Under Holy Light I's rule, the most extravagant den of dissipation in Berely was naturally the Pearl Shadow Club, opened by the Silver Clam Chamber of Commerce.
Because the Silver Clam Chamber of Commerce was Lady Greenfen's property, and Lady Greenfen was rumored to be Holy Light I's secret lover, the Pearl Shadow Club stood on the eastern side of Victory Palace, separated from it by only a single road. Covering nearly half the area of Victory Palace, the Pearl Shadow Club was encircled by vermilion walls. Within them, lush trees cast deep shade, and at enormous expense, nearly a hundred thousand-year-old oaks had even been transplanted into the club's gardens.
Amid several old oaks stood a flower pavilion entwined in dense rose branches. Lin Qi and Yu Lian sat facing one another there, enjoying a bottle of fifty-year-aged finest wine from Fanlin Manor.
Cool breezes drifted through the air, carrying waves of floral fragrance. Beside the pavilion stood an enormous birdcage housing nearly a thousand parrots of all sizes. Their cheerful chirping added a touch of liveliness to this secluded corner beneath the green shade.
Holding his wineglass and gently swirling the crimson liquid, Yu Lian sighed sentimentally. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when I could enjoy myself at the Pearl Shadow Club. You know, just the annual membership fee to spend money here is a full million gold coins!"
He drained the wine in one gulp, then sprawled lazily across the sofa and said comfortably, "Bloody hell, a million gold coins. How many years would I have to spend extorting those poor little merchants to scrape together that kind of money?"
Lin Qi sat to one side with a smile, quietly savoring the rich, mellow wine.
After Lin Qi used certain private matters from