Originally, it all started with a storyteller opening his tale in a public hall.
As Shi Chun listened, he felt secretly astonished.
How daring it was to speak such things openly in front of everyone! This reflected some of the peculiar practices in the current cultivation world.
He looked at the signboard of the hall, which read "Serene Listening Hall."
While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a gulping noise next to him.
It was followed by Wu Jinliang’s voice, "Indeed, they are all quite fair."
This comment immediately caught Shi Chun’s attention.
Following Wu Jinliang's gaze, he saw three fair-skinned women with delicate features laughing and chatting as they walked past.
More waves of them followed.
The two were standing at a bend near the bridge connecting the two sides, a spot frequented by many passersby.
Their ragged and shabby appearance didn’t attract much attention from others, who merely cast a couple of glances.
In the world of cultivation, there's no shortage of strange happenings.
Observers might suspect that the two had encountered some trouble, given the obvious injuries on their bodies.
“Spring Brother, let’s go find a place,” Wu Jinliang nudged with a wink.
Without needing further explanation, Shi Chun knew exactly what kind of place Wu Jinliang was referring to.
He frowned, "How much money do you even have? What kind of mischief are you planning?"
Wu Jinliang chuckled, "After all these years, I've inquired about everything. Spending some money in this life doesn’t matter."
Without waiting for Shi Chun's approval, Wu Jinliang turned around to ask someone for directions.
He knew that Shi Chun wasn’t interested in such matters, previously thinking it was due to Miss Miao.
Now it seemed it wasn’t the case at all; he simply lacked interest.
In no time, long after getting the directions, he called Shi Chun to follow.
Shi Chun hadn't intended to partake in anything, but curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see what the legendary pleasure quarters looked like and decided to observe and expand his horizons.
However, he reminded, "Should we buy some clothes first?"
Since there was no outsider around, it was pointless to say anything about buying books first.
Wu Jinliang grinned, "No need, when spending money at such places, there will naturally be people running errands for us."
"You really thought this out," Shi Chun admitted, impressed by how meticulous Wu Jinliang was.
Even while in the Exile Lands, he had managed to get everything figured out.
Skipping over the trivial details, the two wandered curiously toward the pleasure district.
Their initial excitement upon leaving the Exile Lands had now turned into a calm steadiness.
It didn't take long to reach the renowned "Graceful Cloud Pavilion" of Sky-Illuminating City.
The majestic building was embedded in a stone cliff, with many elegantly dressed women standing by the railings.
With thick eyebrows and wide eyes, Wu Jinliang beamed widely again, nearly gnawing on his knife in excitement.
However, the scene outside the building seemed a bit unusual; a crowd had gathered at the entrance, clearly watching some commotion.
Fresh out of incarceration, anything lively could not be missed.
It was easy for them to squeeze in; seeing their unkempt appearance, others were unwilling to get close.
Upon hearing "Excuse me," they instinctively made way as soon as they saw them.
In front of the pavilion's steps, a man was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly before the crowd.
Beside him was a box he clung to for dear life.
"Fifty thousand gold, just five thousand more, I swear I will repay double..."
The man's tearful pleading was accompanied by intermittent bashing of his head, his forehead already bloodied.
Naturally, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were curious.
Could someone really be willing to go this far for the pleasures of the Graceful Cloud Pavilion? Fifty thousand gold seemed absurdly excessive.
They immediately asked those nearby what was going on.
In hushed tones, they learned that the sobbing, head-banging man was named Bian Weikang, the son of the Wukang Mountain's sect leader.
He had indulged in a life of dissipation, making a group of bad friends, and leaving behind a string of wild antics and debts.
Wukang Mountain was a renowned sect for talisman crafting, mainly producing immobilization talismans often used in battles.
Thus, they were quite wealthy.
Bian Jixiong, his father, had indeed paid off his son's hefty debts but, overwhelmed with anger, punished him severely according to sect rules and expelled him from Wukang Mountain.
