Since he was secretly following his disciple, it was naturally impossible to acknowledge an acquaintance. So after Ji Chuling blurted out her shocking words and bought her things, Gu Baiqing also quickly bought his own items and quietly followed her.
As for the so-called demon den and dog man, judging from the look in the shopkeeper’s eyes when he sold the items, Gu Baiqing roughly understood. Of course, he would not interpret it the same way as Ji Chuling. It was not like he had never lived in a pleasure house together with Mo Xuanli before. He just found it a bit strange, that was all.
Gu Baiqing arrived later, and by then night had already fallen. Ji Chuling hurried along, while Gu Baiqing followed at a distance.
There were many people along the way, so Ji Chuling did not notice anything unusual, or rather, she simply had no mood to care about anything else at the moment.
Gu Baiqing, on the other hand, had already relaxed and started observing his surroundings. Xiayang City was very lively, roughly the same size as Longan Port. Most of the people coming and going were cultivators, and most of the shops open around them catered to cultivators.
It was said that there were two mid-tier immortal sects within the city. Of course, the main reason there were so many people here was the presence of the Immortal Medicine Valley nearby.
The Immortal Medicine Valley was considered the birthplace of the medical cultivator path in the cultivation world. Luo Nianyi had once come here to study. Many injured cultivators would come here seeking treatment if their own sects did not have suitable medical cultivators.
However, the Immortal Medicine Valley had many rules and did not open easily to outsiders, unless there was a special event, such as the Divine Tree’s blessing mentioned in the task.
Most of the time, cultivators could not enter the Immortal Medicine Valley at all. At best, they would wander around Xiayang City, hoping to get lucky and occasionally encounter medical cultivators who had come out of the valley to train, though there were also quite a few impostors.
Previously, because of the issue with having no spiritual power, Mo Xuanli had initially suggested coming here to find a medical cultivator.
But since Luo Nianyi’s level had already been considered advanced even when she was in the Immortal Medicine Valley, and she could not see any solution, the chances that the Immortal Medicine Valley could treat it were also small. So Gu Baiqing had lied to him, saying that Luo Nianyi had already sent a message to ask, and that it was useless. Mo Xuanli probably never imagined that Gu Baiqing would lie so thoroughly, so he believed him and gave up in disappointment.
Unexpectedly, they still came here. Could it be that there was a fragment of the God-Slaying Sword here?
Gu Baiqing followed Ji Chuling all the way until she entered a building that looked extremely luxurious on the outside.
Gu Baiqing raised his head and looked carefully. Spiritual energy lingered around it, indicating that spirit stones were placed here for nourishment. When he looked at the name again, ‘Hehuan,’ he immediately understood. This was no ordinary pleasure house. It should be the kind specifically for cultivators.
However, according to the original body’s memories, Gu Baiqing had only heard of such places before. This was his first time actually seeing one. Men and women alike entered and exited wearing masks and cloaks. No wonder Ji Chuling wanted to dress like that.
Just as he was about to step inside, he was stopped by the doorman. “Didn’t you see the sign? Only cultivators may enter. There’s no point for mortals to go in.”
Only then did Gu Baiqing remember that, in others’ eyes, he had no spiritual power. Unless he released the pressure of his cultivation level. Although doing so would not consume spiritual power, his tribulation-stage cultivation was far too obvious. So Gu Baiqing directly took out a large handful of spirit stones and bribed him. “Brother, I just want to take a look and see some excitement.”
The doorman immediately understood, accepted the spirit stones, and smiled. “You want to see Fairy Yuxin’s elegance, right? It’s a pity you’re not a cultivator. Otherwise, you might have had a chance to be chosen and become a guest behind the curtains.”
After taking the money, the doorman’s attitude became much more polite, and he even personally led him inside.
Gu Baiqing went along with it and pretended that this was his first time in such a place, asking a few extra questions.
The young attendant thought he was a country bumpkin, and for the sake of the spirit stones, patiently explained the situation here in detail.
