The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The nearest large city to Xitong Town was Jiayun City. This city was built by the water, with countless pleasure boats, lanterns filling the market, and endless streams of tourists.

Hua Chao, dressed in new clothes, dragged Cang Ran and the little hedgehog to a place called Drunken Autumns.

As the river rippled, they walked from the willow-lined bank onto the deck and could already hear seductive music coming from the luxurious pleasure boat in front of them.

Only after going inside did Cang Ran realize that it was truly a place of wine, lust, and pleasure, and one that specialized in entertaining female guests.

Hua Chao was clearly a regular. She said to the attendant in the pleasure boat: “I brought friends. Give us the best private room, find some dancing yaoji (demon courtesans), and serve the best wine and dishes.”

Inside the pleasure boat, gold and jade were piled up. The place was bustling with people, the sounds of urging drinks and calling guests were incessant. It truly looked like a den of iniquity.

Cang Ran couldn’t help but look at Hua Chao. She was just a “small fry.” Where did she get so much money?

Hua Chao turned to Cang Ran and the little hedgehog and said: “You’ve met a rich demon! Our Great Demon King gave me a lot of travel money. I’ll treat you to all the food and drink you want, hehe.”

Your Great Demon King has quite a good temper. If she knew you used the money here, she might pluck all your bird feathers out.

The attendant who had seen all kinds of people, saw that both female cultivators were beautiful, their eyes filled with a seductive charm. They were clearly demon cultivators, though they concealed it extremely well, making it impossible to tell what kind of demons they were. They also brought a little hedgehog with a trace of demonic energy.

Demon cultivators were different from human cultivators. Human cultivators ate both meat and vegetables, but most demon cultivators who came to a place like this would choose to be with demons. And since demons were generally more beautiful than humans and required expensive shape-shifting elixirs, the prices were even higher.

The attendant saw Hua Chao throw down a bag of mid-grade spirit stones. She weighed it in her hand and said with a flattering smile: “Two customers, these spirit stones are not enough here to hire yaoji to accompany you or to open a private room. How about I find you two a seat in the main hall? There are also singing courtesans dancing in the main hall, and I’ll serve you some good dishes.”

Hua Chao immediately got a little angry: “Why is it so expensive? It wasn’t this price before!”

The attendant patiently explained: “It’s because some of the demons in the cities are fighting with the cultivators. A batch of demons from here went to fight, so the ones who stayed are more expensive. Also, all the private rooms today were just reserved by a female cultivator.”

Cang Ran couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Who is it? Who is so rich as to reserve all the private rooms?”

The attendant looked left and right and tutted: “Two who look like immortal sect disciples, both female cultivators. They reserved all the private rooms and hired people to perform a live spring palace scene, but they don’t want anyone else to serve them.”

The three demons were overloaded by this information. Did human cultivators play so wild? It surpassed the limits of the demon cultivators’ imagination.

Just as the demons were confused, they suddenly saw a bright, spirited woman come downstairs in a panic, her clothes disheveled. A beautiful woman in a Daoist robe chased after her and quickly grabbed her hand.

The two were pulling and tugging at each other, creating an ambiguous atmosphere. The surrounding guests were loud, and their actions only caused a slight stir.

The bright woman, named Yan’er, looked around, wary in her heart. She snatched back her sleeve and said in a low voice, gritting her teeth:

“Let go of me! Who wants to understand this from you? I came to you to ask why you seduced my fiancé! Aren’t you afraid that your entire Wanyao Gate will be disgraced by your behavior?”

The beautiful woman, carrying an ancient zither on her back, gently wiped the remnants of bright red lipstick from her lips. Her eyes moved, seemingly adorned with shimmering water light, and her tone was soft.

“But didn’t Yan’er also enjoy it just now? My lips were bitten and broken by you. Since you now know how women act like this, are you willing to be with me?”

The young woman named Yan’er blushed and became more indignant. She immediately wielded her spiritual sword in a flurry of movements, aiming it at the beautiful female cultivator’s throat. She said coldly:

“I was bewitched by you! Who wants to be with you? I, Shen Yunyan, am a personal disciple of the Qingyun Sect. My master is the famous True Person Qingyang! If you provoke me again, be careful or I will—”

The flexible spiritual sword was struck away by the beautiful female cultivator’s two-finger strike. Shen Yunyan was grabbed by her collar and pressed against the wooden railing, then forcibly kissed again.

