Although she had become the aquarium's spokeswoman, Miss Top Courtesan did not get to live the life of a wealthy lady who could earn 2.08 million a day just by chanting "1234567."
For one thing, Li Fei's job was extremely easy—she only had to occasionally attend a few events and lend out her "portrait rights," which barely cost her any time or energy at all.
For another, although Miss Spell-Encyclopedia's fame had risen sharply, at the end of the day she was still only Sequence 8, and in Loxibrook, a person's worth had always been tied to their strength.
And so, Li Fei signed a half-year contract with Kalida for an endorsement fee of five thousand gold coins. If, after six months, the returns were excellent and her Sequence rank had improved, the price of subsequent contracts would rise.
Worth mentioning was that, although the endorsement fee was only five thousand, Kalida had, in her own personal name, gifted Li Fei a permanent membership...
After settling the deal in a matter of minutes, Li Fei swung her legs back and forth, then took out the [Horn of Focus] and said with a beaming smile:
"Sister Kalida, I hear that City Hall is buying up legion-grade equipment without limit. As it happens, I've got a piece right here.....the price doesn't matter—mainly I just want to make a contribution to our Loxibrook."
It had to be said, the sight of Lady Kalida slapping down seventy-five thousand worth of Mana Crystals on the spot to make her premium purchase was truly enchanting.
And recalling the sky-high jewelry gifted at her housewarming, plus the "occasionally I receive lottery tickets as gifts, and they just so happen to always win" that she'd mentioned, Li Fei understood.
There had always been rumors that City Hall harbored corrupt parasites, and now she could lay her hand upon that pile of brand-new "discarded ordnance" in the Secret Garden and guarantee: this was no rumor.
And just as Li Fei and Kalida were chatting away merrily, Bai Mengtian, with terrible manners, slipped off her shoes and reclined sideways across the sofa with her knees bent.
Those dainty, exquisite black silk-stockinged feet, which still seemed to be steaming with warmth, draped over Kalida's leg, the red cord at her ankle dangling loosely across the top of her foot—utterly alluring.
"Wanna come hang out at my place tonight?"
Bai Mengtian poked Li Fei with the tip of her toe, her tone a little drowsy.
Li Fei swatted her lil foot away with distaste, the silky-soft sensation lingering on her fingertips—so much so that Li Fei couldn't resist giving it two more pats while replying:
"In a couple of days. I've got to get to work soon."
"Just skip it."
"Absolutely not."
Li Fei rose and extended an invitation: "Come on, let's go—dinner's on me."
In the lounge, the underage Miss Top Courtesan changed into a pink, age-reducing outfit.
Twin ponytails, white pantyhose, a pink-and-white long-sleeved T-shirt.
The T-shirt was very loose, its hem reaching low enough to cover half her thighs. Miss Top Courtesan's snowy, tender fingertips peeked out from the cuffs and clasped together at her chest. She blinked at the mirror, putting on a pure and innocent expression.
"Truly criminal."
Miss Top Courtesan nodded in satisfaction, then went pitter-pattering into the private room to receive tonight's guest.
As the saying goes, love the trade you ply—Miss Top Courtesan could sit firmly in the seat of the number-one girl not merely on her looks, but because she could always come up with some new trick to delight her guests.
"Good evening~"
Li Fei chirped a greeting brimming with energy, then bent down to slip off her little round-toed leather shoes, sat sideways on the sofa, and very affectionately looped her arm through the grey-haired woman's, nuzzling her cheek against her, her big "bling-bling" eyes seeming almost to speak.
"Good evening."
Nicole's posture was dignified and elegant. She casually lifted Miss Top Courtesan's chin, her breath as fragrant as orchids: "What would you like to drink? Sapphire again?"
"Those under eighteen aren't allowed to drink alcohol, you know."
Li Fei crossed both arms over her chest, her twin ponytails swaying with the shake of her head as she put on a "wanting to say no" expression: "I want unicorn milk."
Evidently, Miss Top Courtesan, whose body had been hollowed out by wine and lust, was now living out her vow to "never touch another drop of alcohol from here on."
