◎(Revised) The Nightless City of Pleasure and Vice◎
The carriage emerged from a pitch-black alleyway into a dazzling river of neon lights ahead.
A lantern-studded waterway cut straight through the pleasure district, where several ornate pleasure boats were moored along the banks. The faint strains of pipes and strings drifted from their decks, where jade railings were lined with cultivator courtesans adorned in emerald silks—like the songstresses of mortal pleasure quarters. Their sleeves billowed like celestial apsaras from Dunhuang murals when they skimmed across the water, and their swirling skirts folded like closing blossoms as they descended.
Longzhou’s Moonveil District was a nightless paradise of revelry.
Amid the crisp clinking of metal, Bai Li glimpsed through the half-drawn carriage curtains a group of exuberant tycoons tossing golden coins into the river. The water splashed in rhythmic bursts, each droplet catching the light like molten gold.
So even in this world of cultivation, nightclubs exist. Bai Li found it fascinating, though the two righteous cultivators sharing the carriage looked thoroughly displeased—likely disgusted by such decadence.
The carriage rattled onward, passing stalls hawking jade artifacts and pushcarts laden with candied chestnuts and lotus-root cakes, before squeezing through a wall of densely packed crowds to arrive before a towering jade pavilion at the district’s end.
Built entirely of white jade, it was a true masterpiece of craftsmanship—a translucent, luminous monument standing stark against the riot of lights and shadows, like an unpainted patch in a gaudy oil painting.
The Jade Pavilion was so striking that the surrounding inns and shops, dotted with lanterns, seemed like mere fireflies paling under the moon’s brilliance.
"The Wen Clan’s Jade Pavilion," Xia Xuan murmured in the darkness. "We’re almost there."
Jade Pavilion? The name rang a bell. Bai Li remembered—the great villain had gone to great lengths to rescue the Wen siblings from the Shouyang Sect, all for the sake of the pavilion’s blueprints. Less a rescue, more another form of exploitation.
The carriage turned into a shadowed alley and halted. Before Bai Li could process their location, the curtain was yanked aside, revealing a lavishly dressed woman swaying toward them on a wave of cloying perfume.
"My, what a pretty little brother! I’d hate to sell you off—why not stay with me instead?" The woman zeroed in on Xia Xuan, pinching his cheek with nails painted in five different colors, every bit the eccentric auntie with a taste for delicate youths.
Xia Xuan recoiled as if scalded, hissing through gritted teeth, "You demonic witch! Mark my words—you’ve messed with the wrong people! We’re direct disciples of the Jade Floating Palace. Kidnap us, and you’ll regret it!"
The woman arched her thin, dark brows, tilting his face left and right with a coy smile. "If you’re so powerful, how’d you end up caught by us?"
Xia Xuan: "…" Damn it. No rebuttal.
A skirt of black embroidery on red bloomed before Bai Li’s eyes. In the next instant, the woman materialized before her like a phantom, fingers like jade shoots lifting Bai Li’s chin. Her fox-like eyes flickered with surprise. "Hmm? This girl’s constitution is… a complete mess."
A servant explained, "She was chosen by the Grandmaster’s nephew. Said to possess the rare ‘Jade Phoenix Marrow’ physique."
"Ah, so it’s that child’s pick. His taste never disappoints."
Dabbing her fingers with an embroidered handkerchief, the woman turned and muttered something under her breath. Bai Li caught only fragments—obscure jargon that left her baffled, let alone a clueless outsider like herself.
"Don’t be scared, little one." The woman bent down, a jade-like finger pressing against Bai Li’s lips. Her voice was a smoky purr: "The place you’re headed… it could free you from suffering—or drown you in agony."
A sudden void swallowed Bai Li. She plummeted as if in an elevator to the abyss, flashes of light streaking past her vision before she landed hard on the ground.
The woman was gone. So were Ling Yanyan and Xia Xuan. She’d been teleported to an empty, unfamiliar space.
Mist curled thickly, obscuring anything beyond five paces. Beneath her feet stretched polished white jade tiles, where spirit orchids bloomed in silver-white strokes, accented with hints of crabapple red and pine green. Further out, the hues deepened into indigo and ink-purple, layering into a riot of colors that blazed into the fog’s heart.
She realized—this was a bathhouse. Moonveil District, ever the lavish pleasure hub, even decked its baths in splendor.
The tinkling of bells approached. Two doll-like maidens in violet robes stood stiffly a short distance away, each wrist adorned with a chime. They bowed in unison, their movements robotic, their eyes hollow—as if only the bells were alive.
These were spirit puppets.
"Young miss, please bathe and change," they intoned, voices cold as ice.
Bai Li stood frozen.
When she didn’t move, the girls tilted their heads, exchanged a glance, and vanished in a puff of violet smoke—only to rematerialize behind her. Pale hands shoved her forward without warning.
Bai Li hadn’t expected such strength from children. She toppled into the pool with a splash, coughing up water after a brief flail.
The mist dispersed, unveiling the truth—a white jade pool, its waters warm and steaming.
Her mind reeled. This trope… "Silken skin bathed in hot springs"?
Wait, wasn’t this the female lead’s scene?! How had it been dumped on her?!
Bai Li seethed. Ever since crossing paths with that villainous Xue, her luck had plummeted. The original Bai Li hadn’t even appeared at this point—yet here she was, forcibly rewriting the plot, getting manhandled like a salted fish by two puppets half her height. After being fished out, they swaddled her in a sheer, wide-sleeved gown and paraded her out like a finished art piece.
Now, she could only hope the protagonists remembered to rescue this extra while saving the day.
