"Pleasure-seeking?" Cheng Xinzhan was a bit puzzled.
Sun Miaoshu smiled.
"The world isn't just filled with ascetic cultivators who live in seclusion."
He paused, then added, "Out of ten thousand cultivators, perhaps not even one will ascend. Most people don't want to grow old and die in a cave."
He pointed to the massive city in the clouds.
"So cultivators also seek pleasure. But the mortal cities are too entangled with worldly karma, and they dare not enter. The famous mountains and rivers are already occupied by various sects. That's why they built cities in the sky."
He Jiyuan found it hard to believe.
"A group of pleasure-seekers built such a massive city in the clouds?"
Sun Miaoshu chuckled again.
"Only the wealthy can afford to indulge in pleasure without restraint. Only the wealthy can mobilize powerful figures to achieve their goals. Never underestimate the power of wealth and merchants. Bai Yujing was built by them."
As they spoke, they arrived at the city gates.
Many others were flying in from all directions.
"Is it always this crowded?" He Jiyuan asked.
"No, it's because the New Year is approaching. That's why there are so many people."
"Ah, do they celebrate the New Year here too?"
"Of course. Except for the Daoist masters, everyone here came from the mortal world. Taking a break during the New Year, having fun—it's deeply ingrained. Doesn't your Yingyuan Prefecture also take a break during the first month?"
He Jiyuan smiled and nodded.
"True."
"Does it cost anything to enter the city?"
The massive city gate had no doors, and no guards were stationed there.
People simply walked in.
However, at the gate stood a colossal peacock statue, taller than any person.
The statue was made of an unknown material, with gold, blue, green, and black colors interwoven, shimmering in the sunlight as if alive.
"Entering the city is free. As long as you don't stay overnight, eat, or buy anything, you can wander around without spending a single coin," Sun Miaoshu explained.
Cheng Xinzhan's gaze fell on the city's floor tiles, which glowed like jade.
"What kind of tiles are these?"
Sun Miaoshu glanced at him.
"You always notice the important details. These are Cloudroot Stones, said to have been taken from the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Court. The third layer of the sky is believed to be where the ancient Heavenly Court kept their horses and trained their soldiers. There are many such ruins scattered around."
These Cloudroot Stones are incredibly rare.
Aside from Bai Yujing, any that remain in the world are worth more than our cloud carriages.
"Cheng Xinzhan looked around. How many Cloudroot Stones must have been used to build such a massive city? And this city was just one of twelve towers and five cities.
Bai Yujing, built on such a grand scale, only used the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Court's stables and training grounds. The once lofty Heavenly Court had now become mere ruins. The group passed through the thick city walls and entered the city, finally witnessing the sights within: The city stretched as far as the eye could see.
Walking along the broad streets, the end was nowhere in sight. Tall buildings on either side blocked the sunlight, yet no shadows fell on the ground. This was because tall trees were planted every few dozen steps along the streets.
The branches of these trees were adorned with lanterns shaped like moons, emitting a soft white light. Even during the day, they illuminated every corner of the city. Every five steps, there was a pavilion; every ten steps, a tower.
There were towers for banquets, towers for fine clothing, and towers for music and dance—each one unique. There were pavilions for warmth, pavilions for bathing, and pavilions for games—each one vying to outshine the others. Between the towers and pavilions, suspended bridges connected them, crisscrossing in all directions.
The bridges were adorned with luxurious carpets, allowing one to travel from one tower to another without ever setting foot on the ground. The eaves of the towers and pavilions were sharply pointed, carved into the shapes of dragons and phoenixes with their heads raised toward the sky.
The buildings varied in height, their layered eaves converging toward the streets, as if the dragons and phoenixes might take flight at any moment. And there were countless such towers and pavilions. Above, the overlapping bridges resembled rainbows, while the long bridges over the lotus ponds were exquisitely carved, resembling reclining dragons.
Surrounded by the bridges, towers, and pavilions, one was bathed in light, making it impossible to distinguish directions. Occasionally, light would shine from the towers, like stars or candles. Upon closer inspection, it was women opening their mirrors to apply makeup.
At other times, a white cloud would gather around a tower, where drinkers had thrown off their clothes and hats. The streams running along the streets emitted a fragrant aroma, reminiscent of rouge. From the shops and pavilions, yellow smoke and purple mist wafted out—the unique incense of each establishment.
Jewels and treasures were everywhere. The streets were bustling, filled with people in their finest attire. The group of seven looked around in awe, their jaws dropping.
