Jiang Huai was familiar with the rules of older pleasure quarters. Brothels were not the same as common inns, and some women weren’t available for mere coin. If they were “pure courtesans,” they only offered their arts, not their bodies. For a woman like a courtesan queen, you needed to catch her eye and have the means to please her before she might grant you an audience. Even then, it wasn’t guaranteed you’d win her favor, and sleeping with a courtesan queen was no easy feat.
“The Lantern Festival Gala is on, and all four Night Lotuses are in Shiz. Do you want to go see them?”
“I don’t,” Jiang Huai refused decisively. He felt Ning Yuzhu was toying with him, so he rejected the offer outright. Instead, Jiang Zhi, standing beside him, became interested. She linked her arm through his, “Let’s go take a look, what’s the harm? It’s still early anyway.”
“Why are you so interested?”
“I want to see how beautiful the women here are,” Jiang Zhi said, then curiously asked, “Senior Disciple Sister, this isn’t Harmonious Joy Tower, is it? Why are these four Night Lotuses still virgins?”
Ning Yuzhu hesitated for a moment. Of course, she couldn’t say that a thousand years ago, her Master had instructed the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower to establish a rule: no matter who she chose as the four Night Lotuses, they were not allowed to be intimate with any man. It was because they were originally intended as decorative toys for someone by her Master. The Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower naturally wouldn’t dare disobey her Master’s command, but she also followed her Master’s wishes, meticulously cultivating the four Night Lotuses. Proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, they became Harmonious Joy Tower’s golden signboard—to be admired from afar, but not to be trifled with.
Instead, the so-called six courtesan queens and twelve divine maidens were the true source of spiritual crystal income for Harmonious Joy Tower.
“Let’s go for a stroll, let’s go!” Jiang Zhi was already clinging to Jiang Huai’s arm, acting spoiled. Since arriving in the Upper Realm, Jiang Zhi had become increasingly childish. She seemed to have realized that spoiled women have the best lives, and Jiang Huai was precisely the type who yielded to gentleness over force. The harder you were with him, the more he wanted to be harder. But once you softened, he became much easier to talk to.
Little Jiang Huai was already completely controlled by Jiang Zhi. In the end, Jiang Huai couldn’t refuse her and nodded, “Let’s go take a look.”
So Ning Yuzhu led the two of them through the long street, arriving before a magnificent palace shrouded in clouds and mist. Even the greeters in front of the palace were exceptionally beautiful. Unfortunately, Jiang Huai had seen too many beautiful fairies, so the beauty of these women could only be considered passable.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Zhi’s curiosity, Ning Yuzhu calmly explained, “Harmonious Joy Tower’s palace has four floors. The first floor only requires a payment of five hundred spiritual crystals for entry. Each time, you can engage in Companion Cultivation with a female cultivator from Harmonious Joy Tower whom you find agreeable. Of course, if your cultivation level is high, or your appearance is outstanding, you might be able to have several women accompany you in one go.”
“The second floor is the residence of the twelve divine maidens. Some divine maidens are in other branches of Harmonious Joy Tower, but they have all returned here recently. The twelve divine maidens can no longer be met with just spiritual crystals; rare treasures are also required. Moreover, even if you meet them, if you fail to move them, you absolutely cannot force them, otherwise, you will be expelled from Harmonious Joy Tower.”
“The third floor is the residence of the six courtesan queens. As far as I know, two of the six courtesan queens are still pure courtesans. They usually only accompany esteemed guests of Harmonious Joy Tower for tea and casual chat.”
“As for the Night Lotuses on the fourth floor, they are special existences within Harmonious Joy Tower. They never need to meet any guests, even if a guest spends a fortune. If they don’t want to, they don’t have to. For Harmonious Joy Tower, they merely provide them with cultivation resources and support their cultivation. In return, they will protect the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower in the future.”
“Ordinary female cultivators in Harmonious Joy Tower start as regular disciples. Every three years, divine maidens are selected. The twelve divine maidens contend for the title of courtesan queen each year, and among the courtesan queens, they compete to become Night Lotuses. Night Lotuses enjoy all of Harmonious Joy Tower’s resources but cannot leave easily. As for the two courtesan queens who remain virgins to this day, it is likely they wish to become Night Lotuses of Harmonious Joy Tower, which is why they have kept themselves pure.”
“Since we’re here, let’s go see those four Night Lotuses,” Ning Yuzhu said calmly. As soon as she reached the palace entrance, a servant came to greet them and led the three into Harmonious Joy Tower. Jiang Huai curiously observed everything inside. The women on the first floor were all top-tier among ordinary female cultivators in terms of figure and appearance. Upon arriving at the second floor, the twelve divine maidens were already standing there in neat rows, having clearly received the news. Their gazes naturally fell upon him.
Perhaps it was the Divine Emperor’s Jade Token on him that was too enticing. At this moment, the twelve divine maidens seemed as if they wanted to devour him on the spot. Many women winked at him, their eyes filled with affection, or feigned coldness, or acted charmingly cute. They were indeed top-tier beauties, but unfortunately, Jiang Huai’s will was firm.
Knowing he wouldn’t be interested in them, Ning Yuzhu led him to the third floor. The six courtesan queens on the third floor were also waiting, all adorned lavishly, each with a different expression on their faces. The beauty of these six women was already rare in a million, but Jiang Huai only cast a cursory glance, not even looking much longer.
Damn it, Jiang Zhi was right beside him. Although he didn’t have any intentions in his heart, what kind of impression would it give to take his Dao Companion to a brothel?
