Originally, Lin Miao considered exchanging identities with Si Miaoxue, since with Lianxin and Liansuo covering up, no one at the Snow Mountain Residence would suspect.

But now Helian Wanwan has arrived, and she is the master of the two sisters, so it’s hard to fool her eyes.

The master has arrived.

Being an elder to Lin Miao, it’s only natural to host a proper welcome banquet.

This occasion is not suitable for Sun Youwei to appear, not that Lin Miao deliberately excludes her, but to avoid unnecessary awkwardness and trouble at the banquet.

Lin Miao just needs to drink a few cups with Helian Wanwan.

It’s probably Helian Wanwan’s first time in Li Hen City, and she’s not familiar with Yu Dazui, but Yu Dazui knows Helian Wanwan, so he naturally attends to her with utmost care.

This is a sect elder, a big figure, and serving her properly could be very rewarding for him.

Helian Wanwan still represents the Snow Mountain Sect; if Nie Tian were just a Meridian Passage Realm expert, the Snow Mountain Sect might not care, but breaking through to Celestial Essence is different.

Although it’s the influence of Li Hen City, since the Snow Mountain Sect sent someone to the Celestial Essence Banquet, they naturally have to come to congratulate.

As for the gift, a token of goodwill suffices; it’s enough that the Snow Mountain Sect is here.

The journey was rushed, and even though Helian Wanwan is a Great Perfection of Meridian Realm expert, she was somewhat fatigued. After dinner, Lianxin personally escorted her back to her room to rest.

Of course, the room was arranged at some distance from Lin Miao’s, to avoid disturbing the master if any inappropriate noises occurred during the night.

"Senior sister, tomorrow we’ll go to the embroidery house. We’ll first check the wedding fabric, colors, then select a style, and let the tailor measure us. This is our most important day, and we need the best materials and best embroidery and tailor to make our wedding clothes, all of them, inside and out, are custom-made from the embroidery house." Lin Miao explained her schedule for tomorrow to Sun Youwei in detail.

"Hmm, I also want to stroll around Li Hen City. They say it’s a place of sin, a city of desires, but I don’t find it different from Dongshan City at all."

"Sin doesn’t take place in broad daylight, senior sister. Actually, there are rules here, but it’s a different world from the outside. Slavery, mortal combat, gambling, selling stolen goods, black market trade, etc.

The forbidden business by the court is conducted here on a large scale.

Even the embroidery house engages in slave trade and black market deals, primarily dealing with young women and children.

Otherwise, how would the embroidery building have so many fresh goods for guests?

The female slaves and children brought in monthly have a massive auction, the biggest source of income for the Skull Association by transporting these ’goods’ from other places. They have their own channels...

The quality auctions, those unsold, are packaged and sold wholesale to the embroidery house and men to the Heaven-Dominating Tower.

The embroidery house needs embroiderers, whereas the Heaven-Dominating Tower needs gladiators, raising them in the life-and-death arena like raising gu bugs; only the last survivor gets a chance.

The embroidery house and Heaven-Dominating Tower also participate in such auctions.

So, though this city appears prosperous on the surface, its core is extremely filthy.

The sins are not hidden in the streets and alleys but in these buildings, large houses, and underground. That’s the real hell on earth.

"Did you meet Miaoxue?"

"Yeah."

"You have her scent on you, very strong..."

Lin Miao laughed awkwardly, forgetting how keen Sun Youwei’s nose was, her skill in ’identifying medicine’ even surpassing Lin Miao’s, making any attempt to conceal a scent futile.

"I’m going to take a bath..."

...

Lianxin, her face flushed, emerged from the master’s room. The master just shared numerous ways for women to ’maintain favor,’ including matters of the bed.

She hadn’t expected her always proper master to be so proficient in such matters.

But on reflection, it made sense. The master, too, is a woman, having lived decades longer and experienced marriage, albeit briefly, so it’s not surprising she understands these things.

She wondered whether to share this knowledge with her younger sister.

Just as she reached Lin Miao’s door, preparing to knock, she suddenly heard a "splashing" sound from inside.

This girl doesn’t need reminding at all,

...

"Mr. Yu, this internal injury of yours has been there for many years. Were you struck below your left waist during a fight? Although the injury healed subsequently,..."

As he heard this, Yu Dazui’s face instantly turned beet red. He had kept this condition hidden for many years, only for Lin Miao to expose it with a single sentence.

"Mr. Lin, can this be cured?"

"Yes, rest assured. I’ll give you acupuncture first, then prescribe some medication. Take it for a while, along with medicinal baths, and stick with it for about three months to fully recover!"

"Still three months?"

"This ailment stems from an old wound, at least over ten years. Three months isn’t long?" Lin Miao looked at him.

"No, not long at all..." Yu Dazui awkwardly smiled, knowing the expensive nature of medicinal materials in Li Hen City and worrying about the cost of three months of treatment.

Lin Miao gave him a prescription to strengthen and nourish the kidneys.

Then instructed him to take off his shirt and lie face down on the bed.

