almost unanimous approval. Yuan Mengli made a fortune.

Qin Rufeng then took a few more days off, and finally began his official performance. He started with solo performances, without holding large-scale shows for the time being.

The initial price for the meeting fee was 50 high-grade spirit stones, which is clearly no longer suitable.

Qin Rufeng's performance time is random. He only sees one guest per day, so the meeting fee is auctioned off. As for later activities like tea parties or listening to music, the usual rules apply... additional fees apply.

As a result, Qin Rufeng's first meeting fee was auctioned off for ten times the original price, reaching five hundred high-grade spirit stones.

The person who arrived was none other than Cang Shuyun, the young mistress of the Netherworld Palace. Upon seeing her, Qin Rufeng was overjoyed.

The first thing Cang Shuyun said to Liu Ruyan was, "Liu Ruyan, you've raised your price."

Qin Rufeng was both amused and exasperated by these words. She thought to herself, "This Cang Shuyun really doesn't understand social etiquette. What do you mean I raised the price...?"

Cang Shuyun got straight to the point, saying, "Come on, I'll teach you the techniques from the Netherworld Sacred Scripture. I should be able to teach you a set of formations in one day. But before that, let me see your soul lamp."

Chapter 151 Soul Enters the Bottle

For the past few days, Qin Rufeng has been refining the spiritual fire according to the method taught to him by Cang Shuyun.

Now, all three foxfires have been refined into spirit foxfires, and the soul liquid of Liu Zhengshi and the Crimson Moon Saintess in the soul lamp has also been burned to ashes.

Cang Shuyun was also genuinely surprised, "So fast... I was thinking it would be good if you could refine one foxfire. I didn't expect you to have already successfully refined three spirit foxfires."

“But don’t get carried away and act rashly because of this.” Cang Shuyun frowned slightly and said, “Ling Meng and Xia Jinghong have told me about your situation. She even asked me to help you.”

"How are you any different from the sect leader's pet now?" Cang Shuyun's words were always so harsh. "Why don't you come with me?"

Qin Rufeng shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to go with you, but if I go back to the Netherworld Palace with you now, it will definitely implicate you. You've been hiding and never showing your face... By the way, I've never understood this matter either."

Qin Rufeng sized up Cang Shuyun and said, "Why are you hiding your identity? Cangyun City doesn't care about the cultivation methods or schools of martial arts. Even the likes of the Crimson Moon Sect can be honored guests. Can't the identity of the Netherworld Palace be made public?"

“No,” Cang Shuyun said calmly. “The fact that Cangyun Mountain cannot accommodate the Netherworld Palace has nothing to do with the cultivation techniques they practice, but rather because they are afraid.”

"I don't know much about the grudges of the previous generations. But it's not just the Netherworld Palace that has grudges. It's just that all the major sects of Cangyun Mountain are wary of the Netherworld Palace, so they are united in their hostility."

"It is precisely because of the long-term exclusion and isolation that the Netherworld Palace has not had any new people joining, and has gradually become a talent drain. In my generation, I am the only one left."

Qin Rufeng couldn't help but sigh...

It's said that the lines between the righteous and demonic paths are blurred in the Western Ring, but it seems that's not the case. Isn't the Netherworld Palace's position and situation equivalent to that of the demonic cultivators in the Southern Ring? The Crimson Moon Demonic Sect, on the other hand, is not.

It seems there's no fixed standard for whether someone is a demonic cultivator; it all depends on the definer's own needs. If they say you're not, you're not, and you aren't either; if they say you are, you are, and you aren't either.

However, to be fair, the Netherworld Palace's unique techniques, which directly target the soul, would definitely be classified as demonic cultivation in the Southern Ring.

There's one more thing... Her name is Cang Shuyun, and this place is called Cangyun City... Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?

Qin Rufeng glanced at Cang Shuyun, who was examining the Soul Lamp. Then she suddenly turned to Qin Rufeng and said, "By the way, your state when you were locked up... was actually no different from a soulless shell. Why not just extract your soul?"

