Night fell.
Along the banks of Changning River, lanterns blazed with light.
Unlike the wide river channel where Yu Xian had previously gone fishing, this stretch running through Changning City was much narrower, flanked by numerous houses and buildings. This was the vibrant heart of the Changning River.
Painted pleasure boats and flower barges drifted on the flowing water, passing homes built along the banks. Along the shore, wine shops and teahouses bustled with a din of voices even livelier than in the daytime.
The location hosted by the medicine merchant was a medium-sized painted boat on the river, a property of the city's brothel, Lixiukuo. The courtesans who served aboard were all elite performers skilled in both arts and beauty.
Consequently, chartering the boat for a single night cost no less than five hundred taels of silver.
Of course, the boat and the companions came as a package deal.
When Yu Xian first heard the exorbitant price, his initial reaction was a pang of heartache, thinking how wonderful it would be if this silver could simply be cashed out for him instead.
Yet a moment later, he slapped himself across the face.
Damn it, he really was a country bumpkin who couldn't appreciate fine fare.
What was he even wanting silver for, if not to enjoy himself? Now the middleman steps had been conveniently skipped, leaving him to enjoy the experience directly.
Besides, the people arranging this were seasoned pros; the entertainment they planned was bound to be top-notch. All he had to do was indulge to his heart's content.
After some mental pep talk, Yu Xian quickly settled on his identity and status: a guest enjoying a completely free ride.
At the entrance of the painted boat's banquet hall, an elderly man accompanied by a middle-aged man stood waiting to welcome Yu Xian and Doctor Huang aboard.
"Old me, Sun Hong, serving as the head manager of the Sun Family Pharmacy, greets Grandmaster Yu."
"Indeed, hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once. Grandmaster Yu is not only immensely powerful, but also so strikingly handsome and of such refined bearing. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, it would be truly hard to believe such an immortal figure existed in this mortal world."
The leading elderly man raised his hands in greeting, laying on flattery so thick it made Yu Xian blush.
Yu Xian gave a reserved smile and praised, "Old sir, your discernment is truly piercing. Upon our very first meeting, you've already managed to see right through me."
The old man's smiling expression froze, and he cast a glance at the man in the middle, Doctor Huang.
*Is this Grandmaster Yu always this shameless?*
Doctor Huang gave a silent nod.
*Mm, yes, he is.*
Fortunately, having drifted through the sea of humanity for many years, the old man was long since unflappable and seamlessly carried on the conversation.
"I hear that Grandmaster Yu has a fondness for song, dance, and beauties. Tonight, I have specially invited Maiden Caidie from Lixiukuo to perform a dance for Grandmaster Yu. I hope Grandmaster Yu will offer plenty of guidance later."
Yu Xian remained very modest. "I wouldn't dare call it guidance; we can all learn from one another."
"Haha, Grandmaster Yu is truly modest. Please, this way."
The old man invited Yu Xian to take the seat of honor in the hall and then clapped his hands.
With a crisp chime from behind the folding screen, the sound of a pipa suddenly rang out, resembling a pebble falling into a spring in a mountain ravine.
Next came the notes of a zither, a guzheng, an erhu, and the crisp sound akin to striking jade.
Melodies intertwined, complex yet orderly, as if one had stepped into a murmuring mountain ravine.
The hall fell silent.
At the entrance of the hall, the beaded curtain was lifted, and a bare jade foot stepped inside.
Glancing upward, in the warm amber lamplight was a pair of flawless calves, smooth and white as jade, with pores so fine they seemed invisible.
Further up was a layer of moonlight-white sheer gauze, thin yet opaque with a silk-like texture, dotted with star-sand that glittered under the candlelight.
It was a veiled woman, resembling moonlight itself.
She walked with light steps, like a young maiden stepping out to greet the spring. The wind brushed against her face, and ribbons fluttered behind her.
The music behind the screen suddenly turned lively.
Four backup dancers filed in one after another.
The group moved like a cluster of butterflies flitting and dancing among flowers, stepping and leaping with a brightness that was free of any vulgar allure.
Attire that had been intentionally designed to expose instead conveyed a maiden's innocent romance when worn in their dance.
They seemed not to be performing for a group of men, but rather playing and frolicking in the mountains, releasing their youthful nature with an air of clean, pure charm.
