Li Xuanfeng flew for a few more miles, stopping only when he caught sight of the entrance to Lixia Prefecture’s Yuyue County emerging from the horizon.
The city gates were bustling with activity with a steady stream of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages belonging to dignitaries and merchants crowded the roads, creating a jolly and lively atmosphere.
As Guli Road came to an end, the path widened and smoothed within Lixia Prefecture. Vendors selling pastries and rice porridge could be seen busying on both sides of the road.
Reflecting on the lessons learned at Cloud Crowned Peak, Li Xuanfeng paused in front of the city wall before landing in front of the city gate.
“Out of the way! An immortal master is coming through!”
“Daddy, look at the sky!”
Chaos soon erupted in the lower part of the city as the people scrambled to clear a path with yellow smoke and dust swirling in every direction. Goods were dropped, rice bowls were shattered, and the air was filled with the cries of children, the neighing of horses, and the shouts of soldiers.
Observing the commotion, Li Xuanfeng furrowed his brow slightly.
Before Li Xuanfeng could utter another word, a hush fell over the crowd as they all kneeled down in unison.
The dozen soldiers stationed at the city gates trembled as they bowed down, too frightened to speak. The distinct sound made every time they pressed their foreheads to the ground echoed softly through the air while crying children lay scattered on the ground, ignored by the fearful bystanders.
The entire scene was eerily silent, with caravans and pedestrians in the distance dispersing. The same happened to the people who had been queuing for the entire morning, who also quickly scattered themselves into groups. The merchants held onto the reins of their horses and stared at the ground as if there were imaginary flowers blooming where they gazed.
Feeling the weight of the tense atmosphere, Li Xuanfeng realized that a misunderstanding had likely occurred.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the solemn silence of the kneeling crowd made him reconsider and he snapped his mouth shut. In the end, he decided to perform a hand seal instead and cast the Aura Restraint Technique on himself before continuing toward the county.
The townsfolk remained kneeling on the ground, too terrified to utter even a word. After a long while, one of the soldiers timidly raised his head. Seeing the empty space before him, tears welled up in his eyes as he exclaimed, “The Immortal Master has shown us mercy!”
————
Li Xuanfeng could not help but feel confused and slightly depressed by the commotion he had caused in front of the city gate.
The Li Family had only risen to prominence over the past four or five decades... the disparity between cultivators and mortals should not have reached such extreme levels. His mortal uncles treated him normally like he was their nephew, and mortals typically showed respect to cultivators by bowing without resorting to such extreme gestures as kneeling and prostrating themselves before them.
The Xiao, Wu, Ma, and Chang Families were clans with cultivators of Foundation Establishment Realm among them, and they have been cultivating the lands in the prefecture for hundreds of years! It’s astonishing to see mortals fearing them to such an extreme extent...
After pondering for a while, Li Xuanfeng shook his head and lifted his gaze to the spacious street ahead.
I still need to find a place to stay for the next ten days...
Using his spiritual sense, Li Xuanfeng quickly located a large, lavishly decorated pavilion with dozens of spacious and clean rooms. He nodded in approval and approached the entrance of the grand pavilion, which was decorated with red silk.
“Drunken Spring Pavilion...” he muttered, reading the words on the plaque. He found the name of the inn rather peculiar.
Upon entering, he was greeted by the sight of leftover food from what appeared to be an all-night banquet that had just ended, and the establishment had yet to clean up after the festivities. Not only were the wooden tables messy, but the wooden chairs were also in mass disarray.
Li Xuanfeng frowned, feeling a little doubtful about the inn. Despite his doubts, he deliberated and decided that he was far too lazy to search for yet another place to stay. It was at this moment that he noticed a teenage girl dressed in red sitting on the staircase with her head bowed and knees drawn up.
He raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “Any available rooms here?”
The young girl raised her head. Her lovely round face looked a bit tired, despite the traces of makeup on it. Her lips were ghastly pale, however. She stared at him with a hint of happiness in her childish eyes and nodded in response.
“Come with me, young master.”
Ascending to the second floor, they came across a woman slathered with thick makeup seated near to the stairs. She cast a glance at them and sneered.
“So you’ve finally gotten yourself a patron so early in the morning after freeloading here for a moment, eh? He seems young too... consider yourself lucky, girl!”
The young girl pursed her lips, casting a timid glance at the woman with an unreadable emotion in her eyes. She remained silent, not uttering a word in response.
Li Xuanfeng shot a quick glance at the woman, effectively silencing any further remarks, and then proceeded into the room with the girl.
