The Courtesan’s Position

“Mm, thank you, Mama Li.” Though Ye Qingyun’s head ached, he still expressed his gratitude to Li Yulian. At the very least, a layer of his restrictions had been lifted.

“It’s no trouble at all. We’ll still need to cooperate in the future, won’t we?” Li Yulian said. “Judging by your current popularity, we’ll receive at least 100 gold in tips daily, sometimes even 200. We can split it fifty-fifty, and the other half will go towards your debt.”

Ye Qingyun had no objections whatsoever. The prospect of gaining an additional half of the earnings was a definite boon, and he saw no reason to refuse.

Following this, Li Yulian began discussing the terms of their cooperation with Ye Qingyun.

Now that he was no longer an official courtesan, his relationship with Sweetwater Lane had grown closer.

“Mama Li,” Ye Qingyun inquired, “if I repay my debt, will I truly be free?”

This matter was of considerable importance to him.

Li Yulian paused for a moment, then smiled.

“Yes, that’s right. Once you’ve settled the debt of ten thousand gold, you will be a free person,” Li Yulian said with a smile. “Whether you choose to leave Sweetwater Lane or stay will be entirely up to you.”

Upon receiving Li Yulian’s answer, Ye Qingyun felt a significant weight lift from his shoulders. At least ten thousand gold was a finite sum, and he believed that, with his current income, it wouldn’t take him too long to repay it.

Moreover, Ye Qingyun had no immediate intention of leaving. He planned to wait until the Flower Queen selection was complete before bidding farewell, as by then, his coffers would likely be overflowing.

Once free, whether to perform or not would be solely Ye Qingyun’s decision; no one else could interfere. Even if he wished to depart immediately, Sweetwater Lane would have no grounds to stop him.

The Capital grew increasingly bustling. Having achieved fame as a courtesan, Ye Qingyun could now meet anyone he wished. Indeed, Qin Yun, clad in splendid brocade, arrived.

Naturally, he sought out Ye Qingyun for a chat, as Ye Qingyun was his only friend in the game.

“Hey, Number Two, I heard your official courtesan status has been lifted?” Qin Yun immediately inquired upon entering.

The moment Ye Qingyun heard the words “Number Two,” he instinctively rolled his eyes.

“Hey, hey, can you please stop calling me ‘Number Two’?” Ye Qingyun said, his head throbbing. “It sounds incredibly awkward. Can’t you find a different name?”

Seeing Ye Qingyun’s clear dislike for the appellation, Qin Yun immediately chuckled mischievously.

“What does it matter? There are no outsiders here,” Qin Yun scoffed. “Don’t worry, in front of others, I’ll call you Miss Qingrou, alright?”

“Cough, cough, fine, do as you please.” Ye Qingyun felt that no matter how much he fretted, the outcome would always remain vexing.

“Stop stressing about it; it’s just a game. Isn’t it better to be relaxed?” Qin Yun asked. “If your status is lifted, does that mean you can start your next quest?”

“That’s right. With my official courtesan status removed, I’ve begun repaying my debts,” Ye Qingyun said with a sigh of helplessness. “I owe Sweetwater Lane ten thousand gold, alas!”

The moment those words left his mouth, Qin Yun nearly jumped out of his skin.

“What? Ten thousand gold? Isn’t that a million in real life?” Qin Yun exclaimed, startled. “How long will it take you to pay that back?”

Qin Yun’s life was undeniably far more comfortable than Ye Qingyun’s; he lived free from worry about food and clothing. However, he too had not yet attained complete freedom.

“It’s just data. What about you?” Ye Qingyun countered.

“Everything’s fine with me, I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” Qin Yun said, shrugging his shoulders. “My main quest line is different from yours; I guess everyone’s is unique.”

Indeed, this game was controlled by artificial intelligence, generating main quests based on each player’s individual identity. Therefore, there were no direct comparisons. The game’s greatest highlight was its diverse pathways.

