Chapter 143: Jile Pavilion! Saintess, isn’t this mask of yours a bit weird?

Jile Pavilion is located in an underground karst cave in the back mountain of the Heavenly Demon Palace.

Although it is underground, it is illuminated as bright as day by countless luminous pearls and a Formation.

As soon as they approached the entrance, a wave of heat mixed with the scent of cosmetics, wine, and decadent music rushed toward them.

"Put it on."

Saintess Ji Wushuang took out a mask from her bosom and casually tossed it to Gu Lan.

Gu Lan took it and looked; it was a white fox mask, except that the fox's expression… no matter how he looked at it, exuded a wretched vibe, and a wicked smile hung at the corners of its mouth.

"Why do I have to wear this?"

Gu Lan protested, "This doesn't fit my handsome and dashing persona!"

"Cut the crap."

Saintess Ji Wushuang herself put on a black cat-demon mask, revealing only a pair of seductive peach-blossom eyes and a rosy chin.

"It's a mixed bag here; there are not only Disciples of the Demonic Sect, but also quite a few Loose Cultivators and black-market merchants."

"That face of yours is too flashy. If some Female Demon Lord takes a fancy to you and forcibly abducts you, this palace will have to go to the trouble of saving you."

"Besides…"

She looked Gu Lan up and down and smiled mischievously,

"This 'lustful fox' mask matches your current identity (my kept man) very well."

Gu Lan: "…"

Fine, you are pretty, so you have all the logic.

The two put on their masks, paid the hefty admission fee, and walked through the gates of Jile Pavilion.

As soon as they entered, Gu Lan was shocked by the scene before him.

This is simply a huge underground palace!

In the middle is a circular dance floor, where a group of scantily clad demonic women are swaying their waists and dancing a heart-pounding dance.

All around are terraced elegant seats and private rooms, filled with Cultivators drinking and clinking cups.

The air was filled with a pink mist, which was a spiritual incense with mild hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects.

"What a great place!"

Gu Lan let out a heartfelt exclamation, his eyes involuntarily glancing toward the dance floor.

"Tsk tsk, those waists, those legs… The Demonic Sect is indeed much more open than the Righteous Path."

"Smack!"

The back of his head received a slap.

"Where are you looking?"

Saintess Ji Wushuang's chilly voice came over.

"If you look again, I'll dig out your eyeballs and serve them as a side dish for wine!"

"Ahem, I am looking at it with a critical perspective!"

Gu Lan explained with a straight face, "I am observing the mental outlook of the Demonic Sect Disciples so that I can… better carry out my work in the future."

"Hmph, only a ghost would believe you."

Saintess Ji Wushuang pulled him through the noisy crowd and came to an elegant seat on the second floor.

"Waiter! Serve wine!"

She grandly slapped a High-Grade Spirit Stone onto the table.

"I want the best 'Drifting Life and Dreaming Death'! And two more plates of spiritual fruits!"

"Coming right up! Please wait a moment, esteemed guest!"

The waiter was a quick-witted Qi Refinement Stage Disciple. Seeing such extravagance, he knew it was a big fat sheep, so he hurriedly trotted off.

The two took their seats.

From this position, one could overlook the entire dance floor.

Although Gu Lan didn't dare to look blatantly, his peripheral vision still couldn't help drifting downward.

"Shuanger, is this Jile Pavilion also an enterprise of your Demonic Sect?"

"Mhm, the Hehuan Sect is responsible for managing it."

Saintess Ji Wushuang lifted a corner of her mask to reveal her lips, snacking on melon seeds.

"This is not only a place for leisure, but also the largest intelligence exchange and black market."

"Look at that fat man over there."

She pointed to a fat man in the corner holding two demonic women in his arms.

"That is the steward of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, and he has quite a few good things in his hands."

"And that one-eyed man."

She pointed to another sturdy man drinking competitively on the other side.

"That is the hall master of Xuesha Hall, who specializes in assassination business."

Gu Lan listened with great relish.

This is the Jianghu of the Demonic Sect.

Just at this moment,

"Dong—!!!"

A crisp bell rang out, overpowering the clamor of the entire venue.

The lights in the center of the dance floor suddenly went out, leaving only a spotlight hitting the center of the stage.

A woman wearing a red gauze skirt and a veil over her face, barefoot, slowly descended from the sky.

Her toes touched the ground, and the bells on her ankles made a crisp sound.

"Manager Meiniang! Manager Meiniang!"

"Manager Meiniang, I love you!"

The whole venue instantly boiled over; countless male Cultivators shouted crazily like they had been injected with chicken blood, and some even threw Spirit Stones onto the stage.

"This is the flower belle of Jile Pavilion—Su Meiniang."

