Chapter 29: Ah? Patriarch, Why Are You Also at the Beautiful Pavilion?

Ascending the Jade Palace

Leaving the magical robe shop, Yulou and Yu'an browsed through a few more stores until they found themselves standing before the entrance to the Beautiful Pavilion.

Yu'an still couldn't resist stealing a glance across the street.

After all, how could anyone serving as a greeter at a place like the Beautiful Pavilion be ordinary?

The tout stationed at the door had trained himself to see in sixteen directions and listen to eighteen.

With just that single glance from Yu'an, the man noticed them.

Crossing the street in a flash, the tout suddenly appeared right in front of the two youths.

"The Beautiful Pavilion is offering a complimentary pot of spirit tea to all guests today. Would you two Fellow Daoists care to step inside and take a seat?"

Could the Beautiful Pavilion possibly be a proper establishment?

Seeing the tout approach, Yulou grabbed Yu'an, initially intending to walk right past.

Not just that, it was free spirit tea!

If they didn't drink it, they would regret it when they went home tonight.

"We're still young and can't afford anything, Fellow Daoist."

Yulou considered it for a moment, ultimately waving his hand in refusal despite the tempted look in Yu'an's eyes.

When it came to his Dao heart, Yulou was incredibly resolute.

But the tout was a professional—the exceptionally dedicated kind of professional.

He grabbed them by the arms and began to gently persuade them.

"Ah, you are mistaken. The Beautiful Pavilion won't miss a pot or two of spirit tea.

I'm just a hired hand; pulling someone inside gives me a little boost in my quota.

You get free spirit tea, and I make a small profit. Only the Beautiful Pavilion loses out.

Tell you what, if you go inside, I'll even throw in a small plate of dried spirit fruits for free.

What are you waiting for, Fellow Daoists?"

Perhaps intimidated by the tout's enthusiasm, Yu'an whispered.

"Brother, let's just go."

This time, Yulou's feet remained firmly planted.

Of course, Yulou didn't want to visit the Beautiful Pavilion; he simply figured that free spirit tea shouldn't be wasted.

The tout had made it perfectly clear: the Beautiful Pavilion wouldn't miss a pot of promotional spirit tea.

However, he still asked one more question.

"Fellow Daoist, we brothers are disciples of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom. Our clan's ancestor is the martial nephew of True Person Danri. You'd better not be deceiving us."

The tout was startled at first, then smiled even more radiantly.

"Naturally not, how could we have such courage? The businesses within the Huang Clan's Hundred Treasures Workshop are completely honest. We treat everyone fairly, from the young to the old!"

"We'll just go in, drink a pot of spirit tea, and then leave. Is that acceptable?" Yulou asked.

"Ah, just leave quietly when you're done, don't worry about it!

The spirit tea is a promotional expense for the Beautiful Pavilion, covered by the establishment. After finishing a pot, you can even ask for three or four refills of hot water. Take your time drinking, it's perfectly fine."

The tout had calculated everything perfectly; he could be called the most clear-headed laborer in the cultivation world.

The spirit tea was a promotional giveaway from the Beautiful Pavilion. Whoever it went to wouldn't negatively affect his performance metrics.

The performance credit was his, and if the two youths actually bought something, he would even earn a commission.

Yulou looked at Yu'an.

Yu'an's eyes were full of determination.

"Brother, we're just going in to drink spirit tea, right?"

It seemed this kid Yu'an actually knew exactly what kind of place the Beautiful Pavilion was.

"Right, we're just drinking spirit tea!"

And just like that, guided by the tout, the two entered the Beautiful Pavilion!

A world of its own.

This was Yulou's strongest impression.

From the outside, the Beautiful Pavilion merely had a pretty gatehouse, and its entrance wasn't vastly different from ordinary shops.

But the inside was incredibly elaborate.

Carved beams of spirit wood, draped curtains of spirit silk, jade mats displaying golden pillows, and immortals seated all around.

