The last rays of the setting sun had been swallowed by the mountains, yet West First Ward in Ask-Dao City remained bustling.
Chen Xian followed Qian Yue into the Ask-Heaven Pavilion. The clamor of the street vanished in an instant, replaced by an air of extravagant luxury.
The floor was paved with an unknown kind of jade, smooth and milky white. The slabs fit together without a crack, and a faint warmth rose through the soles of their feet and straight to their necks, dispelling the chill in their bodies.
Looking up, they saw that the hall stretched at least nine zhang high. Its ceiling had been left open, and clouds of silk hung several zhang between the beams and pillars. A firefly pearl had been set into the silk every foot.
The light shimmered across the hall like flowing starlight, dreamlike and unreal.
Though this restaurant, hailed as the finest in Ask-Dao City, stood only seven stories tall, its interior had been furnished with an imagination beyond anything ordinary people could conceive.
"High Person, please."
Qian Yue led the way, his brocade robes gleaming beneath the shifting light, making him seem incomparably noble.
Jian Shan leaned close to Duan Cui's ear. His eyes kept darting over the gold-inlaid, jade-studded pillars as he whispered, "Junior Brother, see what's burning in those lamps? That's Great Flood Dragon Blood Oil. A single drop burns for seven days without going out!"
"With lamps lit on every floor, the oil alone must cost several hundred taels a day. One meal here would wipe out an ordinary family's earnings for several years!"
Duan Cui nodded stiffly. Though he tried to look calm, his restless hands betrayed his shock.
He was no more than a farmer's son from a mountain village. Though he had joined the Sword Sect and become a cultivator, he had never seen anything like this.
They were led to a private room on the top floor. A servant pushed open the window, revealing the lively bustle of all West First Ward below.
Everyone took their seats, and Chen Xian was invited to the place of honor.
The table was already laden with an array of delicacies, many of the ingredients giving off an intense aroma.
"High Person, this Dragon Blood Red Heart is the tenderest meat from the heart of a Blood Beast in the Third Realm of Disciple. It's prepared with secret medicines and greatly nourishes the body."
Qian Yue chatted amiably as he personally served Chen Xian.
Jian Shan stared at a platter of pigeon meat, each piece crystalline and glowing with a cool blue light. His throat bobbed, and he blurted, "Snow Mountain Flying Pigeon? A single one of these top-grade birds costs three thousand taels of Dao Silver!"
Duan Cui was even more ill at ease. He hadn't dared to pick up his chopsticks.
Seeing their reactions, Qian Yue's lips curled into a faint smile. He clapped his hands softly, and music like tinkling spring water rose from behind the screen. A group of graceful dancers in gauzy silks fluttered in like colorful butterflies.
The dancers were slender and lithe, their lively eyes sweeping across the guests as they moved.
Accompanied by music that seemed to stir the very pulse of one's blood, the performance made everyone feel as if they were drifting toward blissful intoxication.
"Yesterday, my servants were blind to the obvious and disturbed High Person and the honored immortals. I truly feel terrible about it."
Qian Yue raised his cup, his expression earnest. "The servants who laid hands on you have had their limbs crippled and been thrown outside the city to fend for themselves. Today, please eat and drink to your hearts' content. Consider it my apology to you all."
Chen Xian leaned back in his chair of golden-threaded nanmu, rubbing the jade ring on his thumb.
After Qian Yue finished speaking, a smile appeared on his face. He waved a hand and said, "House Master Qian, you're too kind. It was a misunderstanding, and we've cleared it up. Don't just sit there, you lot. You can't get food like this up in the mountains."
With that, he picked up his chopsticks.
"Eat, eat, eat!"
When Jian Shan saw his great-granduncle begin, he hurriedly dug in, jabbing Duan Cui in the arm as the latter sat frozen. "Junior Brother, Junior Brother, it's time to eat."
Once the feast was underway, Qian Yue kept introducing dishes to Chen Xian and offering him wine. Chen Xian didn't snub him, and always answered with a smile.
After several rounds of wine and a few courses, the private room's atmosphere grew lively in the extreme.
Jian Shan and the others ate until their bellies were round, thoroughly satisfied.
When the moment seemed right, Qian Yue set down his ivory chopsticks and shot Li Youde a glance.
Li Youde understood at once. He hurriedly brought over a small carved sandalwood box and set it gently on the round table before opening it.
In an instant, a faint scent of ink drifted into Chen Xian's nose.
He glanced inside. Neatly stacked within were bundles of brand-new banknotes, each worth a thousand taels.
Even though he had seen his share of the world, the sight of so much money still made his heart skip.
Was Qian Yue really testing an old cadre with this?
The room fell silent at once.
