Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss

Pour two cups of premium immortal brew and serve a plate of green-skinned peanuts.

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

According to Wine Fox Immortal, Xiao Die was proficient in everything, especially music, and was a master of the zither.

However, Wine Fox Immortal preferred the sound of the flute, so every time she visited, Xiao Die would play a piece for her.

Xiao Die lifted the hem of her light purple translucent skirt and sat gracefully on the stool.

Half a zhang away from the two, she parted her red lips, and the sound of the flute suddenly rose.

Starting high and piercing, like a snow mountain fox in flight, the melody instantly turned as lingering as water, becoming mournful and sobbing.

Lu Ya's expression rippled slightly.

He could tell that Xiao Die's flute technique had reached a state of natural perfection, devoid of any artificial craftsmanship. The piece seemed calm and narrative, yet it inadvertently tugged at one's heartstrings.

No wonder this woman could be the headliner of the Plain Shop!

It was just that the artistic level of this piece was too high; that faint sense of sorrow made one... want to cry.

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

He then realized that he was an orphan and had no parents.

That was the saddest part.

Even Wine Fox Immortal, who was usually open-minded and carefree, saw her fox eyes gradually grow deep.

It was as if she had recalled some unknown, tragic past.

Unexpectedly, she suddenly burst into tears.

"Wuwuwu, if I were a man, would I be like this? Would I be so poor that I have to huddle together just to listen to a tune?"

Lu Ya shook his head, not wanting to speak.

He thought to himself that if this person had eaten even a single peanut, she wouldn't be this drunk.

The flute music gradually ceased.

The song ended.

Lu Ya felt even more exhausted.

The piece was too elegant and its artistic level too high, and since Lu Ya happened to have maxed-out musical proficiency, he could understand the myriad flavors of life within it, making it all the more painful.

With eight or nine minutes left, Lu Ya didn't want to listen to this stuff anymore—or rather, he didn't want to listen to any of that overly ethereal music from the Immortal Realm.

He needed to hear something lively!

He said to Xiao Die:

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

"Oh? Does the young master also know how to compose?"

"I know a thing or two."

Lu Ya didn't understand music in his past life; he only became adept at composing thanks to his maxed-out musical proficiency in the game.

He couldn't remember the lyrics or the score of Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, but he remembered the melody very clearly.

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

Based on his memory, and incorporating his own maxed-out musical insights and techniques, he rearranged it into a zither piece.

He finished it in one minute.

Xiao Die glanced at the score, her delicate, soft face slightly stunned.

"This piece..."

"Familiarize yourself with it first. This piece requires someone to dance along. I'm a man and certainly can't dance, so who should I find?"

"Dance?"

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

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

Lu Ya retorted:

"Did you pay?"

Wine Fox Immortal's expression flickered, but she quickly became aggressive.

"I see you don't want to live anymore, wanting me to dance for you? I'll chop you up!"

As she spoke, she stood up unsteadily and grabbed Lu Ya's shoulder, pushing him forward.

"You should be the one dancing for me!"

As a result, Lu Ya didn't budge an inch; instead, he knocked her to the ground.

He turned his head and looked at her with a refined and easygoing expression, the same look he had when they first met on Ning Zhongzi's bed, when Lu Ya said to her: Hello, I am Lu Ya, and the organization has an important mission to entrust to you.

"So it was you!"

Seeing that it was Lu Ya in disguise, the Wine Fox Immortal jolted upright and pointed at him.

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

"If your woman can visit, why can't I?"

Lu Ya thought to himself, aren't most people who visit brothels married men anyway?

If you aren't a married man, you truly lack soul!

Of course... what Lu Ya pursued was art.

"If you aren't going to dance, then I'm leaving, and you can pay the bill yourself."

The Wine Fox Immortal immediately caved.

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

Lu Ya had watched the dance for the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss tens of thousands of times on Bilibili in his past life; he was almost capable of performing it himself.

The dance wasn't particularly difficult, and for an immortal, it was child's play.

After Lu Ya provided a few casual pointers, the Wine Fox Immortal mastered it, despite having never danced before.

After a simple practice run, the Wine Fox Immortal suddenly stared at Lu Ya with a suspicious look.

"Why do you even know how to sing and dance?"

Lu Ya was stunned. Why are you insulting me?

You're the one who knows how to sing and dance.

Your whole family knows how to sing and dance.

Everything was prepared.

Lu Ya sat back in the bamboo chair, sipping wine and eating peanuts, feeling leisurely and extremely content.

