Drunken Immortal Pavilion

Night.

The full moon hung overhead, lonely and bright.

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The bustling tavern was alive with music and laughter. Onstage, a woman danced gracefully with her long sleeves, while beautiful women in revealing clothes drifted through the hall below.

Suddenly,

"BANG!!"

A loud crash from a wooden table brought the entire boisterous tavern to an eerie hush.

Then everyone heard someone say,

"Absurd. Absurd! Xu Changge went to the Ancient Abyss and killed nothing more than a mere snake demon, yet His Highness the Crown Prince welcomed him into the Capital City with the honors due a head of state!"

A scholar in a Confucian robe by the second-floor railing slammed his hand on the table and sprang to his feet, his face flushed with drink as he muttered angrily.

At his words, the hall fell quiet once more. Nearly everyone turned to look at him.

His companion's eyelid twitched. He hurriedly tugged at the scholar's sleeve and called out,

"Ah, Brother Li, you're drunk. You're spouting nonsense."

As he spoke, his companion awkwardly bowed to the people below.

"Sorry, sorry. He's drunk and talking nonsense. We've disturbed your fun. Please, carry on drinking, carry on."

The diners in the hall smiled and went along with him, some returning to their drinks, others to the music.

Just then,

Seeing that no one was watching him anymore, the scholar, emboldened by the alcohol, shook off his companion's hand and swept his sleeve aside. His face filled with righteous indignation as he raised his voice.

"I'm not drunk! His Majesty has been in the imperial palace, out of touch for a long time. Now the Crown Prince has left the city to greet him. It must be the Prime Minister's faction trying to build up his eldest son!"

The moment he finished, the once bustling Drunken Immortal Pavilion fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Seeing no one challenge him, the scholar grew a little carried away by the attention. He took a deep breath, then continued loudly,

"Our Great Yan has endured for over thirteen hundred years. Xu Yinhe holds the office of Prime Minister; he should have been a model for scholars like us. Yet now his wolfish ambition stands exposed! Let's set aside his factionalism and self-serving schemes. There are even rumors that he commands a private army, while the court's ministers are all busy chasing their own interests and looking after themselves!"

".Xu Yinhe's third son, Xu Changtian, is worse than a beast, abducting women and tyrannizing the common folk at will."

The scholar loudly lambasted the sitting Prime Minister, oblivious to the darkening expressions of his companions at the same table. A few had even begun edging away from the impassioned orator.

Was there a problem with lambasting the Prime Minister and his ministers?

Of course not.

Wasn't that what scholars like them were for?

If not them, then who?

Every time they met in private, they lambasted them.

There was no fun in it otherwise.

But—

Couldn't you lambaste them at our private gatherings, for fuck's sake?!

Who said no one had ever petitioned against the Prime Minister?

If no one had,

whose heads had been piled up at the execution ground in the Capital City?

Who were those men sent to the Northern Frontier and the southern regions to fight the demonfolk and the Barbarian Tribe?

"."

After finishing his tirade, the scholar let out a long breath. He seemed to be getting hooked on the rant and was about to launch into the second half when a voice suddenly came from a corner of the hall.

"A scholar without any official distinction slanders a court minister. Do you really think the Secret Investigation Bureau doesn't exist in Jingjiang City?"

The young scholar immediately answered with righteous indignation,

"So what if the Secret Investigation Bureau comes?! Everything I've said is the truth that others don't dare speak!!"

"So what? Heh. Should I notify them to come see you, the man who dares to speak what others don't?"

"."

The young scholar froze. He opened his mouth to argue, then cautiously glanced around. All he saw were mocking, jeering looks. Half the drink left his head. His face twitched, turning purple then red, before he finally sat back down, abandoning all pretense of dignity.

At the sight,

Everyone burst into laughter, and the Drunken Immortal Pavilion soon grew lively again, inside and out filled with merriment.

Xu Yuan watched everything unfold below from the top floor in silence.

In any era, in any world, the lives of the wealthy and powerful were different from those of ordinary people.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was built around a deep, open central shaft, with the price and level of luxury rising with every floor.

The ground floor was one tier, where nearly two hundred people squeezed together to listen to music and catch an eyeful.

The second through fourth floors were another tier. The surroundings were more spacious and quieter, perfect for meeting two or three friends and asking the madam to call over a few women for drinks and conversation.

The fifth through eighth floors held private rooms. That was where things got less refined; most activities, like listening to music or playing the flute, took place there.

The ninth through twelfth floors were guest suites, specially prepared for customers staying the night.

Every suite had its own highly sought-after courtesan, each with a stage name of her own.

The top, thirteenth floor, was a penthouse suite.

There was only one.

Once you booked it, the entire floor was yours to use.

You could summon any woman in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Even the maids on the top floor were pretty young women handpicked by the madam, each with a figure and looks among the best.

As a professional wastrel, Xu Yuan had naturally returned to the familiar Drunken Immortal Pavilion as soon as he got back to Jingjiang City and booked the top floor.

He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a fine show.

He didn't mind being insulted.

You're cursing Xu Changtian. What's that got to do with me, Xu Yuan?

The only thing worth noting was how quickly news traveled in the Great Yan Dynasty.

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

But, thinking about it, a single province in the Great Yan Dynasty could stretch ten thousand li across. If news couldn't travel quickly, the dynasty would have split apart long ago.

As these thoughts turned over in Xu Yuan's mind, someone suddenly clapped him on the shoulder without his noticing.

A drunken voice came from behind him.

"Third Young Master, still standing here?"

It was Zhou Chen.

As Xu Yuan's bodyguard and teacher, Zhou Chen had naturally followed him to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to eat and drink at his expense.

When it came to places of refined pleasure like this, the man was even more at home than Xu Yuan's original self. As soon as they reached the top floor, he casually put an arm around two maids and led them into a room.

Xu Yuan calmly glanced sideways at the scruffy, bearded expert and chuckled.

"Yeah, all done? That was quick."

"." Zhou Chen.

A hint of embarrassment crossed Zhou Chen's tipsy face. He cleared his throat.

"No. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not interested in women; it's just a requirement of my cultivation technique. Being quick is only natural."

After a pause, he lifted the gourd in his hand and took a swig. Then he glanced at Xu Yuan as if nothing had happened.

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

"Heh~"

Xu Yuan met his gaze with a calm smile.

"Can't you tell what condition my body's in, Mr. Zhou?"

"After cultivating, I realized my body had been badly depleted by its former excesses. If I keep going like this, well... In short, I'll pass for now. All right, if I run into any problems with my cultivation, I'll come to you, Mr. Zhou. Feel free to enjoy yourself."

After speaking, Xu Yuan glanced at the curvaceous young women waiting nearby, silently repeated a few times, Wine and women, spare my body, and turned to leave.

Watching the Third Young Master walk away, Zhou Chen leaned against the railing with his wine gourd in hand and shook his head. He picked out two more maids, one under each arm, and headed back to his room, sighing as he went.

"Tsk, I thought the Third Young Master was a kindred spirit..."

Before he had even finished, Xu Yuan's amused voice drifted back from farther down the hall.

"Mr. Zhou, I have no desire to be your kindred spirit."

Zhou Chen froze, then grinned at Xu Yuan's retreating back.

"Heh, so he really is a kindred spirit after all."