A Scumbag Alpha Demon Lord's Three Thousand Beauties [Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Records of Myriad Things contained a dedicated section introducing Kunlun Academy. Song Changge turned to that chapter and began reading avidly.

According to the book, the Kunlun Mountains were divided into western, central, and eastern sections. Kunlun Academy was located on the third-highest peak of Western Kunlun—Muztagh. From Qingdi City to Muztagh was nearly five thousand kilometers, truly a journey across mountains and rivers.

During the great war between the Human, Demon, and Divine Realms, Kunlun Academy had rendered tremendous service and become famous through a single battle. But more than half of its people had also been killed or wounded, paying an enormous price.

Because the human race followed the Divine Race, Kunlun Academy had naturally sided with the gods against the demons. To this day, it still bore an irreconcilable hatred toward the Demon Race.

Song Changge sucked in a cold breath. If Kunlun Academy hated demons that much, wouldn’t going there be like a sheep walking straight into a tiger’s den? She might even be treated as a prime research subject so they could identify her strengths and weaknesses. Then, if the Demon Race invaded in the future, they would be prepared.

But after thinking about it again, she remembered that in the original owner’s memories, her aunt Song Hanyan had always treated her well and was an upright person. She probably would not go so far as to harm her.

Whatever happened, she would learn the mystic arts first and figure out the rest afterward. At worst, she could kneel down and swear allegiance to the Human Race, then find a chance to escape back to Qingdi City. Only someone who knew when to bend and when to stand firm could accomplish great things.

Song Changge quickly skimmed through Records of Myriad Things and gained a general understanding of the Yuanling Continent.

Of course, the specifics would have to be learned gradually. To completely digest all the theoretical knowledge in this book would take at least three to five years. And if she wanted to personally investigate all these strange phenomena and unusual creatures in practice, she probably would not see even one-tenth of them in an entire lifetime.

Unless she could live for ten thousand years.

Song Changge closed Records of Myriad Things and sighed. The original owner had not only been ignorant and uneducated, but also lacked even basic common sense. She knew less than one of her own personal maids, which created a great deal of trouble for Song Changge.

There was only one month left before Kunlun Academy began classes. Time was extremely tight, so for now, she could only do her best to make up for her lack of basic knowledge about mystic studies.

Cuiliu worked very efficiently. Before noon, she entered carrying a tray with two small wooden boxes resting on it.

She set the tray on the table and opened both boxes. “Miss, these are first-rank Essence-Stabilizing Pills and Spirit-Building Pills. Higher-rank pills are too potent for you to take right now, so I only brought first-rank ones.”

Essence-Stabilizing Pills and Spirit-Building Pills were essential medicines for practitioners of the mystic arts. “Essence” referred to the physical body, while “spirit” referred to the energy contained within it. Strengthening the body and building spiritual energy were the foundations of mystic cultivation, supplemented by magical artifacts and spirit talismans.

However, Song Changge knew that pills used by mystic practitioners were expensive and far beyond what ordinary people could afford.

She picked up the red Essence-Stabilizing Pill and asked, “How much do these two pills cost?”

“They were gifts from a friend, so they didn’t cost anything. At market price, each one is worth ten gold yuan.”

Ten gold yuan would be equivalent to a hundred thousand in her old world—an entire year’s income for an ordinary family in a small town. And this was only a first-rank pill. Higher-rank pills could cost a thousand or even ten thousand times more.

No wonder most people practicing mystic arts nowadays came from prestigious and powerful families. Even if an ordinary person possessed extraordinary aptitude and met the entrance requirements for a mystic arts academy, the later expenses for pills, magical artifacts, and spirit talismans would still make it impossible to compete with the children of the rich and powerful.

Cuiliu glanced at Song Changge and tentatively asked, “Miss, the person Master found has already arrived and is waiting in the reception hall. Shall I invite her in?”

Song Changge raised an eyebrow. “That fast? Let her in.”

A moment later, a figure strode into the sitting room. Song Changge looked up and immediately froze.