Xiao Die picked up the zither.

The Wine Fox Immortal stood between the two with a sullen expression.

To her, dancing was far too shameful, not to mention jumping around in a pile of rags; if she weren't unable to beat Lu Ya, she would have castrated him today!

Xiao Die's slender fingers plucked the strings.

The battle anthem began.

Deng deng...

Honestly, the Wine Fox Immortal had such a curvy and pretty figure, full of two-dimensional charm; there was no sense of incongruity in her dancing to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Especially in that postmodern rag-style outfit, she swayed with grace.

Tsk tsk...

As the song ended.

Lu Ya felt goosebumps all over his body, his spirit thoroughly invigorated.

"What do you two think?"

Xiao Die frowned slightly.

"Young Master, this tune..."

The Wine Fox Immortal adjusted her scattered rags, making a move to kick Lu Ya in a fit of pique.

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

It was too frivolous!

It lacked substance!

It was even a bit lewd.

Lu Ya thought to himself that this kind of music might be too ahead of its time for the Immortal Realm, so he prepared to try Jay Chou's Blue and White Porcelain.

"Then I'll change the tune."

Xiao Die's expression rippled slightly.

"Wait, Xiao Die feels we could play it again; perhaps there will be new insights."

The Wine Fox Immortal's face flushed.

"Hmm, I do seem to have lacked exercise lately; dancing a bit isn't so bad."

The battle anthem rose again!

Deng deng...

The two were caught in a loop, unable to escape, their minds completely occupied by the hypnotic melody.

Lu Ya checked the time and, seeing it was about right, cut the music short.

"Guests are about to arrive; Wine Fox Immortal, go out and take a look."

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

"And you?"

"You are the City Envoy and the leader of the city guards; everyone needs your protection."

"..."

Frowning as he realized the gravity of the situation, Wine Fox Immortal had no choice but to climb out the window.

"You bastard, I'm going to tell your wife when I get back!"

Before heading out, Lu Ya felt it necessary to exchange a few more artistic pointers with Xiao Die.

This woman was not simple.

In fact, it didn't even require thought.

Azure Phoenix City had just been established, its momentum was too great, and it held too many secrets. Various factions wanted a piece of the action or to investigate something, and they weren't necessarily all villains.

This woman's skill with the flute and zither was formidable; she shouldn't have appeared in a small place like Azure Phoenix City. She must have come with an agenda!

The impression she gave Lu Ya was that of someone who had spent years drifting among various men, possessing a deep understanding of the male psyche. While her figure and appearance weren't top-tier, every move she made could precisely strike that chord within you.

She was the type who appeared pitiful and frail, yet carried a hint of seductiveness.

But perhaps because Lu Ya's art had elevated her standards, she no longer acted seductively in front of him.

Xiao Die remained immersed in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, unable to extricate herself, and it took a long while for her to regain her senses.

She looked at Lu Ya with an expression of disbelief.

"Just who is the Young Master? To think that even Lord Wine Fox would dance for you... This Concubine remembers that a few days ago, someone tried to flirt with Lord Wine Fox, and ended up having all three of his legs broken."

Having all three legs broken—that was quite something.

Lu Ya didn't know how to respond to that.

Xiao Die's expression rippled, a sense of melancholy swirling in her soft, luminous eyes.

"Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss... does 'Pure Land' refer to the purity of a maiden? Does the Young Master look down on a woman of the red-light district like This Concubine?"

Ultimate.

Pure Land.

Hmm...

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

Speak properly, stop making suggestive remarks!

"You're overthinking it; it's just the name of a song."

Xiao Die, however, remained convinced there was a deeper meaning and persisted:

"Or perhaps, is the Young Master implying that the Immortal Realm is too filthy, and only Azure Phoenix City can be considered a Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?"

That was an interesting interpretation!

Lu Ya nodded, feeling that this woman deserved full marks for her reading comprehension.

"Perhaps."

For Lu Ya, he simply wanted to turn Azure Phoenix City into his own Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, where he could enjoy the pleasures of the entire Immortal Realm without ever stepping outside.

Xiao Die shook her head wistfully and walked slowly to the window. Gazing at the shadows that blotted out the sky above Azure Phoenix City, she couldn't help but sigh:

"Young Master, do not be too arrogant. In the Immortal Realm, one is not the master of one's own fate. To survive, one must compromise; this is true for people, sects, and immortal cities alike."

When she turned back, Lu Ya had already vanished from the spot.

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