Soon, Lu Changsheng arrived in Cangyun City.
The streets were bustling with crowds. Hawkers called out their wares by the roadside, and occasionally, children chased each other playfully. Young women picked out rouge and powder at the stalls, wives gossiped, and old men boasted.
The mortal world’s lively atmosphere could be felt everywhere.
Lu Changsheng was in no hurry. He strolled along, admiring the scenery.
A month ago, the Ning family had already sent word that they would send Ning Yuxin to Qingyun Peak to cultivate for a while.
Zhou Qingyu was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao and entirely unwilling to bother with such matters. He always threw them to Lu Changsheng to handle.
However, Lu Changsheng saw through it clearly, murmuring leisurely to himself.
“In this day and age, even the richest family’s daughter struggles to find a husband!”
“Talking about coming to cultivate for a while-isn’t it just to let the two of them nurture a relationship?”
“But then again, Senior Brother is so aloof. Could it be he doesn’t like women?”
Muttering as he walked, he arrived before a restaurant.
This place was named Zuixian Pavilion, famous across a radius of a thousand miles. Only, today the Ning family had reserved the entire establishment.
“Immortal Master Changsheng, you have arrived!”
Inside the restaurant, the shopkeeper came forward to greet him.
Guards stood all around, all of them from the Ning family.
Lu Changsheng followed the shopkeeper upstairs to an elegant private room.
The moment the door was pushed open, Lu Changsheng saw several maidservants standing in the back, while a youth of sixteen or seventeen sat at the table.
Seeing Lu Changsheng, the youth stood up and said, “You must be Senior Brother Changsheng!”
“And you are?”
“I am Ning Yuchen, Ning Yuxin’s younger brother. I came to accompany my sister. I was also the one exchanging letters with you!”
“So it’s you!”
Lu Changsheng treated him as an old acquaintance. He walked in, and the two sat down.
They had already exchanged several letters and could be considered familiar.
The Ning Yuchen before him was elegant and mild-mannered. It seemed his family upbringing was strict; he was certainly no spoiled silk-pants.
As they settled in, Lu Changsheng said, “Junior Brother Ning, there is no need to be so polite. You could have just gone directly to Qingyun Peak. Why go through the trouble of inviting me here?”
Ning Yuchen wore a smile, quietly sizing up Lu Changsheng.
Looking at this appearance and bearing, if he had not already heard of his reputation, he would have thought this man was the rumored Little Sword Immortal, Zhou Qingyu.
“Since we are intruding, it is only right to host a meal to show our apologies!” Ning Yuchen said.
Lu Changsheng cast him a glance but said no more, while Ning Yuchen kept him company from the side.
Shortly after, dishes of food were served one by one.
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng said, “Junior Brother Ning, if you have something to say, just say it directly. We’ll be family in the future, so there’s no need to beat around the bush!”
Hearing this, Ning Yuchen leaned closer.
“Senior Brother Changsheng, I heard you are the person who understands Senior Brother Qingyu best. Therefore, I wanted to ask you about a few things!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Changsheng glanced at the youth beside him, already guessing the gist of the matter.
The two families had a marriage agreement, and the Ning family clearly intended to push the match forward.
After all, his Senior Brother was a rare young talent in Cangzhou, nearing Core Formation at such a young age. Who wouldn’t covet him?
It wasn’t as if other Sects lacked such geniuses, but he was the only one who had cultivated his Sword Intent to the sixth layer.
Without being modest, Zhou Qingyu was practically the pinnacle looked up to by Cangzhou’s younger generation, undefeated since he stepped onto the cultivation path.
Even in Lu Changsheng’s eyes, when it came to excellence, his Senior Brother was second only to himself.
After a moment of thought, he spoke, “Junior Brother, ask whatever you wish. I understand.”
Ning Yuchen’s face lit up with joy. “I wonder what Senior Brother usually likes?”
“Spirit Stones!” Lu Changsheng replied, his words resounding and without the slightest hesitation.
“Spirit Stones?” Ning Yuchen was taken aback.
Lu Changsheng affirmed, “That’s right. Spirit Stones. Piles and piles of Spirit Stones!”
Ning Yuchen was somewhat dazed, thinking he had misheard. As Cangyun’s Little Sword Immortal, shouldn’t he favor precious swords?
