Originally, a storyteller had opened his session, and the introductory remarks he overheard made Shi Chun silently reflect; could such things truly be said openly in front of an audience? This showed some of the current state of affairs in the Cultivation World. He glanced at the sign of the hall, which read "Leisure Listening Hall."

As he was engrossed in listening, he also heard the gulp of swallowing nearby.

Wu Jinliang's voice then followed, "They sure are all very fair-skinned."

These words immediately made Shi Chun turn around. Following Wu Jinliang's gaze, he saw three fair-skinned women of average appearance, passing by with laughter and a waft of fragrance, one group after another.

The two men had stopped near a bridge that connected the waterfront, making it a spot frequented by passersby.

Despite their ragged appearance, they didn't attract much attention, as most only gave them a second glance. In the Cultivation World, all sorts of strange things occur; it seemed to others that these two men bore injuries, perhaps from some incident.

"Chun Tian, let's go find a place," Wu Jinliang suggested with a wink and a nod.

Instinctively understanding each other, Shi Chun didn't need to be told where Wu Jinliang wanted to go; he frowned and said, "You have so little money on you, why bother with such folly?"

Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Over the years, I've found out, being reborn in this world, spending a bit of money is nothing."

Without waiting for Shi Chun's approval, he turned and asked someone for directions.

Because he knew Shi Chun had no interest in this matter, initially thinking it was because of Miss Miao, but it turned out that was not the case at all; it was purely a lack of interest.

After a short while of getting the directions, Wu Jinliang called back to Shi Chun, motioning for him to come quickly.

Although Shi Chun had no plans for what to do, he was curious about what the legendary place of pleasure was like. He decided to follow along and broaden his horizons through observation.

Still, he reminded, "Shouldn't we buy some clothes first?"

There was no one else around, no need to discuss buying books or anything of the kind.

Wu Jinliang, smiling brightly, said, "No need, such trivialities can always find someone else to handle with a little money."

"Heh, you certainly do think far ahead," Shi Chun was impressed, as even while in the Land of Exile, Wu Jinliang had managed to find out all this information.

Without further small talk, the two looked here and there, continuing their search for the place of pleasure.

Compared to the excitement when they had just left the Land of Exile, their mood was now calm and collected.

Soon, the two arrived at the famous Cloud Building in Zhaotian City, a towering building embedded into the cliff, with many elaborately dressed women standing at the balconies. Wu Jinliang's eyes sparkled with joy, nearly wishing he could chew off his sharp blade out of excitement.

However, something seemed off outside the building, as a crowd had gathered at the entrance, clearly watching some spectacle.

Having just left Life Prison, they couldn't miss out on any excitement.

The two easily squeezed through the crowd since they were dirty and others were reluctant to touch them. Hearing "excuse me," people turned their heads and instinctively moved aside.

Arriving in front of the steps of Cloud Building, they saw a man crying bitterly on the ground, facing the crowd, with a box next to him.

"Fifty thousand gold, just lending fifty thousand gold, I will surely repay it, I will repay it doubly..."

The man sobbing for help was repeatedly bowing his head, which was already bleeding from the impact.

Shi Chun and his companion were naturally curious. Could there still be people who were willing to go to such lengths for the Cloud Building, given that 50,000 gold seemed excessively expensive? They immediately asked bystanders what was going on.

Upon quietly hearing the story, they learned that the sobbing man was called Weikang Bian, son of the Wu Kang Mountain Sect Master. He had never engaged in decent pursuits, instead mingling with a group of questionable friends and indulging in reckless activities, incurring a hefty debt in the process.

Wu Kang Mountain was a prominent sect known for crafting talismans, especially the immobilization charms favored in combat, which made them rather wealthy.

His father, Jixiong Bian, had paid off the substantial debt for him, but was unforgivably furious. He not only disciplined his son with the sect's family law but, in a fit of anger, had also expelled him from Wu Kang Mountain, issuing an order as Sect Master that no one within the sect was to provide him any support. Furthermore, he publicly announced the severance of their father-son relationship.

Without money or power, Weikang Bian soon lost all his fair-weather friends, as those around him quickly scattered like monkeys.