Shen Yunyan was pressed and kissed until she was breathless, her face flushed with desire. She was angry that her legs were starting to go weak again. She raised her hand and slapped the beautiful female cultivator across the face.

With a loud slap, a red handprint rose on the beautiful female cultivator’s face.

“Is your Wanyao Gate, from top to bottom, all this despicable, shameless, and indecent?!”

Shen Yunyan’s face alternated between red and white with anger. After hitting her, she pushed the beautiful woman away and hurried off, holding up her skirt.

The air froze for a moment. The beautiful female cultivator looked at Shen Yunyan’s retreating back, her eyes misting over. She did not leave immediately.

A melancholic, sorrowful flute sound came from somewhere, like snow flying in June, ready to send a person away.

Cang Ran was about to see who was playing so fittingly when she turned her head and found it was Hua Chao playing the flute.

The flute Hua Chao used was made from a crane bone. The sound of the flute was inherently mournful, and when played, it sounded even more desolate.

The beautiful female cultivator’s expression changed slightly, and she stared coldly at the three demons.

Hua Chao put away the flute and waved with a laugh: “Beautiful beauty, come and drink with us!”

The beautiful female cultivator remained unmoved. She went alone to a nearby table and sat down, pouring herself wine, clearly meaning that she had nowhere to dissipate her feelings.

Cang Ran was deep in thought. She felt she had heard this gossip in the Taixuan Sect. These two should be Shen Yunyan, a disciple of True Person Qingyang of the Qingyun Sect, and Shui Shaoyi, the chief disciple of the Wanyao Gate’s Sect Master.

Cang Ran had originally only come out to accompany Hua Chao, but she didn’t expect to see a live broadcast here. Hua Chao ignored the beauties dancing in front of her and paid no attention to them.

Hua Chao glanced at Cang Ran and the little hedgehog’s bewildered expressions, tapping the bone flute in her hand: “Ranran, don’t you think human cultivators seem much more open than us demon cultivators? Were those two playing hard to get just now?”

Cang Ran’s entire fox fur trembled at the sudden affectionate address of “Ranran.” She feigned ignorance: “Those two were fighting. How is that playing hard to get? You were watching so seriously just now. Is the Penglai Mountain Range not so lively?”

Hua Chao’s quick-witted eyes rolled, and she chuckled: “No, we are all very laid-back. Our Great Demon King is very good. Under her brilliant and mighty leadership, we just have to cultivate well every day, hehe. There are two interesting tidbits about that Wanyao Gate and Qingyun Sect. I wonder if you know them?”

Cang Ran raised an eyebrow and asked: “What tidbits?”

Hua Chao crooked her finger, signaling Cang Ran to lean in. The little hedgehog nearby quickly stood on tiptoes, also wanting to hear the little bird demon’s gossip.

She was a bit short. Her little paws were only enough to tug at Hua Chao’s silver sash hanging down. Her little black bean eyes were bright: “Beautiful and kind Sister Chaochao, I want to listen too.”

Hua Chao was somewhat pleased by the little hedgehog’s flattery. She picked up the little hedgehog and casually felt her. The little hedgehog was burning hot. She teased: “You get excited just by seeing a scene like this. The demons of your Canglan Mountain Range are so pure.”

The little hedgehog was a bit embarrassed by Hua Chao’s touch. She covered her eyes helplessly with her two paws: “I’ve only read some storybooks. I haven’t seen anything this vivid. Sister Chaochao, what are the interesting tidbits you mentioned?”

Hua Chao covered her lips and transmitted her voice: “There are Five Great Immortal Sects in the cultivation world, and this Wanyao Gate belongs to the medical sect among them. Alchemists should be highly respected, shining brightly on the path of healing and saving people, but their entire sect, from the Sect Master to the disciples, has a bizarre sense of breakdown. This sect either has its weddings hijacked or its wives stolen.”

Cang Ran truly hadn’t heard this part and was somewhat shocked: “The Wanyao Gate is so miserable! How do you even know this?”

The little hedgehog’s face was full of admiration. This version was much more detailed than the one they heard at the Taixuan Sect.

Hua Chao said carelessly: “We in the Penglai Mountain Range are all little bird demons. We just have to ask around to find out. Besides, this kind of thing has already spread throughout the cultivation world. What is this? Any gossip is not surprising when it comes to the Wanyao Gate. However, their sect has indeed made some progress these years.”