Qin Rufeng: "Huh?"

Cang Shuyun: "Anyway, the soul lamp is just sitting empty."

"No, no, no, no!" Qin Rufeng shook his head like a rattle drum. "I would rather die than use such a thing on myself."

Ru Feng's mind conjured up the gruesome image of Liu Zhengshi spewing spiritual liquid from all nine orifices of her body, and the Crimson Moon Saintess releasing her soul like an ice cream machine. Goosebumps immediately rose on his skin.

"What are you thinking about?" Cang Shuyun said. "Extracting soul fluid is a rather extreme and crude method. The Netherworld Palace's techniques mainly aim to maintain the soul in a ethereal state."

"There's another advantage to doing this: you can use the Soul-Binding Threads to control your own body like a puppet. Although it might be difficult for you, you should still be able to manage it with some effort."

"If the soul leaves the body, even if the body is locked up, one can still control one's own body like controlling a puppet."

Qin Rufeng exclaimed in surprise, "You can do that?"

Cang Shuyun: "The Soul-Tethering Silk is very simple for people who have experienced out-of-body experiences; you can learn it today."

Qin Rufeng: "That's great!"

“But I’ll say it again, don’t be reckless,” Cang Shuyun said. “I was about to say that, but you interrupted me.”

"First, you are not a demon, nor a true fox demon. Second, your cultivation level is too low. Therefore, the Spirit Fox Fire will revert to ordinary fox fire after being used once. If you want to use it again, you need to re-ignite the soul lamp with soul liquid to refine it."

Qin Rufeng said regretfully, "That's almost the same as a one-time use one."

Cang Shuyun nodded, "Moreover, the power of the spiritual fire is linked to your cultivation level. Therefore, for those above the Flowing Cloud Realm, such as Yuan Mengli, the owner of Qingyue Pavilion, although your spiritual fire can injure her, it will only injure her."

"So, you should still come with me." Cang Shuyun looked at Qin Rufeng earnestly. But Qin Rufeng still shook his head resolutely.

“You are not tolerated by Cangyun Mountain, and I am Qingyuefang’s cash cow.” She said with a bitter smile, “If I follow you back to the Netherworld Palace, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble. Besides, I have a safer way that won’t implicate you.”

Qin Rufeng then told Cang Shuyun about his plan.

Cang Shuyun thought for a moment and said, "So she is Cai Luan. No wonder she felt very strong."

"The Netherworld Palace has suffered from a severe shortage of talent over the years, leaving it with nowhere to find rare and precious materials. I don't know where to look either. I can't help you with that."

Cang Shuyun remained blunt. Her direct "I can't help you" left Qin Rufeng slightly disappointed. However, she knew that he had already done more than enough for her. She was too grateful to repay him, and dared not have any extravagant hopes.

Cang Shuyun continued, "Although I can't help you search for treasures, teaching you the Netherworld Holy Scripture techniques should be helpful. So don't waste time, I'll teach you the Soul-Binding Silk first."

Qin Rufeng was truly grateful from the bottom of his heart. "I will never forget Fellow Daoist Yun's kindness. If I survive this ordeal and regain my freedom, I will definitely repay him properly."

A smile appeared on Cang Shuyun's face, and she nodded, saying, "Perhaps it is the fate that Master spoke of between us."

"Come on, let's start learning right away." As she spoke, Cang Shuyun gently pushed Qin Rufeng's forehead with a palm, directly slapping Rufeng's soul away from his body.

Then she picked up the soul lamp, opened the lamp plate, and absorbed Qin Rufeng's soul into the bottle. Then she closed the lamp plate.

Before Qin Rufeng could figure out what was happening, her soul was sucked into the soul lamp container. She looked down and realized she was still herself... her body outline hadn't changed, but she had shrunk considerably and become a semi-transparent white spirit.

It's like a firefly that's been caught or a winged, naked little goblin captured in a Western fairy tale on Earth.