Saintess Ji Wushuang curled her lips, a trace of disdain in her tone.

"The chief Disciple of this generation of the Hehuan Sect, born with a seductive bone, most skilled at seducing men."

"Compared to this palace… she is far inferior."

Gu Lan glanced at that Su Meiniang.

Indeed a stunner.

I saw her dancing gracefully on the stage, every movement extremely provocative, and as her gaze shifted, it seemed capable of stealing people's souls.

As she danced, a wave of pink spiritual power spread outward.

That is… the Art of Seduction!

The eyes of many Cultivators off the stage were already starting to blur, and drool flowed all over the floor.

But Gu Lan showed no reaction at all.

For one, his Divine Sense is powerful; for another…

Facing peerless beauties of the caliber of Hongxiu, Jiang Wanqing, and Saintess Ji Wushuang every day, his aesthetic threshold had long been raised high.

Seduction of this level was like children playing house to him.

"Boring."

Gu Lan yawned, picked up his wine cup, and took a sip.

"It's not even as pretty as Senior Sister Hongxiu's dancing."

"Hmm?"

Saintess Ji Wushuang's ears twitched, and she turned her head to stare fixedly at him.

"What did you just say?"

"You've seen that old woman dance?!"

"When? Where? What was she wearing?!"

Gu Lan: "…"

Oh no, a slip of the tongue.

"Ahem, in a dream! It was in a dream!"

Gu Lan hurriedly tried to make up for it.

"Things in dreams cannot be taken seriously!"

"Hmph, I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Saintess Ji Wushuang let out a cold snort, just about to continue cross-examining.

Suddenly,

Su Meiniang on stage seemed to sense something, her gaze actually piercing through layers of crowds, landing precisely on Gu Lan on the second floor!

In this place full of desire and confusion,

only Gu Lan's eyes were as clear as water, even carrying a hint of… boredom.

This temperament of "everyone is drunk while I alone am sober" instantly attracted the attention of this flower belle.

"That Young Master…"

Su Meiniang stopped her dance steps, her voice soft and melodious, spreading through the sound-amplifying Formation to the entire venue.

"This humble woman sees that you… seem somewhat dissatisfied with this humble woman's dance?"

"Swish——!"

Thousands of gazes across the venue turned in unison, looking toward the elegant seats on the second floor.

Gu Lan still held the wine cup in his hand, dumbfounded.

What the hell?

I'm wearing a mask! Can I still be called out like this?

Is this the legendary Protagonist Halo (aggro-attracting Physique)?

"Since Young Master does not mind…"

Su Meiniang's figure flashed, turning into a fragrant breeze, and she actually flew straight to the second floor, landing right in front of Gu Lan's table.

She leaned close to Gu Lan, her seductive eyes staring intently at the eyes beneath Gu Lan's mask.

"I wonder if this humble woman has the honor…"

"To invite Young Master to have a drink?"

At this, the entire venue exploded.

"Why?! That brat is wearing a lustful fox mask; at a glance, he's no good person!"

"Manager Meiniang actually took the initiative to toast him?!"

"I refuse to accept this! I want to duel him!"

Facing this sudden romantic encounter,

before Gu Lan could speak,

"Slap!"

a slender palm slammed heavily onto the table, shaking the wine pot into the air.

Saintess Ji Wushuang slowly stood up; even through the cat-demon mask, one could feel the chilling aura emanating from her body.

"Have a drink?"

She sneered, blocking in front of Gu Lan, and looked down at Su Meiniang from above.

"Are you worthy?"

"Get lost!"

Su Meiniang was stunned, clearly not expecting that in this Jile Pavilion, there would still be a woman who dared to speak to her like this.

"This elder sister has quite a fiery temper…"

She was just about to retort.

Suddenly, an arrogant laugh came from downstairs.

"Hahaha! Manager Meiniang! Why bother lower yourself to the level of such a rat who hides his head and shows his tail?"

"Come! This Young Master has booked you for tonight!"

I saw a youth dressed in brocade and with a fleshy face, surrounded by a group of lackeys, walking up swaggeringly.

Without even glancing at Saintess Ji Wushuang, he directly reached out to pull Su Meiniang.

At the same time, his other hand reached extremely dishonestly toward that pot of wine on the table, wanting to push Gu Lan aside out of the way.

"Get lost! Don't block Young Master Li's path!"

Gu Lan's eyes turned cold.

The troublemakers are here?

Perfect.

He had been exploited all the way by Saintess Ji Wushuang and had a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent.

"Young Master Li?"

Gu Lan didn't dodge; instead, he sat steadily in the chair, toying with the wine cup in his hand.

"What if I don't get lost?"