48: Chapter 48 The Old Man of Yicui Tower, Old Xu

Shen Qingyuan lay lazily on the soft couch, not even lifting his eyelids: "My maid."

A maid?

Lian Yue looked at Luo Qingyue's cold, stunningly beautiful face, then at the spotless white clothes she wore, and finally at her calm, unhurried movements as she brewed tea—

How could this person possibly be a maid?

With this demeanor and appearance, she would believe it if someone said she was a Saintess from some Holy Land!

Yet, such a woman was actually willing to serve as a maid for Young Master Shen?

Lian Yue bit her lip, an indescribable feeling surging in her heart.

"Young Master..." Lian Yue took a deep breath, forced a smile, and walked to the soft couch with the wine pot, "Lian Yue has brought you wine."

Her voice remained gentle, but it lacked some of its usual sweetness, replaced by an indescribable sense of resentment.

Shen Qingyuan opened his eyes, glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly: "Just put it there."

Lian Yue placed the wine pot on the table, her gaze involuntarily darting towards Luo Qingyue again.

Luo Qingyue happened to look up, and their eyes met.

One was as cold as frost, the other as tender as water.

Luo Qingyue glanced at her, then withdrew her gaze and continued brewing tea, her expression indifferent, as if she had seen nothing at all.

Lian Yue bit her lip, the bitterness in her heart growing even stronger.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat felt blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word.

"Lian Yue." Shen Qingyuan's voice suddenly rang out.

Lian Yue was startled and quickly looked at him: "Young Master?"

Shen Qingyuan sat up from the soft couch, reached out to pick up the wine pot on the table, and poured himself a cup.

The amber wine liquid swayed slightly in the cup, reflecting the moonlight and glowing with a warm, gentle luster.

He took a sip and said indifferently: "Quite a few Cultivators have arrived in the city recently; business at Yicui Pavilion must be quite good, right?"

Lian Yue didn't expect him to ask this. She was stunned for a moment before nodding quickly: "Yes, yes, many new faces have arrived these past few days, and they are quite generous with their spending..."

"Hmm." Shen Qingyuan put down the wine cup and glanced at her: "Those Disciples from major Sects have quite the temper. It is inevitable that someone might cause trouble. Tell Old Xu to keep a close eye on things; don't let them ruin such a large property of mine!"

Lian Yue lowered her head and replied softly: "Yes, Young Master, Lian Yue understands."

She picked up the wine pot and poured another cup for Shen Qingyuan, her movements gentle, her eyes conveying a touch of just-right charm.

But her peripheral vision involuntarily darted towards Luo Qingyue again.

Luo Qingyue was kneeling to one side brewing tea, her white clothes like snow, her brows and eyes cold, as if she were indifferent to everything around her.

Yet, Lian Yue noticed the astonishment in her eyes.

It was only for an instant, but it did not escape her eyes.

Lian Yue's heart surged with a strange feeling—this cold, ethereal woman seemed to know nothing about the affairs of Yicui Pavilion.

Shen Qingyuan also noticed Luo Qingyue's strangeness, but he did not offer much explanation.

This Yicui Pavilion was built by him many years ago, and very few people knew about it; even the Shen Family was unaware.

In previous years, his cultivation was not high, so he had always stayed in the Shen Family and rarely went out.

It wasn't until later, when his cultivation reached the Primal Chaos Realm, that he began to go out more often.

However, the entertainment options in Guangnan City were pitifully scarce. When he had nothing to do, all he could do was listen to music and appreciate art.

Occasionally, he would go out for a stroll to see the scenery of the world.

After too much appreciation of "white flower" art, it was inevitably a bit monotonous, and he needed to look at some "flowers and plants" to balance things out.

"Young Master, this is the 'Drunken Immortal Brew' brewed by Old Xu. It uses Spiritual Qi springs from the depths of the Tiannan Mountains and century-old Vermilion Fruits, cellared for a full three years. Please have a taste and see if it suits your palate?"

The corners of Lian Yue's mouth curled slightly, and she pushed the filled wine cup toward Shen Qingyuan, her voice soft and sweet.

Shen Qingyuan picked up the wine cup and took a sip.

The wine was mellow, with a hint of the unique sweetness of the Vermilion Fruit. The Spiritual Qi dissolved on his tongue and slid down his throat into his stomach, warm and soothing; it was indeed much better than the spiritual wines of the Shen Family.

"Not bad." He praised, "Old Xu must have put in quite a bit of effort."

Lian Yue's eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face: "I'm glad you like it, Young Master! Old Xu specifically had people set aside the best few jars, prepared especially for you."

"Heh, Old Xu would save some for me?" Shen Qingyuan raised an eyebrow, "That old man can't even walk when he sees wine..."

Before he could finish—

"Bang!"

A loud crash suddenly came from downstairs, followed by the sound of tables and chairs shattering and several exclamations.

"Who dares to cause trouble in Yicui Pavilion?!"

"I'm causing trouble, so what? A mere broken tavern dares to stop me? Do you know who I am?!"

"I don't care who you are! Yicui Pavilion is not a place where you can run wild!"

"Oh? Quite arrogant, huh? Today, I'm going to see just what is so special about this broken building of yours!"

Clatter, crash—

Another round of smashing sounds ensued, mixed with the screams of the young women and the exclamations of the guests.

Shen Qingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, the look of laziness on his face fading a little.

Lian Yue's expression changed, and she quickly stood up: "Young Master, I will go down and take a look—"

Before she could finish speaking—

"Bang!"

A muffled thud came from downstairs, followed immediately by a blood-curdling scream.

"Ah—!!! My leg!!! My leg is broken!!!"

"Who the hell stepped on me?! Do you know who I am?!"

"I don't care who you are."

A hoarse, aged voice rang out, unhurried and carrying a hint of laziness.

"Causing trouble in Yicui Pavilion, even if the Heavenly King himself comes, he has to crawl for me."

A flash of surprise flickered in Luo Qingyue's cold eyes.

The owner of this voice did not have low cultivation.

At least it was the Primal Chaos Realm.

Perhaps even stronger.

...

Downstairs, in the main hall.

It was a scene of chaos.

Tables and chairs were shattered all over the floor, bowls and dishes were smashed to pieces, and wine and food were spilled everywhere.

Several Yicui Pavilion staff members huddled in the corner, their faces deathly pale.

In the center of the main hall, a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes with a fleshy, mean-looking face was lying on the ground, his right leg twisted at a grotesque angle; clearly, the bone had been shattered.

His face was deathly pale, the veins on his forehead bulging, cold sweat pouring down like rain, yet he was still cursing.

"Do you know who the hell I am?! If you dare to touch me, I'll make sure this broken building of yours can't stay open!"

Before he could finish—

A foot wearing a cloth shoe stepped on his face.

The force was not great, but it precisely stomped his entire face into the shattered wood shavings.

"Mmph—mmph mmph mmph—!"

The middle-aged man struggled desperately, his hands clawing at the ground, only to find that the spiritual power throughout his entire body seemed to be sealed by something, unable to be mobilized at all.

The person stepping on him was an old man.

The old man had a thin build, wore a faded grey robe, reeked of alcohol, and was holding a wine pot in his hand.

His hair was grey, his face thin, but his eyes were startlingly bright, though the crisscrossing powder marks on his face made him look somewhat comical.

This person was the old keeper of Yicui Pavilion—Xu Jianan.

Xu Jianan held the wine pot in one hand, tilted his head to take a swig, smacked his lips, looked down at the person under his feet, and sneered.

"I don't care about your background. Causing trouble in Yicui Pavilion and ruining my mood—you deserve a beating!"

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