SWDnovel Chapter 62 [91] [Flower Pavilion]
Chapter 62 [91] [Flower Pavilion]
He continued walking, and as he ventured deeper into the market, the light dimmed and the atmosphere became more ambiguous.
Red gauze lanterns were hung on the pavilions on both sides, and the carved wooden windows were half-open, from which the faint sounds of string and bamboo instruments and soft laughter could be heard.
As they were walking, they suddenly heard a delicate, slightly weak voice drifting down from the second floor of the pavilion next door, through the carved wooden window: "Master... Master, please wait..."
Xu Changqing paused and looked up.
There stood a woman by the window, her hair half-undone, her silk robe slightly open, revealing a small patch of her snow-white shoulders and neck.
She placed her hand on her chest, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her eyes, filled with a mixture of sorrow and allure, gazed pitifully at Xu Changqing downstairs.
"Master, lately I've been experiencing a constant tightness and pain in my chest, and I'm restless and have many nightmares at night. I'm afraid... I'm afraid I've been tainted by something unclean." Her voice was soft and trembling. "Master, you have an extraordinary bearing; you must be a highly virtuous monk. Could you... come up and examine me? Exorcise the evil spirits?"
Xu Changqing's gaze sharpened slightly as he glanced at the number plate hanging at the entrance of the pavilion: [91].
Then I looked up at the plaque above the door, three elegant characters with a charming and graceful style: 【百花阁】.
When the woman saw Xu Changqing looking her over, she assumed he was interested. The worry on her face vanished, replaced by a charming smile. She leaned forward a little more, her silk robe slipping down even further, and her voice became even sweeter and more alluring.
"Master, come quickly... I'm all alone and I'm terrified. The girls of our Hundred Flowers Pavilion are the most understanding and skilled in so many things. They can play all kinds of instruments and sing, and they will surely make you feel comfortable and relieve your worries."
As she spoke, she extended her slender finger and gently beckoned to Xu Changqing. The rosy hue at the corner of her eyes looked particularly alluring in the dim lantern light.
Several cultivators and demons by the roadside had stopped and were casting ambiguous, playful glances at them.
Xu Changqing's heart skipped a beat, and the noodles warmed up slightly. Fortunately, the monk's face was already oily, so it wasn't very noticeable. He cursed himself inwardly; he still had important business to attend to, how could he let himself be distracted by this gentle temptation?
He composed himself, his face regaining its honest yet slightly shrewd smile. He held one hand in front of his chest and bowed slightly to the woman upstairs.
"Amitabha Buddha, female benefactor, the physical body is illusory; evil spirits reside in the mind, not the body. Calm your mind and recite the Buddha's name, and the evil spirits will vanish. Next time, we'll talk again when the time is right."
Before the words were even finished, the phantom of the blood lotus beneath his feet flickered slightly, and his figure glided into the crowd like a fish, disappearing into the depths of the market, where lights were dim and birds were singing, after a few turns.
The woman upstairs paused for a moment, then spat, slammed the window shut, and muttered, "A cowardly monk, what a waste of that good physique."
"Alas, it's all my damned charm's fault. Even in the form of a joyful monk, I still have nowhere to place it. What a sin..."
Xu Changqing breathed a sigh of relief as he freed himself from the entanglement, wrapped his monk's robe tighter, and continued walking forward.
After walking a few steps, a frenzied roar burst forth from a magnificent golden pavilion in front of them.
"Small! Small! Small! It has to be small! I've bet everything I have, open it now, open it now!"
A frenzied voice came from a magnificent golden pavilion.
Xu Changqing looked up.
Above the pavilion's entrance, a black plaque with gold lettering stood out conspicuously in the dim light, bearing three extravagant characters: "Golden Palace."
The light inside was much dimmer than outside, yet it exuded a luxurious yet restless dimness. Directly opposite the door, around a large ebony wooden table, were seven or eight figures—men and women, demons and humans—all with wide, staring intently at the whirling, buzzing dark blue dice cup on the table.
The buzzing of the dice cup seemed to possess a captivating power, causing the onlookers to unconsciously breathe heavily.
