Chapter 289: The Lap Pillow Plan Begins

Damian had left the Golden Medicine Pavilion earlier and was now casually making his way back toward the courtesan house.

He was in an excellent mood. After all, Gifting Day had always been a special occasion for him.

A moment later, the familiar system interface appeared before his eyes.

---

[Gift Target: Esmeralda Verdanthe]

[Gift Item: Ten Mid-Rank Royal Grade Blazing Heaven Sealing Talismans]

[Multiplier: 170x]

[Critical Multiplier Triggered]

[Reward Generated]

[Royal Grade Alchemist Talent]

[Top-Rank Royal Grade Qi Gathering Pill Recipe]

[Ten Years of Peerless Comprehension in Top-Rank Royal Grade Qi Gathering Pill Refinement]

---

Damian stared at the rewards for several seconds before his lips slowly curled into a grin. "Hehehe... Finally, my alchemy talent has also reached the Royal Grade. Good. Very fucking good."

His grin widened when he saw the second reward. At first glance, it was just a basic cultivation pill, but it was a fucking top-rank Royal-Grade pill.

Even better, the system had granted him ten years of Peerless-level comprehension focused specifically on refining it.

Damian’s eyes brightened considerably. "Now that I have this, I can make my own pills and even use them to strengthen others. Still, this one is too high-level for me to use right now."

Fortunately, with the recipe and his alchemy talent, he could derive and refine lower-grade versions of the pill.

That meant he could finally produce his own pills to strengthen the people around him and even use them as gifts for his treasure chests.

By the time he finished examining the rewards, the familiar courtesan house had already appeared ahead.

Damian stretched lazily as he made his way toward the entrance. "Alright, enough business for today."

His expression shifted, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. "Time to eat, drink, listen to some music, and relax with my head in the lap of a beautiful woman."

---

Cynthia left the Golden Medicine Pavilion not long afterward.

By the time she returned to the agreed meeting point, Linsey, Helena, and Evelyn were already waiting for her near a quieter inn at the edge of the commercial district.

Linsey was leaning against the wall with a bored expression.

Helena sat with her arms crossed.

Evelyn stood near the window, silently watching the street below.

The moment Cynthia entered, Linsey looked over. "Finally."

Cynthia closed the door behind her. "You three are already back?"

Helena frowned. "We didn’t find much."

Cynthia sighed internally.

"Of course."

She walked over and sat down. "Alright. Tell me what you found."

Linsey immediately went first. "The taverns are full of people talking about the festival."

Cynthia waited.

Linsey continued, "Apparently, there’ll be a lot of young geniuses, merchants, martial displays, gambling, and some kind of public competition."

Cynthia blinked. "That’s it?"

Linsey spread her hands. "What? People in taverns mostly talk about who’s handsome, who’s rich, who’s going to win, and who slept with whose fiancée."

Helena snorted. "Useful intelligence."

Linsey pointed at her. "At least I learned something."

Helena’s expression darkened slightly.

Cynthia turned toward her. "And you?"

Helena answered bluntly, "Weapon shops and mercenary groups confirmed that both the Valeria and Valehart Families have been buying extra weapons, defensive talismans, and hiring additional guards."

Cynthia’s eyes sharpened slightly. "That’s better."

Helena continued, "Could just be festival security, though. Nobody knew anything more."

Cynthia nodded.

Then she looked toward Evelyn.

Evelyn spoke without turning away from the window. "More patrols."

Cynthia waited.

Evelyn continued, "Several rooftops near the Valeria estate are restricted. Hidden guards too."

She paused. "Also saw Valehart cultivators entering through a side gate."

Cynthia’s expression became more thoughtful. "That’s actually useful."

Linsey immediately looked offended. "Hey."

Cynthia ignored her and leaned back, rubbing her temples. Honestly, the information wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t enough either.

Compared to what Cynthia had already learned through her own channels, Esmeralda, and the Heavenly Palace, the three women had only gathered surface-level details.

Not surprising.

Linsey, Helena, and Evelyn were talented cultivators, but when it came to politics, merchant networks, and major faction structures...

They were still painfully inexperienced.

Cynthia sighed. "Alright. Listen carefully."

All three looked toward her.

Cynthia took a breath and said, "I found out something far more important."

Linsey immediately brightened. "Oh?"

Cynthia folded her hands. "First, the festival isn’t just some public celebration. Both the Valeria and Valehart Families are using it to strengthen their alliance publicly."

Helena’s expression became more serious.

Cynthia continued, "Second, the Verdanthe Clan will also have representatives attending."

Evelyn finally turned from the window.

Linsey frowned. "Verdanthe?"

Cynthia stared at them.

Silence.

None of the three reacted properly.

Cynthia closed her eyes. "Of course you don’t know."

Helena frowned. "Should we?"

Cynthia sighed again. "The Verdanthe Clan is one of the biggest medicinal families in the region. Golden Medicine Pavilion belongs to them."

Linsey blinked. "Oh."

Cynthia’s eye twitched.

"These three really know nothing about the fucking world."

She continued, "And more importantly, Master Damian already has a connection with one of their younger-generation geniuses."

That finally caught all three of their attention.

Linsey immediately leaned forward. "Wait. This younger-generation genius Master Damian knows..."

Her expression became suspiciously amused. "Is she a woman?"

Cynthia looked at her as though the answer should have been fucking obvious. "Of course."

Helena sighed. "I knew it."

Evelyn’s expression remained cold, although one eyebrow lifted slightly.

Linsey laughed. "Somehow, wherever Damian goes, there’s always another woman waiting for him."

Cynthia ignored that and continued. "Her name is Esmeralda Verdanthe. She’s one of the promising younger members of the Verdanthe Clan, and she currently has enough status to attend the festival as an official guest."

Helena immediately understood. "And Damian is using her invitation?"

Cynthia nodded. "More specifically, Master Damian will enter as her companion."

The room became quiet for a moment.

Evelyn looked toward Cynthia. "And us?"

Cynthia shook her head. "We can’t enter with them."

She folded her hands. "Esmeralda’s invitation only allows her to bring one companion, so the four of us need separate routes."

Linsey frowned. "That’s annoying."

Helena nodded. "We could probably buy invitations through someone."

Cynthia shook her head. "Possible, but unnecessary. It could also leave traces."

Evelyn finally turned fully away from the window. "I already have a way."

All three looked at her.

Cynthia’s eyebrows rose slightly. "You do?"

Evelyn nodded once. "There are service entrances and side routes used by guards, merchants, and temporary workers."

She paused. "I found one that should be easy enough to use without attracting attention."

Cynthia considered it for several seconds before giving an approving nod. "Good."

Linsey looked offended again. "Why is Evelyn suddenly better at this than me?"

Evelyn answered without emotion. "Because you went gambling."

Lindsey quickly came up with another excuse. "I was gathering information."

Evelyn simply repeated her earlier words. "You gambled."

Linsey’s mouth twitched.

Cynthia raised one hand before the argument could start. "Enough."

The room quieted.

She looked between the three women. "So the plan is settled. Master Damian enters openly with Esmeralda."

She pointed at the three of them, then at herself. "Meanwhile, the four of us will enter separately through Evelyn’s route and move around without drawing attention."

All three of them nodded.

For several breaths, Cynthia remained silent before suddenly changing the subject. "Now that we’ve settled the plan..."

Her expression grew solemn, and her voice became noticeably more serious. "There’s something else I want to ask the three of you."

The other three frowned slightly. It was the first time they had seen Cynthia wear such a serious expression.