The Beauty and the Wine Jar

"So it's Brother Qi in person." Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao turned his head and saw an ugly face full of smiles.

"It's been so many days since I last saw you, my brother. I've really missed you terribly." Qi Duoluo smiled, his face crinkling with wrinkles, spouting cheesy words as if they were free.

"Hiss." Kang Dabao frowned almost imperceptibly. This guy used to rely on having a weapon refiner father and Foundation Establishment Realm stepmother, and he had the air of a spoiled brat deep down.

But ever since I met him at the Foundation Establishment ceremony in Tie Xishui, he's been so polite to me.

Wait, why are we being so much more polite today? It's really making me uncomfortable.

"I am humbled," Kang Dabao said politely, but Qi Duoluo continued, "If you have time, brother, would you like to have a drink with me?"

"To be honest, Brother Qi, I was entrusted by Senior Tie to pay a visit to Buse Buse's residence." Kang Dabao felt a little uncomfortable with Qi Duoluo's enthusiasm, so he had to use the names of the two Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to appease him.

"Oh my! I didn't expect you to be so favored by the two seniors, Brother Qi!" Unexpectedly, after hearing Sect Leader Kang Da's words of refusal, Qi Duoluo became even more eager to please.

Getting excited, he grabbed Kang Dabao's sleeve and said, "What a coincidence Buse! There's a good restaurant outside Senior Bu Se's residence. Brother, go and pay your respects first, and I'll wait outside."

"Brother, you've gone to great lengths to come all this way. As your host, how could I possibly let you leave without even having a drink with me?"

Since the two families had a relationship, Qi Duoluo had already put it so bluntly, Sect Leader Kang Da could not refuse any longer and had no choice but to go with Qi Duoluo to Buse's official residence.

The novice monk at the door, seeing that it was Kang Dabao who had returned, immediately greeted him with a smile, saying, "Master was very pleased to hear that you had arrived, and is waiting for you inside the hall."

"How could we keep our elders waiting?" Sect Leader Kang Da feigned a hint of fear, greeted Qi Duoluo first, and then followed the novice monk into the main hall.

Inside the hall, Buse still sported his usual fat head, big ears, and smiling Buddha-like appearance. Upon seeing Kang Dabao enter, his smile widened even further, "Young friend, it's been a long time! You're even more impressive than before. When you hold your Foundation Establishment Ceremony in the future, don't forget to call this old fellow."

"Greetings, Senior!" Sect Leader Kang Da, without first offering Buse remark, bowed respectfully.

"You, you, why be so polite?" Buse offered a perfunctory helping hand, and while Kang Dabao was getting up, he secretly scanned the latter's small eyes with his Divine Sense, and immediately understood.

He secretly thought that this fat man had quite a talent for pupil techniques, and he wondered if he had finished using up the bottle of Clear Eyes Treasured Liquid. Even if he had, his progress would still be more than three-tenths faster than Buse Se had predicted.

In this way, even without considering the Daoist Black Shoes's reputation, this kid is still worthy of his Buse.

After the bowing ceremony, Kang Dabao put on a smiling face and said, "Upon hearing of your promotion, senior, I have come to pay my respects."

Upon hearing Kang Dabao mention this matter, Buse's face nearly blossomed into a smile, as if he had truly been tickled.

After he obtained Ying Bi from the Daoist Black Shoes at the Tanggu County mine, he made a name for himself and gained the favor of Kuang Liuting, who appointed him as the Prefectural Registrar.

Recently, he was promoted to Chief Secretary of the State Sima Office, a position second only to the two military commanders, thus completely surpassing Gun Shilu, who had once ridden above him.

He was in the midst of his triumph, and he was pleased whenever anyone brought it up. That made sense; if it weren't for the prospect of advancement and wealth with Kuang Liuting, why would an Original Buddha Sect bother coming to this despicable and impoverished place?