In the center of the Beautiful Pavilion lay a pool of water with a stage at its heart. Surrounding it were three tiers of seating, all offering a clear view of the performances in the center.

The cultivators sitting in the seats ranged from octogenarians at the Qi Refining stage to teenage boys and girls. There were even Foundation Establishment cultivators present.

The female immortals of the Beautiful Pavilion wandered among the guests, acting as attendants and displaying enchanting charm with every smile.

Each of them wore revealing magical robes that were even more stunning than the silver spirit-gold embroidered silk robe Yulou had seen earlier.

Looking at these enchanting, delicate, or handsome...

Hm? Handsome?

Men?

Well, well, well. The 'beautiful' in the Beautiful Pavilion wasn't ordinary; they had male beauties as well.

"Follow me, little lords. I'll arrange a quiet spot for you."

Leading Yulou and Yu'an, the tout settled them into a seat on the east side of the first floor. The two sat down, feeling slightly tense.

"No rush, I'll go arrange your spirit tea. You can leave whenever you wish."

The tout left with a smile. Yu'an looked at his older brother nervously and asked.

"When are we leaving?"

"Weren't you quite eager to come in just now? Why do you want to leave already?" Yulou asked with a laugh.

"There are too many unfamiliar cultivators. The clan rules state that in places with many strange cultivators, one must maintain a sense of tension and ascertain the situation immediately."

Well, well, well, he truly was the clan rule boy, Yu'an.

As if overhearing the brothers' conversation, a laughter-filled female voice drifted over.

"Hahaha, then go find a female immortal to feel up. You'll ascertain the situation after a couple of touches. You two little brats are quite amusing."

Yulou and Yu'an looked toward the speaker in astonishment.

In the seat right next to theirs sat a small chubby girl. She looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a golden gauze dress, and was looking at them with uncontrollable laughter.

"Brother, how should we answer?"

In an unfamiliar place, being teased by a strange cultivator, Yu'an was entirely numb with tension. He unconsciously asked his older brother.

As soon as he asked, he realized it was wrong. His words were inappropriate.

"Wait, no. Should we pretend we didn't hear anything and observe the situation first?"

"Hahahaha, oh my, I can't take it. Where did you two come from? Hahahaha!"

Yulou looked at the chubby girl with dark lines forming on his face. He felt completely exasperated inside too.

"Idiot, if you knew we should pretend not to hear, why did you still say it out loud!" he scolded.

"Brother, how about we just run for it!"

"Hahahahaha, spare me, you two are too funny, hahahaha—cough! Cough! Cough! I'm dying!"

What a presumptuous person!

Yulou couldn't possibly form a grudge just because someone laughed at them. He wasn't a Long Aotian who formed grudges over the slightest provocation.

Cultivating immortality was also about cultivating one's bearing; it was part of the training.

Without even looking at the chubby girl, he said to Yu'an,

"Run where? We're drinking tea!"

They couldn't leave.

If they left now, not only would they have been laughed at for nothing, but they also wouldn't get to drink the spirit tea. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

"Right, right, we haven't had the tea yet."

After saying that, Yu'an sat up completely straight in his seat, his head lowered and his eyes shut tight.

He had made up his mind. Once the spirit tea arrived, he would gulp it down immediately, and then they would leave!

Soon, a female immortal of the Beautiful Pavilion arrived to serve the spirit tea. The one attending to the brothers looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a cultivation base at the fourth level of Qi Induction, wearing a revealing white magical robe.

Even though she was just pouring tea, she managed to make it look as elegant as an immortal offering a treasure. Her entire sequence of delicate movements while serving and pouring the tea left Yu'an completely dumbfounded.

"What are you staring at? Hurry up and drink. Once we finish the tea, we'll stuff this plate of dried spirit fruits into our pockets and leave. We aren't staying here a moment longer!"

Yulou scolded.

But Yu'an just held his teacup, frozen in place.