Qin Rufeng could even feel his hand actually touching the inner wall of the crystal bottle containing the soul lamp. He jumped up, trying to squeeze out, but his large breasts caused him to get stuck at the bottle's opening.

It really felt like being imprisoned in a soul lamp bottle, and seeing everything around me grow so huge was a bit unsettling.

Cang Shuyun shook the bottle a little...

"What are you doing?" Qin Rufeng felt like he was being shaken to his core.

Cang Shuyun smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just think you're kind of cute."

"Stop playing around!" Qin Rufeng felt a little embarrassed when a girl who looked younger than him, though whose actual age he didn't know, called him cute.

Cang Shuyun continued, "Now, follow my instructions to circulate spiritual energy through your meridians."

Chapter 152 Danger in the Dark

Qin Rufeng looked at his semi-transparent spiritual body, spread his hands, and said, "Where would I get spiritual energy and meridians like this?"

“Yes, your body has it. Now we need to establish a connection between the soul and the body.” Cang Shuyun said, arranging Qin Rufeng’s body into a meditation posture. Then he placed the soul lamp containing the soul and spirit body in Rufeng’s hand.

"Just pretend your soul is still inside your body. Circulate your spiritual energy as I instructed, and draw out the soul-binding threads according to the acupoints I mentioned. It definitely won't work the first time, so try connecting repeatedly."

The operation of "repeatedly attempting to connect" was not unfamiliar to Qin Rufeng, who was a transmigrator...

Gradually, her hands began to move. She gripped the soul lamp tightly and carefully lifted it up.

However, at that moment, Cang Shuyun snatched the soul lamp from Ru Feng's hand and placed it on a table some distance away. Qin Ru Feng was "out of the internet" again... Sure enough, he couldn't connect from a distance.

Qin Rufeng was almost "addicted" to cultivation; instead of being frustrated, she became even more determined. She knew, of course, that Cang Shuyun was increasing the difficulty to test her control over the distance of her Soul-Binding Silk.

Qin Rugang was trying to concentrate on "attempting to connect" when he discovered that Cang Shuyun was fiddling with his body, and his clothes had already been pulled down to his shoulders.

"What are you doing?!" Qin Rufeng exclaimed, slapping the Soul Lamp Bottle with his hand.

Cang Shuyun watched as she gestured for her to stop speaking. "Speaking as a spirit is very energy-consuming. Practice controlling it from a distance. If you're too slow, I'll take off your clothes one by one."

Qin Rufeng didn't have more than two sets of clothes to begin with. Although Cang Shuyun was an incredibly cute and youthful girl... it still felt strange to watch her body being manipulated like this from a third-person perspective.

Qin Rufeng immediately focused her attention. For some reason, challenges like "being stripped naked if you're too slow" only excited her more.

The defeat cutscenes and such will definitely not be triggered...

Hey? Wait, wait a minute!

Qin Rufeng desperately tried to reconnect with her body, and the soul lamp was lit up by the spiritual energy she emitted.

Cang Shuyun was tugging at the tassel, curiously fiddling with the bells in her little hands. Just then, Qin Rufeng suddenly moved, grabbing her hand.

Cang Shuyun was probably playing too seriously, and was startled. This reaction was completely unlike that of someone who was the leader of a sect.

She instinctively tried to escape as if she had done something wrong, but Qin Rufeng held her tightly in his arms and wouldn't let go.

The two clashed, and Cang Shuyun, the smaller rabbit, was completely crushed and unable to breathe, seeing the larger rabbit.

She said in surprise, "So fast? Well, you've passed. Let me go now."

Qin Rufeng had been taken advantage of, so he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

Finally, Cang Shuyun severed the Soul-Binding Thread, thus escaping from Qin Rufeng's clutches.

She tried to appear calm, but her face was as red as a ripe tomato, and her expression was somewhat confused.

Then she turned on the lamp plate of the soul lamp, and Qin Rufeng's soul finally returned to his body.

