One Hundred Ways to Have a "BE" (Bad Ending) with the Protagonist Gong [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Qin Guan had been dead for a very long time.

As an evil spirit who had drifted in the Tianshui Abyss of the Underworld for several hundred years, many of his memories had become blurred. He only barely remembered that when he first turned into a ghost, he caused quite a stir in the Tianshui Abyss.

All the denizens of the ghost realm had swarmed around him like flies. They said they had never seen a ghost who had died as miserably as he not a single piece of good skin remained on his entire body; his bones, flesh, and internal organs were all messily intertwined and dripping wet, leaving behind only a face capable of toppling kingdoms, beautiful enough to be earth-shattering.

Although after a mere hundred years, Qin Guan’s face had become a blurred gray shadow where only the approximate positions of his features could be discerned, he thought that during his lifetime, he must have been extremely attractive.

The Ghost Magistrate who sent him into the illusion said, “Eating and sex are basic human instincts; a good skin is half the battle in successfully seducing a man.”

Therefore, to ensure he could successfully break through the realm, Qin Guan had specifically painted for himself a skin that resembled his former self.

He was very good at catering to others’ preferences. After investigating what kind of person Xue Xuening was, he had crafted a scholar’s identity for himself and often discussed ancient and modern politics with Xue Xuening, naturally earning the other’s favor.

It was just that Qin Guan didn’t quite understand something: several times, he had tried his utmost to hint that they could move to the next step, but Xue Xuening would stop every time they reached the final threshold. He was truly more composed and self-controlled than even Liuxia Hui (a historical figure famous for his restraint).

Where exactly was the problem?

Qin Guan finished reading the books in his hands expressionlessly; they were all the most popular and enduring romantic novellas in the Qi State. Every one of them told of how, after both sides expressed their feelings through subtle gazes, they would secretly meet to consummate their love, make solemn oaths even after being driven apart by their families, and finally set their lives together and live happily ever after.

He had indeed followed the steps of the protagonists in the books, one by one:

1. A romantic initial meeting: (Intentionally wandering in front of Xue Xuening on a rainy day).
2. Leaving a love token: (A collection of poetry).
3. Being together day and night: (Meeting every night in dreams).

Qin Guan flipped through the novellas page by page, his eyebrows knitting tighter and tighter. He thought over it repeatedly but still could not understand it. According to the development of a typical plot, their fourth step should have been “entwined in passion,” yet Xue Xuening continued to show no signs of movement.

If it wasn’t that these idle books were full of nonsense, then…

Qin Guan sat up from the couch in shock and examined Xue Xuening from head to toe, his gaze extremely complex: Could it be that this one is impotent?

After all, he was a sickly noble young master; it would be no surprise if he had some hidden ailment. At the moment, they were only kissing and hugging, and he hadn’t yet truly taken a bite of the life force (Yang energy). If they were to put it into practice, he feared Xue Xuening would drop dead on the spot.

The more Qin Guan thought about it, the more annoyed he became. How could he have encountered such a Lord of the Realm on his very first mission? It was truly a stroke of bad luck!

As expected, he shouldn’t have trusted that Ghost Magistrate and picked a realm at random to enter, but now he couldn’t back out.

It seemed that the only way was to first cure Xue Xuening’s old ailment, and after seducing him into falling completely in love, use a thin hairpin to pick out his heart bit by bit. Only by watching Xue Xuening in his dying state while eating him alive, flesh and all, would he be able to alleviate his current frustration.

Spring is short and passes easily; soon, the day of the Summer Banquet arrived.

The sky was as clear as washed jade. Many birds shuttled through the thick, green parasol trees on both sides of the stone path, lively and bustling; even the sunlight seemed exceptionally brilliant.

Although Qin Guan did not fear the light, he felt uncomfortable after being in the scorching sun for too long, so he stayed obediently in the carriage Xue Xuening was riding in.

He had long known that Xue Xuening was good-looking, but having grown accustomed to seeing him in casual clothes, he still couldn’t help but stare a few extra times when he saw the other wearing formal ceremonial robes.

The deep-red, narrow-sleeved, woven-patterned robe outlined the young man’s tall and straight physique. The black-trimmed cross-collar garment revealed exactly half of his slender neck, making him appear even more like a crane elegant and noble.

At this moment, Xue Xuening was lowering his long, crow-feather-like eyelashes. Not knowing what he was thinking of, a soft and tranquil smile bloomed on his lips, causing anyone who saw it to hold their breath.

