Chapter 463: A Brand New Experience!
Chapter 463: A Brand New Experience!
By the time the carving was finished, it was already evening.
Jiang Chen put down the humanoid stone sculpture and looked across the table. “I count as having passed, right?”
Lu Ping gave a slight nod, then took out a jade pendant. “Although your technique is raw and unpolished, since you completed it, I will keep my word. Contained within is the foundational knowledge of formations.”
Jiang Chen took it. For safety’s sake, he did not immediately probe it with his Divine Sense. Instead, he put it away, planning to study it properly later when he was alone for the night.
Seeing this, Lu Ping didn’t mind. He even offered a promise: “If you can master this foundational knowledge within half a year, you can become my disciple.”
Jiang Chen responded somewhat perfunctorily, “Alright.”
Truth be told, forget half a year—he wouldn’t even be staying in the city for more than a few days before leaving.
As long as he could reach the Novice stage, that was enough; he didn’t care about the rest.
Lu Ping waved his hand. “It is getting late. You may return for now.”Jiang Chen didn’t linger either, rising to leave. “Farewell.”
Seeing this, Lu Ping was taken aback. “In such a hurry?”
…
…
Not long after, Jiang Chen arrived at the new location of the Fragrance Pavilion.
Compared to before, the new Fragrance Pavilion was vastly larger in scale.
It was still three stories tall, but the decor, design, and all other aspects were far more exquisite.
The path leading to the entrance was paved with bluestone. A row of handsome young men stood on the left, while a row of beautiful young women stood on the right.
Each of them was youthful and brimming with vitality.
As soon as Jiang Chen approached, a beautiful woman came forward to greet him. “Welcome, Immortal Master!”
A fragrant scent wafted over as she pressed close, offering a soft temptation.
For an ordinary person—especially a Rogue Cultivator who had been pent up after hunting demon beasts outside for a long time—they likely wouldn’t be able to resist, immediately pulling out their hard-earned Spirit Stones.
Jiang Chen, however, was somewhat “battle-hardened.” He remained unmoved, allowing her to half-push, half-guide him into the brand new Fragrance Pavilion.
The first floor remained much the same as before: the main hall, packed with the most people.
Expenses here were generally settled with Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Now, the floor had been given a pleasant name: ‘Mortal Fragrance.’
A group of charming women sang and danced on a central stage surrounded by water, creating a highly lively atmosphere.
Whenever they were particularly pleased by a performance, the surrounding Rogue Cultivators would occasionally toss Low-grade Spirit Stones directly onto the water stage.
The performers who were struck by the stones didn’t get angry; instead, they flashed flattering, eager smiles.
At this moment, Hong Zhu, who was guarding the staircase, proactively called out to him. “Immortal Master, will you be staying in Mortal Fragrance, heading to Elegant Fragrance, or going straight up to Heart Fragrance?”
Hearing this, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but find it amusing. In the past, they would simply ask which floor; now, they were using euphemisms. He immediately took out a Mid-grade Spirit Stone and tossed it over. “Second floor.”
As soon as Hong Zhu saw the Spirit Stone, her smile turned dazzlingly enthusiastic. “What are you waiting for? Attend to the Immortal Master in Elegant Fragrance!”
Immediately, surrounded by soft, fragrant women, Jiang Chen was ushered up the stairs to the second floor.
Compared to the first floor, it was much quieter here. The space was larger and divided into numerous private booths.
Each booth was separated by blue cloth curtains. Inside sat a square table and two wooden chairs. The table was crafted from poplar wood—better quality than the ones on the first floor—with no scratches on the surface, draped in a black tablecloth.
Several fine porcelain teacups rested on the table, alongside a small teapot.
Before he even sat down, over ten handsome men and beautiful women had already stepped forward, lining up in two rows before him.
Jiang Chen glanced over them but didn’t spot Yue’er or Xiao Taohong; they were all unfamiliar faces. Aside from the madam, Hong Zhu, everyone here seemed to have been replaced.
After looking them over, he finally selected a woman named ‘Hong Chang.’
She was a mortal with a gentle, agreeable appearance.
