Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss

Pour two cups of fine immortal wine and bring out a plate of peanuts with green skins.

Without much small talk, Xiao Die took a flute from her sleeve.

Wine Fox Immortal had said that Xiao Die was talented in every way, especially skilled in music, and a master of the qin.

However, Wine Fox Immortal liked the sound of the flute, so whenever she came by, Xiao Die would play a tune for her.

Xiao Die lifted the hem of her pale-purple gauze skirt and sat down gracefully.

Half a zhang away from the two of them, she parted her red lips, and the flute music began.

It started on a high, clear note, like a flying fox on a snowy mountain. In a blink, the melody turned as tender as water, then grew mournful and plaintive.

Lu Ya's expression shifted slightly.

He could tell that Xiao Die's flute-playing had become completely natural, free of any artificial polish. The tune seemed calm, unfolding unhurriedly, yet it touched your heartstrings without you noticing.

No wonder this woman had become the top courtesan at the Plain Shop!

It was just that the piece was far too refined, its artistry far too elevated. That faint sadness made people listening to it... want to cry.

Lu Ya even thought of his parents from his previous life.

Only then did he realize that he was an orphan and had no parents.

That was the saddest part.

Even Wine Fox Immortal, who was always broad-minded and free of worries, had a pair of fox eyes that gradually grew somber.

She seemed to have recalled some tragic past she had never told anyone about.

Who would have thought that she suddenly burst into tears.

"Waaah! If I were a man, would I be like this now? Would I be so poor that I had to buddy up just to listen to a tune?"

Lu Ya shook his head, not wanting to say anything.

He thought that if the woman had eaten even one peanut, she wouldn't have gotten this drunk.

The flute music gradually faded.

The tune came to an end.

Lu Ya felt even more tired.

The piece was too refined, its artistic level too high. And Lu Ya happened to have maxed-out musical proficiency, so he could understand all the flavors of life contained in it—which only made him feel worse.

There were still eight or nine minutes left, and Lu Ya didn't want to listen to this stuff again. In fact, he didn't want to hear any of the Immortal Realm's overly ethereal music anymore.

He needed something spicy!

So he said to Xiao Die:

"I have a lively tune here called 'Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.' I wonder if Miss Xiao Die could play it for me?"

"Oh? Young Master can compose music?"

"I know a little."

Lu Ya hadn't understood music in his previous life. It was only thanks to his maxed-out musical proficiency in the game that he had become skilled at composing.

He couldn't remember the lyrics or sheet music for "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss," but he did remember the melody clearly.

He took out a brush, ink, and immortal paper.

Drawing on his memory, along with his maxed-out musical insight and technique, he rewrote the piece as a guzheng composition.

It took him just a minute.

Xiao Die glanced at the score, her delicate, sweet face turning slightly dazed.

"This piece..."

"Get familiar with it first. This piece needs someone to dance along, too. I'm a man, so I definitely can't dance. Who should I ask?"

"Dance?"

Wine Fox Immortal furrowed her thick brows, naturally understanding what Lu Ya meant.

"I came here to enjoy the service, not to serve someone else."

Lu Ya shot back:

"Did you pay?"

Wine Fox Immortal's expression turned flustered, then quickly grew domineering.

"You must be tired of living, asking this old lady to dance for you? I'll chop you up!"

As she spoke, she swayed to her feet and grabbed Lu Ya by the shoulder, shoving him forward.

"You're the one who should dance for this old lady!"

But Lu Ya didn't budge. Instead, he sent her tumbling to the floor.

He turned and looked at her with a refined, amiable expression. His gaze was just like the first time they'd met, on Ning Zhongzi's bed, when Lu Ya had told her: Hello, I'm Lu Ya. The organization has an important mission for you.

"So it was you!"

Realizing Lu Ya was in disguise, Wine Fox Immortal sprang up and pointed at him.

"You, you... you're a married man, and you're visiting a brothel!"

"You can visit one, but I can't?"

Lu Ya thought that most men who visited brothels were probably married, right?

A man who wasn't married wouldn't have any soul!

Of course... Lu Ya was pursuing art.

"If you won't dance, I'm leaving. You can pay for it all by yourself."

Wine Fox Immortal immediately caved.

"I'll dance, I'll dance!"

In his previous life, Lu Ya had watched the "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" dance on Bilibili tens of thousands of times. He'd nearly learned it himself.

The dance wasn't too difficult, and for immortals, it was child's play.

Lu Ya gave her a few pointers, and Wine Fox Immortal picked it up, despite having never danced before.

After one simple practice run, Wine Fox Immortal suddenly stared at Lu Ya suspiciously.

"Why can you sing and dance, too?"

Lu Ya froze. How was that an insult?

You're the one who can sing and dance.

Your whole family can sing and dance.

Everything was ready.