"Ahem, it's all thanks to Lord Bo's trust. As a county magistrate and the son-in-law of Sima Fei, you must always remember to be loyal to the country." After laughing, Buse felt that he had acted inappropriately, so he coughed twice and began to speak in an official tone.

"Thank you for your guidance, Chief Secretary!" Kang Dabao consciously changed his form of address, and after coaxing Buse into being happy for a while, he finally got down to business.

"Oh?" After dismissing everyone around him, Buse took the letter from the Tie Xishui that Kang Dabao presented. His eyes swept over it, and the smile on his face gradually faded. He remained silent for a long time afterward.

"Young friend, do you know the contents of this letter?" After a long pause, Buse finally spoke up and asked.

"This junior does not know."

"Then," Buse hesitated, then thought for a moment, finally waving his hand and saying softly, "Very well, young friend, you've had a long and arduous journey, so I won't keep you any longer. You may come to the Prefectural Sima Office to find me from now on. Sima Fei is very busy, so there's no need to trouble you with small matters."

"Thank you, senior." Although he didn't know why Tie Xishui wanted him to pass a message to Buse, why Buse hesitated to speak, or what deal Buse and Tie Xishui had reached, Kang Dazhangbao knew not to ask a single question he shouldn't ask, and to simply close his eyes and listen.

After answering, not daring to Buse to personally see him off, Kang Dabao followed the young novice monk out of the hall.

Qi Duoluo was waiting outside the door. Out of respect for his stepmother who had Foundation Establishment, the young novice monk guarding the door did not treat him poorly and invited him to sit with him in the guest room by the door for tea.

"Brother is out! Come on, let's go have some wine." Qi Duoluo feigned urgency, then turned to the young novice and said, "Thank you for the spiritual tea, little master. Next time I have time, I'll take you to the Mandarin Duck Hall."

After finishing his sentence, Qi Duoluo ignored the little novice monk who was blushing with shock and looked at Sect Leader Kang Da with anticipation.

"That's exactly what I want." Kang Dabao couldn't refuse, so he could only bow and thank him.

He had paid homage to two Foundation Establishment in a short period of time, both of whom were respectable figures, but neither of them offered him a meal.

At this point, Sect Leader Kang Da had come to a realization. Since Qi Duoluo insisted on treating everyone, he might as well consider it a stroke of good luck. He could have a good meal without spending any Spirit Stone. Even though Qi Duoluo was indeed somewhat annoying, it wasn't unbearable.

As they chatted and laughed, the two entered Wondrous Cloud Pavilion, a place that Kang Dabao had longed for. It was the perfect time to go!

Outside the door were two rows of bright red lanterns, while inside was a room filled with elegant white decorations.

"Manager Qi is here." A seasoned madam greeted him early in a sweet, coquettish voice. Qi Duoluo ignored her at first, helping Kang Dabao shoo away several enthusiastic pimps, then turned and said, "Prepare some good food and find a quiet place; I want to have a good drink with my brother."

Qi Duoluo secretly reached into the madam's bodice again before emphasizing, "Don't call any irrelevant people; we brothers have important matters to discuss."

Kang Dabao followed the pimp into a quiet and elegant courtyard, his disappointment almost palpable.

Although there's Huo Ying's delicious meat at home, it's not like we can't change our tastes since we rarely go out.

Although Wondrous Cloud Pavilion is not a major force like Mandarin Duck Hall, which is spread across several states, it is still a place highly regarded by many enthusiasts. Sect Leader Kang Da has long wanted to come and experience it for himself.

"Damn it, they insist on inviting this Daoist to drink cheap wine." Sect Leader Kang Da muttered under his breath, his mood low.

Qi Duoluo truly had no ulterior motives; he genuinely wanted to discuss business with Kang Dabao today.

Even if we take a step back and assume he's drunk, he probably dared to invite the Fei Household's son-in-law to a brothel.

After taking their seats, Qi Duoluo took out a box of palm nut flower tablets, which Kang Dabao politely refused with a stern face. He then offered incense powder, which was also refused.