Qin Guan curiously pressed his face closer, staring intently at Xue Xuening: Hmm, not bad. His complexion is ruddy and his breathing is steady.

At a glance, he looked to be in the prime of his youth, spirited and heroic, looking nothing like a person with a weak constitution. If he weren’t living day and night by his side, he might have been deceived by this appearance too.

The carriage stopped outside, and Qingbao’s voice came: “Young Master, we have arrived.”

Men entered the palace through the East Side Gate, while women walked through the West Warm Pavilion.

This Summer Banquet was ostensibly a matchmaking banquet for eligible young men and women from the wealthy and noble families of Liancheng. Yet, the required etiquette and rules were not a bit less than usual they were even more complex than ordinary palace banquets.

Just as Qin Guan followed Xue Xuening off the carriage, a soft sedan chair of royal specifications landed not far away.

“Xuening, what a coincidence.”

The curtain was lifted, and a kindly, angular smiling face appeared.

Qin Guan wrinkled his nose.

Xiao Ziyi was dressed in dazzling finery, the ornaments at his waist jingling—as conspicuous as a peacock spreading its tail.

“I have heard that the eldest daughter of the General Zhao Wu’s manor has also arrived. She is already in the Empress Dowager’s palace. You have repeatedly declined to see her for the past year, but this time, you cannot escape it.”

Xue Xuening said: “I have only met Miss Yao once; where does this ‘declining’ come from?”

Xiao Ziyi shook his head and smiled: “She did all of this for you. She rejected a marriage proposal from the Left Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and requested to enter the Women’s Academy herself. All that’s left is for her to enter the palace and ask for an imperial decree to grant the marriage. It seems that, after all, the flowing water is heartless.”

Qin Guan, floating on the roof of the sedan chair, thought: What heartless or affectionate? In my view, she is just a flashy sword that looks good but is useless. That Miss Yao had better not jump into this fire pit.

Xue Xuening’s face appeared even more indifferent and refined under the warm sun as he smiled slightly: “How could I be worthy of such? The hour is late; let us enter the palace.”

The imperial palace was towering and prosperous, and the flowers bloomed beautifully.

Qin Guan followed behind the two with his arms crossed, poking his head around, bumping into palace servants several times. Fortunately, ghosts had no physical form, and he simply drifted in and out of people’s bodies.

Finally, they reached the Shengde Palace, where the warm incense in the hall made one drowsy.

The young men who had already taken their seats were all dignified and full of the scholarly spirit of those engaged in conversation. Sitting in the chief seat were the eldest sons of several first-rank families.

Upon seeing Xiao Ziyi and Xue Xuening arrive, the crowd fell silent, then quickly became lively again: “Greetings, Prince Xiao, Young Master Xue.”

The person at the head of the table quickly gave up his seat, smiling with flattery:

“It has been a few days since I last saw the Prince, and you are indeed even more extraordinary. I heard you spent a fortune on a good horse recently; I wonder when we might get a look at it?”

“Indeed, why not go for a spring outing outside the city in a few days? The Prince and Young Master Xue should come along! It would be a perfect opportunity to witness the Prince’s new treasure.”

Xiao Ziyi smiled and said: “Better to wait until the autumn hunt at Jingmen Mountain. Everyone, please be seated. The two Highnesses will not arrive for another half-stick of incense’s time. Why not drink tea and wait a while?”

Everyone agreed.

Qin Guan did not like Xiao Ziyi; he always felt that the way he spoke like a mountain road with eighteen bends was annoying. Yet, everyone else was all ears, their mouths filled with fawning words.

At first, he was very interested in sitting on the beam to watch the show, but later he found it boring. No matter how young and energetic the handsome young masters were, their flattery was still nauseating; it was a credit to Xue Xuening that he could keep his composure.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Summer Banquet had not yet officially begun, he simply drifted to other palaces to see what was happening.

In the Cixi Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided, the garden courtyard was already packed. It was filled with young ladies of noble birth, each one dignified and beautiful, dressed in red and green, the scent of powder and fragrance sweet at a glance, it was like being in a flower garden. It was indeed much better than the “smoke and miasma” of the Shengde Palace.

Qin Guan was drifting around idly when he heard a young girl in a green dress whisper: “I wonder how long it will be before the luncheon begins. The last time I saw Young Master Xue was at the Garden Party two years ago.”

The maid beside her said: “I heard that Miss Yao from General Zhao Wu’s manor has come too. The border conflicts were settled just last month, and the General’s manor is at the height of its power. Their young lady has always admired Young Master Xue. If she can obtain the Empress Dowager’s favor to grant the marriage, I fear she is determined to succeed.”

