The Book Soul Chronicles: Godslayer

Chapter 54 Li Minghan, who loves reading doujinshi.

Yu Bingwen sensed his precarious situation and glanced at the ring Qingwu had given him. Then, he deliberately said that his Uncle Qingwu was comparable to a creator, just to test her.

Yu Bingwen knew in his heart that anyone who could create a painting that combined elements must be a genius. Geniuses are bound to be arrogant, and someone who could create something so disgusting must have a lot of wicked tastes.

Such a person enjoys manipulating others. When they hear of someone who can rival them, they will be very interested, so they decide to take a gamble.

Only if the controller intervenes can I find a way to break the deadlock. After all, I haven't found anything yet, and I can't just sit here and wait to die.

Who knows what that guy might suddenly think of? What if he really gets himself killed here? Right now, I'm in the open while the enemy is in the dark. I can't die without even seeing the enemy's face; I'm not willing to accept that.

He wants to strike first and take the initiative.

Unfortunately, Yu Bingwen underestimated just how disgusting the founder of this painting array truly was.

Li Minghan also added a more advanced self-created array to the drawn array. As long as one is in the array, a faint, almost imperceptible wave of spiritual energy will silently invade one's mind, which can transmit the thoughts of the trapped person to the caster, similar to having mind-reading ability.

It provides another perspective, which can be used to watch the drama unfold and also to prevent the enemy from escaping—killing two birds with one stone.

Li Minghan had already sensed Yu Bingwen's thoughts and granted his request. He was simply bored and wanted someone to keep him company! Besides, the kid was smart and courageous, so he was willing to give him a chance.

Firstly, it's to test this person's abilities; perhaps they'll accidentally give you some surprises, since luck is also a part of ability.

Secondly, just like Yu Bingwen was thinking, he wanted to see Qingwu and see if she could come to save him before he decided to kill him, especially to save him from his hands.

Li Minghan found it amusing to think that he had been forgotten by the world, so it was no wonder that someone could find him after coming here. It was really interesting.

He smiled sinisterly and whispered, "Butterfly Slave!"

A woman with a graceful figure and breathtaking beauty appeared behind him, kneeling on the ground with an obedient demeanor.

Li Minghan's expression turned slightly cold, then he said casually, "Go!"

The woman on the ground should have been looking up, but her eyes were empty and her face was deathly pale, like a soulless puppet.

She slowly approached the vortex shrouded in black mist. When she reached it, her appearance changed. Her face regained color, and her eyes, no longer empty, became alluring and seductive. She was truly a rare beauty.

The woman before him was a puppet he had created using special methods, allowing him to directly control her soul and thus dominate her. The question of why he didn't kill her and turn her into a puppet directly was simply because she was unkillable, and also because of his twisted sense of humor.

Li Minghan has killed many people, but this is the first time he has encountered someone who was killed by him and then came back to life. Moreover, her soul is very powerful, and he simply cannot erase it.

Then, Li Minghan seemed to have thought of something very interesting. His eyes revealed his excitement at getting things done, and he once again used his spiritual power, sending a cloud of black smoke flying directly into the black vortex.

Then, the black vortex disappeared, and the scene inside the scroll reappeared.

Yu Bingwen had already prepared for battle, expecting a direct confrontation or something dangerous, like a sneak attack, but the outcome was beyond his expectations.

"Wait, why isn't this person following the script? What's going on?" Yu Bingwen's ears turned red as he kept complaining in his mind.

Because he was in a brothel, and a very open one at that.

There were couples drinking and having fun together, some were being taken to bed, and some couldn't wait and just started...

Anyway, everywhere was filled with laughter and various panting sounds, creating a very chaotic atmosphere.

Yu Bingwen was handsome, and as soon as he appeared, many girls surrounded him, wanting to spend a night with him.

He pushed away the beauties who were pressing themselves against him and walked past the large round beds covered by bed curtains, ignoring the commotion inside.

Li Minghan watched everything inside with a wicked grin. He knew that Yu Bingwen wanted him to take action so that he could find a weakness, and of course he would do as he wished, only it was different from what Yu Bingwen had thought.

Li Minghan also learned about it from the memories of those intruders. After all, he would extract their memories and see their secrets before turning them into puppets.