Lu Ya sat back in his bamboo chair, sipping wine and eating peanuts, relaxed and at ease.

Xiao Die took up the guzheng.

Wine Fox Immortal stood between the two of them, looking dejected.

To her, dancing was humiliating enough, let alone bouncing around in an outfit made of strips of cloth. If she weren't weaker than Lu Ya, she would have castrated him today!

Xiao Die's slender fingers plucked the strings.

The battle song began.

Ding ding...

Honestly, Wine Fox Immortal had a curvy, alluring figure with a real two-dimensional feel to it. She danced "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" without the slightest awkwardness.

Especially in that postmodern outfit of strips of cloth, she swayed with every move.

Tsk, tsk...

The tune ended.

Lu Ya broke out in goosebumps all over, his spirits lifted.

"What did you think?"

Xiao Die furrowed her brows slightly.

"This piece of yours..."

Wine Fox Immortal straightened her fallen strips of cloth, furious enough to pretend to kick Lu Ya.

"What kind of weird dance is this..."

Too frivolous!

It had no depth at all!

It was even a little... provocative.

Lu Ya thought that maybe this kind of music was too ahead of its time for the Immortal Realm. He planned to try Jay Chou's "Blue and White Porcelain" next.

"Then I'll switch to another piece."

Xiao Die's expression shifted slightly.

"Wait. Xiao Die thinks she could play it a few more times. Perhaps she'll discover something new."

Wine Fox Immortal's face flushed.

"Mm, I think I haven't been exercising enough lately, either. There's no harm in dancing a little."

The battle song began again!

Ding ding...

The two of them got stuck in a loop, unable to escape, their minds completely taken over by the bewitching melody.

Lu Ya checked the time and figured it was about right, so he cut off the music.

"Some guests are about to arrive. Lord Wine Fox, go take a look."

Wine Fox Immortal spread her divine sense, her brows abruptly furrowing as she realized the situation was serious.

"What about you?"

"You're the city guardian and the captain of the city defense. Everyone needs your protection."

"..."

Her brows drew together. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Wine Fox Immortal had no choice but to leave through the window.

"You bastard! I'll tell your wife when I get back!"

Before leaving, Lu Ya felt it was necessary to have an artistic exchange with Xiao Die.

This woman was no simple person.

Actually, he didn't even need to think about it.

Azure Phoenix City had only just been established, yet it was already attracting so much attention, with so many secrets. All sorts of factions wanted to get involved or investigate something, and they weren't necessarily all bad people.

This woman was highly skilled at playing the flute and qin. She shouldn't have been in a small place like Azure Phoenix City. She must have come with a purpose of her own!

The feeling she gave Lu Ya was that she had spent years moving among all sorts of men, with a thorough understanding of their thoughts. Her figure and looks weren't top-tier, but each and every one of her gestures could precisely tease you at just the right spot.

She had that delicate, pitiable air, as if she might break in a breeze, and there was something a little provocative about her, too.

But perhaps Lu Ya's artistry had raised the bar, because she wasn't provocative around him.

Xiao Die was so absorbed in "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" that she couldn't pull herself away. It took her a long time to come to her senses.

She stared at Lu Ya in disbelief.

"Who exactly are you, Young Master? Even Lord Wine Fox danced for you... I remember that a few days ago, someone tried to harass Lord Wine Fox, and she broke all three of his legs."

All three legs? That was something.

For a moment, Lu Ya didn't know how to respond.

Xiao Die's expression shifted slightly, a trace of melancholy passing through her softly glowing eyes.

"Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss... Does 'pure land' mean a virgin? Young Master wouldn't care for a woman of the demimonde like me, would he?"

Ultimate bliss.

Pure land.

Mm...

Lu Ya felt he could never look at the song "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" the same way again.

Could you speak normally and stop making everything suggestive?

"You're overthinking it. It's just the name of a tune."

But Xiao Die was convinced there was a deeper meaning and pressed him without letting up.

"Or do you mean that the Immortal Realm is too filthy, and only Azure Phoenix City can be called a pure land of ultimate bliss?"

That was an interesting interpretation!

Lu Ya nodded, thinking this woman deserved full marks for reading comprehension.

"Perhaps."

To Lu Ya, the truth was that he wanted to turn Azure Phoenix City into his own pure land of ultimate bliss, where he could enjoy all the pleasures of the Immortal Realm without ever leaving home.

Xiao Die shook her head sadly and walked to the window. Gazing at the shadow that blotted out the sky above Azure Phoenix City, she sighed:

"Don't be too arrogant, Young Master. In the Immortal Realm, people have no choice but to do as they must. If you want to survive, you can only compromise. That goes for people, sects, and immortal cities alike."

When she turned back, Lu Ya had already vanished.

"Wait, Young Master! You haven't paid yet!"