Chapter 37: Fellow Daoist Xiao Luo, are you here to gather inspiration?

The Yuyi Pavilion and the Tianlai Pavilion were the two flagship establishments of the Tianxiang Pavilion.

The ladies here sold their talents, not their bodies.

Of course, if a high-level cultivator took an interest, or if someone dropped enough spirit stones, that was a different matter entirely.

One couldn't exactly stop a young lady from pursuing a bright and prosperous future!

There was, naturally, a reason why such a place could achieve such immense fame despite being a den of such "filth."

It was simple: as long as a female cultivator who had successfully reached the Qi Refinement stage took proper care of herself, she was bound not to be ugly.

If she also possessed exquisite dancing skills or a beautiful singing voice, combined with magical arts and spiritual incantations unleashed through spiritual energy, the resulting spectacle would be breathtakingly beautiful.

And indeed, Luo Chen stood outside the pavilion, admiring a dance performance unlike anything he had seen in his previous life or this one.

Five female cultivators, dressed in exquisite and beautiful skirts, danced gracefully in staggered formations upon the high platforms within the building.

At times they would flutter into the air, and at others, land with effortless elegance.

As their wide sleeves flowed, mist would rise and swirl around them, making one feel as if they were in a celestial realm.

And these female cultivators were, quite literally, celestial beings.

After the song ended, Luo Chen couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"No wonder those cultivators rush to Tianxiang Pavilion the moment they earn spirit stones. With such beautiful dancing, why didn't they tell me sooner!"

When Gu Caiyi arrived outside the pavilion, she happened to see Luo Chen crouching on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt.

"What are you doing?"

Luo Chen looked up, gazing at the "fairy" with a pitiful expression.

"Sister Caiyi, I am your brother, aren't I?"

"Uh..."

"As your brother, I really want to support your work. Could I come here every day to see you off to work? And while I'm at it, observe your dance rehearsals."

Gu Caiyi was a bit bewildered. What kind of act was this?

After a moment of thought, she covered her mouth and chuckled. "You're not here to leech off the spiritual energy of Tianxiang Pavilion, are you?"

"How could you say that!" Luo Chen replied with righteous indignation. "I am not that kind of person. I'm just worried that your brainless fans might do something unpleasant to you during your commute."

"Don't worry. I am, after all, an eighth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator. I don't pay much mind to petty nuisances."

Gu Caiyi shook her head and added, "Besides, it's not like you can't come in. As long as you pay an entrance fee of five spirit stones every night, you can watch the dancing to your heart's content."

Five spirit stones!

Luo Chen snapped to his feet instantly. "Fellow Daoist Caiyi, time is money! Take me to see Miss Xiangxiang! I have a major business deal to discuss with her."

"Haha, follow me then!"

***

Inside the water pavilion.

In a uniquely shaped incense burner, a stick of calming incense burned with a curling trail of smoke.

Gu Caiyi sat by the pavilion on her own, using bait to feed the goldfish.

Luo Chen, however, sat before a young woman who was significantly more beautiful than Gu Caiyi.

Of course, Luo Chen would never mistake her for a girl of fifteen or sixteen.

As far as he knew, this Miss Xiangxiang had been cultivating for over twenty years; her true age must be at least thirty or forty!

She simply possessed a somewhat youthful appearance.

He didn't subscribe to the "youthful aesthetic" trend; he still preferred the style of Sister Caiyi.

Furthermore, she was a ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, so he had to handle the interaction with care.

"So you are Caiyi's neighbor?"

"I'm the little Luo next door."

"I heard you make a living through alchemy?"

"A meager skill, barely enough to make ends meet."

"But if it's only Inedia Pills, it might be difficult to sustain a long-term life in the Inner City."

Luo Chen fell silent. He realized something was off about this Miss Xiangxiang.

Wasn't she supposed to be selling a secondhand alchemy furnace used by a female cultivator today?

Why was she asking so many questions?

Yu Xiang smiled faintly. "I am curious. What kind of pills did you refine using that inferior spiritual iron pot that allowed you to earn enough spirit stones?"

"That..." Luo Chen found himself in a bit of a dilemma.

The "All-Wonderful Pills" were selling well, and part of the "suffering" clientele were the female cultivators of Tianxiang Pavilion—though they were also the beneficiaries.

However, admitting personally in front of others that he was the one refining them felt a bit strange.

"I won't ask for nothing. Just sell me one to satisfy my curiosity. I'll pay fifty spirit stones for it, as a way of making friends with you."

With a flick of her hand, a purple alchemy furnace, half as tall as a person, landed inside the pavilion.