The one who roared was a demon cultivator with a rat's head and a human body, with a long, thin, coin-shaped tail. He was currently lying on the edge of the table, his claws digging into the wood. Opposite him was a leopard demon with a cold and sinister gaze.
The rat demon's eyes were bloodshot, and its demonic energy was chaotic; it was clear that it had gone all in.
Xu Changqing only glanced at it, but his heart skipped a beat. This was no ordinary gambling den; it was clearly a demonic abyss that consumed souls and devoured blood and marrow.
He silently withdrew his gaze, but continued forward without stopping.
"Master, after looking at it for so long, are your hands itching to join in?"
A hoarse, laughing voice suddenly came from the shadows by the door.
Xu Changqing glanced to the side and saw a wolf-like demon leaning against the door frame. It had a pointed mouth and cheeks, and its small eyes were darting around, looking him up and down with a shrewd calculation in them.
"Our gambling games at the [Money Palace] are no simple matter." The wolf demon leaned closer, lowering his voice, his tone full of temptation. "These are specially arranged by a Grand Array Master. Beneath each table is a [Spirit-Stealing Array]. Those who sit at the table can wager their own fortune, essence of flesh and blood, and even a portion of their cultivation. Finally, through the power of this array, the loser's wager can be transferred to the winner without any side effects… Master, look at that Rat Taoist…"
He gestured with his chin towards the frenzied rat demon beside the gambling table, "When I came a few days ago, I was only at the early stage of Qi Refining, looking listless. But these past few days, my luck has been on fire; I've won seven or eight rounds in a row. Look at this, his demonic energy is surging! He's about to break through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, quite imposing indeed. What do you think, Master? Your demeanor clearly indicates you have great fortune. Why don't you come in and try your luck? A small bet for a big win, a meteoric rise to power!"
The wolf demon's words were like the venomous tongue of a snake, seeping into my ears bit by bit.
Xu Changqing remained calm, even finding it somewhat amusing. This kind of evil formation sounded wonderful, but in reality, it was extremely dangerous. The claim of "no side effects" was probably just a deceptive gimmick.
His honest smile remained unchanged. He raised one palm and shook his head: "Amitabha, greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt are the five poisons burning fiercely. This humble monk's cultivation is insufficient, and I dare not venture into this dangerous place. I appreciate your kindness, benefactor."
Having said that, he gave the wolf demon no more chances to entangle him. With a flick of his monk's robe, his steps, though seemingly slow, glided several feet away in the blink of an eye, leaving behind the magnificent yet eerily ghostly plaque of the "Golden Money Palace".
Just a few steps past the Money Palace, the alley ahead narrowed slightly, and the light became a bit dimmer.
A sweet, cloying aroma, carrying a strange, numbing sensation, drifted over faintly.
Along both sides of the alley, several low shops with heavy curtains appeared. The curtains were mostly made of dark-colored silk or animal hide, and were completely airtight.
Occasionally, a figure would lift the curtain to enter or leave, their movements slow and elusive, their faces carrying a dazed and confused expression, their eyes vacant, yet a satisfied and illusory smile lingering on their lips.
A gaunt, sunken-eyed monk was being half-supported, half-dragged out of a shop by his companion.
He was still clutching a small jade box, about the size of a palm, its lid half-open, revealing a creamy, dark golden substance inside.
The sweet, cloying fragrance emanated from it. The cultivator took a deep breath of that fragrance, his face showing an almost intoxicated expression. Then he coughed violently, coughing so hard that he bent over, his body trembling like a withered leaf in the wind, yet he still couldn't bear to put down the jade box.
"Forget-Dust Ointment..." The term flashed through Xu Changqing's mind.
In the original owner's memories, this was a kind of elixir that could make people temporarily forget their troubles and experience bliss. In reality, it was the most corrosive to the soul, wear down the will, and become addictive with prolonged use, eventually leading to the dissipation of the soul and the annihilation of the Dao. It was a hundred times more vicious than the Five Stone Powder in the mortal world.
He kept his eyes straight ahead, quickened his pace, and wanted to get through this area filled with an atmosphere of decadence as quickly as possible.
"Master, please slow down."
An old, hoarse voice came from behind.