Ning Zheng communicated for a moment.

He found out that they were indeed preparing to buy blind boxes.

Previously, the manor had minimal interaction with the outside world. After all, selling rough weapon blanks was a matter of accumulating a batch and then selling it off.

But now, with the establishment of trade, the transportation of goods would become more frequent.

Ning Zheng thought for a bit and gave a precautionary warning:

"There's no problem; you can come over. It's just that recently our manor's blacksmiths might ask you about some things, like buying a Paper House, just ignore them."

"Due to certain reasons, their mental state is not very normal."

Ning Zheng made a self-deprecating remark in passing.

The more brutal he made himself seem, the more he could protect himself, preventing exposure of the manor's emptiness, leaving only a weak cultivator pretending to be the Manor Master.

Zhang Huaping was taken aback.

Buying a Paper House from me?

An underground residence?

What on earth are they planning?

The sense of unease grew stronger in her heart.

She could only test the waters and ask indirectly: "Might I ask if there have been any unusual events happening in your manor lately, the kind that I shouldn't see..."

Ning Zheng was puzzled; everything was visible.

He looked back at the manor's entrance.

In the distance, there were stalls, people queuing to buy poison, emaciated sick blacksmiths.

A group excitedly discussing how to hunt a River Demon, and the Medical Fairy shaking a bulging Pikachu.

What about the plan-failed demon dormitory?

Ning Zheng stroked his chin:

It seems there's nothing that can't be seen... probably.

However, how did Zhang Huaping suddenly sell out over there?

...

...

Time returns to a day ago.

Pingchang City.

The end of the year had passed, the weather turning cold, and the people had gradually donned long sleeves.

Zhang Huaping promoted throughout the day; her circle consisted of loose cultivator demon hunters, although many were skilled loose cultivators, nobody was willing to buy.

The fragrance of wine is afraid of deep alleys.

This is reality.

Finally, she turned to the only young master from a noble family she knew.

A shop called "Flower-Blooming Forging Workshop" sat at the street corner, the street bustling outside with incessant noises.

At the counter.

Jiao Chiwan, wearing a white scholar's robe, squinted his charming phoenix eyes and looked her up and down: "Why is it so expensive? But the style is quite nice, I can help you promote it."

Zhang Huaping felt somewhat touched, "Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me, it's just a small favor. You are the special tributor of our shop, providing us with demon beast materials. These weapons are originally our business."

Jiao Chiwan opened the blind box and found a beautifully patterned blue long saber.

"Great!"

One must say, the pattern simply won his heart over.

This artistry indeed justifies the price.

Of course, the first is valuable, and afterwards, when everyone copies the creativity, it loses its value.

Those demon cultivators were never good at business. Do they now intend to sell at this price through creativity?

Ridiculous.

Those demon cultivators mock us for not knowing how to rob, and we mock them for not understanding commerce.

Everyone copy it a bit, take away his hard work, and this price drops.

He plans to have the family's blacksmiths study how to make this pattern so transparent and clear, rich with layered beauty.

This technique has great potential!!

Too beautiful.

They are also clear that aesthetic looks might be useless but can be sold at higher prices.

In the hands of those brute demon cultivators in the manors, it's like pearls covered in dust.

To keep the accounts in line, he still properly paid the 499 coins, feeling extremely pained inside, cursing those demon cultivators for getting the better of him, planning to make double the profit when the imitations come out.

After parting with Zhang Huaping, Jiao Chiwan went to a place he visited almost daily: the Red House.

What is the Red House?

A brothel!

Nowadays, it is an era flourishing in scholarly pursuits, and the brothel industry, exceedingly prosperous.

The current Saint of the Jiushui Dynasty forbids flesh transactions.

The brothels are proper venues for poetry and matching verses and only the court can operate them, private operation is not allowed.

They belong to a kind of public facility.

Ordinary brothels are divided into brothels and Red Houses.

Both sell art, not the body.

The common brothel is always brightly decorated.

With colorful lanterns hanging, being an elegant place for scholars, where they often listen to songs, hold gatherings, and chat.

Many scholars from humble families compose poetry within, thus gaining fame and the recognition and funding of local great families, gifted Spiritual Roots, achieving greatness, and joining factions.

This is the separation between the mortal and immortal realms!

With such opportunities, how could the brothels in various places not be bustling?

Therefore, the court holds this crucial lifeline firmly.

Meanwhile, some young lords also come here to seek out scholars from humble backgrounds, showcasing their talents, recruiting more capable people, and competing for the various courtesans' attention.

And at the end of the brothel lies the Red House.

Alive, they were courtesans; even in death, they maintain the courtesan's behavioral logic.

The Red House is where courtesans go after death.

The probability of ordinary people Incarnating after death is only about one in several tens of thousands, but some special methods can greatly increase this probability. However, for stronger cultivators, the treasures required to increase the probability of Incarnation become more expensive.

Therefore, the Red House is extremely rare and scarce, its status far surpassing that of ordinary brothels.

The Red House is adorned with large red lanterns.

In life, most of them were renounced courtesans, and even in death, they received great respect.

They maintain the behavior and logic of their past lives, engaging in conversations with the gentlemen. Over time, some attain cultivation levels comparable to the ancestral spirits of local noble families and sects.

Thus,

The Red House is ominous, fraught with various dangers.