Yu Dazui’s latent injury had limited efficacy from medicinal treatment; unless there were heavenly treasures, acupuncture was essential.

Lin Miao was also experimenting on Yu Dazui, so naturally, he couldn’t tell him directly. Otherwise, where would he find such a good white lab mouse?

A silver needle was inserted into the Shenshu acupoint.

Slowly twisting and gently lifting...

An internal breath flowed along the silver needle and entered Yu Dazui’s Shenshu acupoint. This internal breath began to travel along the Kidney Meridian of Foot Shaoyin. The kidney and bladder are interconnected, so the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang is also one of the main meridians for needling.

The kidney belongs to water, and the lung belongs to metal. Metal generates water, so the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian is also one of the meridians for needling.

Although Yu Dazui’s old injury was not severe, it caused some damage to his kidneys, so three methods needed to be applied simultaneously.

Moreover, the usual strength of acupuncture stimulation is insufficient, requiring strong stimulation. Since Yu Dazui is a martial artist and not an ordinary person, he can endure it. Hence, Lin Miao dared to use internal breath-attached acupuncture therapy on him.

As for the effect.

A bit intoxicating.

After a few needles,

"Mr. Lin, what kind of magic did you use on me? Why do I feel like this..." Yu Dazui’s face was flushed red.

"This is temporary, don’t worry."

After half an hour of acupuncture, Lin Miao removed the silver needles one by one, clapped his hands, and said, "Two more acupuncture sessions, and your hidden injury should be fine. However, if you want to regain your masculine vigor, you’ll need to keep taking medication."

"Ah, this feels great. I haven’t felt this comfortable in years..."

"Don’t make such strange noises; people might misunderstand what I did to you." Lin Miao helplessly reminded him.

"Oh, sorry, it felt too good, and I couldn’t help but exclaim." Yu Dazui got up, put on his clothes, and awkwardly explained.

"Young Master, the carriage is ready; we can leave." Lianxin entered from outside, a charming smile playing at her lips.

"Hmm, to the embroidery shop." Lin Miao nodded.

Lianxin drove the carriage while Lin Miao accompanied Sun Youwei to the embroidery shop.

He didn’t hide his identity when he came to Li Hen City, and he went to the embroidery shop on business. Although he was granted a title by the court, he was a technical official, not a pastoral governor, so he had more freedom.

If it were an official like Pei Jian, he couldn’t come to Li Hen City casually. If the court found out, they might think he was plotting something.

The carriage moved along East Street, lined with shops and bustling with noise. Sun Youwei occasionally lifted the curtain to look outside.

Everything in Li Hen City felt fresh and intriguing to her.

"Senior Sister, once we settle on the wedding attire, I’ll accompany you for a stroll to see if there’s anything you like, all right?" Lin Miao could see that Sun Youwei wanted to shop but felt constrained sitting in the carriage.

"Hmm." Sun Youwei nodded.

The embroidery shop was divided into two places: one was the workshop location, which Lin Miao had visited before.

The other was for external business operations.

Essentially, the showroom and the factory.

They were heading to the showroom.

The embroidery shop’s showroom was built at the busiest intersection of East Street, diagonally opposite the largest Soul Captivating Cave in Li Hen City, also part of the embroidery shop business. It was previously called "Mandarin Duck Pavilion" and is now called the Embroidery Tower.

Lin Miao and Sun Youwei got off the carriage, slowly stepped up the stairs at the entrance, walked over the stone slab-paved ground, and arrived at the open doors of the embroidery shop showroom.

The threshold was high, almost to knee level, requiring lifting one’s foot to step in.

Those who could enter to purchase embroidery products and clothing were at least people with silver in their pockets, and some level of ability.

Of course, women were the majority, and they weren’t just ordinary women; most had some cultivation, many holding swords or knives.

Even female warriors love beauty, especially those who could come to Li Hen City, most of whom had some wealth, with few being truly poor.

Even if they were poor, they could find men to pay for them.

The first floor was the finished products area, offering all kinds of clothes and embroidery, colorful and dazzling, with prices ranging from low to high, everything available.

For wedding attire, both male and female styles were available, totaling dozens of types, with even the cheapest set costing two to three hundred taels of silver.

The most expensive ones went over five thousand taels, and the finished clothes here were custom orders, temporarily displayed until the customers took them away and couldn’t be seen again.

After all, each custom piece was made with exquisite materials and embroidery, existing as works of art.

Even someone as worldly as Lin Miao was dazzled. If these items were taken to Blue Star and auctioned, each would be a rare treasure of great value.

Sun Youwei’s mouth hadn’t closed since entering, liking this one and that one, utterly captivated and reluctant to leave.

The welcoming maid had long noticed Lin Miao and Sun Youwei. Since the two were browsing hand in hand, she simply followed them quietly without disturbing them.

They were trained to understand what kind of service to offer different customers and had the skill to read expressions and gestures.

When the customers finished touring and returned the same way, she approached from the side: "Young Master, Madam, do you need customization services?"

Lin Miao and Sun Youwei exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Then please follow me to the second floor, where we offer customization services." The maid bent slightly, making a "please" gesture.