Chapter 255: Late-Night Tavern

Chapter 255: Late-Night Tavern

Compiling the Weapon Ranking List was merely an idea proposed by Ning Xiaochuan. As for the actual work—gathering materials, collecting intelligence, and drafting the rankings—naturally, others would handle it. He only needed to issue the order.

"Xie Mengyao, you will take full responsibility for compiling the Weapon Ranking List. Once it’s completed, submit it to me for review." Ning Xiaochuan wouldn’t waste too much time on this matter. He had far more important things to attend to.

"This subordinate will not disappoint the Manor Lord’s trust. I will draft a preliminary version of the Weapon Ranking List in the shortest time possible." Xie Mengyao was overjoyed. Compiling the Weapon Ranking List was a significant task. If she executed it flawlessly, her status in Ghost Manor would undoubtedly rise to new heights.

Outside, Yu Ningsheng’s voice sounded: "Ning Xiaochuan, I’d like to speak with you."

Ning Xiaochuan pondered for a moment before standing up and stepping out of the room.

Yu Ningsheng stood beneath the moonlight, her ethereal figure shrouded in a mist of Profound Qi, her mysterious and beautiful form half-hidden within the hazy glow.

Ning Xiaochuan followed her until they entered the bamboo pavilion. With a smile, he asked, "What guidance does the Saintess have for me?"

Yu Ningsheng said, "This is the Jade Viewing Tower, a secret stronghold of the Demon Sect. I do not wish for its location to be exposed. In the future, it would be best if you refrain from bringing outsiders here. Additionally, the three elders of the Lifeless Dao have already arrived in the Imperial City. If they discover that I’ve sheltered you here, they will surely stir up trouble at Nine Death Cliff."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "That was indeed a lapse in judgment on my part. I will resolve the issue as soon as possible. Saintess, is there anything else?"

"Nothing else." Yu Ningsheng hesitated before finally adding, "You weren’t at the Jade Viewing Tower these past two days. Were you with them?"

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "Saintess, are you going to oversee which women I associate with now?"

"I was merely asking casually. If you don’t wish to answer, then I won’t press further. I just want to know… can we still go back to how things were before?" Yu Ningsheng’s starry eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochuan, clear and flawless, as pure as two budding flowers on a lake’s surface.

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t sure how to answer her. He took a deep breath and said, "Those two are merely my subordinates. There is nothing else between us."

With that, he turned and left.

Yu Ningsheng stood in the bamboo pavilion, watching Ning Xiaochuan’s retreating figure. A faint, enchanting smile curved her lips, and her heart felt as sweet as if she had stolen a taste of honey.

The fact that Ning Xiaochuan had chosen to explain himself proved that she still held a place in his heart.

What could bring her greater joy than that?

Even the Demon Sect Saintess could fall for the man she loved, harboring the tender emotions of a young girl—sadness and happiness because of him. It was the most natural thing in the world.

"Xiao Yizhi is also part of the Demon Sect, and he is my subordinate as well."

She spoke to Ning Xiaochuan’s back. When he didn’t turn around, she added, "I can help you compile the Weapon Ranking List."

Ning Xiaochuan paused slightly but did not turn back. "Thank you."

Ning Xiaochuan was aware of Yu Ningsheng's feelings for him, and he held a certain fondness for her as well. However, this affection was still hazy, not yet reaching the level of romantic love between a man and a woman. Thus, neither of them had spoken it aloud.

Ning Xiaochuan was not a man who didn’t need women—he was a normal man, after all, and naturally had his desires. But he hadn’t yet figured out how to navigate their relationship if he were to confirm his feelings for Yu Ningsheng. How would he manage this bond? How would he handle their interactions?

Since he hadn’t made up his mind, he let this ambiguous affection linger.

By midnight, the streets of the Imperial City were sparsely populated. Aside from the occasional patrol of city guards, hardly any pedestrians could be seen.

Yet, on the side of the street, a tavern remained brightly lit, filled with the sounds of drinking games, gambling, women’s shrieks, and the clatter of cups slamming against tables.

The place was lively—and chaotic.

Qian Sanyuan, as usual, was distilling liquor by the stove, long accustomed to the disorderly scene inside his tavern. Even if he saw a bald, one-eyed brute pinning a delicate girl onto a table and assaulting her, he wouldn’t intervene—after all, the girl had been brought in by the man himself, and her fate was entirely his to decide.

Qian Sanyuan merely provided a place for late-night drinking. How his patrons chose to enjoy themselves was none of his concern, nor did he care to interfere.

He had run this tavern for forty years, encountering all sorts of people—high-ranking officials, ruthless assassins, and even notorious figures from the Demon Sect. They had all drunk here and paid him handsomely.

Tonight, however, a particularly extravagant young master arrived.

This young master wore a golden mask and spotless white robes, his hair neatly tied up, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist. Accompanying him was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Her beauty could shame fish and down geese, her fair skin so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch. With full curves, a slender waist, and an alluring figure, she looked like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm.

The martial artists in the tavern fell silent, their eyes fixated on the woman with undisguised hunger, like a pack of ravenous wolves.

Qian Sanyuan, a man of vast experience, immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this pair. He hurried forward with a smile and asked, "What wine would the honored guest like?"

Ning Xiaochuan glanced at the chaotic scene inside and replied, "Not here to drink. I’m waiting for someone."