"As you wish."
Nicole snapped her fingers, and a moment later a human waitress dressed as a succubus walked into the private room carrying a tray.
Watching that swaying succubus tail flicking back and forth, Miss Top Courtesan was suddenly struck by inspiration—a wonderful idea, which she resolved to try next time.
First pouring Nicole a high-proof drink called "Witch's Tears," Li Fei then poured herself a cup of warm unicorn milk, added a little honey, stirred it evenly, and cupped it to her lips.
The rich, creamy aroma—as though butter had been added—along with its sweet, warm taste, made Miss Top Courtesan tilt her head back and let out a thoroughly contented sigh.
Then, shyly, she licked the milk residue from the corner of her lips.
When it came to role-play, Miss Top Courtesan had always been a professional—so professional that she only licked off the residue on one half of her lips, and Nicole very gently used the pad of her finger to wipe away the remaining part.
The warm breath exhaled against her fingertip, and the faint, soft, fleeting touch of those lips, made even the esteemed Headmistress's movements slow.
"What's the matter?"
Miss Top Courtesan tilted her head, putting on an unbearably adorable, mischievously-begging expression, then turned her face aside, blinked her eyes, and said in a soft, delicate voice: "Why do you keep staring at little me like that?"
Quite unsurprisingly, she was enveloped in the glow of magic.
After a half-hour soak in a milk bath, Miss Top Courtesan's whole body gave off a thick, milky fragrance.
Nicole, very politely, expressed her thanks:
"Thank you for the hospitality."
Miss Top Courtesan puffed out her cheeks, saying nothing, gazing at her with longing, pleading eyes.
With Nicole, the play-hard-to-get routine simply wouldn't work—this woman was on far too high a level.
The graceful, intellectual grey-haired woman unhurriedly dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief, then drew out a document, its lower-right corner stamped with the seal symbolizing the Headmistress's authority.
Li Fei curiously picked up the stack of papers; her outstanding intellect let her read and comprehend the document's contents at the speed of ten lines at a glance.
This document represented a new teaching system about to take effect.
The Dual Enrollment System.
It set Miss Top Courtesan's heart pounding.
"I've discussed it with Barrett. He can prepare at least the 'Silver Student' level of treatment for you."
Nicole spoke unhurriedly.
The words had barely left her mouth before Miss Top Courtesan's eyes had already begun to shine.
Although, up to this point, the benefits her special-admission status had brought her weren't exactly outrageous, that was mainly because a certain Miss Li had a packed schedule and was constantly busy, plus the wealthy ladies kept her so well provided-for that the perks of being a Silver Student had not yet fully revealed themselves.
But that didn't mean special-admission treatment was worthless.
For instance, once Miss Spell-Encyclopedia advanced to the middle Sequences and could no longer drink mana potions like they were plain boiled water, the length of stay permitted at the Fountain of Mana would prove to be of enormous value.
Or, for example, the reading-access permissions for all sorts of knowledge had already brought great benefit to the development of the Secret Garden, and would yield endless benefits in other areas too.
Or, again, once she reached Sequence 6 and applied for the three-visit access to the [Spell Altar], she could leech three tier-four spells for free! That was a solid three hundred thousand Wealth Points.
Why, even once her aptitude improved down the road, the Druid Church's uses could come into play.
And the War Academy, which ran neck-and-neck with the Magic Academy, of course did not lack for good things that made Li Fei's mouth water.
For instance, the [Arena of Glory], the [Barbarian Wrestling Ring], the [Gravity Training Room]...so long as she did special training inside those extraordinary facilities, her constitution and combat skills could be strengthened with immediate effect.
——Persuading the War Academy to pass this system, and even securing the promise of Silver Student treatment, surely wasn't simple, was it? She really does spoil me, boohoo.
Miss Top Courtesan gazed at Nicole, moved; this personal reward had already exceeded her expectations.
And then Nicole held out a new document.
Its content was an application to elevate Silver-grade student Li Fei to Gold-grade student.
In this instant, Miss Top Courtesan's heartbeat skipped.
