After leaving the Gambling City, Gu Qingfeng and Horse King strolled leisurely outside.
Horse King's admiration for Gu Qingfeng grew stronger by the day. Especially the way Gu Qingfeng had acted before Bai Susu—not only calling himself 'Great Old Master' and referring to himself with the honorific 'ye,' but also daring to flirt with her. He had been as bold, offensive, and impolite as one could possibly be. Yet, after such brazen disrespect, Gu Qingfeng had emerged completely unscathed and in one piece.
Horse King couldn't help but be impressed.
"Old Horse, are you familiar with this Fengyue Small World?"
"Well... not really."
"But didn't you say you come here every few days?"
"Great Old Master, I never said anything like that! Staying in the Fengyue Small World costs Immortal Stones for each day. Coming every few days? I couldn't afford that. At most, I come three or four times a year."
"Even if it's only three or four times a year, you should still be familiar with it."
"The Fengyue Small World is huge. I usually just go to the Gambling City to play a few rounds or buy some resources I need. I don't go to many other places."
"Have you ever drunk Flower Wine?"
"That... I've had a few times."
"Since you have, then why are you just standing there? Let's go, take a look together."
"Great Old Master, there are plenty of places in the Fengyue Small World to drink Flower Wine. Which one do you want to go to?"
"What a stupid question. We're rich men now, of course we're going to drink the most expensive Flower Wine."
"The most expensive Flower Wine?"
Horse King looked up at an island floating in mid-air, upon which stood a massive, opulent palace as grand as a mountain. "If we're talking about the most expensive Flower Wine in the Fengyue Small World, it would probably be the Evernight Palace."
"Oh? Have you been there? What's it like inside?"
"Great Old Master, you flatter me too much. Someone like me could never afford to go to the Evernight Palace. That place is fierce. I've heard the cheapest pot of wine there costs at least seventy or eighty thousand, and the expensive ones can run into the hundreds of thousands. Having a single drinking session there, you can't leave without spending at least a million or so. And if you call a few serving maidens to keep you company, you'll probably spend even more."
"Oh? There are serving maidens too? Do they offer 'spicy' services?"
"Of course they're 'spicy'! And I mean *very* spicy."
Speaking of the Evernight Palace, Horse King seemed utterly captivated. "Although I've never been, I've heard plenty about it. They say the music played in the Evernight Palace is all 'spicy'—a single tune can make your soul leave your body, floating in ecstasy. And..." Horse King grew more excited as he spoke, a gleam shining in his bovine eyes. "I've heard the serving maidens at the Evernight Palace are all first-class Immortal Maidens. Moreover, they've cultivated a seductive technique since childhood, and even their Immortal Spirits are seductive ones. They are as bewitching and alluring as can be. I've also heard that the Immortal Maidens of the Evernight Palace are exceptionally skilled in the arts of pleasure. Being with them is an absolutely divine, ecstatic experience. That's why everyone calls the Evernight Palace the 'Palace of Immortals.' Having fun there is truly like being a carefree Immortal."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "Seems like you've been longing for that place for a long time."
"Hehe."
Horse King laughed awkwardly. "What man doesn't long for a place like that?"
"Then let's go. Let's have some fun together."
"Go now?"
"Why not? Wait until the year of the monkey?"
"The Evernight Palace isn't open yet."
"Then when does it open?"
"It should be soon. I'm not exactly sure when it opens, but when the Evernight Palace opens, that floating island palace will radiate a deep crimson light. In other words, as long as the Evernight Palace is glowing, it means it's open for business."
Just then, Horse King seemed to remember something and said excitedly, "Oh right, I just recalled! Isn't the Fengyue Small World about to host a grand assembly soon? Many places within the Small World will be bustling. For example, there's the auction assembly, the Gambling City has its gambling assembly, and the Evernight Palace is no exception—it will also hold an assembly. I heard that the top courtesan Luo Wanwan will make an appearance then."
"Since she's the top courtesan, she must have some looks."
"Some looks? She's more than just 'some'! I heard Luo Wanwan is a demon Immortal, a fox spirit at that, with innate charm in her very bones. A single smile or glance from her can steal your soul. How should I put it... she's simply... simply... simply..." Horse King repeated 'simply' several times but couldn't find the right words to describe the Evernight Palace's top courtesan, Luo Wanwan. "She's simply a peerless beauty, a rare treasure in this world."
"Is it that exaggerated?"
"Great Old Master, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. I was once fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Luo Wanwan. She was truly enchanting and devastatingly beautiful. Even now, just thinking about it makes my heart tremble. If I could share a single drink with Luo Wanwan, my life would be complete. I wouldn't have lived in vain."
"Look at your pathetic ambition!"
Gu Qingfeng shot him a disdainful look. "Just a little girl, and sharing a drink with her means your life wasn't wasted?"
"Well... please don't laugh, Great Old Master, but that's just the extent of my ambitions."
"Fine. So it's just sharing a drink with that top courtesan Luo Wanwan? When the Evernight Palace opens, this Great Old Master will have her keep you company for the whole night. How about that?"
"Great Old Master, Luo Wanwan isn't like those serving maidens."
"We're rich now. Are you afraid she won't accompany us?"
"Great Old Master, forgive me for saying something you might not like to hear, but Luo Wanwan truly isn't someone you can hire just with money. The people who go to the Evernight Palace aren't short on cash; their statuses are sky-high. It's not like no one has tried throwing money at her, but it's useless. No matter how much you offer, Luo Wanwan won't even glance your way. Once, there was a wealthy Old Master who directly offered tens of millions just to have Luo Wanwan accompany him for a few drinks, but she didn't even bother to acknowledge him."
"Oh? From what you're saying, she's an untainted white lotus flower emerging from the mud? What, she only plays music and doesn't accompany guests? Can she still be called a top courtesan like that?"
"It's not exactly like that either. It's not that Luo Wanwan doesn't accompany guests. In fact, whenever she makes an appearance, she almost always does. But unlike other minor courtesans—who will accompany you as long as your bid is high—Luo Wanwan doesn't want money."
"Then what does she want?"
"That... is harder to say. It's not that she wants something specific; Luo Wanwan doesn't want anything. She doesn't have fixed rules either. Sometimes, Luo Wanwan will play a tune, and if you can articulate the artistic conception within the music, she will accompany you. Sometimes she'll recite a poem, pose a riddle, play a game of chess, or draw a talisman seal... How should I put it? Every time Luo Wanwan appears, she sets a theme. Whoever comes out on top in that theme will earn her company."
"Oh? From what you're saying, it seems that to have Luo Wanwan accompany you, it's not about wealth but about celestial performance."
"Yes! Exactly, it's about celestial performance!"
"I thought it was something else. So it's just a competition of celestial performance. If it were about looks, I might not be able to compete. But if it's about celestial performance, if I dare call myself second in this world, no one would dare claim first."