The Skin-Lip Cup

In the exquisitely bright, antique-style guest room, Li Huowang picked up a piece of braised duck, chewed, and swallowed, trying to suppress the nausea that still lingered in his mouth.

Even though it was an unpleasant sensation, if it made Tuoba Danqing drop his suspicions a little, it was worth the price.

At the very least, it let him understand why Li Huowang wore the copper coin mask.

And judging by the surprise on his face, Li Huowang knew his guess had been correct. For all his worldliness, the man had never seen anyone with tentacles growing out of their mouth, complete with eyeballs.

Taking a small sip of wine, Tuoba Danqing spoke, a lingering hint of fear in his voice. “Brother, I’d say you’re treading the path of a rogue cultivator. Take some advice from an older brother, don’t take it the wrong way—but if you can avoid practicing rogue arts, it’s for the best. Otherwise, you’ll never know in the end whether you’re practicing it, or it’s practicing you.”

Li Huowang raised his cup and lightly clinked it against Tuoba Danqing’s. “Thank you for the reminder, Brother Tuoba. I have my own plans.”

“Good, as long as you have a plan. To be honest, I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were destined for great things.” As Tuoba Danqing rambled on with pleasantries, the atmosphere in the room gradually returned to normal, and the two resumed their drinking.

Tuoba Danqing grew merrier with each drink. At the height of his cheer, a strange look crossed his face as he leaned in close to Li Huowang, lowering his voice with a laugh that any man would recognize. “Little brother, come here. Let big brother show you what special perks a man of rank Wu gets that a lowly Gui doesn’t.”

With that, he raised his hands and gave a soft clap. Not long after, four voluptuous women filed into the room, eyes lowered in submissive silence.

Just as Li Huowang assumed they were singing girls, the four women simultaneously shrugged off their sleeves, revealing themselves completely bare before him.

All over their bodies were patterns of hidden blue tattoos, turning the four women standing there into four exquisite pieces of celadon porcelain.

And without exception, they were all women with bound feet—wide above, narrow below—which made them look even more like porcelain figurines as they stood there.

But unlike fine ceramics, when two of the women glided gracefully to Li Huowang’s side and pressed close to serve him food, he discovered that this celadon was soft, warm, and smooth. Every lift of their hands or tilt of their feet was saturated with seductive charm.

As if showing off for Li Huowang, Tuoba Danqing made a drinking gesture with his hand. The woman immediately raised a cup and slowly poured the wine into her own mouth.

After she had done so, she collapsed onto Tuoba Danqing’s lap. She curled her tongue into a funnel, pressed it against his lips, and slowly let the wine in her mouth flow into his.

Relishing the warm wine he had just swallowed, Tuoba Danqing turned to Li Huowang. “Brother Er, do you know what this is called? A ‘Skin-Lip Cup.’ How about that? You haven’t seen this in Siqi, have you? Hahaha~”

Li Huowang glanced uncomfortably at the women beside him. “Brother Tuoba, isn’t it a bit difficult to talk business with these four ladies present?”

Tuoba Danqing put his arm around the woman, beaming with pride as he said to Li Huowang, “Don’t worry. These are special selections I picked from the Linglong Tower. They’re Silent Beauties—they can’t hear and they can’t speak. No matter what we say, they can’t hear it and can’t repeat it.”

“This kind of Silent Beauty is raised specifically for men like us.” With that, he put his mouth to the cup again and took another drink.

The sight immediately made Li Huowang think of Sun Baolu’s mother, who had been used as a “Beauty Paper,” and a wave of revulsion washed over him. He had been in Daliang for so long that he had almost forgotten the twisted customs of this place, where people were treated as tools.

“Come on, little brother! You’re finally back after all this time—you should take a proper rest! Don’t worry, this is all standard official expenses. If you don’t take it, you’re just letting it go to waste!” Tuoba Danqing stood there, winking and whispering to Li Huowang.

Looking at the pitiful bodies nearly hanging off him on both sides, Li Huowang shook his head. “Brother Tuoba, thank you, but I came only to drink today. I’m not interested in anything else.”

Seeing Li Huowang’s lack of interest in women, Tuoba Danqing looked genuinely surprised. “Oh? Don’t tell me you’re like me—tired of women and ready to try some rabbit boys? That makes sense, I suppose. A hole is a hole, after all. I’ll go swap them out for you right away.”

Li Huowang’s expression hardened, and he raised his voice slightly. “Brother Tuoba, until I have avenged my fellow disciples, my heart will never be at ease. I simply don’t have the mind for such things.”

Seeing that Li Huowang didn’t seem to be joking, Tuoba Danqing waved his hand lightly, dismissing the women.

After they had all left, Tuoba Danqing raised his cup, downed his drink, and let out a heavy sigh. “Brother Er, you are a man of honor. These days, few are willing to go through fire and water for their fellow brothers. Everyone has their own secret schemes.”

“A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. They killed our six Grand Elders—it’s only right that we seek vengeance.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then settle down here in Yinling City for now. I know you’re in a hurry, but I’ll call on you first when anything comes up.”

“Agreed. My thanks to you, Brother Tuoba. Let me toast you one!”

When Li Huowang returned to the inn, reeking of alcohol, he collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes. He pressed his fingertips rhythmically against his temples.

Dealing with Tuoba Danqing, this smiling tiger, was no easier than fighting on the battlefield. He didn’t know how much the other man really knew, or how much he was trusted. All he could do was stay constantly vigilant to avoid showing any cracks.

Then, suddenly remembering something, Li Huowang pulled his identification token from his belt. Looking at the characters “壬伍” (Ren Wu) carved on it, he knew he was one step closer to his goal.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. As his position in the Supervisory Heavenly Office rose, so too did the power he could leverage from it.

The North Wind had lived for one hundred and ninety years—just hearing that made him sound strong. But that didn’t mean Li Huowang had to fight the Zuowandao single-handedly.

He sat up abruptly, mumbling to himself. “That’s right. With the Supervisory Heavenly Office as my backer, it would be a crime not to use it. Especially since they’re already mortal enemies.”

“All I have to do is provoke a conflict between them, and then I can reap the benefits!”

“Hehehehe…” A low laugh made Li Huowang turn his head. As expected, it was Red Center again.

“You, a greenhorn? Who are you trying to fool? You want to sow discord?”

“Those Three Joys and Four Happinesses are old foxes. Before you can even make your move, they’ll have seen through you and turned it back on you.”

This time, Li Huowang didn’t ignore him as he usually did. “Weren’t you always saying I was Red Center, one of the Three Joys? I believe you now. Since I’m a high-ranking member of the Zuowandao, just like them, why shouldn’t I be able to play them off each other?”

At these words, Red Center’s expression lit up with excitement, as if remembering something.

“That’s right! Maybe that was Red Center’s plan all along! Suppress his own memories, sneak into the Supervisory Heavenly Office, and then start pulling strings from the inside!”

“Yes, yes, yes! That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Li Huowang stood up as well, his face alight with the same excitement.

Finally, they both laughed at the same time. The laughter grew louder and louder, but just as it reached its peak, it suddenly stopped. They both looked at each other with expressions of mockery.