Fifteen days ago, Author: Pig Heart Shrimp
Chapter 28: Dragon Tiger Pill
Lao Lu walked out of the room, blowing a wisp of green smoke that soared into the sky, informing the situation inside the door, then receiving new instructions.
Arriving outside the courtyard, Zhao Feng, who had been waiting for a long time, greeted him, "Senior, how did Fairy Yuhua react?"
"She was very surprised. You have caught her attention."
"Is Senior telling the truth?"
"Can I deceive you?"
Lao Lu narrowed his eyes.
He didn't have to be so particular with Zhao Feng.
He casually said, "I have always been good at reading people. Yuhua's steps have been lighter recently, obviously in a very good mood. This is all thanks to you."
Of course, it could also be the doing of that young man from the Gu family.
Who knows what kind of love potion he gave to his little ancestor, sneaking out to meet him every night.
"This... this..."
Zhao Feng became even more at a loss, asking, "Senior, what should I do next?"
He was not a clueless fledgling, but the other party was from the immortal sect, not someone he could pursue with ordinary means.
It was best to ask the senior who was also from the immortal sect.
Lao Lu said, "To alleviate the boredom of my disciples' cultivation, the Sanqing Daoist Sect usually organizes a spring outing every year. Although we cannot use the flying boat to enter the Star Sea, we can take a boat trip on the river."
"Yuhua, being a disciple of the Yuqing Sect, should enjoy it the most. I heard that your Zhao family has a treasure ship. Go and borrow it."
"Alright, alright, thank you, Senior, thank you!"
With a trembling voice, Zhao Feng left in a hurry, taking a carriage to the palace.
He could have used an ordinary large boat, but since he was going to do it, he should do it the best way possible.
The best ship in the world was naturally the Vermilion Bird treasure ship built by the Daoist Emperor at the cost of a million taels.
Passing by the Dragon Bridge, a gaze fell upon him, as Gu Wen leaned against the window watching the Wang Mansion's carriage disappear into the distance.
Suddenly, a soft white hand rested on Gu Wen's shoulder, and a charming voice sounded behind him.
"Master Gu, I heard you need the Dragon Tiger Pill. Have you opened your senses and learned about the pleasures of the mortal world in the bedroom?"
-
Qianfeng Tower, the largest brothel in Longqiao.
The madam of Qianfeng Tower was beautiful and elegant, in her thirties, with a stunning figure.
Dressed in a purple skirt, she captivated countless men.
Known as Xiaoshanhu, her real name was Yang Shanyu.
Unlike the brothel madams in previous works of film and television, there were few aging and fading women in Longqiao.
More often, they were middle-aged beauties like her.
One madam was just the manager of the brothel, the real bosses were behind the scenes.
Secondly, a brothel was not a brothel; a brothel was a brothel.
The brothel provided high-end transactions of power and pleasure, specifically for officials and nobles to enjoy.
The women here were more skilled than those passing by on the street, each proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and various arts.
The courtesans here could attract the attention of the world, even receiving imperial edicts from the palace.
The brothel was a place where stars were born in ancient times.
"Madam Yang, please restrain yourself. I am not in good health and fear dying here."
Gu Wen pushed away her hand.
The beautiful woman's eyes were full of grievances, but she did not push further, moving to pour water at the table, saying, "Our girls at Qianfeng Tower are very clean, as you well know. Fourteen or fifteen years old, taught to bathe in fragrant water, apply makeup, and be charming in public. They learn all kinds of arts and skills."
"Gentle and elegant, lively and playful, pure and pristine, we have them all."
Having power and money in ancient times was indeed a good thing.
Gu Wen shook his head, "Qianfeng Tower can sell girls, so why bother looking for me?"
"Isn't it rumored that you are going to be ennobled?" Yang Shanyu spoke softly, "Your bathhouse brings in tens of thousands of taels every year, and you recently made a killing in the tooth market. You don't have a concubine..."
"It's just a rumor. I have no achievements or abilities. "
Gu Wen refused without hesitation, not just to avoid trouble, but also because he couldn't afford it.
Most of the women at Qianfeng Tower sold their bodies, and if they did, they could only be bought outright, starting at several hundred taels.
"But this is Daqian. Even the palace dogs can become kings. What about a great man like you?"
Yang Shanyu let out a clear laugh, and Gu Wen couldn't help but smile.
This was Daqian, where anyone being ennobled was not surprising, and where the city falling and the country perishing was also not surprising.
Returning to the topic, Gu Wen sat at the table and said, "Recently, a distant relative came to see me. He has established himself in the south and wants to expand his business. So, I want to buy some Dragon Tiger Pills to give as gifts."
"We at Qianfeng Tower have no shortage of buyers for Dragon Tiger Pills."
"They are priced at fifty taels each. I offer sixty taels."
"Eighty taels."
"Seventy taels."
"Deal."
It was not a black market transaction, and both were merchants from Longqiao.
Qianfeng Tower had to give Gu Wen some face, so after a simple negotiation, they agreed.
Since the product was limited, following a strategy of scarcity marketing, Gu Wen could accept a twenty-tael increase in price.
Just don't try to raise it further later.
Gu Wen wanted five thousand Dragon Tiger Pills, and Qianfeng Tower agreed to deliver them in two batches.
With a deposit of six thousand five hundred taels, a down payment of two thousand taels, and a balance of four thousand five hundred taels, he was on the brink of bankruptcy.
After finalizing the deal, Gu Wen was invited to stay for a meal, and Yang Shanyu called a group of young women to serve him.
The so-called service was limited to pouring wine, playing the zither, reciting poetry.
