Inside the Warm Jade Pavilion of Tianxiang Brothel.
After downing several cups of fine wine, breathing in the delicate perfume of beauties, and watching the lively song and dance before him, Gu Zuokai felt the gloom that had weighed on him in recent days ease considerably.
He truly hadn't expected Luo Chen would invite him to unwind in a place like this.
In his memory, Luo Chen had previously been a loose cultivator from the Northern Sea who presumably favored peace and quiet. Now that he bore the Daoist title of Alchemy Master, it suggested an even more austere daily life; after all, without painstaking diligence and relentless practice, how could anyone master Grandmaster-level alchemy?
A pleasure quarter like this felt genuinely out of place for someone like Luo Chen.
And looking across the table, that indeed seemed to be the case.
Though Luo Chen wore a smile, he sat upright and proper. When the woman beside him gingerly poured wine and offered delicacies, he barely touched her.
Clearly, arranging such an outing was not merely about catching up.
After the wine had made three rounds and some idle chatter had passed, Gu Zuokai set down his cup.
"Brother Luo, if you have something on your mind, you might as well speak plainly!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and dismissed the surrounding attendants, leaving only the three women serving beside them.
"I heard Brother Gu nearly established the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance within Lingtian Pass?"
Gu Zuokai sighed. "That is indeed true. I had already reached agreements with the five major sects of the Five Lingtian Domains and even selected the site, only for Castellan Lingtian to halt everything at the eleventh hour."
"What did they say over there?" Luo Chen asked.
Gu Zuokai said helplessly, "What could they say? Just perfunctory excuses and delays. Now he simply shuts his doors and refuses to meet. In short, they won't permit our Tianyuan Commerce Alliance to establish a presence."
Luo Chen pondered this thoughtfully. "It is likely the will of the Mingyuan Sect!"
The Tianyuan Commerce Alliance did not merely conduct mercantile trade. In reality, it also gathered intelligence across the continents and recruited talents on behalf of the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
According to Luo Chen's conjectures, the Mingyuan Sect wished to wear down the cultivators of the Eastern Desolation before personally stepping forward to repel the demon army, ultimately emulating the Tianyuan Dao Sect by dominating the Eastern Desolation in one fell swoop!
Under such circumstances, if the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance made contact with Nascent Soul experts from various factions, it would undoubtedly offer those Eastern Desolation experts an escape route.
When that time came, who would stand against the vanguard of the demon race?
Moreover, having experienced the affair regarding the Alchemy Saint, how could the Mingyuan Sect sit by and watch the Tianyuan Dao Sect continually expand?
Over the years, Nascent Soul experts had steadily been recruited by the Tianyuan Dao Sect from the Northern Sea, the Southern Border, and even the Western Desert. Only in the Eastern Desolation did the Mingyuan Sect maintain a strict guard, allowing few Nascent Soul cultivators into Heaven and Earth Peak.
Well, Luo Chen was an exception.
Gu Zuokai evidently understood that the decree of the Mingyuan Sect, the sacred ground of the Eastern Desolation, lay behind the halt on the alliance's construction. Otherwise, with all the lavish gifts he had sent to Castellan Lingtian, almost anyone would have been swayed.
The fact that the castellan had returned every single gift and refused to yield meant there was definitely a higher command in play.
Luo Chen looked up and asked, "Then if Castellan Lingtian refuses to agree for a day, will you waste away in Lingtian Pass for that day?"
Gu Zuokai's hand froze just as he picked up his wine cup.
His mission to open an alliance branch amid the turmoil of war was an assignment handed down by the Dao Sect.
If he gave up halfway, even though he was a scion of the Gu Clan among the Twelve Great Clans, he would hardly escape reprimand.
"Has Brother Gu considered settling for the next best thing?"
Gu Zuokai frowned. "You mean going to the rear?"
Luo Chen nodded. "Precisely. If they won't let you operate within Lingtian Pass, going to the rear is an option. That way, you won't compete directly with the shops of the Mingyuan Sect and the legacy sects of the Eastern Desolation inside the city. At most, it's just a bit roundabout and slightly more troublesome."
