Drunken Immortal Pavilion

Night.

A full moon hung in the sky, lonely and bright.

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The tavern was bustling. On the stage, a woman danced with long, flowing sleeves, while below, a group of scantily clad, beautiful women wandered through the hall, filling the air with laughter and merriment.

Suddenly, "BANG!"

A violent crash from a wooden table caused the entire rowdy tavern to fall silent with eerie speed.

Then, everyone heard:

"Absurd! Utterly absurd! That Xu Changge went to the Ancient Abyss and killed a mere snake demon, yet the Crown Prince actually welcomed him into the capital with state honors!"

A scholar in Confucian robes standing by the second-floor railing slammed his hand onto the table and stood up, shouting in a low, tipsy voice.

As soon as his words fell, the hall grew even quieter, and almost everyone turned to look at him.

His companion's eyelids twitched; he hurriedly tugged at the other man's sleeve and said loudly:

"Ah, Brother Li, you are drunk and talking nonsense."

With that, the companion offered a sheepish bow to the crowd below:

"Apologies, apologies. Just drunken ramblings, nothing more. We've disturbed everyone's mood; please, continue drinking, continue drinking."

The patrons in the hall, seeing this, laughed and echoed his sentiments, returning to their wine and the music.

But just then, Seeing that no one was looking at him anymore, the scholar, fueled by alcohol, flicked his sleeve and shook off his companion's hand. With a look of righteous indignation, he raised his voice:

"I am not drunk! His Majesty resides deep within the palace and has been silent for long. Now that the Crown Prince has left the city to welcome him, it must be the work of the Prime Minister's faction building momentum for his eldest son!"

As the words fell, the once bustling Drunken Immortal Pavilion became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Seeing no one challenge him, the scholar felt emboldened by the attention. He took a deep breath and continued, shouting:

"Our Great Yan has stood for over thirteen hundred years. That Xu Yinhe holds the rank of Prime Minister and should have been a model for us scholars, yet his wolfish ambition is now plain for all to see! Not to mention his forming of cliques for personal gain, there are even rumors that he has private troops in his grasp! Yet the high officials of the court are all sycophants, concerned only with their own preservation!"

"And that Xu Yinhe's third son, Xu Changtian, is even worse than a beast—seizing common women by force and wantonly preying upon the people."

The scholar ranted loudly against the Prime Minister of the day, never noticing that the faces of his companions at the table were gradually turning black. Some of them had even quietly moved away from the impassioned scholar.

Is there a problem with ranting about the Prime Minister or high officials?

Of course not.

Isn't that what they, as scholars, are supposed to do?

If they don't rant about them, who will?

They ranted every time they gathered in private.

If they didn't rant, there would be no joy.

However, Damn it, couldn't you just rant about it during our private gatherings?!

Who said no one had petitioned against the Prime Minister?

If no one had petitioned, Whose heads were those piled up at the vegetable market in the capital back then?

Who were those warriors sent to the northern frontiers and southern territories to defend against the strange demons and barbarians?

"..."

After his rant, the scholar let out a long breath. Seeming to have become addicted to the act, he was just about to start the second half when a voice suddenly emerged from the corner of the hall:

"A scholar without a degree, slandering a high official of the imperial court—do you truly think there is no Secret Investigation Bureau in Jingjiang City?"

Seeing someone retort, the young scholar immediately replied with righteous indignation:

"So what if the Secret Investigation Bureau comes?! Everything I say is the truth that others dare not speak!!"

"So what? Heh, how about we notify them to come and see you, the man who dares to speak what others dare not?"

"..."

The young scholar froze, his mouth opening to retort, but he carefully glanced around. All he saw were mocking and derisive gazes. Half-sobered by the alcohol, his face twitched, turning from purple to red, and finally, he sat back down, abandoning all pretense of dignity.

Seeing this, The crowd burst into laughter, and the Drunken Immortal Pavilion became rowdy once more, filled with a lively atmosphere inside and out.