The girl in the green dress said unhappily: “What is the General’s manor? They are strong at marching to war, but this is Liancheng. So, what if the eldest daughter has come? Can she snatch a man in public? Shouldn’t there be some talk of etiquette and shame?”

The maid whispered: “Everyone in the General’s manor is a brute; they might actually do it! Miss, have you forgotten that year…”

The girl in the green dress looked worse the more she heard: “A barbarian woman, injurious to public morals. Even if she has the heart, Young Master Xue would never look at her!”

The two put their heads together and gossiped for a long time. Qin Guan, standing to the side, couldn’t help but chuckle as he eavesdropped.

So, this eldest miss of the General’s manor was named Yao Jingqiu. She had grown up in the frontier with her father since childhood and was proficient in riding, archery, and swordsmanship. When she returned to the palace at age twelve to meet the Emperor, she fell in love with Xue Xuening at first sight and nearly kidnapped him to be a horse groom, causing quite a scene, and had been obsessed with him ever since.

Not to mention, Xue Xuening’s physique was already precarious; another few kidnappings and he probably wouldn’t live until the coming of spring.

In the distance, Yao Jingqiu was sitting alone at a table. She wore a bright yellow embroidered dress. Although she was dressed like an ordinary noblewoman, she had no appearance of a “weak willow in the wind.” Instead, her shoulders were straight, she looked calmly ahead, and she carried an air of detachment.

The young ladies at the neighboring tables would steal glances at her and whisper, but few dared to come up and strike up a conversation.

Qin Guan found it interesting. On a whim, he hid behind a tree, transformed into the image of a young lady, and strolled over: “Greetings, Miss Yao.”

Yao Jingqiu looked up at her and asked suspiciously: “Who are you?”

Qin Guan said: “I am the daughter of the concubine of the Xu family of the Ministry of Justice. When I was studying at home, I heard of your renown for fighting on the battlefield with your father. Having the good fortune to meet you today, I have come specifically to pay my respects.”

Seeing that she was beautiful, lovely, and that her conversation was sincere and earnest, Yao Jingqiu could not help but nod and reveal a smile: “So that is how it is. Miss Xu, there is no need for such formality. You may call me Jingqiu.”

“Sister Jingqiu.”

Qin Guan’s gaze was shy as he said softly: “I have never left Liancheng, and I have seen little in my life at home. I greatly envy your ability to fight on the battlefield. Seeing you today, your spirited grace far surpasses that of ordinary women. I imagine you must have unique insights; would you be willing to give me a little advice?”

Yao Jingqiu was straightforward: “Sister, feel free to speak directly.”

Qin Guan sighed: “I have a person I admire. Although he is on good terms with me, he refuses to take that step. Now, my father intends to marry me off to another person, and I am truly unreconciled. I don’t know what to do.”

“That step? You mean he refuses to come and propose marriage.”

Yao Jingqiu’s eyes moved, and she smiled lightly: “The me of today would advise you not to force it. But if it were the me of yesteryear—”

Qin Guan asked curiously: “What if it were the you of yesteryear?”

Yao Jingqiu said: “Sister, have you ever trained a horse? A good horse will never voluntarily submit. You must tame it so that it knows who the master is. First approach it, soothe it, then issue orders. If you have exhausted all sweetness and it still refuses to listen, you must whip it severely—whip it until it doesn’t dare not to listen, and then give it good grass as consolation. Repeat this, and you can train a fine horse.”

This… is she talking about training a horse, or breaking in a person?

He had indeed heard several beautiful ghosts in the Tianshui Abyss discuss the way to govern men give a stick and then a date which was quite similar to what Yao Jingqiu was saying.

Unfortunately, Xue Xuening was not like others; he was a thorough weakling who couldn’t handle any tossing. It was clear that such strong medicine couldn’t be used.

Qin Guan couldn’t help but feel regret in his heart and thanked her: “Thank you, Sister, for your instruction. I have benefited greatly.”

Yao Jingqiu said: “I fear you might laugh at me, Sister. When I was young and training horses in the army, everyone was submissive. Now that I have entered Liancheng, I have met with many setbacks. However, a fine steed is hard to come by; even if it takes more effort and twists, it is worth it.”

Qin Guan instantly understood the look in her eyes, covered his mouth, and smiled: “Sister, are you talking about Young Master Xue, who rarely attends palace banquets?”

Yao Jingqiu smiled: “Sister, drink your tea.”