He always found it particularly interesting, as he would learn things that others didn't know, their dark thoughts, and the dirty things they had done.

Even the brothels were things he learned about from their memories, except that those were upgraded versions of himself. He wouldn't stoop to doing such things; otherwise, with so many handsome men and beautiful women, why would he turn them into puppets?

In short, he's very noble, and those ants are unworthy of him. Whether others think so is unimportant; what matters is that he thinks so.

If Yu Bingwen knew what he was thinking, he would definitely spit on him and admit that he was somewhat good-looking, but he would say that he had never seen such a narcissistic person.

However, he did not miss Yu Bingwen's slightly red ear tips and slight unease in the painting. Although he quickly calmed down, the sharp-eyed Li Minghan still noticed it.

"Wow, it's still a virgin! How interesting!"

Li Minghan said this with a hint of mockery, then chuckled softly, completely forgetting that he was doing the same.

Yu Bingwen continued walking inside. As he walked, he cursed inwardly that the controller of this array was a pervert, so playful, always doing useless things, just to see him make a fool of himself.

Suddenly, a uniquely decorated bed caught his attention. It was a larger bed, made of purplish-red wood with orchid trim. The pale blue gauze curtains were adorned with lifelike orchids, which could be easily spotted from the colorful fabric.

"Woooooo~~"

A woman's soft sobbing voice came from inside, and her beautiful figure was faintly visible through the gauze curtains.

Yu Bingwen thought to himself, "It seems she is the key to this formation. But... isn't she a bit too conspicuous?"

Yu Bingwen was a little puzzled. This obvious difference was something anyone but an idiot would notice!

"However, why do I have this ominous feeling?" Yu Bingwen thought to himself.

Yu Bingwen was still a little hesitant, because the closer he got, the more he told himself that he would regret it, but he wouldn't know the situation until he got closer.

He would have taken the gamble if it were an ordinary person, but the other party was unpredictable and liked to play pranks, which made him really hard to figure out.

Yu Bingwen eventually walked over and stood in front of the gauze curtain.

"Go ahead and play a trick on me! You shouldn't die from doing the opposite, at worst you'll just be disgusted. I'd like to see what kind of tricks you're up to."

Yu Bingwen cheered himself up, thinking that this was the first time he had been disgusted by someone, and he figured the other person would play along for a while. After all, such a perverted person would only deal with him after he had had his fill of playing with him.

This was evident in his Martial Aunt Qingwu. Having been by her side for a long time, he had noticed that this was how his Martial Aunt acted when she was teasing or especially trying to disgust people.

However, her martial uncle only teases people she dislikes, and he knows his limits and never harms them.

But the current opponent is different; he or she enjoys playing tricks on everyone, and once he or she has had enough, only death awaits them.

The two are fundamentally different; one has a reason and acts with restraint, while the other only cares about his own happiness and disregards the lives of others.

This is also the cruelest aspect of the cultivation world: the weak are merely playthings in the hands of the strong, powerless to resist and left to be slaughtered at will.

The strong can look down on anyone of low cultivation level, treating them like ants and trampling them at will.

Yu Bingwen felt incredibly fortunate to have such an opportunity and such a powerful backer. His master and uncles had shielded him from the bloodshed and turmoil, allowing him to easily survive in this world of cultivation.

Otherwise, even if one is exceptionally talented, they will likely be nipped in the bud before they can grow.

He still respected those cultivators who grew up in battles without any background or protectors, and he never looked down on those whose cultivation and talent were inferior to his.

Because they are all stronger than him, they will use their intelligence to protect themselves in this bloody world under the dual pressure of humanity and cultivation.

I have relied on the protection of many powerful people to live peacefully for so long, but I will eventually follow their path. I am just luckier than them, and I will face fewer troubles and find it easier to solve them.

However, some things have a price tag from the beginning. Although their path of cultivation is more arduous, they are not much better off themselves.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight. You carry the responsibility and future of the sect on your shoulders. You can't be as carefree as those cultivators who can protect themselves in danger and only need to consider their own life and death without thinking too much.

After Yu Bingwen finished his reflections, he was mentally prepared to face his opponent's "unexpected move".