The cultivators on the streets didn't mock the newcomers. After all, this was the expected reaction when first arriving in Bai Yujing. It was worth noting that there were two types of special people in Bai Yujing.
The first type waited at the city gates, eager to see the astonished expressions of newcomers, as it helped alleviate the embarrassment they themselves had felt upon their first arrival. The second type were the city's residents, who observed the reactions of passersby. If someone was amazed, they felt proud.
If someone seemed dissatisfied, they would immediately investigate the issue and rectify it as quickly as possible. At this moment, the calmest among the group were Sun Miaoshu and Sanmei. Sun Miaoshu had been here a few times before, while Sanmei couldn't see much due to the overwhelming brightness."
Isn't that a demon? How can he enter?!
"He Bingkun exclaimed, pointing at a man in tattered clothes adorned with black talismans. It was well-known that this was the attire of the Northern Demon Sect from Mount Beimang. The passersby chuckled but paid no attention. The demon also smiled, too lazy to respond. Sun Miaoshu quickly stopped him. He Jiyuan had already pulled out a thunder talisman, which was a major taboo in Bai Yujing. Sun Miaoshu explained,"Put that away!
Fighting is strictly forbidden in Peacock City.
That's the most important rule!
"After He Jiyuan put away the talisman, Sun Miaoshu continued,"This is a place built by merchants.
There's no distinction between righteous and demonic here.
They want to make money from both Daoist and demonic sects.
Demons are even more eager to indulge in pleasure.
When it comes to spending extravagantly, we can't compare to them!
"There's no good or evil here, no sects. Everyone comes for one purpose: to have fun and enjoy themselves."
The group was enlightened by this explanation.
Then, Feng Jihu asked, "Brother Sun, what kind of merchants could build such a city?"
"Not just one person, but a group of families from all over," Sun Miaoshu explained slowly.
"The owner of the Southeast Peacock City is the Qian family, who did business in Kuaiji, Jinling, and Yuzhang before ascending. The owner of the Northeast Sea Green City is the Xiao family, who did business in northern Hebei and the northern deserts.
The owner of the Northwest Bifang City is the Le family, who did business in the northern frontiers, the western seas, and the western passes. The owner of the Southwest Lark City is the Mu family, who did business in Yunnan, western Shu, and the southern wilderness.
The owner of the central Jingwei City is the Yuan family, who did business in Qingzhou, Heluo, and Jingchu."
These five families were already wealthy before ascending.
Later, they joined forces with the owners of the Twelve Towers to build Bai Yujing, naming the cities after birds.
When they ascended, they brought many willing mortals with them, who have since multiplied in the sky.
Many of them have never set foot on the ground in their entire lives.
"As they walked and chatted, the towers and pavilions were adorned with lanterns and decorations, creating a lively atmosphere. Beautiful fairies leaned on balconies, calling out to passersby, stirring restless desires in the hearts of many. After wandering the streets for a while, Sun Miaoshu led them into a tavern. As soon as they entered, attendants greeted them and guided them to their seats. The table was made of golden nanmu from the southern mountains, and the chairs were covered with white bear fur from the northern seas."
What would you like to drink?
"the attendant asked. Everyone looked at Sun Miaoshu, who cleared his throat."
Two jugs of Tiangu Yunmeng Wine.
""Coming right up.
Any dietary restrictions for the side dishes?
"Everyone shook their heads. The attendant left."
He didn't ask what side dishes we wanted.
What if he brings too many? How much will that cost?
"Zhu Jianmo asked cautiously. Sun Miaoshu explained,"Here, only the wine is charged.
The side dishes are free and will keep coming without repeating.
"As for the wine," he winced slightly, "it's one gold per jug."
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at Sun Miaoshu.
Xu Jishen spoke bluntly, "Are you crazy? We don't have to drink this!"
Before entering, Sun Miaoshu had said he would treat them.
Now they understood why Bai Yujing was called a gold-sinking abyss.
Cheng Xinzhan was also shocked.
Although he had connections, his "Dragon Carriage" had only cost one gold.
Even though Sun Miaoshu had reached the second realm, how much could he have saved?
Sun Miaoshu smiled.
"You don't understand. This is the cheapest option here. Nothing in this city costs less than one gold. When my senior brother brought me here after breaking through, we drank this wine too. I'm not embarrassed to admit that the reason I led you around for so long and chose this tavern is because this is the only place I know, and this is the only wine I've tried!"
"We could have just wandered around. We didn't have to come in and drink!" Xu Jishen still felt a bit resentful.
