It took a long time before Luo Xue managed to leave the bed and head towards the door to observe where she was.
Outside it was a typical rectangle yard, in the centre, there was a mound of snow and close by the door a single wintersweet tree was blossoming beautifully. There was not a single person or a single sound, only a silent fragrance of the flowers. It was a very eerie place indeed.
Luo Xue moved closer inside, she was not one who could stand the cold. At that moment someone patted her on the back. A lone hand with crimson nail polish suddenly rested on her shoulder and Luo Xue almost jumped out of her skin.
“Did I scare you?” The person giggled. “Do you think all of us here are like ghosts? That you can’t hear our footsteps at all?”
Luo Xue glanced behind her. It was the girl who had saved her from the mass grave pit. She hurriedly said her thanks.
The girl stopped laughing. She took off her cloak and wrapped it around Luo Xue’s naked body before she reached out to hold her hand. “I am Wan Xiang and I will now take you to meet our chief.”
Luo Xue was a little surprised but managed to keep her feelings hidden and followed her barefoot.
Passing through the corridors and the yard, it turned out another building surrounded the one she was in. Countless white bricks that stretched further than the eye could see. The color may be plain but nethertheless it was not enough to hide the magnificance.
Finally they reached a hall on the East side and after they passed through a screen, she could smell a mysterious fragrance. Light and fresh like the grass in March (spring).
Before she knew what was happening, Wan Xiang had already removed the cloak around her, leaving her with no choice but to stand in the middle of the room, as naked as she was born and blushing furiously.
” Are you not afraid?” She heard a voice suddenly ask. Indulgent yet sexy completely different to Wan Xiang’s gentle and boneless charm.
It was only then that she realized there was another person resting on the couch on the left but because of the dimness of the room, she could not see that person as face but where the eyes were there seemed to be a dim glow.
Luo Xue bowed her head ,” I am but I can still stand.”
That person stood up and sauntered towards her, every step they took whispered seduction and caused fragrance to swirl around the room.
“She does have great potential.” That person commented as they walked around her. “Has a good body and has courage. I like you little girl.”
Luo Xue lifted her head up and realized how beautiful that person was. But a coldness reflected in their eyes, forcing her to keep her eyes down at her feet.
They smiled, lifted her head to inspect her. “But are you willing to remain here little girl? We will not force you if you do not wish for it?.”
“What is this place? And what can I do here?” She asked unable to control herself.
“This is the palace of pleasure. You will experience the world’s greatest pleasure here. Are you willing to remain?” They spoke in a low voice but the light in their eyes was like an allure.
Luo Xue nodded without even thinking as if hypnotised.
“Then you shall remain, ” that person annpunced before grabbing her hand, ” but you must remember once you pass through the gate of the ghosts you will never be able to return. In this life, you can only be one of the members of the gate of the ghosts.”
“Gate of the ghosts?” Luo Xue interjected with a start.
“They call me the ghost of seduction (Gui mei). So we might as well call ourselves the gate of ghosts.” That person smiled softly before putting her hand in Wan Xiang’s.
” Remember from now on your name will be Wan Mei. Forget your past Wan Xiang will teach and guide you.”
Wan Mei.
Luo Xue recited those words as she was led out. Looking back, she felt as if what had just happened was all but a dream. Only those two words were real.
Wan Mei. From today onwards she will be Wan Mei. She had a name but no surname. The past was completely dead.
Wan Mei was led straight back to that yard again. Wan Chiang did not utter a single word and only when she stepped into that yard did she smile.
“This will be your home in the future. It’s quite capacious but there are few attendants. So there are many things you will have to do yourself,” Wan Chiang told her in a quiet voice as she led her around the buildings , “that is where your sleeping quarters are, that is the classroom and that is the music room…”
Wan Mei gasped, ” All these rooms are mine?”
” Of course they are yours,” Wan Chiang informed her with a smile as she headed out the room to pick up a red parasol. ” This parasol also belongs to you. And a shadow called Xiao San.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, there was already someone standing by the doorway. He was tall and thin. And despite the fact it was the middle of winter, he only wore a thin white robe. He was the man who had touched Wan Mei before.
Wan Xiang pointed to him, ” That is your shadow, Xiao San. If you need anything just tell him.”
Wan Mei didn’t know how to respond to that so she could only stand there holding the parasol.
On the other side, Wan Xiang had already started to head towards the door. But just as she left, she glanced back at Xiao San. ” You must take good care of your mistress . If she fails too, you know what the consequences are.”
Xiao San answered yes before walking back to Wan Mei’s side with his head bowed. ” Then mistress, let’s go and bathe first. I see that you are from a poor family so your skin must be a little rough so you require some treatments urgently.”
He refused to lift up his head when he spoke so Wan Mei could not see his expression but she could see that he had gone pale and a shadow was visible under his eyes.
When she left the wooden tub, Wan Mei was draped with water. Both her eyes fluttered with invitation, alluring with a touch of innocence, filled with the silent message of inviting to join her world.
Xiao San used a cotton towel to dry her off and instructed her to lie down before massaging her with oil.
Wan Mei shifted to the side.” I thought my skin was already quite good. Pale and soft enough.”
Xiao San ignored her. Instead he took some water from the tub and dripped some onto her neck. The water droplet rolled towards her chest before evaporating in the heat.
“Not enough.” He replied shaking his head. “It’s only enough when this water droplet can pass from your neck to your toes without evaporating or dispersing.”
