Zhongdu City was much like the capital of the Human Clan.
The cities under the jurisdiction of the Great Sects were built around it, with it at their center.
It was twice the size of an ordinary city and could accommodate more than a million people.
With the Sect Tournament taking place, it was especially bustling.
Leading the Sword Sect disciples, Gao Ze finally held his head high for the first time in ages as they checked into the city's most luxurious inn.
Zhongdu City was jointly administered by several Great Sects, so their disciples naturally received preferential treatment.
Two people shared each premium room, and Ning Ke naturally pulled Lou Yunxiao over to pair up with him.
After all, he had truly become addicted to hugging his human body pillow.
Back at the sect, whenever he had nothing to do at night, he would sneak into Lou Yunxiao's room to sleep beside him.
At first, Lou Yunxiao refused and snapped at him several times.
But Ning Ke was utterly shameless.
After a while, Lou Yunxiao accepted it.
They were both men, after all. It was no big deal.
Besides... he did not actually dislike it that much.
Ning Xiaoxiao had gone shopping with the female disciples, so Ning Ke took Lou Yunxiao out as well, holding his hand tightly and paying no mind to the stares they drew.
"Junior brother, back on the ship, you said there was somewhere you wanted to go," Lou Yunxiao asked Ning Ke. "Where exactly is it?"
"That place only opens at night." Ning Ke grinned mischievously. "It's not time yet."
"Let's look around first."
Ning Ke dragged Lou Yunxiao along to sample every delicious treat on the street. Usually, he took a single bite and handed the rest to Lou Yunxiao to finish.
Then he went off to find something else delicious.
Fortunately, Lou Yunxiao had a good appetite.
Anyone who ate less would have been stuffed to death.
On the crowded street, Lou Yunxiao brushed past countless people. He could not see the bustling marketplace; all he could feel was the warmth against his palm.
The person who kept holding his hand.
It felt... deeply reassuring.
"Wow, sir, your skill is extraordinary! The person in this painting looks ready to come alive!"
"You flatter me. I merely paint by the roadside to earn enough to scrape by. If my paintings have spirit, it is because the people I paint possess such grace."
"I hope everyone watching will support my work."
At those words, Ning Ke's ears instantly perked up.
"Senior brother, come on! Let's have the old gentleman paint our portrait too!"
"I..." Lou Yunxiao had meant to say that even if they had a portrait painted, he would not be able to see it. In the end, however, what left his lips was, "All right."
"Sir, look at us. Can you paint us both in the same picture?"
The old man looked up at them, his previously calm expression turning to shock.
What handsome young men they were-one cool and otherworldly, the other radiant and captivating.
Though countless cultivators had arrived in Zhongdu City recently, this was the first time the old man had seen young cultivators as striking as these two.
"I can, but I fear I won't be able to fully capture the aura surrounding you both..."
"That's fine," Ning Ke said. "You only need to capture our faces. I just want this painting as a memento of our trip to Zhongdu City."
"Very well. Choose a spot, and I'll paint you."
Ning Ke pulled Lou Yunxiao to the other side of the painting stall. With the bustling street beside them and an old-fashioned restaurant behind them, he sat on the stone steps and tugged Lou Yunxiao down too.
"Junior brother, isn't it a little inappropriate for us both to sit on the ground?"
As Lou Yunxiao understood it, people in portraits ought to choose the most proper, flattering pose. How could they be as casual as Ning Ke?
"Oh, senior brother, you're far too stiff." Ning Ke forcibly tugged Lou Yunxiao down, held his hand, and rested his head on his shoulder. "You're only in your teens, yet you act like you're hundreds of years old. You need to learn to relax. Relax, understand?"
"..." With Ning Ke nestled against him, Lou Yunxiao lowered his head slightly, and his cheek brushed Ning Ke's hair.
It tickled a little.
He reached out, feeling his way as he smoothed the hair Ning Ke had mussed with his movements, and said helplessly, "All right. I understand."
The old painter happened to commit that moment to memory. As he painted, he did his utmost to capture Ning Ke's shameless playfulness and Lou Yunxiao's tender indulgence.
In a corner by a restaurant amid the bustling market, two young men leaned against each other, peaceful and content.
When Ning Ke received the painting, his eyes curved with satisfaction, and he paid the old gentleman double.
Then he had the painting mounted, placed it in a scroll tube, and handed it to Lou Yunxiao.
"Senior brother, you'll be keeping this painting for me from now on. If you lose it, I'm holding you responsible!"
Lou Yunxiao carefully put the painting into his spatial pouch and answered, "Mm."
But he could not notice the trace of pain in Ning Ke's gaze as he looked at him.
After the Sect Tournament, they would enter the Secret Realm.
And that Secret Realm would be where he died.
To protect Lou Yunxiao, he would detonate his own body, leaving behind not even an intact corpse.
That was his second-stage mission.
So leaving this painting behind would at least fulfill his earlier promise that Lou Yunxiao would be able to see his face once his sight returned.
When night fell, Lou Yunxiao finally learned where Ning Ke wanted to take him.
It was none other than Zhongdu City's most famous pleasure district.
As they walked down the street, wafts of powder and floral perfume reached them.
Women's sweet laughter and male courtesans' soft voices surrounded them.
They called out, "Young immortals!" and tossed handkerchiefs toward them, beckoning them inside.
"Junior brother..." Lou Yunxiao had never been anywhere like this. He could not help tightening his grip on Ning Ke's hand. "This is no place for respectable people."
"Indulging in lust will also undermine the stability of your Dao heart and hinder your cultivation."
"So we should... we should hurry back to the inn."
"If people don't feel lust, are they even human?" Ning Ke tugged Lou Yunxiao inside. "Besides, you don't cultivate the path of emotionlessness. Coming here once or twice won't hurt!"
Ning Ke had wanted to experience an ancient brothel for ages.
The books made them sound so vivid and alluring. Since he had been forced to transmigrate here, would it not be a waste of the trip if he did not look around?
Lou Yunxiao was so shocked by his remark, "If people don't feel lust, are they even human?" that he forgot to resist.
His junior brother usually focused on cultivation and even rejected female disciples who confessed to him. Did he really harbor thoughts like these?
"This way, young immortals~" The madam approached and ushered them into a private room.
Many sect disciples had come to Zhongdu City lately, mostly inexperienced young men eager for something new. Not only were they handsome, but they also had plenty of money. The madam and the girls adored young immortals like these and eagerly competed to serve them.
Before Ning Ke even asked for company, a group of beautiful girls filed in.
Some played the zither, others poured wine, and others served food. Before long, the private room was lively with chatter.
Ning Ke drank wine and laughed and chatted with the girls.
Meanwhile, Lou Yunxiao's face was frosty as he silently refused to let anyone near him.
Ning Ke said, "My senior brother is too proper. Please don't mind him."
Then all the girls gathered around him with smiles, telling him amusing stories.
Ning Ke's eyes curved with laughter, and he felt utterly delighted.
After all, this was his first time being so gently attended to by so many lovely older girls. For someone who had been single all his life, such treatment was hard to come by even in his dreams.
For a while, he lost himself in it.
"Here, young immortal, have a grape." The girls adored Ning Ke too.
One picked up a grape and brought it toward Ning Ke's mouth.
Already tipsy, Ning Ke opened his mouth with an "Ah," waiting to be fed.
Just as those slender white fingers were about to touch his crimson lips.
Suddenly, a gust swept in.
Lou Yunxiao pulled Ning Ke into his arms.
For the first time, Lou Yunxiao's voice carried a hint of anger as he demanded:
"Junior brother, how much longer are you going to keep this nonsense up?"
Before you continue