Lan XiChen, "Sect Leader Jin... Could you give us a full explanation?"
Jin GuangYao said nothing. His knuckles turned white.
Wei WuXian, "Looks like Sect Leader Jin doesn't want to say it." He raised his hand and a naked female corpse immediately appeared beneath it. Wei WuXian put his palm atop her head, "But just because you don't say it, do you think I won't find a way to know?"
Just as he entered Empathy, before he even opened his eyes yet, Wei WuXian found himself surrounded by an intense aroma of rouge and powder. A coquettish voice came out of his mouth, "... Her? She wants to marry, of course. She was over twenty when she met the man. At such an age, she'd lose her popularity in just a few years. And so she had to bear a son knowing she'd be scolded. She just wanted to get out, after all. But then again, the man had to have wanted the son."
He opened his eyes. What he saw was a wide hall that could be described as beautiful. About a dozen round tables rested within the hall, a couple of clients and fair-looking women sitting at each. Of the women, some showed their shoulders, some wore unfastened hair, some sat on the customers' laps, some fed wine to others. All of their expressions seemed sweet and drunken.
It was clear what this place was at first glance.
Wei WuXian thought, So the one who got burned to death in this Guanyin Temple is a prostitute. No wonder all those ghouls were naked. They were probably all prostitutes and clients.
One of the clients chuckled, "A son is a son, after all. Did the man not want him?"
The woman, "She herself said that the man's a big shot from a cultivational sect. Then he must have many sons in his house. Nothing is cherished that isn't rare. Could he have cared about this one outside? She waited and waited and nobody came to get her, and so she could only raise him herself, couldn't she? It's been fourteen years since."
A few of the clients asked, "A big shot? Did such a thing really happen?"
The woman, "Oh, why would I lie to you about something like this? Her son is running errands for us right now. There, that's the one." The woman twisted her waist, waving at a boy holding a tray, "Xiao-Meng! Come here!"
The boy did as he was told and walked over, "AnXin-jie*, what's up?"
TN: -jie is the female alternative of -xiong.
All at once, Wei WuXian understood everything.
The clients scrutinized Meng Yao with judging eyes. Meng Yao asked again, "Am I needed for something?"
AnXin grinned, "Xiao-Meng, are you still learning those things lately?"
Meng Yao paused, "Which things?"
AnXin, "The things your mom wants you to learn, things like calligraphy, etiquette, swordsmanship, meditation... How are those things going?"
Before she even finished, the clients began to chuckle as if they found something to be funny. AnXin turned around, "Don't laugh, I'm telling the truth here. His mom's raising him as a young master of a wealthy family. She taught him how to read and write, bought him all those swordsmanship pamphlets, and even wants to send him to school."
The client exclaimed, "Send him to school? Did I hear wrong?"
AnXin, "No! Xiao-Meng, tell these young masters. You've gone to the library before, haven't you?"
The client, "Is he still going?"
AnXian, "Nah, he came back just a few days later. He wouldn't go again no matter what. Xiao-Meng, do you not like studying or do you not like the place?"