"Waiting still costs money," Qian Sanyuan said.

Ning Xiaochuan handed him a large silver cake and asked, "Is this enough?"

"More than enough, more than enough!" Qian Sanyuan had never seen such generosity before. He quickly accepted the payment and retreated to continue distilling, not daring to disturb this distinguished guest further.

Ning Xiaochuan found a seat by the window and sat down, slowly closing his eyes as he cultivated while waiting.

Situ Fengwu stood behind him, poised and graceful, her beauty captivating. She couldn’t help but wonder why Ning Xiaochuan had brought her to such a vulgar and disorderly place.

The martial artists in the tavern all had savage appearances, their eyes shamelessly roaming over her body, making her skin crawl with discomfort.

Not far away on the ground lay a completely naked young girl, barely clinging to life. Her legs were covered in blood, and her fair skin was marred with bruises and swellings. No one paid her any attention anymore.

In a corner, six martial artists were gambling. One of them had already lost an arm, his wrist wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, yet he continued to bet recklessly.

"Word has it that during the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's grand sacrificial ceremony, Ning Xiaochuan drew the Heavenly Emperor's Blade, summoning the Heavenly Emperor's Spirit and even luring out a Millennium Ancient Demon. A world-shaking battle erupted, nearly reducing the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's Ancestral Grounds to ruins," a middle-aged man whispered.

"The Heavenly Emperor's Blade really fell into Ning Xiaochuan's hands? That was the very weapon the Heavenly Emperor wielded in his youth. Its reappearance is bound to stir a storm of blood and wind," a woman wearing a bamboo hat remarked.

"Rumors say Ning Xiaochuan was captured by a mysterious expert. The Heavenly Emperor's Blade has likely been taken already."

"The Jian Pavilion Marquis House dispatched countless men to search the entire city but couldn’t find Ning Xiaochuan. It’s possible this peerless genius has already perished."

Another martial artist disagreed, "I don’t think so. At the time, the Ancestral Grounds were swarming with experts, with all the marquises and nobles present. Who could possibly have taken Ning Xiaochuan away? I suspect the Jian Pavilion Marquis House hid him themselves to avoid disaster."

"That’s actually plausible. I heard Ning Xiaochuan has made many powerful enemies. Even the Demon Sect experts of the Lifeless Dao have arrived in the Imperial City to claim his life."

Situ Fengwu glanced at the tavern patrons, inwardly amused. If they knew Ning Xiaochuan was sitting right beside them, what would they think?

Her stunning beauty had already drawn the attention of many.

Finally, someone couldn’t resist.

A bald one-eyed man swaggered over to Ning Xiaochuan and Situ Fengwu, his gaze burning with lust as he stared at her ample, snow-white chest. "Hey there, missy, how about keeping ol’ Goldy here company for a drink?"

Situ Fengwu smirked disdainfully and coldly spat, "Get lost."

The bald man wasn’t fazed. "Feisty, aren’t you? Whose noble daughter are you, huh?"

"You wouldn’t dare hear it. It might scare you to death," Situ Fengwu retorted.

"Oh no, I’m so scared! I’m practically shaking in my boots!" The bald man burst into laughter, joined by the raucous crowd.

Situ Fengwu’s eyes turned icy. Martial Arts Profound Qi surged within her as azure freezing energy condensed in her palm. With a single strike, she sent the bald man flying.

Boom!

He crashed through a table, half his body encased in ice, shivering uncontrollably. Clutching his agonizing chest, he stared at the beautiful woman in terror. "A Transcendent Realm martial artist!"

The tavern fell silent. No one dared to laugh now.

Even a maidservant possessed Transcendent Realm cultivation—just who was this man wearing a golden mask?

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed outside the tavern. He uttered two words:

"They're here."

On the empty street, three elderly men, each in their seventies or eighties, walked forward, accompanied by mystic beast battle pets, their bodies surging with demonic energy.

"Thud, thud."

The three mystic beast battle pets emitted low growls—a Black Scale Python, a scorpion over 6 meters long, and a Hundred-Legged Centipede more than 10 meters in length.

The python's body was as thick as a water vat, its eyes like two lanterns, with two sharp venomous fangs.

The scorpion's body was encased in a golden shell, exuding a potent toxicity—it was none other than a Golden-Winged Ghost King Scorpion.

Each leg of the centipede was like a sharp iron hook, scraping against the stone pavement and sending sparks flying.

The three elderly men carried three streams of Demonic Malevolent Qi, leaving thick layers of frost on the ground as they stood outside the tavern, making the entire space feel chillingly oppressive.

The martial artists inside the tavern were already terrified. Could it be that major figures from the Demon Sect had arrived?

"It’s the three elders of the Lifeless Dao—Poison Snake Elder, Scorpion Elder, and Centipede Elder. They are all masters of poison, holding extremely high status within the Demon Sect. What are they doing here?"

"Don’t drink the wine! The liquor in these cups might have already turned into poison. Wherever these three Demon Sect poison masters pass, the air and liquids become tainted. Even the fish and shrimp in lakes die out completely, and the plants on the ground turn to dust."

"Is it really that terrifying?"

"Boom!"

The severely wounded Bald One-Eyed Man let out a final scream before succumbing to the poison, his skin turning charred black.

The other martial artists paled in horror, quickly circulating their Profound Qi to envelop their bodies, isolating themselves from the outside air.