Forsaken, Weikang Bian later drifted to this place, where he fell in love with Xiang Laner, the Oiran of Cloud Building. Unfortunately, her contract of servitude was held by Cloud Building. To complicate matters, Lv Taizhen, a man whose status in Zhaotian City was second only to the City Lord, had taken a liking to Xiang Laner and offered 500,000 gold to purchase her. Cloud Building planned to deliver her to him tonight.

Xiang Laner refused, and Weikang Bian could not accept it either. The star-crossed lovers pleaded repeatedly, and the elderly madam of Cloud Building finally softened, agreeing to let them be together—but not at a loss. If Weikang Bian could provide 500,000 gold before Lv Taizhen did, she would grant their wish.

But how could the destitute Weikang Bian muster 500,000 gold? In the end, Xiang Laner gathered all her savings accumulated over the years and even borrowed from every sister she could, assembling 450,000 gold to give to Weikang Bian and asking him to find another way for the remainder.

Thus, Weikang Bian went around begging for money, but such a sum was no small amount. Even monks with relatively good incomes only made around 3,000 sandalwood gold a year—so what could 50,000 gold imply? Besides, given Weikang's history with debts, no one was willing to lend him money anymore.

More critically, in Zhaotian City, who would dare to help Weikang Bian compete with Lv Taizhen for a woman?

Wu Jinliang listened with a tinge of sadness and muttered as he looked toward the entrance of Cloud Building, "What's the deal with this crowd blocking the doorway? Are they going to let anyone do business?"

Shi Chun, however, reacted differently. Ever since he heard of Weikang Bian's identity, his gaze hadn't stopped flickering.

At this moment, he felt deep sympathy for Weikang Bian and very much wanted to befriend him, although it seemed a bit costly at present.

However, he saw this as a positive thing. What's the use of friendships without substance? Wasn't this the perfect time to offer help during a crisis?

Nevertheless, 50,000 gold was simply too much, which would drain both his and Wu Jinliang's resources entirely; even selling Wu Jinliang would not cover such an amount.

Still, he didn't think it would be too difficult to raise 50,000 gold in this place which was easier to accumulate "merits" compared to the Land of Exile; where there's lots of money, it's easy to find money.

The challenging part would be to secure the funds before that Lv Taizhen…

In the Cloud Building, inside a refined and elegant room atop the building, the elderly madam Feng Chi entered with a whip resembling a riding crop.

A dazzling woman sat in front of the dressing table, her poise and figure exuding an alluring charm, clearly skilled in dance. Her slender fingers were like jade, her skin fairer than snow, her face delicate as a lotus, and her eyes twinkling like stars; a beauty fit to overshadow the moon and blush the flowers—yet, she bore a frosty demeanor when unobserved.

This woman was Xiang Laner, proclaimed as the leading lady of Cloud Building, renowned for her art rather than selling her body.

The elderly madam Feng Chi, holding the whip, felt uneasy, "Holy Daughter, this is too humiliating for you. Perhaps we should think of another way."

Xiang Laner glanced at the whip in her hand, "It's just a few lashes, nothing I can't endure."

Feng Chi flipped the whip in her hand, usually used to discipline unruly subordinates. She sighed, unsure of using it on someone of such stature, "Suffering a few lashes is trivial, but why should someone of your caliber stoop to serve a man like Weikang Bian?"

Xiang Laner was indifferent, brushing her hair, "Don't worry, he can't force me if I refuse. Now that the Heavenly Court is declining and the Demon Path is resurging, it's an excellent opportunity for our resurgence. Claiming the top spot at the Demon Altar is a critical event agreed upon by the Three Sects, needing a leader. Ultimately, whoever opens the Demon Altar and commands the demons is all about strength and power.

Wu Kang Mountain, being a major sect in crafting talismans, is crucial for our success. My master places great hope on it. If we can successfully infiltrate and control Wu Kang Mountain, what's submitting to him in return? It's better than us remaining forever hidden. I don't believe in any divine doctrine of rooting out demons; good and evil are always defined by the victors!"

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