Both of these items are excellent spiritual objects that are beneficial to cultivation, but some cultivators who are skilled in strange and ingenious techniques have turned them into addictive pastimes, doing more harm than good. Kang Dabao has never touched them.

Unexpectedly, after these two exchanges, seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da's expression was still off, Qi Duoluo immediately misunderstood. Although he had known Kang Dabao for some years, he really didn't know much about his elder brother's quirks. So he quickly got up, poured wine, and apologized, saying:

"I know you are a man of high moral character, and I should not have entertained you in such a dissolute place. I apologize on your behalf."

"Who the hell is a noble person!" Kang Dabao cursed under his breath, then looked at the dishes on the table and frowned.

With just a few vegetarian dishes, what do we need to talk about before we can finish eating?

Qi Duoluo was a worldly person, and his mind was already quite shrewd. He sensed that something was wrong, so he took out two crystal-clear jade bottles from his Storage Bag.

"These two bottles of Meilu Pill were specially brought by my younger brother on my mother's instructions."

"I am unworthy to accept such a gift from an elder. I will visit Aunt Chu at her residence again soon." Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao sat up straight, accepted the gift readily, and put it into his sleeve. The real show was about to begin.

My mother would like to ask you to pass on two messages to Senior Black Shoes: "Mountain-Viewing Cave and the Jianshui Bridge."

Foundation Establishment Sect Leader Kang Da frowned. What's wrong with these True Cultivator Establishment cultivators? Do they think I'm some kind of pet bird? Why are they all asking me to deliver messages?!

Wait a minute, something doesn't sound right with those six words. Could this Aunt Chu be having an affair with my martial uncle?

So Kang Dabao tentatively asked, "Is that all?"

"That's all," Qi Duoluo nodded hurriedly, refilled Kang Dabao's wine cup, and continued, "However, I have another matter I'd like to trouble you with, brother."

"Brother, please speak freely." Kang Dabao thought to himself, "You're quite the guy, using other people's money to do your own thing."

"Hua Yuanyang is eager to make a fortune together, but Master Huo is oblivious."

"Mandarin Duck Hall?" Kang Dabao muttered to himself.

Hua Yuanyang is the head of the Mandarin Duck Hall in Pingrong County. The Mandarin Duck Hall is not only influential in Pingrong County, but also has a presence in many nearby prefectures and counties. It is said that the person in charge behind the scenes is a master who has been Foundation Establishment for many years.

Therefore, although these are all female cultivators with low cultivation levels who engage in prostitution, they can still earn some Spirit Stone relatively safely.

But Wondrous Cloud Pavilion is backed by a Foundation Establishment, namely the current Huo Bing Binghuo 'Shi Household. For a family of such high standing to openly engage in such prostitution is utterly shameless!

Back then, the Foundation Establishment had reached a tacit understanding that they didn't want to offend Huo Bing, Foundation Establishment didn't have many days left to live and was colluding with the Dingnan Niu Household.

Therefore, although Wondrous Cloud Pavilion was quite profitable, it had always been a business exclusively owned by the Huo Household.

Although there are a few small business owners inside, they are mostly like Qi Duoluo, using the reputation of Foundation Establishment behind them to share some profits. As for whether the Foundation Establishment behind them are actually supporting this place, that's not necessarily true.

Qi Duoluo means that the Foundation Establishment behind the Mandarin Duck Hall is going to target the Huo Household's business?! How many more days does Huo Bing have left to live? Why does everyone seem to want to bully him?

"Hehe, it's said that Hua Yuanyang has climbed to an extraordinary position in Pingrong County. The young master of the Huo Household has failed twice already in his attempt to achieve Foundation Establishment."

Qi Duoluo didn't say much, but he said everything that needed to be said. Kang Dabao suddenly realized that it was because the later generations were disappointing, but what could be done about it?

Hua Yuanyang has climbed to an extraordinary position. Kang Dabao recalled the time at the Fish Mountain Treasure Fair, perhaps it was around that time that he climbed up.

