The innkeeper's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver ingot. He quickly took it, weighed it in his hand, and beamed with gratitude as he thanked her, making sure to gently close the door on his way out.
After two days of traveling, Chu Qingyi lay down on the soft bed, her tense nerves finally relaxing. Weariness washed over her, and within moments, she sank into a deep slumber.
While she slept soundly, Li Xuan paced back and forth outside her room, his expression hesitant. He raised his hand to knock, then lowered it, only to raise it again.
Finally, gritting his teeth, he mustered the courage to knock on the door, but after a long while, there was no response.
Dejected, Li Xuan could only hang his head and return to his own room.
"Hey, boss, what do you think is the relationship between that young man and the fairy-like lady? Something feels a bit odd..." The waiter, stealing a moment of leisure, watched Li Xuan's lonely retreating figure and whispered to the innkeeper at the counter.
"In my opinion, it's definitely not a normal relationship between a man and a woman," the innkeeper replied, suddenly intrigued by the gossip. He set aside his tasks and began chatting with the waiter.
In their idle moments, they often discussed the guests behind their backs to pass the time. Now that such a stunningly beautiful woman had arrived at the inn, she naturally became the center of their attention.
"No way?! But that young man looks like he's only in his teens. How could a woman like that be interested in him?! If that were true, even the old sow at the village entrance could climb a tree!" The waiter's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, his expression one of utter disbelief.
"I've walked more roads than you've eaten grains of salt. There's no type of person I haven't seen. I can't be sure about anything else, but I'm certain that the relationship between that young man and the lady is anything but normal," the innkeeper declared confidently, pausing to wipe his treasured abacus.
"Boss, two liang of beef, please!"
"Coming right up! Just a moment!"
Just as the waiter was about to argue further, a customer arrived, and under the innkeeper's signal, he had no choice but to return to work.
As night fell completely, the bustling scene in Qinglong City quieted down. Business at the inn gradually slowed, and the well-fed and tipsy guests trickled out one by one. Those staying overnight also returned to their rooms.
Half an hour later, the inn closed its doors for the night. The weary innkeeper and his staff stretched lazily and retired to their respective rooms to rest.
By the time Chu Qingyi woke up leisurely, it was already the next morning.
The inn was bustling with activity once again, and the streets and alleys of the city were lively and vibrant, filled with the cries of street vendors.
After a simple breakfast, Chu Qingyi and Li Xuan set out to inquire about the location of the Xuanji Pavilion branch.
Fortunately, the Xuanji Pavilion was practically a household name in Qinglong City. After asking a few people, they followed the directions and soon arrived at the branch's entrance.
"This... this is enormous..." Li Xuan stood dumbfounded, staring in awe at the massive black-and-gray structure before him.
It was less like a residence and more like a mountain villa.
An ancient plaque bearing the four bold characters "Xuanji Branch Pavilion" hung above the main gate. A heavy, ink-black door stood firmly shut, surrounded by tall, gray-white walls that stretched as far as the eye could see. The walls concealed everything inside so thoroughly that not a single glimpse of the interior was visible.
Just standing outside, one could feel an aura of deep antiquity emanating from within.
Yet this vast Xuanji Branch Pavilion had no guards at all.
With no other choice, Chu Qingyi stepped forward, preparing to lightly knock on the door's pull ring.
Creak.
The moment she stepped onto the stairs, the door swung open as if sensing her presence.
"This... how did the door open by itself..." Li Xuan murmured behind her. The novel sights he had witnessed over the past few days had completely reshaped his worldview.
Chu Qingyi paused, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Beneath her veil, her expression was complex. It seemed the master of the Xuanji Branch Pavilion had long been observing her every move in secret.
Eccentric in temperament, indeed...
Now it seemed there was some truth to that.
Ordinary branch pavilion masters, upon meeting Chu Qingyi—the granddaughter of Gu Yishuang—would fear being inadequate hosts, practically wishing to beat drums and line the streets to welcome her. Yet the master of the Qinglong City branch did the opposite, resorting to mystification and still nowhere to be seen.
However, her purpose for coming here was the elixirs. Before obtaining them, she had to meet this branch pavilion master.
The two of them, one after the other, stepped through the gate and were truly stunned by the sight before them.
The Xuanji Branch Pavilion, secluded behind its courtyard walls, could be described as a hidden paradise. Two-story pavilions rose here and there, all crafted from fine agarwood, exquisitely delicate and elegant.
