Chapter 3

"Think about it, why didn't the Third Princess behead me right away? It's because she doesn't want me to die so easily. Moreover, she knows very well that I won't break through to the Eighth Rank within three years, and I definitely won't become a Fifth Rank General. So why didn't she just kill me outright for a quick end?" Tang Chun asked.

"Yes, why? If it's because the Third Princess is kind, that's impossible. She hates you to death now because you ruined her reputation, which is more important to a woman than anything else." Zhao Qian, not being stupid, replied.

"You're right. It's because she wants to torment me for three years before letting me die. Do you believe that she must have instructed you to have the generals at Evil Mountain take care of me? They must be told to keep me alive, not let me die in battle, but to make sure I suffer, right?" Tang Chun asked.

"You're not a fool, you really guessed it. The princess just wanted to torture you, I didn't think of that. I have to bandage you up first. Otherwise, if you die on the way, they might think I did it on purpose. The Third Princess's anger is not something I can bear." Zhao Qian patted his thick head and said.

The guy said it and did it, immediately taking out some wound medicine and bandaging Tang Chun. With the special acupoint sealing technique, soon, Tang Chun felt the pain lessen by a lot.

Playing mind games with me, you're still far from it. Tang Chun sneered inwardly, crossed his legs under a giant tree, and began to cultivate the "Nine Heavens Vast World Technique."

He found that the elemental energy here was really not to be underestimated, as dense as a light mist. The Nine Heavens Vast World Technique quickly started to circulate.

With a loud boom.

It worked!

Tang Chun knew that the first wave of elemental energy had successfully entered his dantian. This meant that his body could successfully accept elemental energy.

This was the most important threshold, known as 'planting the path' among cultivators. It meant that from now on, he had the capital to cultivate immortality.

However, not long after, Zhao Qian picked up Tang Chun and was ready to set off again. Tang Chun was so angry that he gritted his teeth, then his eyes twinkled, and he said, "Brother Zhao, my injuries are just starting to heal, and it still hurts a lot. If you rush, I'll have to fight as soon as I get to Evil Mountain. If I die in the first battle, the Third Princess will definitely think you tormented me too much on the way. Then, Brother Zhao will be in trouble too."

"Hmm, that makes sense, it is troublesome." Zhao Qian was stunned, scratched his head, and seemed a bit hesitant. Tang Chun knew that this guy was straightforward and not very cunning, easy to deceive!

"Why don't we take it slow? The princess didn't specify how long it should take to get to Evil Mountain, right? If we take it slow, we can enjoy the scenery along the way. Second, we can visit the town and go to the brothel. There are many beautiful girls there. Life is short, if you don't enjoy it, it's a waste. And in the palace, you're definitely not free. In the royal family, everyone is a treasure. If you don't meet their expectations, you might get whipped or even beheaded. It's better to live freely outside. This is a rare opportunity." Tang Chun used his silver tongue.

"You have a point, you have quite a few tricks up your sleeve." Zhao Qian seemed to be swayed.

Just as they reached the entrance of Green Mountain Town, they heard someone calling from a distance, "Young Master, Young Master, why are you here?"

"It's Uncle Mu, hello." Tang Chun said, introducing Zhao Qian, "This is our family's second steward, Tang Mu. He's been collecting debts these past few days. I guess he doesn't know about my situation yet. Please, Brother Zhao, be a bit more lenient and give me some face."

In fact, Tang Chun knew that Tang Mu was sent by his mother. In this era, everything could be done through connections.

If Zhao Qian was taken care of, it would at least make the journey more comfortable. But this couldn't be done openly, or the royal family would find out and it would be a matter of life and death. So, he had to find an excuse.

"It's Tang Mu, how much did you collect this time?" Zhao Qian's question was a bit problematic, hinting at something.

"Not much, just a few hundred gold pieces. And a batch of wild ginseng." Tang Mu pulled on a large burlap bag.

"Uncle Mu, I'm going on a long journey and forgot to bring money. You can leave this money and the ginseng for me to use. Just tell Father when you get back." Tang Chun said.

"Is this too much? Will the Lord be angry?" Tang Mu performed very well, hesitating and cooperating perfectly. He was indeed a sly old fox.

"What's to be afraid of? The family's assets will all be mine in the future. Consider it a loan. Just record it, and I'll pay it back later." Tang Chun said confidently, grabbing the large burlap bag from Tang Mu's back.

"Alright... consider it a loan. But you should leave a note, just in case the Lord doesn't believe it. I can't afford to take the blame." Tang Mu said urgently.

"Fine, I'll leave a note. Really, don't you trust me? Where are your eyes?" Tang Chun muttered, then wrote a note. Tang Mu took the note and left.

"Brother Zhao, I won't need this money for a while. Just keep it for me. We can use it for food and drink on the way. But can you leave me half of the wild ginseng? It will help my injuries heal faster, right?" Tang Chun said.

"Since that's the case, I'll keep it for you for a while. Of course, the food and drink are on you. There are 12 wild ginseng roots here, I'll give you three." Zhao Qian rummaged through the bag and threw three thick ginseng roots to Tang Chun, keeping the other nine.

