Chen Wentian and Su Yue returned to the King’s Laundry as it turned from late afternoon into dusk. The residents of the River Districts were starting to take to the streets and the air, filling the entire district with lively energy.

Nighttime was when the River District truly came alive. There were fancy restaurants, fancy entertainment, and plenty of men and women to keep customers happy. That’s right. Powerful male cultivators sought female companions. Powerful female cultivators with special tastes sought their own male companions. All that mattered was power, prestige, and most importantly money.

This was a place where money talked. If someone didn’t have money, then they were pushed aside, even immortals. The ones that operated the restaurants, hotels, and brothels all had equal or stronger backing. They had nothing to fear except a rich person.

The King’s Laundry was a buzz of activity inside as the workers and chefs prepared for the evening rush. When Su Yue showed her face, she was immediately accosted by the manager, a smartly dressed man with perfect hair.

“Su Yue, where have you been?” He almost shouted, “Dinner service is about to start, go get changed! It’s your last night here, you have to perform well, or else you’ll have no chance of obtaining the golden feather!”

“But, my master…” Su Yue managed before she was cut off.

“Immortal Blue Dragon.” The managed barely managed a bow, “We are really busy tonight. Your disciple has a lot to do, please don’t distract her.”

Su Yue looked worried but Chen Wentian didn’t get angry. He understood how things worked at such immortal restaurants. A mere Spirit Lord was just a common customer and not anything special.

He instead flicked his wrist and a sizable chunk of red spiritual crystal appeared. It weighed over one kilogram.

“I want to sample the fare of this place tonight. I want a private room.”

The manger’s face twisted slightly, “Lord Chen, you aren’t allowed to help your disciples during a challenge! It’s highly inappropriate, not to mention that it goes against the spiritual oath that all the immortal masters had to take, including you!”

Chen Wentian looked him up and down for a while before answering, “Are you dumb?”

“… No?” He answered, confused.

“I think you’re pretty dumb. You should work your cultivation a little more instead of working here all day.” Chen Wentian said lightly patted the man’s shoulder, “Did you honestly think I would do something that would damage my cultivation? Over a meal?”

“…”

“I am not helping my disciple. I am simply here for a meal, an ordinary meal. That’s it, that simple. Now, get me a room. Or is my money not good?”

“No, Lord Chen. Your money is perfectly good here! Come this way!”

“Good, Su Yue, go and work. Good luck!”

Su Yue nodded and dashed off upstairs to get changed. They had already discussed the plan for tonight and she was eagerly looking forward to it.

Chen Wentian watched her disappear and then followed the manager through some well-lit and ornately decorated corridors and plazas and arrived at a small dining room that offered complete privacy. It even had a plush sofa set along the wall, perfect for extra activities and some post-meal exercise.

“This is your room, Lord Chen. A waitress will be here shortly to take care of your every need. Of course, there is a price for everything.”

“Understood.” Chen Wentian said and stepped inside.

“Lastly, per the rules of the challenge, the waitress assigned to serve you will not be your disciple.”

“Naturally.” Chen Wentian smiled and waved the man away.

The door was closed behind him and he sat down at the table. He studied the details of the room and couldn’t help but be impressed. The King’s Laundry was an establishment capable of serving Spirit Kings and it was on a different level from the average places he visited. The tabled was made of polished wood of a type he did not recognize. It emitted a fragrant smell and a strong spiritual aura. The rest of the furniture was equally expensive and exuded class. The cost to set up a restaurant like this astronomical. He could only hope that food was equally as good.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” He called out.

A svelte woman in the prime of her beauty slinked in and came to a stop before him. She bowed low, letting him see directly down the deep cleavage of her tight dress. There wasn’t much hidden from the imagination. Her assets were on full display and they were substantial.

“Sir Immortal, welcome The King’s Laundry. My name is Xu Lingjing and I will serve you tonight. If you have any requests, please don’t hesitate.”

She rose back up and stood very close. She seemed a little nervous but quite eager to please.

“My lord, would you like to view the menu for tonight?”

Chen Wentian shook his head and looked at her, “Do you know Su Yue?”

“… Yes?”

“I ran into her at the entrance and I like her.”

Xu Lingjing looked crestfallen but then perked up in the next moment. This was because Chen Wentian withdrew a chunk of red spiritual crystal.

“This is over a kilogram of red spiritual crystal. It’s yours if you can find Su Yue and swap places with her. Don’t tell anyone including the manager about this. Can you do this?”

Xu Lingjing nodded rapidly. One kilogram of red spiritual crystal was worth one hundred thousand taels of gold. For someone at the Spirit Initiate Realm, it was a huge amount of money. It far surpassed anything she could earn in a single night, even from the most prodigal immortal.

She bowed a few times before disappearing from the room. Chen Wentian suppressed a chuckle. It wasn’t a very good plan but at least it was a workable one. As long as no one knew both of his relationship with Su Yue and the fact that she was serving him, there was some plausible deniability. As long as nobody looked too closely, there wouldn’t be any problems.

He didn’t have long to wait. The door soon opened without a knock and Su Yue came in carrying a lacquer tray with a bottle of wine and a couple of cups. She had a beaming smile and when they locked eyes, she did not look away but stared back at him with happiness.

She arrived at his side and said softly, “Master, please let disciple Su Yue serve you tonight.”

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