The Embers in the Red House are almost entirely driven by their strongest poetic obsession from life, and if defeated in poetry, one risks becoming their blood food.

If your literary talent is extraordinary, the Red House poses no challenge, and the dead courtesans commend your literary brilliance as if visiting a regular brothel.

If you lack literary talent and seek undeserved fame, certain death awaits in the Red House.

In the Red House, you can encounter scholars and poets from the past, stroll through the footsteps of history, and even compose poetry with ancient figures from centuries or millennia ago, experiencing the literary style of those times!

Ascending the building means traversing the river of history.

Toasting and singing with the sages!

Debating techniques and discussing Tao with past figures!

Standing on the shoulders of predecessors!

Thus, the development of the Immortal Path is now rapidly iterating.

The Red House, serving as an official public tomb, displays these effects, as do private tombs of ancient sects.

The Saint Child of Great Teaching Sect converses with past sages within the private tomb Paper House, discussing the evolution of techniques.

Such growth reveals how terrifying the depth of these prodigies is and the remarkable speed of innovation!

It is hailed as an unprecedented era for the Immortal Path, deservedly recognized.

This is also why Ning Zheng holds thoughts about the three cheap ancestors.

With these ancestors from various eras, discussing Tao, elucidating techniques... it has the value of having an elder as a treasure at home.

It is the foundational essence of the manor!

In this world, without parental ancestors, advancing is difficult.

At this moment,

Countless scholars and poets stand at the gate of the Red House, chatting:

"I wonder, if today I can ascend to the third floor and enter Hu Ji's boudoir to discuss music?"

"Worth a try; with your cultivation, even if your musical skill irritates Hu Ji, you can protect yourself."

"Hmph, be careful not to kill Hu Ji. Although connected to the earth vein and undying, revival takes time and requires compensation; your family might punish you."

...

Numerous scholars, falling prey in Red House, become blood nourishment for the courtesans each year.

Yet, everyone remains enthusiastic, risking their lives to attend; many scholars dream of fame across the world.

Moreover,

The brothel's courtesans remain as unblemished as jade.

If they encounter a favored man willing to marry, you can redeem them, and they will follow you, forming a beautiful tale.

This is the primary selling point of a legitimate brothel.

Some women with certain talents but lacking strong qualifications to enter sects can choose to join the brothel.

They access spiritual cultivation resources, and once they earn back the money for the brothel, they can find a suitable groom or redeem themselves and leave.

It functions like a skilled official women's sect, building massive networks by marrying and accumulating connections rapidly and terrifyingly.

Of course, there are those like Zhang Huaping, who lack qualifications and cannot enter, having to personally hunt demons.

The Red House, inheriting the behavior logic from life, naturally has the same "marriage" system.

If someone enters the Red House and gains favor from a past ancient courtesan, they not only win the beauty but gain incredibly strong support.

Of course, consummating the marriage isn't possible.

The distinction between humans and ghosts remains.

It's detrimental to one's essence, unless you're the legendary abnormal spirit root with Yin attribute.

But taking them home to live in pure love as the sect's guardian to protect descendants is possible, with enduring benefits.

Someone even laments:

"Recalling past years, when True Man Jian Xin, at ten years old, entered the seventh floor of the Red House as a mortal, all courtesans were captivated, his talent was astonishing, and calamitous ghosts retreated."

"Major noble families and sects scrambled to recruit him, hoping he'd open Three Flowers with their Celestial Spirit Root, eventually invited by the current Xinyi King, a ten-year-old child treated with tributor mannerism, so glorious!"

"Had he gone to the Red House as an adult, he might have embraced beauties left and right."

The speaker's eyes brim with envy.

Who comes here without secretly harboring a Ning Caichen dream?

Even pure love has significant appeal among scholars.

Who wouldn't want an unrivaled beauty, pure in life, marrying them after death?

Doesn't this prove...

Heaven did not create XXX — she deemed her era as trash.

Heaven did create XXX — her heart just began to stir.

The satisfaction within this is immense, bringing vast fame, and the epic sentiment of "I was born while you weren't" in love.

"Impact is profound; now each year, foolish scholars without cultivation avoid safe brothels, learning from that figure by directly seeking death in the Red House, thinking they can survive with talent and gain sect recognition, acquiring Celestial Spirit Root."

"A bunch of mud-legged folks, hoping to soar? They read miscellaneous books, lacking classics. Born inherently weaker than us; achieving Three Flowers largely depends on luck."

"Hmph, even we only have Middle Grade Spiritual Roots."

"In this world, it's unknown how many years it takes before another Jian Xin emerges."

...

Jiao Chiwan, with some close friends, steps inside.

Soon, he encounters another group of guests.

"Do you dare to compete?"

On this day, two young noblemen are both elite among the younger generation, suddenly challenging each other.

Bravely venturing deep into the Red House, they compose poetry with an eight-hundred-year-old calamitous courtesan.

Gradually, they even begin competing in front of the beauty.

Their combat power was similarly matched, but due to the stunningly beautiful Treasure Saber, one edges out, entering the boudoir to listen to music, making the entire circle renowned.

"Why is his weapon so beautiful?"

"Such a powerful blade!"

"Also receiving praise from the courtesan; she admired the weapon's beauty, saying it seems beyond the mortal realm."

The red-light-flooded corridor sees a group of scholars shaking their paper fans, full of envy.

Then, like a spark igniting, it spread and exploded!

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