"Let's not dwell on it. Consider it a celebration for my breakthrough!" Sun Miaoshu said with a smile.
The group stopped complaining, but they all silently vowed to repay Sun Miaoshu later.
"Here's the cloud sugarcane, please cleanse your palate," the attendant said, bringing seven white porcelain plates, each holding a few slices of something resembling sugarcane.
"Eat it. It's like sugarcane—chew and spit it out. But this one can remove any lingering tastes in your mouth, allowing you to better appreciate the wine's aroma," Sun Miaoshu explained.
"We may live on wind and dew, with no taste for rich foods, but this is for those who frequent Peacock City. There's no harm in trying it."
Next, the group witnessed the true extravagance.
Two jugs of wine were prepared, tailored to each person's preference—some warm, some chilled.
They were even asked how warm or cold they wanted their wine.
Having never tried it before, the group simply made random guesses.
When He Jiyuan was served a jug of wine that was literally on fire, everyone burst into laughter.
Halfway through the wine, the side dishes arrived.
Among the delicacies, the group only recognized a couple from the imperial kitchen.
The rest were completely unfamiliar.
Since the side dishes were free, they indulged to their heart's content, stuffing themselves with the exquisite dishes.
Sanmei, however, was more reserved.
Sitting on Cheng Xinzhan's lap, she only ate the fried golden-tailed loach after trying it once, savoring each bite and refusing anything else.
"What a beautiful cat," a voice said nearby.
Cheng Xinzhan looked over and saw a woman descending the stairs.
Their table was right across from the staircase.
The woman wore a white fur coat and a veil over her face.
In her arms, she held a lion cat with golden fur.
Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded at her.
His Sanmei was indeed beautiful.
"If your cat has white film in its eyes, feeding it more sea fish might help. The golden-tailed loach is a lake species. If she likes loaches, you can try feeding her six-whiskered loaches or fish-dragon loaches," the woman said.
Cheng Xinzhan was surprised.
He hadn't heard of this before, and even Qu Jihan didn't know about it.
He stood up and thanked her.
The woman nodded and then left the tavern.
Cheng Xinzhan petted Sanmei and made a mental note of the advice.
"Lord Gongchang is here!" someone outside suddenly shouted.
The group from Mount Qing looked at each other.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, they decided to settle the bill and leave.
At the tavern entrance, they saw a crowd gathering in the direction of the city gates, moving toward them.
As they approached, they saw a deer-drawn carriage in the middle of the street.
The carriage was pulled by two white deer and hovered above the ground.
Inside sat a young boy in purple, around thirteen or fourteen years old.
Surrounding him were many attendants.
Suddenly, Cheng Xinzhan's eyes narrowed.
He recognized a familiar face.
The person following the carriage—wasn't that Liang Zhenjing?
"What kind of lord is this? Quite the show-off. Everyone else walks, but he gets a carriage," Wang Miaoyuan muttered.
Unexpectedly, the young lord, still far away, seemed to hear something and looked directly in their direction.
However, Wang Miaoyuan remained unfazed, staring back as if he hadn't said anything.
The young lord, finding no clues, turned his gaze away.
The entourage passed by, with Liang Zhenjing following the carriage like a loyal guard, not noticing Cheng Xinzhan among the crowd.
Cheng Xinzhan whispered to the group, "The person following the carriage is from Mount Longhu."
The others were surprised.
"Gongchang—that's the Zhang family!" Wang Miaoyuan suddenly said.
"Then... that boy in purple?" Everyone began to speculate.
Could he be the young Heavenly Master of this generation?
Why would the young Heavenly Master, who should be reciting scriptures in the Heavenly Master's residence, come here for pleasure?
The group followed from a distance.
After walking for a while, they came across a pond on the left side of the street.
The pond was filled with purple lotuses, and in the center stood an exquisite pavilion.
At the pavilion's entrance, a group of stunningly beautiful women waited.
The young lord's carriage turned and headed toward the pavilion.
The group also saw the pavilion's name: Violet Chamber.
"Who is this person? He actually has the fairies of the Violet Chamber waiting for him at the door," someone in the crowd asked.
"Who knows? But he must be very wealthy. I heard he comes every month, and each time, the Violet Chamber clears out to serve only him. But among the Twelve Towers and Five Cities, I've never heard of a Gongchang family."
The group from Mount Qing was even more astonished.
The Violet Chamber—just the name and the sight of those beauties made it clear what kind of place it was.
Did the young Heavenly Master of Mount Longhu come to such a place every month?
End of Chapter.
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