Tianhai Prefecture, Yifeng City, Vermilion Bird Avenue.
As one of the nine prefectures of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty, Tianhai Prefecture is the "best novice village" for the protagonist during the early stages of the game and serves as the place where cultivators of the Immortal Dynasty get their start.
Yifeng City is where the game’s opening plot unfolds. Located in the central plains of Tianhai Prefecture, it is one of the most prosperous major cities in the entire region. It is a paradise for cultivators to trade and find entertainment; every day, a massive amount of resources, rare materials, cultivation techniques, and curiosities circulate within its walls.
Several cultivation clans and rogue cultivator organizations have settled here, and even the six great sects have their own exclusive businesses in Yifeng City. The city is a place where dragons and snakes mingle, yet it remains orderly. This is only because it is the fief of the prestigious Han Lin, the Marquis of Yifeng of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty. All outside forces, on the surface, must obey the management of the Yifeng Marquis Estate and are strictly forbidden from causing trouble. In other words, the true authority of this city is the Han Family of Yifeng.
As a city inhabited by cultivators, Yifeng City is a vast metropolis. Its scale is so immense that even if a cultivator were to fly across the city on a sword, it would take a considerable amount of time. Of course, this applies to ordinary cultivators; Han Mo, as the heir apparent of the Yifeng Marquis Estate, naturally falls outside that category.
"Xiao He, tell me a bit about this Vermilion Bird Avenue."
With his personal maid, Xiao He, and several servants from the Han estate in tow, Han Mo rode in a precious Dharmic Instrument carriage pulled by four cloud-treading beasts, making a flashy entrance onto the busiest part of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
"Yes, Young Master. Vermilion Bird Avenue is the most prosperous section of Yifeng City. Restaurants, teahouses, and shops are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. Inns, gambling dens, and brothels can be found everywhere. Even the city's largest marketplace and auction house are located here..."
Xiao He answered truthfully, though she felt a bit strange. The Young Master visited this place all the time; why did he need her to introduce it? *Oh dear, is he brewing some new wicked scheme to punish us servants?*
"Mm, not bad. Xiao He, let me test you with another question."
"Please, Young Master, ask away."
"Where is the most fun place around here?"
Though trembling, Xiao He quickly gave an answer based on her master's usual habits:
"Are you looking to visit a brothel, Young Master? If we're talking about the best one here, it has to be Jiyue Tower. Any girl inside is one in a hundred—not only are they beautiful as flowers, but they each possess a unique talent."
*Oh? Tell me more about these "talents"?*
"By the way, Young Master, I’ve heard that to satisfy the peculiar tastes of certain guests, Jiyue Tower even specifically trains and hosts female cultivators who possess Spiritual Roots to entertain guests..."
"Cough! What 'visit a brothel'? Nonsense! I just want to go to a pleasure boat house to listen to a few tunes. Xiao He, mind your tongue; don't ruin my reputation."
*Huh? He just wants to listen to music? Did the Young Master have a change of heart?*
In ancient times, these houses were like theaters, where performers sang and danced; they were not synonymous with brothels. That was why Xiao He was confused, but she dared not ask. She quickly offered her apology:
"My mouth is clumsy, Young Master; please punish me."
"Punishment won't be necessary; just be more careful next time. Anyway, the girls at Jiyue Tower should be able to sing as well. In that case, set course for Jiyue Tower."
*Fine,* Xiao He thought to herself, *it’s all a circle just to end up at a brothel. The Young Master’s lecherous nature truly cannot be changed.*
Xiao He grumbled inwardly, unaware that Han Mo had no intention of actually engaging in vice or touching those women. It wasn't that he looked down on those in the profession—he believed no one was inherently superior or inferior—but he simply could not mentally accept sharing a woman with other men. After all, he was a staunch, pure-love warrior.
However, if he wanted to burn through the thirty thousand spirit stones his father had given him in one go, he had to at least put on a show to fool the old man.
Once the carriage came to a stop:
"You there! Once we go in, get me the best private room, serve a table of the finest food and wine, and order one... no, ten of the most expensive star performers."
***
Just as Han Mo's party arrived at the entrance of Jiyue Tower, a carriage with modest decorations slowly pulled up to the other end of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
"Young Miss, we have arrived at Vermilion Bird Avenue."
Beside the carriage, a sword-wielding female warrior dressed in men's clothing carefully approached and reported to the person inside.
"Was anyone alerted?"
The curtain was lifted, and a hand as white and delicate as a lotus root slowly extended from the window. Five crystal-clear fingers, like works of art, swayed gently. Simultaneously, a cold, ethereal female voice—as clear and tinkling as a spring in a snowy mountain—drifted out from the carriage.
Just hearing that voice made the warrior shudder. It was easy to imagine that the owner of the voice was a woman as aloof and cold as a flower on a snow-capped peak.
"Rest assured, Young Miss. Although we left without the Patriarch’s knowledge, I took precautions along the way and specifically chose an ordinary carriage. There are people handling things on the Patriarch’s end, so it will not be exposed for the time being."
"Mm." A noncommittal, faint response came from the carriage, devoid of emotion. Moments later, another question followed:
"Jiyue Tower... that is a brothel, correct?"
Thinking her mistress was asking about the matter at hand, the warrior quickly replied:
"Yes, Young Miss, it is one of those low-class establishments. According to reliable intelligence, your fiancé, Yan Xiao, has been drowning his sorrows at Jiyue Tower ever since his Spiritual Root was accidentally damaged three months ago, causing his cultivation to drop to the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer; he refuses to face the reality that he has become a waste. As long as we catch him there, you can rightfully demand to break off the engagement to the City Lord’s Estate. Even if the Patriarch finds out, he will have nothing to say."
"Mm."
The response from the carriage remained lukewarm, as if the speaker were indifferent to everything. The warrior did not pay much attention to this, as she knew her mistress’s personality. It wasn't innate; her mistress had practiced a profound cultivation technique that drastically changed her temperament, forcing her to forsake all desires and stop showing interest in men.
Thinking of this, the warrior sighed slightly and drove the carriage toward Jiyue Tower.
Silence reigned until they were nearly there, when a faint question came from inside:
"Jin Lan, do you think if we two women go to Jiyue Tower like this, we might run into these so-called playboys and get entangled with them?"
"Playboys? You mean those good-for-nothing sons of great families who idle their days away?" Jin Lan was stunned, wondering why her mistress would suddenly ask such a thing.
"Mm. I have practiced at home since childhood and rarely go out. I have only read in books that playboys gather in groups, drinking and feasting in brothels, galloping through streets and disturbing the peace, or harassing honest women in their homes. They are capable of every evil!"
*So that is what she is worried about.* Jin Lan understood. It was only natural; two women going to a brothel together—even in men's clothing—were not professionals, and it would be easy for someone observant to see they were women and harass them. Fortunately, her own cultivation was not weak; she was only one step away from the Golden Core stage.
Thinking of this, Jin Lan patted her ample chest in assurance:
"Rest easy, Young Miss. With me here, I will certainly keep you safe. Generally, one might run into such people in a typical brothel, but Jiyue Tower is an exception. It is rumored to have a deep background, and since this is the territory of the Yifeng Marquis Estate, ordinary playboys would not dare to cause trouble there."
"Is that so? That is a bit of a pity..."
*Wait, a pity? Shouldn't she be relieved?* Jin Lan was confused, but the person in the carriage didn't give her a chance to ask:
"Let's not discuss this further. Help me down; let us go in!"
The voice remained flat, though for some reason, Jin Lan detected a trace of faint regret.