HUS Chapter 64: The Mirror Demon and Medusa
HUS Chapter 64: The Mirror Demon and Medusa
January 4
The "Mirror Demon" was brought up.
From her name alone, one could see her allure.
Especially with Medusa as the pearl and jade before her. However, when the "Mirror Demon" walked into the hall, her style completely different from everyone's expectations shocked them all greatly.
Beautiful? Beautiful!
Alluring? It seemed... also alluring.
But... it was just... however... only...
She wore plain-colored clothing, brilliant as if covered with a thin layer of moonlight.
Her figure was light and tranquil, as if not treading on the ground but floating in a clear, pure halo.
As soon as she walked into the hall, she immediately pulled off the blue cloth covering her head.
The beautiful youth beside her had no time to stop her. She already stood there calmly and quietly.
Just like an orchid in a deep valley, not competing with anyone, naturally fragrant.
After removing the blue cloth, her hair was revealed. Her hair was only an inch long!
What young lady would shave off her beautiful hair?
This was clearly a Buddhist nun.
As for the lack of incense scars on her head, that was normal because burning incense scars wasn't originally a Buddhist custom.
In Yang Can's world, this custom started in the Yuan Dynasty.
In this world, this rule clearly didn't exist yet either.
Extremely beautiful women were not common. Beautiful women with such an otherworldly temperament were even rarer.
Having temperament was originally a good thing, but she... was too otherworldly.
Pure and flawless to a realm where people couldn't bear to defile her.
Although she didn't wear monk's robes, her solemn and dignified aura was really too transparent and detached.
She just stood there silently, as if she could calmly accept whatever fate arranged but that especially otherworldly sense of tranquility made people unable to generate even half a thought of defilement toward her.
One only wanted... to press palms together before her.
Yang Can, Leopard Head, and Xiao Qingmei simultaneously looked toward Shopkeeper Qian.
Are you crazy?
Yang Can suddenly remembered Crow Brother stepping on the Guan Gong statue in "Young and Dangerous."
This human trafficker really had no taboos. He even dared to capture and sell ordained people?
Who would dare take her!
Shopkeeper Qian felt bitter too. When he acquired the goods, he hadn't discovered this young woman's identity.
At that time, his supplier had also wrapped this young woman's head with a blue cloth. It wasn't like this.
Now she looked like a "living Bodhisattva." This was killing him.
In Longshang and even the Western Regions, the custom of revering Buddha was prevalent.
Even dissolute young masters from wealthy families who acted recklessly and had no taboos wouldn't dare take this woman because while they themselves might not respect gods and Buddhas, they couldn't withstand having believing elders at home.
If they brought this person back, that would be terrible but Shopkeeper Qian stubbornly refused to sell at a loss, otherwise his thoughts wouldn't be at peace.
So this "money-losing goods" had been stuck on his hands.
Shopkeeper Qian also knew that even this country bumpkin without much knowledge would be wary of such matters.
So with a face full of smiles, he said, "This woman is named Mirror Demon..."
The plainly dressed young woman pressed her palms together and said calmly, "This poor nun's dharma name is Jingyao."
Shopkeeper Qian's voice caught, and even his smile became strained.
"She excels at blending and making incense, tea ceremony and flower arrangement. Estate Head's fortress is so impressive, you need such an attendant."
Yang Can looked at Shopkeeper Qian with disgust. Do you think I'm stupid? Huh, do you?
Does Yang look that lacking in sense?
He looked again at that... Mirror Demon.
Her solemnity didn't come from external dignity but from an extreme "emptiness."
Like fine porcelain from Song Dynasty imperial kilns, with plump glaze yet pursuing the tranquility and loftiness of "sky-blue glaze color."
Also like a jade Buddha statue where, though the carving was simple, just the warm and lustrous material alone expressed endless serenity and compassion to perfection.
Amitabha!
Take her away, take her away~~~
Before Qingmei could speak, Yang Can was already waving his hands repeatedly.
"Forget it, forget it. Shopkeeper Qian, don't harm me."