Gu Zuokai considered the suggestion for only a moment before shaking his head.
"According to Castellan Lingtian's stance, we are forbidden from using the name of the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance—even in the rear!"
This restriction was rather severe.
The Mingyuan Sect intended to sever the Tianyuan Dao Sect's reach entirely!
Luo Chen offered another suggestion. "Then what if you don't use the Tianyuan name and still conduct your merchant trade?"
Conduct trade without using the Tianyuan name?
Gu Zuokai looked puzzled.
Luo Chen chuckled freely. "Can't you simply find an agent?"
As he spoke, he pointed at himself.
"I have managed to establish a modest foothold in the Eastern Desolation, and I also have a sect of moderate size at my disposal. Entrust the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance's business to my Luotian Sect. We will step forward on your behalf, and you need only coordinate with us privately."
Gu Zuokai stared blankly.
This time, however, he did not immediately object. Instead, he carefully weighed the feasibility of the proposal.
First, in the vast Eastern Desolation, Luo Chen was relatively trustworthy—he held the status of an external guest elder of the Star Gate!
Second, doing this bypassed Castellan Lingtian's prohibition.
Finally, though he would not have fully completed the task assigned by his sect, he would have at least made some headway and could report back to the Dao Sect. Even if the Central Plains pressed him, he could smooth things over with the excuse of making gradual progress.
However, did the current Luotian Sect possess the requisite strength?
One had to realize that the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance dealt in commerce of every kind, virtually all of which competed with the legacy sects of the Eastern Desolation inside Lingtian City.
Relying solely on a mere Luotian Sect, which even he looked down on...
Gu Zuokai's gaze fell on Luo Chen, and a realization suddenly struck him.
Luo Chen had pointed at himself first!
Not only was he the former Desolate Hermit who had defeated the Dao Sect's prodigy, but he was also now the renowned Alchemy Master courted by countless experts across the Eastern Desolation!
Luo Chen alone commanded unrivaled appeal!
With his name as the primary banner, backed by the manpower of the Luotian Sect, and supported by Gu Zuokai's side, they truly had a chance to get the alliance's business off the ground.
Once he grasped this, the gloom that had hung over Gu Zuokai's brow for days vanished in an instant.
"Brother Luo, this suggestion of yours is truly brilliant!"
Luo Chen smiled and said modestly, "It merely benefits both sides. My Luotian Sect has lacked a steady source of revenue for a long time, and I cannot support them all on my own. I have to find something for them to do. Besides, this task isn't difficult for you at all; you only lacked someone you could trust."
Gu Zuokai couldn't help but nod in agreement. After all, outside the Tianyuan Dao Sect, there were no Star Gate guest elders in other continents.
Yet he still had a concern.
"If your sect steps forward, will the Castellan's Estate...?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "Probably not. With so many cultivators forced to stay in Lingtian Pass, the rules won't be kept so rigid. Look at this Tianxiang Brothel before us—I haven't seen the Castellan's Estate ordering it shut down!"
Gu Zuokai looked around and chuckled softly, realizing he had indeed worried unnecessarily.
The specific details of their cooperation were ill-suited for deep discussion here, so after a few remarks, they changed the subject.
This time, it was Luo Chen who had a request.
"You mean magic treasures crafted from mirage cores?"
"Yes. Ever since I witnessed the wonders of the mirage beasts in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, I have been unable to forget those mirage cores. But as you know, I am not a disciple of the Dao Sect and cannot use fourth-tier mirage cores, while third-tier mirage cores are of little use to me directly. So I can only settle for the next best thing and see if artifacts and magic treasures crafted from third-tier mirage cores hold any unique marvels."
"Mirage core magic treasures are quite rare, typically held in the hands of the great clans of the Central Plains. Normally, I could find you one or two at most, but right now it isn't difficult. The five-hundred-year Grotto-Heaven Tournament just concluded, so many mirage cores entered circulation, and naturally corresponding magic treasures have been produced. If you want some, I can have my people gather a few."
"In that case, many thanks, Brother Gu!"