Seeing Cang Shuyun's rosy complexion and thoughtful expression, Qin Rufeng sensed something was wrong. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Cang Shuyun blushed and looked at Ru Feng, saying, "Liu Ruyan, are you really not coming back with me? I still quite like you."

When Cang Shuyun heard the word "like," she paused again. Her expression grew increasingly confused and bewildered.

Qin Rufeng understood a little; she must have been affected by his passive charm spell.

It was nothing new for Qin Rufeng to be liked at first sight. She was also confident that Cang Shuyun felt the same way about her.

But the way Cang Shuyun looked at him... was like looking at a beloved toy.

This Netherworld Lord's mind is still as innocent as a young girl's... no, not innocent, but to the point of lacking certain common sense and knowledge. That's why she is so confused yet acts so frankly.

But what if it were someone with a deep-seated cunning or malicious intent?

It seems the Sect Master was right. If one's mastery of the Jade Cauldron Technique exceeds their own cultivation level by too much, it will cause trouble.

Qin Rufeng then suggested taking a short break. He then brewed tea, burned incense, and set out a zither, playing a tune of "Qing Ping." Cang Shuyun's state of mind seemed much calmer.

In the afternoon, Cang Shuyun taught Qin Rufeng another domain formation, the Netherworld Ten Fiends Formation.

This is even more powerful. Within the array's domain, the caster can blast the opponent's soul out of their body. Then, they can do whatever they want to the soulless body.

Not only that, it can also summon vengeful spirits to tear apart and devour the souls of its opponents.

Such a powerful formation is certainly not something that can be used lightly.

With Qin Rufeng's cultivation level, to cast the [Ten Netherworld Fiends Formation], he would need to ignite the Soul Lamp to summon souls. If there was no soul liquid fuel, he would have to separate his soul from his body and enter the Soul Lamp. He would control his body with Soul-Trapping Threads while burning his own spiritual energy.

In short, this formation requires the summoning of vengeful spirits. The price for summoning these spirits is that the souls of the enemies must be devoured by them.

However, vengeful spirits are difficult to control, and the caster's own soul is also in danger. Therefore, for those with low cultivation levels, hiding their soul in a soul lamp is indeed a safe approach.

From day to night, Qin Rufeng learned the Soul-Binding Silk and the Ten Netherworld Fiends Formation from the Netherworld Sacred Scripture.

Cang Shuyun should go back now. She clearly showed her reluctance as she left, saying, "Liu Ruyan, you're in a dangerous situation, please don't act rashly."

“I know that I’ve been living alone in the Netherworld since I was a child, and there are many things I don’t understand about the outside world. But I do know to be careful.”

"My master always told me to be careful since I was little. You should be careful too... If things get too difficult, come to me. I'm actually very capable." She spoke with her eyebrows furrowed, her voice filled with worry.

In fact, Qin Rufeng was becoming increasingly worried about Cang Shuyun.

She gave them a large amount of spirit stones again this time. Although Qingyuefang never inquired about the source of their money, such a big customer could easily attract attention. If their identity were inadvertently revealed, it would be disastrous.

So Qin Rufeng sent Xia Jinghong to escort Cang Shuyun out of the city. He also instructed her to be quick-witted and adaptable if any problems arose, and to never let Cang Shuyun reveal her identity.

Qin Rufeng assigned the task, and Xia Jinghong dared not neglect it, so she escorted Cang Shuyun all the way to the outskirts of the city. By the time they returned, it was already late at night.

Xia Jinghong walked alone on the deserted streets of Cangyun City, sensing something was amiss. Her intuition, honed over years as a demon hunter in the Zhongping Realm, told her danger was approaching…

Suddenly, a woman in a long robe rushed out of the alley. She walked unsteadily, her head down so her face could not be seen.

Xia Jinghong looked at the woman and heard the sound of splashing water.

Looking down, I saw blood flowing down the woman's thigh, staining her skirt and quickly forming a puddle on the ground.