Lu Changsheng explained, “Others definitely don’t know this little secret. Of course, if it’s some famous sword or sword art, those are passable too!”
“So that’s how it is!”
Ning Yuchen considered this seriously for a moment. It seemed reasonable enough. Cultivators needed vast amounts of Spiritual Qi to support their cultivation.
If they could not absorb enough from the heavens and earth, they had to rely on Spirit Stones. Put that way, liking Spirit Stones made perfect sense.
Immediately, he looked at Lu Changsheng and said, “Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother!”
“You’re too polite!” Lu Changsheng said, glancing at the sky. “Since that’s settled, I’ll take my leave. I’m usually on the mountain, so just head straight there!”
“It’s still early, Senior Brother. Where are you going?”
“Zuiyue Pavilion!”
“A brothel?”
“Correct!”
Lu Changsheng didn’t hide it in the slightest. He had already made an appointment with the leading courtesan of Zuiyue Pavilion.
He didn’t care what others thought. His reputation was already in the gutter anyway.
For a moment, a thought stirred in Ning Yuchen’s mind, but just as he was about to speak, Lu Changsheng had already walked out.
As Lu Changsheng’s figure disappeared from sight, he felt a twinge of regret.
Meanwhile, in the restaurant, a young woman frowned as she watched Lu Changsheng’s retreating back.
She was seventeen or eighteen, with delicate features and a simple, elegant air.
She was Ning Yuxin.
She had heard the conversation clearly and couldn’t help but speak up.
“Qingyun Peak is a true immortal mountain, and Senior Brother Qingyu is such a peerless genius. How could they have fostered such a Junior Brother?”
Upon arriving in Cangyun City, they had made inquiries and heard a few things about Lu Changsheng.
Even those passing rumors were enough to make people shake their heads. What would happen if one truly understood him?
An old servant beside her said, “Miss, you are here for Young Master Qingyu. What Lu Changsheng is like actually matters little.”
Ning Yuxin found this reasonable and said no more. Instead, she began preparing for tomorrow’s journey to Qingyun Peak.
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng had arrived at a bustling pleasure district.
Beauties were everywhere, accompanied by the gentle drift of music, and patrons hurried back and forth. This was Zuiyue Pavilion!
Before he could step inside, someone had already come out to greet him.
“Immortal Master Changsheng, Miss Muyue is already waiting for you!”
“Good!”
Lu Changsheng nodded and followed the servant inside.
Passing through water pavilions and terraces, they arrived at the top floor of a wooden loft.
From a distance, Lu Changsheng saw a woman leaning against the railing. Her gaze was gentle, and when she looked at him, a soft, water-like smile touched her lips.
“Young Master Lu, it has been some time since we last met. Have you forgotten me?”
The woman was Su Muyue, teasing Lu Changsheng with her words.
Lu Changsheng walked over and replied, “There was no helping it. Lately, I’ve been so deeply immersed in my cultivation that I couldn’t extricate myself. I was just hoping to Ascend early and witness the Great Dao!”
As he spoke, he slowly took a seat.
Su Muyue laughed and said, “What joke are you telling me, Young Master Lu? How could a carefree and unrestrained person like you be obsessed with cultivation?”
“You truly understand me. Truth is, I just haven’t had the Spirit Stones to visit lately!”
“Hehe!”
Su Muyue chuckled lightly and sat down opposite him.
“This time, I came to ask on behalf of my Senior Brother: have any secret realms manifested recently?”
“You really never visit unless you need something!” Su Muyue shook her head. “But your Senior Brother enters secret realms a bit too frequently.”
“Who doesn’t know he’s a cultivation maniac? Experiential training is essential!”
Lu Changsheng felt quite helpless about it. A few years ago, he had passed by here by chance, was dragged inside, and unexpectedly met this leading courtesan.
Later, he realized her identity was far from simple, though he still didn’t know what her purpose was.
Yet they got along quite well, and he often relied on her connections to track down many secret realms.
After all, the amount of Spiritual Qi he required was simply immense. The outside world could not satisfy his needs, and Spirit Stones were not so easy to earn. Thus, he could only spend his days delving into secret realms.
The two chatted congenially, but as they spoke, a commotion arose outside.
Several figures could be seen disregarding the attendants’ attempts to stop them, heading straight for this place and shattering the atmosphere.