Gu Zuokai waved his hand, completely unconcerned by the matter.
Compared to the trouble Luo Chen might resolve for him, a few low-tier mirage core treasures that held no efficacy for Nascent Soul True Persons were hardly worth mentioning.
On the contrary, he felt quite pleased.
Back then, following his clan's directives, he had deliberately befriended Luo Chen and even helped him locate a teleportation array.
Looking back, it had indeed been the right move.
Luo Chen was a man of clear debts and loyalties, bringing timely help just when Gu Zuokai found himself in a dilemma.
With both matters settled, the atmosphere grew even more relaxed.
At Luo Chen's gesture, the singing and dancing resumed.
Late into the night, the wine was finished and the gathering drew to a close.
"This jade medallion is my token of identity, and you already know Tianxuan within the sect. They will recognize it."
"Then I shall head to Hundred-Li Green River to discuss the details with your Luotian Sect's sect master. I enjoyed this banquet immensely tonight!"
"Brother Gu, wait a moment!"
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
Just as they were about to part ways, Luo Chen suddenly called out to Gu Zuokai.
Amid the other man's curiosity, Luo Chen retrieved an envelope.
The envelope appeared utterly plain, lacking even a sealing restriction. Clearly, it contained nothing secret and was not at risk of prying eyes.
"During the Grotto-Heaven Tournament, I made a friend named Perfected Tianshan. I recently encountered some perplexities in my cultivation, and he is perhaps the only one who might resolve them. So if it is convenient for you, Brother Gu, please use the alliance's channels to deliver a letter to him."
Gu Zuokai laughed heartily. "A minor matter like that is no trouble at all!"
Taking the letter, he strode away.
Inside the Warm Jade Pavilion, the two female cultivators who had served him all evening were left with disappointed expressions.
Yet beneath the disappointment was an acceptance of the inevitable.
How could a Nascent Soul True Person possibly take an interest in faded flowers like them?
"You two may leave first. Yuxiang, stay."
The two women paused in surprise, their gazes instinctively falling upon the woman who had remained completely silent and subdued throughout the entire night.
Could it be that the renowned Alchemy Master had taken a fancy to her?
Why hadn't they been blessed with such luck?
Could it be that her deliberate coyness during the selection had piqued the True Person's interest?
Crying foul in their hearts and secretly cursing Yuxiang for her cunning, they withdrew, leaving the Warm Jade Pavilion in quiet stillness.
Only a man and a woman remained.
The woman kept her head lowered, her body visibly trembling.
Not until a cup of warm wine was held out before her did she freeze. A True Person was pouring wine for her?
Hesitantly, she raised her head. Meeting her gaze was a face as gentle as warm jade and a pair of clear, untainted eyes.
"Miss Yuxiang, it has been a long time."
Yuxiang took the wine cup. At those gentle words, tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
At this moment, the complexity of her emotions was something no outsider could comprehend.
The rogue Qi Refining cultivator who had once lived hand-to-mouth and needed backroom connections just to catch a glimpse of her had now become a generation's Nascent Soul True Person.
Meanwhile, she, who had once held bright prospects on the Great Dao as an inner disciple of the Hehuan Sect, had fallen to the point of selling smiles and pouring wine just to secure a foothold.
How fickle the world was!
Wiping away her tears, she said, "I've made a fool of myself before the True Person. How could I still be considered a young lady? If not for taking a Face-Preserving Pill in my early years and being skilled in beauty-preserving arts, I would have long grown old and decrepit, with my youth long gone."
Luo Chen smiled, conceding her point.
Strictly speaking, Yuxiang was actually several years younger than him.
Yet no matter how young she might be, she was not far from the lifespan limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
To be blunt, she was practically an old crone by mortal standards.
Compared to Caiyi and the others, who had already formed Golden Cores and brimmed with the vibrant vitality of those with a future on the Great Dao, the disparity was immense.
As he thought of Gu Caiyi, she evidently thought of her as well.
"Is... Caiyi doing well?"
Luo Chen spoke briefly of Gu Caiyi's circumstances.
