“Haha, beauty.”
“I’m coming, wait for me, beauty. I want to spend a wonderful night with you.”
The Young Master’s eyes lit up when he saw the many women standing by the window. Without thinking, he staggered towards the pavilion.
“Li Hailong, the Fourth Young Master of the Li family.” Mr. Zhuang’s expression changed when he saw him, and he quickly called out to stop him, “Don’t go over there.”
Unfortunately, Li Hailong seemed not to hear at all, and with a drunken smile, he walked into the pavilion. Inside the building, the lights were bright, and for a moment, the sounds of singing and laughter were continuous, skirts swirled, and waves of charm filled the pavilion.
“It’s useless. Once he enters the Red Building, his mind won’t be able to resist the allure of these women. The desires in his heart have already been enticed, and now he’s entered a group of beauties.” Gu Yuqing shook his head and said, “Deeply painted brows, lightly painted brows, cicada-like temples with clouds adorning her clothes, returning from the rain on Yangtai. Mount Buzhou is high, Mount Buzhou is low, one must eventually leave, how can one stay? The word ‘lust’ consumes one’s soul.”
He held no hope that Li Hailong, who had entered, could escape from that rouge-filled Realm of women. When he left this Red Building and returned home, he would become a dried corpse, drained of his essence. One could only say that dying beneath a peony was to be a romantic ghost.
“Can’t we stop him?”
Mr. Zhuang frowned slightly and asked.
Although he was no longer a constable and held no public office, witnessing a young life wither away before his eyes still made it difficult for him to remain calm.
“You can’t stop him. Look, there are a total of six pavilions within this Red Building. This one in front of us is the Wind and Moon Tower, there’s also the Drunken Immortal Tower, the third is the Treasure Tower, the fourth is the Exquisite Skill Tower, the fifth is the Gambling Den Tower, and the sixth is the Hundred Flower Tower. The Hundred Flower Tower is in the very center, and the other five are arranged around it according to the Five Elements’ directions.”
Gu Yuqing seemed to have a deep understanding of this Red Building.
Knowing that Mr. Zhuang was unfamiliar with this place, he patiently recounted what he knew.
“The six Treasure Towers, gathered together, form the entire Red Building. Each one can make you feel at home, linger, and find it hard to leave. In the Wind and Moon Tower, beauties are like national treasures that consume the soul. Inside, there is a group of true femme fatales, soul-devouring enchantresses. Their skills in the bedroom are unparalleled, and their methods of seduction are exquisite. If you can’t resist, you will sink into it, and your essence will turn to naught. If you can resist the charm of the Red Powder Tower, you will naturally be safe and even gain great benefits. If you enter the Drunken Immortal Tower, the wine in this tower can be called ambrosia, an immortal wine among wines, exquisitely beautiful. Even immortals would get drunk and become bewildered. If you can’t resist, you will remain drunk indefinitely.”
At this point, Gu Yuqing stopped speaking.
“Mr. Gu, what exactly is this Red Building?”
Mr. Zhuang took a deep breath, his expression grave, already sensing that the Red Building was far from simple.
“The Red Building can also be called the Mortal World Inn. This is not its first appearance in the world; there are legends about the Red Building in many places.” Gu Yuqing shook his head and said, “The Red Building tempts dreams, and in a dream, one does not wish to wake. Encountering the Red Building is a disaster, but also an Opportunity. It just depends on whether you can seize it. If you enter, each tower is considered a test, and you will receive a reward. If you can pass all the tests, you can ascend to the Hundred Flower Tower alone and obtain the hongchen immortal wine.”
Gu Yuqing spoke with a yearning tone.
“What is hongchen immortal wine?”
Mr. Zhuang asked again.
He hoped to learn more about the Red Building from him.
“How would I know that? I’ve only heard such legends. It is said that the hongchen immortal wine possesses incredibly miraculous effects. It can allow a Spirit Master to break through their own shackles and a Lianqishi (Qi Refiner) to perfectly Breakthrough and advance. Legend has it that it is an immortal wine of legend, the supreme immortal treasure of the world. On the Immortal Treasure List, it ranks among the top ten. Who knows how many powerful individuals eagerly pursue it, yet it remains out of reach.”
Gu Yuqing shook his head and said, “The news of the Red Building’s appearance has spread. Before long, the entire Qingyun City will undergo a great change. Top-tier powerhouses and large numbers of Spirit Masters will rush here from all directions, even returning from the Endless Sea. Qingyun City will become a place of trouble. Captain Zhuang, you should be more careful recently. When you encounter something, think twice before acting.”
“Mr. Gu means that the changes happening in Qingyun City now are just the beginning.”
Mr. Zhuang felt a chill in his heart.
“Exactly. The appearance of the Red Building will inevitably attract a large number of Cultivators and Spirit Masters. When there are more outsiders, naturally, the situation will become extremely complex,” Gu Yuqing said with a smile.
“What exactly is this Red Building?”
Mr. Zhuang said with a bitter smile.