Yu Xian went from a casual, indifferent attitude to staring without blinking.
When Yulan had danced for him, it was a straightforward and direct seduction, making him want nothing more than to strip off her clothes.
Yet watching Maiden Caidie's dance, he felt an urge to dress them in garments and safeguard that beautiful purity.
An outstanding dance is capable of moving an audience through imagery.
The song ended and the dance concluded.
Maiden Caidie removed her veil, revealing a touching face, and curtsied toward everyone in the hall.
"This humble concubine has made a fool of herself."
The stunned crowd finally snapped back to their senses.
"Bravo!"
Yu Xian clapped and cheered, feeling that this dance alone made the trip half worth it—the other half, of course, being the greeting gift the old man had yet to hand over.
Seeing Yu Xian applauding, the others politely joined in with their own applause.
"Haha, it seems Grandmaster Yu thoroughly enjoys Maiden Caidie's dance. Maiden Caidie, Grandmaster Yu is also a master of this art. Why don't you two have a good chat? Perhaps you'll find kindred spirits, and who knows, it might blossom into a wonderful romance in the future."
Sun Hong signaled with a glance, and Maiden Caidie took a seat right beside Yu Xian.
As soon as Caidie sat down, Yu Xian immediately caught a faint, lingering fragrance wafting over, and he couldn't help taking a couple of gentle sniffs.
They really were right: garden-variety flowers never match the scent of wild ones.
"Grandmaster Yu, this humble one, Caidie, offers you a toast."
Caidie poured a cup of wine for herself and drained it in a single gulp. Perhaps drinking too hastily, she choked slightly, her cheeks blooming with a layer of pink that was utterly charming.
Yu Xian looked at Caidie with an open expression and gentle eyes.
"Maiden Caidie, your dance is beautiful, and you are beautiful too. I like you very much."
"Thank you for the compliment, Grandmaster... ah?"
Caidie lowered her head with a soft smile, then suddenly lifted her head in shock, her face burning red.
She saw a large hand wrap around her waist before she even realized it, closing the safe distance between them until they were almost pressed together.
"Maiden Caidie, my affections are always very direct."
Yu Xian leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against Caidie's face, making her body stiffen completely while drawing a hearty laugh from Yu Xian.
Seeing Yu Xian getting intimate with Caidie, Sun Hong wore a look of delight.
Just as Doctor Huang had said, this Grandmaster Yu was fond of beauty and lust; selecting a beauty to present to him was precisely catering to his preferences.
It was well worth the extra two hundred taels of silver he had spent to specifically request Caidie's company.
So, amidst the warmth and cheer of the wine, Sun Hong raised his cup to toast:
"It is my utmost honor that Grandmaster Yu could come to attend this humble banquet today. I drain this cup."
After finishing his wine, he continued, "I heard from Doctor Huang that Grandmaster Yu is looking to purchase medicinal herbs. My pharmacy happens to have some stock on hand, and today I am offering these borrowed flowers to present to the Grandmaster. Bring them up!"
As his voice fell, two servants wearing skullcaps walked in carrying a large wooden chest.
When the chest was opened, it revealed neatly categorized brocade boxes inside. Opening those revealed the herbs themselves—all nourishing ingredients like ginseng, sealwort, and angelica.
With his sharp eyes, Yu Xian even spotted one particular small brocade box containing a stack of fifty-tael silver banknotes. Judging by its thickness, there were at least a thousand or several hundred taels.
Combined with this chest of herbs, their value would easily reach three to four thousand taels.
If one added today's lavish hospitality, that would tack on another several hundred taels.
To go to such great lengths far exceeded the boundaries of a simple greeting gift. Could it truly be just to make friends with him?
Yu Xian did not know Sun Hong's true motive, but that didn't stop him from accepting the gift.
Anyway, once something entered his mouth, there was no way he would spit it out. He was completely on his own with no relatives or attachments, and he had no fear of retaliation.
"When an elder bestows a gift, one dares not refuse. Old Master Sun's kind gesture is deeply appreciated by this Yu, and I gladly accept this present."
Yu Xian sat motionless, secretly channeling his mana to form a large, rough hand that grabbed the hundred-jin heavy wooden chest through the air, bringing it down with a heavy *clunk* right behind him.
That sound landed like a heavy blow upon everyone's hearts.
For a moment, the entire hall fell utterly silent!