Why the distrustful attitude?

  It wasn’t that Bubai looked down upon certain cultivation arts.

  No, he knew well enough that even the strangest niche paths could lead to immortality—let alone Gu cultivation which literally had an insane amount of novels revolving around it.

  The problem was… could such a fearsome inheritance really appear here?

  He found it hard to believe.

  After all, if it really did, then without a golden core powerhouse holding the fort, can this Qian cn even keep such an inheritance?

  Let’s say they did hold onto such a treasure.

  Would they dare to funt something valuable like this?

  Sometimes, the downfall of a cn weren’t always due to internal strife and weaknesses, but simply because somebody said the wrong things to the wrong people.

  No foundation builders were idiots. Nobody wants a disaster to befall them over a loose tongue.

  So what gives here? Was it all just blowing hot air? Is there another purpose?

  Or did this silly brother really slip up under the foxy flower girl’s intel extraction power?

  The answer? A sp to the back of Qian Zhongta’s head.

  “Oi! Lao Si! Stop spouting nonsense! How can our little cn’s three-legged kungfu compared to those long-established roads walked by the true giants?!”

  After barking a reprimand, Qian Feifu turned to Bubai to smooth things over.

  “Haha… Brother Bai, don’t mind his nonsense. This fool just likes getting ahead of himself after drinking a few extra cups.”

  “Ou! Ou! That’s right! Don’t listen to him! Lao Si didn’t mean it! He just loves bragging until a cow gets blown up to be a qilin!”

  Bubai took in their joking faces. Was it really nonsense? Or intentional bait? A test to judge his character?

  Who knows.

  But as long as his heart doesn’t move, then everything can be deflected by an easy smile.

  “Drunken words can’t be taken to heart.”

  “Ouuu! Exactly! Exactly!”

  Qian Bage cpped his shoulder like the good buddy he is and the other brothers simirly showed friendly smiles.

  “It’s good Brother Bai has a clear mind, unlike these rascals.”

  “Ai! Lao Er is right. Oi, Lao Si! Come, eat more meat—let your mouth chew instead of running again!”

  Qian Feifu grinned and piled some more mulberry worms onto his brother’s pte.

  His hand conveniently pted the meat from his brother’s package and passed it over like hush money.

  “Here, Brother Bai, have another serving! Only by eating more can the body-tempering effect really show!”

  Noticing it was the st piece, Bubai showed an embarrassed face and feigned politeness. “Oh, how can I—”

  “No need to be polite!”

  Grinning like an honest man, Qian Zhongta spped another package onto the table

  “If that’s not enough, there’s more! We all came well-prepared and brought enough snacks to st for days!”

  “Ou! Ou!” Qian Bage shamelessly helped his buddy accept the pte. “Yea, Brother Bai, don’t be shy! It’s not every day Lao Si decides to be so generous! Eat, eat more!”

  “Oi, Xiao Ba! That’s not for you!”

  But it was too te. The meat already got stuffed into the squirrel’s mouth and all he got back was a “Now it ish!”

  Bubai’s lips twitched. Yo Merlin... really think he was trying to be polite? Please.

  Since he dared to shamelessly mooch off this walking moneybag’s pockets early on, why would he not dare to eat this small treat now?

  Plus, that meat was indeed good stuff.

  Just a few bites were enough for Bubai to gauge its effectiveness.

  It was somewhat inferior to a drop of his dew, but still packed quite the decent nourishing essence.

  If eaten consistently over the long-term, it will definitely have a great tempering effect, especially for those cking a powerful inborn physique!

  Honestly, this was just icing on the cake for him, but... treasure food like this?

  Eat more while he can!

  When the next dish got passed over, Bubai didn’t act polite anymore and simply gobbled it up. Then, the next, and the next…

  "Ouu! Brother Bai! Save some for me!"

  That wail made the rest of the brothers break out in ughter.

  “Ahahaha! Ignore that gluttonous rascal! Come, drink, drink!”

  “Ai, cheers! Cheers!”

  Meat went into mouths. Wine got shared. Merriment spiraled out of control...

  "A challenge has been issued! Xuan Liu challenging Jia Heng to a life-and-death match!"

  By the time this announcement thundered out, the brothers already went from being sages to evil dragons.

  The shorty stood tall with hands pnted on his hips. “Ouuu! Ready for round two! Let’s go! I’ve long wanted to test the depths of you sisters!”

  The mature red tulip left the balls behind and looked over with a flirtatious smile.

  “Ayoh? Young lords, you know our Phoenix Nest’s rules. Pying the flute is fine, but our purity can only be reserved for our future master.”

  "Ouuu! What a killjoy!"

  “Hah! Yeah, yeah!"

  “Please don’t bme us poor sisters. These rules are set by the matriarch.”

  Qing Yi licked her red two lips and coyly pointed at them.

  “You can use this mouth however much you like, but that mouth… hehe, if my lords are interested, you can bid for us Qingmen sisters during the annual beauty pageant.”

  “Ouuu! Will do, will do!”

  “Ai, but why don’t you show us some more of your talent first! Let us see if you’re worth the price!”

  Qing Yi gave them all an amorous smile.

  “Ah, us sisters are well-trained in the four arts. The fellow sisters who surpasses us can be counted on one hand. I assure you, we’re well worth the price.”

  “Ou? Then show us! Py some music for us!”

  “Very well. This humble girl accepts the order.”

  The big sister then hung her red veil back over her face and waved for her sisters to get up.

  Giggling, the group of five left the four hard men hanging and went to set up at the center of the room.

  Silk sashes, feather fans, flute, guqin all came out from storage pouches...

  These escorts were well-prepared to handle all types.