Huo Bing probably hasn't accomplished much in recent years, so he should think about how to leave a legacy for his descendants. Otherwise, given the current situation, after his death, the Huo Household Tanggu will likely be skinned alive and completely wiped out.

"I can't afford to offend Second Master Huo, my dear brother, please don't joke around." That's what he thought, but Sect Leader Kang Da just looked at the wine in his cup with amusement.

"Haha, Brother, you can't afford to offend Second Master Huo, but Second Master Huo is also afraid of you," Qi Duoluo said, raising his cup and laughing.

"For us brothers, with mediocre talent and no hope for the Dao Path, how arduous it is to spend our entire lives cultivating in vain for that distant opportunity of Foundation Establishment!"

Some people sit in a cold cave for sixty or seventy years, yet still struggle to reach the Late Qi Refinement. Only in their twilight years do they suddenly realize that delicacies, beautiful women, rare treasures, and precious artifacts are all within easy reach, and that the world is full of joy. How late they are!

Brother, look at all these people outside! Aren't they all happy?

Why seek the Dao? Why bother seeking it? How many Foundation Establishment True Cultivator die every year in this Shannan Circuit? How many can compare to the longevity and happiness of the Second Master Huo Household? Look, look! Why seek ascension? This is the Immortal Realm!

Qi Duoluo pulled back the embroidered curtain, the sound-silencing array stopped operating, and a burst of cheers reached her ears.

A group of beautiful women, some plump and some slender, laughed and frolicked in the pool, their fair skin mostly exposed, dazzlingly white.

Several young cultivators of varying appearances and ages sat around a small round table by the pond. After drinking and consuming various kinds of elixirs, they grew bored and began throwing different kinds of elixirs into the pond. The beauties immediately scrambled to grab them like fish, making the young cultivators by the pond laugh heartily.

The beauties who swallowed the elixirs then stepped out of the pool and sat in the laps of the cultivators beside it, allowing them to pick and play with them.

"A wine pool and a meat forest, isn't this just a wine pool and a meat forest!" The inexperienced Sect Leader Kang Da could only sigh for a while.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't envious; he wasn't one of those Buddhist practitioners who strictly adhered to the precepts, so he didn't really have much self-control.

"That hateful Qi Duoluo, so ignorant! Why didn't he know how to treat me properly this time!"

After a long while, Qi Duoluo finally lowered the embroidered curtain. The laughter and chatter gradually faded away, leaving only silence in the room once more.

Kang Dabao lingered on the scene from before, and the two remained silent for a moment.

Qi Duoluo put a piece of palm fern flower in his mouth, opened his mouth, and hummed a short tune, releasing a rich and indescribable fragrance. Then he said, "If Qi Refinement cultivator could live like this every day for one hundred and twenty years, that would be enough!"

Kang Dabao remained silent. Qi Refinement cultivator's lifespan is 120 years; how many people can actually live to that age?

At this moment, a fragrance wafted from the bottle of Meilu Pill hidden in his sleeve, mingling with the rich aroma emanating from the palm arils of Qi Duoluo and the scent of wine on the table.

Without realizing it, Sect Leader Kang Da took a few breaths, and at the same time, a slightly dazed Sect Leader Kang Da gradually appeared in his eyes.

At this moment, many images suddenly flashed through his mind: the rogue Rogue Cultivator who died and rotted in the Rongju House in various markets, the soldiers whose bodies were destroyed by the formations in the previous battles, and the familiar customers who were killed by his own attack.

They were essentially no different from the cultivators who lived in this place of debauchery; although they were poorer, they were not without options.

If you can't afford to live in the market, just find a humble fortified village. Even if it can't compare to the Wondrous Cloud Pavilion, it's definitely a better life than being bossed around and looked down upon in the market.

But there are always those who cultivate until their bodies are on the verge of death, riddled with ailments and injuries from distorted energy flow, before seeking a place in an ordinary person's home to establish their lineage and place their hopes for cultivation in the next generation.

