Ling Qingshu slapped the serving maid next to her and scolded angrily,
"Get out, don't let this lady's eyes be tainted. Replace all the servers today with eunuchs!"
Meanwhile, in the private room upstairs, Fang Yan was toasting with Xu Yang, completely unaware of the commotion downstairs. He simply noticed that the servers had suddenly changed from delicate maidservants to eunuchs, which felt a bit strange.
"Brother, forgive me. Who knows what's up with Drunken Dreams Tower today? Are they even trying to do business?" Fang Yan grumbled, his enthusiasm just as high as when he'd won a rare treasure.
"Let me tell you, normally when I come here, the servers are all young, beautiful maids, soft and gentle as can be. Drunken Dreams Tower knows how to do business; they know that's my taste. Every time I come here for a drink, they make sure the maids serve me. But today—eunuchs!"
While Fang Yan had no clue what was happening below, Xu Yang knew everything with his keen senses, keeping track of all the movements in Drunken Dreams Tower. He wanted to chide Ling Qingshu a bit for her actions. Did she really need to be this strict just because he, her grand-master, was out for a drink? Not only had she refused to allow any companions, but she'd even replaced the serving maids with eunuchs.
Drinking like this… what's the point? Why come to a pleasure house if it's only for the wine? He might as well find a small tavern on a street corner. Ling Qingshu seemed overly concerned—as if he might lose himself here in Drunken Dreams Tower. As for what to say to this overly vigilant disciple of his lineage, Xu Yang was at a loss.
Unlike Fang Yan's frustration, Xu Yang calmly placed the young cloud Beast on the table. Pouring a small glass of wine for the little creature, Xu Yang sipped slowly, while the Yun Beast poked out its pink tongue to lap at the drink.
To someone like Xu Yang, who had lived for a hundred thousand years, this wine was nothing more than a basic drink. Throughout his life, he had tasted countless celestial wines and been invited to drink by many. But this time, he sipped thoughtfully.
As Fang Yan continued bragging about his so-called "glorious" exploits—spying on his cousin bathing at age six, visiting pleasure houses at eight, and sleeping with his maidservants by ten—he became more animated, no longer dwelling on why they were being served by eunuchs.
If Ling Qingshu knew that this playboy was talking about such things with her grand-master, she wouldn't care about his prestigious family background or his infamous reputation. She'd draw her sword, split Fang Yan in half, and then slice him into hundreds of pieces to feed to the dogs.
It had been ten thousand years since Xu Yang last had a drink.
Before entering seclusion, the Sect Master of that generation in the Tianlan Sect had offered him a cup of celestial wine and wished him a successful ascension. Who would have thought that his next emergence would be a full ten thousand years later? His cultivation was still at the Qi Refining stage, and that Sect Master was either long ascended or deceased.
In ten thousand years, the seas had turned to mulberry fields. Not only were the people Xu Yang once knew gone, but the world itself had changed drastically. Listening to Fang Yan's chatter beside him, Xu Yang felt transported back to those days when he still had friends to share a drink with.
"This wine is mediocre. If I get a chance, I'll sneak some of my father's finest stash for us to try," Fang Yan said earnestly. Xu Yang glanced at Fang Yan, and the two exchanged a look before bursting into laughter.
The little cloud Beast seemed to pick up on the atmosphere between the two, kicking aside the wine glass placed in front of it. Then, under Fang Yan's astonished gaze, the Yun Beast began puffing out small clouds, one after the other.
"Brother, what is this little monster of yours? It looks amusing."
Seeing the Yun Beast's unique behavior, Fang Yan was intrigued. Little did he know that this "amusing" cloud Beast, once grown, would have the battle power of the Nascent Soul stage; he'd probably fall to his knees if he knew.
Xu Yang didn't elaborate on the cloud Beast's capabilities and instead played along with Fang Yan's comment. "Picked it up along the way. I don't know what kind of spirit beast it is."
Though still young, the cloud Beast was intelligent. Offended by Xu Yang's casual remark, it extended a tiny paw, intent on leaving a mark on Xu Yang. But Xu Yang noticed the cloud Beast's intentions, smiled slightly, and with a flick of his finger sent it flying off the table.
"Huh? How did it fly off?"
By now, Fang Yan had had quite a bit to drink and didn't pay much attention to what happened next. The cloud Beast's body traced an arc through the air and was about to hit the ground when it suddenly twisted, spouted a cloud, and used it as leverage to jump back in front of Xu Yang.
Having learned its lesson, the cloud Beast refrained from raising its paw again and instead nuzzled Xu Yang's hand, its eyes full of a pitiful expression, as if complaining of the unfair treatment.
Xu Yang paid no mind to its antics and casually poured it another glass of wine. Fang Yan, unconcerned about how the cloud Beast had made its way back, tossed a chicken leg in front of it and resumed his bragging to Xu Yang.
By the time they had finished drinking, night had fallen, and Drunken Dreams Tower was unexpectedly empty.
"See, Brother, I told you! If Drunken Dreams Tower keeps doing business like this, it's bound to fail one day," Fang Yan shouted, his voice loud as Xu Yang supported his drunken frame.
The madam standing nearby was almost in tears. Business today at Drunken Dreams Tower wasn't worse than usual—it was simply that many patrons had been scared off by that young man and the lady accompanying him.
In her frustration, the madam could say nothing. Their own Foundation Establishment Elder couldn't even withstand the golden core aura emanated by Ling Qingshu. Such power! Ling Qingshu had declared that no maids could serve, so all the servers were replaced with eunuchs. She also decreed that no courtesans could go upstairs, so the madam obediently sent all the courtesans back to their rooms.
"Madam, why aren't there any girls here tonight? I wanted a real party!" Fang Yan slurred. Without Xu Yang's support, he would have collapsed on the spot.
Hearing this, Ling Qingshu shot Fang Yan a deadly glare, barely suppressing the urge to kill him.
Xu Yang didn't think much of it. He handed the drunk Fang Yan over to his family's guards, then left Drunken Dreams Tower with Ling Qingshu. The two disappeared into the night, leaving the city of Qizhou behind.