Star City was the Golden Leaf Dynasty's most famous pleasure city, and the place with the greatest concentration of brothels, casinos, and restaurants was the uniquely scenic Frostfall Lake in the heart of the city.
The streets circling Frostfall Lake were lined with frost trees. Whenever the wind rose, the snow-white frost flowers on the trees drifted through the air, giving Frostfall Lake its name.
On both sides of the roads around the lake stood rows of closely packed buildings. Their lights never went out all night, earning the place the name City That Never Sleeps.
At the heart of Frostfall Lake was a small island. On it stood Star City's most famous Drunken Moon Garden, offering top-notch service for eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling all under one roof.
The evening glow had faded, and the full moon had just risen. The extravagant nightlife had only just begun.
Qi Bei led Huo Lie, Tie Tou, Vajra, and Phantom straight toward Drunken Moon Tower. After finally clawing his way out of the Undead Mountain Range in this life and becoming a powerful, influential young wastrel, how could he live with himself if he didn't indulge a little?
Riding a magic speedboat, the group soon reached the small island in the middle of the lake.
At the dock stood a long corridor built from sandalwood. Its faint fragrance refreshed the mind and invigorated the spirit.
On both sides of the corridor stood two rows of young women with their snow-white arms and legs exposed. They wore sweet smiles and respectfully bowed to every distinguished guest who arrived.
Huo Lie and Tie Tou were soldiers of the Black Armored Army, and their duty was to protect, not play. Even when faced with this sea of rouge and powder, they remained unmoved. Vajra was similarly missing a screw somewhere and had no interest in women. Phantom, however, kept looking left and right, her face alight with excitement.
Beyond the corridor was a resplendent hall, where a beautiful woman in her twenties came forward to greet them.
"Honored guests, my name is Linda, and I'm the manager on duty here. May I ask what Young Master would like to play?" Linda had a sharp eye. At a glance, she could tell that Qi Bei's identity was extraordinary, while the others were merely his followers, so her gaze remained fixed on him.
"Is Clear Water Tower available?" Qi Bei asked. He had come here several times before, but he had still been young then. After spending so long in the Undead Mountain Range, he had grown much taller, and his once-weak frame was no longer frail. The gentle lines of his face had gained a chilling heroic air from all the killing. Anyone who wasn't familiar with him would be unable to recognize him. Thus, Linda only found him somewhat familiar without guessing his identity.
The moment Linda heard Qi Bei mention Clear Water Tower, she knew he was a regular—and no ordinary one at that.
Clear Water Tower was one of the three most luxurious towers in Drunken Moon Garden. Everyone who entered was a top-tier grand noble.
"It's still available. I'll take you there right away." Linda's tone grew even more respectful, but her mind raced as she tried to figure out Qi Bei's background. If he was a regular with a top-tier identity and she failed to remember him, that would be a grave dereliction of duty.
"Hold on." Just then, an arrogant voice rang out.
A fat young man dressed in an ornate mage robe came over, leading a group of men and women who were clearly nobles. He cast a sidelong glance at Qi Bei with his beady eyes, then arrogantly said to Linda, "Linda, I want Clear Water Tower."
"So Young Master Fox has graced us with his presence. However, this young master just reserved Clear Water Tower. Would you consider choosing another one?" Linda smiled respectfully. Young Master Fox was the direct eldest grandson of the Fox Family and an intermediate earth-element mage. His clan head was a marquis, and he himself held the rank of viscount. His power and influence were immense.
"Linda, have you lost your mind? I reserved Clear Water Tower with you yesterday, and today you're giving it to some bumpkins instead. Do you not want to work here anymore?" Young Master Fox thundered arrogantly.
Linda's expression changed. Of course she hadn't remembered wrong—Young Master Fox had never made a reservation at all. But her status was low, and she didn't dare contradict him. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Qi Bei, who wore an expression of complete indifference.
"Unbelievable..." Tie Tou angrily stepped forward, only for Qi Bei to stop him.
"I'm a guest. What you do isn't my concern," Qi Bei said mildly.
Linda cursed inwardly. She still hadn't figured out what great person Qi Bei was, but he looked familiar, so his identity was likely extraordinary. Yet the Fox Family was no easy target either. If Young Master Fox wanted to deal with her, all it would take was a few words.
"Young Master, I'm truly sorry. Everything you spend here today will be charged to me." Seeing that the noble young masters and ladies accompanying Young Master Fox were growing impatient, Linda gritted her teeth and made her decision.
Qi Bei's eyes flashed, but he said nothing.
"Hahaha, if you'd done that from the start, this wouldn't have wasted so much time." Young Master Fox laughed smugly, his rolls of fat quivering.
At that moment, Young Master Fox's gaze fell on Phantom. At first glance, he hadn't thought much of her, but after taking a closer look, an itch stirred in his heart. He opened his mouth and said, "Little girl, come with this young master. I guarantee you'll eat well and drink well."
A cold killing intent suddenly appeared on Qi Bei's face. He said mildly, "Huo Lie, Tie Tou, cut off his pair of pig ears."
Before his voice had even faded, Huo Lie and Tie Tou had already charged forward like gusts of wind. They had been holding in their anger for a long time, and now that they had Qi Bei's order, how could they not unleash it?
Anyone below the level of Advanced Mage who faced a warrior in close combat was nothing but a pile of tofu scraps.
Huo Lie and Tie Tou were elite soldiers of the Black Armored Army, veterans of a hundred battles. In an instant, a flash of blades streaked past, followed by Young Master Fox's agonized scream. Blood gushed from both sides of his head, and his two ears had already been carried by Huo Lie and Tie Tou to Qi Bei.
Everyone froze. No one had imagined that Qi Bei would strike without the slightest restraint. That was the direct eldest grandson of the Fox Family, the man destined to inherit the Fox Family's estate. Yet he had ordered his men to cut off both his ears without hesitation.
"Gust... ne... ho... see..." Young Master Fox began chanting a spell. Powerful fluctuations of earth-element magic filled the air, and a thick yellow glow began to form around his body.
"Vajra," Qi Bei called.
Vajra needed no further explanation. His enormous body crossed the distance to Young Master Fox in two strides. After several hammer-sized fists smashed down, the earth shield that had not yet fully formed instantly collapsed. Then he grabbed Young Master Fox by the body as if he were a chick and swung him away.
With a loud bang, Young Master Fox crashed at Qi Bei's feet like a dead pig.
"You'll regret this! I'll destroy your families and make you all pay!" Young Master Fox screamed in terror.
Qi Bei gave a cruel smile. The baleful aura rolling off him made everyone nearby shudder. He raised his foot and planted it on Young Master Fox's fat face. A series of crunching sounds rang out as tooth after tooth, mixed with blood, spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Stop!"
The guards of Drunken Moon Garden finally appeared and surrounded the five of them.
The guards of Drunken Moon Garden would never normally have acted so slowly. However, Qi Bei's severing of Young Master Fox's ears had shocked them, leaving them afraid to act rashly. When immortals fought, ordinary people suffered, so they had decided to let the two sides resolve it themselves.
But things had not developed as they expected. Young Master Fox had directly become a dead pig beneath Qi Bei's foot, being tormented at his mercy. If they did not show themselves now and someone died, they would be finished all the same.
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