“The Red Building itself is a type of strangeness. Moreover, it belongs to one of the top-tier strange phenomena. Strange phenomena can be divided into White Roamers, Grey Slaves, Black Grudges, Blood Fiends, Evil Spirits, Ferocious Spirits, Earthly Calamities, Heavenly Disasters, and World Destroyers. These are the nine levels of strangeness, equivalent to the Realms of Cultivators, and can even be more terrifying. Among strange phenomena, there is also a special existence, which is the Taboo-level strangeness. This type of strangeness is the most unique; its existence cannot be measured by grade, and it is also the most unpredictable. Normally, it might be like a White Roamer-level, causing no great harm as long as it is not provoked. However, if a certain taboo is violated, its grade will instantly increase dramatically, unleashing incredible power. No one can easily define their grade. But generally, it’s best to avoid them.”
Gu Yuqing seemed to deliberately explain this to Mr. Zhuang.
“Mr. Gu, are you saying that this Red Building is that extremely special Taboo-level strangeness?”
Mr. Zhuang took a deep breath, looked at the entire Red Building, and slowly said.
“Exactly.”
Gu Yuqing affirmed with a smile, “The Red Building, also known as the Mortal World Inn, is one of the known Taboo-level strange phenomena in the world. It is also a very special kind among them. Here, one might die, or one might obtain immense benefits; anything is possible, it is not an absolute death trap. As long as you don’t enter the six pavilions in this courtyard, there is no great danger here, and you can enter and exit freely. I will be painting here, Mr. Zhuang, please make yourself at home, just don’t enter those pavilions.”
As his voice fell, he found a pavilion, took out drawing paper, set up his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and watched the beautiful woman washing her hair by the river, observing her quietly, as if to engrave her every movement, every frown, and every smile into his mind, feeling the unique temperament she possessed.
Mr. Zhuang witnessed this and did not go forward to disturb him.
He stepped forward to the Wind and Moon Tower and could see that inside the building, the women were all beautifully dressed and full of charm. When they saw Mr. Zhuang approach the pavilion, many women stood directly at the windows on the second floor, revealing charming smiles to him.
“Customer, come up!”
“We’re waiting for you upstairs, oh.”
Bursts of soft laughter, like silver bells, made one’s heart flutter and a warmth ignite within. It felt as if one couldn’t help but walk into the pavilion, with thoughts swirling in one’s mind. The slender and plump figures were truly dazzling, and no matter what type you preferred, you could find it inside. Even a few simple words could make one’s heart itch.
If one’s will was not firm, one would immediately walk into this Wind and Moon Tower.
Through the doors and windows, it was already visible that Li Hailong, inside the building, was already lost in a crowd of beauties, having too much fun to think of leaving.
To save him, one would have to step into the Wind and Moon Tower and forcibly take him away.
But in this situation, Mr. Zhuang did not dare to easily step inside.
Li Hailong was not a good person either; he had committed numerous acts of bullying men and women in the city. If he were still a constable, Mr. Zhuang would have to seriously consider whether to go in. Now that he had resigned from his public office as a constable, whether to do it or not was entirely up to his personal preference.
Stepping into danger for a scumbag was something Mr. Zhuang was unwilling to do.
“Villains have their own villains to grind them down. Dying beneath a peony is to be a romantic ghost. He got what he wished for. Li Hailong, you can be considered to have died peacefully.”
Mr. Zhuang shook his head and turned to leave. For many men, this kind of death was also a fitting end, and they found joy in it.
Instead of leaving directly, he turned and walked towards the Drunken Immortal Tower. As he approached the building, he could smell a naturally diffused, intoxicating aroma of wine, which wafted into his nostrils. Instantly, the “wine bug” in his stomach couldn’t help but be stirred. The wine inside must be a rare and peerless fine vintage.
Mr. Zhuang drinks alcohol, and his tolerance is not shallow. He never refuses good wine; both tea and wine are his preferences.
However, in this era, wine, especially good wine, was ultimately too scarce. The alcohol content and taste of the wine were not very good, incomparable to his previous life. It required cellaring and time to mature. The winemaking techniques were not too advanced, but all good wines had secret brewing methods. The quantity was naturally scarce.
Honestly, Mr. Zhuang was not very satisfied with the wine in Qingyun City. He had always thought about brewing a batch of wine himself, not too much, just enough for himself to drink. But the problem was that as a constable before, he didn't have the time to do it. Now, smelling the aroma of wine, it couldn't help but stir the wine bug in his stomach.
“There must be good wine in there, but it’s not time to go in yet.”
Mr. Zhuang secretly swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva, then turned his head with some difficulty and walked towards the other pavilions again.
Arriving at the Gambling Den Tower, inside the pavilion, one could hear the crisp sounds of various dice and gambling tools, and constant shouts and bustling human voices. Seeing this, one couldn't help but feel the urge to gamble, wanting to go in and try their luck.
The urge to gamble is something everyone possesses. It's just a matter of degree.
It’s a matter of whether one can control it.
Those with strong self-discipline can naturally control themselves and suppress their inner gambling urge. Those who cannot control it will only become gamblers, losing everything they own, without a doubt.
Regarding gambling, Mr. Zhuang had extremely strong self-control. He just listened quietly for a while, then turned and left without any lingering attachment.
The single word “gambling” is the source of all evil; if you can avoid it, you absolutely should not touch it.
He walked past each of the pavilions in sequence, observing them one by one. Then, Mr. Zhuang turned and walked out of the Red Building.