"Yes, I want you to be my disciple."
"W-wait a minute." Ye Rui's face was red beet. She knew a little bit about the House of Phoenixes, the once most renowned brothel in Yunhai City, if not, in the entire Yu Kingdom which was in the brink of bankruptcy.
"Are you asking me to become one of your courtesans?
"No, not really. Though it's true that my new soon-to-be courtesans would become my disciples by default, however, I will also need many talented women to help me run the brothel. And I could tell that you have a talent that is still in slumber."
"A talent? As in cultivation? That's impossible! I am but a common mortal girl who born in the slum for as long as I could remember."
Li Fei smiled impishly at the bewildered young woman. "Aylan, I do believe you've also noticed the slumbering Immortal Vein in Ye Rui's body, right?"
"That I did, Master. Though they very faint and delicate, her meridians carries quite rare Immortal Veins. If I am not mistaken, Ye Rui has the Nature Immortal Vein in her meridians. Had she cultivate them since her early adolescent days, she would have become a Second Revolution Alchemist by now. Nature Immortal Vein is very weak at the early stage and very hard to cultivate. But, it has unlimited potential in the long run " Aylan says it all without a hitch.
"You still remember my lecture I see."
"Naturally, Master." Aylan bowed politely.
Li Fei turn to the young woman in the bed.
"There you have it! But of course, you don't have to give your answer right away. As of for now, you may take your time until your leg is healed properly. I'll respect your decision whatever it might be."
Ye Rui contemplating in a very deep thought.
'I can't miss this chance, if what he said is true, I can change my life for the better and say goodbye to that slum and that old fart who control my livelihood. But… how about my little sisters? I can't leave them alone with those filthy bastards, not when they are in their 'blooming' age!'
A brief moment later, Ye Rui finally opened her mouth.
"If I become your disciple, may I ask you a favor?" Ye Rui's gaze was stern, fueled with determination.
"If you accept me as your master, I'll even pick one of the biggest stars in the entire universe just for you, someday. That's my promise. Please, state your mind."
"En. Actually, I have three little sisters. I mean, three orphans that I grew up with since they were still very young?"
'JACKPOT!' Li Fei almost break his character as Peng Lao upon hearing it. 'God, or whatever you are. Aren't you too generous to me?'
Li Fei regained his composure by clearing his throat. "So, you want me to take them as well?"
Ye Rui nodded, exhaling a long sigh.
"They are Zhihe, Linlin, and Ruowei. I believe they are 18 years old by summer. They are very smart and crafty with their… hands. I don't know about your taste in young women. But, I think you'll like them too. Judging from their passion in handsome and wealthy young men who would take care their women with love and utmost care, they would be perfect to be your courtesans. I hope they'll be okay without me for almost a week now."
Li Fei rose from his seat. "Very well… I will take them in."
"Really?! Ouch! My leg!" Ye Rui was so happy that she even forgot that her left leg was still in post-surgery state. She winced in pain as her muscle contorted.
"Of course! Pray tell, where do they live right now?"
"I can't tell." Ye Rui shook her head dejectedly. "We live nomadically, moving from one sewer to another in order to avoid the males who wants to 'pluck' our 'flower'. Young mortal women like us are easy preys to abuse and… you know for what."
Li Fei felt his heart a tad heavy as countless wicked imagination running wild in his mind. For mortal women, they did a great job for surviving in the harshest environment he could imagine and reached their adulthood. Abused and used as pleasure toy is one thing, had them infected with mortal maladies, they would be as good as dead!
"Say less…" Li Fei said calmly. "How can I find them."
"No, you will not able to find them. I have to come with you. We used a special symbols that are known only to us, and we used this method for almost a decade now." Ye Rui drew the abstract symbol in the air.
Li Fei ponders for a while. Since mortal human didn't exude any signature Qi Energy unlike cultivators did in their daily basis, finding the three crafty women in their natural habitat would be nigh impossible unless he had to use a divination to scan the whole underground complex.
"Before we do that, I would like to ask you physician's personal opinion. What do you think, Aylan? Is she allowed for a short visit to her hometown?"
Aylan heaved her moderate sized breasts. "Even if I told you to not go back to that wretched place, you'll still wants to go there, right?"
Li Fei gave her a wide toothy smile.
"I knew it will happen sooner or later. It can't be helped then. I will grind some medicine for her pain killer, antibiotics and etcetera. But, first and foremost, let us have a breakfast before anything else. Sister Yulan have prepared our meals."
Ye Rui's eyes were teary, if only she could move her left leg freely, she would have pounced to Aylan's embrace.
"T-thank you, Elder Sister!"
"I told you to drop that Elder sister things." Aylan quipped, blushing a little bit.
"Then, First Sister Aylan?"
"Haahhh, fine, call me as you want, Little Rui."
"It's decided then! I'll call you First Sister Aylan from now on!"
Li Fei never have his felt this warm before. However, such warmness only last for so long. He needs to get stronger if he wanted to protect them.
****