The women of Qianfeng Tower were very precious, and Gu Wen was not yet at a level where they would give him several hundred taels of silver for free.
If he could come up with a poem, he might win their hearts and win the beauty over.
A charming woman with silky eyes smiled and asked, "Does Lord Wen know poetry?"
"I am just a merchant, a commoner, and I only like folk songs. Unfortunately, Qianfeng Tower is too elegant for me, not suitable for someone like me."
With one word, Gu Wen brought a wave of smiles.
The women present covered their faces and laughed, not daring to mock him, but inadvertently revealing a slight disdain for merchants.
He also laughed, making the atmosphere even more harmonious.
Many of the refined people here had a literary disease, serving officials, nobles, and literati.
They thought of themselves as belonging to that class.
Gu Wen had many poems and songs in his mind, but they were unnecessary.
It was just about men and women.
If they could give him techniques like Yuhua did, he might recite a few lines.
But if it was just about appearances, he couldn't be swayed.
But for some reason, he felt dry-mouthed and restless, his body reacting inexplicably.
Could it be because his Dao Foundation had repaired his weak and sickly body, causing hormones to rise uncontrollably?
His gaze darkened, and he recited the heart technique in his mind.
Suddenly, what was just a small flame of desire surged uncontrollably.
Gu Wen's drinking motion stopped.
As if the body, nourished by the Dao Foundation, had erupted with suppressed desires from years past.
He thought the heart technique could suppress it, but it only brought more distractions.
'The heart is the root of calamity, the heart is the Daoist sect.'
A line from the heart technique suddenly came to mind.
Gu Wen realized that the heart was indeed the root of calamity.
If one did not practice diligently, the heart technique could become the fuse for demonic possession.
So, the heart technique advised those with shallow cultivation to keep their hearts pure and desires few, staying out of the mortal world.
Only those who had achieved success in their cultivation had the qualifications to experience the trials of the mortal world.
Petty desires were not worth a thousand cultivations.
Gu Wen crushed the last trace of distraction, calmly drank the last cup of wine, and a hint of surprise flashed in Yang Shanyu's eyes as she watched him.
"I won't stay in this treasure land."
As he was about to leave, Gu Wen stepped onto the carriage, but Yang Shanyu called out to him, "Lord Wen."
"What else does Madam Yang have to say?"
"Be careful with the tooth market recently."
"Thank you for the reminder, Madam."
As the carriage left the brothel, Yang Shanyu entered a room deep within Qianfeng Tower, where a chorus of singing voices emanated, as if there were millions of singing girls dancing inside.
When she arrived at the door, all the voices suddenly stopped, and through the window, illuminated by candlelight, nine tails slowly unfurled.
The melodious sound of a hundred flowers blooming echoed out.
"Who is that?"
Yang Shanyu knelt down and answered, "Gu Wen, a merchant, a retainer of the Zhao family's ninth son. He has ordered a large quantity of Dragon Tiger Pills this time, probably for Zhao Feng."
"He has good self-control. See if you can win him over and plant a stake in the Sanqing Daoist Sect. I want to know what kind of immortal fate that Daoist sect's celestial maiden is seeking."
-
Yuhua woke up and saw a roll of jade brocade on the table that had appeared at some point.
Lao Lu entered the room, saying, "The Zhao family has agreed to lend us the Vermilion Bird treasure ship, which is a good thing. It has a Tian Water Bright Pearl on top, made with various spiritual woods. Although it is only a spiritual treasure, it has reached the level of a supreme treasure."
"I remember only asking for an ordinary boat."
Yuhua's eyes were deep, and with a thought, a unique drowsiness and the characteristic sleepiness of divine beasts emanated.
Divine beasts did not need cultivation and often spent long years in slumber.
"To find an ordinary small boat, it will take forever." Lao Lu yawned, continuing, "The Zhao family initially did not agree to lend us the treasure ship. They proposed some conditions, which the sect agreed to."
"What conditions?"
Yuhua's tone was calm, and no one could detect the icy coldness that had already sunk into the depths of the sea, along with a hint of unease.
Nothing was going according to the plan from three thousand years ago.
The guardian had been replaced by someone worse, and the sect had never questioned itself, adding a Zhao family she did not understand.
"It's not a big deal. It's just that after Zhao Feng builds his Dao Foundation, if he can't refine the jade pendant, you will help him refine it."
Lao Lu seemed to have finally sensed something unusual.
It reassured, "This was originally a sect secret technique prepared for the Gu family. Now that it has changed to the Zhao family, it's the same. Although it may shorten your lifespan, it shouldn't be too much, unless Zhao Feng's aptitude is shockingly poor."
"But since the sect has agreed to the Zhao family, can I still go back on it when the time comes?" Yuhua asked softly.
As waves of thoughts surged, Lao Lu became a bit more concerned, no longer as calm as before.
It was uncertain, "I'm not sure about this. It was decided by those old folks in the sect. I'm just passing on the message. Should I go and help you refuse? I still have some ability in that regard."
Lao Lu could clearly feel that the little ancestor in front of him was a bit off, and he didn't dare to provoke her too much, lest he ended up dead.
Because with an immortal decree on her, no one in this land of ascension could defeat her.
The true immortals in the sect were not in Daqian, so they were naturally not afraid, but he was here and if he angered her, one change for another would mean ten of him would lose their lives.
"Thank you, Senior. Since the sect has already made a decision, there is no need to change it."
Yuhua picked up the jade brocade on the table, feeling the aura of a true immortal emanating from it.
For the greater good, the self could be abandoned, and within the sect, there were items for extending life given to you...
How ironic, how similar they were.
"Yuhua, I obey."
Many books are already hard to find, so cherish them while you can.