Tang Chun knew that Zhao Qian was knowledgeable. These wild ginseng roots were at least thirty years old. They were the family's treasure and a great tonic for martial artists. Regular consumption also helped with breakthroughs.

Perhaps because he had been pent up for too long, after eating, Zhao Qian took Tang Chun to the Red Mansion, an ancient brothel.

Inside, it was truly a scene of flowers and beauty, with over a dozen beautiful women lined up for selection. Soon, Zhao Qian chose one and eagerly carried her upstairs. Tang Chun used the acupoint sealing technique and threw him into a corner of the room.

Zhao Qian wasn't stupid; he didn't forget to bring Tang Chun along and kept him within his sight. Tang Chun suffered, watching Zhao Qian and the woman engage in passionate activities. His own arousal had no outlet.

Frustrated, Tang Chun closed his eyes and practiced the Nine Heavens Vast World Technique. As the elemental energy continuously entered, his mind calmed down.

Moreover, Tang Chun was shocked to find that his cultivation seemed to progress particularly fast when he was aroused but couldn't release.

Fortunately, his hands were still free, and he started gnawing on the wild ginseng like a sweet potato. Zhao Qian wasn't worried about Tang Chun running away because he knew he couldn't escape.

Unfortunately, this couldn't be rushed. Tang Chun's body in the Great Yu Dynasty was too weak. He needed to find other ways to quickly improve his cultivation.

Otherwise, even if he reached Evil Mountain, he might not be able to cultivate to the first level of Qi Condensation. What good would that be? He might be worn out in the first battle.

Dinner was served in the main hall of the Red Mansion. After drinking two small cups, someone outside shouted, "The Poet King has arrived."

The hall immediately buzzed with excitement. All the guests craned their necks to look at the entrance. Soon, a middle-aged man in white walked in gracefully, holding a paper fan, exuding a charm reminiscent of Tang Bohu. Even the girls and courtesans of the Red Mansion were stirred, running out of their rooms to lean on the wooden railings and watch.

"Poet King, Brother Zhao, have you heard of him?" Tang Chun asked.

"Of course, he is very famous in our Great Yu Dynasty. It's said that once he engaged in a poetry contest, drinking ten cups of wine while writing poetry. After ten cups, he wrote ten poems. Famous works like 'The Ancient Orchid Poem' and 'The ** Flower' are well-known and widely sung. He was once invited by the Seventh Prince to write poetry in the palace, entertaining the noble ladies and maids. Some say that when Poet King Li Bei comes to a kilometer-long street, it's packed with people." Zhao Qian seemed to be a fan.

"Today, I will write a poem on the spot, hoping to meet Miss Zhuo." Poet Li Bei stood in the center of the hall, pointing his fan at the upper floor and laughed, "In the red dust, a hundred beauties bloom, a thousand charms seek Miss Zhuo to appear."

Someone quickly set up ink and paper, and Li Bei walked to a screen and wrote gracefully. Tang Chun noticed that his brushwork was elegant and powerful, very handsome. The strokes were like iron hooks and eagle claws, as if the characters were about to leap off the paper.

"Who is Miss Zhuo?" Tang Chun asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe she's the top courtesan at the Red Mansion." Zhao Qian shook his head.

"Brother, you don't even know the famous Miss Zhuo, you really lack knowledge." At this moment, a guy next to them mocked.

"Is Miss Zhuo that hard to see? Isn't she just the top courtesan at the Red Mansion? And this is just a town, not the capital." Tang Chun asked.

"Of course, although she's the top courtesan, Miss Zhuo sells her art, not her body. And even for her art, she only performs for guests she approves of." The guy said.

"Then how many guests are there? Wouldn't she starve?" Zhao Qian asked in confusion.

"Not at all. The guests Miss Zhuo approves of are all famous and wealthy. They can spend a fortune. Even if she only entertains a few guests a year, it's enough for her to live for several years. Take Poet Li Bei, for example. It's said that once in the capital, he spent fifty gold pieces in the Chang Garden. Of course, the Poet King doesn't need to spend gold; he gives paintings, which can be worth dozens of gold pieces. And some noble families can't even get his paintings. The Poet King's works are only given to those he approves of." The guy said smugly, as if he were Poet Li Bei himself.

However, what made the Poet King frustrated was that there was no response from the first room upstairs. It seemed his poem didn't move Miss Zhuo. Li Bei's face turned slightly red, and he wrote two more poems, but still, there was no response.

"Didn't expect Li Bei to be such a master." At this moment, Zhao Qian said.

Thank you, 'tclan6495' for becoming the first alliance leader of 'Official Techniques.' Thank you, 'aoyang666,' 'abc59,' 'Book Friend 140430114509103,' and other brothers for your support. Thank you, 'Wushan Yunyu,' 'Hongmeng Shu,' 'Wu Wai Jiangshan,' 'Nanchao Chen,' 'Yisi Bugou,' 'Niudeng,' 'Jiuzhi Xianzun,' and other great authors for your concern for the dog.

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