At this moment, on the third floor, a woman in a black dress had been waiting for a long time. The Jade Token on her clearly indicated her identity: the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower. And as the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower, her expression towards Jiang Huai at this moment was also extremely respectful, as if she were afraid of offending him in the slightest. She said softly, “Would you like me to have them remove their clothes for you to take a look?”
“No,” Jiang Huai shook his head, adopting a cool demeanor. The Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower’s expression was slightly awkward, but she merely chuckled, “Then please follow me.”
Jiang Huai arrived at the fourth floor, which had a total of four courtyards. The Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower said softly, “Young Master can knock on their doors one by one. If you like any of them, you can take them away and keep them by your side as a bed warmer.”
Jiang Huai was speechless for a moment. He glanced back at Ning Yuzhu. Ning Yuzhu’s eyes were calm, but Jiang Huai clearly saw a hint of playfulness in her eyes. She was clearly here to see him in a predicament. Jiang Huai shook his head, “No need. I was just a little curious. If it’s convenient, why not have them all come out to meet you?”
If anyone else had said this, it would have been a great disrespect to the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower. The four Night Lotus fairies of Harmonious Joy Tower were beings that others could not even hope to meet or exchange a few words with. Yet, when these words came from his mouth, the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower could not disobey in the slightest. She could only silently transmit a message, asking the four Night Lotus fairies to put on their most gorgeous dresses and come out to meet him.
Jiang Huai was arranged in the courtyard, sitting on a chair, with tea already served. Jiang Zhi leaned against his body beside him, full of anticipation.
As Jiang Huai brought the tea to his lips and took a sip, the sword ring on his wrist trembled slightly. Jiang Huai was slightly startled. The next moment, the sword ring floated into the air, transforming into the Yening Sword. The Yening Sword Spirit emerged from the sword body, its eyes wide open, looking at Jiang Huai before him. “I sense Master’s aura!”
Jiang Huai’s expression became somewhat peculiar. “Huh?”
“Master… is nearby.”
Jiang Huai naturally knew who Yening’s Master was. A long time ago, when he went to the Sword Tomb and took the Yening Sword, the Yening Sword Spirit took a liking to his talent. Believing he would definitely ascend to the Upper Realm in the future, it chose him and made a promise: he was to bring the Yening Sword with him to the Upper Realm and help her find her Master.
Back then, the Yening Sword Spirit’s soul was not as resilient as it is now, so it couldn’t easily travel between the Lower and Upper Realms. It was left in the Lower Realm by its Master. Now, it had been nourishing itself within the Yening Sword for several hundred years before finally being able to come here with Jiang Huai. It had been sleeping day and night all these years, just to recuperate its soul and return to its Master’s side in the future.
The Yening Sword Spirit had helped Jiang Huai a lot over the years and was an incredibly cute little girl. Jiang Huai naturally remembered this debt of gratitude. He had planned to ask Ning Yuzhu to release a message to search for her Master after the Lantern Festival. He never expected that by accidental chance, she would sense her Master’s aura.
“Don’t rush, I’ll help you find her right away. Your Master…”
Before Jiang Huai could finish speaking, the Yening Sword Spirit suddenly rushed away with the Yening Sword, heading towards one of the four women walking nearby. In an instant, it was plastered to her chest. The Sword Spirit tightly embraced her chest, almost weeping with joy, “Master…”
Jiang Huai looked closely.
Zhu Yuning, Yening’s Master, was dressed in a black dress at the moment, with a slender figure and a cold, aloof demeanor. Her eyes were slightly narrow, which would normally give her a charming look, but her expression was too cold and arrogant, melting away any hint of allure. She looked at the Yening Sword Spirit clinging to her chest and was slightly stunned. Her expression changed, and she slowly said, “Xiao Ning?”
“Master,呜呜呜呜… I finally found you, Master, 呜呜…”
The master and servant’s reunion was somewhat sudden, and Jiang Huai hadn’t quite recovered. The Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower came to Jiang Huai’s side and slowly said, “Young Master, do you know this Night Lotus fairy?”
“No, but my sword does. She and I come from the same world, and she was once my sword’s Master,” Jiang Huai replied softly. “How did she become a Night Lotus fairy here?”
“Her…” The Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower was momentarily speechless, then smiled faintly, “Three hundred years ago, the Star Soul Domain planned to burn souls in the Lower Realm and refine a Primordial Pill using thirty million souls to help the fourth young master of the Star Soul Domain break through. She happened to be in the Blazing Soul Realm searching for cultivation materials. Unable to bear witness to the destruction of these thirty million lives, she intervened and killed the envoy from the Star Soul Domain, angering the Star Soul Domain.”
“She had nowhere to go, and the Corrupted Domain at that time was unwilling to protect her. She should have been hunted to death by the Star Soul Domain, but her beauty was exceptional, so I took her in and cultivated her as one of the four Night Lotus fairies of Harmonious Joy Tower.”
“Over the years, Harmonious Joy Tower has spent nearly sixty million top-grade spiritual crystals on nurturing her, in addition to various spiritual crystals and treasures. She also agreed to protect Harmonious Joy Tower in the future.”
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment, then looked at Ning Yuzhu before slowly asking, “Then, if I wanted to take her away, what would I have to pay?”
To Jiang Huai’s surprise, the Innkeeper of Harmonious Joy Tower’s expression became strange. She instantly smiled tenderly, “Young Master is joking. If Young Master likes them, even if you take all four Night Lotus fairies back to your courtyard as bed warmers, it would be their fortune. Why would Young Master need to pay anything?”