*Thud!*

Luo Chen's gaze was instantly drawn to it.

The Purple Cloud Copper Furnace—a low-grade, first-tier magical tool!

Produced in Heavenly Sail City and sold by the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, it was certainly no cheap knockoff.

"Let's be friends. If I encounter any difficulties in the Dao of Alchemy in the future, I'll have a fellow practitioner to discuss them with."

Luo Chen stared intently at the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace and said casually, "My pills sell for five spirit stones each. Buying it for fifty is quite a loss for you."

"I never care about profit or loss when making friends," Yu Xiang smiled. "Besides, your mastery of alchemy is worth having a handy furnace."

Since it had come to this, there was nothing left to say.

Luo Chen certainly wasn't losing out; he was definitely going to secure this "fellow practitioner" connection!

He briskly pulled out two hundred and fifty spirit stones and a bottle of All-Wonderful Pills.

"This pill is called the All-Wonderful Pill. Its properties are mild, with effects of boosting virility and enchanting the mind. It also contains a large amount of spiritual energy; when used during deep intercourse, it can replace the loss of a cultivator's essence. One must not exceed three pills a day; exceeding this may cause complications and damage the Golden Lock of the lower gate. Additionally, this pill has a slight aphrodisiac effect on female cultivators, so its use is not recommended."

It was rare for Luo Chen to explain the specific details of the All-Wonderful Pill.

He skipped all the empty talk about "strengthening the foundation and nourishing the essence"—that was just marketing fluff to fool buyers.

Having finished in one breath, Luo Chen stood up, stowed the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace into his storage bag, cupped his hands, and departed gracefully.

Watching his dashing retreating figure and then looking at the bottle of pills on the table, Yu Xiang was momentarily stunned.

*I spent fifty spirit stones to buy a bottle of aphrodisiacs specifically for male cultivators?*

She turned to look at Gu Caiyi. Gu Caiyi's hand was still extended over the railing, her bait long since exhausted.

Her expression was also one of disbelief.

Yu Xiang's expression turned strange. "Caiyi, your neighbor's pills are a bit... improper!"

Gu Caiyi's lips twitched stiffly. "Perhaps he's just driven by the hardships of life!"

***

*Was I?*

*When I was introducing the pills, I was being incredibly sincere and my expression was very serious. They shouldn't think of me as an improper cultivator, right?*

Luo Chen reviewed his performance and felt he had likely left a good impression on Miss Xiangxiang.

Perhaps in the future, he would have the chance to discuss alchemy, sneak into Tianxiang Pavilion to soak up some spiritual energy, and watch Caiyi's dances.

As he left Tianxiang Pavilion, he found that darkness had fallen. The building was decorated with lanterns, and crowds of men and women were coming and going.

Some of the male cultivators entering from the outside had lost their usual aura of immortal elegance.

Luo Chen felt disdain. *A bunch of weak-willed fools obsessed with pleasure!*

*He and they were clearly not of the same kind!*

"Is that Fellow Daoist Luo?"

A half-doubting greeting came from the side.

Luo Chen instinctively looked over and saw his regular customer, Zeng Wen, with two girls on his arms, looking at him uncertainly.

Luo Chen swallowed hard. "Fellow Daoist Zeng, you have the wrong person."

He had been chatting with Miss Xiangxiang, so he had naturally removed his black veil hat.

When he left, he had forgotten to put it back on.

A fatal mistake!

Zeng Wen released the women beside him and warmly grasped Luo Chen's hand.

"Ha! I knew I hadn't misidentified you. Fellow Daoist Luo, what a coincidence! Are you here to gather inspiration?"

"Uh..."

"Don't tell me... you came personally to test the effects of the All-Wonderful Pills?" Zeng Wen's eyes lit up, and he patted Luo Chen's shoulder with emotion. "I never imagined Fellow Daoist Luo would be so thoughtful. Last time you mentioned there were areas for improvement in the All-Wonderful Pills, you must be here now to find and fix the flaws."

Luo Chen's prideful thick skin actually felt a bit embarrassed under the customer's touching sentiment.

When Zeng Wen warmly invited him to sample fine wine and admire beautiful women, Luo Chen finally reached his breaking point.

"The problem has been identified, and even better All-Wonderful Pills will be on sale in the future. Fellow Daoist Zeng, I must take my leave."

With that, Luo Chen fled in panic.

Watching his retreating figure, Zeng Wen sighed with emotion.

"I know a few rogue cultivator alchemists, but there is no second Fellow Daoist Luo who is as responsible as he is. Truly, my choice to patronize him was absolutely correct."

(End of Chapter)