While it was a wuxia game, one wasn’t strictly confined to martial arts. As long as one possessed intelligence, countless possibilities awaited.

“Mm, I have a feeling this game won’t remain so peaceful forever,” Ye Qingyun suddenly remarked, lost in thought. “Before long, the heavens will change, you’ll see.”

Qin Yun nodded. As long as this martial world remained a game, the developers would never allow players to simply live out their days in peace.

“If things are going to change, I’d be more than happy,” Qin Yun said. “By the way, you’ve reached the halfway point of the Flower Queen selection, right? From the looks of it, securing first place should be quite easy for you.”

“Tch, I don’t care about that stuff anyway,” Ye Qingyun retorted. “I’m purely in it for the money. Once I’ve earned enough, I’m making a run for it. Do you really think it’s enjoyable being ogled by a bunch of lecherous men every single day? I’m constantly worried about my chastity.”

“Heh heh, I wonder what their reaction would be if they knew you were actually a man in real life,” Qin Yun said, a wry smile playing on his lips.

“That’s none of my business,” Ye Qingyun shrugged. “If they want someone to blame, they should blame the game. It’s not like I deliberately set out to deceive anyone.”

After conversing for a while, Qin Yun departed. He, too, had his daily routines to complete, and only after finishing his tasks did he have free time.

Meanwhile, in the real world, at the Fantasy International Headquarters.

“How are things? Is the data still stable?” Jiang Kaiyang removed his virtual helmet and walked over to the data management station, inquiring.

Within the entire game, only his data had not been replicated. This meant he could freely move between the martial world and reality, as only his account data remained linked to him; everyone else’s had been separated.

“So far, everything is stable,” the staff member responsible for the martial world’s AI promptly replied. “However, quite a bit of data has disappeared recently. It seems some data subjects are trying to escape the martial world by committing suicide, but unfortunately, they are unable to.”

Jiang Kaiyang and his son harbored grand ambitions; their actions undoubtedly concealed an unspeakable secret.

“Be careful not to let the supervisory department discover us,” Jiang Kaiyang said with an excited laugh. “If they do, our experiment won’t be able to proceed. But as long as we succeed, heh heh, we will be the saviors of a new world. And in that new world, we will be the masters.”

Indeed, they sought to construct a world entirely under their control. As for how to achieve this, it was currently still in the experimental phase. Trapping replicated player data within the game world was merely the beginning.

Back in the game, Ye Qingyun’s segment of the Flower Queen selection was fast approaching: the battle for the Top Ten finalists.

On this day, all the renowned celebrities and nobles of The Capital would be in attendance.

The event grounds in the marketplace were already packed with a multitude of common folk. Ye Qingyun and the other hundred contestants who had passed the initial rounds were to be judged here today for the Top Ten.

One hundred individuals would take turns performing on stage, with the nobles of The Capital assigning scores.

As Ye Qingyun stepped out today, his face was adorned with a veil, maintaining an aura of mystery. The onlookers could only glimpse his captivating, otherworldly eyes and the intricate pattern on his forehead.

His expression remained remarkably calm, as if nothing could perturb him. His mental fortitude had significantly improved; after half a year in this game world, he had grown accustomed to its peculiarities.

After all, his subconscious considered it merely a game, nothing serious—much like role-playing, where he was simply portraying a woman.

As each competing maiden arrived, the event officially commenced. First, lots were drawn to determine the performance order. Ye Qingyun drew number 36, meaning he would have to wait, possibly spending the entire day at the venue.

The competition grounds were surrounded on all four sides by pavilions, where the nobles were seated. In the center stood a circular stage, designed for the contestants’ performances.

At the very beginning of the competition, a middle-aged man, resembling a master of ceremonies, emerged to deliver a lengthy, rambling speech. Then, following the drawn order, he introduced the maidens. The first performer was a talented woman from the Talent Pavilion of Flower Street.