The little hedgehog asked curiously: “Progress in what way?”

Hua Chao looked at Cang Ran with a smiling face while pinching the little hedgehog’s chubby cheek: “The disciples within the gate went from having their spouses stolen by others to actively stealing other people’s wives. How can this not be considered progress?”

Cang Ran’s eyes widened, and she took a deep breath: “The first to act gains the advantage; the last to act suffers. Doing this seems right.”

The little hedgehog’s face hurt a little from Hua Chao’s pinch. She secretly pushed Hua Chao’s hand away.

Hua Chao smiled and then said: “There’s another interesting tidbit. I don’t know if you’ve heard it. The Qingyun Sect’s Grand Elder had a biological son whom he raised for hundreds of years, but it was discovered that the son wasn’t his biological one. He was so angry that he roared up to the sky. True Person Qingyang, the master of that human cultivator just now, seems to be the Grand Elder’s twin brother. Guess whose child it is?”

Cang Ran took another cold breath: “Whose?”

Hua Chao said directly: “True Person Qingyang’s! And he even arranged a good marriage for him. That Shen Yunyan just now is his fiancée. Very few people know this matter. Meeting me isn’t a loss for you, right?”

Hua Chao was too gleeful. Cang Ran suspected that she had been listening to gossip everywhere to be so familiar with all the details. She could even clearly analyze the old, complex matters and intricate relationships within the immortal sect.

Cang Ran remembered that Hua Chao was on a mission, so she couldn’t help but remind her: “Didn’t your Great Demon King assign you a mission? Why does it feel like you’re listening to gossip everywhere and not taking the mission seriously at all?”

Hua Chao’s pretty eyes looked a little dejected. She sighed: “Oh, when I mention that mission, I get a headache. Let’s have a drink together. I’ll chat with you slowly.”

Hua Chao took Cang Ran’s hand and signaled to the attendant who had been waiting for a long time: “No private room. Find us some empty seats in the main hall. Sit right next to that beautiful beauty. Serve a few more pots of good wine, and the meat must be fresh. If I taste meat from yesterday, I won’t let you off lightly!”

The attendant quickly led the three demons to their seats and presented the menu: “Customers, don’t worry. All our meat is freshly slaughtered. Recently, we have a dish of sliced raw fish. It’s cut as thin as a cicada’s wing, sweet and delicious. Many customers order it. Should I serve five or six portions for the customers to try first?”

Hua Chao glanced at the menu: “Serve them all. I gave you so many spirit stones just now. Is that enough for us to eat and drink here?”

The attendant wiped the table and said eagerly: “It’s enough, enough. I’ll go serve the three customers right away.”

Cang Ran and Hua Chao sat down together. The little hedgehog sat across from them, with a dedicated dining plate for spiritual beasts.

When all the wine and dishes were served, Hua Chao rested her chin on her hand, drank a cup of wine, and complained softly to Cang Ran: “You know, I’m just an ordinary little bird demon. But our Great Demon King has fallen out with the Great Demon King of the Yunze Mountain Range. Our Great Demon King asked me to secretly steal the ice toad raised by the Yunze Mountain Range’s Great Demon King. But there are many guards there. How can I possibly do it?”

Cang Ran picked up a slice of raw fish, dipped it in the sauce, and found the taste good: “Isn’t your cultivation quite high? You can even summon wind and rain. You should be at the Void Refining stage by now. This small task shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

Hua Chao rubbed her forehead, drank another cup of wine, and sighed: “How could I have such high cultivation? I just accidentally obtained a spiritual treasure, the crane bone flute. I can summon wind and rain by circulating my demon power, but the mission the Great Demon King assigned me has zero chance of success. That’s why I’ve been staying here. I hope you can help me after you leave the secret realm.”

Cang Ran glanced at the flute on Hua Chao’s waist and looked away: “If you have no chance of success, how can I steal it? I’m not like you bird demons; I don’t have wings and can’t fly. What’s the use of the ice toad? Your Great Demon King has such a good relationship with you. Why would she make things difficult for you with this kind of task?”

After a few cups of wine, Hua Chao’s cheeks were flushed. She lowered her head and said: “I don’t know either. It probably increases cultivation. The Great Demon King isn’t that good to me, actually. Don’t you have a sister? Your good sister is a cultivator. She must have taught you many methods, right?”