The newcomer was tall and elegant, with an extraordinary bearing and a carefree, composed smile at the corners of her lips. She wore an emerald-green robe with narrow sleeves, carrying with her the fresh scent of grass, trees, and fine rain, making the entire room seem to fill with spring.

Song Changge stared at her, eyes shining as she marveled inwardly. What an absolutely breathtaking beauty. In an instant, Hongxiu, Hualian, Yuerou, Huangli, and Cuiliu were all completely overshadowed. Beside this woman, they suddenly seemed merely ordinary.

The beauty did not speak either. Her luminous eyes roamed over Song Changge as though she were examining some strange and fascinating creature.

Being stared at like that made Song Changge a little self-conscious, and two faint clouds of red appeared on her cheeks.

After a moment, the beauty chuckled softly and spoke in a mature, hearty voice. “Greetings, Third Miss. My name is Lin Jiaye, and my family lives in Baidi City. I happened to be sightseeing in Qingdi City these past few days and came specifically to visit Uncle Song. When I heard that you were also going to Kunlun Academy, I volunteered to travel with you.”

Lin Jiaye claimed that she had come to visit Song Beiyou, but in truth, she had wanted to take the opportunity to see Song Changge for herself. The legendary half-demon did not look much different from a human at all—one nose, two eyes, no horns growing from her head, and no terrifying blue face or fangs.

Moreover, her pheromones were very weak, and her spiritual potential was only Level 1. Her aptitude for cultivation appeared entirely unremarkable.

Most amusingly, she actually knew how to feel shy. People with Yang attributes were usually forceful, outgoing, overbearing, and extremely thick-skinned. This was the first time Lin Jiaye had ever seen one grow embarrassed merely from being stared at for a little while.

Song Changge looked slightly surprised. “You just said ‘also.’ Are you going to Kunlun Academy too?”

“Yes. The Lin family has practiced the mystic arts for generations. Ever since I was little, I’ve known that I would cultivate mystic arts in the future.”

“Can you fly on the wind?”

“No. But I brought a magical artifact called ‘Fine Steeds and Fragrant Carriage.’ It can travel five hundred kilometers in a single day. It can’t compare to flying on the wind, which can cover more than a thousand kilometers a day, but it’s more than enough for a leisurely journey while enjoying the scenery.”

As Lin Jiaye spoke, she opened her right hand. In her palm rested a tiny magical artifact glowing with white light—a fragrant carriage drawn by two white horses. It looked like an exquisite jade carving, and the two lifelike horses could even move their legs as though running.

Song Changge stared at it, dumbfounded. The Song residence probably had quite a few magical artifacts in its collection as well. Later, she would have to dig around and find a few useful treasures to make up for her lack of spiritual potential.

“Then when can we leave?”

“Anytime. But I suggest we set off tomorrow morning so we have time to prepare. Besides, I only arrived in Qingdi City yesterday. I’d still like to see some of the city’s prosperity.”

Song Changge thought for a moment and asked, “What else do we need to prepare? Kunlun Academy should have places to buy things, shouldn’t it? As long as we bring the most important thing—money—we should be fine.”

Lin Jiaye smiled helplessly. “Your money can only be used in the outside markets. The academy issues its own currency. Once you spend it all, you’ll have to rely on your own abilities to earn more. Besides, the academy’s marketplace is controlled by the senior students. Every year, the newcomers who enter get fleeced.”

“I see.” Song Changge pondered for a moment before saying, “How about this? I’ll show you around the city, and you can tell me what supplies I need to buy.”

“That would be perfect. Oh, and I brought these two pills from home. You can take the Essence-Stabilizing Pill now and bring the Spirit-Building Pill with you to the academy. Your meridians and internal organs aren’t strong enough yet, so taking it now would carry some risk. I suggest using nourishing medicines to condition your body first, then slowly improving your spiritual potential.”