Vermilion curtains and jade screens parted, revealing a winding corridor lit by eternal lamps. Wen Hua, who bred inch-long serpents, also fancied refined aesthetics—white pear trees lined the path, blooming in full despite late autumn. As Bai Li passed, petals cascaded like shards of ice and snow.
The White Jade Tower rose into the sky, its lights dimming the higher one looked, until the rooftop vanished into the dark curtain of night. The surroundings were arranged like an enormous curio cabinet, with numerous elegant private rooms enclosed by tightly shut pearwood doors. Occasionally, an open door or window would be veiled by a thin gauze to deter prying eyes. Yet, for those inclined, whispered conversations could still be exchanged through sound-transmitting spells.
The White Jade Tower guarded privacy meticulously. Guests were not required to present identity tokens upon entry; instead, they were discreetly escorted to their assigned rooms, ensuring anonymity and preventing scandalous rumors.
Countless uncomfortable gazes bore down on Bai Li, turning her into the spotlight’s focus as she stood frozen at the staircase landing, unwilling to descend.
Two young maids exchanged glances once more, their snow-white hands reaching out to push her down.
Before they could act, the surrounding stained-glass windows shattered into dust with a resounding crash, scattering across the floor like a moonlit, mirror-smooth pond.
Fierce gusts of wind surged inward, sending the delicate-looking girls flying backward, smashing through a door across the way. The two spirit puppets reverted to their true forms—polished wooden rods, their joints shattered beyond recognition.
"What’s going on?!"
The cultivators inside, quietly sipping tea, jumped in alarm, cursing in outrage.
"Who’s fighting out there?!"
"Is no one going to intervene?!"
"Who dares trespass in my White Jade Tower?!" Wen Hua’s voice trembled through the night before he even appeared.
Before his words faded, several sword beams sliced through the air with crushing force, cleaving the entire floor in two. The neatly arranged private rooms were ravaged, their enchanted pearwood doors exploding one after another in a storm of smoke. Whether they had been pretending to sip tea or play the zither, or indulging in romantic dalliances, all were now exposed.
The crowd stood stunned, as if stripped bare under the public gaze.
Furious, the thin-skinned leaped out windows in shame, while the brazen stepped forward, shouting, "Who? Who dares ruin our evening?! I’m the direct disciple of the ×× Sect!"
"I’m from the ×× Family of ×× Province!"
"My master is the True Monarch ××!"
"Oh? Is that so?" A cold voice, carried by the night wind, instantly silenced the uproar. "Disciples of renowned orthodox sects, yet so corrupt."
Outside, the darkness was not from clouds obscuring the moon, but from the densely packed figures standing in formation.
To the left, rows of cultivators wore yellow robes trimmed in green, their sashes fluttering. To the right, a more subdued group donned pale blue robes, their tall hats and broad sashes exuding an immortal aura. The smallest group stood in the center, clad in fitted, high-collared martial attire, their sword cases radiating sharp intent.
Behind them, spiritual light blazed—a formation had long been erected around the White Jade Tower.
The young man at the forefront, the one who had spoken, held a sword that seemed to condense the night’s chill. "State your names, all of you here tonight."
The loudest braggarts from earlier, seeing the prepared siege, immediately lost their nerve and bolted—only to be flung back by the formation, plastered against the wall like wailing insects.
"Did I say you could flee?" The man’s sword gleamed as he pointed at the rabble. "State your names."
Bai Li: "..."
This was absolutely a vice raid!
She lifted her skirt, ready to slip away in the chaos, when a hand suddenly seized her collar from behind, hoisting her up.
Wen Hua had appeared behind her unnoticed, his face paler than before, flushed with an unnatural hue.
A group of black-robed disciples had gathered around him, shielding his escape. Seeing him turn back for a girl, they nearly choked in frustration. "Elder Ancestor, at a time like this, how can you still think of—"
"Enough!"
Wen Hua backhanded the speaker into the wall, then channeled his spiritual power to breach the formation and vanish.
To others, it might be unclear, but Wen Hua, well-versed in such arts, knew exactly how rare a Jade Phoenix Constitution was. Even if his cultivation plummeted tonight, three months of dual cultivation could help him break through the bottleneck of the Fifth Realm.
The wind howled in Bai Li’s ears as she was carried into the sky. From above, the river of lanterns resembled a jade belt woven with gold and silver, the distant strains of music floating up from boats below, the crowds tiny as ants.
Inside the formation, the earth shook; outside, the world remained oblivious to the chaos.
Behind the White Jade Tower lay a sprawling complex of solemn rooftops—the ancestral hall of the Wen Clan. Yet Wen Hua fled straight toward the streets, clearly ready to abandon his stronghold and vanish without a trace.
The next moment, the grip on Bai Li’s collar vanished as another arm wrapped around her waist. Two sword beams crossed like white lightning, tearing through the night.
"Jiang Biehan, what grudge does the Moon Veil Pavilion hold against you that you must hunt us to extinction?!" Wen Hua clutched the jagged stump of his severed arm, his eyes bloodshot, the other half of his limb left behind.
Jiang Biehan ignored him, gently lowering the girl to the ground. He frowned, unsure where this accusation came from—his master’s orders were simply to eradicate the most heinous offenders. As for the rest, mercy was to be shown where possible.
Of course, this Wen leader had to die, especially since he’d also abducted Jiang Biehan’s junior sister, Ling Yanyan, compounding his crimes.
Jiang Biehan paid him no mind, shielding the trembling girl with one arm as he faced the crowd, righteous and unyielding. "Miss, don’t worry about me. Run, as far as you can—"
He recited the classic parting lines of romance novel protagonists with utmost sincerity, then turned to look.
The girl had indeed not worried about him—she was already gone.
Jiang Biehan: "..."