The woman was left standing in the hallway, stunned by the intensity of Li Xuanfeng’s gaze. It took her several moments to regain her composure.
“Hmm, he’s young but he has quite the temper,” she muttered.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng settled into the room with the girl. He removed his longbow that was almost as tall as him and hung it on the wall before finally taking a seat on the bed.
However, he noticed that the girl remained standing in the room, casting timid glances at him.
Li Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow at her. The girl appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. Her eyebrows had been meticulously groomed, her skin was smooth and radiant, and her eyes were slightly elongated, giving her a feline-like appearance.
Despite her seemingly relaxed demeanor, there was a palpable unease lurking beneath the surface of her gaze.
“What is it?” Li Xuanfeng asked, curious.
The girl, however, began undressing without a word and let her dress slip to the ground, revealing her fair skin that was previously hidden beneath the fabric. She stepped forward and took a seat on the bed, fixing her gaze on Li Xuanfeng. She pouted her lips slightly in a very seductive manner, their pinkish tone exuding a tempting allure.
Li Xuanfeng’s mind raced, trying to process the strange and capricious situation unfolding before him. Finally, realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He met the girl’s gaze in alarm and asked in a trembling voice, “What kind of place is this..?”
“Drunken Spring Pavilion,” she replied with a seductive smile. Despite her youthful appearance, she was a serene beauty. She lifted her head, leaving her slender neck exposed.
The contours of her body possessed a delicate beauty, drawing Li Xuanfeng’s unwavering gaze. In her demeanor, there lingered a subtle hint of provocation, adding to her allure.
“Drunken Spring Pavilion...” Li Xuanfeng repeated the name softly.
His primal instincts took over as he surrendered to his desires. What he had repressed at home in the presence of Li Tongya and other elders was now fully unleashed, and he did nothing to hold them back. With nothing to worry about, he embraced and kissed the compliant maiden, undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one.
As Li Xuanfeng indulged in his desires, he found himself unsure of what to do next until the girl untied the ropes around his waist and took his hand gently.
Following her lead, Li Xuanfeng allowed himself to be guided to an unfamiliar realm of pleasure, driven by instinct. He caressed her delicate face. Looking at her lovely round face and the way her eyes shone, he felt his body ignite with passion.
“By the gods, I’ve never expected such wonderful feelings to exist in this world!” He chuckled.
“Young master...” The girl whimpered in pain, her body writhing beneath him on the bed. Li Xuanfeng’s black hair was disheveled at this point. He gently lifted her delicate feet that were flushed and continued thrusting.
“What’s your name?” he asked softly.
“Jiang Yunu,” came the weak response, her lovely face pressed against the sheet as she clutched the pillow.
“Some years ago, the immortals were killing people on the road... the fleeing victims made their way to the east, looting and plundering along the way. My family perished, leaving me alone. I had no choice but to follow a merchant caravan all the way here to eke out... a living,” she managed to stammer between breaths.
“How long have you been here?”
“Less than a month. You’re my first patron.”
Li Xuanfeng let out a sigh of relief, then said, “You don’t have to do this anymore.”
Jiang Yunu did not quite understand his words, but she nodded silently, assuming that Li Xuanfeng was just offering her advice.
As Li Xuanfeng buried his head into the pillow without a sound, Jiang Yunu whimpered softly, her body tensing for a moment before timidly uttering, “I... I...”
But before she could finish her words, her eyes fluttered shut once more.
————
While Li Xuanfeng was having the best time of his life, Li Tongya found himself in trouble in the courtyard on Mount Lijing.
The turmoil at Moongaze Lake had long subsided, leaving the island at the heart of the lake scorched and dry. However, the forbidden formation continued to target anyone who dared to approach it.
After three groups of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm had plundered whatever valuable resources remained, only chaos remained. With no other choice, Li Tongya retreated to Mount Lijing.
From a distance, he spotted Lu Sisi, clutching his jade scepter in hand.
“Brother Tongya!” Lu Sisi greeted him affectionately, stirring mixed emotions in Li Tongya.
He cupped his fist in return and said, “Senior Lu, the lake is really lively.”
“You’re right... all the gates are banding together to eliminate the survivors of Lingyu Gate. It’s a surprise that Zhang Cuotian turned out to be one of them! The market on Moongaze Lake has been operating for two centuries, yet he managed to evade detection by the Azure Pond Sect for so long...”
As Li Tongya and Lu Sisi settled into the courtyard, a servant brought them tea. Li Tongya cupped his fist and asked, “What has the Lingyu Gate done to make all the gates unite against it in such a way..?”