Hearing that Caiyi had attained a Golden Core and possessed bright prospects on the Great Dao, Yuxiang felt even more conflicted.
In truth, she had no basis to compare herself to Luo Chen; their paths were different, and one could not speak of a mere gap between them.
Yet Gu Caiyi had once been nothing more than a dancer at Tianxiang Brothel. In both cultivation and background, Caiyi had stood a step beneath her.
And yet...
"Could you tell me about the destruction of the Hehuan Sect?" Luo Chen asked with slight curiosity. "I heard that Demon Emperor Qingshuang stormed into the Hehuan Sect alone and slew the only remaining Nascent Soul expert of your sect?"
Yuxiang hadn't expected him to be curious about this. However, that incident was a nightmare that had cast all Hehuan Sect cultivators into the dust; it was etched indelibly in her memory.
Steeling herself, she recounted that battle in detail.
Luo Chen listened attentively, his brow furrowing from time to time.
Evidently, Yuxiang's cultivation back then had been insufficient to perceive the full scope of the battle.
Much of what she described was limited to the shattering of the mountain-protecting formation and the horrific sight of Golden Core elders exploding to death.
As for the details of Demon Emperor Qingshuang's combat, which Luo Chen cared about most, she knew nothing at all. She could only recall the shrill shriek of their Nascent Soul ancestor, after which Demon Emperor Qingshuang cast a cold, downward glance over them before departing with unhurried ease.
"She remains as formidable as ever," Luo Chen murmured before rising calmly to his feet.
Yuxiang looked up at him, asking hesitantly and timidly, "Will the True Person... stay the night?"
Luo Chen looked down at her.
With just a single glance, Yuxiang felt as though her very flesh and soul had been seen through.
She couldn't help dropping her head, a cold sweat breaking out across her back.
A jade bottle landed on the table with a crisp clatter.
"Your cultivation is already sufficient, merely a step away from the Golden Core realm. As a former inner disciple of the Hehuan Sect, you shouldn't lack a method for core formation. Let this Liquid Condensation Pill, which I refined personally, lend you a helping hand!"
Yuxiang opened her mouth, but when she looked up again, Luo Chen was nowhere to be seen.
Biting her lip, she wore an expression of lingering reluctance.
Yet upon uncorking the jade bottle, she froze.
Mid-grade third-tier!
And personally refined by the Alchemy Master himself!
Perhaps, with this pill, she could make a bid for the Golden Core realm she had long feared yet yearned for!
For a time, hope mingled with her reluctance, leaving her emotions utterly tangled.
***
Leaving Tianxiang Brothel, Luo Chen walked along an alley in Lingtian City beneath the moonlight.
Unlike Fairy Jueqing, he had never intended to take Yuxiang into the Luotian Sect.
Cultivators of the Hehuan Sect possessed treacherous minds that were difficult to keep in check.
Nor did he share any deep ties with Yuxiang.
The reason he gifted her a mid-grade Liquid Condensation Pill was merely in consideration of the past, when she had sold him her idle Purple Cloud Bronze Furnace, resolving his pressing crisis when his alchemy pot had exploded.
"Consider it honoring an old friendship!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly, feeling rather pleased.
He had secured a source of wealth for the Luotian Sect and found a lead on reforging the Ghost-God Heart-Questioning Mirror.
If he could obtain a batch of mirage core treasures for study, he might discover the method for utilizing such materials. When that time came, he could experiment and reforge the Ghost-God Heart-Questioning Mirror himself.
As for the letter he had sent out at the end?
Its contents were simple, addressing the mutation of the Consonance Gu inside Sima Huiniang's body.
Perfected Tianshan hailed from the Southern Border and was well-versed in gu insects; he might possess a suitable solution.
Just as Luo Chen stepped out of the alley, the smile on his face froze.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, did you just come out of... Tianxiang Brothel?"
Lingfengzi, who happened to be passing by, cast a hesitant glance at the alley behind him.
Beneath the moonlight, as their eyes met, Luo Chen felt the bizarre sensation of someone caught red-handed in a vice raid.
Chapter 806