The Unruly Immortals

There were no inns near the city gate, and after following the spacious street wide enough for sixteen horses to gallop side by side, Li Huowang and his companions finally found an inn after half an hour.

"This godforsaken place has gone mad, charging ten copper coins just because the cow stepped on the street! How can I control when it needs to take a dump?"

Still grumbling about the earlier incident, Zhao Wu was in charge of the money.

"Exactly, cow dung can be used as fuel! Leaving it here is like gifting them, and they still fine us! Bloody hell!" Scholar Lv agreed on the side.

"Enough, when you're in a place, you have to follow its rules. Let's go in, we can sleep on a bed tonight, and take a proper rest," Li Huowang said before stepping into the inn.

No sooner had they entered the inn than Li Huowang felt lucky for having the County Magistrate of Pi County clear the way for them earlier; in this place, even staying in an inn required a road pass.

"Hiss—Taoist Master, they're even charging money for water in this inn, have they gone mad with poverty? This isn't tea in here, it's mountain spring water!"

Top Scholar Lv stated with a shiver, clutching the gourd-shaped teapot in his arms.

Li Huowang, who was scanning a map and getting acquainted with the layout of the Da Liang Kingdom, looked up at him briefly, without comment.

"Heh, I've seen enough to know that Da Liang isn't better than our place—at least back home, water doesn't cost a thing," Top Scholar Lv said carefully, placing the ceramic teapot on the table with a sigh.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his stomach began to grumble; they hadn't eaten all day to reach the city before nightfall.

Hearing the rumbling sound, Li Huowang turned to see Bai Lingmiao fixing the bedding, "Hungry, huh? Come back and sort it out later, let's go eat first."

"Taoist Master, maybe we should just eat our own dry food. In a city where even the water costs money, who knows how expensive the food will be."

Li Huowang placed the map on the table and said, "Even if it's expensive, after such a taxing journey, don't we deserve to enjoy ourselves a bit? Call everyone from Lv's Troupe, we're going to have something nice today."

As soon as they heard they were going for a nice meal, everyone's spirits lifted. A large group bustled out of the inn.

As daylight began to fade, Li Huowang and his group ascended the stairs to reach the top floor of a five-story restaurant.

Standing atop the high rise, they had a full view of Yinling City, and everyone couldn't help but marvel aloud.

They were overwhelmed by the scenery below, hardly able to take it all in.

Li Huowang, who was worldly in his future life experiences, barely noticed these details; the lack of Taoist Temples and temples in the city dampened his enthusiasm somewhat.

"Brother Li, look at that, what is it? It's so beautiful! It seems to be a tall tower made of ceramics!"

A ceramic tower? Li Huowang looked up and was truly astonished by the scene in the distance; Bai Lingmiao had not exaggerated, it indeed was a tower made entirely of ceramics.

The tower top was covered with colorful glazed tiles, the body entirely snow-white, with the distinctive cobalt blue pattern of blue and white porcelain, like several dragons rising from the first level, spiraling up majestically to the very top.

Even the bells at the edge of the tower were gilded, gently swaying with the breeze, emitting a deep toll that resonated from within, exuding magnificence with a touch of solemnity.

"That tower is truly beautiful," Li Huowang couldn't help but say, genuinely admiring something he knew he'd never see even in his future life.

Hearing Li Huowang's praise, a Scholar in green robes who was also admiring the view, "snap" opened his folding fan with a smug expression, saying, "Naturally, that is Yinling's Exquisite Pagoda, the only one in the whole of Da Liang."

After that, he glanced at Gao Zhijian's patched shoes and the plainly inappropriate attire of the others, a hint of disdain quickly surfacing on his face.

Li Huowang pointed toward the distant Exquisite Pagoda and asked the Scholar, "Excuse me, to whom does that place belong? Is there anyone practicing cultivation within the tower?"

The Scholar immediately laughed, "Hahaha, my young friend, your question is really quite interesting, indeed there are people practicing cultivation inside the Exquisite Pagoda."

Li Huowang, who was particularly sensitive to these matters, couldn't help but grow tense, "What? Does this city also have an existence like Zhengde Temple?"

Li Huowang's eyes slightly narrowed, and the Exquisite Pagoda in the distance became increasingly clear in front of him, as some women came into his view.

The plump women, dressed in transparent gauze, slowly twisted their bodies, and their white bodies were all marked with dark blue tattoos.

If they stood still, they resembled exquisitely crafted porcelain adorned with blue and white patterns.

Just then, the Scholar, who had been holding back laughter, continued to speak, "Inside the Exquisite Pagoda, what's practiced is the art of men and women, hahaha, the Exquisite Pagoda is in fact a place of pleasure, ah hahaha~!!"

"Why do you people of Da Liang build brothels in towers?" puzzled, Gouwa couldn't help but ask.

Another onlooker joined the conversation. "Ah~! You are mistaken, there are so many places to seek pleasure, but why is the Exquisite Pagoda the best in the world? What they want is novelty."

"As long as you have money, you could even go to the Exquisite Pagoda and pick a girl specifically to decide what tattoos to put on her body, I heard that last time, someone who was drunk had a turtle tattooed on the face of the girl he bought."

The topic immediately sparked others to join in, "Not just that, I've had the fortune of visiting once, the girls of Exquisite Pagoda have skin as soft as cotton, truly extraordinary, truly extraordinary."

Hearing the increasingly explicit comments around him, Li Huowang looked at the distant Exquisite Pagoda and a trace of disdain appeared on his face.

"Indeed, fitting for the Da Liang Kingdom, known for its beauties, they really do delve deep into such matters."

At that moment, Li Huowang's gaze drifted downward, just in time to see an old beggar crouching on the ground beside him.

The beggar, in his tattered clothes, also had blue and white porcelain patterns on his face, but the wrinkles had cut through those patterns, making them look shattered.

Everyone loves a good piece of porcelain, but once it breaks, it becomes worthless.

"Brother Li, the waiter has served the dishes, let's go eat, otherwise the food will get cold."

Li Huowang glanced at the Exquisite Pagoda one more time, then turned and sat back beside the round table to start eating.

In Da Liang, when it comes to eating, as long as you have money, the variety of food exceeds that of entertainments.

"Qin Sang dips low its green leaves: Over flooded fields white egrets fly, Under dense summer wood orioles cry, Above Fenghuang Terrace, phoenixes soar high, The yellow crane has gone and will return no more...."

Following various elegant names, dishes full of colors, aromas, and flavors were brought to the table.

As Gao Zhijian watched a lifelike phoenix carved out of radish in front of him, his extended chopsticks retracted back.

"Eat, what are you waiting for?" After Li Huowang set down his chopsticks, the others started eating as well.

Then no one spoke anymore; there were only continuous sounds of swallowing and chewing—even Li Huowang couldn't pick out a single fault with the taste now.

Other tables witnessing the crude scene showed a hint of disdain; however, Li Huowang and his group simply did not care.

The sky gradually darkened, and the stars above corresponded with the lights on the ground.

"Brother Li, look quickly! There are lights in the sky!"