As the dear little sister of the Twin Stars, she had some understanding of the treatment afforded a Gold-grade student. Setting aside the fixed scholarship and the greater number of [Spell Altar] visiting rights, there was also the [Sacred Fountain], which could permanently raise one's total mana, and even the [Divine Shrine], which forcibly elevated one's realm of extraordinary knowledge....
"Come now, it's time to make your choice."
Nicole propped her cheek on one hand, gazing at Li Fei with smiling eyes.
——Choose my foot, choose!!
Moved though she was, the deeper Miss Top Courtesan's understanding grew, the more clearly she realized just how black-bellied a nature this seemingly plain and gentle grey-haired woman possessed.
Since she'd laid both documents out before her, it meant both gifts were prepared for her; the so-called "choice" was merely an attempt to tease her a little.
Miss Top Courtesan puffed out her cheeks and, without another word, began undoing her clothes.
Tonight this girl is going to offer herself, body and soul—nobody try to stop me!
As expected, Lady Nicole gently caught Miss Top Courtesan's hand, halting her excessive actions.
——Just as I thought, Mama Nicole, like Lady Gneia, has some unspeakable difficulty.
Miss Top Courtesan understood in her heart.
Women who could refuse her straight-ball throw into their arms were truly few; so far, there were only these two—mature, mysterious, older women.
In fact, had either of these two seized their chance, Lady Zhihua could never have been the first to cross that first finish line.
——But Lady Gneia was for the sake of [Revenge]; so what is your reason?
Miss Top Courtesan forcibly suppressed the urge to uncover the secret buried deep in Nicole's heart, and like a daughter coquetting with her mother, wrapped her arms around Nicole's and swayed back and forth, her watery eyes filled with grievance and entreaty.
The softness that the loose T-shirt could no longer conceal melted even Lady Nicole's heart.
She lightly tapped Li Fei's cheek with her index finger, poking the puffed-out cheek back in, her fingertip sinking into the tender, delicate skin, and said in a warm voice:
"I have two requests."
"Aiya, just say it straight out—whatever it is, going through fire and water is only a single word away."
Li Fei spoke false words in a sincere tone.
"First, I have a premonition."
Nicole knit her brows and lifted her wine glass: "Although it hasn't been confirmed, I feel that...within Loxibrook—no, within the Magic Academy itself—there exists a witch."
"Heavens, no way."
The moment the words landed, Miss Top Courtesan covered her mouth in surprise, her tone taking on a touch of worry: "Should we report it to City Hall? To keep the witches from running amok and doing evil here..."
"It's no use."
Nicole gently shook her head: "Even high-Sequence powerhouses find it hard to track down a witch's whereabouts—otherwise the Witches' Coven would have perished long ago…..We can't very well have Bai Mengtian read the mind of every single person in the entire city; that would be far too excessive."
"Then…..is there something I can do?"
Li "Honored Citizen" Fei volunteered eagerly.
"Observe."
Nicole gazed at Li Fei: "The pursuit of beauty is a witch's nature and instinct. So, if there really is a witch, she is very likely to approach you...You need only observe, identify suspicious targets, and tell me."
"Leave it to me."
Miss Witch of Depravity patted her chest in guarantee: "I will absolutely not allow any witch to run wild in Loxibrook!"
But inevitably, a tinge of heartache crept into Miss Top Courtesan's gaze.
The pride of the Magic Academy, one of the Twin Stars, the "North Star" Selene, was a [Mad Witch].
Her newly acknowledged goddaughter, Miss Spell-Encyclopedia, was a [Witch of Depravity].
Lady Gneia, with whom she shared no shallow friendship, was the head of the local Witches' Coven.
Her favorite place to pass the time was the witches' very own den....
Tragic, Nicole, so tragic.
——Thankfully, her other daughter, the other of the Twin Stars, the "Morning Star" Irena, was not a witch....though, now that she thought about it, it seemed like turning Irena into a witch would be quite something....
A wicked thought flashed through her mind, and Li Fei clapped a hand firmly over her mouth to keep from giving herself away.
Nicole's eyes, too, carried a hint of a smile.