After entering through the main doors, one could see a circular building about six stories high. The first floor alone had several hundred tables, already packed full, while the second floor and above were all private rooms. Between the first and second floors there was also a floating stage, where someone was performing at the moment. From all four sides of the stage hung silken drapes. Names were written on the drapes using spells, and after each name came the terms of the transaction. If a deal had already been made, the name would disappear from above.
There were young women and young men here, all cultivators. They were not being forced to sell their bodies for money. Instead, they had their own purposes for entertaining guests here. Basically, they were cultivators who mainly practiced dual cultivation techniques. They came here to list their names in order to improve their cultivation through dual cultivation, or because they did not want to be bound, among other reasons.
They generally had the right to actively choose their guests, setting requirements such as what level of cultivation or what kind of spiritual roots a cultivator must have in order to dual cultivate with them.
Most of the guests who came here were also doing so for cultivation, seeking suitable physiques to dual cultivate with in order to break through. From what Gu Baiqing saw, there were actually several rumored cauldron physiques, and some were even patients, using dual cultivation as a form of treatment. This was also a method recognized by the Immortal Medicine Valley.
Among the guests were many who already had dao companions, or who outwardly disdained dual cultivation. Therefore, to protect everyone’s reputation, all entrants wore masks and cloaks, minimizing the exposure of their true identities.
As for the Fairy Yuxin that the attendant had just mentioned, she was not truly an immortal fairy. To be called a fairy in the cultivation world, one had to have fame, status, strength, and beauty. Being called a fairy here likely just meant being popular. Right now, Yuxin’s name was still written at the very top of the silken drapes in golden letters, proving that she had not yet appeared tonight to select a guest.
Looking at her name, with nothing written after it and yet being so popular, she was probably truly extraordinary.
At this moment, Gu Baiqing had already been led to a table. Probably because he and Ji Chuling had entered one after the other, and the place was already packed to capacity, later arrivals could only share tables in the corners. As a result, Gu Baiqing was directly squeezed into the table where Ji Chuling was sitting.
Gu Baiqing suddenly came face to face with Ji Chuling and could not help feeling a bit nervous. However, he was disguised and wearing a mask, so Ji Chuling’s gaze did not linger on him for even a moment. Instead, she kept looking around.
Gu Baiqing took the seat beside her, and his heart inevitably lifted, though not because Ji Chuling was next to him.
Rather, it was because Gu Baiqing suddenly realized that Mo Xuanli should be nearby right now. Counting it up, the two of them had already been apart for half a month. He should have been searching everywhere like Ji Chuling, yet Gu Baiqing’s neck felt as if it had stiffened, and he did not quite dare to move it.
He frowned, puzzled by his own discomfort. At that moment, Ji Chuling beside him suddenly slammed her fist onto the table in anger. The music and chatter in the building were loud, so her action did not draw the attention of others, but those at the same table still noticed.
Gu Baiqing’s heart jolted. In the end, he could not help but turn his neck and follow the direction of Ji Chuling’s gaze.
He saw that at a table diagonally opposite, there was clearly a man with an upright figure and an extraordinary bearing. Although he was wearing a mask, everyone’s masks only covered half their faces. With just half a face visible, Gu Baiqing could immediately recognize him as Li Xiuran. As expected of someone with a protagonist’s halo, he attracted attention wherever he went. There were four or five young women gathered around that table, weren’t there? And they were all women from the establishment, seemingly taking the initiative to invite guests for dual cultivation.
But… Gu Baiqing’s gaze swept back and forth. There was only Li Xiuran. He did not see that familiar figure. The heart that had been hanging high instantly sank.
Not together? But they should definitely be here.
Where was he? Where had he gone? Could it be… Gu Baiqing froze, lifted his head, and looked toward the silken drapes above… could it be…
Gu Baiqing was instantly startled by his own guess. His first reaction was that it was impossible. That was Mo Xuanli. His disciple was so well-behaved. How could he casually find someone to dual cultivate with?