But the next generation often just goes and comes back, repeating the stories of the previous generation. What's the point? Generation after generation are just consumables, becoming nothing more than fat to nourish those high-ranking officials!

Wouldn't it be better to enjoy a life of leisure from the very beginning? I've known these principles for a long time!

Besides, I'm different from those people; I have a choice!

Uncle Black Shoes is a powerful backer, Third has no shortage of resources now, and will also be a powerful backer in the future.

Chongming Sect has already gotten back on track. Fei Shuhe can't touch him, and he can live a peaceful life, taking a few concubines and living for another hundred or twenty years.

Before his death, he passed the throne to Jiang Qing, and after his death, the latter placed him in the coffin used to bury the ancestor of the Chongming Sect Emperor, who was the one who restored the Ming Dynasty, and he enjoyed the incense offerings of his descendants and disciples without any qualms.

What's wrong with this? This life may not be spectacular, but compared to the one in my previous life where I was always worried about by my parents, isn't it already far better?

So what if I painstakingly cultivate to the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining? So what if I have Foundation Establishment Pill? Didn't the young master of the Dingnan Niu Household die after taking Foundation Establishment Pill?!

Even reaching the Foundation Establishment is difficult; does he really aspire to become a Dao Ancestor?

The broken gourd and bones can also be given to the Third; he's smarter than me and might figure it out. By then, he can reach the Foundation Establishment in ten years and the Golden Core stage in sixty years. If we're lucky, we might even see him become Nascent Soul Ancestor.

At that time, let alone Cloud Horn Prefecture, who would Sect Leader Kang Da, fear in the entire Shannan Circuit, mortal or immortal realm? Isn't that great?

"Haha, this paradise... We brothers not only want to invite Hua Yuanyang to invest, but we also want to include you, brother. What do you think?"

Seeing the determination in Kang Dabao's eyes gradually fade, a hint of smugness flashed in Qi Duoluo's eyes.

Thinking to herself, "After all, it was a method that Hua Yuanyang obtained from that senior. How could she not succeed in dealing with a mere Qi Refinement surnamed Kang? Senior really went to great lengths to get his Daoist Black Shoes involved!"

Upon hearing Qi Duoluo's seductive words, Sect Leader Kang Da instinctively wanted to reply with "yes," but just as he was about to speak, Little Qi, who had been dozing off, smelled the exotic fragrance from the Meilu Pill bottle and bit down hard on Kang Dabao's finger hidden in his sleeve.

Fortunately, Sect Leader Kang Da was only momentarily caught off guard and did not fall completely into the trap.

The pain in his fingers was Little Qi's warning. Kang Dabao's heart tightened immediately, and he quietly clenched the Qingxin Jade Pendant he wore at his waist in his hand.

After only a few breaths, once his eyes had cleared, Kang Dabao looked at Qi Duoluo again and understood.

"That wretched thing must have used some tricks on your father!"

Having figured this out, Sect Leader Kang Da did not react on the spot. He merely showed that he was already in a state of lucidity, which startled Qi Duoluo. After that, he still pretended to be thoughtful.

"This guy and the people behind him are trying to infringe on the coattails of Uncle Black Shoes. The rapidly expanding wealth of the Hemu Dao group is probably due to the allegiance of people like Qi Duoluo."

After a moment's thought, Sect Leader Kang Da knew that this was absolutely out of the question. Occasionally going to a brothel for drinks was one thing, but getting involved in such sordid matters was a different story.

Putting everything else aside, based on Kang Dabao's understanding of the Daoist Black Shoes, he was probably no different from the "pigs and dogs" of the Hemu Dao Kang Dabao in the latter's eyes.

Whether or not one can enjoy the benefits is another matter; this is a bad deal.

The Qi Duoluo before him, who appeared to be his smiling, polite "Brother Qi," was secretly the "Master Qi" who ordered the destruction of families, forced people to sell their children, and coerced women into prostitution.

