Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 293 - 212: The Warlord’s Hostage, Jiangzhu Fairy

Demon City, after all, frequently interacts with the Western countries, and unavoidably, some places exhibit a Western flair.

Take this dance hall, for instance, which is an imported concept, along with those fancy revolving doors, eiderdown carpets, flashing neon lights, the row of automobiles outside, and the doormen from Tianzhu; all these scenes were once unseen in the bygone Longevity Heavenly Dynasty, inevitably causing folks to pause and marvel in wonder.

Tao Qian’s current appearance made it clear he was not a wealthy man.

So it was perfectly logical that when he tried to lead three bumpkins into the hall, two uniformed doormen from Tianzhu, both around thirty years of age, immediately reached out to block them.

Out came the Demon City vernacular, heavily accented with curry but still intelligible, conveying a simple message:

The poor have no place inside!

But indeed, this territory was not one where the poor ventured.

You should know that even just to watch the show, let alone dance, one had to pay for tea and refreshments—at least three silver coins, to say nothing of needing extra silver dimes to tip the pages and waiters, and so on.

And if a guest wanted to invite a lady to dance, the close-contact kind, the costs could skyrocket.

It wasn’t much at a hundred yuan, but there were many who freely spent a thousand yuan, even tens of thousands, in a single night.

However, today was a bit more special, not just for poor souls like Tao Qian who were refused entry, but also for the usual rich folk.

After the two doormen pointed to the shiny notice next to them, many turned away in disappointment.

On it was written some incredibly extravagant and ironically contradictory notice compared to what the doormen had just said:

"The Renowned Jiangzhu Fairy of Demon City!"

"Performing her final dance today, a charity performance to raise funds for disaster relief."

"We hope generous souls will open their purses to contribute to this fine cause."

Following that were phrases like resonating for three days, heavenly music, a fairy descending from the Heavenly Palace, and other such adjectives.

Marked in smaller print was: Entrance fee starts at a thousand yuan.

Ho!

The title Jiangzhu Fairy certainly carried weight.

Tao Qian pondered briefly and, upon hearing the familiar currency unit, immediately recalled days long past.

Just reborn into the first person that was "Tao Scholar," Master Tao often worried about making money, even stooping to against his original wishes—selling illicit literature and featuring magazine girls.

But it was not like he could be blamed; at that time, Tao Qian was but a mortal.

Without money, one couldn’t afford to eat.

Although those hard times didn’t last many days, once he stepped into the Cultivation World, he no longer had to worry about silver coins, silver dimes, copper coins, or banknotes.

Being reminded by the two Tianzhu doormen, Tao Qian suddenly thought of the time he ambushed the "Four Beasts of She County" and incidentally robbed quite a sum of money.

Reaching into his robe and with a thought, he pulled out a stack of banknotes from the Treasure Bag Holy Embryo Bag.

He flashed the notes at the two thirty-year-old children and then led Little Age, Lian Jing’er, and Shan Jiu into this highly famed dance hall in Demon City.

As soon as he entered, Tao Qian’s eyes were met with many suggestive scenes, lights, music, and numerous beautiful, scantily clad dancing girls. There were women from the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty, as well as many Western foreigners, all of whom would be considered great beauties by the ordinary mortal standard.

But to Tao Qian they held no attraction.

This place indeed was a haven for men, but what kind of man was he, Tao Qian?

He had already withstood the trials of the Joyful Pavilion Market in Southern Yue, a place where the pleasures were catered to Cultivators, truly beyond imagination.

Compared to that, this so-called dance hall was but dust, offering no allure to a Cultivator.

Moreover, should Tao Qian truly wish to indulge, with but a thought he could summon any number of Joyful Demons, those curvaceous, exquisite beings well-versed in bedroom arts; wouldn’t they be far more thrilling?

Equally uninterested were the three youngsters with him.

The entertainments of the mortal Human Clan seemed utterly dull to them.

But at this moment!

Including Tao Qian, the four had just settled when their gaze was immediately drawn to a frail figure on the stage.

Tao Qian was led there by the Sublime Dharma.

Little Age, Lian Jing’er, and Shan Jiu, on the other hand, were simply drawn by the sense of Transcendent power.

There, on the stage, stood a woman of extreme beauty, yet thin as a willow, exuding a sickly aura, occasionally panting delicately, her body drenched in fragrant sweat that made everyone present, regardless of age or sex, feel a sense of pity.

Tao Qian took one look and realized that this woman was the one he’d been sent to lead in tribulation.

At the same time, a realization dawned upon him:

"This woman seems to be some kind of Special Ability dharma body, a Taoist Body, cherished by spiritual energy, capable of involuntarily releasing some special powers without any training."

"But it’s odd, such a woman, if nurtured in seclusion since youth, might indeed go unnoticed; yet now, seemingly performing here, how could she not have been..."

Just as this thought arose in Tao Qian’s mind, his late perception kicked in.

Affected by the Extraordinary Power from the woman’s body, he had only now noticed that in the corners of the dance hall, many Cultivators were hidden.

Judging by their aura, they all seemed like Demon Cultivators.

And their Cultivation levels did not seem weak, with an air that seemed to protectively surround the stage and the sickly woman.

Fortunately, his concealment was flawless; no one could tell that this distinctive young man and three half-grown children were all beyond the common mortal kin.

Pretending to be wide-eyed adventurers, they followed the usher to their seats.