As he was thinking this, a sudden explosive sound rang out. From the third floor, a figure flew straight out and crashed onto the stage, instantly scattering the dancers.
Everyone focused their eyes and saw that it was a woman with her clothes half undone.
“Isn’t this the Roumei girl who was just chosen?”
“Why was she beaten? What kind of guest is so rough?”
“Miss Roumei’s dual cultivation skills are impressive. She’s been on a strong rise lately, and her cultivation isn’t low.”
The people at the same table were chattering away, but Roumei on the stage was staring upward in terror with her eyes wide open.
At this point, many people had already lifted their heads to look in the same direction. Anyone who looked over revealed a shocked expression.
Ji Chuling looked over and immediately opened her mouth wide.
Gu Baiqing raised his head slightly in confusion. In that instant, his pupils contracted, and the heart pounding in his chest felt as if it were suddenly seized by an invisible hand, while his body went rigid on the spot.
He saw a familiar white figure stepping through the air. Tall and slender, with a posture like a pine tree, it was as if he were walking down invisible steps, descending slowly. With each step, a pressure of spiritual power accompanied him, making the girl lying on the stage involuntarily retreat backward.
Behind him, eighteen nails hovered steadily like ornaments. Nine of them were wrapped in red flames, while around the other nine, the air seemed to twist, as if the surrounding wind element was so strong that it made them radiate a murderous aura.
The deterrent power of the special spiritual weapon made everyone present fall silent, all eyes focusing on that cold, stern man.
A half mask could not conceal his naturally beautiful bone structure. His pair of eyes carried a cold killing intent, yet exuded a fatal allure. It was just that the dangerous aura radiating from his entire body made people instinctively shrink back in fear.
Those who had just been speaking up for the girl now did not dare say a single word, only wondering how Miss Roumei had managed to offend such a clearly formidable figure.
From the very beginning, Gu Baiqing’s eyes had gone straight, his gaze seeming to possess a built-in locking function as it followed that white figure the entire time.
He found it hard to put into words.
He was certain that this person was his little disciple, Mo Xuanli, but… he also felt that he was somewhat unfamiliar.
At this moment, a steward from the establishment rushed over and flew up to stop him. “Daoist friend, what are you doing? You just selected Miss Roumei. If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, you can end the transaction. There’s no need to resort to violence, right?”
Gu Baiqing and Ji Chuling beside him were both stunned when they heard this. Ji Chuling was so angry that she slammed the table again. “I really didn’t expect this… men truly aren’t a single good thing! I’m going to complain to Big Brother Gu!”
Gu Baiqing: …
Gu Baiqing’s mood was complicated. In truth, he still didn’t believe it. After all, this was his disciple. How could he go bad after only half a month away? There had to be a reason.
And very quickly, Mo Xuanli proved Gu Baiqing’s guess correct.
He saw that out of the eighteen nails, two instantly flew out. One shot straight toward the steward’s face, signaling him not to interfere. The other rushed directly toward the girl on the stage.
The girl leapt up at once and barely managed to block it, but the next second, Mo Xuanli, standing high above, showed not the slightest ripple in his expression. He slowly raised one hand and lightly flicked it, as if using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds. In an instant, a powerful wave of spiritual energy surged forth, and the remaining sixteen nails stormed toward the girl from all directions like a torrential downpour.
The crowd cried out in alarm.
Gu Baiqing’s heart also jolted. How could Mo Xuanli suddenly strike someone so ruthlessly? This was aiming to take her life.
Most of those here were rogue cultivators, or cultivators from sects who had not participated in plans to deal with the demon clan. Although there were strong individuals, their experience was limited. Moreover, no one had yet seen Mo Xuanli’s new form of the Nine Transformations, so they had no idea that the person before them was the genius rising star Mo Xuanli of cultivation world legend.
