The spiritual energy of the world has run dry, immortal cultivation sects have collapsed, and cultivators have become ordinary mortals. The world has descended into chaos. Xu Yao, a shrewd and worldly wealthy merchant who once made his living raising and training the famed beauties known as the 'Slender Horses of Yangzhou,' witnesses cultivators seizing what they want and sees through the changing times. He decides to abandon his business and return to his remote hometown for refuge. Along the way, he encounters a group of down-and-out female cultivators, including Qiao Yaoyao, a former prodigy of the Xuan Yi Sect, and Ma Yuanyuan. In exchange for food and protection, Xu Yao 'buys' the group of female cultivators. After returning to his old residence, he exploits Ma Yuanyuan's ambition and betrayal to divide the women, forcing them to choose between signing contracts of servitude and becoming his slaves or performing hard labor and enduring hardship.