Directly ahead stood a bluish-gray openwork stone bridge, beneath which a winding river flowed, clear enough to see the bottom. Occasionally, a few rare and precious koi fish swam playfully by. Ancient weeping willows were planted along the riverbank, their tender green, slender branches like a maiden's flowing tresses, gracefully draping over the water's surface.
Beyond the bridge lay the residential area. Each pavilion was spaced dozens of meters apart, with carefully cultivated rare flowers planted between them. At this moment, they vied for beauty, none willing to fall behind, swaying gently in the soft breeze like graceful maidens dancing with alluring poise.
The two of them couldn't help but become entranced. A warm, soft sensation rose from beneath their feet. Looking down, they saw an unknown variety of green grass covering the entire ground of the branch pavilion, a blanket of tender green.
Even more wondrous was that this grass felt as soft and delicate as the finest silk, its tender texture perceptible even through their shoes.
"This... this... this is too..." Li Xuan stood dumbfounded, not daring to move. The scene before him had long surpassed his understanding, and his mind, lacking the vocabulary, struggled to find words to describe his astonishment.
Just as the two wondered why they couldn't see a single person, several women in the distance approached them with graceful steps.
These women all wore soft pink dresses, their long black hair coiled into cloud-like buns and secured with jade hairpins. On their foreheads, a fiery red silk tree flower mark added a touch of enchanting allure.
"Young master, please follow this servant over here."
Without another word, the leading woman took Li Xuan's arm and led him toward one of the pavilions. The other women, seeing this, followed closely behind.
Li Xuan, who had always been looked down upon by various women, was utterly captivated by the coquettish address of "Young Master." Glancing at the woman beside him, though her beauty couldn't compare to the breathtaking allure of Chu Qingyi, she still possessed a delicate, charming elegance. The soft, tender touch of her skin against his arm made him lose all sense of reason, leaving him with no desire to resist.
"Wait, wait—what about Mother? Mother!" Li Xuan suddenly remembered Chu Qingyi, who had been left behind, and hurriedly pulled his arm free from the woman's grasp.
"Young Master, don't worry. Fairy Qingyi is an honored guest of our master and will surely be treated well. You need only relax and enjoy the attentions of us sisters." The woman's delicate voice felt like a feather tickling Li Xuan's heart, stirring an irresistible urge within him.
"Good, good, good," he repeated three times, shifting from passive to active as he took the slender, jade-like hands of the two women, one on each side, and began caressing them gently in his palms.
"Young Master, why so impatient?" The woman feigned shyness, casting a seductive glance his way. The two full mounds at her chest were nearly exposed, swaying enticingly with her movements, exuding a uniquely alluring charm.
Faced with such blatant provocation, Li Xuan's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. A wicked fire ignited in his lower abdomen, and the bulge in his trousers stirred restlessly.
With that, the group tugged and pulled each other into a nearby pavilion. The foolish Li Xuan felt as though he had ascended to heaven—how else could so many fairies surround him?
The vast expanse of snowy-white skin dazzled his eyes. Full, rounded peaks encircled him, with tantalizing valleys faintly visible between them. The intoxicating fragrance of feminine allure filled the air, overwhelming his senses and causing the bulge in his trousers to rise prominently.
"Wow!" Another woman, noticing his unusual state, couldn't help but exclaim after a quick glance. She had never seen a man's member of such astonishing size before.
The other women followed her gaze and gasped in unison.
"Young Master... why is this meat rod so enormous?" one of them asked without hesitation, her beautiful eyes wide with astonishment.
This filled Li Xuan with an uncontrollable sense of pride. He thrust his hips forward, allowing them a clearer view.
"I may not excel in other areas, but this meat rod is unrivaled under heaven. Almost every woman has bowed before its might!" Rarely the center of female attention, he boasted smugly.
"Ying, ying, then Young Master must have experienced countless women?" another woman giggled, covering her face with her sleeve.
"Of course! I've wandered through a garden of flowers without a single petal clinging to me!" Li Xuan, intoxicated by the repeated address of "Young Master," wore an expression of boundless pride, like a newborn calf unaware of the vastness of the world.
"Ah..."
Just then, one of the women, taking advantage of his distraction, reached out with her delicate hand and brushed against his member, sending waves of pleasure through him and drawing an involuntary moan.
Stimulated, his meat rod swelled even larger, tenting his trousers with a considerable bulge.
At the sight, the women gasped in amazement, each eager to reach out and touch this marvelous meat rod.