Song Changge thought Lin Jiaye was both beautiful and kindhearted, someone worth befriending deeply. In this world where people worshiped the strong and bullied the weak, having a friend who treated her with genuine sincerity was extremely rare.

She swallowed the Essence-Stabilizing Pill. A short while later, her skin began turning red, heat radiated from her body, and sweat poured out. Yet she could also feel a strange energy nourishing her body, leaving her noticeably more vigorous.

Lin Jiaye said, “Essence-Stabilizing Pills are extremely nourishing. Since this is your first time taking one, your reaction is stronger. It won’t be like this once your body gets used to them.”

Song Changge drew a deep breath and smiled. She said sincerely, “Thank you. I feel much more energetic. This medicine really is miraculous.”

Song Changge remembered that she had not eaten lunch yet and did not dare eat anything prepared by the cooks at the Song residence, so she took Lin Jiaye to the West Market to find a restaurant.

As they strolled toward the middle of the street, she spotted a roast goose shop and smiled faintly. “Let’s eat here.”

She was just about to step inside when she heard Lin Jiaye say, “Wait. Ronghua Hall is right next door. It’s famous throughout the land for its talented beauties. Why don’t we go in and sit for a while? Or we could ask their top courtesan to come out and accompany us.”

Song Changge froze slightly. Only then did she realize that the great beauty beside her actually had a Yang attribute!

And apparently, she was something of a playgirl too. The moment she arrived, she wanted a top courtesan to keep her company.

Still, Lin Jiaye had given her such a generous gift, so Song Changge could hardly neglect her guest. They were only inviting someone out for a meal. It should not do any harm.

And so, she walked into Ronghua Hall and shouted toward the upper floor, “Yuerou, are you home?”

The proprietress of Ronghua Hall leaned over from the second floor. The moment she saw that walking calamity had arrived, she hurriedly dragged Yuerou out of bed, helped her dress and tidy herself up a little, then sent her downstairs to greet the guest.

When Song Changge saw Yuerou’s exhausted expression and the faint shadows beneath her eyes, even though she was still forcing herself to smile, she could not help feeling a little sorry for her.

She pressed five gold yuan into Yuerou’s hand and said gently, “Don’t worry. You only need to drink with us and chat for a while. As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.”

Yuerou’s gaze froze. Flattered and startled by such treatment, she obediently nodded.

When the people inside the establishment saw Third Miss Song personally come to take someone away, they all shook their heads and sighed. Yuerou was probably going to suffer again. She had returned in the middle of the night yesterday covered in injuries. Although she had received reward money, no amount of money could erase the harm done to her body and mind.

Moreover, everyone knew that Yuerou sold her art, not her body. Guests spent enormous sums merely to hear her sing and play a single piece. Yet Third Miss Song always forcibly abducted her and bullied her however she pleased. It was infuriating and unjust—and yet, beneath that anger, there was also a faint trace of envy.

Many people in Qingdi City felt the same way. They despised Song Changge, yet also wanted to become Song Changge themselves, surrounded by luxury and beauties, indulging in pleasure and treating the mortal world like a playground.

Lin Jiaye was delighted when she saw Song Changge emerge with a radiant beauty at her side. She was just about to reach out and take Yuerou’s hand when Song Changge quietly moved to shield her.

“This is Yuerou, my friend. Her calligraphy is excellent, and she’s skilled at both the guzheng and pipa.”

Lin Jiaye could not help giving Song Changge a few extra glances. It seemed her initial impression had indeed been correct.

Although she had heard plenty of terrible things about Song Changge during her journey through the city, she had not found her unpleasant at all when they first met. On the contrary, Song Changge seemed gentle, refined, and easy to get along with.

Lin Jiaye even began to suspect that someone had deliberately spread malicious rumors about Song Changge to ruin her reputation and profit from it. After all, the Song family was the wealthiest family in Qingdi City. The open and hidden struggles, schemes, and intrigue surrounding them could hardly be any less vicious than those within her own family.

Lin Jiaye nodded. “All right. Then Miss Yuerou can sing a few songs for us.”