Although Qinghong Flower Tower is located in a remote corner northeast of the Heart Beast Black Market, its foot traffic is no less than that of the Treasure Pavilion.
Li Mo had been frequenting the black market for years, yet this was his first visit to Qinghong Flower Tower.
What he hadn’t expected was that Qinghong Flower Tower was closely tied to Han Cai—a connection nearly impossible to reconcile.
As Li Mo approached the Flower Tower, the doubts in his heart dissipated like smoke.
In the cultivation world, the flesh trade could only be conducted by doctors.
The alley was suffused with the overpowering scents of rouge and powder, mingling with the pungent stench of decay—a true assault on one’s sense of smell.
The Flower Tower had two stories, with lanterns hanging from the eaves, their fiery red glow flickering in the darkness like a veiled mist.
"My lord, please come inside."
Just as Li Mo arrived at the entrance, a graceful madam approached him, and the thick stench of decay made him cough involuntarily.
He lifted his gaze to examine the madam, noticing that her skin was pallid yet lacked signs of rot, while her hair was jet-black and glossy. She carried a fawning smile.
Surprisingly, the madam even possessed a shallow cultivation of the Second Layer of Puberty.
"No need. I’ll just take a look myself."
"My lord is so reserved. Just call Mei Niang, and I’ll be at your service anytime."
Li Mo swiftly stepped aside to avoid her, and Mei Niang tactfully moved on to greet other guests. However, her actions attracted the attention of the Flower Tower’s guards.
Li Mo didn’t believe that the madam’s lack of corpse-like features was simply due to good skincare.
If Li Mo wasn’t mistaken, the madam was wearing a low-grade Human Skin Magic Tool, which allowed her to retain the appearance of a living person.
Mei Niang’s body had also undergone multiple surgeries; her movements revealed a stiffness in her joints.
Unsurprisingly, aside from her Five Internal Organs and Six Viscera, every other part of Mei Niang’s body had been replaced.
The possibility of her advancing beyond the Weak Crown Period was virtually nil.
Li Mo finally understood the kind of medical techniques hidden within Qinghong Flower Tower—it seemed they always had doctors from Rong Town stationed here.
As he entered the hall, his eyes were greeted by a throng of scantily-clad women.
The cultivators indulged in wine and revelry—a stark contrast to the solemn order of the black market—imbued with a worldly spirit straight out of mortal life.
Li Mo was naturally uninterested. If he wanted such pleasures, he might as well go to a mortal town—there was no telling what kind of beings these courtesans truly were.
A Qing Official plucked the strings of a guzheng, singing a ballad of intoxication and fleeting dreams.
"Ah, lamenting amidst the fireworks at midnight, remembering the sorry fate of this servant girl."
"Eight fateful words etched in destiny, this servant girl cursed with the peach blossom misfortune..."
The Flower Tower was a lavish den of indulgence. While Qing Officials were spared the need to trade their flesh, earning Spirit Stones depended entirely on whether tips were bestowed upon them.
Li Mo turned down several courtesans in succession and waited alone near the staircase. Soon after, the guards gathered around him, their expressions unfriendly.
The guards were just about to speak when Li Mo said two words.
Their heads immediately lowered as they cupped their hands in fear. "Our ignorance offended my lord—please ascend to a private room on the second floor."
Li Mo nodded in acknowledgment.
They navigated a flight of stairs and entered a dim, damp corridor.
The corridor was clearly surrounded by an Array. Once Li Mo stepped into the shadows, the bustling sounds vanished without a trace.
The restricted area of Qinghong Flower Tower was entirely devoid of decoration.
"Doctor Han is resting inside a private room. We will take our leave now."
After the guards hurried away, Li Mo began searching the corridor for Han Cai’s whereabouts, as a sinister aura gradually revealed itself.
Li Mo squinted his eyes and instinctively pinched his nose.
An inexplicable sense of danger gripped his heart.