Jian Shan's eyes nearly glued themselves to the stack of notes. He was breathing hard, and the pigeon meat in his mouth had suddenly lost all its flavor.
Duan Cui also stopped eating and glanced at Chen Xian from the corner of his eye, as if wondering what to do.
Only Lin Xiaoyan kept drinking on his own, not even looking at the banknotes.
"This is five hundred thousand taels of Dao Silver."
Qian Yue fixed his gaze on Chen Xian and pushed the box within reach, his smile never wavering. "Elder Chen, I'm a merchant who enjoys making friends far and wide."
"This five hundred thousand is a gift to mark the start of our friendship."
After speaking, Qian Yue waited for Chen Xian's response.
Chen Xian set down his cup, his expression turning stern. "House Master Qian, are you trying to humiliate this old man?"
Qian Yue froze, unable to understand why Chen Xian would react that way to five hundred thousand taels.
When he had slipped banknotes to Deacon Huang, the man had grinned from ear to ear.
Chen Xian pushed the box back. "I came to this banquet today to turn hostility into friendship."
"Now that I've eaten your food and drunk your wine, aren't we already friends?"
With that, Chen Xian stopped eating and leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat displeased.
Qian Yue was stunned for only a moment before he quickly caught on.
This old fellow wasn't as hard to deal with as he'd thought.
"Of course! Of course we're friends!" He clapped his hands and laughed, quickly picking up Chen Xian's words.
Then he changed tack. "Since that's the case, I'll take the liberty of calling you Brother Chen?"
Chen Xian nodded. "That's perfectly fine."
Overjoyed, Qian Yue seized the opportunity. "Brother Chen, though friends needn't talk about money, you must accept this five hundred thousand. To be frank, your little sugar hawthorn skewers have caught my eye. I want to buy the recipe. How about I treat this money as payment for it?"
"You want to buy my recipe?" Chen Xian exclaimed, surprised that Qian Yue had set his sights on his sugar hawthorn skewers.
If Qian Yue knew the recipe was just the Blood Vitality Pill's formula plus a handful of Qi Induction Pill powder, would he still be willing to pay so much?
Chen Xian entertained the thought with a mischievous grin. If he hadn't known the Qian Family might have ties to the Blood Demon Sect, he might really have sold the recipe.
Five hundred thousand! Just think how many cultivation resources that could buy!
Chen Xian's aged face was full of indecision.
Seeing him hesitate, Qian Yue didn't rush him. He was certain few people could turn down such a vast fortune.
He clapped his hands again. The dancers swayed their serpent-like waists and quietly took seats beside the guests.
The two most alluring women leaned against Chen Xian on either side. Their gauzy sleeves, scented with an exotic fragrance, brushed past his nose, making it itch.
Then two pairs of soft, boneless hands slid up his arms and began rubbing his shoulders.
Good grief! He was even using the beauty trap!
"Oh, no, please, there's no need!"
Chen Xian pushed the women away, looking flustered. He gave Qian Yue an awkward cupped-fist salute. "Brother Qian, have these ladies withdraw."
"I'm eighty this year. How could these old bones withstand such a trial?"
Qian Yue burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha! Then you may leave."
The dancers looked relieved as they withdrew behind the screen, and the lilting music began again.
Watching the graceful silhouettes behind the screen, Chen Xian let out a deep sigh.
He had plenty of lust left, but his body just wouldn't rise to the occasion!
He would have to cultivate harder. They said that upon reaching the Dao Venerable Realm, one could reshape the body, and that becoming a Saint could even restore one's youth.
At that thought, he said, "It's not that I don't want to sell you the recipe. It's just that it isn't worth five hundred thousand taels. And even if you had it, you still couldn't make those Blood Sugar Hawthorns. I don't want to cheat you out of your money, Brother Qian."
Chen Xian wasn't lying. Even with the recipe, Qian Yue could at most reproduce Blood Sugar Hawthorns that looked similar.
Not everyone had the Masterful Pill Crafting talent.
Qian Yue's expression darkened. He didn't quite believe him, and thought Chen Xian was making excuses.
Before Qian Yue could reply, Chen Xian changed the subject. "Actually, I've long lost interest in worldly riches and beautiful women."
"Oh? If you've given up both money and women, what is it you want, Brother Chen?"
Qian Yue was intrigued. The old fellow's words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Chen Xian let out a wistful sigh. "To be honest, this body of mine... sigh, it gets weaker by the day. My only worry now is whether I can get my hands on some treasure that will prolong my life, so I can see the sun of this world for a few more years."
Qian Yue had already concealed a sinister look in his eyes after Chen Xian refused him, but at the words "prolong my life," a sharp gleam suddenly burst from his narrowed, tiger-like eyes.
"Brother Chen, you're seeking immortality?"