Yu Bingwen stood not far from the bed, bowed to the person under the gauze curtain, and asked for the reason.

"I apologize for disturbing you, young lady. I am a first-level rogue cultivator who accidentally ended up here. Just now, I heard you seem to be crying. I wonder why you are so sad."

The crying under the gauze curtain stopped. Through the semi-transparent curtain, one could see the other person wiping away tears with a handkerchief, their voice thick with a nasal tone.

"It was Yan who was impolite and disturbed Master Li."

Then, in a plaintive voice, she began to explain the reason.

"Yan's family was originally wealthy merchants, but my father lost money in business and sold me into this Wan Hua Lou. I accepted my fate and became the top courtesan in this Wan Hua Lou."

The voice seemed to hold a glimmer of hope, as if seeking redemption, and continued speaking.

"I never expected to meet someone who was willing to take me away from here. He gave me hope and warmth, and gave me a soul, so that I was no longer just a beautiful walking shell."

Then, her tone shifted, and she began to sob as she continued speaking.

"But... but now he's going to abandon me too. He wrote to me saying he doesn't love me and wants to break off our relationship so as not to hurt his new bride. He wants me to forget him and forget everything about us."

Then, in a somewhat agitated tone, she continued to denounce the injustice she had suffered.

"I just found out he's married someone else. He clearly said he'd only ever love me, he's a liar! Waaaaahh ...

Yu Bingwen's lips twitched as he listened to these words. The more he listened, the more familiar it became, and by the middle part, he already knew the ending.

There was nothing else to it; he simply accompanied his martial uncle everywhere to listen to gossip and storytelling in teahouses. His martial uncle also bought a bunch of sketchbooks, which he would then read himself, claiming it was to help him better understand human emotions and lay the groundwork for his future cultivation.

Of course, more often than not, she would be on her private flying boat during her travels, drinking tea, eating pastries, comfortably lying on the couch, and having someone read stories to her from a storybook.

So he learned a lot about these kinds of stories, and he could tell at a glance that it was a story from an outdated storybook.

He couldn't help but feel a little contemptuous. "How outdated is this? The most popular genre now is female-centric novels, and upgraded versions at that, combining elements of sweet romance, doting family stories, and rebirth stories. They're much more exciting than this."

"This melodramatic story about a courtesan and a heartless man is so outdated. The other side is really behind the times."

Yu Bingwen was inwardly disgusted, but showed no sign of it on his face. On the contrary, he put on a look of utter grief, as if he were the one who had been abandoned. He then lashed out at them.

"This is outrageous! He's a heartless, blind, treacherous, fickle, greedy, and self-centered scoundrel. Bah! Miss Rouge, don't be sad. He's not worth it."

Seeing his confident and familiar demeanor, the person crying under the gauze curtain immediately stopped crying, leaving him unsure whether to continue or not.

Even Li Minghan's smile froze on his face outside the painting array. He was still looking forward to seeing how this guy would react when he received the newbie gift pack he had given him.

Before he could even make his move, he pulled this stunt, leaving him completely bewildered.

Even the butterfly slave next to her almost couldn't hold back. It was really funny. The style of the painting, which was originally very serious, suddenly changed to a comedic style. It takes a person's quick thinking to keep up with it.

Li Minghan finally realized that he actually despised himself in his heart, yet he was putting on this act. It was simply too much, so he cursed loudly.

"Yu Bingwen, who are you calling backward? Believe me or not, I'll turn you into a puppet too."

After he finished speaking, his murderous intent suddenly dissipated, because he suddenly felt that turning it into a puppet would make it just like those other things, devoid of thought, which would be meaningless.

He thought about it seriously for a moment, then smiled sinisterly and gestured for those inside to continue.

The reason he changed so quickly was because of Qingwu, the woman who, like him, loved reading storybooks and playing pranks. Moreover, he had learned about many more interesting storybooks, and he was becoming more and more interested. So let's continue playing!

He was just angered by that idiot, who not only despised him but also treated him like a fool. He was truly one of a kind.

Even Yu Bingwen probably didn't expect that his Uncle Qingwu, who wasn't by his side, would save him twice, and he certainly didn't expect that a grown man would love reading storybooks just like his own Uncle Qingwu.