Li Mo stopped in his tracks, using his peripheral vision to scan the partially open rooms—each one was empty, save for shadows flickering under candlelight.
Suddenly, the sound of viscous liquid squirming came from behind him.
Without hesitation, Li Mo leapt forward, only to see a mass of flesh and tissue lunging at him—a speed so fast that he couldn’t react.
The mass of flesh struck Li Mo’s back, its momentum sending him tumbling into a room.
Tables and chairs were thrown into disarray, and bits of wood floated in the air, cloaking the room in dust—Li Mo’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
"The prodigy you’ve kept under watch turns out to be... just this?"
An old voice echoed from the end of the corridor, followed by the emergence of a naked old Daoist whose grotesque laughter reverberated in the air.
The old Daoist’s appearance was utterly horrifying.
His skin sagged as if he were a four to five hundred-pound obese patient drained of fat. His overly stretched skin, devoid of fat to bolster it, resembled a Daoist robe made entirely of wrinkled flesh.
"Futu, the boy excels in Artifact Refining; it’s only natural for his magic skills to be somewhat inferior."
Han Cai hurriedly emerged from a private room, dangling upside-down from the ceiling supported by eight arms, with a displeased expression directed at Futu Hermit.
Futu Hermit chuckled, "Hu Wen didn’t say it like that."
Steward Hu sat within one of the private rooms, using a copper mirror to refine his facial features.
Futu Hermit shook his head and said, "Doctor Han, I have a disciple friend who’s proficient in Artifact Refining. Why not invite him over..."
Before he could finish, his expression changed in horror as he stared at Li Mo’s room.
A deafening tiger roar abruptly erupted.
The wall of the room collapsed, and a seven-meter-long Ghost Tiger crawled out, its enormous head nearly filling the corridor.
The Ghost Tiger tore into the mass of flesh with its bloodthirsty jaws, its savage claws striking repeatedly—the sinister aura of a ghostly beast surged forth.
Li Mo stood calmly to the side.
Futu Hermit was stunned for several breaths before retracting the flesh mass, noting how the Ghost Tiger, even faced with his vastly superior cultivation, stood its ground without retreating—its formidable gaze locked onto him.
Li Mo retracted the Ghost Tiger Tattoo.
He then detached the Desert Map from his body, revealing the clawing Beast Head Tattoo—the Ghost Tiger, Red Fox, Jing Kun, and Salamander looked extraordinarily mystical.
"Doctor Han, Five Refinement Golden Sand Map."
"Heh heh, Futu Hermit, take a good look. This registered disciple of mine is a genius capable of refining low-grade magical artifacts through five refinements."
Li Mo hesitated to speak. He’d only met Han Cai a handful of times—was it because of that basic medical manual from before that he was now a registered disciple?
It was also clear that Han Cai was protecting him. Taking up a spot in the auction without proper qualifications would undoubtedly stir jealousy.
More importantly, Li Mo’s displayed talent was enough to make Han Cai actively recruit him.
Hu Wen lingered on the Mountain Beast Head Tattoo on Li Mo’s right arm for several breaths before nodding approvingly, entirely indifferent to any other disputes.
Futu Hermit’s gaze remained fixed on the Desert Map.
"Is this... your own creation?"
"Senior Futu, that’s correct."
Futu Hermit shook his head. While a Five Refinement Low Grade Magical Artifact was surprising, the conception contained within the Desert Map was far too profound—not something a boy in Childhood could craft.
His own interest in painting made him itch upon seeing the Desert Map.
"Boy, create one for me."
"Senior, I only succeeded due to sheer luck, as though divinely inspired. It’s not something I can replicate at will."
Futu Hermit conceded that art like the Desert Map was rare and serendipitously crafted. Given Li Mo’s young age, it was reasonable to attribute its creation to fortune.
Unwilling to stoop so low as to take the boy’s artifact by force, he reluctantly permitted Li Mo to participate in the auction.