Cang Ran pondered the meaning behind Hua Chao’s words, wondering if she was intentional or not: “She is very good, but cultivators are bound by sect rules. I only learned some simple sword control techniques from her. If you can take out something better from the secret realm, your Great Demon King won’t blame you, right?”

“What if I can’t take anything out of the secret realm?” Hua Chao drank a few more sips of wine, her cheeks growing redder. She squinted at Shui Shaoyi, who was not far from them, and then stammered: “I heard that the Wanyao Gate has a spiritual medicine called Wangqianchuan. If you can get your hands on it and grind it into powder, it can stun a large number of people. Do you think that Shui Shaoyi might have it on her?”

Cang Ran furrowed her brows: “You want to take advantage of Shui Shaoyi being drunk, murder her, and steal the medicine?”

Hua Chao had drunk too much and slowly shook her head: “No, no. These human cultivators will self-destruct their core when they are about to die. Then I’ll be splashed with blood all over, which is gross. I was just thinking. I am a good little bird.”

So Hua Chao has killed people before, and quite a few too. Cang Ran took a sip of wine: “It’s best if you just think about it.”

Hua Chao’s eyes became a little hazy. She suddenly stared at Cang Ran’s eyes: “Why do I feel that you are somewhat close to human cultivators and not at all like a demon cultivator? Are you really a fox demon?”

Cang Ran was suddenly struck by her words, and her heart began to pound inexplicably. The little hedgehog suddenly jumped between the two demons and interrupted: “Our Great King is no ordinary fox demon. She is the most amazing Great Fox King!”

Hua Chao batted the little hedgehog away with a wing: “Great demons are talking. Little one, don’t interrupt!”

The little hedgehog sat down with a thud next to Cang Ran. Cang Ran reached out to support her. The little hedgehog said angrily: “I’m not little! I’m a hundred years old!”

The wine was getting to Hua Chao’s head. She looked down at the little hedgehog: “In my eyes, anyone under a thousand years old is a little one.”

The little hedgehog was a bit unconvinced: “How old are you? You look like a little bird demon.”

“A female demon’s age is a secret,” Hua Chao raised a finger to her lips, and then casually poured the entire pot of wine into her mouth.

“What’s so good about human cultivators? They just think they are on the side of justice. They slay demons and eliminate evil, killing both good and bad demons. They are not good people. In the ancient times, our demon race was the master of this realm. This is what our greatest Great Demon King of the Penglai Mountain Range says.”

The wine wet Hua Chao’s clothes. After drinking, she passed out on the table. The little hedgehog poked Hua Chao several times with her claws and said to the Great King: “She seems to be drunk. Fortunately, the wine bill is paid.”

Cang Ran nodded: “The wine bill is paid, but the room fee hasn’t been paid. Since she passed out like this, we’ll have to get a room for her.”

The little hedgehog thought for a moment and said: “Let’s just throw her in a tree fork in the wilderness. She’s a bird demon anyway. When she wakes up from the cold wind, she can squeeze in with other birds for the night.”

Cang Ran gave the little hedgehog a look of approval: “Good idea.”

Just as they were about to lift Hua Chao, Hua Chao suddenly woke up and rubbed her forehead: “Oh, I was drunk just now. How about we sleep on this boat tonight? Do you two want to join me?”

The little hedgehog immediately guarded her beast-skin bag and said: “We don’t have money to lend you to open a private room.”

Hua Chao casually took out another bag of spirit stones: “I still have money. I’ll treat you. The beds here are very soft.”

Cang Ran refused: “We booked an inn earlier. You sleep here. We’ll come back and find you tomorrow.”

“Okay, then I’ll enjoy it all by myself.” Hua Chao stood up, swaying, and was helped upstairs by the attendant.

Cang Ran and the little hedgehog also left the pleasure boat. Before leaving, they glanced at the neighboring table. Shui Shaoyi was still there, drinking alone to drown her sorrows.

She and the little hedgehog found an inn in the city, spent some spirit stones, booked a room, and settled down for the night.

After sleeping for a night, Cang Ran woke up the next day and remembered the letter she sent to Tan Qingxuan. It usually takes one day to receive a reply. By her calculations, it was time to receive a reply now.

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