At the critical moment, someone actually tried to play the hero and save the beauty, but they couldn’t even enter the range of Mo Xuanli’s spiritual pressure. His strength had already completely suppressed everyone present.
Just then, a burst of demonic qi exploded from the stage.
The crowd was shocked. The once-beautiful girl now had a twisted face, as if several faces were hidden within it. This was clearly a characteristic of the demon clan’s man-eating demons. She had been forced to desperation and chose to expose her identity, using demonic qi to resist the attack.
Only then did everyone understand what was going on. Just as they were about to be on guard, they saw that the demon clan’s power was utterly no match. Three fire-wreathed nails flashed past, and the demon instantly burst into flames. A shrill scream rang out, and in the blink of an eye, the demon was reduced to ashes.
In the next moment, the eighteen nails were recalled. The suspended figure slowly descended onto the stage, lowering his head to look at the remaining ashes on the ground.
“So strong. Who is this person?”
“I’ve never seen a spiritual weapon like that.”
“That was a man-eating demon just now, right? Lately people have kept saying folks were going missing in Xiayang City. Turns out it was the man-eating demon causing trouble.”
“That scared me to death. I was originally thinking of looking for Miss Roumei. Who would’ve thought she was already a man-eating demon?”
People at the same table whispered among themselves. Ji Chuling beside them seemed to let out a breath of relief. “So it was demon extermination…”
Gu Baiqing thought to himself: As expected, it was demon extermination. Calmly drinks tea.
Then someone next to him added, “That daoist friend probably smelled something when he got close to the girl.”
Ji Chuling immediately shuddered again.
Gu Baiqing’s hand holding the teacup froze.
The crowd recovered from their shock and began discussing heatedly. Many people went to argue with the steward about how a demon clan member could have slipped in. Wasn’t this endangering lives?
The steward was also helpless. Man-eating demons were truly difficult to distinguish, so he could only apologize and offer compensation.
At this time, the steward who had just been threatened stepped forward to curry favor with Mo Xuanli, thanking him for discovering the danger in time, exterminating demons and upholding the Dao, and expressing that compensation would be provided.
Mo Xuanli said something quietly and turned to leave. Just then, a soft, alluring voice sounded. “Young master is so impressive. Since tonight’s excitement was spoiled for you, why not let me be the compensation and accompany you for the night?”
As the voice rang out, cries of surprise spread through the crowd, along with the name Fairy Yuxin. A graceful figure in red slowly descended, her posture seductive, carrying a natural fragrance, like rose petals drifting down, floating straight toward Mo Xuanli on the stage.
Soon, a face that stunned everyone was revealed, her expression constantly exuding temptation. It was the kind of beauty that would inevitably make a normal man’s heart flutter, an awe toward a natural enchantress.
Even Gu Baiqing, who had seen all kinds of fairies, and even though Ji Chuling beside him was the number one beauty in the setting, still couldn’t help but feel amazed when he saw Fairy Yuxin. She truly possessed an extraordinary charm. But when Gu Baiqing saw Yuxin practically throwing herself into Mo Xuanli’s arms, moving close to him, her fair jade arms extending as if to wrap around Mo Xuanli’s neck, his breathing involuntarily tightened.
And just as everyone was feeling jealous and envious that Mo Xuanli was about to embrace a beauty, they saw Mo Xuanli slowly step back, turn around coldly, and leave, directly causing Fairy Yuxin to grab nothing but air.
This scene instantly rendered the entire venue silent, even more shocking than the demon extermination just now.
There was actually a man who would refuse Fairy Yuxin?!
Gu Baiqing was also dumbfounded. In his original impression, his little disciple was modest and polite, and in a situation like this would be awkward and shy, obedient and green.
But from just now, Gu Baiqing felt that Mo Xuanli seemed to have changed. Cold, powerful, unapproachable, awe-inspiring. As if, without him realizing it, he had gone from a youth to a man.
Someone who made others feel an invisible pressure.
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