Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang took their seats in the private room, glancing around at the surroundings.
"It feels quite nice here."
Bai Qianshuang, however, remained silent, her slightly resentful gaze fixed on Ye Chuan.
[Was it really necessary to come here?]
The young woman even suspected that Ye Chuan simply enjoyed visiting such places—when gathering information didn’t require stepping foot in a place like this at all.
But since they were already inside, Bai Qianshuang could only sit stiffly in her chair, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Just then, laughter drifted in from outside, and the carved wooden door was gently pushed open. A warm, fragrant breeze swept into the room.
The scent carried the crispness of spirit wine and the sweetness of flower nectar, a stark contrast to the chill outside.
As Bai Qianshuang picked up a piece of spirit fruit with her silver chopsticks, her fingers paused mid-air. She lifted her eyes—
Three women in flowing, multicolored ruqun dresses entered in single file, their skirts brushing against the blue bricks with soft rustles. The jade cups and porcelain plates on their trays clinked together, producing delicate chimes.
Their attire was alluring, their décolletage barely concealed by sheer black gauze, hinting at what lay beneath.
Bai Qianshuang: "..."
"Young masters, we apologize for the wait~" The woman at the forefront spoke with a voice as sweet as honey, her eyes glimmering as she set the tray down on the table. When she reached for the wine pot, the collar of her dress slipped slightly, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her bosom.
The other two moved with practiced efficiency—one arranged the roasted meat from the carved porcelain plate at the center of the table, its aroma instantly filling the room; the other lifted the jade wine pot, pouring a clear, luminous liquor into Ye Chuan’s cup.
Every movement seemed rehearsed, teasing just enough to leave the imagination tingling.
Bai Qianshuang watched as they leaned close to Ye Chuan, their fingers nearly brushing against his sleeves. Her hands, resting on her lap, clenched the fabric of her dress unconsciously.
Especially when the woman in the pink dress, standing to his left, leaned in to serve him a slice of duck breast, her body almost pressing against his shoulder. "Young master, try this duck breast~ It’s incredibly tender," she cooed, her words deliberate, her eyes flickering with suggestion.
From Ye Chuan’s angle, the view of the duck breast—and more—was unmistakable.
"Good, very good," Ye Chuan chuckled.
The next moment, Bai Qianshuang’s hand shot out under the table, her fingers pinching the flesh of Ye Chuan’s thigh with surprising force.
Ye Chuan, mid-sip of wine, nearly choked but managed to swallow smoothly. Without missing a beat, he patted Bai Qianshuang’s hand under the table, signaling her to stay calm.
Then, with practiced ease, he wrapped an arm around the pink-clad woman’s waist, his fingers brushing against the sachet at her hip. "I’ve long heard of the skilled beauties of Feixian Drunken Spring Pavilion. Seeing you today, the rumors don’t do you justice," he remarked, his tone smooth, as if he were a regular patron.
The woman blushed at the praise, leaning even closer. "You flatter me, young master~"
"We’ve just arrived in Fengyu City. Walking through the streets, I’ve noticed many sword-carrying cultivators—far livelier than other cities," Ye Chuan mused, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup as if making casual conversation.
"Young master didn’t know?" The green-dressed woman pouring his wine giggled, refilling his cup. "Fengyu City is a jewel of the Xihua Divine Region, under the protection of the Fengyu Sect!"
"Not only are warriors of the Innate and Acquired Realms common here, but even Golden Core cultivators soaring through the skies are a daily sight. Just the other day, I saw an elder riding a azure phoenix right over our rooftop!"
"Oh? Such grandeur," Ye Chuan remarked, stroking his chin. "Then, do you happen to know which route one should take to reach the Donghua Divine Continent?"
The question caught all three women off guard.
Donghua Divine Continent?
It was like discussing the local culture with a friend, only for them to suddenly ask for directions to America.
A bit of a leap.
The pink-clad woman blinked, then nestled back against him, her fingers tracing the edge of his collar. "Donghua Divine Continent? That’s beyond countless mountains and rivers. They say one must cross the ‘Endless Demon Sea’—most cultivators wouldn’t dare approach it. I’m afraid I don’t know the exact path~"
Her tone shifted, her lips nearly brushing his ear as she whispered, "But… I did hear Madam mention something—the Grand Elder of the Fengyu Sect originally came from the Donghua Divine Continent. He might know the way~"
Ye Chuan immediately flicked a gleaming spirit stone between his fingers, sending it straight into the woman’s décolletage, where it nestled warmly against her skin.
"A reward. Any other useful tidbits?"
"Giggle~ So generous, young master!" The woman beamed. "But that Grand Elder is eccentric. He’s always in seclusion—rarely seen even by the inner disciples of the Fengyu Sect, let us common folk."
Just as Ye Chuan was about to press further, his arm was abruptly seized.
He turned to see Bai Qianshuang, her face stern but her ears burning red. She tugged his arm toward her, her voice laced with barely concealed frustration.
"Ye Chuan, eat. The food in front of you is getting cold."
Watching him interact so intimately with these women, Bai Qianshuang felt her jealousy simmering. At home, she could tolerate the others, but this—this was too much.
Ye Chuan glanced at Bai Qianshuang’s empty plate, then at the crumbs clinging to the corner of her lips, and couldn’t help but laugh.
"Alright, as you wish. Let’s eat." He patted the pink-clad woman’s hand. "You may leave for now. We’ll call if we need anything."
The three women nodded gracefully, murmuring, "Enjoy your meal, young masters," before gliding out, tossing one last flirtatious glance Ye Chuan’s way.
The moment the door closed, Bai Qianshuang released his arm, wiping her hands with a handkerchief as she muttered, "They were practically on top of you… Shameless."
"Just trying to make a living. Sick fathers, bedridden mothers, younger siblings to feed—broken lives," Ye Chuan sighed, taking a sip of wine. "If I don’t help, who will?"
"You come here often?" Bai Qianshuang asked.
"Of course not. This is my first time," Ye Chuan replied earnestly.
Bai Qianshuang: "..."
Then why are you so good at this?
"Those girls mentioned the Fengyu Sect’s Grand Elder came from the Donghua Divine Continent. He might know how to get back," Ye Chuan smoothly changed the subject.
"How do we even approach a Grand Elder of a major sect?" Bai Qianshuang frowned.
"Charge in and fight our way through?"
"..." Bai Qianshuang gave him a deadpan look.
According to the girl, the Fengyu Sect was one of the most powerful sects around. Even if they could take them on—why would they start a fight just to ask for directions?
Are you out of your mind?
"Now that we have a lead, there’s no need to rush. Let’s eat first." Ye Chuan gestured to the dishes. "The food’s quite good, isn’t it?"
Bai Qianshuang stared at her empty bowl, her ears tinged pink.
Coming to a place like this… just to stuff her face…
"Another bowl, please…"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