  Just not the serious type.

  Bubai looked over his shoulder to see the two challengers stepping onto the stage below.

  He recognized one to be that courtyard owner that tried to invite him during the Blue Moon festival.

  Perhaps this should be interesting to watch?

  But the dance is on the other side...

  “Um, we’re not watching the fight downstairs?”

  "The dog fight downstairs? Pfft, how can that be as interesting as the flower dance here?"

  “Yeah, yeah! A man’s gotta set his priorities straight!”

  “Ouu! Hush! Hush! It’s starting!”

  With the yellow daisy and white lily fnking both sides, the mature red tulip opened her fming-red fan to hide the lower half of her face.

  A curtsy, then the blue hydrangea plucked the strings. Drrrng…

  Like leaves caught in a slow, swirling wind, the dancers started their performance…

  Like butterflies caught in a spring breeze, their fans elegantly circled around and guided their breezy robes to sway around...

  All the men’s attention got drawn to the slow, hypnotic sways of the pear-shaped figures.

  Earrings jingled like wind chimes. Notes rang like flowing spring water. Silk fluttered like ribbons in the wind.

  Then the flute blower got the green light. Soon came the mellow flute that deepened the hypnotic spell...

  Qian Bage leaned over and gave him a nudge.

  “Brother Bai, how is it? This is the type of show loved by those self-serving hypocrites who want to touch jade yet refuses to put down their faces to see anything more vulgar.”

  Hugging the top-tier belly dancer on his p, Bubai watched the rather tamed performance and felt… somewhat bored.

  Honestly, there was nothing to be picky about regarding these sisters.

  Every smile was elegant and pleasant, every move polished to almost perfection.

  But still…

  “It’s decent, but I still prefer the more... exotic type.”

  “Ouuu! Right? Riiight? Great minds really share the same taste!”

  As if they overheard their whispers, the sisters subtly shared gnces and their smiles shed its refined elegance to take on a more devilish edge.

  Drrrng… drrrng…. Drrrng, drrng, drrrng!

  The tune transitioned, the pace quickened…

  Those mellow courtesans broke free from their stage to show their true art of war, transforming into heroines in a vilge of tenderness that was made to devour heroes whole!

  Qian Zhongta threw his head back with a ugh, raising his cup high. “Ahahaha! Now this is more like it! Nice, brothers, cheers!”

  Cups clinked, wine spshed, spirits burned. The atmosphere turned feverish once more.

  Bubai enjoyed everything that came his way.

  Not bad at all. Not bad at all.

  Gotta say, compared to the “sharing is caring” treatment of yesterday’s Jia family clique, the hospitality here was great… well, in a different sense.

  Still, some things never change. Flowers were a must.

  No compints though. Don’t be hypocritical and simply go with the flow, just like these hired butterflies that were flitting back and forth.

  Simirly, back and forth their eyes went, switching between the flowers and the blood-soaked arena below.

  Down there, one party stood as stably as Mount Tai while the other fshed around nonstop, leaving a storm of afterimages that attacked the stationary sandbag from various angles.

  “Tsk tsk, look at him. That Xuan Li is biting that Jia Heng like a mad dog.”

  “Ah. Makes sense though. Not everybody’s worth a cn’s full protection. This Jia Heng’s just a branch member and those ruthless fels don’t need to hold back at all once they’ve set their sights on them.”

  “Ou! Ou! But he’s got nobody but himself to bme…”

  “I heard this Jia Heng runs a public farm in his own courtyard and he just loves bringing home those wild vegetables from the garden of others. Heh! It’ll be a miracle if he doesn’t offend anyone!”

  “Ai. But that Jia Heng is no slouch, or he wouldn’t have lived this long. This Xuan Li… isn’t too bad either.”

  “Fsh steps is just a basic martial technique used by us cultivators to boost traveling speed on foot. To think he trained it to this level…”

  “Pity though. His moves are quite fshy, but has no substance. Against these tough body cultivators, speed alone can’t win battles.”

  “Yeah, yeah! They all like thinking speed is king, speed is power, but how can it be that simple? Fast speed must be matched with a strong body! Otherwise, it’ll be just like throwing eggs at a boulder!”

  “As for this Xuan Li? Heh. Once he runs out of gas, nine out of ten will be cold like the others.”

  “Ou! Nothing to do with us though! We should just focus on picking peaches!”

  “Ahahaha! Right? Come, let’s have another drink!”

  Wine got refilled. Liquor got pumped down eager throats. Good times flies by…

  The wheel of destiny turns, and those destined for doom still didn’t escape.

  “Jia Heng vs. Xuan Li, Jia Heng wins!”

  It wasn’t just a win, but a bloody limb-tearing execution.

  Yet the brutal crushing end to the life-and-death battle below did little to dampen the euphoric atmosphere up here.

  Honestly, Bubai didn’t mind just sitting back here and simply be a spectator of this entire event through to the very end.

  But that was wishful thinking.

  So far, no random dog or wolf came to bite him, probably thanks to the deterrence of these Qian brothers.

  But face reality. Not everybody is afraid of offending them.

  Besides, Bubai wasn’t naive enough to think he will get a lucky bye after the performance he put up yesterday.

  A certain stable senior brother had once said: If there’s even the slightest possibility that something will go south, then… he must prepare for it.

  Good thing he did. Because—

  "Next up… we have Wu Dawei challenging... Mo Bubai to... a life-and-death match!"

  The announcement roared in Bubai’s ears like a war drum. All tipsiness went poof in an instant.

  Ah. So the time has come.

  Whether it be a real grudge or a fake born from greed, this was the time to settle it all. In blood.