He then poured out some oil from a flask onto his hands, spreading it evenly across his palms. Then he put his hands above the brazier to heat them up and the room was filled with the fragrant aroma of roses.
His hands were warm and tender. At first, Wan Mei tried to shy away from him but in the end she closed her eyes to savor it.
“Quite nice neckline. It’s thin enough.” Xiao San concluded when he moved to her neck.
“Your chest is fine too. Well developed and round. But you must take care of them. When they are big it’s not easy for them to be perk.” When he passed her chest he reached over to pour something from another flask over his hands.
There was an ointment in this flask, a white ointment. Xiao San rubbed it between his hands before massaging her chest.
“This can help keep your breasts firm and the tips rosy,” he informed her softly whilst rubbing it around her nipples .
Wan Mei froze, her body as tight as a bow and her breathing started to go uneven.
“Then can you tell me what the Gate of the Ghosts is and why you’re my shadow?” she started to ask.
“The Gate of Ghosts are a group of assassins.” Xiao San continued to rub the ointment around her nipples, watching as the ointment slowly melted and her breasts becoming rosy and perky.
“Someone like you who carries a red parasol is an assassin and someone like me who wears a white robe is a shadow. We will appear whenever our master calls us.”
“Assassin? But I do not know any martial arts?”
Xiao San smiled faintly, both his hands were now massaging her breasts, ” sometimes killing someone does not require martial arts. You do not need that. Your body is your weapon. If you do require force in the end, remember you have a shadow who can help you with manual labor.”
“Oh.” Wan Mei answered still confused as she watched Xiao San move to her waist.
“You have a small waist and your navel is very pretty. Very good.” Xiao San as hands remained by her waist for quite a while. “Tomorrow I will get a ring for you here.”
That was Wan Mei’s sensitive spot and as his hands wandered around her waist, she felt her desire stirring inside her. She started to sweat, a thin sheet of perspiration covering her skin.
Xiao San’s hands continued further down, arriving at her private area, his long thin fingers brushing over the fine hairs.
“Soft and smooth, not bad. But the shape is wrong.” Xiao San told her pulling out a small pair of scissors and a red comb from goodness knows where.
The comb tenderly brushed the hairs surrounding her private area. “Don’t move I’m going to help you trim it.”
Wan Mei’s earlobes went scarlet and suddenly found something to talk about ,” You know martial arts then why would you…”
“Why would I become a lowly attendant right?” Xiao San lifted his head up, his eyes was as delicate as the water from the mountain springs.
“Because if I do well, the chief will be kind to me and give me a swift ending.”
Wan Mei gasped in response, all the sweat leaving her body and she was unsure what to say.
And at that time, Xiao San had finished trimming, her hair was now a perfect triangle. He out down the scissors and applied a fragrant oil to the area.
“You will die too. If you fail the mission in a month’s time. ” When he rubbed oil between her right he added, ” my two previous masters died so you must succeed otherwise I will be suffering beyond redemption.”
” Your backside is quite round but not perk enough. You will have to take special care during training.” He started to comment t on her body again, ignoring her questions.
He straightened and hushed her with a finger. “Questions like can you not accept the mission or not, do not bring them up ever again. Do not even think about them.”
Wan Mei fell silent but Xiao San somehow produced a rope and started to tie her up, his movements swift and practised.
“Do not worry I will not hurt you,” he reassured her. Then he rubbed his finger in a red ointment before applying it to her nether regions.
His movements were gentle and tender. His finger was moist so Wan Mei felt no pain, only a quivering sense of pleasure.
“Not bad. Very tight but you have to maintain it.” Xiao San rubbed his lips together before inserting another finger and started rubbing.
Her nether regions became more and more wet. A pink protruding point stood up like a flower bud. When his finger pressed against it, Wan Mei quivered and almost forgot to breathe.
“That is your pleasure point.” Xiao San told her as he pressed it causing more and more of her juices to flow out and onto his hand.
But just before she reached the peak of pleasure he suddenly removed his hand and replaced it with a cold jade instrument that was two fingers wide. He inserted it easily.
Afterwards he massaged her legs and Wan Mei’s breathing became more and more erratic like a trapped beast.
Her juices were steadiliy flowing out wetting the instrument giving it a translucent green glow.
Xiao San had rubbed a strong aphrodisiac in her so it was difficult for Wan Mei to suppress her desires. She kept twisting her body so that the tips of her breasts rubbed against the rope giving her some relief from the madness she felt.
“I am begging you…… I’m begging you… Please move….. please move that thing….” She opened and closed her mouth Iike a drowning fish, her face and body covered with sweat and even her breathing seemed to sound as if she was spitting fire
Xiao San used two fingers to pull and push the jade instrument once. “Like this?”
“Yes! Yes Yes!” Wan Mei cried in desperation, her sweat flying everywhere.
” I’m sorry but today’s class ends here.” Xiao San removed the object and turned as if about to leave. “Sweet dreams Mistress.”
“You dare!” Wan Mei screeched almost breaking her skin as she bit onto her lip.”Remember I am your mistress! Are you not afraid I will punish you?”
“A master who punishes his servant is something I am already used to. But this type of training is to help you overcome your arousal. For you to learn to only let men beg you and not the other way round. You must get used to it.”
He retreated after he spoke as silently as he came and even extinguished the light on his way out.
The entire yard fell into darkness, and the snow that fell on the roof listened to a woman’s moans the entire night.