Inside the Warm Jade Pavilion of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.
After several cups of fine wine, the faint fragrance of beautiful women filled Gu Zuokai's nose, while song and dance filled his eyes. Much of the gloom that had weighed on him lately eased.
He had not expected Luo Chen to invite him somewhere like this to unwind.
As he remembered it, Luo Chen had once been the Northern Sea Rogue and presumably preferred peace and quiet. Now that he also bore the title Pill Sect, Gu Zuokai imagined his daily life must be even more austere. Without diligent study and bitter practice, how could an ordinary person master Grandmaster-level Pill Refinement Art?
This pleasure house seemed utterly out of place for Luo Chen.
And from the look of him, it was.
Though Luo Chen smiled across from him, he sat primly upright. Even when the woman beside him carefully poured wine and offered him food, he hardly touched her.
Clearly, Luo Chen had arranged all this for Gu Zuokai's sake, and not simply to catch up.
After several rounds of drinks and idle conversation, Gu Zuokai set down his cup.
"Brother Luo, if you have something to say, just say it!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and dismissed the others, leaving only the three women attending them.
"I heard you nearly established a branch of the Heavenly Origin Commerce League here in Soaring Sky Pass?"
Gu Zuokai sighed. "That's true. I'd already reached an agreement with the five major sects of the Soaring Sky Five Regions and even chosen a site, but the Soaring Sky City Lord stopped it at the last moment."
"What did he say?" Luo Chen asked.
"What else could he say?" Gu Zuokai replied helplessly. "He stalled and put me off. Now he won't even see