The ninth-grade spirit tea indeed tasted quite good. Yulou set down his teacup and was about to pour himself another, but he noticed the dazed Yu'an and asked.

"What's wrong? Hurry and drink! Didn't we come here just for this pot of spirit tea? It's genuinely ninth-grade, completely unmixed with mortal tea."

"Brother, I don't think we can leave."

"What?"

"The Patriarch is here to catch us!"

"Ah?"

The chubby girl couldn't hold it back anymore and burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha, don't be afraid! Come over here, you don't need to be scared. I'll protect you! I'm dying of laughter, hahahaha!"

Yu'an ignored the impolite cultivator and pointed at the doorway.

"Look over there. The Patriarch is at the door."

Yulou followed Yu'an's gaze. Wang Xianmao was chatting with someone who was clearly a manager.

This time, Yulou was truly dumbfounded.

Ah?

Patriarch?

Why are you also at the Beautiful Pavilion?

The divine sense of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator was exceedingly strong. In truth, the Patriarch had long since noticed the two brothers.

Even though he hadn't come to the Beautiful Pavilion as a customer, nor was he here to catch the idle youth of his own clan, he still sent a voice transmission the moment Yulou looked over.

"You two are dead meat!"

Yu'an swallowed hard in fear and looked at his older brother.

"What do we do?"

Yulou didn't know what to do either.

He wanted to tell the Patriarch that he was actually only here to drink spirit tea.

But then he realized that such an excuse was as laughable as a student returning to school after summer break and telling the teacher they forgot their homework.

After thinking it over, he looked toward the chubby girl who had just been laughing at them.

Only this female cultivator could testify for them that they really only came in for the spirit tea.

This presumptuous female Daoist was already red in the face from laughing. Seeing Yulou look over so pitifully, she lost control again.

"Hahahaha, fine, fine! I'll be your witness!"

Yulou was just about to offer a polite word of thanks, but on the other side, the Patriarch had finished his conversation and was striding purposefully toward the two brothers.

He wasn't particularly angry. After all, they were teenage boys, so many strange behaviors were understandable, it was just...

Upon seeing the chubby girl sitting beside the two brothers, Wang Xianmao snapped to attention with a sharp snap.

Under extreme terror, his soul and mind seemed to leave his body, allowing long-ingrained instinct to seize control.

The elderly Patriarch's heart hammered wildly. Flushed red with anxiety, he delivered a deep bow.

"True Person Danri, please accept my respects. Xianmao was unaware you were here, hence..."

Yulou looked in absolute horror at the chubby girl in the golden gauze dress. He instinctively tried to stand up, but his nerves made him nearly trip and fall.

True Person Danri, taking the form of a chubby girl, sighed in mild boredom. She shot a glance at the two brothers before looking back at the still-bowing Wang Xianmao.

"Alright, come sit down."

As if overhearing the brothers' conversation, a female voice filled with amusement drifted over.

"Hahaha, then go find a female immortal and feel her up. You'll understand the situation after a couple of touches. You two little brats are quite amusing."

Yulou and Yu'an looked toward the speaker in astonishment.

In the seat right next to theirs sat a chubby little girl. She looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Wearing a golden gauze dress, she was laughing at them uncontrollably.

"Brother, how should we answer?"

In a strange place, teased by an unfamiliar cultivator, Yu'an was completely overwhelmed with tension, subconsciously asking his older brother.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake. He shouldn't have said that out loud.

"No, wait. Should we pretend we didn't hear anything and observe the situation first?"

"Hahahaha, oh my, I can't take it. Where did you two come from? Hahahaha!"

Yulou stared at the chubby little girl with dark lines dropping down his face, feeling utterly exasperated.

"Idiot, if you knew we should pretend not to hear, why did you say it out loud!" he scolded.

"Brother, how about we just run for it!"

"Hahahahaha, spare me, you two. You're too funny, hahahaha... Cough! Cough! Cough! I can't breathe!"

What a presumptuous fellow!

