Chapter 4062 — Ning Xuefei Arrives
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Oh? No time like the present—this shopkeeper has nothing pressing anyway, so why don't we go unwind together?" Si Haitao's interest was instantly piqued, and he made the suggestion on the spot.
"Splendid, splendid. You've come all this way to us, Shopkeeper Si, and we brothers have yet to properly welcome you. This time it's on us—consider it our formal welcome." The two nodded eagerly in agreement.
To them, Si Haitao was a fine patron to have, precisely the sort of man worth currying favor with. If this was the indulgence he favored, so much the better.
A few spirit jades, no more, to draw close to a man of such standing—it was an opportunity not to be missed, a bargain of bargains.
In the days since arriving on North Island, Si Haitao had been occupied clearing out the influence left behind by his predecessor Hong Zhong. Pent up for so long, he was at the point where his passions could hardly be contained. The three of them were of one mind in an instant and set out together straight away.
North Island had no female cultivators to speak of, but the place Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan took Si Haitao was a cultivator village of the largest scale in the vicinity of the Three-Tier Pavilion. Its people were ordinary folk, much like the secular world, and it possessed every sort of pleasure house—taverns, brothels, gambling dens, all complete.
Cultivators were people too, with the seven passions and six desires. Beyond their pure cultivation they still had needs of every kind, and when they craved indulgence they would often come to the cultivator villages. The Nan brothers, for their part, had long been regulars here.
The five Cloud-Tier Islands shared but one common currency: spirit jade. And since this was, after all, a village of ordinary folk, even the finest brothel was a trifling expense to lofty cultivators—not worth mentioning at all.
For a mere few spirit jades one could effortlessly enjoy the finest courtesan, peerless in both beauty and talent. She might be only a common woman, not a lofty female cultivator, but where quality fell short, quantity could make up the difference—more than enough to let Si Haitao indulge himself to the full.
While Si Haitao and the Nan brothers were living it up in the cultivator village, Shangguan Lan'er, currently confined to her home by her grandfather Shangguan Tianxia, had finally received the guest she had been waiting for: her dearest friend Ning Xuefei, who had traveled a thousand li from West Island.
The two girls, meeting at last, both cheered and capered with delight, lending the normally tranquil Hualan Residence a touch of bright and lively spring.
Ning Xuefei and Han Jingyi were the kind of inseparable friends who shared every thought because their interests and inclinations aligned; with Shangguan Lan'er, it was because their temperaments were so alike—almost everything in the world was a topic they had in common.
"Come on, come on, little Lan'er, quick, tell me about the attempted rape! Oh, and the kidnapping too—you didn't explain any of it properly in your letter!" Ning Xuefei's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Even easygoing, scatterbrained Shangguan Lan'er could not help but darken at these words. Speechless, she said, "Feifei, you came all this way just to pry into that? Weren't you supposed to be here to comfort me? Boo-hoo, I'm heartbroken!"
"Oh, of course I came to comfort you, little Lan'er! But something this entertaining—as your best friend, aren't you going to share it with me properly? I'm only showing concern for you!" Ning Xuefei's eyes darted about as she made her shameless excuse.
"Fine, fine. Every time you come at me under the pretext of comforting me, and every time you rub salt in the wound. I surrender—you win!" Shangguan Lan'er had no choice but to give in helplessly.