She went on to say:
"You needn't dwell too much on this matter; the true crux lies in another."
Nicole paused, gave a light wave of her fair hand, and a layer of magical barrier completely sealed off the private room from the outside before she continued:
"According to the intelligence I possess, there is more than one Witches' Coven."
!?
Li Fei's heart lurched. She made no effort to conceal the emotion, but let it surface naturally, staring straight at this magus who had personally torn out a witch's spine, and exclaimed in alarm: "Wh-what? Witches are actually that cunning? Unbelievable..."
"The root origin of witches is an evil god."
Nicole's tone turned somber: "I do not wish to speak his name, but as far as I know, every Witches' Coven holds a portion of the evil god's body....I even suspect that the Witches' Coven is built upon the foundation of his remains."
——How does she know all this?
Li Fei's heart kept clenching as she quietly waited for what came next.
"And in a certain forbidden zone, I sensed the trace of his lingering presence...that kind of sinking, soul-drowning might....."
A fervor unlike any before glimmered in Nicole's eyes: "There—it is suspected that a remnant of his body still remains!"
"Incredible."
Li Fei sighed in wonder, then asked with curiosity and concern: "In....which forbidden zone is it?"
Sweat seeped from the center of her palms.
The Lady of Sinking was the god of witches; anything concerning Her could be exchanged for a hefty reward at a Witches' Coven.
If she could pry the intelligence loose—even just a clue—it would be enough to relieve Miss Top Courtesan from worrying about her Sequence 6 class customization.
"Now is not yet the time."
Nicole gently shook her head: "I once attempted to explore it, but gained very little...Yet I sensed that to lift the veil of that forbidden zone, one perhaps needs sufficient 'charm.'"
"So..."
Miss Top Courtesan realized something.
"I hope that when you have advanced to Sequence 4, or even a high Sequence, you will accompany me on a trip to that forbidden zone."
Nicole looked straight into Li Fei's eyes and said earnestly: "Of course, there are inconceivable powers there. I will do everything in my power to protect you, but I cannot one-hundred-percent guarantee your safety..."
"So, you may say 'no.'"
Faced with that sincere, gentle tone, Li Fei smiled faintly and wrapped her arms around Nicole's neck, meeting those aquamarine eyes, and solemnly, firmly vowed:
"I'm willing."
"What you desire is my will."
The Witch of Depravity paused, the smile in her jet-black pupils deepening further:
"If there really is a remnant of the evil god's body there and we obtain it...then I imagine it would give those wicked little witches a great big surprise."
...
After seeing the guest off, Miss Top Courtesan planted both hands on her hips, then promptly decided the pose wasn't cool enough, so she pointed one hand to the sky and the other to the ground and declared:
"I, Li, have the makings of a spy-witch!"
Effortlessly infiltrating the upper ranks of the Nature camp, feasting on the resources of both sides—could any other witch pull that off?
Miss Top Courtesan danced and pranced and bounced about alone in the private room for a good while before her emotions settled down.
After all, tonight's haul was simply too great. Beyond the "Gold-grade student treatment" and "dual enrollment" that could be cashed in over the short term, the clue to what was suspected to be a remnant of the Lady of Sinking's body set her heart surging all the more.
A single remnant was enough to forge a new Witches' Coven! What kind of monumental achievement was that?
If she could truly get her hands on a portion of the Lady of Sinking's body and bring it back to the organization, Li Fei would establish a sky-toppling merit within the Witches' Coven.
Nothing else aside, customizing a high-Sequence class would at least be no problem.
——Itty-bitty Headmistress, how laughable, how laughable—played right in the palm of this girl's hand.
Since she had no idea that she was in fact the one being leeched off—generosity with another's flowers offered to the Buddha—the gleeful Miss Top Courtesan, as was her custom, mocked the Headmistress a little in her mind, feeling utterly pleased with herself.
It was a long while before Miss Top Courtesan finally calmed her emotions.
She lifted the remaining half-cup of now-cold unicorn milk and downed it in one go, and when she pushed open the door and stepped out of the private room, she was still her usual radiant, warm, and heart-meltingly lovely self.
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