As a sect leader, he decreed no one from the sect should extend any support or aid to Bian Weikang and publicly severed their father-son relationship.
With neither wealth nor influence, Bian Weikang's so-called friends quickly abandoned him.
Left destitute, he eventually found his way here, becoming involved with Xiang Lan'er, the star courtesan of Graceful Cloud Pavilion.
Unfortunately, Lan’er's contract was held by the pavilion.
What complicated matters further was that Lu Taizhen, a figure of authority within the city, second only to the city lord, wanted to buy Lan’er for fifty thousand gold, and the pavilion intended to send her tonight.
Xiang Lan'er refused, and Bian Weikang couldn't accept it either.
After much pleading, the Madame of the pavilion relented slightly, agreeing that if Bian Weikang could produce fifty thousand gold before Lu Taizhen, they would fulfill the couple's wish.
But a down-and-out Bian Weikang could hardly produce such a sum.
Xiang Lan'er had already used up all her savings and borrowed from her friends to raise forty-five thousand gold to hand to Bian Weikang, urging him to find the rest.
So Bian Weikang asked around for the loan, but alas, that wasn’t a small amount.
Even a well-paid cultivator would earn about three thousand gold a year.
Five thousand gold was a hefty sum, and given Bian Weikang's poor history with borrowing, no one was willing to help.
More importantly, in Sky-Illuminating City, few dared to cross Lu Taizhen to help Bian Weikang.
Wu Jinliang sighed slightly, glancing at the entrance of the Graceful Cloud Pavilion, and murmured, "What's going on with all these people blocking the door? Isn’t business continuing?"
Meanwhile, Shi Chun was having a different reaction.
Upon learning of Bian Weikang’s identity, his eyes began to flicker uneasily.
He felt deep sympathy for Bian Weikang and was eager to befriend him, though at a considerable financial cost.
However, he thought it was a good opportunity—what was the point of forming friendships without substance? Isn’t now the time for a goodwill gesture?
Unfortunately, five thousand gold was too steep.
Even if they pooled everything they had, it would still be insufficient.
Even selling Wu Jinliang wouldn’t fetch that much money.
But he believed it shouldn’t be too difficult to gather five thousand gold here, where accumulating "merit" was much easier than in the Exile Lands.
Rich places weren't short of money; opportunities were abundant.
The challenge was securing the amount before Lu Taizhen…
Inside the top floor of Graceful Cloud Pavilion, in a quaint and elegant room, Madame Fengchi entered with a short whip resembling a horse whip.
Seated at a dressing table was a woman in splendid attire—a stunning figure clearly skilled in dance, her fingers like jade, skin paler than snow, face like an exquisite bloom, eyes filled with stars—an embodiment of classic beauty.
But when no one was around, she was as cold as ice.
This woman was Xiang Lan'er, the most sought-after performer in Graceful Cloud Pavilion, known for selling art, not herself.
Holding the whip, Madame Fengchi was apprehensive, "Holy Maiden, this is too much of an injustice for you. Should we find another way?"
Xiang Lan'er glanced at the whip with indifference, "Just a few lashes, it’s hardly an injustice."
Madame Fengchi examined the whip, typically used to discipline unruly servants.
She sighed, "A few lashes are nothing, but why demean yourself for Bian Weikang's sake, Holy Maiden?"
Unperturbed, Xiang Lan'er continued to groom her hair, "Don't worry, if I don’t want it, he can't force me. Now that the Heavenly Court is in decline and the Demon Altars rise again, it’s a prime opportunity for the resurgence of the Demonic Path. The struggle for dominance is a predetermined major event resolved by our Three Lineages.
Whoever controls the altar and commands the demonic forces depends only on strength and influence. Wukang Mountain, a key sect in talisman crafting, is crucial for our victory. My master has high expectations for this.
If I can smoothly enter and control Wukang Mountain, why care about yielding myself? It’s better compared to hiding in the shadows forever. I never believed in the Heavenly Dao’s eradication of demons.
Right and wrong, good and evil, are decided by the victors!"
(End of Chapter)