Located on the top floor, Xu Yuan silently watched everything that had happened below.

No matter the era or the world, the life experience of those with money or power is always different from that of ordinary people.

The interior of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was a hollow, high-ceilinged structure, with consumption levels increasing floor by floor.

The ground floor was one tier, where nearly two hundred people squeezed together to listen to music and feast their eyes.

The second to fourth floors are a different tier; the environment is relatively spacious and quiet, suitable for inviting two or three friends and having the madam call a few girls to enjoy wine and conversation together.

The fifth to eighth floors consist of private rooms, where things become more refined; activities like listening to music and playing the flute mostly take place here.

The ninth to twelfth floors are suites, specially prepared for guests staying overnight.

Each suite features top-tier girls who have their own elegant stage names.

The thirteenth floor, the top floor, is a penthouse suite.

There is only one such room.

Once booked, the entire floor becomes your personal space.

You can summon any girl from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and the maids inside the top floor are all delicate beauties carefully selected by the madam, each one possessing top-tier looks and figures.

As a professional playboy, Xu Yuan naturally returned to this familiar Drunken Immortal Pavilion the moment he arrived in Jingjiang City and booked the entire top floor.

However, he hadn't expected to see such a good show here.

As for being insulted, he didn't really care.

You are cursing Xu Changtian, what does that have to do with me, Xu Yuan?

The only thing worth noting was the speed at which information traveled within the Great Yan Dynasty.

Zhou Chen had only told him that morning that his eldest brother had arrived at the Imperial Capital, yet by evening, the news had already spread among the scholars and young masters in Jingjiang City.

But thinking about it, it made sense; a single province of the Great Yan Dynasty could span ten thousand miles. If they couldn't achieve near-instantaneous information transmission, the empire would have likely split apart long ago.

While he was lost in these thoughts, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder without him noticing.

A drunken voice came from behind him:

"Third Young Master, still standing here?"

It was Zhou Chen.

As his bodyguard and teacher, Zhou Chen naturally followed Xu Yuan to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to eat and drink for free.

Regarding such places of pleasure, this guy was even more skilled than the original owner of this body. As soon as they reached the top floor, he had familiarly wrapped his arms around two maids and entered a room.

Xu Yuan glanced sideways at this scruffy expert, unhurried, and chuckled:

"Hmm, finished already? That was fast."

"..." Zhou Chen.

A look of embarrassment appeared on Zhou Chen's slightly tipsy face, and he coughed lightly:

"No, don't guess wildly. I don't indulge in women; it's just a requirement of my cultivation technique. Being fast is only natural."

He paused, took a swig of wine from the gourd in his hand, and glanced at Xu Yuan nonchalantly:

"Third Young Master, aren't you going to have some fun while you're here?"

"Heh~"

Xu Yuan met his gaze calmly and chuckled:

"Can't you see the state of my body, Mr. Zhou?

"After practicing, I discovered that my body is severely depleted from past debauchery. If this continues... heh, anyway, I'll pass for now. Alright, if I have any questions regarding cultivation, I'll come to you. Mr. Zhou, please feel free to do as you please."

Having said that, Xu Yuan glanced at the curvaceous young ladies standing to the side, silently recited a few lines about wine and lust harming his body, and turned to leave.

Zhou Chen watched the Third Young Master's retreating figure, leaned against the railing with his wine gourd, and shook his head. He found two more maids, wrapped his arms around them, and as he walked toward the room, he shook his head and sighed:

"Tsk, and here I thought the Third Young Master was a man of similar tastes."

Before the words had even faded, Xu Yuan's smiling voice drifted over from a distance:

"Mr. Zhou, I have no desire to be a man of similar tastes to you."

Zhou Chen was stunned, then he turned back and grinned at Xu Yuan's back:

"Heh, you really are a man of similar tastes after all."

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