Shopkeeper Qian hurriedly said, "Estate Head, just consider it an act of kindness and keep her specifically to make incense and arrange flowers for your noble mansion. That would be good!"
"Shopkeeper Qian, why don't you show kindness?"
"I'm a slave trader. If I show kindness, can I still do this business in the future?"
"Hey? That actually makes sense!"
Yang Can was bantering with him when Qingmei's eyes rolled and she gently tugged at Yang Can's sleeve.
"Master, why don't we take in Master Jingyao and later send her back to a monastery... If we don't care and she's bought by someone with no taboos, I'm afraid..."
Qingmei also believed in Buddhism. Now conquered at once by Little Master Jingyao's peerless temperament, she wanted to do a good deed.
Yang Can was indeed wary of this Little Master Jingyao's status. Especially with her white jade Guanyin temperament, he couldn't bring himself to do anything.
Even just using her as an odd-job servant, he felt it would defile her.
Have her wipe tables and sweep floors?
A sin, a sin.
Buy her and then send her back to a monastery?
That wasn't impossible either. Consider it accumulating virtue for the child in little Suo's belly. However, he couldn't let Qingmei become arrogant from favor. He had to make her show some respect.
Thinking of this, Yang Can glanced at Qingmei, "Sure, but deduct the expense from your wages?"
"Ah? Master, you're accumulating virtue. Why deduct from my money?"
"This was your suggestion. If anyone's accumulating virtue, it's you. Besides, you're already my person. If you accumulate virtue, isn't that me accumulating virtue?"
Xiao Qingmei didn't notice anything else, only hearing "you're my person."
The young girl's heart sweetened, and she said happily, "Then alright, just deduct it from my monthly wages."
Yang Can successfully fooled her and turned with a smile toward Qian Yuan, "Shopkeeper Qian, you heard that? Name your price."
Shopkeeper Qian gritted his teeth and said, "Thirty bolts of silk, and the Mirror Demon is yours!"
Yang Can shook his head, "Forget it, we won't accumulate this virtue."
Shopkeeper Qian slapped his thigh hard and said resentfully, "Twenty bolts of silk, just twenty bolts of silk, is that acceptable? She can arrange flowers, make incense, play the qin, and prepare tea, all refined accomplishments. She's absolutely presentable! To be honest with Estate Head Yang, I spent thirty bolts of silk to acquire her!"
"In that case..."
Yang Can thought for a moment, "How about you throw in two more slaves for me? I'm not picky. Give me whatever."
Ordinary slaves only cost three to five bolts of silk. If they were inferior quality, they might not even cost three bolts.
However, this Shopkeeper Qian was also meticulous about every penny. Mainly, he was here to make money, and his thoughts had to be at peace.
Shopkeeper Qian bit his teeth and held up one finger, "One. I'll throw in one more slave for you. How about that?"
Yang Can nodded, "Alright, then it's settled."
Little Master Jingyao stood there. Being sold was obviously an unhappy matter but she had to be thrown in as a "bonus" before anyone would take her. Why did her heart feel so uncomfortable?
Yang Can settled the transaction and immediately called people to go to the storehouse to transport silk and cloth.
The people sent to transport used these newly purchased slaves.
Shopkeeper Qian had one beautiful youth follow to inspect the goods, and quietly instructed the other beautiful youth.
"You go bring old Xin the carter as the 'bonus.' Don't let that black-hearted thief Yang Can discover he's lame."
The beautiful youth nodded knowingly and turned to leave.
Shopkeeper Qian was quite satisfied with this transaction.
He had moved a third of his "inventory" in one go. This counted as a major transaction even in Tianshui City.
What Yang Can used for payment was mainly silk, along with other silks and satins.
Actually, porcelain could also be used as money, but silk and satin were lighter and easier to transport.
Among the treasures Zhang Yunyi left behind, there was no shortage of large implements made from precious metals.