It was only then that Tao Qian realized the audience was surprisingly large and quiet, filled with many figures dressed like wealthy merchants and other luminaries of the city.

Guided by the Sublime Dharma within him, Tao Qian’s eyes suddenly revealed surprise.

The strange woman on stage was his person of tribulation—that was to be expected.

But beyond her, there was another in the audience who was also designated as such. freёwebnoѵel.com

"I’ve been prompted to notice two anomalies, indicating there are indeed two individuals leading my tribulation."

"This third method also does not understand how to cherish us, the disciples of Spirit Treasure," Tao Qian muttered in his heart.

Beside the sick girl on the stage, a middle-aged beauty with charm to spare, revealing two slender, long, white legs, and a heavy chest, suddenly lent on the microphone and began to speak:

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to support my daughter. Today we meet again, or perhaps it’s a farewell."

"Don’t cry, don’t cry, my daughter is going to live the good life in the mansion of the Ninth Prince. As her mother, I should be happy."

"I originally advised my daughter to just enjoy the blessings of life, but upon hearing of the magic disaster in the neighboring province, which produced hundreds of thousands of refugees, she stubbornly insisted on raising a million silver coins for relief."

"Ladies and gentlemen of Demon City’s elite, I suppose a mere million yuan is nothing to talk about."

"This is my daughter’s last dance offering. You all are fortunate enough to witness this wonderful event."

To put it frankly, these few sentences from the beautiful woman.

To a normal person, they would feel offended.

Arrogance, coercive donations… they tick all the boxes.

However, what’s strange is that upon hearing her words, everyone in the crowd, businessmen, government officials, scholars, all nod in agreement.

Some, more impulsive, even directly command their attendants to summon the boy in charge of keeping records.

The scene indicates that they are already beginning to throw their money.

Among them, one person is who Tao Qian was paying close attention to, the second Tribulation Leader.

It turns out to be a young, handsome military officer in a new-style uniform, with an impressive build, but something indecisive in his eyes.

Around him are many people, attendants, businessmen, scholars, and portly officials; they all accompany him, including a few at the Foundation Establishment Realm and one at the Transcend Mortality Realm.

And this officer himself is also a cultivator.

But for some reason, although he seems to hold the highest status, his cultivation is extremely weak, only at the Energy-Introducing Realm, in the Destiny Defining Fetus Stage.

This officer not only makes a grand gesture by donating half a million yuan directly.

At the same time, his gaze towards the sick girl on the stage is full of eagerness, and his energy is ready to surge.

Even those not adept at discerning expressions can vaguely perceive.

This guy!

Is he planning to snatch someone?

Clearly, the hidden Demon Cultivator guards also sense this.

Immediately, a cold snort is heard.

The snort leaves the military officer feeling his blood churning, and a voice, audible only to the officer and the cultivators around him, echoes.

Of course, Tao Qian eavesdrops too.

"Zhang Baisui!"

"This is the first and last warning, have no further improper thoughts about Lady Mei; she belongs to the Ninth Prince, how could she be someone you can touch?"

"If it wasn’t for your father’s sake, you would already be a dead man."

"You few foolish dogs, keep an eye on your idiotic master, or don’t blame us for being ruthless."

As these words are spoken, the faces of the cultivators who apparently cultivated some Daoist techniques change in unison, hastily advising the young officer in low voices.

Tao Qian eavesdrops quietly and quickly learns the details of the officer.

"Zhang Baisui, a second-generation with a significant reputation within Demon City, whose father is the warlord of Ancient Qin Province who now holds power, Zhang Jiudeng."

"Zhang Jiudeng had some dealings with the Ninth Prince, or perhaps has other plans, and sent his only son, Zhang Baisui, to Demon City early to take up a sinecure under the Ninth Prince."

"Is this guy being used as... a hostage?"

"He seems unaware of it, intending to snatch the master’s treat, no wonder he received a warning," Tao Qian mused after listening for a moment.

At that moment, on the stage, the woman known as "Jiangzhu Fairy" suddenly moved.

Anyone, including Tao Qian, couldn’t help but fix their gaze on her, and in a trance, the world changed.

Everything around them seemed to vanish as mist filled the air, fragrances flourished, and all manner of palaces and pavilions that should only exist in the heavens appeared before their eyes, as did numerous immortals, Immortal Wine, Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow, and other wonders.

For a moment, everyone felt like a lucky individual invited to a banquet in the Heavenly Palace.

Before their eyes, not only were there divine dishes but dancing fairies aiding the festivities as well.

Wasn’t the fairy leading the dance the Jiangzhu Fairy herself?

If it were only for these "scenes," it might not have been a big deal.

Perhaps, they are all illusions.

But what truly astounded was that while the crowd enjoyed the immortal dance and indulged in food and drink, they genuinely experienced feedback.

Drinking Immortal Wine, they gained clarity of heart and mind.

Eating the Immortal Peach, their lifespan extended.

Swallowing Dragon Liver, their bodies strengthened.

Feasting on Phoenix Marrow, their hearing and eyesight improved.

What should have been a smog-filled dancehall now seemed like the Heavenly Palace descended to the mortal world—magnificent and unbelievable.

Everyone was immersed, unable to extricate themselves.

Only Tao Qian and his three companions were viewing the scene with astonished eyes.

Especially Tao Qian, with his high spiritual vision, wide-eyed and unable to completely hide his shock at the scenes unfolding before him.

PS: The second update is here, I will update earlier tomorrow and try to add more. Continue to seek double monthly tickets.