Yulou wouldn't hold a grudge against someone just for laughing at him. He wasn't some arrogant young master who picked fights over nothing.

Cultivating immortality was also about cultivating one's tolerance; bearing was part of the training.

Without even looking at the chubby little girl, he said to Yu'an,

"Why should we leave? We're drinking tea!"

They couldn't leave.

If they left now, not only would they be mocked for nothing, but they would also miss out on the spirit tea. Wouldn't that be a massive loss?

"Right, right, we haven't had the tea yet."

With that said, Yu'an sat up completely straight in his seat, keeping his head lowered and his eyes closed.

He had made up his mind: as soon as the spirit tea arrived, he would drink it instantly, and once finished, they would leave!

Soon, a female immortal from the Beautiful Pavilion arrived to serve the spirit tea. The female immortal attending the two brothers looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a cultivation base at the fourth level of Qi Induction, and wore a revealing white magical robe.

Even though she was just serving tea and pouring water, she moved with the grace of an immortal offering a treasure. The entire routine left Yu'an staring in a daze.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and drink. Once we finish the tea, we'll pocket this plate of dried spirit fruits and leave. We won't stay a moment longer!"

Yulou reprimanded.

But Yu'an, holding his teacup, remained frozen in place.

The ninth-grade spirit tea indeed tasted quite good. Yulou set his cup down, about to pour himself another, but noticing the dazed Yu'an, he asked,

"What's wrong? Drink up! Didn't we come just for this pot of spirit tea? It's a ninth-grade blend, completely unmixed with mortal tea."

"Brother, I don't think we can leave."

"What?"

"The Patriarch has come to catch us!"

"Ah?"

The chubby little girl lost her composure again and burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha, don't be afraid! Come over here, you don't need to fear. I'll protect you. I'm dying of laughter, hahahaha!"

Yu'an ignored the impolite cultivator and pointed toward the doorway, saying,

"Look over there. The Patriarch is at the door."

Yulou followed Yu'an's gaze. Wang Xianmao was chatting with a man who was clearly a manager.

This time, Yulou was truly stunned.

Ah?

Patriarch?

Why are you also at the Beautiful Pavilion?

The divine sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was incredibly powerful. In truth, the Patriarch had long since noticed the two brothers.

Although he wasn't at the Beautiful Pavilion to spend money, nor to catch his own clan's playboys, he still sent a sound transmission when Yulou looked over.

"You two are dead meat!"

Yu'an gulped in fear and looked at his older brother.

"What do we do?"

Yulou didn't know what to do either.

He wanted to tell the Patriarch that he was actually just here to drink spirit tea.

But then he realized that such an excuse was as laughable as a student telling a teacher they forgot to bring their homework on the first day of school after summer vacation.

After pondering back and forth, he looked at the chubby little girl who had just been laughing at them.

Only this female cultivator could testify that they genuinely only came to drink spirit tea.

This presumptuous female Fellow Daoist was already flushed red from laughing so hard. Seeing Yulou look over so pitifully, she lost it once more.

"Hahahaha, alright, alright, I'll testify for you!"

Yulou was about to offer a polite word of thanks, but on the other side, the Patriarch had finished his conversation and was striding toward the two brothers with long, powerful steps.

He wasn't actually that angry. They were youths, after all; many strange behaviors were understandable, it was just...

Upon seeing the chubby little girl sitting next to the brothers, Wang Xianmao snapped to attention with a loud smack.

Under intense terror, his soul and thoughts abandoned his body, letting long-ingrained habits take over.

The old Patriarch's heart raced as he bowed, flushed red with anxiety.

"True Person Danri, your Junior Xianmao did not know you were here, thus..."

Yulou looked at the chubby little girl in the golden gauze dress in horror. He instinctively tried to stand up but was so nervous he nearly tripped.

True Person Danri, taking the form of a chubby little girl, sighed, feeling a bit bored. She cast a glance at the brothers, then looked back at Wang Xianmao, who was still bowing.

"Alright, come have a seat."