Having managed Feng'an Estate for decades as a local emperor, the wealth Zhang Yunyi had accumulated was quite astonishing and after personally brutally killing his brothers, sons, and nephews, Zhang Yunyi seemed to have understood life.
He only took away some easily portable valuables in a carefree manner and left everything else to Yang Can.
Li Damu knew the market value of these goods. He calculated the price on the spot, and both sides completed the handover.
Qian Yuan dealt in human trafficking and traveled everywhere, naturally also doing other business.
He had his own channels to convert these goods to cash. The exchange rate might even be higher than Li Damu's valuation.
After both sides completed the handover, Qian Yuan smiled and said, "Estate Head Yang is a bold person. Qian often comes to Tianshui City. If there's business in the future, Estate Head need only send someone with a message."
Finished speaking, Shopkeeper Qian "casually" pointed at a person standing by the roadside.
"This person is the 'bonus' Qian is throwing in. Does the Estate Head find him satisfactory?"
Since he was given as a bonus and Yang Can had said he wasn't picky, what was there to inspect?
Moreover, Yang Can glanced at this person. In his early forties, although his beard was disheveled, his body wearing a hemp cloth vest revealed a pair of arms. Both arms were quite sturdy. That was enough. He could do physical labor.
Yang Can nodded and readily agreed.
Qian Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. This old Xin was actually quite decent but doing business was like this. If people paid money, they didn't want defective goods.
Those who could afford to buy slaves were respectable people. If their household had a lame servant and guests saw it, what would that look like?
Today, in one breath, he had sold all his troublesome goods in a package deal to this country bumpkin. What a relief!
Shopkeeper Qian, with his two "living perfume bottles," boarded his luxurious carriage and departed ostentatiously.
Returning to sit in the main hall of the estate, Yang Can felt he now finally had some bearing as master of an estate.
These inner and outer residence servants, plus the guard team Leopard Head organized for him, meant Yang Manor now suddenly had seventy to eighty more people.
Such a large estate finally had some human presence.
As for how to arrange these newly purchased slaves and what each would be responsible for, Yang Can left it entirely to Qingmei and Leopard Head. However, the blue-eyed Medusa and inch-headed Master Jingyao clearly belonged to the upper-class slaves, and arranging them was troublesome.
Yang Manor didn't even have a music troupe now. The so-called dancing girls were just talk.
Looking at that red-haired wildcat watching him warily with a face ready to pounce and bare her claws at any moment, Yang Can couldn't immediately explain his plan to develop trade routes.
Although the people in the estate now were trustworthy, Yang Can didn't want them to know some of his plans and intentions in advance.
Let this little wildcat misunderstand all she wanted.
Yang Can thought about it and sent her to the rear residence to make his bed, fold bedding, and attend to his daily needs.
His commercial plan was currently just a concept in his mind. He couldn't just support her for free, could he?
This was called making the best use of everything.
What gave Yang Can the biggest headache was the Mirror Demon.
After Medusa was sent away, Yang Can looked at the Mirror Demon again.
The Mirror Demon was also looking at him, her eyes clear as a cold pool after rain. Although reflecting the sky's light and clouds' shadows, not a ripple could be seen.
Just... giving people a feeling of accomplished cultivation and deep spiritual attainment.
"Little Master..."
Yang Can looked at her inch-long hair, "I wonder where the Little Master practiced?"
The Mirror Demon smiled faintly. Her extremely pale cherry-pink lips slightly pursed into a barely perceptible arc.
This had nothing to do with sorrow or joy, just a tranquility after complete enlightenment.
"This poor nun's place of cultivation suffered bandits. Fellow disciples met with violence, the nunnery was burned to the ground. This poor nun... cannot return."
Yang Can was dumbfounded. What does that mean? How is it now impossible to send her away?
That won't do. My Yang household doesn't support idle people. I won't keep a household-supported monk.
Yang Can said, "If that's the case, let me make inquiries and find a suitable nunnery to send the Little Master to 'hang the placard.' With the Little Master's qualifications, I believe you'll soon be able to 'settle the placard' there."
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