She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, with milky-white skin.
Her eyebrows and eyes were slender, the outer corners of her eyes drooping slightly in a demure fashion.
A faint blush tinted her cheeks.
Her hair was tied into a low bun with a red string. There were no expensive hairpins, only a small red flower tucked into the side of the bun.
She wore an ankle-length red dress, making her look, at first glance, like a newlywed bride.
Once her guest was seated, Hong Chang immediately leaned forward to pour tea, then asked softly, “Immortal Master, would you like to drink wine now, or wait a bit longer?”
Jiang Chen took a sip of the warm tea and answered with a question. “What’s good to drink nowadays?”
Hong Chang immediately began her introduction. “Currently, our most popular offering is Evergreen Spirit Wine.”
Jiang Chen asked knowingly, “The wine from the Evergreen Wine Shop?”
Hong Chang nodded. “That is correct.”
Jiang Chen chuckled. “Then let’s give it a try.”
Hong Chang hesitated for a moment before speaking delicately. “Because it is produced in limited quantities, the price is a bit…”
Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively. “Price is of no concern.”
Hong Chang no longer hesitated. She decisively stood up and walked out, clearly going to fetch the wine.
Listening to the pleasant music drifting in from outside, Jiang Chen pondered, Four years away, and the changes are quite drastic. I wonder if there are any new amusements?
The old Fragrance Pavilion had simply been about eating, drinking, and then heading to the bedroom when the time came.
At first, it had felt somewhat novel, but as his visits piled up, it had grown increasingly boring.
Not long after, Hong Chang returned with the Spirit Wine from the Evergreen Wine Shop. The portion was tiny—only a meager three liang.
Moreover, compared to the prices at the Evergreen Wine Shop itself, the cost here had been marked up several times over.
Back at his shop, a full jin of high-grade Spirit Wine sold for 15 Low-grade Spirit Stones. Yet here, a single liang cost 15 Low-grade Spirit Stones.
No wonder the Fragrance Pavilion was known as a den of squandered wealth; it certainly lived up to its reputation.
Fortunately, the taste was uncompromised; it hadn’t been watered down or faked.
“Please drink, Immortal Master!”
“It seems many of the faces here have changed?”
“The Immortal Master must not have visited in the past half year, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Our entire group was transferred over from another branch half a year ago.”
The two drank and chatted idly.
As time passed, midnight fast approached.
In the past, this would have been the moment to retire to the bed and enjoy their fun.
But this time, there was a new twist—an additional choice.
One could either head up to the high rooms for carefree pleasure. Or descend into the earth to explore the secluded depths below.
To put it plainly, the brand-new Fragrance Pavilion offered brand-new amusements: one ascending to the heavens, and one descending into the earth.
Hong Chang asked, her eyes blurred with drunkenness, “Which will the Immortal Master choose?”
Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate, stating decisively, “I’ve grown tired of the upper floors. Let’s try something new this time.”
Hearing this, Hong Chang immediately clung to his sturdy arm and led him toward the other side of the room.
Lifting a heavy curtain revealed a downward-sloping tunnel.
It was pitch black inside, permeated by faint earth energy.
Seeing this setup, Jiang Chen instinctively thought of Lu Ping. Could it be that the brand-new amusements of the Fragrance Pavilion had actually been designed by that man?
If that were true, then Lu Ping appeared incredibly serious on the outside, but was actually… quite the degenerate.
At this moment, Hong Chang reassured him softly, “Do not worry, Immortal Master. There is no danger below.”
Jiang Chen naturally wasn’t afraid. He immediately wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and the two jumped down into the hole.
Whoosh—they were swallowed by the darkness.
Although they were sliding rapidly downward, dense cushions of earth energy buffered their fall at regular intervals, ensuring a perfectly safe descent.
A few breaths later—or perhaps longer—Jiang Chen’s Divine Sense swept out, discovering a massive underground space waiting below.
With a soft plop, the two landed on a mushroom-shaped cushion of earth energy.
It was not only highly elastic, but it actively shifted its shape to accommodate them.
The gentle inward compression forced the two of them to press tightly together!