I was on a different path from these kinds of people in my past life, and I won't have any close relationships with them in this one. Cultivators aren't gods, but they should at least be human!

"Brother Qi, you're too kind. Chongming Sect can only do some simple business," Kang Dabao said casually.

"What a pity." Qi Duoluo exclaimed in surprise, slightly taken aback. "This guy surnamed Kang actually regained consciousness so quickly!"

A fleeting glint of ferocity crossed Qi Duoluo's face, quickly replaced by a smile. He then calmly sat back down at the table, put down his wine glass, and picked up some food.

Even though she knew that Kang Dabao had seen through her scheme, Qi Duoluo wasn't nervous at all.

At this moment, the fake smile on his face disappeared completely, making his originally sinister appearance seem less repulsive.

Between bites, Qi Duoluo said, "Fellow Daoist Kang has a good martial uncle, and I, Qi, have a good mother. But this martial uncle isn't a real martial uncle, and this mother isn't a real mother either."

At this point, Qi Duoluo put down his chopsticks, seemingly oblivious to Kang Dabao's increasingly unpleasant expression, stood up, and said softly, "Please enjoy your meal, fellow Daoist. I have some urgent matters to discuss."

Qi Duoluo left the room, while Kang Dabao remained silent for a while, looking at the leftover food on the table, feeling somewhat nauseous.

But when Kang Dabao turned around, he found an embroidered curtain separating him from that fairyland. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, and after a long silence, he finally reached out and gently lifted it.

The cheers were delightful and captivating.

"How wonderful!" Kang Dabao couldn't help but sigh again. He seemed to be unable to distinguish whether those unpleasant thoughts were caused by Qi Duoluo's methods or were originally his own thoughts.

He recalled that during his more than thirty years of Daoist practice, most of the time he only had a dimly lit room, a cold plain bed, tattered Daoist books, and a dim, yellow lamp.

But right outside, within easy reach, lies clear water and bright sunshine, poetry, wine, and beautiful women!

"How wonderful!" But unknowingly, his Daoist heart was once again clouded.

Kang Dabao saw a thick-browed monk at the round table lifting a beautiful woman's chin with one hand and feeding her wine mouth-to-mouth. After feeding her, he plunged his hand into the wine vat and took another sip.

The beauties in front drank and left, and then another line of beauties waited in line behind them. The thick-browed monk laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying himself.

When the last, slightly younger beauty came up, she seemed to frown slightly, as if scratched by the stubble of the thick-browed monk.

Upon seeing this, the thick-browed monk flew into a rage, cursed wildly, smashed the wine jar, and punched the beauty in the chest with his backhand.

Kang Dabao heard the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground and the beautiful woman's soft moan almost simultaneously, and the beautiful woman and the wine jar also shattered on the ground almost at the same time.

Kang Dabao saw that the thick-browed cultivator was still furious, that the group of beauties were forcing smiles despite their fear, that the thick-browed cultivator's friend was clapping and cheering, and that Qi Duoluo came out, smiling and trying to smooth things over.

It was quite lively, yet it seemed that no one saw the broken little girl on the ground, as if she were truly just a fish swimming in the pond.

The slight innocence and childlike charm between her brows seemed not to have faded with her passing, and it subtly diluted the heavy makeup on her face, making her appear even more adorable than Kai Xian.

If it weren't for the fact that her cheeks were already covered in blood...

A gentle breeze brought a touch of warmth, carrying away the lingering innocence of the little girl's brows and lifting some of the dust from her Kang Dabao Heart.

As the dust gradually settled, the Dao Heart revealed its clear and pure true nature.

The Sect Leader Kang Da seemed to understand something: how to survive was never up to him, a lowly cultivator.

Everyone wants to be a high-ranking scholar who drinks, but who can guarantee that they are not just a beautiful woman accompanying the drink, or simply a large vat for holding wine?

Thinking of this, a strange sense of resentment arose in his heart. He simply put down the embroidered curtain, and the room fell silent.

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