"Don't... don't touch..." Li Xuan feigned reluctance, though inwardly he was overjoyed. For the first time in his life, he was surrounded by so many beautiful women, all vying to caress his member.
He stood like a proud rooster surrounded by several women, hands on his hips and thrusting his buttocks out, allowing them a closer, more intimate view of his bulging crotch.
"It's really huge!" One woman crouched in front of Li Xuan, her beautiful eyes fixed unwaveringly on the prominent bulge in his pants, her expression filled with curiosity.
"Look, look, it's moving!" Another woman exclaimed with a coquettish tone, her cheeks flushed red.
"So hard!" The woman closest to Li Xuan didn't hesitate to reach out, grabbing his erection firmly in her hand and kneading it repeatedly.
Surrounded by these young and beautiful women, Li Xuan felt an immense sense of satisfaction. Though he couldn't understand why these women, who appeared so innocent and naive, behaved even more wantonly than the courtesans at the Cui Xian Pavilion, and why they showed such intense interest in a teenager like him.
To say he had no suspicions would be a lie, but as someone consumed by lust, he believed that dying under the peony blossoms would be a romantic end. Even if these women were demons in disguise, biding their time to reveal their fangs and take his life, he was willing to risk it all.
As he basked in the caresses of the women, he finally understood the meaning behind the poets' words: "The spring night is too short, the sun rises too soon, and from then on, the emperor neglects his morning court." Even the most virtuous ruler would find it hard to resist the allure of such enchanting beauties surrounding him!
"Ah... so good!" Li Xuan leaned his head back, his face flushed, moaning with pleasure.
...
Left alone in her original spot, Chu Qingyi frowned slightly, her interest in the unseen branch master growing even stronger.
It was clear that the group of women had come specifically for the two of them, and without a word, they had whisked Li Xuan away, evidently intending to separate them. Logically, once the irrelevant person was removed, the master should have revealed themselves. Yet, the branch master remained hidden, leaving her puzzled. What scheme were they plotting? And what was the reason for leaving her alone here?
Her mind filled with questions, she continued walking forward.
Unconsciously, the scenery before her gradually opened up. The delicate and elegant small pavilions disappeared, replaced by several oddly shaped rock formations, seemingly placed there intentionally.
She followed the bluestone path winding around the rock formations and, after turning a corner, her view suddenly expanded. A small open-air hot spring came into sight, with steam rising and swirling in the air.
So, these rock formations were meant to conceal the hot spring. It seemed the branch master truly knew how to indulge. Not only had they arranged the branch of the revered Xuanji Pavilion to resemble a private estate, but they had also built an artificial hot spring. She wondered what her grandmother would think if she saw all this.
Chu Qingyi clicked her tongue in amazement. The northern region of the Profound Continent was unlike the southern region, which enjoyed perpetual spring. Instead, it had distinct seasonal changes and generally lower temperatures. In such an environment, natural hot springs were almost nonexistent. To construct an artificial hot spring like this would undoubtedly require a considerable fortune.
Just as her thoughts drifted, a tantalizingly alluring figure emerged faintly from the misty steam.
The figure approached her gracefully. Whether it was due to the high temperature of the place or the irresistible allure of the jade-like body before her, Chu Qingyi felt a wave of heat wash over her. Fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her delicate face flushed a deep red.
As the steam gradually dissipated, a completely naked, intensely alluring female form appeared before her eyes.
The woman's face was exquisitely refined, a devastating beauty capable of toppling cities and ruining kingdoms. Particularly mesmerizing were her naturally enchanting eyes, which sparkled with endless charm and soul-stealing allure—any man who met her gaze would unconsciously fall under her spell, losing his senses and willingly submitting to her charms.
Her jade-like body, as if carved by divine hands, displayed perfect curves and graceful contours. Her fair, delicate skin appeared so tender it might break at the slightest touch, while glistening droplets of water rolled downward like countless tiny spirits dancing across her form.
Her full, firm breasts were shaped with sculpted perfection, the deep cleavage between them inviting exploration. With each subtle movement, the pert, ruby-like peaks swayed gently. Her slender willow waist seemed fragile yet concealed hidden strength, with faintly visible abdominal muscles evenly distributed along her midsection—a perfect blend of feminine delicacy and masculine vigor.
Though slender, her long, shapely legs radiated power and potential energy. The precisely distributed muscle created smooth, enticing lines that enhanced their allure.
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